scholarly journals Study protocol for the ETMED-L project: longitudinal study of mental health and interpersonal competence of medical students in a Swiss university using a comprehensive framework of empathy

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e053070
Author(s):  
Alexandre Berney ◽  
Valerie Carrard ◽  
Sylvie Berney ◽  
Katja Schlegel ◽  
Jacques Gaume ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Simulated Patients ◽  
Interpersonal Competence ◽  
Comprehensive Framework ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionPhysician interpersonal competence is crucial for patient care. How interpersonal competence develops during undergraduate medical education is thus a key issue. Literature on the topic consists predominantly of studies on empathy showing a trend of decline over the course of medical school. However, most existing studies have focused on narrow measures of empathy. The first aim of this project is to study medical students’ interpersonal competence with a comprehensive framework of empathy that includes self-reported cognitive and affective empathy, performance-based assessments of emotion recognition accuracy, and a behavioural dimension of empathy. The second aim of the present project is to investigate the evolution of mental health during medical school and its putative link to the studied components of interpersonal competence. Indeed, studies documented a high prevalence of mental health issues among medical students that could potentially impact their interpersonal competence. Finally, this project will enable to test the impact of mental health and interpersonal competence on clinical skills as evaluated by experts and simulated patients.Methods and analysisThis project consists of an observational longitudinal study with an open cohort design. Each year during the four consecutive years of the project, every medical student (curriculum years 1–6) of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland will be asked to complete an online questionnaire including several interpersonal competence and mental health measures. Clinical skills assessments from examinations and training courses with simulated patients will also be included. Linear mixed models will be used to explore the longitudinal evolutions of the studied components of interpersonal competence and mental health as well as their reciprocal relationship and their link to clinical skills.Ethics and disseminationThe project has received ethical approval from the competent authorities. Findings will be disseminated through internal, regional, national and international conferences, news and peer-reviewed journals.

scholarly journals Stigma and Attitudes towards Psychiatric Patients in Portuguese Medical Students

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 715 ◽  
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

<p><strong>Introduction:</strong> This study aims to assess the impact of psychiatric education on attitudes of medical students towards psychiatric patients.<br /><strong>Material and Methods:</strong> 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.<br /><strong>Results:</strong> 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.<br /><strong>Discussion: </strong>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.<br /><strong>Conclusion:</strong> 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.</p>

scholarly journals Alternative approaches for clinical clerkship during the COVID-19 pandemic: online simulated clinical practice for inpatients and outpatients—A mixed method

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajime Kasai ◽  
Kiyoshi Shikino ◽  
Go Saito ◽  
Tomoko Tsukamoto ◽  
Yukiko Takahashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Simulated Patients ◽  
Memory Retention ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Medical Interviews ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has created a need for educational materials and methods that can replace clinical clerkships (CCs) for online simulated clinical practice (online-sCP). This study evaluates the impact of using simulated electronic health records (sEHR) for inpatients, and electronic problem-based learning (e-PBL) and online virtual medical interviews (online-VMI) for outpatients, for an online-sCP using a learning management system (LMS) and online meeting system facilitated by a supervising physician. Methods The sEHR was reviewed by medical students and subsequently discussed with a supervising physician using an online meeting system. In the e-PBL, medical students reviewed the simulated patients and discussed on the LMS. For the online-VMI, a faculty member acted as an outpatient and a student acted as the doctor. Small groups of students discussed the clinical reasoning process using the online meeting system. A mixed-method design was implemented. Medical students self-assessed their clinical competence before and after the online-sCP. They answered questionnaires and participated in semi-structured focus group interviews (FGIs) regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the practice. Results Forty-three students completed the online-sCP during May and June 2020. All students indicated significant improvement in all aspects of self-evaluation of clinical performance after the online-sCP. Students using sEHR reported significant improvement in writing daily medical records and medical summaries. Students using e-PBL and online-VMI reported significant improvement in medical interviews and counseling. Students also indicated CCs as more useful for learning associated with medical interviews, physical examinations, and humanistic qualities like professionalism than the online-sCP. Eight FGIs were conducted (n = 42). The advantages of online-sCP were segregated into five categories (learning environment, efficiency, accessibility, self-paced learning, and interactivity); meanwhile, the disadvantages of online-sCP were classified into seven categories (clinical practice experience, learning environment, interactivity, motivation, memory retention, accessibility, and extraneous cognitive load). Conclusions Online-sCP with sEHR, e-PBL, and online-VMI could be useful in learning some of the clinical skills acquired through CC. These methods can be implemented with limited preparation and resources.

