O52: THE IMPACT OF STUDENT BACKGROUND ON PERFORMANCE AND STRESS DURING SURGICAL SIMULATION

Abstract Introduction Early exposure of medical students to surgical skills has been associated with an increased interest in pursuing a career in surgery. This study aimed to investigate the impact of student background on basic laparoscopic skills acquisition and perceived stress to workload during simulation. Method Students were recruited to a course modelled on the European Basic Laparoscopic Urological Skills (E-BLUS) programme. Students filled out a pre-course demographic survey, and a post-course survey that evaluated perceived stress to workload (SURG-TLX). Pre- and post-course confidence in laparoscopic skills, performance in the course, as well as SURG-TLX parameters were statistically compared for all demographic factors. Result Twenty-three participants completed the course, fifteen (65%) of which were female. Ten students were junior (first and second year), and thirteen were senior (third year and above). Hobbies were grouped into either requiring hand-eye coordination (n=9), manual dexterity (n=9), or no relevance to surgery (n=5). No significant differences were found in demographic factors for course performance or pre- and post-course confidence. No significant differences were found between male and female students, and between different hobby groups, in all SURG-TLX parameters. Senior students reported a significantly higher Physical Demand of the SURG-TLX compared to juniors (p=0.042). No differences were found in other parameters. Conclusion Our study showed no correlation between student background (notably sex and stage of medical school) and basic laparoscopic skills acquisition or stress during simulation. We therefore suggest that medical students are provided with more exposure to acquire basic laparoscopic skills regardless of their background. Take-home message Medical student background is not a discriminator in surgical simulation performance and stress. All medical students, regardless of their sex or stage of medical school, should be given the opportunity to practice laparoscopic skills.

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The impact of integrating environmental health into medical school curricula: a survey-based study

BMC Medical Education ◽

10.1186/s12909-020-02458-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Benjamin Kligler ◽

Genevieve Pinto Zipp ◽

Carmela Rocchetti ◽

Michelle Secic ◽

Erin Speiser Ihde

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Medical Education ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Environmental Health ◽

School Curriculum ◽

Learning Objectives ◽

Lead Contamination ◽

Institute Of Medicine ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Inclusion of environmental health (EH) in medical education serves as a catalyst for preparing future physicians to address issues as complex as climate change and health, water pollution and lead contamination. However, previous research has found EH education to be largely lacking in U.S. medical education, putting future physicians at risk of not having the expertise to address patients’ environmental illnesses, nor speak to prevention. Methods Environmental health (EH) knowledge and skills were incorporated into the first-year medical school curriculum at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (Nutley, New Jersey), via a two-hour interactive large group learning module with follow up activities. Students completed the Environmental Health in Med School (EHMS) survey before and after the year 1 EH module. This survey evaluates medical students’ attitudes, awareness and professionalism regarding environmental health. In year 2, students completed the Environmental Health Survey II, which measured students’ perceptions of preparedness to discuss EH with future patients. The research team created both surveys based upon learning objectives that broadly aligned with the Institute of Medicine six competency-based environmental health learning objectives. Results 36 year 1 students completed both the pre and post EHMS surveys. McNemar’s test was used for paired comparisons. Results identified no statistically significant changes from pre to post surveys, identifying a dramatic ceiling. When comparing year 2, EHS II pre-survey (n = 84) and post-survey (n = 79) responses, a statistically significant positive change in students’ self-reported sense of preparedness to discuss environmental health with their patients following the curriculum intervention was noted. Conclusions Our conclusion for the EHMS in Year 1 was that the current generation of medical students at this school is already extremely aware of and concerned about the impact of environmental issues on health. Through the EHS II in Year 2, we found that the six-week environmental health module combining didactic and experiential elements significantly increased medical students’ self-reported sense of preparedness to discuss environmental health issues, including climate change, with their patients.

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The Impact of a Novel Outdoor Orientation Program on Incoming Medical Students

Journal of Experiential Education ◽

10.1177/10538259211048611 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 105382592110486

Author(s):

Jacquelyn B. Kercheval ◽

Alec Bernard ◽

Hanna Berlin ◽

Nicole Byl ◽

Boone Marois ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Personal Development ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Orientation Program ◽

Outdoor Orientation Programs ◽

One Year ◽

The Impact ◽

Outdoor Orientation ◽

Outdoor Orientation Program

Background: Undergraduate outdoor orientation programs facilitate students’ transition into college. Research has yet to be conducted on the few programs at medical schools, which may have unique benefits given the specific challenges of transitioning to medical school and high rates of burnout among medical students. Purpose: This mixed methods study examines the impact of one medical school's outdoor orientation program on its participants. Methodology/Approach: A survey was administered immediately following the 2018 trip ( N = 56 responses). Follow-up focus groups were conducted with a sample of the same participants ( N = 18) in 2019. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Findings/Conclusions: Participants felt that the program helped ease their transition into medical school, establish a support system, and hone personal development and wellness skills. Many of these effects persisted up to one year later. Implications: These findings are of particular interest to the medical and experiential education communities because many outcomes persisted for at least one year after the original trip and aligned with factors believed to protect against medical student burnout. There is opportunity for additional research as well as expansion of similar programs to other medical schools.

