Exploring medical students’ perceptions of the challenges and benefits of volunteering in the intensive care unit during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

ObjectivesIn March 2020, the WHO declared SARS-CoV-2 a pandemic. Hospitals across the world faced staff, bed and supply shortages, with some European hospitals calling on medical students to fill the staffing gaps. This study aimed to document the impact of volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ professional development, resilience and future perceived career choices.DesignThis is a retrospective, qualitative study of student reflections, using purposive sampling.The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) University of Medicine and Health Sciences recruited 26 medical student volunteers to assist in pronation and supination of ventilated patients affected by SARS-CoV-2. These students were invited to complete an anonymous survey based on their experiences as volunteers. Thematic analysis was performed on these written reflections.ResultsThe results showed that volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic developed key skills from RCSI’s medical curriculum, significantly fostered medical students’ resilience and guided their career choices. Major areas of development included communication, teamwork, compassion and altruism, which are not easily developed through the formal curriculum. A further area that was highlighted was the importance of evidence-based health in a pandemic. Finally, our respondents were early stage medical students with limited clinical exposure. Some found the experience difficult to cope with and therefore supports should be established for students volunteering in such a crisis.ConclusionThese results suggest that clinical exposure is an important driver in developing students’ resilience and that volunteering during a pandemic has multiple benefits to students’ professional development and professional identity formation.

Download Full-text

729 “I Don’t Feel Like I’m Learning How to Be A Doctor:” The Impact of Disruptions Due to Covid-19 On Professional Identity Formation in UK Medical Students

British Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1093/bjs/znab259.865 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 108 (Supplement_6) ◽

Author(s):

A Harvey ◽

M E L Brown ◽

M H V Byrne ◽

J Ashcroft ◽

J C M Wan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Professional Identity ◽

Identity Formation ◽

Medical Training ◽

Professional Identity Formation ◽

Clinical Environment ◽

Clinical Exposure ◽

Open Questions ◽

Qualitative Responses ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction Professional identity formation (PIF) is a priority of medical training. Covid-19 caused disruption to medical education. We ask how this disruption impacted PIF through the lens of the activities performed – or not performed – by medical students during the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic, and perceptions of conflicts between activities. Method A pragmatic survey was distributed in spring 2020. Thematic analysis was performed of qualitative responses to two open questions. A social constructivist approach linked participants’ comments to PIF theory. Results We analysed 928 responses. Three themes surrounding students’ activities during covid-19 and their impact on identity were constructed: Conflict arose at the intersections between these themes. Students noted lack of clinical exposure was detrimental, implicitly recognising that aspects of PIF require the clinical environment. Participants were keen to volunteer but struggled with balancing academic work. Participants worried about risk to their households and the wider community and wanted their skills to add value in the clinical environment. Volunteers felt frustrated when they were unable to perform tasks aligning with their identity as a future doctor. An exception was participants who worked as interim FY1s, aligned with the role of an FY1. Conclusions Medical students feel a duty to help during crises. Conflict arises when different aspects of their identity demand different actions. Care must be taken to nurture PIF during periods of disruption.

Download Full-text

Radiology Exposure in the Undergraduate Curriculum: A Medical Student Perspective on Quality and Opportunities for Positive Change

Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal ◽

10.1016/j.carj.2016.10.004 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 68 (3) ◽

pp. 249-256 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Kari L. Visscher ◽

Lisa Faden ◽

Georges Nassrallah ◽

Stacey Speer ◽

Daniele Wiseman

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Medical Student ◽

Medical Students ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Student Evaluation ◽

Positive Change ◽

Student Perspective ◽

Radiology Education

Purpose This article is a continuation of a qualitative study designed to explore how radiology exposures can impact medical student opinions and perceptions of radiology and radiologists. We focused on: 1) conducting a radiology exposure inventory from the perspective of the medical student; 2) student evaluation of the quality of the radiology exposures and suggestions for positive change; and 3) development of a framework to address the needs of medical students as it relates to radiology education in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Methods Research methodology and design for this qualitative study were described in detail in a previous article by Visscher et al [1] . Results Participants included 28 medical students; 18 were in medical school years 1 and 2 (preclerkship), and 10 were in years 3 and 4 (clerkship). Specific to the focus of this article, the data revealed 3 major findings: 1) multiple exposures to radiology exist, and they are received and valued differently depending on the medical student's stage of professional development; 2) medical students value radiology education and want their radiology exposure to be comprehensive and high quality; 3) Medical students have constructive suggestions for improving the quality of both formal and informal radiology exposures. Conclusions Performing a radiology exposure inventory from a medical student perspective is a useful way to explore how students receive and value radiology instruction. Medical students want a more comprehensive radiology education that can be summarized using the 5 C's of Radiology Education framework. The 5 C's (curriculum, coaching, collaborating, career and commitment) reflect medical students' desires to learn content that will support them in clinical practice, be supported in their professional development, and have the necessary information to make informed career decisions.

