scholarly journals Reflective narratives during the Covid-19 pandemic: an outlet for medical students in uncertain times

2021 ◽  
pp. 01-03
Author(s):  
Manjulika Vaz

Reflective narratives on personal experiences, observations, thoughts and concerns were used as a method of helping medical students process the Covid-19 pandemic and their lives. This involved individual writing, anonymous submission, on-line group reading of selected narratives on a voluntary basis and facilitated discussions. Students felt that this was a safe method to voice their feelings and thoughts, to understand themselves better and to gain new perspectives. Though small numbers of students participated, there appears to be a greater potential to use reflective narrative writing coupled with facilitated group discussions in medical education to help students cope with external and internal stress, to better understand themselves, to relate to others and possibly to become more empathic.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Nie ◽  
Kelby Smith-Han ◽  
Ella Iosua ◽  
Simon Walker

Abstract Background Previous studies report a majority of the general public support euthanasia/assisted dying (EAD), while a majority of doctors are opposed. In considering policy decisions about EAD, some may discount the views of doctors because they take them to be based on personal values or tradition, rather than reasons that the general public might share. One way to explore this notion is to examine whether medical students’ views change during their medical education. The objective of this study was to learn how New Zealand medical students view EAD and whether students at different year levels have different views. Methods An on-line survey of undergraduate medical students was conducted asking whether they supported a law change to allow EAD. Quantitative data was analysed using unadjusted and multiple logistic regression. Thematic analysis was conducted with the qualitative data. Results A total of 326 students replied to the survey. The overall response rate was 28%. 65% of 2nd year students were supportive of EAD, compared to 39% in 5th year. The odds of 5th year students supporting a law change compared to 2nd year was 0.30 (95% CI: 0.15–0.60). The predominant themes found in the qualitative results indicate that medical students support or oppose EAD for reasons similar to those found in the wider debate, and that their views are influenced by a range of factors. However, several at all year levels cited an aspect of medical school as having influenced their views. This was mentioned by participants who were supportive of, opposed to, or unsure about EAD, but it was the type of influence most often mentioned by those who were opposed. Conclusions The quantitative findings show students at the end of 5th year were less likely to support EAD than students at the end of 2nd year. We suggest that this difference is most likely due to their time in medical education. This suggests that the lower support found among doctors is in part related to medical education and medical work rather than age, personality, or social context. The qualitative findings indicate that this is not related to a particular educational experience at Otago Medical School but a range.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-108
Author(s):  
Daniel Ojuka ◽  
Faith Aseta ◽  
Beth Githambo ◽  
Brian Wambua

Background: The educational environment (EE) has a significant influence on effective student learning. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) is a validated tool to assess the EE. A DREEM survey done in early 2019 among medical students at the University of Nairobi highlighted many problems. It was therefore important to explore why such perceptions existed among the medical students. Objectives: To explore medical students’ perceptions ofthe medical education learning environment at the University of Nairobi. Methods: Qualitative focus group discussions (FGD) were held among medical students in years III to VI in groups of between 8and 12students. The discussions were recorded using a Samsung J6 phone voice recorder, transcribed, coded, and analysed for themes until saturation was reached. Results: We held six FGD with medical students in years III to VI and identified four thematic areas: 1) poor educational infrastructure, 2) poor educational structure, 3) teacher-centred teaching, and 4) lack of social support for students in difficulties. Conclusion: Exploring the perceptions of the EE confirmed students have a poor view of the educational environment. The issues raised are good feedback on teaching, governance and the social culture of the institution. Keywords: Learning environment, DREEM, Medical students, Qualitative methods 