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Student engagement and higher order skill proficiency: a comparison of traditional didactic and renewed integrated active learning curricula

AJP Advances in Physiology Education ◽

10.1152/advan.00149.2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 42 (4) ◽

pp. 685-692 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mari K. Hopper ◽

Daniela A. Brake

Keyword(s):

Student Engagement ◽

Medical Students ◽

Active Learning ◽

Medical School ◽

Curriculum Reform ◽

Higher Order ◽

Poor Correlation ◽

First Year ◽

Cohort Groups ◽

The Impact

A large, multicampus, public medical school underwent curricular renewal, emphasizing a student-centered approach with 50% of all course contact time devoted to active learning. Determining the impact of active learning on student engagement and higher order skill (HOS) proficiency was the primary aim of this study. Following Institutional Review Board approval, two cohort groups of first-year medical students were enrolled. The first cohort ( n = 54) included students before curriculum reform in the legacy curriculum (LC). The second cohort ( n = 73) included students completing studies in the renewed curriculum (RC). Near the end of the first year of medical school, both cohorts completed a validated survey of student engagement, and a proctored problem-based assessment of HOS proficiency [Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+)]. Results indicated RC students perceived greater levels of engagement than LC (39.5+5.8 vs. 33.3+5.6), and greater reliance on HOS, including analysis, synthesis, and application. However, there were no significant differences between cohorts in proficiency of HOS when assessed by the CLA+ (LC = 1,878 ± 161 vs. RC = 1,900 ± 157). Additionally, poor correlation between engagement and HOS for both LC and RC indicated more engaged students do not necessarily possess greater HOS proficiency. Ceiling effect may explain results as medical students enter medical school as highly skilled learners with potentially little room for improvement. It will be informative to continue to track engagement and HOS of both cohort groups as they continue their medical studies.

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First year medical students’ perceptions of the impact of wearing scrubs on professional identity: a narrative analysis in the United Arab Emirates

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039357 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. e039357

Author(s):

Sara Sorrell ◽

Halah Ibrahim

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Qualitative Analysis ◽

Medical School ◽

Professional Identity ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

First Year ◽

Written Narratives ◽

First Year Medical Students ◽

The Impact

ObjectivesMedical school serves as a critical developmental period for future physicians, during which students begin to form a professional identity. Just as personal appearance, particularly clothing, is an important external expression of one’s personal identity, ‘uniforms’ in healthcare, including white coats and scrubs, symbolise status and a group identity. There are, however, limited studies on the impact of physician attire on medical students’ formation of professional identity. Accordingly, through qualitative analysis of written narratives, we sought to analyse medical students’ experiences of wearing professional physician attire, namely scrubs, and how the uniform impacted their confidence level, performance and behaviours, as well as their identity as future physicians.DesignQualitative analysis of medical student’s written narratives.SettingKhalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences (KU CMHS) is a new medical school in the United Arab Emirates, with an inaugural class of 30 students admitted in August 2019. It is the only medical school in the city of Abu Dhabi, and the only school in the country that follows a postgraduate medical curriculum.ParticipantsAll first year medical students at KU CMHS were purposively sampled.MethodsStudents completed a voluntary online anonymous questionnaire. We employed a social identity approach to data analysis. Thematic content analysis was conducted on their narratives to identify themes.ResultsWe identified three major themes, namely (1) emotions, (2) logistics and (3) interpersonal relationships.ConclusionsMedical students form early perceptions regarding physician attire and its impact on their professional identity. Engaging in conversations regarding professional attire with educators or mentors could provide an important opportunity for students to discuss and explore professional identity early in training.

