"Primum Non Nocere" - First, Do No Harm: A Retrospective Review of the Impact of Curricular Reform on USUHS Graduates' Performance During Their PGY-1 Year

Purpose: To determine whether medical school curricular change impacted the assessment of graduates in their first year of postgraduate training. Methods: The authors examined for differences in the survey of postgraduate year one (PGY-1) program directors for Uniformed Services University (USU) medical school graduates from the Classes of 2011 and 2012 (pre-curriculum reform, pre-CR), Classes of 2015, 2016, and 2017 (curriculum transition), and Classes of 2017, 2018, and 2019 (post-curriculum reform, post-CR). Multivariate analysis of variance was used to explore for differences among the cohorts in the 5 previously identified factors on the PGY-1 survey (Medical Expertise; Professionalism; Military Unique Practice, Deployments and Humanitarian Missions; System-Based Practice and Practiced-Based Learning; Communication and Interpersonal Skills). Nonparametric tests were used when the error variance between cohorts was found to be unequal across samples. Kruskal-Wallis (a rank ordered analysis of variance) and Tamhan's T2 were used to characterize specific differences. Results: There were 801 students included: 245 (pre-CR); 298 (curricular transition); and 212 (post-CR). Multivariate analysis of variance demonstrated significant differences in all survey factors among the comparison groups. From pre-CR to the curricular transition, ratings in all factors declined, but none reached the level of a statistical significance. Ratings of all 5 factors showed significant improvement from the curricular transition to post-CR, and scores from pre-CR to post-CR trended in the positive direction with Practice-Based Learning (effect size 0.77), showing significant gains. Conclusion: Ratings by PGY-1 program directors of USU graduates over time demonstrated a very small decline soon after curriculum reform but later showed a large improvement in domains reflecting areas of emphasis in the curriculum. In the eyes of a key stakeholder, the USU curriculum reform did no harm and led to improved PGY-1 assessments.