scholarly journals Curriculum Initiatives to Enhance Research Skills Acquisition by Medical Students: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Author(s):  
Crea Carberry ◽  
Geoff McCombe ◽  
Helen Tobin ◽  
Diarmuid Stokes ◽  
Jason Last ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Although it is accepted that providing medical students with opportunities to engage in research activity is beneficial, little data has been collated on how medical degree curricula may address this issue. This review aims to address this knowledge gap by conducting a scoping review examining curriculum initiatives that seek to enhance research experience for medical students.Methods: This review looks to specifically look at ’doing research’ as defined by the MEDINE 2 consensus rather than ‘using research’ for the bachelor component of the Bologna Cycle. The five-stage framework developed by Arksey & O’Malley was utilised.Results: Ultimately, 120 articles were included in this scoping review; 26 related to intercalated degree options and 94 to non-intercalated degree options. Research initiatives from the United States were most featured (53/120 articles). For non-intercalated research options, mandatory and elective research projects predominated. The included studies were heterogeneous in their methodology. The main outcomes reported were student research output, description of the curriculum initiative(s) and self-reported research skills acquisition. For the intercalated degree options, the three main findings were descriptions of more ‘novel’ intercalated degree options than the traditional BSc, student perspectives on intercalating and the effect of intercalating on medical student performance and careers. Conclusion: There are a number of options available to faculty involved in planning medical degree programmes but further research is needed to determine whether research activity should be optional or mandatory. For now, flexibility is probably appropriate depending on a medical school’s resources, curriculum, educational culture and population needs.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Crea Carberry ◽  
Geoff McCombe ◽  
Helen Tobin ◽  
Diarmuid Stokes ◽  
Jason Last ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Although it is accepted that providing medical students with opportunities to engage in research activity is beneficial, little data has been collated on how medical degree curricula may address this issue. This review aims to address this knowledge gap by conducting a scoping review examining curriculum initiatives that seek to enhance research experience for medical students. Methods This review looks to specifically look at ’doing research’ as defined by the MEDINE 2 consensus rather than ‘using research’ for the bachelor component of the Bologna Cycle. The framework developed by Arksey & O’Malley was utilised and a consultation with stakeholders was incorporated to clarify and enhance the framework. Results A total of 120 articles were included in this scoping review; 26 related to intercalated degree options and 94 to non-intercalated degree options. Research initiatives from the United States were most common (53/120 articles). For non-intercalated research options, mandatory and elective research projects predominated. The included studies were heterogeneous in their methodology. The main outcomes reported were student research output, description of curriculum initiative(s) and self-reported research skills acquisition. For intercalated degree options, the three main findings were descriptions of more ‘novel’ intercalated degree options than the traditional BSc, student perspectives on intercalating and the effect of intercalating on medical student performance and careers. Conclusions There are several options available to faculty involved in planning medical degree programmes but further research is needed to determine whether research activity should be optional or mandatory. For now, flexibility is probably appropriate depending on a medical school’s resources, curriculum, educational culture and population needs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 257-262
Author(s):  
Toms Vengaloor Thomas ◽  
Robin Christian ◽  
Michelle Palokas ◽  
Elizabeth Hinton ◽  
Christian Pruett

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
K S Lee ◽  
J J Y Zhang ◽  
A Alamri ◽  
A Chari

Abstract Introduction Worldwide, there is no specific medical school curriculum in neurosurgery despite a high burden of neurosurgical disease that is often assessed, investigated and managed by generalists. This scoping review was carried out to map available evidence pertaining to the provision of neurosurgery education in the medical school curriculum across the world. Method This review was conducted in accordance to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews. Results Ten studies were included. Six were from the United Kingdom, two from the United States, and one each from Canada and Ireland. Two studies evaluated perceptions of both medical students and practicing clinicians, five studies evaluated the perceptions of medical students and three studies reported perceptions of clinicians only. Three main themes were identified. Neurosurgery was perceived as an important part of the general medical student curriculum. Exposure to neurosurgery teaching was varied but when received, deemed useful and students were keen to receive more. Interest in a neurosurgical career amongst medical students was high. Conclusions There is a lack of a specialty-specific medical school curriculum and variability of medical students’ exposure to neurosurgery teaching exists. Our findings highlight the need to systematically assess specialty-specific teaching and determine adequacy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 476-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver D. Mowforth ◽  
Benjamin M. Davies ◽  
Samuel Goh ◽  
Cormac P. O’Neill ◽  
Mark R. N. Kotter

