Co-curricular Programs in an Accelerated Curriculum

Abstract

Introduction: In 2017, nearly half of U.S. medical schools reported shortening or planning to shorten the preclerkship phase of medical school, a trend that may be accelerated by pass/fail Step 1 reporting of the U.S. medical licensing examination. The impact upon longitudinal electives addressing non-traditional content is unknown. Our purpose was to describe the challenges in maintaining such an elective. Methods: Our institution has a longitudinal elective program aimed at promoting relationships with faculty, professional networks and peers along with completion of capstone projects. In 2015, the pre-clerkship phase was shortened from 16.5 months to 12 months. We assessed enrollment and student satisfaction with program aims.Results: Challenges included less time for classroom activities and difficulties maintaining community during the post-clerkship phase. Modifications included sharing sessions across electives, integrating activities across matriculating years, and offering additional electives in the post-clerkship years that reinforced content. Enrollment (n=268, 78%) and satisfaction remained high regarding connectedness (71%), knowledge enhancement (87%), and professional development (84%). In response to the COVID pandemic, the program has transitioned to virtual delivery and enrollment and satisfaction have remained high. Conclusions:Despite an abbreviated pre-clerkship curriculum, enrollment in and satisfaction with a longitudinal elective remained high. Future study will identify how the program can adapt to increasingly individualized student schedules in the post-clerkship phase while satisfying desire for community.