What Are They Here to Learn? Meeting the Needs of Medical Students and Residents on an Infectious Disease Service

BACKGROUND: Medical students and residents rotating on an infectious disease (ID) service present both challenges and opportunities. The reasons these learners choose to spend elective time in the ID world has not been clearly elucidated. Prior research has suggested that an excellent experience with ID in medical school or residency is correlated with choosing a career in ID, which is currently a matter of significant concern. However, teaching curricular content to such learners is often challenging, given time constraints on both faculty and learners. On-service teaching frequently takes the form of case-based, “What you see is what you get” experiences. However, in the whirlwind of service obligations, such learning risks missing the broader picture and a thorough review of evidence-based management to core topics in ID. Core-curriculum learning material on ID topics that promotes active learning and that can be done on a learner’s individual timeframe offers significant benefits. METHODS: Medical students and residents at a single large tertiary care center were surveyed as to what they wanted from an ID elective. Concurrently, a series of self-driven, active-learning modules on topics in ID were created and assessed. The modules cover the topics of infectious endocarditis, antibiotics, antifungals, HIV and HAART, CAP, HAP/VAP, tickborne illness, TB, and febrile neutropenia. These modules are freely available and learners were asked to complete them. Pre- and post-module tests assessed efficacy of learning. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 75 learners, and by far the main reason for choosing an ID elective was to increase knowledge in the field (91%). Learners viewed the core-curriculum modules favorably (95%), and post-module test scores had improved significantly over pre-module test scores (70.3% vs. 90.0%; P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The predominant reason medical students and residents choose an ID elective is to gain knowledge in the field. Via exposure to newly created, self-driven, active-learning modules in ID, which augment the traditional case-based experience, learners demonstrated improved knowledge in the field. These modules are freely available to the broader ID community. DISCLOSURES: All authors: No reported disclosures.