Study Design: Scoping review. Objective: To describe activity, themes and trends in degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) research over the past 20 years with a view to considering DCM research inefficiency. Methods: A systematic review of MEDLINE and Embase for “Cervical” AND ”Myelopathy” was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Full-text papers in English, exclusively studying DCM, published between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2015 were considered eligible. Country of origin, number of papers published, number of patients studied, research theme, and year of publication were assessed. Comparison was made between developed and developing countries. Results: A total of 1485 papers and 4 117 051 patients were included. Japan published more papers (450) than any other country while the United States studied the greatest number of patients (3 674 737). Over 99.4% of papers and 78.6% of patients were from developed countries. The number of papers ( r = 0.96, P < .001) and patients ( r = 0.83 P < .001) studied each year increased significantly overall and for both developed ( r = 0.93, P < .001; r = 0.81, P < .001) and developing countries ( r = 0.90, P < .001; r = 0.87, P < .001). Surgery was the most prevalent theme (58.3% papers; 55.7% patients) for developed and developing countries. Research from developing countries showed greater thematic variability. Conclusions: DCM research activity is increasing internationally, with surgery remaining the focus. Research output has predominantly been from developed countries; however, the rate of growth for developed and developing countries is comparable.


2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1006-1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
SH Zyoud ◽  
SW Al-Jabi ◽  
WM Sweileh ◽  
R Awang ◽  
WS Waring

Purpose: The main objective of this study was to examine the publication pattern of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) research output for paracetamol overdose at the global level. Methods: Data were searched for documents that contained specific words regarding NAC and paracetamol as keywords in the title and/or abstract and/or keywords. Scientific output was evaluated based on a methodology developed and used in other bibliometric studies. Research productivity was adjusted to the national population and nominal gross domestic product per capita. Results: The criteria were met by 367 publications from 33 countries. The highest number of articles associated with the use of NAC in paracetamol overdose was from the United States of America (USA; 39.78%), followed by the United Kingdom (UK; 11.99%). After adjusting for economy and population power, USA (2.822), Iran (1.784) and UK (1.125) had the highest research productivity. The total number of citations at the time of data analysis (14 March 2014) was 8785 with an average of 23.9 citations per document and a median (interquartile range) of 6 (1–22). The h-index of the retrieved documents was 48. The highest h-index was 32 for USA, followed by 20 for UK. Furthermore, the highest number of collaborations with international authors for each country was held by USA with 11 countries, followed by Canada with 7 countries. Conclusion: The amount of NAC-based research activity was low in some countries, and more effort is needed to bridge this gap and to promote better evaluation of NAC use worldwide. Our findings demonstrate that NAC use for paracetamol overdose remains a hot issue in scientific research and may have a larger audience compared with other toxicological aspects. Editors and authors in the field of toxicology might usefully promote the submission of work on NAC in future to improve their journal’s impact.


