Anesthesiology teaching during undergraduation through an academic league: what is the impact in students' learning?

Abstract

Background and objectives: Academic leagues have been consolidated as instruments of medical teaching and for the introducing of medical students to practice of specialties, including anesthesiology. As the role of leagues in the development process of competencies and learning of their students is not well known, the learning of members of an anesthesiology academic league was evaluated after participating in its activities for one year.

Method: Students of an anesthesiology academic league were followed up from March to December 2010 and evaluated through objective cognitive tests of multiple choice applied before the beginning of activities and after their conclusion. Attendance in activities and epidemiologic profile of students were correlated with the tests results.

Results: Twenty medical students from 3rd to 6th year were analyzed, with an average age of 22.8 (21-26) years. The average participation in the proposed activities was 10.4/13 (80%). The average of right answers on the first test was 8.1/17 (47.6%), and 3rd year students had lower grades (p<0.02) compared with other students. In the post league test, the average of right answers was 11.9/17 (70%), showing an improvement in performance (p<0.05), and there was no difference between grades of different years of the medical undergraduation. A strong relationship between participation in activities and improved grades was found (r=0.719; p<0.001).

Conclusions: Students who participated in the league had improvement in knowledge evaluation tests, suggesting that the league is a useful teaching instrument that can provide improved learning of anesthesiology. Participation in activities was connected with improved performance. Activities developed in leagues may have a positive role in students' academic education, more specifically in this article, in anesthesiology.