scholarly journals Comparison of OSCE Performance Between 6- and 7-Year Medical School Curricula in Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jr-Wei Wu ◽  
Hao-Min Cheng ◽  
Shiau-Shian Huang ◽  
Jen-Feng Liang ◽  
Chia-Chang Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Medical School Curriculum ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Clinical Internship ◽  
Internship Training

Abstract BackgroundThe year 2013 marks a watershed in the history of medical education in Taiwan. Following Taiwan's Taskforce of Medical School Curriculum Reform recommendations, the medical school curriculum was reduced from 7 to 6 years. This study aimed to analyze the impact of medical school curriculum reform on medical students' performance in objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs). MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the OSCE records at Taipei Veterans General Hospital (Taipei VGH), one of Taiwan's largest tertiary medical centers, between November 2016 and July 2020. The eligibility criteria were medical students receiving a full one-year clinical internship training at Taipei VGH and in their last year of medical school. All medical students received a mock OSCE-1 at the beginning of their internship, a mock OSCE-2 after six months of training, and a national OSCE at the end of their internship. The parameters for performance in OSCEs included “percentage of scores above the qualification standard” and “percentage of qualified stations.” ResultsBetween November 2016 and July 2020, 361 undergraduates underwent clinical internship training at Taipei VGH. Among them, 218 were taught under the 7-year curriculum, and 143 were instructed under the 6-year curriculum. Based on baseline-adjusted ANCOVA results, medical students under the 7-year curriculum had a higher percentage of scores above the qualification standard than those under the 6-year curriculum at the mock OSCE-1 (7-year curriculum vs. 6-year curriculum: 33.8% [95% CI 32.0–35.7] vs. 28.2% [95% CI 25.9–30.4], p<0.001), and mock OSCE-2 (7-year curriculum vs. 6-year curriculum: 89.4% [95% CI 87.4–91.4] vs. 84.0% [95% CI 81.5–86.4], p=0.001). Moreover, medical students in the 7-year curriculum had a higher percentage of qualified stations in mock OSCE-1 (7-year curriculum vs. 6-year curriculum: 89.4% [95% CI 87.4–91.4] vs. 84.0% [95% CI 81.5–86.4], p=0.001) and mock OSCE-2 (7-year curriculum vs. 6-year curriculum: 91.9% [95% CI 90.1–93.8] vs. 86.1% [95% CI 83.8–88.3], p=0.001). After clinical internship training, there were no differences in the percentage of scores above the qualification standard (7-year curriculum vs. 6-year curriculum: 33.5% [95% CI 32.2–34.9] vs. 34.6 [95% CI 32.9–36.3], p=0.328) and percentage of qualified stations (7-year curriculum vs. 6-year curriculum: 89.4% [95% CI 88.1–90.7] vs. 90.2% [95% CI 88.6–91.8], p=0.492). ConclusionsAt the beginning of the internship, medical students under the 7-year curriculum had better OSCE performance than those under the 6-year curriculum. After the clinical internship training in Taipei VGH, there was no difference in the national OSCE score between the 6- and 7-year curricula. Our study suggests that clinical internship is crucial for the development of clinical skills and performance in the national OSCE.

scholarly journals The Effects of Participating in a Research Team During the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Educational Routine and Mental Health of Medical Students: a Study Protocol for a Web Based Survey. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debora Cerqueira Calderaro ◽  
Barbara Stadler Kahlow ◽  
Gabriela Araújo Munhoz ◽  
Samuel Elias Basualto Dias ◽  
João Vitor Ziroldo Lopes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Stress Scale ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Stress Domains

