Small-group discussion versus lecture format for third-year students in obstetrics and gynecology

To compare lecture and small-group discussion for third-year medical students in obstetrics and gynecology. Over a 2-year period, 91 third-year medical students in the obstetrics and gynecology clerkships were given educational sessions on diabetes and hypertension in pregnancy by a single instructor, either in a traditional lecture format or in a small-group discussion. After the instructional sessions, students anonymously completed a 20-question multiple-choice examination on the covered topics. They also completed an evaluation form on the instructional format, using a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). At the completion of each clerkship, students repeated the same multiple-choice examination. There was a significantly higher level of enjoyment (median value 5 versus 4, P