Improved academic achievement with the flipped classroom in undergraduate medical education

Purpose: to compare the academic performance of undergraduate medical students learning Neurosurgery using the flipped classroom methodology versus traditional lectures. Based on three courses of experience, it is the second largest series ever published in medical education.

Methods: a quasi-experimental study was accomplished during three consecutive academic courses. The traditional lecture was the pedagogic method employed in three academic units, whereas the fourth academic unit of the Medical School used a flipped classroom methodology. The impact on learning was assessed through a final exam, which is the same for all students from all academic units in each course and is accomplished simultaneously in a single exam session. Students’ satisfaction was assessed through a Likert-scale survey.