Making a Medical School Class Whole: A Holistic Approach to Student Government

Student government has a unique role in medical schools, where it can function to strongly nurture the well-being of a class. Student body representatives have a better understanding of the interests of medical students and the adversity they face. Thus, the student government is in a prime position to make positive change in the lives of their classmates with help from the school administration. This article explores these ideas and is written from the perspective of the co-presidents of the student body at a northeast medical school.

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Effectiveness of Virtual Medical Teaching During the COVID-19 Crisis: Systematic Review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.20963 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Robyn-Jenia Wilcha

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Student Engagement ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Clinical Teaching ◽

Well Being ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Medical Teaching ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Virtual Teaching

BACKGROUND In December 2019, COVID-19 emerged and rapidly spread worldwide. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is high; as a result, countries worldwide have imposed rigorous public health measures, such as quarantine. This has involved the suspension of medical school classes globally. Medical school attachments are vital to aid the progression of students’ confidence and competencies as future physicians. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, medical schools have sought ways to replace medical placements with virtual clinical teaching. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to review the advantages and disadvantages of virtual medical teaching for medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic based on the current emerging literature. METHODS A brief qualitative review based on the application and effectiveness of virtual teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted by referencing keywords, including medical student virtual teaching COVID-19, virtual undergraduate medical education, and virtual medical education COVID-19, in the electronic databases of PubMed and Google Scholar. A total of 201 articles were found, of which 34 were included in the study. Manual searches of the reference lists of the included articles yielded 5 additional articles. The findings were tabulated and assessed under the following headings: summary of virtual teaching offered, strengths of virtual teaching, and weaknesses of virtual teaching. RESULTS The strengths of virtual teaching included the variety of web-based resources available. New interactive forms of virtual teaching are being developed to enable students to interact with patients from their homes. Open-access teaching with medical experts has enabled students to remain abreast of the latest medical advancements and to reclaim knowledge lost by the suspension of university classes and clinical attachments. Peer mentoring has been proven to be a valuable tool for medical students with aims of increasing knowledge and providing psychological support. Weaknesses of virtual teaching included technical challenges, confidentiality issues, reduced student engagement, and loss of assessments. The mental well-being of students was found to be negatively affected during the pandemic. Inequalities of virtual teaching services worldwide were also noted to cause differences in medical education. CONCLUSIONS In the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical schools have a duty to provide ongoing education to medical students. The continuation of teaching is crucial to enable the graduation of future physicians into society. The evidence suggests that virtual teaching is effective, and institutions are working to further develop these resources to improve student engagement and interactivity. Moving forward, medical faculties must adopt a more holistic approach to student education and consider the mental impact of COVID-19 on students as well as improve the security and technology of virtual platforms.

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Effectiveness of Virtual Medical Teaching During the COVID-19 Crisis: Systematic Review

JMIR Medical Education ◽

10.2196/20963 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. e20963

Author(s):

Robyn-Jenia Wilcha

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Student Engagement ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Clinical Teaching ◽

Well Being ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Medical Teaching ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Virtual Teaching

Background In December 2019, COVID-19 emerged and rapidly spread worldwide. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is high; as a result, countries worldwide have imposed rigorous public health measures, such as quarantine. This has involved the suspension of medical school classes globally. Medical school attachments are vital to aid the progression of students’ confidence and competencies as future physicians. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, medical schools have sought ways to replace medical placements with virtual clinical teaching. Objective The objective of this study was to review the advantages and disadvantages of virtual medical teaching for medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic based on the current emerging literature. Methods A brief qualitative review based on the application and effectiveness of virtual teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted by referencing keywords, including medical student virtual teaching COVID-19, virtual undergraduate medical education, and virtual medical education COVID-19, in the electronic databases of PubMed and Google Scholar. A total of 201 articles were found, of which 34 were included in the study. Manual searches of the reference lists of the included articles yielded 5 additional articles. The findings were tabulated and assessed under the following headings: summary of virtual teaching offered, strengths of virtual teaching, and weaknesses of virtual teaching. Results The strengths of virtual teaching included the variety of web-based resources available. New interactive forms of virtual teaching are being developed to enable students to interact with patients from their homes. Open-access teaching with medical experts has enabled students to remain abreast of the latest medical advancements and to reclaim knowledge lost by the suspension of university classes and clinical attachments. Peer mentoring has been proven to be a valuable tool for medical students with aims of increasing knowledge and providing psychological support. Weaknesses of virtual teaching included technical challenges, confidentiality issues, reduced student engagement, and loss of assessments. The mental well-being of students was found to be negatively affected during the pandemic. Inequalities of virtual teaching services worldwide were also noted to cause differences in medical education. Conclusions In the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical schools have a duty to provide ongoing education to medical students. The continuation of teaching is crucial to enable the graduation of future physicians into society. The evidence suggests that virtual teaching is effective, and institutions are working to further develop these resources to improve student engagement and interactivity. Moving forward, medical faculties must adopt a more holistic approach to student education and consider the mental impact of COVID-19 on students as well as improve the security and technology of virtual platforms.

