Enhancing academic performance: a shadow curriculum approach for medical and dental student preparation in basic sciences and pre-internship comprehensive exams.

BACKGROUND

The shadow curriculum is an emerging concept in curriculum studies that has not yet garnered significant attention in medical education. It includes programs and activities outside formal education to improve students' academic performance in the formal educational system.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we designed and developed an online course based on the shadow curriculum and evaluated its effect on students' learning and academic performance.

METHODS

This study represents a form of developmental research, with the study population comprising medical and dental students from universities of medical sciences in Iran. The course was conducted at the Smart University of Medical Sciences, following the ADDIE instructional design approach in three phases. The initial two phases involved designing and implementing the program according to the students' needs and requirements. In the third phase, we evaluated the program using the Kirkpatrick model. In the first level evaluation, the reaction of 70 students in the course was investigated. To assess the impact of the course, pre and post-tests were administered to 30 students. Finally, the effect of the course on students' success in the comprehensive exams for basic medical sciences, dentistry, and pre-internship was analyzed by examining the passing and failing statuses of 83 and 57 students who participated in the September 2023 and February 2024 exams.

RESULTS

The results indicated that the students responded positively to the program. The analysis of pre-test and post-test scores showed a significant improvement in the students' academic performance across all the subjects presented in the course, including basic medical sciences, dentistry, and pre-internship (p < 0.01, p < 0.05). Overall, the descriptive analysis of the program's influence on the students' success in comprehensive exams in basic medical sciences, dentistry, and pre-internship showed that 70 out of 83 participating students passed the September 2023 comprehensive exams. Additionally, 51 out of 57 participants completed the comprehensive exams in February 2024.

CONCLUSIONS

In an era where the shadow curriculum is reshaping learning and the educational landscape, the findings presented in this study indicate that this type of curriculum should be given special attention in the theoretical, research, and practical dimensions of the field of medical education.