When a Dream Becomes a Nightmare: Why do Indigenous australian Medical Students Withdraw from Their Courses?

2008 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Ellender ◽  
Marlene Drysdale ◽  
Janice Chesters ◽  
Susan Faulkner ◽  
Heather Kelly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Indigenous Students ◽  
Recruitment And Retention ◽  
The University

AbstractThis paper investigates reasons Indigenous Australian medical students gave for leaving their courses prior to graduation. Indigenous students who had withdrawn or deferred from their medical courses were asked about the barriers and disincentives that had dissuaded them from graduating. Although the response rate to the questionnaire was very low, it opened up a way of looking at the particular experiences of Indigenous students. Of the 12 responses, the most prominent reason given for withdrawing was financial. Most were satisfied with enrolment processes but a number were disappointed with their courses and with teaching methods. More support from the university was the only encouragement that would have persuaded most respondents to continue. This paper explores the reasons for the high rate of withdrawal of Indigenous medical students and concludes by suggesting ways in which secondary schools, universities and their medical schools could respond to the recruitment and retention of Indigenous medical students.

scholarly journals Mentors' experiences in an osteopathic medical student research program

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler Hamby ◽  
W. Paul Bowman ◽  
Don P. Wilson ◽  
Riyaz Basha
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Research Program ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Systematic Instruction ◽  
Medical Student Research ◽  
Research Programs ◽  
Student Mentor ◽  
The University

Abstract Context Medical students, especially at osteopathic medical schools, have limited research exposure. Systematic instruction in research, supervised by qualified mentors, could motivate osteopathic medical students to pursue research in their careers, thereby increasing the number of future clinician-scientists. Recruiting and retaining suitable research mentors are crucial to sustaining such programs, but this task is also particularly challenging for osteopathic medical schools. Objectives To assess mentors' experiences in a voluntary student-mentor medical research program. Methods An online survey was sent to 76 university- or hospital-based participants who previously mentored 219 medical students between 2014 and 2019. The questionnaire consisted of 13 items with responses in checklist, five-point Likert scale, and categorical multiple-choice formats, assessing motivation for participation, satisfaction with the program, and interest in future participation. Data were analyzed descriptively, and responses from mentors at the university and hospital were compared using univariate logistic and ordinal regression analyses. Results Among 70 (92.1%) mentors who responded to the survey, 61 (87.1%) reported being motivated by a desire to help medical students learn research. Forty-nine (70.0%) mentors indicated that furthering their own research productivity was a motivation, and hospital-based mentors were statistically significantly more likely to endorse this source of motivation (OR=2.02; 95% CI=1.18–3.45; p=0.01). Most respondents were satisfied with the quality of the students' work (59 [84.3%]) and with the program (59 [85.5%]). However, 46 (65.7%) suggested the program could be enhanced by requiring medical students to be physically present in the clinic or laboratory for a minimum amount of time. Importantly, most (58 [84.1%]) mentors reported that they would be interested in participating in future mentored research programs. Conclusions Mentors were motivated to participate in the voluntary research program for both altruistic and professional reasons. Since most mentors reported being satisfied with the program, it is likely they would participate in future mentored research programs. Our results suggest that mentors viewed this voluntary research program as mutually beneficial.

scholarly journals Smoking habits among medical students: a survey at the University of Prishtina Faculty of Medicine

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albina Fejza ◽  
Fatjeta Maraj ◽  
Hajrullah Fejza
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Role Models ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Smoking Habits ◽  
P Value ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
The University ◽  
Medical University

