A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Impact of the New Pathway Curriculum at Harvard Medical School. Final Report / Gordon Moore and Others.

In 1985 and 1986, two randomly selected groups of Harvard Medical School students entered either the traditional program or the New Pathway, a redesigned medical curriculum with a 3-year longitudinal course structure involving the same small group of students and teachers. The program features the interweaving of material from other disciplines; emphasis on self-reflection; a mentoring relationship between students and teachers within the small groups; and opportunities to discuss and reflect on experiences that occurred during rotations. An evaluation of the program's effects involved analysis of career preferences and educational experiences, observed information on student performance, self-report data, and test data from standardized patient and National Board scores. These results showed that the New Pathway students preferred a student-directed environment, studied differently, and demonstrated a stronger orientation towards "deep" learning. The students in the new curriculum were more humanistic in orientation, possessed better relational skills, and had superior knowledge of social and behavioral science. In addition they were more challenged, better known to the faculty, and somewhat more anxious. There were no differences in biomedical cognitive performance measures or career choices. Includes appendixes detailing evaluation instruments, giving summary tables of learning and psychosocial behaviors, and listing 25 references. (JB)

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