Presentation Type
Poster
Discipline Track
Other
Medical Education
Abstract Type
Research/Clinical
Abstract
Background: Experiential learning is an important part of the medical education curriculum. Due to the clinical relevance of skeletal muscle strength in evaluating patients’ complaints of muscle weakness or imbalance, skeletal muscle physiology is an important concept with extensive potential for experiential learning opportunities. Our goal was to establish an experiential learning skeletal muscle physiology lab activity that would improve undergraduate MD pre-clerkship students’ skill to collect muscle force measurements using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD) and understanding of core physiological concepts.
Methods: As part of the Musculoskeletal and Dermatology (MSKD) Module in the undergraduate MD pre-clerkship curriculum, we developed a lab activity where fifty-five Year 2 students performed two experiments using an HHD: (1) The Elbow Flexion Experiment, and (2) The Fatigue Experiment. The Elbow Flexion Experiment was used to obtain measurements of force produced by the bicep muscles at 6 different angles, and (2) the Fatigue Experiment was used to determine the effect of fatigue on hand muscle strength. Students’ understanding of the activity’s learning objectives was evaluated using a two-prong approach. First, each student completed a laboratory session write-up assignment explaining how collected results and observations were related to muscle physiological principles. Second, students completed a survey assessing their self-reported understanding of the activity’s concepts.
Results: The response rate of participants were 100% and 55.76% in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Demographic data revealed that majority of student participants were Hispanic/Latino (50.46%) followed by White/Caucasian (18.69%) and Asian (11.21%). Furthermore, male and female students were 55.14% and 44.85%, respectively. Post-activity survey data demonstrated that students had the ability to utilize HHD to collect muscle force measurement and understood the muscle length-tension relationship (98.5% agree/strongly agree rate). Our laboratory design was validated as collected data demonstrated a significant decrease in pinch strength post-exercise and significant changes in overall strength following a quadratic curve with arm angle degrees.
Conclusions: The activity enhanced medical students’ understanding of skeletal muscle length-tension relationships, evidenced by students’ positive survey responses. Given that knowledge of skeletal muscle physiology spans various sectors of clinical practice, this activity may be applicable in the training of other healthcare professionals as well.
Academic/Professional Position
Medical Student
Mentor/PI Department
Medical Education
Recommended Citation
Maddox, Meyer B.; Martinez, Angela; Salinas, Daniel; Potter-Baker, Kelsey; and Shah, Amin, "Development of an Experiential Learning Lab Activity on Skeletal Muscle Physiology in Undergraduate MD Pre-clerkship Curriculum" (2024). Research Symposium. 23.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somrs/2024/posters/23
Included in
Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Medical Education Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons
Development of an Experiential Learning Lab Activity on Skeletal Muscle Physiology in Undergraduate MD Pre-clerkship Curriculum
Background: Experiential learning is an important part of the medical education curriculum. Due to the clinical relevance of skeletal muscle strength in evaluating patients’ complaints of muscle weakness or imbalance, skeletal muscle physiology is an important concept with extensive potential for experiential learning opportunities. Our goal was to establish an experiential learning skeletal muscle physiology lab activity that would improve undergraduate MD pre-clerkship students’ skill to collect muscle force measurements using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD) and understanding of core physiological concepts.
Methods: As part of the Musculoskeletal and Dermatology (MSKD) Module in the undergraduate MD pre-clerkship curriculum, we developed a lab activity where fifty-five Year 2 students performed two experiments using an HHD: (1) The Elbow Flexion Experiment, and (2) The Fatigue Experiment. The Elbow Flexion Experiment was used to obtain measurements of force produced by the bicep muscles at 6 different angles, and (2) the Fatigue Experiment was used to determine the effect of fatigue on hand muscle strength. Students’ understanding of the activity’s learning objectives was evaluated using a two-prong approach. First, each student completed a laboratory session write-up assignment explaining how collected results and observations were related to muscle physiological principles. Second, students completed a survey assessing their self-reported understanding of the activity’s concepts.
Results: The response rate of participants were 100% and 55.76% in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Demographic data revealed that majority of student participants were Hispanic/Latino (50.46%) followed by White/Caucasian (18.69%) and Asian (11.21%). Furthermore, male and female students were 55.14% and 44.85%, respectively. Post-activity survey data demonstrated that students had the ability to utilize HHD to collect muscle force measurement and understood the muscle length-tension relationship (98.5% agree/strongly agree rate). Our laboratory design was validated as collected data demonstrated a significant decrease in pinch strength post-exercise and significant changes in overall strength following a quadratic curve with arm angle degrees.
Conclusions: The activity enhanced medical students’ understanding of skeletal muscle length-tension relationships, evidenced by students’ positive survey responses. Given that knowledge of skeletal muscle physiology spans various sectors of clinical practice, this activity may be applicable in the training of other healthcare professionals as well.