A CREATIVE FINAL EVALUATION FOR A FIRST YEAR PATIENT
CENTERED MEDICINE COURSE
Carol A. Terregino and Norma S. Saks*,
PURPOSE: The goals of the Patient Centered
Medicine course include developing effective patient-doctor communication
skills, learning to work as members of multi-disciplinary health care teams,
and demonstrating knowledge of ethics, cultural competency, and medical
economics. We wished to develop an appropriate final course evaluation that
would be creative and enjoyable.
METHODS: Students collaborated in small groups
(10 students) to select a health care system problem and potential solution,
and to develop a creative presentation (skit, song, poem, or dance.) Ten minutes
were allotted for presentations; 5 minutes for audience questions/discussion.
Topics/themes included improving the quality and safety of health care,
complementary/alternative/integrative medicine, culturally competent care,
ethical challenges in health care, and interfacing spirituality, religion,
faith, and medicine.
RESULTS: Presentations reflected a good level of
knowledge acquisition, collaborative effort, and creativity; all groups earned
a top score of “2”. Evaluations were overwhelmingly positive. Student comments
mentioned issues of individual responsibility and collaboration, feelings of
engagement and enjoyment, and the satisfaction of having produced a good
quality final presentation. Negative comments related to the project taking
more time than expected, difficulty in getting everyone in the group together
to plan, and one student thought it “degrading” for students in a professional
school to put on a skit.
CONCLUSION: These group projects requiring
collaboration and creativity were an enjoyable and effective way for students
to demonstrate proficiency in the Patient Centered Medicine
course. This activity has remained part of the course.