Background: Smoking is a common habit among the population in Kosovo. In the country, smoking occurs in public places, health and educational institutions despite being prohibited by law. Our objective was to describe smoking habits, knowledge and attitudes among medical students from all departments in the University of Prishtina, Faculty of Medicine. Methods: The present study followed the Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) standardized methodology including data processing procedures. A self-administered questionnaire used was derived from the GHPSS. A total of 600 students were invited in the study while 470 returned questionnaires and participated in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to present the data. The Fisher’s exact test was used to test the significance and a p-value<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The prevalence rate of smoking among students was 16.9% (95% CI 13.2-20). Current smokers were 79 students, 28.2 % males, and 7.7 % females. The study showed that 55.5% of students smoke less than a pack of cigarettes per day. Almost half of them (47.6%) who smoke reported to have a smoker inside the family.  This study also revealed that 74.7% of respondents smoke in the presence of non-smokers on daily bases. Conclusion: Despite threating their own health, smokers also cause noxiousness to the society and medical students should be role models for the others by not smoking. Even though the percentage doesn’t show a high rate of smokers in Medical University of Prishtina, still we need to pay attention to bad smoking habits and try to lower even more the percentage of smokers.

scholarly journals Primary Care Tracks in Medical Schools

PRiMER ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maribeth P. Williams ◽  
Denny Fe Agana ◽  
Benjamin J. Rooks ◽  
Grant Harrell ◽  
Rosemary A. Klassen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Family Medicine ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Clerkship Director ◽  
Medicine Clerkship ◽  
Faculty Mentorship

Introduction: With the estimated future shortage of primary care physicians there is a need to recruit more medical students into family medicine. Longitudinal programs or primary care tracks in medical schools have been shown to successfully recruit students into primary care. The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics of primary care tracks in departments of family medicine.  Methods: Data were collected as part of the 2016 CERA Family Medicine Clerkship Director Survey. The survey included questions regarding the presence and description of available primary care tracks as well as the clerkship director’s perception of impact. The survey was distributed via email to 125 US and 16 Canadian family medicine clerkship directors.  Results: The response rate was 86%. Thirty-five respondents (29%) reported offering a longitudinal primary care track. The majority of tracks select students on a competitive basis, are directed by family medicine educators, and include a wide variety of activities. Longitudinal experience in primary care ambulatory settings and primary care faculty mentorship were the most common activities. Almost 70% of clerkship directors believe there is a positive impact on students entering primary care.  Conclusions: The current tracks are diverse in what they offer and could be tailored to the missions of individual medical schools. The majority of clerkship directors reported that they do have a positive impact on students entering primary care.

The state of ethical-legal oaths in UK medical practice today: Is it time to look at standardising?

2016 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 200-202
Author(s):  
RL Atenstaedt
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical Practice ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Hippocratic Oath ◽  
The State ◽  
Rite Of Passage ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Electronic Survey ◽  
The Uk

The taking of an ethical-legal oath is a “rite of passage” for many medical practitioners. A 1997 paper noted that half of medical schools in the UK administer an oath. I performed a survey of UK medical schools to see whether these are still used today. An electronic survey was sent to 31 UK medical schools, asking them whether the Hippocratic Oath (in any version) was taken by their medical students; non-respondents were followed up by telephone. Information was obtained from 21 UK medical schools, giving a response rate of 68% (21/31). A total of 18 (86%) institutions use an oath. Ethical-legal oaths are therefore taken in the vast majority of UK medical schools today. However, a great variety are used, and there are advantages in standardisation. My recommendation is that the Standard Medical Oath of the UK (SMOUK) is adopted by all medical schools, and that this is also taken regularly by doctors as part of revalidation.

scholarly journals Listening to and learning from the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to facilitate success

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katelyn Barney
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Indigenous Students ◽  
Future Developments ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
The University ◽  
Tertiary Study

Drawing on interviews with current and past Indigenous undergraduate students at the University of Queensland (UQ), this paper reports on findings from a project that explored the experiences of Indigenous Australian students and identified inhibitors and success factors for students. It also discusses one of the outcomes of the project and planned future developments that aim to provide better support for Indigenous Australian students at UQ. By knowing and acting upon the kinds of mechanisms that can assist Indigenous students, their experiences of tertiary study can be enhanced, leading to more students enrolling in and completing university study.

