“Memory Clinics”: A Series of Memory Challenges for the Improvement of Metacognitive Skills in a Pharmacology Course
Authors: Larrarte-Gonzalez Maria Alejandra , Gomez-Buitrago Maria Isabel , Sierra Ana E. , Pena-Silva Ricardo A. 
Published: April 2020

Pharmacology training requires adequate skills for lasting learning of facts and medications that are unfamiliar to most medical students. Metacognition encompasses skills such as memorization, time management, deliberate practice, and self‐regulation, that are critical to the learning and application of pharmacology concepts. To improve students’ approach to learning pharmacology, we have created the “Memory Clinics” (MC). Memory clinics are metacognitive spaces focused on the training of working memory as a vehicle for students to actively assess their study methods, strengths and difficulties when learning pharmacology.

Three MCs were offered to students enrolled in the medical pharmacology course during the second academic term of 2019. Each MC occurs in a one‐hour block and is divided in different stages, during which students are instructed to memorize biomedical material, solve a crossword on that material in a limited period of time, and reflect on their learning process and techniques through open questions. At three moments (T0 min, T10 min, T20 min) during the study time, students are also required to report their expected performance on a numerical scale before solving the crossword puzzle. After obtaining preliminary results, as reported in Table
1, we applied an unequal variance T‐test to evaluate possible differences for expected performance between genders at T0, T10 and T20, as well as actual performance on the crossword in each MC. We did not find a difference for expected performance between men and women (p>0,05). When combining genders and comparing expected and actual performances, we found a difference in scores as additional MCs were included in the analysis (p<0.0002 One‐Way correlated ANOVA).

Our results suggest there are not significant differences between men and women when estimating their performance on a memory challenge. Students show differences in their expected performances before, during and after encountering the challenge with a tendency to overestimate their efficacy. Students appear to predict more accurately their performance after participating in several MCs throughout the semester. MCs allowed us to collect qualitative data on self‐confidence and the effects of self‐perceived expertise that we are currently analyzing. Preliminary results suggest changes on confidence and self‐efficacy after students are exposed to a metacognitive challenge.

Support or Funding Information

FAPA‐ Universidad de Los Andes, College of Medicine, Vicepresidency for Research.

Mean for expected and final scores
* by gender during Memory Clinics

Expected Performance

Final Score

Moment

T 0 min

T 10 min

T 20 min

Gender

F

M

F

M

F

M

F

M

MC 1

65,5 ± 13,2

69,3 ± 11,6

60,1 ± 15

59,5 ± 18,2

72 ± 13,6

72,9 ±12,7

57 ± 17,3

56 ± 16,6

MC 2

63,6 ± 13,6

70,6 ± 11

59,4 ± 15,8

60,3 ± 18,2

71 ± 14,3

73 ± 13,6

55,6 ± 17,9

55,9 ± 17,5

MC 3

47,8 ± 16,2

48,2 ±21,9

39,8 ± 16,1

35,6 ± 16,2

50,4 ± 13,5

49,4 ± 22,4

44 ± 0,2

49 ± 0,2

F: Female, M: Male

*Mean score, ± SD