scholarly journals Changes in Family Medicine Clerkship Teaching Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 282-284
Author(s):  
Kelly M. Everard ◽  
Kimberly Zoberi Schiel

Background and Objectives: On March 17, 2020, the Association of American Medical Colleges recommended temporary suspension of all medical student clinical activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which required a rapid development of alternatives to traditional teaching methods. This study examines education changes spurred by COVID-19. Methods: Data were collected via a Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance survey of family medicine clerkship directors. Participants answered questions about didactic and clinical changes made to clerkship teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic, how positive the changes were, whether the changes would be made permanent, and how prepared clerkship directors were for the changes. Results: The response rate was 64%. The most frequent change made to didactic teaching was increasing online resources. The most frequent change made to clinical teaching was adding clinical simulation. Greater changes were made to clinical teaching than to didactic teaching. Changes made to didactic teaching were perceived as more positive for student learning than the changes made to clinical teaching. Clerkship directors felt more prepared for changes to didactic teaching than for clinical teaching, and were more likely to make the didactic teaching changes permanent than the clinical teaching changes. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic caused nearly all clerkship directors to make changes to clerkship teaching, but few felt prepared to make these changes, particularly changes to clinical teaching. Clerkship directors made fewer changes to didactic teaching than clinical teaching, however, didactic changes were perceived as more positive than clinical changes and were more likely to be adopted long term.

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (10) ◽  
pp. 811-816
Author(s):  
Joanna Drowos ◽  
Tomoko Sairenji ◽  
Kristen Hood Watson ◽  
Vanessa A. Diaz ◽  
Jasmine Pinckney ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: Family medicine clerkship directors must secure an adequate number of teaching sites while maintaining or improving the quality of teaching. This survey details how family medicine clerkship directors identify community-based clinical sites with performance challenges, types of challenges, and whether a remediation option exists for struggling clinical sites or preceptors. This study also investigates the relationship between clerkship structure and problems with maintaining high-quality teaching sites. Methods: Data were gathered and analyzed as part of the 2018 Council of Academic Family Medicine’s (CAFM) Educational Research Alliance (CERA) survey of family medicine clerkship directors. Results: There was a significant relationship between ease/difficulty of identifying clinical sites and paying preceptors (P=.032). A lower proportion of sites where a system is in place for remediation reported it being difficult to identify clinical sites (70.0% vs 92.2%, respectively, P=.011). Having a remediation system in place was also associated with less removal of sites (2.5% removed three or more sites vs 25% removed three or more sites, respectively, P=.005). Conclusions: Medical education leaders can explore payment to incentivize community-based preceptors in schools where identifying clinical sites is a challenge. Offering centralized preceptor development activities from medical schools, geared toward the importance of evaluations, balancing learners and opportunities for student engagement, may overcome some of the identified challenges. Medical schools may also consider providing additional time and support for clerkship directors to assist with tracking teaching quality at sites, and to assist struggling preceptors prior to removing them from teaching.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guanhong Zhang

With the rapid development of computer technology, the society has higher and higher requirements for computer professionals. There are many problems in the existing computer teaching methods. The more typical one is the separation of theory and practice, which does not meet the current society's requirements for computer talents. . The application of project teaching method to computer teaching can effectively make up for the shortcomings of traditional teaching methods, effectively improve students' comprehensive ability, and greatly improve the efficiency and quality of college computer talent training. This article discusses the role of project teaching method in computer teaching in colleges and universities from multiple angles, and proposes the practical strategy of project teaching method in computer teaching.


2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-21
Author(s):  
Joseph Hobbs ◽  
David L. Kriegel ◽  
Ashley Saucier ◽  
Denise M. Hodo ◽  
Stephen W. Looney

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the association of students’ race and gender with the race, gender, age, patient numbers, and problems encountered during a third-year family medicine clerkship across a geographically distributed clinical teaching network. Methods: Student patient experience logbook data from two separate but adjacent 3-year periods were analyzed. Mixed-effects regression models and generalized linear mixed models were used to determine the relationship between student race and gender on number and demographics of patients encountered and odds of encountering required conditions and gender-specific conditions at least once during the clerkship. Results: A total of 458 students documented 66,752 encounters during academic years 2008 through 2010, and 498 students documented 70,213 encounters during academic years 2011 through 2013. The first cohort averaged 145.8 (SD 24.0) encounters per student and the second cohort averaged 141.1 (SD 19.5) encounters per student. Females had more encounters during the first period, but no difference in the second. There was no difference in average encounters between white and nonwhite students during the first period, but during the second, nonwhite students had more encounters. A few differences were found in odds of encountering required conditions or gender-specific conditions, but none were consistent across time. Conclusions: Family medicine clerkship students in this geographically distributed network did not experience significant differences in patient demographics, conditions, or gender-specific diseases, based on their gender or race. The teaching sites in the study were monitored continuously to ensure consistent clinical experiences in volume and scope.