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Meditation buffers medical student compassion from the deleterious effects of depression.

10.31231/osf.io/jxdk8 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Jennifer S Mascaro ◽

Sean Kelley ◽

Alana Darcher ◽

Lobsang Negi ◽

Carol Worthman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Student ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Well Being ◽

Daily Functioning ◽

Wait List ◽

School Students ◽

Social Emotions ◽

The Face ◽

Second Year

Increasing data suggest that for medical school students the stress of academic and psychologicaldemands can impair social emotions that are a core aspect of compassion and ultimately physiciancompetence. Few interventions have proven successful for enhancing physician compassion inways that persist in the face of suffering and that enable sustained caretaker well-being. To addressthis issue, the current study was designed to (1) investigate the feasibility of cognitively-basedcompassion training (CBCT) for second-year medical students, and (2) test whether CBCT decreasesdepression, enhances compassion, and improves daily functioning in medical students. Comparedto the wait-list group, students randomized to CBCT reported increased compassion, and decreasedloneliness and depression. Changes in compassion were most robust in individuals reporting highlevels of depression at baseline, suggesting that CBCT may benefit those most in need by breakingthe link between personal suffering and a concomitant drop in compassion

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A Scoping Review of Professional Identity Formation in Undergraduate Medical Education

Journal of General Internal Medicine ◽

10.1007/s11606-021-07024-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shiva Sarraf-Yazdi ◽

Yao Neng Teo ◽

Ashley Ern Hui How ◽

Yao Hao Teo ◽

Sherill Goh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Identity Development ◽

Medical School ◽

Professional Identity ◽

Identity Formation ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Professional Identity Formation ◽

Enabling Factors ◽

Content Analyses

Abstract Background Professional identity formation (PIF) in medical students is a multifactorial phenomenon, shaped by ways that clinical and non-clinical experiences, expectations and environmental factors merge with individual values, beliefs and obligations. The relationship between students’ evolving professional identity and self-identity or personhood remains ill-defined, making it challenging for medical schools to support PIF systematically and strategically. Primarily, to capture prevailing literature on PIF in medical school education, and secondarily, to ascertain how PIF influences on medical students may be viewed through the lens of the ring theory of personhood (RToP) and to identify ways that medical schools support PIF. Methods A systematic scoping review was conducted using the systematic evidence-based approach. Articles published between 1 January 2000 and 1 July 2020 related to PIF in medical students were searched using PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, ERIC and Scopus. Articles of all study designs (quantitative and qualitative), published or translated into English, were included. Concurrent thematic and directed content analyses were used to evaluate the data. Results A total of 10443 abstracts were identified, 272 full-text articles evaluated, and 76 articles included. Thematic and directed content analyses revealed similar themes and categories as follows: characteristics of PIF in relation to professionalism, role of socialization in PIF, PIF enablers and barriers, and medical school approaches to supporting PIF. Discussion PIF involves iterative construction, deconstruction and inculcation of professional beliefs, values and behaviours into a pre-existent identity. Through the lens of RToP, factors were elucidated that promote or hinder students’ identity development on individual, relational or societal levels. If inadequately or inappropriately supported, enabling factors become barriers to PIF. Medical schools employ an all-encompassing approach to support PIF, illuminating the need for distinct and deliberate longitudinal monitoring and mentoring to foster students’ balanced integration of personal and professional identities over time.

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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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Assessing the current state of medical education on cannabis in Canada: Preliminary findings from Quebec

Paediatrics & Child Health ◽

10.1093/pch/pxaa015 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S29-S33

Author(s):

Laurent Elkrief ◽

Julien Belliveau ◽

Tara D’Ignazio ◽

Philippe Simard ◽

Didier Jutras-Aswad

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Medical Schools ◽

School Curriculum ◽

Medical Curricula ◽

Comfort Levels ◽

Current State ◽

Low Levels ◽

Current Curriculum

Abstract The legalization of recreational cannabis across Canada has revealed the importance of medical education on cannabis-related topics. A recent study has indicated that Canadian physicians report a significant gap in current versus desired knowledge regarding the therapeutic use of cannabis. However, the state of education on cannabis has never been studied in Canadian medical schools. This article presents the preliminary findings of a survey conducted to understand the perceptions of Quebec’s medical students regarding cannabis-related teachings in their current curriculum. Overall, students reported very low to low levels of exposure to, knowledge of, and comfort levels with cannabis-related subjects. The majority of students reported that they felt that their medical curricula did not prepare them to face cannabis-related issues in their future practices. Strategies need to be developed for improving medical school curriculum regarding cannabis-related issues. These findings provide potential key strategies to improve curricula.

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Premedical Student Exposure to Pharmaceutical Marketing: Too Much, Too Soon?

