Examining the Impact of a Week-Long National Training Program to Enhance Well-Being in Medical Students: Leadership and Education in Integrative Medicine Program (LEAPS)

IntroductionThe SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic has caused a crisis disrupting health systems worldwide. While efforts are being made to determine the extent of the disruption, the impact on gynecological oncology trainees/training has not been explored. We conducted an international survey of the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on clinical practice, medical education, and mental well-being of surgical gynecological oncology trainees.MethodsIn our cross-sectional study, a customized web-based survey was circulated to surgical gynecological oncology trainees from national/international organizations from May to November 2020. Validated questionnaires assessed mental well-being. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Fisher’s exact test were used to analyse differences in means and proportions. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the effect of variables on psychological/mental well-being outcomes. Outcomes included clinical practice, medical education, anxiety and depression, distress, and mental well-being.ResultsA total of 127 trainees from 34 countries responded. Of these, 52% (66/127) were from countries with national training programs (UK/USA/Netherlands/Canada/Australia) and 48% (61/127) from countries with no national training programs. Altogether, 28% (35/125) had suspected/confirmed COVID-19, 28% (35/125) experienced a fall in household income, 20% (18/90) were self-isolated from households, 45% (57/126) had to re-use personal protective equipment, and 22% (28/126) purchased their own. In total, 32.3% (41/127) of trainees (16.6% (11/66) from countries with a national training program vs 49.1% (30/61) from countries with no national training program, p=0.02) perceived they would require additional time to complete their training fellowship. The additional training time anticipated did not differ between trainees from countries with or without national training programs (p=0.11) or trainees at the beginning or end of their fellowship (p=0.12). Surgical exposure was reduced for 50% of trainees. Departmental teaching continued throughout the pandemic for 69% (87/126) of trainees, although at reduced frequency for 16.1% (14/87), and virtually for 88.5% (77/87). Trainees reporting adequate pastoral support (defined as allocation of a dedicated mentor/access to occupational health support services) had better mental well-being with lower levels of anxiety/depression (p=0.02) and distress (p<0.001). Trainees from countries with a national training program experienced higher levels of distress (p=0.01). Mean (SD) pre-pandemic mental well-being scores were significantly higher than post-pandemic scores (8.3 (1.6) vs 7 (1.8); p<0.01).ConclusionSARS-CoV-2 has negatively impacted the surgical training, household income, and psychological/mental well-being of surgical gynecological oncology trainees. The overall clinical impact was worse for trainees in countries with no national training program than for those in countries with a national training program, although national training program trainees reported greater distress. COVID-19 sickness increased anxiety/depression. The recovery phase must focus on improving mental well-being and addressing lost training opportunities.

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“KIDS SAVE LIVES in Greece-National training program of schoolchildren in cardiopulmonary resuscitation”: Evaluating the impact of a 4 year nationwide educational seminar

Resuscitation ◽

10.1016/j.resuscitation.2020.08.093 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 155 ◽

pp. S32

Author(s):

Anastasis Stefanakis ◽

Sigala Evangelia ◽

Anastasis Samaras ◽

Charalambos Kapnopoulos ◽

Georgia Antonopoulou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ◽

Training Program ◽

National Training ◽

National Training Program ◽

Educational Seminar ◽

The Impact

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Sensing the lightness: a narrative analysis of an integrative medicine program for healthcare providers in the COVID-19 department

10.21203/rs.3.rs-695428/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Eran Ben-Arye ◽

Shaked Zohar ◽

Yael Keshet ◽

Orit Gressel ◽

Noah Samuels ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Integrative Medicine ◽

Narrative Analysis ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical Symptoms ◽

Integrative Oncology ◽

Main Effects ◽

The Impact ◽

Integrative Medicine Program ◽

Manual Movement

Abstract Objectives There is limited research addressing physical and emotional exhaustion among healthcare providers (HCPs) in COVID-19 departments. We examined the impact of an integrative medicine (IM) intervention for HCPs working in isolated COVID-19 in-patient departments, addressing concerns and wellbeing. Methods HCPs working in 3 isolated COVID-19 in-patient departments underwent 40-minute IM treatment sessions (including acupuncture, manual-movement and/or mind-body modalities) provided by integrative oncology practitioners. The MYCAW (Measure Yourself Concerns and Well-being) questionnaire was used to address the two leading concerns and post-treatment reflections and narrative. Data were qualitatively analyzed using ATLAS.Ti software for systematic coding. Results A total of 181 HCPs underwent 305 IM treatments. Narrative themes focused on physical symptoms (primarily pain and fatigue) and emotional concerns, including perceived communication barriers with patients; and reflections on wellbeing and insights following IM treatments. HCPs reported feeling a sense of "relief" which was likely related to the 3 main effects of the IM intervention: a sense of "being cared for" and treated; experiencing emotional, sometimes spiritual effects of the treatment; and the feeling of relaxation, combined with the relief of pain. Qualitative analysis identified clusters of emotional and spiritual-related keywords such as "calming", "release", "relaxation” and “disengagement” following the first IM session (119 of 181 narratives, 65.7%). Conclusions HCPs working in isolated COVID-19 departments reported improved wellbeing and the addressing of their concerns following IM treatment sessions provided during their work shift. Further research is needed to explore the impact of IM on HCPs burnout and resilience in palliative care settings.

