Incorporating physiology core concepts into a flipped classroom is associated with enhanced medical student performance in cardiovascular physiology

Physiology core concepts (CCs) are essential for understanding physiology and enhancing students' learning outcomes, but their impact in flipped learning (FL) settings remains unclear. This study evaluated whether integrating CCs into FL improves medical students' performance in a 3-wk cardiovascular physiology module. Third-year medical students were divided into two groups: a control group receiving standard FL (<i>n</i> = 85) and an experimental group receiving FL+CCs (<i>n</i> = 90). Performance was assessed via a formative quiz (30-35% participation rate) to identify early learning trends and a final exam. Quiz results were compared by the Mann-Whitney <i>U</i> test, and final exam responses were analyzed with chi-square tests. Students' perceptions were collected via questionnaires. The FL+CCs group had a higher median quiz score (68.75%) than the FL group (62.50%), but the difference was not statistically significant (<i>P</i> = 0.14). On the final exam, the FL+CCs group had significantly more correct responses (695/900 vs. 609/850; 77.2% vs. 71.6%; <i>P</i> = 0.008), driven primarily by improved performance on the homeostasis questions (56.7% vs. 40%; <i>P</i> = 0.003). In addition, 60% of students in the FL+CCs group reported that the FL+CCs approach enhanced their understanding of cardiovascular physiology. Integrating CCs into FL was associated with improved medical student performance in cardiovascular physiology, primarily due to better performance on the homeostasis CC. Studies with a broader assessment scope and extended implementation periods are needed to further evaluate educational benefits of the FL+CCs approach.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> This study is among the first to investigate core concept-based teaching within a flipped learning setting in a cardiovascular physiology module. Despite the module's short duration, core concept-based teaching was associated with enhanced performance among medical students.