Effect of curriculum reform on graduating student performance

With the aim of evaluating the efficacy of a new curriculum implemented in the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto (University of São Paulo, Brazil), a yearly objective assessment of both cognitive and practical skills of undergraduate (sixth year) students was performed. All graduating student underwent a multiple-choice questions (MCQs) test and groups of 18-20 students were randomly assigned to OSCEs for either clinical (real and standardized patients) or procedure (manikins) skills. The average MCQs score for the students graduating in the new curriculum (63.1, sd = 8.9, n = 261) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than for the previous curriculum (55.3, sd = 8.1, n = 222). Results for practical exams showed that the new curriculum was associated with significantly improved performance in five out of the six stations for procedure skills, but in only two of the 10 clinical skills stations. Final evaluation of graduating students revealed deficiencies in the local curriculum and may serve as a guide to take measures to correct them.