scholarly journals 756 Adapting Undergraduate Teaching in the COVID 19 Era

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_6) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Armstrong ◽  
S O'Brien ◽  
C Weir

Abstract Aim The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically impacted medical education, particularly in terms of content delivery and clinical placement efficacy. The initial suspension of placements was devised to limit exposure and redirect medical staff to critical areas. Nevertheless, clinical placements are an important pillar of the undergraduate curriculum and new techniques must be developed to better facilitate its delivery. Our aim was to create a programme that effectively met the required curriculum learning outcomes for medical students. Method In September 2020, students from Queen’s University, Belfast, returned to placement following months of online and distance learning. Having previously focused on bedside and case-based teaching, our priority remained with patient and student safety. Complimentary non-clinical and simulation methods were introduced including laparoscopic skills, suture and knot tying sessions and foundation competencies. Rating scale questionnaires were distributed over a four-week period following each session. Results 32 sessions were carried out and 53 questionnaires returned. Three key areas were reviewed; teaching delivery, usefulness of session and content/relevance, with each area scored out of 10. Collectively across all sessions, 94.3%, 92.4% and 88.7% respectively were scored 9 or greater for each key area. Conclusions The COVID-19 crisis has led to the development of alternative methods of undergraduate teaching. The insurance of patient safety whilst preparing students for their future career is a priority. We have successfully developed an effective and useful placement that blends clinical knowledge and skill-based learning. Given the ongoing pandemic and redirection of resources, further novel ways of teaching should be considered.

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 482-495
Author(s):  
Ilona Pezenka

Destination image is among the most studied constructs in tourism research. Many researchers are still convinced that the rating scale method is the most accurate for assessing destination image. This study presents alternative methods of data collection, namely, free-sorting and reduced paired comparisons, and investigates their applicability in a Web-based environment. The study then subjects these data collection methods to empirical analysis and compares the judgment task’s effects on perceived difficulty, fatigue, and boredom, on data quality, and on perceptual maps derived with MDS. The findings demonstrate that these methods are more accurate whenever a large number of objects have to be judged, which is particularly the case for positioning and competitiveness studies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (03) ◽  
pp. 393-396
Author(s):  
Benjamin Mahmoodi ◽  
Adriano Azaripour ◽  
Kawe Sagheb ◽  
Keyvan Sagheb ◽  
Brita Willershausen ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Reciprocating endodontic one-file systems are a comparatively new method for root canal shaping. Even though the mechanical properties are comparable to modern rotating mechanical systems, data about subjective assessment and application quality are scarce. This study evaluates the reciprocating one-file system in undergraduate education. Materials and Methods A total of 42 undergraduate students without experience regarding reciprocating file systems filled in a questionnaire in four different points in time (t 1–t 4) anonymously. The questionnaire was based on a numerical rating scale ranging from 0 to 10. Statistical Analysis A least significant difference post-hoc analysis comparing the group average values was performed. The adjusted level of significance was p < 0.004 after Bonferroni correction. Results All rating scores increased after the first theoretical instruction. After the first practical training in artificial root canals in resin blocks and extracted teeth (t 2), the estimation of “time efficiency” (p = 0.002), “handling” (p < 0.001), and “overall impression” (p < 0.001) improved significantly. The “overall impression” remained constant and showed no significant changes after the first practical training. Conclusions Reciprocating systems seem to show a good acceptance among first time users. Initial concerns about “work safety” decrease during every step of the educational process. Reciprocating one-file systems are a safe and well-accepted method in undergraduate teaching.


Author(s):  
Vasudevan Kanjirakkad ◽  
Richard Thomas ◽  
Howard Hodson ◽  
Erik Janke ◽  
Frank Haselbach ◽  
...  

The cooling of rotor shrouds in the first stage of a high-pressure turbine requires special attention as flatter turbine inlet temperature profiles and more highly loaded blades result in increased thermal and mechanical stresses. The use of film cooling and/or internal convective cooling makes the rotor shroud heavier and oversized, restricting the maximum rotational speed. Alternative methods are therefore sought to achieve improved cooling of the shroud. This paper discusses the low speed experimental investigation of two ‘passive’ cooling concepts known as ‘rail cooling’ and ‘platform cooling’. It has been shown experimentally that the modified cooling method, namely the platform cooling, substantially improves the rotor shroud coolant distribution in the critical areas whilst employing significantly lower amounts of coolant.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 351-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iona Campbell

