scholarly journals How COVID-19 kick-started online learning in medical education—The DigiMed study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257394
Author(s):  
Fabian Stoehr ◽  
Lukas Müller ◽  
Adrian Brady ◽  
Antoni Trilla ◽  
Aline Mähringer-Kunz ◽  
...  

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to far-reaching restrictions of social and professional life, affecting societies all over the world. To contain the virus, medical schools had to restructure their curriculum by switching to online learning. However, only few medical schools had implemented such novel learning concepts. We aimed to evaluate students’ attitudes to online learning to provide a broad scientific basis to guide future development of medical education. Methods Overall, 3286 medical students from 12 different countries participated in this cross-sectional, web-based study investigating various aspects of online learning in medical education. On a 7-point Likert scale, participants rated the online learning situation during the pandemic at their medical schools, technical and social aspects, and the current and future role of online learning in medical education. Results The majority of medical schools managed the rapid switch to online learning (78%) and most students were satisfied with the quantity (67%) and quality (62%) of the courses. Online learning provided greater flexibility (84%) and led to unchanged or even higher attendance of courses (70%). Possible downsides included motivational problems (42%), insufficient possibilities for interaction with fellow students (67%) and thus the risk of social isolation (64%). The vast majority felt comfortable using the software solutions (80%). Most were convinced that medical education lags behind current capabilities regarding online learning (78%) and estimated the proportion of online learning before the pandemic at only 14%. In order to improve the current curriculum, they wish for a more balanced ratio with at least 40% of online teaching compared to on-site teaching. Conclusion This study demonstrates the positive attitude of medical students towards online learning. Furthermore, it reveals a considerable discrepancy between what students demand and what the curriculum offers. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic might be the long-awaited catalyst for a new “online era” in medical education.

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e042378
Author(s):  
Samiullah Dost ◽  
Aleena Hossain ◽  
Mai Shehab ◽  
Aida Abdelwahed ◽  
Lana Al-Nusair

ObjectivesTo investigate perceptions of medical students on the role of online teaching in facilitating medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignCross-sectional, online national survey.SettingResponses collected online from 4th May 2020 to 11th May 2020 across 40 UK medical schools.ParticipantsMedical students across all years from UK-registered medical schools.Main outcome measuresThe uses, experiences, perceived benefits and barriers of online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.Results2721 medical students across 39 medical schools responded. Medical schools adapted to the pandemic in different ways. The changes included the development of new distance-learning platforms on which content was released, remote delivery of lectures using platforms and the use of question banks and other online active recall resources. A significant difference was found between time spent on online platforms before and during COVID-19, with 7.35% students before versus 23.56% students during the pandemic spending >15 hours per week (p<0.05). The greatest perceived benefits of online teaching platforms included their flexibility. Whereas the commonly perceived barriers to using online teaching platforms included family distraction (26.76%) and poor internet connection (21.53%).ConclusionsOnline teaching has enabled the continuation of medical education during these unprecedented times. Moving forward from this pandemic, in order to maximise the benefits of both face-to-face and online teaching and to improve the efficacy of medical education in the future, we suggest medical schools resort to teaching formats such as team-based/problem-based learning. This uses online teaching platforms allowing students to digest information in their own time but also allows students to then constructively discuss this material with peers. It has also been shown to be effective in terms of achieving learning outcomes. Beyond COVID-19, we anticipate further incorporation of online teaching methods within traditional medical education. This may accompany the observed shift in medical practice towards virtual consultations.


2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 238212052110727
Author(s):  
Samiullah Dost ◽  
Lana Al-Nusair ◽  
Mai Shehab ◽  
Arwa Hagana ◽  
Aleena Hossain ◽  
...  