BACKGROUND Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has provided social isolation with a potential negative impact on the educational routine, including the suspension of face-to-face appointments, and mental health of medical students. The Mario Pinotti II study (MPII) is a 24-week observational study with scheduled telephone calls every 2 weeks to verify the occurrence of the COVID-19 in rheumatic patients on hydroxychloroquine chronically (from 29th, March, 2020 to 30th, September, 2020). The effects of voluntary participation in a research project, which foresees interaction by telephone contact with patients, professors, rheumatologists, and colleagues on the daily life and mental health of medical students requires evaluation. OBJECTIVE Objectives: Considering that medical students are professionals in training with a high level of responsibility to handle emotional and physical aspects related to several diseases, this study has the aim of evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and participation in the MPII study, on the educational routine and mental health of medical students. METHODS Methods: A web-based survey was carried out to perform a cross-sectional comparative assessment between medical students participating in the MPII study and other their colleagues who are not involved in this research project, matched to sex, age and medical school. The web questionnaire was developed by a panel composed of graduate medical students, rheumatologists, medical school professors, and a psychology professor and it included details on demographic and life habits data, as well as evaluation of participants' impression about the MPII study and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their educational routine and medical training. In addition, the depressive, anxiety, and stress domains were evaluated using the DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale), Brazilian version, and, lately, the scores were grouped as low, moderate and high risk for mental distress. This project was approved by the Federal University of São Paulo Ethics Committee (CAAE: 30246120.3.1001.5505). RESULTS Results: Data collection was applied for all 2 medical student groups from July 20th to August 31st, 2020. Data extraction is ongoing. Analysis is scheduled to start after extraction is completed. CONCLUSIONS Conclusions: This study will bring light into the effects of participating in a research project on depressive, anxiety, and stress domains by using the DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale) in large sampling of medical students and the evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students educational routine and medical training. CLINICALTRIAL This is not a clinical trial.

scholarly journals Alternative approaches for clinical clerkship during the COVID-19 pandemic: Online clinical practice for inpatients and outpatients—A mixed method

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajime Kasai ◽  
Kiyoshi Shikino ◽  
Go Saito ◽  
Tomoko Tsukamoto ◽  
Yukiko Takahashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Simulated Patients ◽  
Memory Retention ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Medical Interviews ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a need for educational materials and methods that can replace clinical clerkships (CCs) for online simulated clinical practice (online-sCP). This study evaluates the impact of using simulated electronic health records (sEHR) for inpatients, and electronic problem-based learning (e-PBL) and online virtual medical interviews (online-VMI) for outpatients, for an online-sCP using a learning management system (LMS) and online meeting system facilitated by a supervising physician.Methods: The sEHR was reviewed by medical students and subsequently discussed with a supervising physician using an online meeting system. In the e-PBL, medical students reviewed the simulated patients and discussed on the LMS. For the online-VMI, a faculty member acted as an outpatient and a student acted as the doctor. Small groups of students discussed the clinical reasoning process using the online meeting system. A mixed-method design was implemented. Medical students self-assessed their clinical competence before and after the online-sCP. They answered questionnaires and participated in semi-structured focus group interviews (FGIs) regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the practice.Results: Forty-three students completed the online-sCP during May and June 2020. All students indicated significant improvement in all aspects of self-evaluation of clinical performance after the online-sCP. Students using sEHR reported significant improvement in writing daily medical records and medical summaries. Students using e-PBL and online-VMI reported significant improvement in medical interviews and counseling. Students also indicated CCs as more useful for learning associated with medical interviews, physical examinations, and humanistic qualities like professionalism than the online-sCP. Eight FGIs were conducted (n = 42). The advantages of online-sCP were segregated into five categories (learning environment, efficiency, accessibility, self-paced learning, and interactivity); meanwhile, the disadvantages of online-sCP were classified into seven categories (clinical practice experience, learning environment, interactivity, motivation, memory retention, accessibility, and extraneous cognitive load).Conclusions: Online-sCP with sEHR, e-PBL, and online-VMI could be useful in learning some of the clinical skills acquired through CC. These methods can be implemented with limited preparation and resources.

scholarly journals Alternative approaches for clinical clerkship during the COVID-19 pandemic: Online clinical practice for inpatients and outpatients - A mixed method -