PRiMER ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Stumbar ◽  
Nana Aisha Garba ◽  
Marisyl de la Cruz ◽  
Prasad Bhoite ◽  
Matthew Holley ◽  
...  

Introduction: With growing efforts to provide comprehensive and inclusive sexual health care, family medicine clerkships are well positioned to educate learners about a spectrum of related topics. This study investigated the current state of sexual health instruction in family medicine clerkships, including specific factors impacting its delivery. Methods: Questions about sexual health curricula were created and included as part of the 2020 Council of Academic Family Medicine’s Educational Research Alliance survey of family medicine clerkship directors. The survey was distributed via email to 163 recipients between June 1, 2020 and June 25, 2020. Results: One hundred five (64.42%) of 163 clerkship directors responded to the survey. Our results revealed that during family medicine clerkships, family planning, contraception, and pregnancy options counseling are covered significantly more often than topics related to sexual dysfunction and satisfaction and LGBTQ+ health. Most clerkship directors (91.5%) reported less than 5 hours of sexual health training in their curriculum. Those with more dedicated sexual health curricular hours were more likely to include simulation. Lack of time (41.7%) was the most frequently reported barrier to incorporating sexual health content into the clerkship.  Conclusions: Coverage of sexual health topics during the family medicine clerkship is limited in scope and delivery. To support curricular development and integration, future studies should more thoroughly examine the factors influencing the inclusion of sexual health content in family medicine clerkships as well as the development of assessment methods to determine competency.


2013 ◽  
Vol 347-350 ◽  
pp. 3388-3390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sen Nie ◽  
Yuan Yuan Sun ◽  
Yan Liu

This essay presents the basic function and structure of shared multimedia didactical system,raises a scheme relating to the system which is based on computer network and central control equipment ,and able to achieve the multistage controlling to coordinate the control center with the classrooms,analyzes the technique of realizing it,especially the key technique;introduces its operational principle as well as clarifies the methods to develop and operate it. Traditional teaching methods depend on blackboard and textbooks,which have many limitations not only on the category and ability to bear information but also on the convenience of using.With the high development of techniques of electron,communication and computer handling,massive electronic media merges,such as slide show,projection,sound recording,filming,videotape and so on.However,these contemporary teaching media have better abilities and convenience than that of traditional ones,and have already been applied in teaching.In the process,multimedia education can rationally select and apply modern didactical facilities,as well as work with traditional media so that students can study in a better circumstance and easily acquire more new and overall information.With the rapid development of computer and other related techniques,traditional multimedia classrooms came to appear,disposing projection machine,computer,video revealing plat,video tape recorder,video disk machine and so on.It is very inconvenient for lectures to play video or audio information via operating tele-controller or plat of device,even being ready to inter-cut signal line at any time.To such a case,we recommend adopting the didactical system of compositive multimedia sharing,which consists of one control of center and many multimedia classes relying on computer network and realizing its multistage control by developing corresponding software and hardware.


2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (7) ◽  
pp. 523-527
Author(s):  
Tomoko Sairenji ◽  
Sarah E. Stumbar ◽  
Nana Aisha Garba ◽  
Prasad Bhoite ◽  
Maria Syl de la Cruz ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: Although the subinternship (sub-I) is considered integral in many medical schools’ curricula, family medicine does not have standardized course recommendations. Given the variable nature of this clinical experience, this study investigated the potential role of a standardized sub-I curriculum in family medicine. Methods: Questions about sub-Is were created and data were gathered and analyzed as part of the 2019 Council of Academic Family Medicine’s (CAFM) Educational Research Alliance (CERA) survey of family medicine clerkship directors. The survey was distributed via email to 126 US and 16 Canadian recipients between June 19, 2019 and August 2, 2019 through the online program SurveyMonkey. Results: A total of 101 (71.1%) of 142 clerkship directors responded to the survey. Most (84.2%) schools require sub-Is. There was a positive association between students matching into family medicine and having family medicine sub-Is at residency programs (P<.001). There was no relationship between higher family medicine match rates and the presence of family medicine sub-Is at nonresidency sites (P=.48) or having an advanced ambulatory rotation requirement (P=.16). Conclusions: A sub-I is a way to further expose students to family medicine, and increasing sub-I positions at residency programs may influence the number who pursue the specialty. Creation of a standardized sub-I curriculum presents an opportunity to enhance a critical educational experience in family medicine.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meifang Ren ◽  
Cheng Huang

Objective: The study was to analyze the application of PDCA cycle in the clinical teaching of respiratory department during the outbreak of COVID-19. The teaching content focused on the prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. Methods: Thirty clinical interns who entered the Department of Respiratory Medicine in our hospital from June 2020 to December 2020 were selected as the research objects and were randomly divided into two groups. The control group adopted traditional teaching methods and the experimental group adopted PDCA cycle. The teaching effect of the two group was compared. Results: The experimental group that used the PDCA cycle method had significantly higher theoretical knowledge, treatment skills, and comprehensive quality evaluation of COVID-19 than the traditional teaching method of the control group. Conclusion: The application of the PDCA cycle method in clinical teaching activities can improve the teaching process during the outbreak of COVID-19 and help improve the overall quality of clinical interns.