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (02) ◽  
pp. e96-e103
Author(s):  
Chris R. Alabiad ◽  
Kevin J. Moore ◽  
David P. Green ◽  
Matthew Kofoed ◽  
Alex J. Mechaber ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective The aim of the study is to report the creation of a flipped ophthalmology course and preclinical medical student perceptions and knowledge gains before and after a flipped ophthalmology course. Design  The form of the study discussed is an observational study. Subjects The subjects involved in the study are second-year (U.S.) United States medical students at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine (n = 401). Methods Second-year medical students participated in a 1-week “flipped classroom” ophthalmology course geared toward primary care providers at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. Eleven hours of traditional classroom lectures were condensed into 4.5 hours of short videos with self-assessment quizzes, small group discussions, and a large group case-based discussion. Fifty-seven short videos (<9 minutes) focused on major ophthalmology topics and common conditions were viewed by the students at their leisure. Students completed a pre- and post-course evaluation on their perceptions and opinions of the flipped classroom approach. Final exam scores in the flipped classroom cohort were compared with the final exam scores in the traditional didactic format used in years prior. Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measures include: student final exam performance; student satisfaction, opinions, and perceptions. Results Over the course of 2 years, 401 second-year U.S. medical students participated in the flipped classroom ophthalmology course. The majority of students enjoyed the flipped classroom experience (75.3%) and expressed interest in using the approach for future lessons (74.6%). The flipped classroom videos were preferred to live lectures (61.2%). Over 90% of students stated the self-assessment quizzes were useful, 79% reported that the small group discussions were an effective way to apply knowledge, and 76% cited the large group case-based discussion as useful. Pre-course knowledge assessment scores averaged 48%. Final examination scores in the flipped group (average ± standard deviation [SD] = 92.1% ± 6.1) were comparable to that of the traditional group when evaluating identical questions (average ± SD = 91.7% ± 5.54), p = 0.34. Conclusion The flipped classroom approach proved to be a well-received and successful approach to preclinical medical education for ophthalmology. This was achieved using 35% less course time than our traditional course. This innovative approach has potential for expansion to other medical schools, medical education abroad, and for other medical school modules.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-216
Author(s):  
Savitha D ◽  
Taniya Anto ◽  
Sejil TV

Guided reflective narratives facilitate deeper understanding and learning. The study was aimed at exploring the scope of guided reflective narratives on early clinical exposure, for first-year medical students, in promoting empathy. Strengths and limitations of the process of reflective narratives were also explored. First-year medical students ( n = 150) were exposed to guided reflective narrative writing following each of the three “early clinical exposure” sessions integrated into a physiology curriculum. A feedback on the entire program was obtained through a semistructured questionnaire. The contents of the reflective narratives and feedback on the program were analyzed. Students empathized with the situation and needs of patients and caregivers and could relate to responsibilities and challenges faced by members of health care team. They realized the importance of cooperation from patients and caregivers and work efficiency, communication, behavior, and teamwork from members of healthcare and thereby emerged with the idea of the coordinated effort in patient care. Students opined that reflective narratives made them reflect and empathize with people and situations. Too many narrative writing sessions and hesitation to share their thoughts were some of the suggested limitations. The process led to emergence of a working model for guided reflections to promote empathy. Guided reflective narratives made students reflect and relate to people and situations. While promoting empathy, the reflections also gave them an idea of holistic approach to patient-centered care. Inferences led to a conceptual model for guided reflections to promote empathy among medical students.


2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp18X697229
Author(s):  
Matthew Webb ◽  
Sarah Thirlwall ◽  
Bob McKinley

BackgroundInformed consent is required for active participation of patients in medical education. At Keele Medical School, we require practices to advertise that they teach undergraduate students and to obtain appropriate patient consent at various stages of the patient journey.AimThe study aimed to explore patients’ experience of consent to involvement in undergraduate medical education in general practice.MethodDuring the final year at Keele University Medical School, students undertake a patient satisfaction survey. A questionnaire was attached to the reverse of this survey during the academic year 2016–2017. The questionnaire explored the stage of the patient journey consent was obtained, whether they were offered an alternative appointment and how comfortable they were with medical students being involved in their care.ResultsA total of 489 questionnaires were completed covering 62 GP practices. 97% of patients reported that consent was obtained at least once during their encounter and the majority reported that this occurred at booking. 98% of patients were comfortable or very comfortable with a medical student leading their consultation. However, 28% of those surveyed stated that they were either not given the option of not seeing the student or there was no other alternative appointment available.ConclusionThe results indicate that in the vast majority of cases patient consent is obtained at least once during their attendance. Patients expressed a high level of satisfaction with medical students’ involvement in their care. Further work is required to evaluate the role of the data as a marker of individual practice teaching quality.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sneha Barai

UNSTRUCTURED The UK General Medical Council (GMC) explicitly states doctors have a duty to ‘contribute to teaching and training…by acting as a positive role model’. However, recent studies suggest some are not fulfilling this, which is impacting medical students' experiences and attitudes during their training. As such, doctors have a duty to act as role models and teachers, as specified by the GMC, which it seems are not currently being fulfilled. This would improve the medical students’ learning experiences and demonstrate good professional values for them to emulate. Therefore, these duties should be as important as patient care, since this will influence future generations.