A Taste of Virtual Culinary Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine—An Online Course for Medical Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 155982762110465
Author(s):  
Ginger Poulton ◽  
Amanda Antono
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
National Academy Of Sciences ◽  
Lifestyle Medicine ◽  
Culinary Medicine ◽  
North Carolina School ◽  
Elective Course ◽  
The University ◽  
Academy Of Sciences

As medical schools work to train the next generation of providers, including robust content in nutrition education is paramount. The National Academy of Sciences sets the benchmark for 25 hours of nutrition education in medical schools, though many schools do not meet this requirement. Usually, nutrition lectures in medical schools are given in the pre-clinical years and focus on biochemistry and micronutrients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a unique opportunity to quickly develop and implement an elective course for 3rd and 4th year medical students at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. A course was created in lifestyle medicine and culinary medicine, and all were delivered remotely through Zoom. This course would be simple to replicate at other institutions and was very well received. This article will describe more of the resources, methods, and reactions to this course.

scholarly journals Comparison of the Professionalism Behaviours of Medical Students from Four GCC Universities with Single-gender and Co-educational Learning Climates

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-200
Author(s):  
Mona Faisal Al-Qahtani ◽  
Salman Yousuf Guraya
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Academic Integrity ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Medical Professionalism ◽  
Single Gender ◽  
Unified Framework ◽  
Significant Similarity ◽  
Gcc Countries

Background: Medical professionalism is a multi-dimensional construct that is viewed differently across institutions. Such variations might be related to diverse cultural and societal characteristics of learners and faculty. Objectives: This study determined whether differences exist between proposed sanctions for a one-time academic integrity infraction associated with unprofessional behaviors. We selected four medical schools with either single-gender or co-educational learning environments in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Methods: The 34-statement Dundee Polyprofessionalism Inventory I was disseminated to all medical students across years in selected institutions. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted, and median scores were used to determine the respondents’ proposed sanctions. Results: Of the 1941 invitees, 1313 students responded (response rate of 68%). Significant similarity, as recorded by median sanction scores was recorded for 21 (62%) of the 34 inventory items from two medical schools. However, significant differences of one level of difference between all the median sanction scores for single-gender and co-educational students were found for 32% of inventory items. In co-educational schools, males were stricter than females for 9% and seniors were stricter than juniors for 12% of the inventory items. In contrast, in single-gender schools, females were stricter than males for only 6% of the inventory and seniors were more lenient than juniors for another 6% of the inventory. Conclusions: This study reports significant congruence and some differences in medical students’ perceptions of unprofessional behaviors. Educators are urged to develop a unified framework for enforcing sanctions to unprofessional behaviors.

scholarly journals Trainees' Perceptions of the Transition From Medical School to Residency

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 611-614
Author(s):  
Sarah G. Bell ◽  
Emily K. Kobernik ◽  
Jesse Burk-Rafel ◽  
David T. Hughes ◽  
Jocelyn Schiller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical School ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
University Of Michigan ◽  
Electronic Survey ◽  
Perceived Preparedness ◽  
The University

ABSTRACT Background There is emerging evidence that learners may be suboptimally prepared for the expectations of residency. In order to address these concerns, many medical schools are implementing residency preparation courses (RPCs). Objective We aimed to determine trainees' perceptions of their transition to residency and whether they felt that they benefited from participation in an RPC. Methods All residents and fellows at the University of Michigan (n = 1292) received an electronic survey in July 2018 that queried respondents on demographics, whether medical school had prepared them for intern year, and whether they had participated in an RPC. Results The response rate was 44% (563 of 1292) with even distribution across gender and postgraduate years (PGYs). Most (78%, 439 of 563) felt that medical school prepared them well for intern year. There were no differences in reported preparedness for intern year across PGY, age, gender, or specialty. Overall, 28% (156 of 563) of respondents participated in an RPC and endorsed feeling prepared for intern year, which was more than RPC non-participants (85% [133 of 156] vs 70% [306 of 439], P = .029). Participation in longer RPCs was also associated with higher perceived preparedness for residency. Conclusions This study found that residents from multiple specialties reported greater preparedness for residency if they participated in a medical school fourth-year RPC, with greater perceptions of preparedness for longer duration RPCs, which may help to bridge the medical school to residency gap.