2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 357-360
Author(s):  
Maria Teresa Santos ◽  
Sandra Oza ◽  
Zoon Naqvi ◽  
Joseph H. Grochowalski ◽  
Paul George ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: Antibiotic misuse contributes to antibiotic resistance and is a growing public health threat in the United States and globally. Professional medical societies promote antibiotic stewardship education for medical students, ideally before inappropriate practice habits form. To our knowledge, no tools exist to assess medical student competency in antibiotic stewardship and the communication skills necessary to engage patients in this endeavor. The aim of this study was to develop a novel instrument to measure medical students’ communication skills and competency in antibiotic stewardship and patient counseling. Methods: We created and pilot tested a novel instrument to assess student competencies in contextual knowledge and communication skills about antibiotic stewardship with standardized patients (SP). Students from two institutions (N=178; Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University) participated in an observed, structured clinical encounter during which SPs trained in the use of the instrument assessed student performance using the novel instrument. Results: In ranking examinee instrument scores, Cronbach α was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.53 to 0.74) at Einstein and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.60 to 0.79) at Brown, both within a commonly accepted range for estimating reliability. Global ratings and instrument scores were positively correlated (r=0.52, F [3, 174]=30.71, P&lt;.001), providing evidence of concurrent validity. Conclusions: Similar results at both schools supported external validity. The instrument performed reliably at both institutions under different examination conditions, providing evidence for the validity and utility of this instrument in assessing medical students’ skills related to antibiotic stewardship.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Phillips ◽  
Chuan Silvia Li ◽  
Mark Phillips ◽  
Markus Bischoff ◽  
Pervez Ali ◽  
...  

Knee osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability around the world. Knee bracing provides a conservative management option for symptom relief. A variety of different bracing types, manufacturers and products are currently available on the market. The goal of this study is to examine the current state of the literature regarding the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with unloader bracing, specifically examining the representation of specific brace types, manufacturers and models within the literature. A scoping review technique was used because of its ability to evaluate research activity within an area of study and identify gaps within the literature. A thorough search of the MEDLINE database was conducted for articles where a knee brace model was identified, and we identified characteristics of the studies to evaluate important information about the body of literature related to knee bracing for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Fifty eligible studies were identified. The majority of studies have been published in the United States, and a large increase in the number of publications in this field was seen between 2010-2014. The most prominent study type was prospective comparative studies (44%), however there is a lack of randomized controlled trials (6%) within the literature. The most prominent hinge type within the literature is the dual hinge push brace, followed by the single hinge pull. While a large increase in the number of studies evaluating the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with bracing has occurred in the past 5 years, there is a lack of high quality studies evaluating the efficacy of the technique, as well as a lack of studies comparing bracing types and models.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorainne Tudor Car ◽  
Bhone Myint Kyaw ◽  
Rishi S Nannan Panday ◽  
Rianne van der Kleij ◽  
Niels Chavannes ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Medical schools worldwide are accelerating the introduction of digital health courses into their curricula. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to this swift and widespread transition to digital health and education. However, the need for digital health competencies goes beyond the COVID-19 pandemic because they are becoming essential for the delivery of effective, efficient, and safe care. OBJECTIVE This review aims to collate and analyze studies evaluating digital health education for medical students to inform the development of future courses and identify areas where curricula may need to be strengthened. METHODS We carried out a scoping review by following the guidance of the Joanna Briggs Institute, and the results were reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. We searched 6 major bibliographic databases and gray literature sources for articles published between January 2000 and November 2019. Two authors independently screened the retrieved citations and extracted the data from the included studies. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus discussions between the authors. The findings were analyzed using thematic analysis and presented narratively. RESULTS A total of 34 studies focusing on different digital courses were included in this review. Most of the studies (22/34, 65%) were published between 2010 and 2019 and originated in the United States (20/34, 59%). The reported digital health courses were mostly elective (20/34, 59%), were integrated into the existing curriculum (24/34, 71%), and focused mainly on medical informatics (17/34, 50%). Most of the courses targeted medical students from the first to third year (17/34, 50%), and the duration of the courses ranged from 1 hour to 3 academic years. Most of the studies (22/34, 65%) reported the use of blended education. A few of the studies (6/34, 18%) delivered courses entirely digitally by using online modules, offline learning, massive open online courses, and virtual patient simulations. The reported courses used various assessment approaches such as paper-based assessments, in-person observations, and online assessments. Most of the studies (30/34, 88%) evaluated courses mostly by using an uncontrolled before-and-after design and generally reported improvements in students’ learning outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Digital health courses reported in literature are mostly elective, focus on a single area of digital health, and lack robust evaluation. They have diverse delivery, development, and assessment approaches. There is an urgent need for high-quality studies that evaluate digital health education.


