Perceived Benefit of Active Over Passive Strategies for Pathophysiology Learning and Retention Among Physician Assistant Students

Michelle Pauley Murphy; Woei Hung

doi:10.1097/JPA.0000000000000570

Perceived Benefit of Active Over Passive Strategies for Pathophysiology Learning and Retention Among Physician Assistant Students

J Physician Assist Educ. 2024 Jan 3. doi: 10.1097/JPA.0000000000000570. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Michelle Pauley Murphy^{1

2}, Woei Hung^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Michelle Pauley Murphy, PhD, is instructional faculty, Physiology and Pathophysiology in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota.
² Woei Hung, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Education, Health & Behavior Studies, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota.

PMID: 38170797
DOI: 10.1097/JPA.0000000000000570

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines physician assistant (PA) student perceived benefit of active vs. passive studying strategies for learning and retaining physiology and pathophysiology content knowledge. Identifying beneficial studying strategies is crucial to building a strong content knowledge foundation to support PA students' clinical rotations.

Methods: Three cohorts of PA students (n = 64) were anonymously surveyed regarding perceived benefit of studying strategies for learning and retention of physiology and pathophysiology content knowledge. Students also ranked strategies from most to least beneficial.

Results: Strategies were identified during survey development pilot study as either active or passive. Physician assistant students rated the active strategies perceived benefit mean as significantly greater than the passive strategies mean for both the learning (t(61) = 9.24, P < .001, d = 1.38) and retention (t(58) = 8.19, P < .001, d = 1.21) conditions.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence that PA students perceive active studying strategies to be more beneficial than passive strategies for acquiring physiology and pathophysiology content and retaining it into the clinical year.