Microbiology is a vital component of preclinical education for both allopathic and osteopathic medical programs. However, many medical students have not completed an undergraduate medical microbiology course, making this their first introduction to the subject. Additionally, microbiology content in many medical schools is typically not supplemented by laboratory coursework. In this educational research project, first-year osteopathic medical students (OMS1) participated in a two-session microbiology lab activity covering colony isolation, differential and selective media, Gram staining, and catalase testing. Students completed surveys consisting of multiple-choice microbiology knowledge questions, and opinion questions on a Likert scale, both before and after the lab exercise. Paired T-tests were used to examine each student’s change in responses from the pre-survey to the post-survey. Performance on multiple-choice questions significantly improved after completing the lab activity, regardless of whether students had completed a microbiology course before or worked in a lab (outside of coursework) before. Performance on the post-survey also was not influenced by course readings completed between the two lab sessions. Additionally, students’ reported enjoyment of microbiology, enjoyment of lab work, and confidence in their ability to perform lab techniques and identify diagnostic tests improved significantly following this lab activity. In summary, implementation of lab activities in OMS1 curriculum should be considered when possible to improve understanding and attitudes towards microbiology content.
