Keeping Lectures Alive in Undergraduate Medical Education: Current Status, Evolution, and Future Goals.

Lectures have been the cornerstone of education for centuries. As society has modernized, science has elucidated multiple key aspects required for effective learning and retention of knowledge. In the last several decades, undergraduate medical education (UME) has changed with the incorporation of mandatory active small group learning and self-directed study in pre-clerkship education. Lectures have become non-mandatory school activities with poor attendance by students and a sore subject by the UME community. In addition, the use of standardized national exams throughout medical school has paved the way for the use of third-party commercial resources focused on "high-yield" materials that are widely supported by students and schools. Consequently, medical students have begun to forego traditional didactics in favor of commercial resources and self-study time. Hence, there is a growing frustration among faculty over poor attendance and engagement. However, lectures and seminars have continued to thrive in clerkships, graduate medical education, and continuing medical education despite the downfall in pre-clerkship education. Lectures in pre-clerkship education may need to be restructured and delivered in a style that fits the growing educational needs of advanced adult learners. This article critically reviews the historical role and current status of lecture in UME, while providing recommendations for future actionable changes.