Objectives The objectives of this study were the following: (i) assess interest levels in cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) among UK-based medical students, (ii) identify potential motivators and barriers to pursuing CTS training, (iii) explore the influence of gender on interest in CTS in greater depth. Methods Medical students from all year groups across UK medical schools were invited to participate in a cross-sectional, national online survey. Responses were collected from 02/12/2019 to 08/12/2019. Results 1675 medical students from 31 UK medical schools responded, with an estimated 5.3% response rate. Of the respondents, 33.7% respondents reported having exposure to CTS, primarily through their medical school or through extracurricular activities (48.4% and 38.8%, respectively). When assessing interest in CTS, 31.4% were interested in undertaking a career in CTS, with a larger proportion of students expressing interest with no exposure to CTS than those with exposure. However, interest in pursuing CTS decreased with exposure as medical students transitioned from pre-clinical to clinical stages. Additionally, male participants were more interested in seeking a CTS post than their female counterparts (38% vs. 27.6%). The length of training ( p = 0.0009) and competitive nature ( p < 0.0001) of gaining a CTS post were the primary deterring factor for female participants, compared to their male counterparts. Conclusions This study shows the importance of quality of exposure and its impact on students’ interests in pursuing a career in CTS. The negative relationship between exposure and interest in CTS can be associated with the realisation of the challenges that come with pursuing CTS.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zohar Mor ◽  
Adam Cadesky ◽  
Ran Halleluyan ◽  
Rivka Sheffer

Abstract Background: Undocumented migration to developed countries poses practical concerns, as migrants are not medically insured. This cross-sectional study aims to appraise the attitudes of Israeli medical students towards the uninsured migrant population. Methods: Participants from five medical schools in Israel completed anonymous questionnaires in Hebrew, based on the "Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward the Underserved" (MSATU), which assessed students' attitudes regarding the professional responsibility and societal expectations towards the migrants. It also evaluated students' views of the migrants as eligible for expensive medical procedures. Results: A total of 891 students completed the survey with a median age of 28 years. The majority were Jews (N=816, 91.6%) and singles (N=681, 68.5%). Participants in the pre-clinical years were likely to be female and unmarried compared to those in clinical training. They also demonstrated higher scores on professional responsibilities and societal expectations than students in clinical training, but no significant differences were found in their views on expensive medical services. Students of minorities (non-Jews and migrants) scored higher on professional responsibilities and societal expectations. The scores for professional responsibilities and societal expectations decreased as students progressed in their medical training (Spearman coefficient p=0.04 and p=0.01, respectively). This trend was more apparent in males rather than females. Conclusion: MSATU scores declined as students progressed through medical school, with females maintaining more favorable attitudes than males. Medical schools should attempt to maintain the enthusiasm and idealism that students possess as they enter medical training and provide clinical experience with migrant populations that allows for cross-cultural communication.


Biomedicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-145
Author(s):  
Kalpana Ramachandran ◽  
Robert Dinesh Kumar

Introduction and Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a disruption in the academic schedule. As UNESCO observes an 87% interruption in student learning across the globe, it is undeniable that e-learning would have a major role to play in the future and both teachers and learners are getting accustomed to this ‘New Normalcy’. This survey analyses the perception of medical first-year students about online learning in the COVID-19 era.   Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire based study was done and first year medical students were asked to respond. The respondents were asked to answer the questions in Likert-scale, from 1-5. Statistical analysis was done and Test for one proportion was calculated using ‘z’ test. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant.   Results: A total of 122 first year medical students responded to the survey. More than two-thirds of the respondents were females (67%). About 78% of respondents find online learning interesting and enjoyable. More than 80% of students found online education very satisfactory in all aspects. Problems with internet connectivity was the principal challenge faced by the students during online learning. An overwhelming 70% of students felt online teaching to be very beneficial.   Conclusion: The pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge to the academic schedule. Although many challenges were faced by the teachers and learners, internet connectivity continued to be a major problem in online education. It is the duty of every educationist to ensure an uninterrupted, continuous and an effective process of teaching and learning.  