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe a medical student's experience of undergraduate teaching in intellectual disabilities. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents the reflections of a medical student on the undergraduate intellectual disability teaching. It describes experiences of a placement in this field, and how it may influence future practice. Findings – It is apparent that exposure to intellectual disability training in the undergraduate curriculum can be limited. Much of the work in this area highlights the negative consequences of this when it comes to medical care for individuals with intellectual disabilities. This paper proposes that positive changes may be achieved, by providing medical students with more training in this area. Originality/value – By reflecting on an individual experience through medical school, this paper highlights the positive impact that teaching on intellectual disability can have on medical students, suggesting its value in the undergraduate curriculum.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepsha Agrawal ◽  
Michael Alan Renfrew ◽  
Sulove Singhal ◽  
Yash Bhansali

PurposeInterventional radiology (IR) is a novel and evolving sub-specialty that encompasses image guided diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. With the advent of new imaging techniques and an increasing demand of minimally invasive procedures IR continues to grow as a core component in medical and surgical therapeutics. Radiology teaching is a part of medical undergraduate curriculum, however, the medical undergraduate cohort lacks exposure to IR principles, methods and techniques.The purpose of this study is to determine the knowledge and awareness of IR among medical students in a single university in India.Materials and MethodsAnonymous electronic surveys were sent to 350 medical students of Pt. JNM Medical College, Raipur, India. Each survey comprised of questions assessing knowledge and exposure to IR. A total of 70 students (20%) responded.Results85.7% of respondents believed that radiologists have a role in diagnostic as well as therapeutic interventions, however, 60% of students cited a very poor/poor knowledge of IR. A larger part, 91.5%, stated that they would be interested in IR based teaching delivered as a part of their undergraduate teaching program. Those who knew at least one interventional radiology technique were 1.51 (95% CI: 1.02 - 2.22; p < 0.05) times more likely to consider it as a career.ConclusionMedical Students demonstrate a poor knowledge of IR. This corresponds to a limited and inconsistent exposure to IR in medical schools. The study suggests that there is a need to deliver an IR based curriculum in medical undergraduate teaching in India.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pradeep Suri ◽  
Patrick J Heagerty ◽  
Anna Korpak ◽  
Mark P Jensen ◽  
Laura S Gold ◽  
...  

The 0 to 10 numeric rating scale (NRS) of pain intensity is a standard outcome in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of pain treatments. For individuals taking analgesics, there may be a disparity between 'observed' pain intensity (the NRS, irrespective of concurrent analgesic use), and 'underlying' pain intensity (what the NRS would be had concurrent analgesics not been taken). Using a contemporary causal inference framework, we compare analytic methods that can potentially account for concurrent analgesic use, first in statistical simulations, and second in analyses of real (non-simulated) data from an RCT of lumbar epidural steroid injections (LESI). The default analytic method was ignoring analgesic use, which is the most common approach in pain RCTs. Compared to ignoring analgesic use and other analytic methods, simulations showed that a quantitative pain and analgesia composite outcome based on adding 1.5 points to observed pain intensity for those who were taking an analgesic (the QPAC1.5) optimized power and minimized bias. Analyses of real RCT data supported the results of the simulations, showing greater power with analysis of the QPAC1.5 as compared to ignoring analgesic use and most other methods examined. We propose alternative methods that should be considered in the analysis of pain RCTs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anfal Astek

Implementation of exercises and physical activity as a preventative management strategy in public health, which is in turn connected to undergraduate teaching in order to place physiotherapists as exercise experts in clinical practice, has become one of the essential areas for building comprehensive knowledge in a physiotherapy education program. As physiotherapists are experts in biomechanics, with a knowledge of pathology and its effects on body systems, they are the ideal professionals to meet the challenge of ensuring exercise expertise. An exercise therapy course could develop the content of the entry-level curriculum (BSc degree) in physiotherapy professional education programs to meet the current national and international needs of healthcare professionals who promote, guide and manage effective exercise strategies. In addition, the implementation of this course would improve the services provided by physiotherapy graduates in healthcare, thus emphasising the significant role of exercise as a physiotherapy intervention in prevention and management. Key to this process is analysing and reviewing existing physical activity and exercise therapy course and reporting the topics that will need to be implemented in the undergraduate physiotherapy program in KAU. Implementation of this course in the undergraduate curriculum requires the engagement of academic staff, clinical tutors in the physical therapy department, Faculty of Applied Medical Science (FAMS), KAU and community health centre staff, in order to establish and deliver the course content to students via lectures, lab sessions and clinical visits.


