Effectiveness of the Surgery Core Clerkship Flipped Classroom: a prospective cohort trial

Abstract Background The flipped classroom has been proposed as an alternative curricular approach to traditional didactic lectures but has not been previously applied to a surgery clerkship. Methods A 1-year prospective cohort of students ( n = 89) enrolled in the surgery clerkship was taught using a flipped classroom approach. A historical cohort of students ( n = 92) taught with a traditional lecture curriculum was used for comparison. Pretest and post-test performance, end-of-clerkship surveys, and National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) scores were analyzed to assess effectiveness. Results Mean pretest and post-test scores increased across all modules ( P < .001). There was no difference between mean NBME examination score in the prospective and historical cohorts (74.75 vs 75.74, P = .28). Mean ratings of career interest in surgery increased after curriculum completion (4.75 to 6.50, P < .001), with 90% reporting that the flipped classroom contributed to this increase. Conclusions Implementation of a flipped classroom in the surgery clerkship is feasible and results in high learner satisfaction, effective knowledge acquisition, and increased career interest in surgery with noninferior NBME performance.