Student curriculum review team, 8 years later: Where we stand and opportunities for growth.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Student Curriculum Review Team (SCRT) was founded at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) in 2012 to refine pre-clinical courses. Since then, SCRT has provided a voice for student feedback - offering forums for discussion through 'Town Hall meetings' and confidential avenues for peer-to-peer comments. Here, we assess the perceived efficacy and utility of SCRT among the student body and faculty course directors. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 2019 using an anonymous survey distributed to second- (MS2) and third-year (MS3) medical students as well as faculty course directors at JHUSOM. RESULTS: A total of 113 student surveys and 13 faculty surveys were returned. The majority of students (97%) endorsed SCRT as effective in enabling them to express their concerns. Most faculty (69%) reported SCRT's impact on their respective course as positive and found SCRT suggestions to be 'realistic and actionable.' Students (84%) and faculty (62%) alike considered SCRT to meet needs not met by other curricular organizations at JHUSOM. CONCLUSION: Students and faculty find that SCRT satisfies an unfilled position in the landscape of curricular feedback at JHUSOM. This study may be beneficial for other academic institutions considering ways to better engage students in curricular reform.