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (e1) ◽  
pp. e42-e47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Banerjee ◽  
Paul George ◽  
Cedric Priebe ◽  
Eric Alper

Abstract Objective We aimed to investigate medical students’ attitudes about Clinical Informatics (CI) training and careers. Materials and Methods We distributed a web-based survey to students at four US allopathic medical schools. Results Five hundred and fifty-seven medical students responded. Interest in CI training opportunities (medical school electives, residency electives, or academic fellowships) surpassed respondents’ prior awareness of these opportunities. Thirty percent of student respondents expressed at least some interest in a CI-related career, but they were no more aware of training opportunities than their peers who did not express such an interest. Discussion Almost one third of medical students who responded to our survey expressed an interest in a CI-related career, but they were generally unaware of CI training and mentoring opportunities available to them. Early outreach to such medical students, through elective classes, professional society incentives, or expert partnerships, may positively influence the size and skill set of the future CI workforce. Conclusion We should work as a field to increase the quantity, quality, and publicity of CI learning opportunities for interested medical students.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zohar Mor ◽  
Adam Cadesky ◽  
Ran Halleluyan ◽  
Rivka Sheffer

Abstract Background: Undocumented migration to developed countries poses practical concerns, as migrants are not medically insured. This cross-sectional study aims to appraise the attitudes of Israeli medical students towards the uninsured migrant population. Methods: Participants from five medical schools in Israel completed anonymous questionnaires in Hebrew, based on the "Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward the Underserved" (MSATU), which assessed students' attitudes regarding the professional responsibility and societal expectations towards the migrants. It also evaluated students' views of the migrants as eligible for expensive medical procedures. Results: A total of 891 students completed the survey with a median age of 28 years. The majority were Jews (N=816, 91.6%) and singles (N=681, 68.5%). Participants in the pre-clinical years were likely to be female and unmarried compared to those in clinical training. They also demonstrated higher scores on professional responsibilities and societal expectations than students in clinical training, but no significant differences were found in their views on expensive medical services. Students of minorities (non-Jews and migrants) scored higher on professional responsibilities and societal expectations. The scores for professional responsibilities and societal expectations decreased as students progressed in their medical training (Spearman coefficient p=0.04 and p=0.01, respectively). This trend was more apparent in males rather than females. Conclusion: MSATU scores declined as students progressed through medical school, with females maintaining more favorable attitudes than males. Medical schools should attempt to maintain the enthusiasm and idealism that students possess as they enter medical training and provide clinical experience with migrant populations that allows for cross-cultural communication.


Author(s):  
Denise Bitar Vasconcelos Villacorta ◽  
Charles Alberto Villacorta de Barros ◽  
Bernardo Felipe Santana de Macedo ◽  
Milena Coelho Fernandes Caldato

Abstract: Introduction: The role of nutrition in medicine has changed from a passive function, from an adjuvant therapy, to a proactive and sophisticated therapy that prevents various health problems and changes the natural history of the disease. Recent studies show up that medical education does not sufficiently and efficiently address the patient’s nutritional aspects, thus training physicians who are not confident in providing nutritional care to their patients. This study aimed to analyze and describe scientific studies that have evaluated nutrition education in medical schools, seeking within this context to find nutrition topics important for undergraduate medical education. Methods: This research was conducted through a cross-sectional, descriptive, scoping review after searching for synonyms using MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) and DeCS (Health Sciences Descriptors) tools. Results: We initially found 1.057 publications that underwent sequential screening until reaching a total of 16 articles, which achieved the scope of this research. Most articles are from the United States of America (50%), assessed a total of 860 medical students and 243 medical schools using different approaches regarding the teaching of nutrition. Final considerations: In this review, we have shown that despite several studies ratifying the well-established association between nutrition and prevention/treatment of diseases that require outpatient care, or at the hospital level, nutrition education in undergraduate medical school has not accompanied this evidence and, for many years, the subject has been underestimated. In Brazil, no studies were found on this topic with the used descriptors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (234) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh Singh ◽  
Madhusudan Subedi ◽  
Smriti Pant ◽  
Pragya Rai ◽  
Krishna Gupta ◽  
...  

