Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Tıp Eğitimi Dünyası, cilt.24, sa.72, ss.59-69, 2025 (Hakemli Dergi)
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of studentgenerated pharmacology flashcards on academic achievement and attitudes towards the pharmacology course among medical students. The study specifically investigated whether flashcard use improves pharmacology grades and fosters more positive perceptions of the subject.
Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 202 third-year medical students at a state university. Participation in the flashcard application was voluntary, with 66 students engaging in five collaborative sessions to create and review 100 flashcards based on pharmacology course material. The remaining 136 students attended standard lectures only. Academic performance was measured using semester 3 board 5 exam scores, final grades, and grade point average (GPA). Attitudes towards pharmacology were assessed using the Attitude Scale of Medical School Students Towards Pharmacology Course. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare academic and attitudinal outcomes between the two groups.
Results: Flashcard participants achieved higher scores in semester 3 board 5 exams (p<.05), final grades (p<.05), and GPA (p<.05), and demonstrated more positive attitudes towards pharmacology, scoring higher on the ‘pharmacology as an indispensable course’ subscale (p<.05) and lower on the ‘useless course pharmacology’ subscale (p<.05). Collaborative flashcard creation was associated with active engagement, improved knowledge retention, and more favorable perceptions of pharmacology. However, the general academic performance of participants before the intervention suggests potential self-selection bias, as motivated and academically inclined students were more likely to participate.
Conclusions: Pharmacology flashcards were shown to enhance academic performance and foster positive attitudes towards the subject, indicating their potential as a valuable tool in medical education. The collaborative, studentdriven approach promoted active learning and peer interaction, enhancing both knowledge retention and engagement. These findings support the integration of flashcard-based activities into medical curricula to improve learning outcomes and perceptions of pharmacology. Future research should address the limitations of self-selection bias and single-institution scope while exploring long-term effects and applications across diverse educational settings.