The Effect of COVID-19 on the Medical School Experience, Specialty Selection, and Career Choice: A Qualitative Study

A series of three annual surveys of David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM) at UCLA students and UCR/UCLA Thomas Haider Program in Biomedical Sciences students were administered from 2010 to 2012 to ascertain student perceptions of which anatomy pedagogy—prosection or dissection—was most valuable to them during the first year of preclinical medical education and for the entire medical school experience in general. Students were asked, “What value does gross anatomy education have in preclinical medical education?” We further asked the students who participated in both prosection and dissection pedagogies, “Would you have preferred an anatomy curriculum like the Summer Anatomy Dissection during your first year in medical school instead of prosection?” All students who responded to the survey viewed anatomy as a highly valued part of the medical curriculum, specifically referring to four major themes: Anatomy is (1) the basis for medical understanding, (2) part of the overall medical school experience, (3) a bridge to understanding pathology and physiology, and (4) the foundation for clinical skills. Students who participated in both prosection and dissection pedagogies surprisingly and overwhelmingly advocated for a prosection curriculum for the first year of medical school, not a dissection curriculum. Time efficiency was the dominant theme in survey responses from students who learned anatomy through prosection and then dissection. Students, regardless of whether interested in surgery/radiology or not, appreciated both pedagogies but commented that prosection was sufficient for learning basic anatomy, while dissection was a necessary experience in preparation for the anatomical medical specialties. This suggests that anatomy instruction should be integrated into the clinical years of medical education.

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Medical school factors and career choice of psychiatry

American Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1176/ajp.139.8.1040 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 139 (8) ◽

pp. 1040-1042 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Keyword(s):

Medical School ◽

Career Choice ◽

School Factors

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Foundation trainees and changes in career intentions

Australasian Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1039856217737882 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 98-101

Author(s):

Adam B Joiner ◽

Shamsa Mahmood ◽

Samuel P Dearman ◽

Sarah Maddicott

Keyword(s):

Medical School ◽

Positive Attitude ◽

Good Practice ◽

School Experience ◽

Common Reason ◽

Career Intentions ◽

Positive Intention ◽

Foundation Programme ◽

Experiential Design

Objectives: To understand whether foundation trainees change their career intentions during psychiatry placements and explore what factors influence such changes. Methods: Over a two-year period, foundation trainees completed questionnaires at the beginning, middle and end of their four-month placement. There were two questions, the first as to how likely they were to pursue a career in psychiatry and the second openly asked them to elaborate on their reasons. Results: Twenty-one out of 41 eligible trainees returned all three questionnaires. The number of trainees ‘highly likely’ to choose psychiatry increased over the four-month period, from 4.5% to 19%. The number of trainees ‘highly unlikely’ to choose psychiatry decreased, from 27.3% to 9.5%. An increasingly positive intention towards a psychiatry career appeared to relate to enjoyment of the placement and the quality of supervision. The most common reason for not choosing psychiatry was a pre-existing interest in another specialty. Conclusions: Undertaking a psychiatry placement during the foundation programme continues to increase the likelihood of a positive attitude towards psychiatry as a career. The findings of our study suggest good practice in providing foundation placements in psychiatry includes identifying medical school experience, enjoyment, quality weekly supervision and mindful experiential design of placements.

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Emergency medicine as a career choice: a descriptive study of Canadian medical students

CJEM ◽

10.1017/s1481803500011210 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 11 (03) ◽

pp. 196-206 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Ian M. Scott ◽

Riyad B. Abu-Laban ◽

Margot C. Gowans ◽

Bruce J. Wright ◽

Fraser R. Brenneis

Keyword(s):