10.2196/28275 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. e28275
Author(s):  
Lorainne Tudor Car ◽  
Bhone Myint Kyaw ◽  
Rishi S Nannan Panday ◽  
Rianne van der Kleij ◽  
Niels Chavannes ◽  
...  

Background Medical schools worldwide are accelerating the introduction of digital health courses into their curricula. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to this swift and widespread transition to digital health and education. However, the need for digital health competencies goes beyond the COVID-19 pandemic because they are becoming essential for the delivery of effective, efficient, and safe care. Objective This review aims to collate and analyze studies evaluating digital health education for medical students to inform the development of future courses and identify areas where curricula may need to be strengthened. Methods We carried out a scoping review by following the guidance of the Joanna Briggs Institute, and the results were reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. We searched 6 major bibliographic databases and gray literature sources for articles published between January 2000 and November 2019. Two authors independently screened the retrieved citations and extracted the data from the included studies. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus discussions between the authors. The findings were analyzed using thematic analysis and presented narratively. Results A total of 34 studies focusing on different digital courses were included in this review. Most of the studies (22/34, 65%) were published between 2010 and 2019 and originated in the United States (20/34, 59%). The reported digital health courses were mostly elective (20/34, 59%), were integrated into the existing curriculum (24/34, 71%), and focused mainly on medical informatics (17/34, 50%). Most of the courses targeted medical students from the first to third year (17/34, 50%), and the duration of the courses ranged from 1 hour to 3 academic years. Most of the studies (22/34, 65%) reported the use of blended education. A few of the studies (6/34, 18%) delivered courses entirely digitally by using online modules, offline learning, massive open online courses, and virtual patient simulations. The reported courses used various assessment approaches such as paper-based assessments, in-person observations, and online assessments. Most of the studies (30/34, 88%) evaluated courses mostly by using an uncontrolled before-and-after design and generally reported improvements in students’ learning outcomes. Conclusions Digital health courses reported in literature are mostly elective, focus on a single area of digital health, and lack robust evaluation. They have diverse delivery, development, and assessment approaches. There is an urgent need for high-quality studies that evaluate digital health education.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Zhong ◽  
Han Wang ◽  
Payton Christensen ◽  
Kevin McNeil ◽  
Matthew Linton ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States Level 1 (COMLEX 1) is important for medical students to be able to graduate. There is a glaring need to identify students who are at a significant risk of performing poorly on COMLEX 1 as early as possible so that extra assistance can be provided to those students. Our goal is to produce a reliable predictive model to identify students who are at risk of scoring lower than 500 on COMLEX 1 at the earliest possible time. Methods Academic data from medical students who matriculated at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine between 2011 and 2017 were obtained. Odds ratios were used to assess the predictors for scoring lower than 500 on COMLEX 1. Correlation with COMLEX 1 scores was assessed with Pearson correlation coefficient. The predictive models were developed by multiple logistic regression, backward logistic regression, and logistic regression with average scores in courses in the first three semesters, and were based on performances on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) before admission, as well as students’ performances in preclinical courses during the first three semesters. The models were generated in about 82% of the student performance data and were then validated in the remaining 18% of the data. Results Odds ratios showed that MCAT scores and final grades in each course in the first three semesters were significant in predicting a score lower than 500 on COMLEX 1. Performances in third-semester courses including Renal System II, Cardiovascular System II, and Respiratory System II were most important in prediction. The three predictive models had sensitivities of 65.8 -71%, and specificities of 83.2 - 88.2% in predicting a score lower than 500 on COMLEX 1. Conclusions Lower MCAT scores and lower grades in the first three semesters of medical school predict scoring lower than 500 on COMLEX 1. Students who are identified at risk by our models will have a 65.8 -71% chance of actually scoring lower than 500 on COMLEX 1. Those students will have enough time to receive assistance before taking COMLEX 1.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document