Download Full-text

Involvement of medical students in a surgery congress: impact on learning motivation, decision-making for a career in surgery, and educational curriculum

Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift ◽

10.1007/s10354-020-00802-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ibrahim Alkatout ◽

Veronika Günther ◽

Sandra Brügge ◽

Johannes Ackermann ◽

Magret Krüger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Learning Motivation ◽

Educational Curriculum ◽

Active Involvement ◽

Surgical Career ◽

Second Year ◽

Digital Surgery ◽

The Impact

SummaryDuring the preclinical period of medical school, the clinical relevance of theoretical knowledge is given little attention. Medical students of the second year were invited to participate in an interdisciplinary congress for robot-assisted and digital surgery. The students had to evaluate the impact of the congress on their learning motivation, decision-making for a career in surgery, and relevance for their educational curriculum. Participation in the congress increased their learning motivation for preclinical subjects, and significantly increased their interest in a surgical career. Most students considered active involvement in medical congresses a valuable supplement to the medical curriculum. Congress participation during the preclinical period was ranked positively by medical students. Greater learning motivation and enthusiasm for the pilot teaching project as well as for surgical disciplines were registered. Thus, early involvement of medical students in scientific congresses should be an integral part of their educational curriculum.

Download Full-text

Medical students utilization of e-learning re-sources; is it an informal curriculum?

International Journal of Medicine ◽

10.14419/ijm.v5i1.7503 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 132

Author(s):

Maria Yaseen ◽

Misbah Bano ◽

Masood Jawaid

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Online Resources ◽

Discussion Forums ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Formal Curriculum ◽

Informal Curriculum ◽

E Learning ◽

21St Century Learners

Background: E-learning refers to the use of Internet technologies to deliver a broad range of solutions that enhance knowledge and per-formance of learners. This mode of learning can be used by institutions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of educational inter-ventions in the face of the social, scientific, and pedagogical challenges. Worldwide, it has gained popularity in the past few decades; however, its use is highly variable among the medical schools of Pakistan. Currently, a very few number of institutions have adopted it officially in their curriculum. Despite this, many students use different E Learning resources to enhance their learning.Objective: To find out about the online resources utilized by the medical students in addition to their traditional medical curriculum to enhance their learning.Method: In this cross-sectional study, 300 participants from Dow Medical College and Jinnah Sindh Medical Universities were included after taking informed consent. A self-administered questionnaire which consists of demographic information, years of study and online resources with their usage details by the students for different subjects of basic and clinical sciences were documented.Results: Almost all the students reported to use some form of eLearning to enhance their medical understanding. The most frequently used electronic resources were Google images (61.7%) and Wikipedia (50.3%). Mostly, the students used YouTube (25.7%) for animations; Kaplan (27%) and Dr. Najeeb (15.6%) for video lectures. However, Audio lecture by Goljan (17.7%) was the only resource for podcast learning. Among discussion forums, Facebook groups (16.3%) were most popular and among static websites, Medscape (4.3%), PubMed (2.5%), WebMD (1.3%) were the most commonly used ones.Conclusion: All of the medical students used some form of eLearning in medical education in addition to their formal curriculum. This way of learning should be further implemented in the form of formal curriculum as e-learning modules for basic and clinical sciences to make learning easier, engaging and innovative for the 21st century learners.

Download Full-text

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.