Author(s):  
Monica Rose Arebalos ◽  
Faun Lee Botor ◽  
Edward Simanton ◽  
Jennifer Young

AbstractAlthough medical students enter medicine with altruistic motives and seek to serve indigent populations, studies show that medical students’ attitudes towards the undeserved tend to worsen significantly as they go through their medical education. This finding emphasizes the need for medical educators to implement activities such as service-learning that may help mitigate this negative trend.All students at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Medicine are required to participate in longitudinal service-learning throughout medical school, and a majority of students interact with the underserved at their service-learning sites. Using the previously validated Medical Student Attitudes Towards the Underserved (MSATU), independent sample T-tests showed that students who interact with underserved populations at their sites scored with significantly better attitudes towards the underserved at the end of their preclinical phase. Subjects included 58 medical students with 100% taking the MSATU. This result indicates that longitudinal service-learning, particularly when it includes interaction with the underserved, can be one method to combat the worsening of medical students’ attitudes as they complete their medical education.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Tung Cheng ◽  
Chih-Chi Chen ◽  
Chih-Yuan Fu ◽  
Chung-Hsien Chaou ◽  
Yu-Tung Wu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background With recent transformations in medical education, the integration of technology to improve medical students’ abilities has become feasible. Artificial intelligence (AI) has impacted several aspects of healthcare. However, few studies have focused on medical education. We performed an AI-assisted education study and confirmed that AI can accelerate trainees’ medical image learning. Materials We developed an AI-based medical image learning system to highlight hip fracture on a plain pelvic film. Thirty medical students were divided into a conventional (CL) group and an AI-assisted learning (AIL) group. In the CL group, the participants received a prelearning test and a postlearning test. In the AIL group, the participants received another test with AI-assisted education before the postlearning test. Then, we analyzed changes in diagnostic accuracy. Results The prelearning performance was comparable in both groups. In the CL group, postlearning accuracy (78.66 ± 14.53) was higher than prelearning accuracy (75.86 ± 11.36) with no significant difference (p = .264). The AIL group showed remarkable improvement. The WithAI score (88.87 ± 5.51) was significantly higher than the prelearning score (75.73 ± 10.58, p < 0.01). Moreover, the postlearning score (84.93 ± 14.53) was better than the prelearning score (p < 0.01). The increase in accuracy was significantly higher in the AIL group than in the CL group. Conclusion The study demonstrated the viability of AI for augmenting medical education. Integrating AI into medical education requires dynamic collaboration from research, clinical, and educational perspectives.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Kligler ◽  
Genevieve Pinto Zipp ◽  
Carmela Rocchetti ◽  
Michelle Secic ◽  
Erin Speiser Ihde

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.


2021 ◽  
pp. postgradmedj-2021-140032
Author(s):  
Michail Papapanou ◽  
Eleni Routsi ◽  
Konstantinos Tsamakis ◽  
Lampros Fotis ◽  
Georgios Marinos ◽  
...  

COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly disrupted the well-established, traditional structure of medical education. Τhe new limitations of physical presence have accelerated the development of an online learning environment, comprising both of asynchronous and synchronous distance education, and the introduction of novel ways of student assessment. At the same time, this prolonged crisis had serious implications on the lives of medical students including their psychological well-being and the impact on their academic trajectories. The new reality has, on many occasions, triggered the ‘acting up’ of medical students as frontline healthcare staff, which has been perceived by many of them as a positive learning and contributing experience, and has led to a variety of responses from the educational institutions. All things considered, the urgency for rapid and novel adaptations to the new circumstances has functioned as a springboard for remarkable innovations in medical education,including the promotion of a more “evidence-based” approach.


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