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The Impact of Distraction on Laparoscopic Skills in Veterinary Medical Students

Veterinary Surgery ◽

10.1111/vsu.12486 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 45 (S1) ◽

pp. O14-O19

Author(s):

Jessica J. Kilkenny ◽

Victoria J. Mrotz ◽

Deep K. Khosa ◽

Carolyn L. Kerr ◽

John D. Denstedt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Laparoscopic Skills ◽

The Impact ◽

Veterinary Medical Students

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Challenges and Motivational Facilitators of Social Accountability in Medical Students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences: A Qualitative Study

Shiraz E-Medical Journal ◽

10.5812/semj.97422 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol In Press (In Press) ◽

Author(s):

Mahbobeh Mohammadi ◽

Mehdi Bagheri ◽

Parivash Jafari ◽

Leila Bazrafkan

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Informed Choice ◽

Social Accountability ◽

Medical Sciences ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Educational Challenges ◽

Content Analysis Method ◽

The University ◽

The Impact

Background: Accountability in the community is one of the main missions of the medical school. Objectives: The current study aimed at explaining the motivational facilitators and challenges in medical students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, for social accountability based on their experiences. Methods: The current study using semi-structured interviews was conducted on 28 individuals, 16 of whom were students and 12 professors and managers of the medical school. Purposeful sampling was used up to saturation. Data were analyzed using the content analysis method. First, conceptual codes were extracted and then grouped into several main themes. Selected concepts or main themes included facilitators, inhibitors, or challengers. Results: Selected concepts or main themes included facilitating factors and educational challenges for the social accountability of the students. The facilitators included informed choice, personality and moral commitment, content and process of motivation, promotion of community-based learning in the university, and the role of professors in motivation. The inhibitors or challenges included traditional routines, ineffective evaluations, manners of meeting the students’ needs, the lack of educational facilities, and the impact of the increased number of students on the quality of education. Conclusions: According to the current study findings, the conditions and facilities should be shared among medical education programs to provide a supportive environment for the students, and take a positive and effective step toward motivating them to improve their accountability.

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Comparison of the Impact of Wikipedia, UpToDate, and a Digital Textbook on Short-Term Knowledge Acquisition Among Medical Students: Randomized Controlled Trial of Three Web-Based Resources (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.8188 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Michael A Scaffidi ◽

Rishad Khan ◽

Christopher Wang ◽

Daniela Keren ◽

Cindy Tsui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Knowledge Acquisition ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Short Term ◽

Web Based ◽

Canadian Medical School ◽

Digital Textbook ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND Web-based resources are commonly used by medical students to supplement curricular material. Three commonly used resources are UpToDate (Wolters Kluwer Inc), digital textbooks, and Wikipedia; there are concerns, however, regarding Wikipedia’s reliability and accuracy. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Wikipedia use on medical students’ short-term knowledge acquisition compared with UpToDate and a digital textbook. METHODS This was a prospective, nonblinded, three-arm randomized trial. The study was conducted from April 2014 to December 2016. Preclerkship medical students were recruited from four Canadian medical schools. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants through word of mouth, social media, and email. Participants must have been enrolled in their first or second year of medical school at a Canadian medical school. After recruitment, participants were randomized to one of the three Web-based resources: Wikipedia, UpToDate, or a digital textbook. During testing, participants first completed a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) of 25 questions emulating a Canadian medical licensing examination. During the MCQ, participants took notes on topics to research. Then, participants researched topics and took written notes using their assigned resource. They completed the same MCQ again while referencing their notes. Participants also rated the importance and availability of five factors pertinent to Web-based resources. The primary outcome measure was knowledge acquisition as measured by posttest scores. The secondary outcome measures were participants’ perceptions of importance and availability of each resource factor. RESULTS A total of 116 medical students were recruited. Analysis of variance of the MCQ scores demonstrated a significant interaction between time and group effects (P<.001, ηg2=0.03), with the Wikipedia group scoring higher on the MCQ posttest compared with the textbook group (P<.001, d=0.86). Access to hyperlinks, search functions, and open-source editing were rated significantly higher by the Wikipedia group compared with the textbook group (P<.001). Additionally, the Wikipedia group rated open access editing significantly higher than the UpToDate group; expert editing and references were rated significantly higher by the UpToDate group compared with the Wikipedia group (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS Medical students who used Wikipedia had superior short-term knowledge acquisition compared with those who used a digital textbook. Additionally, the Wikipedia group trended toward better posttest performance compared with the UpToDate group, though this difference was not significant. There were no significant differences between the UpToDate group and the digital textbook group. This study challenges the view that Wikipedia should be discouraged among medical students, instead suggesting a potential role in medical education.