Introduction: The outbreak of coronavirus disease in Nepal led medical colleges to suspend in person teaching-learning activities and ultimately online platform was introduced to deliver the contents of medical education. The objective of this study was to describe the perception of medical students towards online teaching-learning introduced during the COVID-19 outbreak in Nepal. Methods: An online survey using a descriptive cross-sectional study design was carried out among 515 undergraduate medical students currently enrolled in medical colleges in Nepal. A semi-structured questionnaire in Google form was utilized to collect data. The link of the Google form was sent to the potential respondents through email and social media. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were used to analyze data in SPSS vs20. Ethical approval was sought from Nepal Health Research Council to conduct this study, and digital informed consent was taken from study respondents. Results: The overall score of perception of online teaching-learning was 17.61±7.19, which indicated many problems in this method of teaching-learning. The mean score of perception of online teaching-learning was found to be different across sex, location of enrolled medical colleges, having a personal electronic device, having an internet connection at residence, having separate room/space for attending online classes, and self-rated computer skills. Moreover, only 28 (5.4%) of respondents had perceived online teaching-learning as a better method of delivering content of medical curricula. Conclusions: Surveyed medical students in Nepal were found to perceive many problems in online teaching-learning. Moreover, management and faculty members need to take the necessary measures for enhancing the online teaching-learning quality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (23) ◽  
pp. 127-139
Author(s):  
Yaroslav Volodymyrovych Tsekhmister ◽  
Tetiana Konovalova ◽  
Bogdan Yaroslavovych Tsekhmister ◽  
Amit Agrawal ◽  
Dipanjana Ghosh

A study has been conducted to evaluate the virtual reality technology and online teaching system among medical students of Bogomolets National Medical University, Ukraine during COVID-19 pandemic. The final questionnaire contained the 15 questions with 5 options to comprehensively evaluate the virtual reality technology and online teaching system. The feedback of the survey was analyzed to find effectiveness of virtual reality technology and online teaching in medical education in Ukraine. Data of survey reflected that mostly students adopted and agreed on virtual reality technology and online teaching and admitted that these technologies are best alternatives to physical learning with the 65.79% an agreement with the user-friendly interface for virtual reality and online teaching system, while, 64.03% showed an agreement that virtual reality and online teaching system compensated the suspension of face-to-face medical education during the COVID-19. During online learning, there was ample time for educational activities as depicted from their response of 36.84% as strongly agree, 35.96% as agree, 6.14% as disagree, 4.39% as strongly disagree and 16.67% as neither agree nor disagree. Tutors/teachers also enjoyed virtual reality and online learning through their experience and flexibility in time management. Likewise, the results of all questions showed positive reviews and encouraged virtual reality and online teaching in academic continuity and stability in medical education in Ukraine. It can be concluded that digital learning environments are extremely effective in terms of medical students and staff satisfaction, accomplishment, and technical learning skill growth.


Author(s):  
Markordor Lyngdoh ◽  
Ningombam Joenna Devi ◽  
Gajendra Kumar Medhi

Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to adopt online teaching for medical learning. While there are undoubtedly benefits that online learning provides, the sudden transition to online teaching presented different challenges to the students as well as the teachers. The aim of this study is to explore the perception and experiences of medical undergraduates on online classes in the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 166 medical students in NEIGRIHMS who had exposure to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. A semi-structured questionnaire was distributed after getting informed consent. SPSS 21 version software for Windows was used for data entry and analysis.Results: Eight in 10 of the students do not prefer online learning. Moreover, they believe that practical skills will not develop through online learning. They cite internet connectivity, device-related and software- related issues as the main difficulties they faced during online classes.Conclusions: More than two-thirds of the students do not prefer online learning. The institution can be advised to provide the students with adequate skills and knowledge coupled with appropriate technology to address the issue. 


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