Family Medicine ◽

10.22454/fammed.2019.360469 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 51 (9) ◽

pp. 722-727

Author(s):

Toby Keys ◽

Mark H. Ryan ◽

Sharon Dobie ◽

David Satin ◽

David V. Evans

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Direct Marketing ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Pharmaceutical Marketing ◽

Care Providers ◽

Clinical Experiences ◽

Premedical Students ◽

Pharmaceutical Representatives

Background and Objectives: Direct pharmaceutical marketing to physicians by pharmaceutical representatives is effective in changing behavior of health care providers, resulting in less evidence-based prescribing. Although much has been written about pharmaceutical marketing exposures among medical students, less is known about direct marketing exposures before students matriculate. This study examined the types of pharmaceutical representative direct marketing exposures for premedical students and where they occurred. Methods: From June to August of 2017, researchers surveyed students who accepted admission to US public medical schools. These prematriculated students completed our survey just prior to matriculation. The survey inquired about whether the students were exposed to pharmaceutical marketing directly from pharmaceutical salespeople, the types of marketing they observed or received, and where these interactions occurred. Results: Survey participants included 911 prematriculated students from 14 of the 188 medical schools invited to participate. Seventy-one percent (646) of the participants received or observed someone receiving pharmaceutical marketing gifts, small meals or snacks, articles, or samples. The two most common contexts for direct pharmaceutical marketing exposures were during shadowing experiences (54%, 346) and during employment (50%, 323). Conclusions: The findings suggest that it may be common for medical students to have interacted directly with pharmaceutical salespeople or observed other health professionals in these interactions before they matriculate in medical school. Because many of these interactions occur during clinical experiences required by institutions for admission, medical schools and premedical associations should consider delivering conflict-of-interest education early in medical school education or before students matriculate.

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Psychometric properties of the Medical Student Well-Being Index among medical students in a Malaysian medical school

Asian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.ajp.2012.09.001 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 60-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Muhamad Saiful Bahri Yusoff ◽

Mohd Jamil Yaacob ◽

Nyi Nyi Naing ◽

Ab Rahman Esa

Keyword(s):

Medical Student ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Well Being

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Teaching Hematology to Second Year Medical Students: Results of a National Survey of Hematology Course Directors.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v108.11.3300.3300 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 108 (11) ◽

pp. 3300-3300

Author(s):

Virginia C. Broudy ◽

Scot G. Hickman

Keyword(s):

Medical Student ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Student Teaching ◽

Private School ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Median Number ◽

Dental Students ◽

School Enrollment ◽

Second Year

An Association of American Medical Colleges position paper calls for a 30% increase in medical school enrollment by 2015. New faculty effort certification reporting requirements for NIH-supported investigators and increasing clinical productivity expectations at academic medical centers challenge the tradition of faculty volunteerism for medical student teaching. To better define the structure, content, and financial support of second year medical school hematology courses nationwide, in 2001/2002 we mailed a survey to the hematology course directors at 85 of the 125 accredited US medical schools. The 58 course directors who returned the survey represent all regions of the US, and both public and private medical schools. Ten of the hematology course directors subspecialized in areas other than adult or pediatric hematology or hematology/oncology. Median class size was 150 students (range 40–200), and some courses included a substantial proportion (up to 33%) of students other than medical students (dental students, graduate students, PA students). Median course hours was 33 hours (range 8 to 74, an almost 10-fold difference). Approximately 50% of the total teaching time was devoted to lecture (range 5% to 100%), but a wide variety of additional teaching approaches were also employed, including small group discussions, problem-based learning, and web-based teaching (used by 62% of course directors). The median number of faculty responsible for teaching the second year hematology course was 12 (range 1–36). The hematology course directors identified a number of obstacles, including difficulty recruiting teachers (experienced by 45% of course directors), the lack of well-defined content, and the very modest budget (less than $1500 for most courses). Only 3 of the course directors indicated that they received salary support for this role. The findings of this survey suggest that a national effort to define learning objectives for the hematology courses and to share teaching materials among medical schools is warranted. Of note, it was estimated in 1997 that the total educational costs for one medical student are $72,000–92,000 per year, and that the majority of these costs are instructional. In 2003 median medical school tuition nationally was $16,322 (for a state resident attending a public school) and $34,550 (private school tuition). The present results show that few of these funds are directed to support of faculty time to teach the hematology course, and compel the identification of a funding stream to pay faculty for teaching medical student required courses.

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The Decision to Enter Medicine: Motivations, Social Support, and Discouragements for Women

Psychology of Women Quarterly ◽

10.1111/j.1471-6402.1980.tb00966.x ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 341-357 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Nancy G. Kutner ◽

Donna R. Brogan

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Occupational Prestige ◽

Interest In Science ◽

The Past ◽

Medical Career ◽

Early Decision ◽

Previous Occupation

Responses from 93% of the women medical students enrolled in two southern medical schools in 1975–1976 indicated that wanting to serve others, desire for independence in one's work, and interest in science were strong motivations for entering medicine. These motivations also characterized men. Women, more often than men, cited the challenge of a medical career, and they showed more interest in high occupational prestige than have women medical school applicants in the past. Women reported less social support for an early decision than did their male peers. Dissatisfaction with a previous occupation frequently influenced women's choice of medicine. Although women were more likely than men to cite sources of encouragement for their decision, they were also more likely than men to have been discouraged from entering medicine.

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