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Medical Students’ Commitment during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Preparedness, Motivation, and Impact on Students’ Skills

10.21203/rs.3.rs-37069/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Lukas Müller ◽

Markus Heymanns ◽

Laura Harder ◽

Julia Winter ◽

Stephan Gehring ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Medical Center ◽

Care Staff ◽

Health Care Staff ◽

Web Based ◽

The University ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, many authors have suggested a commitment of medical students to support overworked health care staff. However, whether the students are prepared for such an occupation remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate medical students’ preparedness for a commitment in the pandemic and to assess the impact on their skills and attitudes.Methods: In April 2020, the CoronaPreventMainz (CPM) study was initiated to test 3300 employees with direct patient contact at the University Medical Center Mainz. To accomplish the huge logistic effort, medical students were recruited as support staff.Using a web-based questionnaire, the participating students were asked 27 questions covering six different topics.Results: Of the 75 recruited students, 63 (84.0%) participated in this survey. The median age was 24 years, and 66.6% (n = 42) were female. The vast majority agreed that students should be used as voluntary helpers during this crisis (87.3%) and had the feeling of contributing in the fight against the pandemic (90.5%). Most of the students (80.6%) even reported an improvement in their practical skills. Fear of self-infection was low (7.9%), and overextending situations occurred for just 3.2%. However, less than one-fifth (19.4%) of the students felt prepared for the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic by medical school, and two-thirds (67.7%) demanded special preparation. Conclusion: Through their commitment, the medical students felt that they were taking part in the fight against the pandemic. However, only a few felt well-prepared by medical school and the students’ need for special preparation courses is huge. Therefore, single-center initiatives can only be the beginning. Dedicated courses on how to support health care staff in natural disasters should be integrated into the medical curriculum to better prepare medical students for the next crisis.

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960 Is the Increase in Laparoscopy Leaving Medical Students Behind?

British Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1093/bjs/znab259.882 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 108 (Supplement_6) ◽

Author(s):

S Schaffer ◽

P O'Neill ◽

M C Thomas

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Medical Students ◽

Experiential Learning ◽

Medical School ◽

Simulation Training ◽

Current Medical ◽

Laparoscopic Training ◽

Further Training ◽

Laparoscopic Skills ◽

Feasible Option

Abstract Introduction Laparoscopy use is exponentially increasing, rapidly becoming the gold standard for many procedures. It is technically demanding, requiring specialised training which is not accessible in early medical education. Studies have shown that interest can be stimulated by experiential learning. Our study evaluates current medical students’ interest and exposure to laparoscopy. Method Multiple-choice questionnaires were sent to London medical students assessing their interest and exposure to laparoscopic training in medical school. Results 231 medical students (86 pre-clinical, 145 clinical students) participated. 174 (75.3%) students reported receiving no laparoscopic training during their medical education. 32 (13.9%) students reported less than one hour of training, 21 (9.1%) students reported two to three hours of training, and 4 (1.7%) students reported receiving three to ten hours of training. 100% of students were interested in receiving further laparoscopic simulation training. Conclusions There is insufficient training and exposure of laparoscopy during medical school. The majority of current medical students receive minimal exposure to laparoscopy, despite wanting further training. Teaching basic laparoscopic skills to medical students may provide a feasible option of engaging students in laparoscopy.

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Stigma and Attitudes towards Psychiatric Patients in Portuguese Medical Students

Acta Médica Portuguesa ◽

10.20344/amp.6231 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 28 (6) ◽

pp. 715 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Diogo Telles-Correia ◽

João Gama Marques ◽

João Gramaça ◽

Daniel Sampaio

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Mentally Ill ◽

Psychiatric Patients ◽

Self Report ◽

Psychiatric Education ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Community Attitudes ◽

The Impact

Introduction: This study aims to assess the impact of psychiatric education on attitudes of medical students towards psychiatric patients. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of medical students was conducted at the biggest Portuguese medical school. The students completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire, including sociodemographic data, family history of psychiatric illness, and the Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill scale. Results: Of the 2 178 students, 398 answered the survey, representing 18.2% of the whole medical school. There was a significant improvement in all Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill scale dimensions along the medical course. The higher scores were in Restrictiveness subscale (38.01), and the lower scores were for Authoritarianism (36.13). The best improvement along the course was for Authoritarianism (5th year score - 1st year score = 2.03), and the worse was for Benevolence (5th year score - 1st year score = 0.39). The biggest improvement, in all scores, was found at the end of the 3rd year. Discussion: The authors propose that the better attitudes found on third year students were due to a very specific anti-stigma module on the theoretical discipline ‘Introduction to Mental Health’. After that, this positive effect was lost, with fourth and fifth year medical students showing a worsening of their attitudes. Conclusion: Our results highlight the importance of anti-stigma specific education modules in order to improve students’ attitudes toward mental health. Thus more anti-stigma preventive measures can be taken onward, on preparing the best way possible, the next generation of doctors.

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