Massive Open Online Courses Combined with Flipped Classroom: An Approach to Promote Training of Resident Physicians in Rheumatology

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of massive open online courses (MOOCs) in combination with flipped classroom teaching in the standard training of resident physicians (resident physician trainees). METHODS: A total of 110 resident physician trainees enrolled in 2018, with a major in Internal Medicine, were selected and divided into a control group (n = 55) who experienced traditional teaching methods and an experimental group (n = 55) who experienced MOOCs plus flipped classroom teaching. Their post-class test scores and satisfaction questionnaires were compared. RESULTS: The test scores (80.60 ± 7.65) of resident physician trainees in the experimental group were higher than those of the control group (77.05 ± 8.08), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The experimental group trainees were highly satisfied with the MOOC + flipped classroom program. CONCLUSION: MOOCs in combination with flipped classroom teaching can increase the effectiveness of teaching in the standard training for resident physicians and trainees’ comprehensive clinical diagnosis and treatment ability.