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Medical education challenges and innovations during COVID-19 pandemic

Postgraduate Medical Journal ◽

10.1136/postgradmedj-2021-140032 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. postgradmedj-2021-140032

Author(s):

Michail Papapanou ◽

Eleni Routsi ◽

Konstantinos Tsamakis ◽

Lampros Fotis ◽

Georgios Marinos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Medical Students ◽

Student Assessment ◽

Well Being ◽

Educational Institutions ◽

Healthcare Staff ◽

Academic Trajectories ◽

Traditional Structure ◽

Physical Presence ◽

The Impact

COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly disrupted the well-established, traditional structure of medical education. Τhe new limitations of physical presence have accelerated the development of an online learning environment, comprising both of asynchronous and synchronous distance education, and the introduction of novel ways of student assessment. At the same time, this prolonged crisis had serious implications on the lives of medical students including their psychological well-being and the impact on their academic trajectories. The new reality has, on many occasions, triggered the ‘acting up’ of medical students as frontline healthcare staff, which has been perceived by many of them as a positive learning and contributing experience, and has led to a variety of responses from the educational institutions. All things considered, the urgency for rapid and novel adaptations to the new circumstances has functioned as a springboard for remarkable innovations in medical education,including the promotion of a more “evidence-based” approach.

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Improving HIV/STD Prevention in the Care of Persons Living with HIV Through a National Training Program

AIDS Patient Care and STDs ◽

10.1089/apc.2013.0094 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 15-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Susan Dreisbach ◽

Helen Burnside ◽

Katherine Hsu ◽

Laura Smock ◽

Patricia Coury-Doniger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Training Program ◽

Persons Living With Hiv ◽

Std Prevention ◽

National Training ◽

National Training Program ◽

Living With Hiv

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Post-traumatic stress disorder following COVID-19 pandemic among medical students in Riyadh: a cross-sectional study

Middle East Current Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s43045-021-00127-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Zainab Ifthikar ◽

Saima Sajjad Fakih ◽

Saumy Johnson ◽

Johnson Alex

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Traumatic Stress ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Well Being ◽

Emotional Impact ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background In recent times, COVID-19 has been recognized as a public health emergency and thus far, most papers published on it are focused only on the clinical characteristics of infected patients. This pandemic has also made phenomenal emotional impact among the young and the old. We aimed to find out the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological well-being of medical students in a University at Riyadh. Results There were 309 participants in the study. Out of them 44% did not have PTSD, 29% had score more than 37 which might contribute to immune suppression, in 18.4% PTSD was a clinical concern and 8.6% had probable PTSD. Female participants were the majority in the group and they also had higher chance of having consequences than the male counterparts (P < 0.001). Avoidance score between male and female gender was significantly different. Conclusion COVID-19 pandemic has not just affected the physiological functioning of the affected individuals but also has had a probable post-traumatic stress disorder among young college students. Screening for psychological well-being and the treatment for PTSD is imperative in college, school and general population.

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Pediatric Integrative Medicine in Academia: Stanford Children’s Experience

Children ◽

10.3390/children5120168 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (12) ◽

pp. 168 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Gautam Ramesh ◽

Dana Gerstbacher ◽

Jenna Arruda ◽

Brenda Golianu ◽

John Mark ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Integrative Medicine ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Potential Barriers ◽

Medical Centers ◽

Academic Medical ◽

Patient Complexity ◽

Irritable Bowel ◽

Pediatric Illnesses ◽

Integrative Medicine Program

Pediatric integrative medicine is an emerging field which, to date, has not been described in detail in academic medical centers in the United States. Early research of pediatric integrative medicine modalities shows promise for the treatment of common pediatric conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, acute and chronic pain, headache, and allergy, among others. In light of the growing prevalence of pediatric illnesses and patient complexity, it is crucial to emphasize the patient’s overall well-being. As academic centers around the world start to develop pediatric integrative medicine programs, the aim of this manuscript is to briefly highlight evidence of effective integrative treatments in pediatric subspecialties, to describe the establishment of our integrative medicine program, to summarize its early efforts, and to discuss potential barriers and keys to success.

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Medical Students’ Participation in Longitudinal Community Service During Preclerkship Years: A Qualitative Study on Experiences and Perceived Outcomes

Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development ◽

10.1177/2382120520936610 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 238212052093661

Author(s):

Amier Haidar ◽

Samuel G Erickson ◽

Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Community Service ◽

Low Socioeconomic Status ◽

Well Being ◽

Low Socioeconomic ◽

Volunteer Program ◽

Semistructured Interviews ◽

Community Issues ◽

The Impact

The aim of this study was to qualitatively evaluate medical students perspectives of the benefits of a longitudinal volunteering experience compared with a 1-day community service experience. Fifteen medical students participated in 2 types of community service: (1) longitudinal, weekly volunteering from February to April of 2019 and (2) a single day of community service in March of 2019. Semistructured interviews were conducted to identify medical students perspectives of the impact of volunteering. Interview data was analyzed thematically based on the common ideas expressed by the participants. Four themes emerged: development of communication and interpersonal skills; understanding how to teach; ability to understand community issues in a low socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhood and the improvement of overall well-being. Medical students’ participation in a longitudinal nutrition education volunteer program was perceived as being an effective way to develop communication, interpersonal, and teaching skills. Medical students were able to interact with a diverse and vulnerable community located in a low SES neighborhood, to help them understand current community issues and risk factors.

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