• Cristina Marta Del-Ben, Rosana Shuhama, Manuel João Costa, and TronconLuiz Ernesto de AlmeidaLEA0000-0002-8599-2410MD, PhD. Physician and Full Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil..
• MD, PhD. Physician and Associate Professor, Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil.
• Sao Paulo Med J. 2019 Jun 10; 137 (2): 112118112-118.

BackgroundOne of the factors known to influence performance in the learning process is student motivation. In turn, students' motivation can be regulated by a large number of variables relating to the individual (such as sex, age and socioeconomic status) or to aspects of the academic life.ObjectiveThe primary aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of curriculum changes involving reduction in content overload and increased early exposure to clinical settings, on motivation towards learning among Year 1 medical students. Secondarily, the aim was to ascertain whether this influence on motivation remained stable until the undergraduate program ended (Year 6).Design And SettingProspective study on two student cohorts at a Brazilian state-owned university.MethodsTwo consecutive student cohorts were assessed: one with a traditional curriculum (n = 87) and the other with a reformed curriculum (n = 63), at the same medical school. Participants in both cohorts gave responses on four scales in Years 1 and 6: the Academic Motivation Scale, containing subscales for autonomous and controlled motivation, and lack of motivation towards learning; Beck's Anxiety and Depression Inventories; Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; and the Social Adjustment Scale. In Year 6, 68% of the initial sample (66 students with the traditional curriculum and 36 with the reformed curriculum) was reassessed.ResultsNo differences between Year 1 cohorts were found regarding demographic and social background, social adjustment, depression or anxiety. Students with the reformed curriculum scored significantly higher regarding autonomous and controlled motivation than those with the traditional curriculum. Comparison between Year 6 and Year 1 showed increases in controlled motivation only for the traditional curriculum cohort.ConclusionCurriculum changes were associated with increased motivation towards learning in Year 1, which persisted until Year 6.

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