scholarly journals Graduate Medical Education on the Frontlines during the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City- A Response to Promote Well-being

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has driven many health care institutions in the United States beyond their capacity. Physicians-in-training in graduate medical education programs have suffered the strain of providing patient care during this unprecedented time of crisis. The significant prevalence of pre-existing resident and fellow burnout and depression makes the need for action by institutions to support the well-being of residents and fellows even more urgent. We aim to describe innovative adaptations our Office of Graduate Medical Education implemented with the support of institutional leadership as responses to promote the well-being of residents and fellows on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME), in collaboration with the Office of Well-being and Resilience, developed a set of resources and interventions to support trainees during the pandemic based on four major categories: workplace culture, personal factors and health, mental health support, and workplace efficiency and function. Examination of the capacity of existing services and gaps that needed to be filled in the rapidly evolving early days of the COVID pandemic led to a robust growth in resources. For example, the already established Student and Trainee Mental Health program was able to expand and adapt its role to serve trainee needs more effectively. Results: We expanded resources to target trainee well-being across a broad array of domains within a short time frame. With investment in access to the Student and Trainee Mental Health program, utilization increased by 25.7%, with 1,231 more visits in 2020 compared to the number of visits in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The creation of Recharge Rooms had a positive impact on the well-being of health care workers. After a single fifteen-minute experience in the Recharge Room, an average 59.6% reduction in self-reported stress levels was noted by users. Other interventions were noted to be helpful in regular town hall meetings with trainees. Conclusion: Addressing trainee well-being is an essential aspect of a crisis response. The Mount Sinai Health System was able to care for the physical, mental, psychosocial, and safety needs of our trainees thanks to the collaborative effort of a pre-existing institutional well-being program and the GME Office. The ability to implement such a response was enabled by our well-being foundation, which allowed leadership at the highest institutional level and the Office of GME to provide support in response to this unprecedented crisis.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan C. Holter ◽  
Christine Marchionni ◽  
James A. James III

The Coronavirus Disease 2019, regularly referred to as “COVID-19”, has had an unprecedented impact on not only the state of graduate medical education (GME) for post-doctoral trainees, but also their well-being and welfare. Trainees comprise approximately 14% of physicians in the United States. This crucial portion of personnel in healthcare has irrefutably represented the resilience that personifies the medical community. The prevalence of physical and emotional exertion by these trainees, necessitated by the pandemic, has precipitated behavioral health ailments like mood disorders including depression and anxiety, diminished satisfaction in their corresponding specialties and impaired their ability to achieve balance between professional and personal responsibilities. This excerpt examines the pervasiveness of the adverse psychosocial implications the COVID-19 pandemic has had on this susceptible practitioner population in addition to the examination of physical and emotional exhaustion that exacerbate physician burnout including the implementation of policies and procedures to address the emergent problem of physician burnout throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by the GME. Also, this excerpt examines the adaptation of GME, including the reformation and implementation of innovative policies and procedures that has incontestably created an imprint on medical education for descendants of ACGME residency and fellowship programs in the United States.


2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sawsan Abdel-Razig ◽  
Hatem Alameri

Abstract Many nations are struggling with the design, implementation, and ongoing improvement of health care systems to meet the needs of their citizens. In the United Arab Emirates, a small nation with vast wealth, the lives of average citizens have evolved from a harsh, nomadic existence to enjoyment of the comforts of modern life. Substantial progress has been made in the provision of education, housing, health, employment, and other forms of social advancement. Having covered these basic needs, the government of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is responding to the challenge of developing a comprehensive health system to serve the needs of its citizens, including restructuring the nation's graduate medical education (GME) system. We describe how Abu Dhabi is establishing GME policies and infrastructure to develop and support a comprehensive health care system, while also being responsive to population health needs. We review recent progress in developing a systematic approach for developing GME infrastructure in this small emirate, and discuss how the process of designing a GME system to meet the needs of Emirati citizens has benefited from the experience of “Western” nations. We also examine the challenges we encountered in this process and the solutions adopted, adapted, or specifically developed to meet local needs. We conclude by highlighting how our experience “at the GME drawing board” reflects the challenges encountered by scholars, administrators, and policymakers in nations around the world as they seek to coordinate health care and GME resources to ensure care for populations.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-496
Author(s):  