Emergency Medicine ◽

Family Medicine ◽

Medical School ◽

Career Choice ◽

Demographic Data ◽

School Entry ◽

Social Orientation ◽

Scope Of Practice ◽

Medical Specialties ◽

Hospital Orientation

ABSTRACTBackground:Studies indicate that a student's career interest at medical school entry is related to his or her ultimate career. We sought to determine the level of interest in emergency medicine among students at the time of medical school entry, and to describe characteristics associated with students primarily interested in emergency medicine.Methods:We surveyed students in 18 medical school classes from 8 Canadian universities between 2001 and 2004 at the commencement of their studies. Participants listed their top career choice and the degree to which a series of variables influenced their choices. We also collected demographic data.Results:Of 2420 surveys distributed, 2168 (89.6%) were completed. A total of 6.1% (95% confidence interval 5.1%–7.1%) of respondents cited emergency medicine as their first career choice. When compared with students primarily interested in family medicine, those primarily interested in emergency medicine reported a greater influence of hospital orientation and a lesser influence of social orientation on their career choice. When compared with students primarily interested in the surgical specialties, those primarily interested in emergency medicine were more likely to report medical lifestyle and varied scope of practice as important influences. When compared with students primarily interested in the medical specialties, those who reported interest in emergency medicine were more likely to report that a hospital orientation and varied scope of practice were important influences, and less likely to report that social orientation was important.Conclusion:Students primarily interested in emergency medicine at medical school entry have attributes that differentiate them from students primarily interested in family medicine, the surgical specialties or the medical specialties. These findings may help guide future initiatives regarding emergency medicine education.

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Retroperitoneoscopy: The Washington University Medical School experience

Urology ◽

10.1016/0090-4295(94)90228-3 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 43 (4) ◽

pp. 446-452 ◽

Cited By ~ 77

Author(s):

Elspeth M. McDougall ◽

Ralph V. Clayman ◽

Paul T. Fadden

Keyword(s):

Medical School ◽

School Experience ◽

Washington University

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Choosing a Career in Psychiatry: Factors Associated with a Career Interest in Psychiatry among Canadian Students on Entry to Medical School

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/070674370905400808 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 54 (8) ◽

pp. 557-564 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Margot C Gowans ◽

Lee Glazier ◽

Bruce J Wright ◽

Fraser R Brenneis ◽

Ian M Scott

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Medical School ◽

Career Choice ◽

Educational Background ◽

Early Career ◽

Social Orientation ◽

Career Interest ◽

The Arts ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Career Option

Objective: To report the proportion of Canadian medical students interested in a career in psychiatry at medical school entry and to describe the unique demographics and career influences associated with this early interest. Methods: From 2001 to 2004, during the first 2 weeks of medical school, a 41–item survey of career choice, demographics, and attitudes toward various aspects of medical practice was distributed to all students in 18 classes at 8 Canadian medical schools. Associations between early career interest, demographics, and career influences were explored. Results: Of the 2096 completed surveys, 3.2% of students named psychiatry as their first career choice. While 34% of students considered psychiatry a possible career option, 54.9% stated that they had not considered this option. Students interested in psychiatry were more likely than other students to have an undergraduate education in the arts, to have close family or friends practicing medicine, and to have worked voluntarily with people with mental illness. Students interested in psychiatry had a lesser social orientation than students interested in family medicine but had a greater social orientation and lesser hospital orientation than students interested in other specialties. Conclusions: Enhanced psychiatric care may be aided by the selective recruitment into medical school of students with a demonstrated empathy toward people with mental illness, an educational background in the arts, and a strong social orientation. As career influences change throughout medical school, participants in this study will be re-surveyed at graduation to better understand the evolution of career choice decision-making throughout medical school.

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Value of Fourth-Year Medical School Experience Questionnaire

PsycTESTS Dataset ◽

10.1037/t37182-000 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Stephen J. Wolf ◽

Tai M. Lockspeiser ◽

Jennifer Gong ◽

Gretchen Guiton

Keyword(s):

Medical School ◽

School Experience ◽

Experience Questionnaire

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Toronto University and Medical School and Internship in Detroit

C. Miller Fisher ◽

10.1093/med/9780190603656.003.0002 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 12-22

Author(s):

Louis R. Caplan

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Medical School ◽

History Of Medicine ◽

School Experience ◽

Henry Ford Hospital ◽

Henry Ford ◽

History Of ◽

Medical Career ◽

Strong Commitment ◽

And Training

Abstract: Fisher’s medical school experience and training are described in this chapter. Medical education and medicine in general at the time of Fisher’s matriculation seem quite primitive and undisciplined by today’s standards. A very brief review of the history of medicine and medical education up to that time places the situation during the 1930s when Fisher matriculated into perspective. William Osler’s career, which predated but influenced Fisher, is described. Fisher’s medical internship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, is also briefly discussed. During his entire medical career, Fisher maintained a strong commitment to accurate measurement and quantification of physical signs and observations, a discipline he first learned in Toronto as a student.

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