scholarly journals The Unique Role of Medical Students in Catalyzing Climate Change Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 238212052095765
Author(s):  
Benjamin M Rabin ◽  
Emaline B Laney ◽  
Rebecca P Philipsborn
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Curricular Integration ◽  
Climate Change Education ◽  
Unique Role ◽  
Climate And Health

Climate change is a well-recognized threat to human health with impacts on every organ system and with implications for disease processes across subspecialties. Climate-driven environmental exposures influence the pathophysiologic underpinnings of disease emphasized in the pre-clinical years of medical school. While medical schools are beginning to offer climate change and health electives, medical education is lagging in providing fundamental climate-and-health content to adequately prepare the next generation of physicians for the challenges that they will face in the provision of healthcare and the prevention and treatment of disease. This perspective piece highlights the unique role of medical students in catalyzing the incorporation of climate content into the pre-clinical medical school curriculum and provides topics for disseminated curricular integration with the concepts emphasized in the pre-clinical years of medical education.

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.

scholarly journals The Impact of Integrating Environmental Health into Medical School Curricula: A Survey-Based Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Ihde ◽  
Benjamin Kligler ◽  
Genevieve Pinto Zipp ◽  
Carmela Rocchetti
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Lead Contamination ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
School Curricula

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 necessary to address patients' environmental illnesses, nor speak to prevention. Environmental health disparities fit well under the larger umbrella of social determinants of health, which still remain largely omitted from medical school curricula. Methods Environmental health (EH) knowledge and skills were incorporated into the first-year medical school curriculum at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, via a thread of two-hour interactive large group learning sessions with follow up activities. In year 1, students took the Environmental Health in Med School (EHMS) survey before and after the EH thread. This survey was designed to evaluate medical students’ attitudes, awareness and professionalism regarding environmental health. Results suggested a dramatic ceiling effect on students’ responses to the EHMS survey, making it difficult to detect any change from before to after the intervention. Our conclusion 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. Based on the outcomes of the EHMS survey, a new Environmental Health Survey II (EHS II) was created for Year 2, to measure students' perceptions of preparedness to discuss EH with future patients. The two surveys were both created by the research team and designed to help inform subsequent content revisions to ensure learning objectives were met. ResultsResults for the four questions on the EHS II pre-survey (84 respondents) and on the post-survey (79 respondents) showed a statistically significant positive change in students’ self-reported sense of preparedness to discuss environmental health with their patients following the curriculum intervention. ConclusionsA relatively brief six-week environmental health module combining didactic and experiential elements can significantly increase medical students’ self-reported sense of preparedness to discuss environmental health issues, including climate change, with their patients.

scholarly journals The Impact of Integrating Environmental Health into Medical School Curricula: A Survey-Based Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Kligler ◽  
Genevieve Pinto Zipp ◽  
Carmela Rocchetti ◽  
Erin Speiser Ihde ◽  
Michelle Secic
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 complex issues 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.

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

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.

scholarly journals Considering the role of neurodidactics in medical education as inspired by learning studies and music education

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Trenado ◽  
Nicole Pedroarena Leal ◽  
Diane Ruge
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Large Body ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Principles Of Learning

A large body of research targeting learning in medical school has shown the benefit and importance of adopting appropriate learning strategies, nevertheless instruction and use of scientifically-based learning strategies is not standard in the medical school curriculum. In this commentary, we advocate the use of the principles of neurodicatics in the medical curriculum, namely by taking into consideration neurobiology principles of learning for optimizing learning strategies. The advancement and progress of learning technologies in the upcoming years and their adoption by medical students make this discussion highly relevant regarding proper establishment of an evidence-based science of education and learning, which would certainly impact medical education.

scholarly journals The Attitudes of Medical Students for Their Roles and Social Accountability in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jihoon Hong ◽  
Ikjae Jung ◽  
Mingeol Park ◽  
Kyumin Kim ◽  
Sungook Yeo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Social Accountability ◽  
New Normal ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionIn this study, we aimed to explore the attitude of medical students toward their roles and social accountability in this pandemic era. An online survey asked questions covering the topics of 1) the role of medical students in the pandemic era; 2) Medical education in the ‘new normal,’ and 3) the impact of COVID-19 on medical students. MethodsThe online survey, developed by a team consisting of 3 medical students, 3 psychiatric residents, and 3 psychiatric professors, was distributed to medical students, graduates, and professors in a single South Korean medical school. Anxiety symptom rating scales, including the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemic - 6 (SAVE-6) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 (GAD-7) scale, were also applied to measure participant anxiety level.ResultsAll of the 213 medical students, 180 graduates, and 181 professors that participated in this online survey were at the same medical school. Medical students indicated their willingness to join the healthcare response to the COVID-19 pandemic if requested; however, graduates and professors recommended that medical students continue their medical school curriculum rather than join the response. In the new normal era, medical education was considered to be changed appropriately. Moreover, adequate knowledge of COVID-19 infection and spread must be considered for the continuation of clinical clerkships during the pandemic. Overall, medical students who indicated anxiety about treating possible or confirmed cases rated higher on the SAVE-6 scale. Finally, medical students who reported that COVID-19 had an influence on their studies and daily life rated higher on the general anxiety scale (GAD-7). ConclusionSocial accountability is an important issue for medical students in the pandemic era. At the same time, cultivating professionalism is also important for the readiness for the future healthcare responses.