Author(s):  
V.S. Drabovsky

Investigating life quality is remaining high in the context of healthcare reforming processes and in modern medicine. An increase in the number of surgical operations for cosmetic defects of the anterior abdominal wall, an increase in the requirements for treatment results, forced surgeons to look for alternative methods of treatment that would significantly reduce aesthetic defects and improve the quality of life by examining the effect of surgical treatment on the mental and physical components of health. This predetermined the purpose of this study. To achieve the goal, the results of a comprehensive clinical examination and correction of 81 patients with cosmetic defects of the anterior abdominal wall, who took the treatment at the clinic of the Department of Surgery No. 3, Ukrainian Medical Stomatological Academy, from 2012 – 2019, were analyzed. The main group (41) was operated on by using the biomechanical methods of abdominoplasty worked up by the author, taking into account the best angle of direction of the stress vectors in the tissue of the upper transverse skin-fat flaps in the postoperative period during stress relaxation. The comparison group consisted of 40 people operated on by standard techniques of mobilization and fixation of skin-fat flaps. Quality of life was assessed the day before the operation and 6 months after, according to the EUROQol-5S-5D questionnaire system. Based on the analysis of the results, the following conclusions have been drawn: surgical correction of cosmetic defects of anterior abdominal wall causes psycho-emotional and physiological prerequisites for growing physical activity of patients, and in 6 months in positively effects the self-assessment of patients’ health status. Overweight patients demonstrate a statistically significant decrease in body mass index during the year, which is inversely correlated with an improvement in the scores on the rating scale and a weak correlation with a change in the average scoring and self-assessment of body weight. This integrated technique for performing abdominoplasty in patients with cosmetic defects of the anterior abdominal wall has been proven as effective means, which can improve the quality of life of surgical patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 134 (6) ◽  
pp. 553-557
Author(s):  
A W Mayer ◽  
K A Smith ◽  
S Carrie ◽  

AbstractBackgroundENT presentations are prevalent in clinical practice but feature little in undergraduate curricula. Consequently, most medical graduates are not confident managing common ENT conditions. In 2014, the first evidence-based ENT undergraduate curriculum was published to guide medical schools.ObjectiveTo assess the extent that current UK medical school learning outcomes correlate with the syllabus of the ENT undergraduate curriculum.MethodTwo students from each participating medical school independently reviewed all ENT-related curriculum documents to determine whether learning outcomes from the suggested curriculum were met.ResultsSixteen of 34 curricula were reviewed. Only a minority of medical schools delivered teaching on laryngectomy or tracheostomy, nasal packing or cautery, and ENT medications or surgical procedures.ConclusionThere is wide variability in ENT undergraduate education in UK medical schools. Careful consideration of which topics are prioritised, and the teaching modalities utilised, is essential. In addition, ENT learning opportunities for undergraduates outside of the medical school curriculum should be augmented.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2017-2025
Author(s):  
Alan Kawarai Lefor ◽  
Kanako Harada ◽  
Aristotelis Dosis ◽  
Mamoru Mitsuishi

Abstract Purpose The JIGSAWS dataset is a fixed dataset of robot-assisted surgery kinematic data used to develop predictive models of skill. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationships of self-defined skill level with global rating scale scores and kinematic data (time, path length and movements) from three exercises (suturing, knot-tying and needle passing) (right and left hands) in the JIGSAWS dataset. Methods Global rating scale scores are reported in the JIGSAWS dataset and kinematic data were calculated using ROVIMAS software. Self-defined skill levels are in the dataset (novice, intermediate, expert). Correlation coefficients (global rating scale-skill level and global rating scale-kinematic parameters) were calculated. Kinematic parameters were compared among skill levels. Results Global rating scale scores correlated with skill in the knot-tying exercise (r = 0.55, p = 0.0005). In the suturing exercise, time, path length (left) and movements (left) were significantly different (p < 0.05) for novices and experts. For knot-tying, time, path length (right and left) and movements (right) differed significantly for novices and experts. For needle passing, no kinematic parameter was significantly different comparing novices and experts. The only kinematic parameter that correlated with global rating scale scores is time in the knot-tying exercise. Conclusion Global rating scale scores weakly correlate with skill level and kinematic parameters. The ability of kinematic parameters to differentiate among self-defined skill levels is inconsistent. Additional data are needed to enhance the dataset and facilitate subset analyses and future model development.


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