Abstract

Objective: The primary objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of case-based learning on the clinical practice of orthopedic graduates.

Design: Mixed qualitative and quantitative study

Place and duration of study: This study was conducted at DHQ hospital Narowal for a period of 3 months from January 2023 to March 2023.

Methodology: Six medical officers working in the orthopedics department were recruited for the study through purposive sampling after taking consent. Three CBL sessions were conducted involving common case scenarios. MCQ based pretest and posttest was taken to assess the improvement in knowledge. Feedback was taken from the students using the 5-point Likert scale. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS-16.

Results: Significant improvement was noted in students’ performance by the comparison of pre-test and post-test scores(P<.001). According to most students (83.3%) CBL had a positive impact in promoting understanding, problem-solving skills, and better student-teacher relationship. Most of the students (66.7%) in our study were of the view that CBL was a better method of teaching and learning as compared to the traditional lectures. All the students strongly agreed that CBL helped in better retention of knowledge. More than 65% of students felt that CBL improved their communication and team-work skills.

Conclusion: According to our study CBL sessions enhanced the quality of learning among the doctors. It allowed them to follow a structured approach to problem-solving in clinical cases routinely encountered in their specialty and enhanced their critical thinking. Hence CBL sessions should be a regular part of the teaching curriculum of doctors at our hospital.