How The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine leverages Osmosis in their flipped classroom environment to support early integration of clinical reasoning.
The Program
The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) School of Medicine serves over 1.9 million people in the rural, underserved communities in East Texas. UT Tyler is dedicated to addressing the provider gap and improving patient outcomes. Since the program opened to students in 2023, they have been able to build upon the past and bring in a new future explains Assistant Dean of Clinical Experience and Assistant Professor of Medical Education, Dr. Andrea Cooley. “We rely heavily on technology and forward-thinking to be able to do what we need to do,” shares Dr. Cooley.
Challenge One
Providing reliable, appropriately scoped, flipped classroom resources that utilize learning sciences.
UT Tyler sought engaging and reliable digital resources for pre-work that would better prepare students for application-based learning in the classroom while minimizing additional demands on faculty. “We do not have a lot of extra doctors running around, so we have to be very mindful of the administrative burden that teaching puts on faculty,” shares Dr. Cooley. “It wasn’t the best use of our time to try to reinvent what’s already out there.”
“We do not have a lot of extra doctors running around, so we have to be very mindful of the administrative burden that teaching puts on faculty,” shares Dr. Cooley. “It wasn’t the best use of our time to try to reinvent what’s already out there.”
The Solution
Integrate Osmosis into the curriculum to equip faculty and students with trusted, high-quality educational resources that enhance flipped classroom instruction and learning outcomes.
To address UT Tyler’s need for high-quality flipped classroom resources, Osmosis was integrated into the curriculum and assigned to students as pre-work. “We want our faculty available to teach at the highest level. If it’s something students can read in a book or watch in a video, we want the students to get that on their own, and then bring those higher order questions to class or a clinical scenario,” explains Dr. Cooley.
The Result
On-demand, digestible Osmosis videos save faculty valuable time when developing pre-work assignments and enable them to concentrate on application-based activities during class time.
Osmosis videos provide faculty with engaging content that simplifies the creation of pre-work assignments. By leveraging ready-made resources, faculty spend less time developing foundational learning materials and more time facilitating application-based activities and deeper discussions during class.
Osmosis also provides faculty members with a benchmark to assess where a student’s knowledge should be, allowing for more effective teaching and learning sessions. “It’s very easy for faculty to go down the rabbit hole and get way too deep,” says Dr. Cooley. Osmosis content is leveled for medical students to help faculty keep in scope, supporting targeted and efficient teaching and learning.
Challenge Two
Integrating clinical concepts during pre-clinical years and reinforcing foundational sciences in clinical years.
At UT Tyler, improving clinical preparedness and long-term knowledge retention begins with the early integration of clinical reasoning throughout the curriculum. The program also emphasizes the continuous reinforcement of foundational science concepts during the clinical years, helping students connect basic science knowledge to real-world patient care and strengthen their ability to apply concepts in practice.
The Solution
Leveraging Osmosis Foundational and Clinical Sciences content to strengthen connections between foundational knowledge and clinical application.
To address this challenge, UT Tyler placed Osmosis foundational sciences and Clinical Sciences videos in each of their self-directed learning pods. “Students have to understand the science behind things, to understand why things are happening in the clinical setting,” explains Dr. Cooley “This is where Osmosis is coming in big time.”
The Result
Early emphasis on linking foundational sciences to clinical practice is accelerating the development of clinical reasoning while preparing students for success in both clerkships and board examinations.
“The feedback we’re getting is that our students’ clinical reasoning is far beyond what we would expect for new third years, let alone for first years. That’s been really impressive.”
Dr. Andrea Cooley, DO, FACOS
Assistant Dean of Clinical Experience and Assistant Professor of Medical Education
Through Osmosis videos, students can see the explicit link between foundational science concepts and their application in clinical scenarios. Putting this at the forefront keeps knowledge fresh in students’ minds and helps them better understand the relevance of foundational knowledge in the clinical setting. This scaffolded understanding also helps students better prepare for the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 boards they take after their clerkships.
UT Tyler’s focus on integrating clinical skills early through the assignment of Osmosis content, additional resources, and other required hands-on training in clinical settings, has set their students ahead of the curve. “The feedback we’re getting is that our students’ clinical reasoning is far beyond what we would expect for new third years, let alone for first years. That’s been really impressive,” shares Dr. Cooley.