scholarly journals Pimping: Valuable Teaching Tool or Mistreatment? Perceptions of Medical Students and Faculty Differ.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridger Rodoni ◽  
Anthony Duncan ◽  
Nicole Pescatore ◽  
Steve Kasten
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Student Response ◽  
Negative Experience ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Clinical Care Team

ImportanceThe AAMC Graduate Questionnaire has drawn attention to medical student mistreatment. Pimping, a form of Socratic teaching often used in medical education where students are singled out by faculty for questioning, may be considered by some students and faculty as mistreatment. To date, minimal research has been performed on the viewpoints of students and faculty regarding pimping and its relation to mistreatment.&nbsp;ObjectiveThis study aims to formally define pimping and determine if there is a difference in the perception of students and faculty on its role in medical education.Design: Medical students and faculty of Michigan medical schools were surveyed via electronic questionnaire. Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests were performed.SettingMedical schools within the state of Michigan&nbsp;ParticipantsStudents who had completed their core clerkships and faculty with experience educating medical students in a clinical setting&nbsp;ResultsThe student response rate was 42%; the faculty response rate could not be determined. The majority of students agreed with our operational definition of pimping and 100% had experienced pimping. 54% of students reported a positive experience with pimping, 26% neutral, and 20% reported a negative experience. The majority of students reported it was challenging and educational and should be used regularly. Several differences were found between students and faculty as to why faculty use pimping. Students’ perception of their role on the clinical care team influenced their perception of pimping as mistreatment, and students reported pimping made them feel more a part of the team.Conclusion and relevanceThis study helps to define pimping and sheds more light on the perceptions of pimping from students and faculty and their differences. Most medical students report a benefit from pimping, even though it may be stressful, and suggest it should be used regularly, which is in contrast to faculty opinion. Pimping may make students feel more a part of the clinical care team, but their role on the team may not influence whether they perceive it as mistreatment.&nbsp; Our data suggest medical schools should educate students and faculty on pimping and not move toward discouraging or banning it.

scholarly journals Conflict of Interest Policies at German medical schools - A long way to go

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Grabitz ◽  
Zoe Friedmann ◽  
Sophie Gepp ◽  
Leonard U. Hess ◽  
Lisa Specht ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Web Search ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Pharmaceutical Marketing ◽  
Maximum Score ◽  
Prescribing Behaviour

AbstractBackgroundMost medical students are in contact with the pharmaceutical or medical device industry during their studies. Medical schools play an important role in protecting students from undue commercial influence and educating them about pharmaceutical marketing practices. Such influence has been shown to affect later prescribing behaviour with potential adverse effects for patient care. While in North America, many medical schools formulated and implemented conflicts of interest (COI) policies, only few such institutional policies have been reported in Germany. We aimed to analyze the quantity and quality of policies and curricula on COI at medical schools across Germany.MethodsWe collected relevant COI policies and teaching activities by conducting a search of the websites of all 38 German medical schools using standardized keywords for COI policies and teaching. Further, we surveyed all medical schools’ dean’s offices and adapted a scoring system for obtained results with 13 categories based on prior similar studies.ResultsWe identified relevant policies for one medical school via the web-search. The response rate of the deans’ survey was 16 of 38 (42.1%). In total, we identified COI-related policies for 2 of 38 (5.3%) German medical schools, yet no policy was sufficient to address all COI-related categories that were assessed in this study. The maximum score achieved was 12 of 26. 36 (94.7%) schools scored 0. No medical school reported curricular teaching on COI.ConclusionOur results indicate a low level of action by medical schools to protect students from undue commercial influence. No participating dean was aware of any curriculum or instruction on COI at their respective school. The German Medical Students Association and international counterparts have called for a stronger focus on COI in the classroom. We conclude that for German medical schools there is still a long way to go.

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