Children between the ages of 5 and 18 spend a significant amount of their time in school. School health is a vital part of pediatric practice and an important concern for pediatric graduate medical education. There are few substantiated data, however, to suggest that residents entering pediatric practice or academic medicine are exposed to school health in a significant way. Many pediatricians, upon entering practice, find that they are consulted by school systems and parents whose children have problems related to school. Pediatricians find themselves unprepared for this new role and express the need for postgraduate education in school health.1-4 The American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Pediatric Education5 and the most recent report from the Pediatric Residency Review Committee have both underscored the appropriateness and importance of education in school health as an important part of the residency curriculum.6 The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that education in school health should be an important part of graduate medical education for pediatric residents and of continuing medical education for practicing pediatricians. Many advances in pediatrics that affect the well-being of the child relate directly to the school setting. Increased attention to federal legislation (Section 504 of PL 93-112, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; parts B and H of PL 102-119, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), health education including education about the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, new approaches to screening and health services in the schools, immunization requirements, physical fitness, and knowledge about the school environment—all are important aspects of school health and areas in which many residents and/or pediatricians have had little or no training or experience.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 517-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Halah Ibrahim ◽  
Brenessa Lindeman ◽  
Steven A. Matarelli ◽  
Satish Chandrasekhar Nair

Abstract Background Educators agree on the importance of assessing the quality of graduate medical education. In the United States, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) resident survey is an important part of the accreditation process, yet some studies have questioned its validity. Objective We assessed the reliability and acceptance of the ACGME-International (ACGME-I) resident survey in the culturally distinct, nonnative English-speaking resident population of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Methods A total of 158 residents in ACGME-I accredited institutions in Abu Dhabi received an online link to the ACGME-I survey. Reliability analysis was conducted using the Cronbach α. A focus group was then held with a convenience sample of 25 residents from different institutions and specialties to understand potential challenges encountered by survey participants. Results Completed surveys were received from 116 residents (73.4%). The 39 items in the survey demonstrated high reliability, with a Cronbach α of 0.918. Of the 5 subscales, 4 demonstrated acceptable to very good reliability, ranging from 0.72 to 0.888. The subscale “resources” had lower reliability at 0.584. Removal of a single item increased the Cronbach α to a near-acceptable score of 0.670. Focus group results indicated that the survey met standards for readability, length, and time for completion. Conclusions The ACGME-I resident survey demonstrates acceptable reliability and validity for measuring the perceptions of residents in an international residency program. The data derived from the survey can offer an important set of metrics for educational quality improvement in the United Arab Emirates.


2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald E. Girard ◽  
Patrick Brunett ◽  
Andrea Cedfeldt ◽  
Elizabeth A. Bower ◽  
Christine Flores ◽  
...  

Abstract We explore the history behind the current structure of graduate medical education funding and the problems with continuing along the current funding path. We then offer suggestions for change that could potentially manage this health care spill. Some of these changes include attracting more students into primary care, aligning federal graduate medical education spending with future workforce needs, and training physicians with skills they will require to practice in systems of the future.


2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
pp. 811-823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard H. Bell ◽  
Melissa B. Banker ◽  
Robert S. Rhodes ◽  
Thomas W. Biester ◽  
Frank R. Lewis

Author(s):  
Jackie C. Fuller ◽  
Mary C. Ottolini

Graduate medical education (GME) has undergone a phenomenal transformation aimed at aligning medical education and the learning environment with educational outcomes and quality patient care. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has challenged faculty to adapt novel teaching methodologies. However, there are limited studies about motivational factors that impact pediatric graduate medical educators. This article brings an insight to these motivators from the perspectives of teaching and clinical pediatric educators at an academic teaching hospital. Key words: Graduate Medical Education • GME • Pediatrics • Medical Educators • Clinical Teachers • Motivators • Incentives • Hospital • Faculty   Copyright © 2018 Fuller et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christi J. Guerrini ◽  
Sophie C. Schneider ◽  
Andrew G. Guzick ◽  
Gifty N. Amos Nwankwo ◽  
Isabel Canfield ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a significant global toll on emotional well-being, but evidence of mental health impacts in the United States remains limited. In April 2020, we conducted an exploratory survey of U.S. residents to understand prevalence of and factors associated with psychological distress during the pandemic. Data collection was conducted using Qualtrics, an online survey platform, and U.S. adult respondents were recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform. Among 1,366 respondents, 42% (n = 571) reported clinically significant anxiety and 38% (n = 519) reported clinically significant depression. Factors associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms included Hispanic/Latino ethnicity; younger age; lower income; employment as or living with a health care worker-first responder; caregiver status; SARS-CoV-2 infection status; decreased frequency of engagement in healthy behaviors; and changed frequency of engagement in unhealthy behaviors. That some of these factors are associated with elevated distress during the pandemic is not yet widely appreciated and might be useful in informing management of mental health care resources.


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