PRiMER ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoko Sairenji ◽  
Samuel Griffin ◽  
Misbah Keen

Introduction: High-quality, experiential learning in outpatient settings is indispensable for medical student education; however these settings are difficult to recruit and retain. The majority of primary care physicians are employed by organizations and are under pressure to increase their relative value unit (RVU) production. Although the common perception that teaching medical students decreases productivity is unproven, it is likely a barrier for primary care physicians pursuing clinical teaching. We sought to investigate whether medical student teaching affects clinical productivity. Methods: We recruited 15 family medicine (FM) clerkship sites to participate in our study via email and at an in-person meeting. For each preceptor, we collected billing data in the form of current procedural terminology (CPT) codes for all patient encounters and the number of patients seen per half-day for when the preceptor had a student and when they did not. We converted CPT codes to RVU data. We compared differences in productivity for each individual preceptor, and we used a paired t test to examine collective data with and without a student. Results: Ten preceptors at six FM clerkship sites provided reliable data. The average RVU per half-day without a student was 10.84, and it was slightly higher at 11.25 when a student was present (P=.74). The average number of patients seen per half-day without a student was 8.32 and it was slightly lower at 7.87 when a student was present (P=.58). Conclusion: This study shows promising data that teaching students in the outpatient setting does not decrease preceptor productivity. This pilot study can lead to a larger-scale exploration of family medicine preceptor productivity in different settings and institutions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 361-363
Author(s):  
Kimberly Zoberi Schiel ◽  
Kelly M. Everard

Background and Objectives: The management of chronic pain is an important topic for training competent family physicians. The purpose of this study was to determine factors in teaching about chronic pain and whether state overdose death rates were associated with teaching chronic pain topics. Methods: Data were collected as part of the 2019 Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) Clerkship Directors’ Survey. The response rate was 71%. Respondents answered questions about the amount of time spent teaching about chronic pain diagnoses, approach to chronic pain, opioid medications, nonopioid medications and nonpharmacologic treatments for chronic pain. Results: The most frequent topic was chronic pain diagnoses, taught by 64% of clerkships with an average of 92 minutes spent on the topic. Each chronic pain topic was taught by nearly 50% of clerkships, and 72.3% of clerkships taught at least one topic. More clerkships were teaching about opioids, nonopioids, and nonpharmacological treatments for chronic pain than in 2014. Time currently spent teaching about opioids was positively correlated with clerkships’ state 2014 drug overdose death rate. Conclusions: The majority of family medicine clerkships teach about chronic pain, and the amount of time dedicated to this topic has increased over the last 5 years. A state’s opioid overdose rate correlates with the amount of time spent teaching about opioids, but does not correlate with the amount of time teaching about other chronic pain subtopics. It is possible that the opioid crisis is causing a shift in the subtopics of chronic pain teaching.


2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 489-492
Author(s):  
Kelly M. Everard ◽  
Kimberly Zoberi ◽  
Christine Jacobs

Background and Objectives: Faculty vacancies are a concern for chairs of academic family medicine departments who regularly face having to recruit new faculty. Faculty physicians who report lack of support for research and teaching or excessive time in activities that are not meaningful may experience burnout resulting in leaving academic medicine. Methods: Data were collected via a Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) survey of US family medicine department chairs. To determine characteristics associated with success in hiring new physician faculty, chairs answered questions about the number of vacancies in the previous 12 months, the number of vacancies filled in the previous 12 months, the months the longest vacancy was open, starting salary, whether signing bonus was offered, and the full-time equivalent (FTE) for clinical, research, teaching, and administrative time. Results: The response rate was 52%. Chairs reported an average of 3.9 vacancies in the previous 12 months, and an average of 2.5 (66%) were filled. Chairs who didn’t offer protected time for teaching filled a higher percentage of their vacancies, but they did not fill them faster than departments that did offer teaching time. Higher salary and a signing bonus were associated with filling positions faster. Chairs who offered a signing bonus filled positions nearly 4 months sooner than those who didn’t. Conclusions: Offering protected time for teaching or research and FTE allocation for clinical, teaching, research, and administrative time were not associated with success in hiring new faculty. Chairs who offered higher salaries and signing bonuses were able to hire faculty more quickly than those who didn’t.


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