Download Full-text

Identity Development and Mentoring in Doctoral Education

Harvard Educational Review ◽

10.17763/haer.79.1.wr25486891279345 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 79 (1) ◽

pp. 49-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Leigh Hall ◽

Leslie Burns

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Identity Development ◽

Identity Formation ◽

Doctoral Students ◽

Doctoral Education ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Mentoring Relationships ◽

Formal Curriculum ◽

Faculty Mentors ◽

Diverse Groups

In this essay, Leigh Hall and Leslie Burns use theories of identity to understand mentoring relationships between faculty members and doctoral students who are being prepared as educational researchers. They suggest that becoming a professional researcher requires students to negotiate new identities and reconceptualize themselves both as people and professionals in addition to learning specific skills; however, the success or marginalization that students experience may depend on the extent to which they attempt to enact identities that are valued by their mentors. For this reason, Hall and Burns argue that faculty mentors must learn about and consider identity formation in order to successfully socialize more diverse groups of researchers, and they believe that formal curriculum designs can be used more intentionally to help students and faculty understand the roles identity plays in professional development and to make doctoral education more equitable.

Download Full-text

Scale Evaluating the Information Literacy Self-Efficacy of Medical Students Created and Tested in a Six-Year Belgian Medical Program

Evidence Based Library and Information Practice ◽

10.18438/eblip29564 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 128-130

Author(s):

Brittany Richardson

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Information Literacy ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Medical Information ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

High Reliability ◽

Efficacy Beliefs ◽

Medical Program ◽

The Impact ◽

Academic Year

A Review of: De Meulemeester, A., Buysse, H., & Peleman, R. (2018). Development and validation of an Information Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale for medical students. Journal of Information Literacy, 12(1), 27-47. Retrieved from https://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/JIL/article/view/PRA-V12-I1-2 Abstract Objective – To create and validate a scale evaluating the information literacy (IL) self-efficacy beliefs of medical students. Design – Scale development. Setting – Large, public research university in Belgium. Subjects – 1,252 medical students enrolled in a six-year medical program in the 2013-2014 academic year. Methods – Ten medical-specific IL self-efficacy questions were developed to expand a 28-item Information Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale (ILSES) (Kurbanoglu, Akkoyunlu, & Umay, 2006). Medical students in Years 1 – 5 completed the questionnaire (in English) in the first two weeks of the academic year, with students in Year 6 completing after final exams. Respondents rated their confidence with each item 0 (‘I do not feel confident at all’) to 100 (‘I feel 100% confident’). Principal Axis Factoring analysis was conducted on all 38 items to identify subscales. Responses were found suitable for factor analysis using Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure (KMO). Factors were extracted using the Kaiser-Gutmann rule with Varimax rotation applied. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test the internal consistency of each identified subscale. Following a One-way-ANOVA testing for significant differences, a Tamhane T2 post-hoc test obtained a pairwise comparison between mean responses for each student year. Main Results – Five subscales with a total of 35 items were validated for inclusion in the Information Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale for Medicine (ILSES-M) and found to have a high reliability (Chronbach’s alpha scores greater than .70). Subscales were labelled by concept, including “Evaluating and Processing Information” (11 items), “Medical Information Literacy Skills” (10 items), “Searching and Finding Information” (6 items), “Using the Library” (4 items), and “Bibliography” (4 items). The factor loading of non-medical subscales closely reflected studies validating the original ILSES (Kurbanoglu, Akkoyunla, & Umay, 2006; Usluel, 2007), suggesting consistency in varying contexts and across time. Although overall subscale means were relatively low, immediate findings among medical students at Ghent University demonstrated an increase in the IL self-efficacy of students as they advance through the 6-year medical program. Students revealed the least confidence in “Using the Library.” Conclusions – The self-efficacy of individuals in approaching IL tasks has an impact on self-motivation and lifelong learning. The authors developed the ILSES-M as part of a longitudinal study protocol appraising the IL self-efficacy beliefs of students in a six-year medical curriculum (De Meulemeester, Peleman, & Buysse, 2018). The ILSES-M “…could give a clear idea about the evolution of perceived IL and the related need for support and training” (p. 43). Further research could evaluate the scale’s impact on curriculum and, conversely, the impact of curricular changes on ILSE. Qualitative research may afford additional context for scale interpretation. The scale may also provide opportunities to assess the confidence levels of incoming students throughout time. The authors suggested further research should apply the ILSES-M in diverse cultural and curricular settings.

