Evaluation of problem-based learning education after clerkship at the Chang Gung University School of Medicine

Background: The Chang Gung University School of Medicine adopted problem-based learning (PBL) education 3 years ago. A questionnaire was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of this teaching method, and the results were analyzed to determine statistical significance. Methods: In June 2001, all the interns in the Medical and Surgical departments of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital were compulsorily assessed using a newly developed questionnaire, which was provided to the residents, chief resident, and attending doctors. The questions involved the interns' ability to perform 10 essential skills, namely (1) problem searching, (2) problem solving, (3) initiative learning, (4) thinking process, (5) establishing the patient-doctor relationship, (6) establishing the doctor-nurse relationship, (7) interaction with peers, (8) professional knowledge, (9) clinical techniques, and (10) medical notes writing. Forty-three completed questionnaires, evaluating 25 interns, were returned. Of these 25 individuals, 14 had participated in PBL education and 11 had been taught using the conventional variant. Results: No statistically significant differences were demonstrated for gender or average school records between the interns who had been taught using the PBL and conventional methods. Statistically significant superiority was demonstrated for interns educated using PBL in three of 10 areas including, thinking process, professional knowledge, and clinical techniques. Conclusion: Analysis of the questionnaire results clearly demonstrated that the introduction of the PBL method of teaching at the university was efficacious in terms of the competence demonstrated by the interns when entering clinical practice.