Evaluation of a Culturally Effective Health Care Curriculum Integrated into a Core Pediatric Clerkship

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate a culturally effective health care (CEHC) curriculum integrated into the real-time clinical experience of a third-year medical student pediatric clerkship.MethodsThe intervention group (n = 22) and the nonintervention group (n = 69) consisted of students who were assigned to one of two sites for their clerkship. Students did not volunteer for the curriculum. A curriculum in 2002 was developed based upon a local needs assessment of students and parents, key CEHC concepts and experts' input. Learning strategies included incorporation of CEHC issues into clinic precepting, attending rounds, and written histories. Evaluation methods were preintervention and postintervention knowledge tests and Likert-type attitudinal surveys, and a final objective structured clinical exam (OSCE; nonintervention group, n = 22, intervention group, n = 22).ResultsPretest knowledge scores were similar in both groups. The post-test scores were significantly different. The intervention group demonstrated higher gain in the knowledge scores (42% vs 5%; P < .001). The intervention group demonstrated significantly higher gains in observed role modeling (85% vs 31%; P = .01), self-perceived skill (82% vs 19%; P < .001), and attitude (21% vs 0%; P = .02), but not in self-perceived knowledge domains (65% vs 15%; P = .14) on the attitudinal survey. The intervention group performed significantly better in the folk (83% vs 70%; P = .02) and language (75% vs 63%; P = .01) OSCE stations and had a significantly higher total OSCE score (79% vs 68%; P = .01).ConclusionA CEHC curriculum, stressing clinical relevance, was successfully incorporated into the real-time experience of a third-year medical student pediatric clerkship. Students demonstrated significant gains in knowledge, attitudinal domains, and clinical skills.