Download Full-text

The Effects of Teaching Medical Students Psychotherapy Skills in the Outpatient Department

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/070674378703200305 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 185-189 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Daniel Frank ◽

Arthur Propst ◽

Paul Goldhamer

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy ◽

Interpersonal Skills ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Medical Patients ◽

Outpatient Psychotherapy ◽

Educational Value ◽

Clinical Exposure ◽

The Impact ◽

Psychiatric Clerkship

A psychiatric clerkship which emphasizes a clinical exposure to the conduct of outpatient psychodynamic psychotherapy is described and evaluated. Compared to more traditional inpatient based clerkships, an outpatient psychotherapy-oriented clerkship attracts significantly greater numbers of students. In addition, medical students taking such a rotation rate its educational value on its completion significantly more positively compared to other clerkship sites. Finally, students taking the psychotherapy oriented clerkship opt for psychiatry as a specialty significantly more frequently than students taking the more traditional clerkships. The impact of such a learning experience on interpersonal skills with non-psychiatric, medical patients is also discussed.

Download Full-text

Simulated medical consultations with standardized patients: In-depth debriefing based on dealing with emotions

Revista Brasileira de Educação Médica ◽

10.1590/1981-52712018v42n1rb20160089 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 84-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Marcelo Schweller ◽

Diego L. Ribeiro ◽

Sílvia R. Passeri ◽

Jamiro S. Wanderley ◽

Marco Antonio Carvalho-Filho

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Professional Identity ◽

Identity Formation ◽

Defense Mechanisms ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Medical Profession ◽

Standardized Patients ◽

Simulated Patients ◽

Professional Identity Formation ◽

Emotional Detachment

ABSTRACT In general, students have few opportunities to address their emotions under the guidance of an experienced physician, which can undermine their self-confidence to deal with real patients in stressful situations. Emotional detachment and cynicism are defense mechanisms, which can emerge as a consequence. The consolidation of a professional identity committed to patients’ interests can become a challenge when medical students are not comfortable in their role as caregivers. In general, we consider that the undergraduate medical curriculum has been insufficient in providing appropriate environments for students to reflect on professional identity formation and on the future challenges of their profession. Objective: To develop an in-depth debriefing to address students’ emotions and professional identity formation in the context of a simulation activity with simulated patients at a medical school in Brazil. Methods: The authors conducted a simulated medical consultation activity using standardized patients (SPs) with an in-depth debriefing based on the feelings of the patient and the student. During each encounter the formation and consolidation of professional identity was discussed. Fourth- and sixth-year medical students (n=551) participated and answered a questionnaire about the activity and the learning outcome. Results: The students felt comfortable during the activity, due to "openness to dialogue", "proximity with colleagues and teachers" and the "judgment-free environment". More than 90% reported that what they had learned would be useful in their professional and personal lives, providing a greater "understanding of emotions", "empathy", "ability to listen" and "ability to deal with conflicts". More than half of them were motivated to study, especially "doctor-patient relationship", "treatment", "common diseases" and "medicine in general". Students considered the activity important for retrieving the initial reasons that had led them to embarking on the medical profession in the first place. Conclusions: Reflecting on disease and its impact on patients’ daily life may motivate learning in medicine, allowing for the recovery of the personal and social meaning of its practice. In-depth debriefing was important to nurture professional identity committed to empathy and patients’ interests. Activities planned to discuss the influence and importance of emotions in medical practice can help students to reconcile personal and professional identities.

Download Full-text

Integrating CanMEDS competencies into global health electives: an innovative elective program

CJEM ◽

10.2310/8000.2011.100206 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 13 (01) ◽

pp. 34-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Rahim Valani ◽

Abi Sriharan ◽

Dennis Scolnik

Keyword(s):

Emergency Medicine ◽

Medical Students ◽

Global Health ◽

Pediatric Emergency ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Peace Building ◽

Pediatric Emergency Medicine ◽

Application Process ◽

Formal Curriculum ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT Globalization has opened the doors for medical students to undertake international health electives, providing an opportunity for them to gain valuable competencies and skills outside their formal curriculum. As the number of medical students embarking on these electives increases, there is a need to structure the electives with specific learning objectives and to ensure adequate educational outcomes. We describe the International Pediatric Emergency Medicine Elective (IPEME), which is a novel global health elective that brings together students from Canada and the Middle East who are selected on the basis of a competitive application process and brought to Toronto for a 4-week living and studying experience. The program was introduced in 2004 and uses four specific areas to provide its structure: pediatric emergency medicine, global health, leadership, and peace building. The elective uses core CanMEDS competencies to foster cross-cultural dialogue, networking, and cooperation and fulfills the program's aim of using health as a bridge to peace. The lessons learned from the curriculum planning and implementation process are highlighted and the impact of the program explored to help provide a framework for developing similar international electives.

Download Full-text