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajime Kasai ◽  
Kiyoshi Shikino ◽  
Go Saito ◽  
Tomoko Tsukamoto ◽  
Yukiko Takahashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Clinical Performance ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Simulated Patients ◽  
Memory Retention ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Medical Interviews ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has created a need for educational materials and methods that can replace clinical clerkships (CCs) for online clinical practice (online-CP). This study evaluates the impact of using simulated electronic health records (sEHR) for inpatients, and electronic problem-based learning (e-PBL) and online virtual medical interviews (online-VMI) for outpatients, for an online clinical practice using a learning management system (LMS) and online meeting system facilitated by a supervising physician. Methods The sEHR was reviewed by medical students and subsequently discussed with a supervising physician using an online meeting system. In the e-PBL, medical students reviewed the simulated patients and discussed on the LMS. For the online-VMI, a faculty member acted as outpatient and a student as doctor. Small groups of students discussed the clinical reasoning process using the online meeting system. A mixed methods design was implemented. Medical students self-assessed their clinical competence before and after the online-CP. They answered questionnaires and participated in semi-structured focus group interviews (FGIs) regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the practice. Results Forty-three students completed the online-CP during May and June 2020. All students indicated significant improvement in all aspects of self-evaluation of clinical performance after the online-CP. Using sEHR significantly improved performance in writing daily medical records and medical summaries (from 2.5 ± 2.0 to 4.3 ± 1.9, p < 0.001; from 2.6 ± 1.6 to 4.0 ± 2.0, p < 0.001, respectively). By e-PBL and online-VMI, performance in terms of medical interviews and counselling improved significantly (from 3.7 ± 1.7 to 5.0 ± 2.0, p = 0.009; from 4.2 ± 1.7 to 5.1 ± 1.8, p = 0.043, respectively). Students indicated CCs as more useful for learning associated with medical interviews, physical examinations, and humanistic qualities or professionalism than the online-CP. Eight FGIs were conducted (n = 42). The advantages of online-CP were segregated into five categories (learning environment, efficiency, accessibility, self-paced learning, and interactivity); meanwhile, the disadvantages of online-CP were classified into seven categories (clinical practice experience, learning environment, interactivity, motivation, memory retention, accessibility, and extraneous cognitive load). Conclusions Online-CP with sEHR, e-PBL, and online-VMI could be useful in learning some of the clinical skills acquired through CC. These methods can be implemented with limited preparation and resources.

scholarly journals Comparison of OSCE performance between 6- and 7-year medical school curricula in Taiwan

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jr-Wei Wu ◽  
Hao-Min Cheng ◽  
Shiau-Shian Huang ◽  
Jen-Feng Liang ◽  
Chia-Chang Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Medical School Curriculum ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Internship Training

Abstract Background The year 2013 marks a watershed in the history of medical education in Taiwan. Following Taiwan’s Taskforce of Medical School Curriculum Reform recommendations, the medical school curriculum was reduced from 7 to 6 years. This study aimed to analyze the impact of medical school curriculum reform on medical students’ performance in objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the OSCE records at Taipei Veterans General Hospital (Taipei VGH), one of Taiwan’s largest tertiary medical centers, between November 2016 and July 2020. The eligibility criteria were medical students receiving a full one-year clinical sub-internship training at Taipei VGH and in their last year of medical school. All medical students received a mock OSCE-1 at the beginning of their sub-internship, a mock OSCE-2 after six months of training, and a national OSCE at the end of their sub-internship. The parameters for performance in OSCEs included “percentage of scores above the qualification standard” and “percentage of qualified stations.” Results Between November 2016 and July 2020, 361 undergraduates underwent clinical sub-internship training at Taipei VGH. Among them, 218 were taught under the 7-year curriculum, and 143 were instructed under the 6-year curriculum. Based on baseline-adjusted ANCOVA results, medical students under the 7-year curriculum had a higher percentage of scores above the qualification standard than those under the 6-year curriculum at the mock OSCE-1 (7-year curriculum vs. 6-year curriculum: 33.8% [95% CI 32.0–35.7] vs. 28.2% [95% CI 25.9–30.4], p < 0.001), and mock OSCE-2 (7-year curriculum vs. 6-year curriculum: 89.4% [95% CI 87.4–91.4] vs. 84.0% [95% CI 81.5–86.4], p = 0.001). Moreover, medical students in the 7-year curriculum had a higher percentage of qualified stations in mock OSCE-1 (7-year curriculum vs. 6-year curriculum: 89.4% [95% CI 87.4–91.4] vs. 84.0% [95% CI 81.5–86.4], p = 0.001) and mock OSCE-2 (7-year curriculum vs. 6-year curriculum: 91.9% [95% CI 90.1–93.8] vs. 86.1% [95% CI 83.8–88.3], p = 0.001). After clinical sub-internship training, there were no differences in the percentage of scores above the qualification standard (7-year curriculum vs. 6-year curriculum: 33.5% [95% CI 32.2–34.9] vs. 34.6 [95% CI 32.9–36.3], p = 0.328) and percentage of qualified stations (7-year curriculum vs. 6-year curriculum: 89.4% [95% CI 88.1–90.7] vs. 90.2% [95% CI 88.6–91.8], p = 0.492). Conclusions At the beginning of the sub-internship, medical students under the 7-year curriculum had better OSCE performance than those under the 6-year curriculum. After the clinical sub-internship training in Taipei VGH, there was no difference in the national OSCE score between the 6- and 7-year curricula. Our study suggests that clinical sub-internship is crucial for the development of clinical skills and performance in the national OSCE.

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

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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