Knowledge retention among six-year students in internal medicine in the context of distance learning

Abstract

Aim. To assess the retention of theoretical knowledge of internal medicine and practical skills in 6-year students of the Department of General Medicine 5-6 months after the exam.

Material and methods. Knowledge retention in internal medicine was assessed by testing on 11 topics (233 questions), while practical skills was analyzed by the results of electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation and the clinical case task in 48 students.

Results. The following internal medicine sections with a high and very high retention rate of theoretical knowledge (average, 59,1%) were identified: gastroenterology and hematology. One section with a low retention rate was identified (emergency endocrinology) (27,5%). Retention of practical skills was high in ECG interpretation (5 points) and low (2,3-3,5 points) in solving clinical case task.

Conclusion. The results obtained showed that the educational process in a medical university should have hybrid forms of organization, including technologies and methods of distance and compulsory inperson education, even during a pandemic. This implies the analysis and deep processing of programs focused on the redistribution of different sections between distance and in-person forms of education.