scholarly journals The Role of Humanities in the Medical Curriculum: Medical Students’ Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loukia Petrou ◽  
Emma Mittelman ◽  
Oluwapelumi Osibona ◽  
Mona Panahi ◽  
Joanna M Harvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Medical Humanities ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Extracurricular Involvement ◽  
Senior Students

Abstract BackgroundThe humanities have long been shown to play an important role in the medical school curriculum. However, few studies have looked into the opinions of medical students on the usefulness and necessity of the humanities as well as their extracurricular involvement with them. The aim of this study was to: a) understand medical students’ attitude towards the humanities in medical education and b) assess their understanding of the necessary qualities of doctors and how interaction with the humanities affects the development of such attributes. MethodsA mixed methods survey was designed to elicit demographics, engagement, interest and perspective on curricular positioning, and to explore how students ranked the qualities of a doctor. It was distributed to medical students of all year groups in the 6-year bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery (MBBS) course at Imperial College London. Results109 fully completed questionnaires were received. No significant difference was found in engagement or interest in the humanities between genders. Students felt strongly that humanities subjects shouldn’t be assessed (71:18) though some felt it was necessary for engagement, while no consensus was reached on whether these subjects should be elective or not (38:31). The majority of students wanted more medical humanities to be incorporated into the traditional medical course with a preference of incorporation into the first 3 years. Junior medical students were more likely to rank empathy as a highly desirable attribute than senior students. Students provided qualitative insights into curricular positioning, assessment and value.ConclusionsThis study provides the perspective of medical students on how and whether the humanities should be positioned in medical education. It may be helpful to medical schools that are committed to student involvement in curriculum design.

DO WE NEED AN ELECTIVE FOR OUR MEDICAL EDUCATION?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orthi Shahzad
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Global Pandemic

Medical electives have been part of the medical school curriculum since the 1970s in the United Kingdom. They are typically 4-8 week medical placements organised by the student in a field they are interested in. Electives are an extended period to increase understanding of global health, improve our clinical skills and deepen understanding of a speciality. They are the only part of the course in which students have autonomy over their learning. Unfortunately, I am part of the cohort of medical students who will be losing this opportunity due to the devastating Covid-19 global pandemic.

scholarly journals P73 LEARN: uroLogical tEAching in bRitish medical schools Nationally - a national retrospective multi-centre audit of urology teaching across British medical schools

BJS Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Ng ◽  
W A Cambridge ◽  
K Jayaraajan ◽  
C M Lam ◽  
A Light ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Student ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Targeted Advertising ◽  
The United Kingdom

Abstract Introduction Urological conditions account for approximately 25% of acute surgical referrals and 10-15% of general practitioner appointments. In 2012, the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) produced ‘An Undergraduate Syllabus for Urology’, advising on common clinical areas of urology that must be covered during undergraduate medical training. However, its uptake nationally remains unknown. This project aims to assess undergraduate urology teaching across UK medical schools. Methods A targeted advertising drive using social media, medical school societies, websites and newsletters was performed over 4 weeks. Collaborators are responsible for recruiting survey respondents (year 2 medical students to foundation year 1 (FY1) doctors). Survey respondents will complete a REDCap survey retrospectively assessing their urology teaching to date. The primary objective is to compare current urology teaching in medical schools across the United Kingdom with the BAUS undergraduate syllabus. Results Currently, 522 collaborators have registered from 36 medical schools nationally. Of these collaborators, 6.32% (33/522) are FY1s and 93.68% (489/522) are medical students. Each collaborator will be responsible for recruiting at least 15 survey respondents to be eligible for PubMed-indexed collaborator authorship. Conclusion LEARN has recruited successfully to date, with all collaborators from the medical student and FY1 cohort. With the role of collaborators to further recruit survey respondents, LEARN will provide the most representative and thorough evaluation of UK undergraduate urological teaching to date. It will provide evidence to support changes in the medical school curriculum, and allow re-evaluation of the current national undergraduate BAUS syllabus.

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