{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,19]],"date-time":"2026-09-19T19:09:58Z","timestamp":1789844998320,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,14]],"date-time":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763078400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The objective was to compare the extent of acquired knowledge regarding osteoporosis-related issues in a group of medical students who successfully completed an optional \u201cElective Osteoporosis Course\u201d based on problem-based learning, and a group of medical students who completed only the mandatory curriculum.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Study groups and methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Study group I was comprised of 25 fourth-year students who successfully completed the Elective Osteoporosis Course I (focused on pathophysiology, diagnostics, and pharmacological treatment), while control group I was comprised of 25 fifth-year students who successfully completed only all required fourth- and fifth-year courses, but did not participate in the elective Osteoporosis I course. Study group II was comprised of 27 fourth-year students who successfully completed the Elective Osteoporosis Course II (focused on treatment of osteoporotic fractures), while control group II was comprised of 24 sixth-year students who were preparing for final exams in surgical disciplines, but did not participate in the Elective Osteoporosis Course II. The groups were compared using a linear regression model with robust estimation of standard errors using Stata 13.1. A p-value\u2009&lt;\u20090.05 was considered statistically significant.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Study Group I scored, on average, 6.7 points higher than Control Group I on the multiple-choice test (scale \u201316 to +21). Study Group II scored, on average, 3.5 points higher than Control Group II on the multiple-choice test (scale \u201321 to +28). Both differences were statistically significant (p\u2009&lt;\u20090.001, R\n                      <jats:sup>2\u2009<\/jats:sup>\n                      =\u20090.64, 95% CI: 5.2\u20138.1; p\u2009=\u20090.006, R\n                      <jats:sup>2\u2009<\/jats:sup>\n                      =\u20090.15, 95% CI: 1.1\u20135.9; respectively).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Results demonstrated a greater understanding in students who participated in problem-based learning medical studies relative to those who completed only the mandatory curriculum.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0336915","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,14]],"date-time":"2025-11-14T18:28:16Z","timestamp":1763144896000},"page":"e0336915","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["An osteoporosis course as a separate component of problem-based learning"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1546-6853","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Iva","family":"Hoffmanov\u00e1","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Val\u00e9r","family":"D\u017eupa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Petr","family":"Waldauf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Robert","family":"Grill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"V\u00e1clav","family":"B\u00e1\u010da","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0336915.ref001"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0336915.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1016\/S1607-551X(09)70067-1","article-title":"Problem-based learning: a strategic learning system design for the education of healthcare professionals in the 21st century","volume":"25","author":"MC-E Gwee","year":"2009","journal-title":"Kaohsiung J Med Sci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0336915.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1743-498X.2011.00501.x","article-title":"Problem-based learning: a review of the educational and psychological theory","volume":"9","author":"C Onyon","year":"2012","journal-title":"Clin Teach"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0336915.ref004","article-title":"Learning from simple ebooks, online cases or classroom teaching when acquiring complex knowledge. 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