A Spaced Repetition Approach to Presenting Autonomic Nervous System Pharmacology Curricula in Medical Education

Abstract

Future physicians require a strong foundational knowledge of autonomic nervous system (ANS) pharmacology to safely prescribe many medications. Spaced repetition in medical education has previously been examined in the literature. However, we have yet to elucidate the perception of spaced repetition integration into pharmacology curricula across multiple organ systems from a cohort of medical students. Preclinical students were surveyed to quantify their perceptions of ANS pharmacology curricular delivery via Qualtrics XM (Qualtrics, Provost, UT). The survey consisted of statements ranked by students on a Likert scale and then one free-response question. Free response questions underwent a narrative analysis by two members of the research team who reviewed responses to extract key themes. 95.4% of participants agreed that "revisiting the ANS curriculum in relevant Foundation Phase blocks has helped [them] remember it." More than 75% of respondents agreed with statements such as "The ANS curriculum comprehensively covered the relevant material" and "The ANS curriculum prepared me for in-house non-NBME quizzes and exams." We conclude that revisiting core concepts in ANS pharmacology across multiple organ system blocks effectively sets a solid foundation for ANS pharmacology and pathophysiology.

Keywords: Pharmacology education.