scholarly journals The Attitudes of Medical Students for Their Roles and Social Accountability in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jihoon Hong ◽  
Ikjae Jung ◽  
Mingeol Park ◽  
Kyumin Kim ◽  
Sungook Yeo ◽  
...  

IntroductionIn this study, we aimed to explore the attitude of medical students toward their roles and social accountability in this pandemic era. An online survey asked questions covering the topics of 1) the role of medical students in the pandemic era; 2) Medical education in the ‘new normal,’ and 3) the impact of COVID-19 on medical students. MethodsThe online survey, developed by a team consisting of 3 medical students, 3 psychiatric residents, and 3 psychiatric professors, was distributed to medical students, graduates, and professors in a single South Korean medical school. Anxiety symptom rating scales, including the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemic - 6 (SAVE-6) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 (GAD-7) scale, were also applied to measure participant anxiety level.ResultsAll of the 213 medical students, 180 graduates, and 181 professors that participated in this online survey were at the same medical school. Medical students indicated their willingness to join the healthcare response to the COVID-19 pandemic if requested; however, graduates and professors recommended that medical students continue their medical school curriculum rather than join the response. In the new normal era, medical education was considered to be changed appropriately. Moreover, adequate knowledge of COVID-19 infection and spread must be considered for the continuation of clinical clerkships during the pandemic. Overall, medical students who indicated anxiety about treating possible or confirmed cases rated higher on the SAVE-6 scale. Finally, medical students who reported that COVID-19 had an influence on their studies and daily life rated higher on the general anxiety scale (GAD-7). ConclusionSocial accountability is an important issue for medical students in the pandemic era. At the same time, cultivating professionalism is also important for the readiness for the future healthcare responses.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jihoon Hong ◽  
Ikjae Jung ◽  
Mingeol Park ◽  
Kyumin Kim ◽  
Sungook Yeo ◽  
...  

Background: In this study, we aimed to explore the attitude of medical students toward their role and social accountability in this pandemic era. An online survey was developed to elicit information on (1) the role of medical students in the pandemic era; (2) Medical education in the “new normal,” and (3) the impact of COVID-19 on medical students.Methods: The online survey, developed by a team consisting of three medical students, three psychiatry residents, and three professors of psychiatry, was conducted on 574 participants (213 medical students, 180 graduates, and 181 professors) in the University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Anxiety symptom rating scales, including the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 (SAVE-6) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder−7 (GAD-7) scale, were applied to measure participant anxiety level.Results: Medical students indicated their willingness to join the healthcare response to the COVID-19 pandemic, if requested; however, graduates and professors recommended that medical students continue their training rather than join the pandemic healthcare response. In the new normal era, medical education has had to change appropriately. Moreover, adequate knowledge of COVID-19 infection and spread must be considered for the continuation of clinical clerkships during the pandemic. Overall, medical students who indicated anxiety about treating possible or confirmed cases of COVID-19 rated higher on the SAVE-6 scale. Finally, medical students who reported that COVID-19 had an impact on their studies and daily life rated higher on the general anxiety scale (GAD-7).Conclusion: Social accountability is an important issue for medical students in the pandemic era. At the same time, non-disruption of their academic calendar would ensure continuous availability of component medical professionals, which is important for adequate future healthcare responses.


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.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Ihde ◽  
Benjamin Kligler ◽  
Genevieve Pinto Zipp ◽  
Carmela Rocchetti

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 necessary to address patients' environmental illnesses, nor speak to prevention. Environmental health disparities fit well under the larger umbrella of social determinants of health, which still remain largely omitted from medical school curricula. Methods Environmental health (EH) knowledge and skills were incorporated into the first-year medical school curriculum at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, via a thread of two-hour interactive large group learning sessions with follow up activities. In year 1, students took the Environmental Health in Med School (EHMS) survey before and after the EH thread. This survey was designed to evaluate medical students’ attitudes, awareness and professionalism regarding environmental health. Results suggested a dramatic ceiling effect on students’ responses to the EHMS survey, making it difficult to detect any change from before to after the intervention. Our conclusion 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. Based on the outcomes of the EHMS survey, a new Environmental Health Survey II (EHS II) was created for Year 2, to measure students' perceptions of preparedness to discuss EH with future patients. The two surveys were both created by the research team and designed to help inform subsequent content revisions to ensure learning objectives were met. ResultsResults for the four questions on the EHS II pre-survey (84 respondents) and on the post-survey (79 respondents) showed a statistically significant positive change in students’ self-reported sense of preparedness to discuss environmental health with their patients following the curriculum intervention. ConclusionsA relatively brief six-week environmental health module combining didactic and experiential elements can significantly increase medical students’ self-reported sense of preparedness to discuss environmental health issues, including climate change, with their patients.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Kligler ◽  
Genevieve Pinto Zipp ◽  
Carmela Rocchetti ◽  
Erin Speiser Ihde ◽  
Michelle Secic

Abstract Background Inclusion of environmental health (EH) in medical education serves as a catalyst for preparing future physicians to address complex issues 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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S29-S33
Author(s):  
Laurent Elkrief ◽  
Julien Belliveau ◽  
Tara D’Ignazio ◽  
Philippe Simard ◽  
Didier Jutras-Aswad

Abstract The legalization of recreational cannabis across Canada has revealed the importance of medical education on cannabis-related topics. A recent study has indicated that Canadian physicians report a significant gap in current versus desired knowledge regarding the therapeutic use of cannabis. However, the state of education on cannabis has never been studied in Canadian medical schools. This article presents the preliminary findings of a survey conducted to understand the perceptions of Quebec’s medical students regarding cannabis-related teachings in their current curriculum. Overall, students reported very low to low levels of exposure to, knowledge of, and comfort levels with cannabis-related subjects. The majority of students reported that they felt that their medical curricula did not prepare them to face cannabis-related issues in their future practices. Strategies need to be developed for improving medical school curriculum regarding cannabis-related issues. These findings provide potential key strategies to improve curricula.


2020 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahbobeh Mohammadi ◽  
Mehdi Bagheri ◽  
Parivash Jafari ◽  
Leila Bazrafkan

Background: Accountability in the community is one of the main missions of the medical school. Objectives: The current study aimed at explaining the motivational facilitators and challenges in medical students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, for social accountability based on their experiences. Methods: The current study using semi-structured interviews was conducted on 28 individuals, 16 of whom were students and 12 professors and managers of the medical school. Purposeful sampling was used up to saturation. Data were analyzed using the content analysis method. First, conceptual codes were extracted and then grouped into several main themes. Selected concepts or main themes included facilitators, inhibitors, or challengers. Results: Selected concepts or main themes included facilitating factors and educational challenges for the social accountability of the students. The facilitators included informed choice, personality and moral commitment, content and process of motivation, promotion of community-based learning in the university, and the role of professors in motivation. The inhibitors or challenges included traditional routines, ineffective evaluations, manners of meeting the students’ needs, the lack of educational facilities, and the impact of the increased number of students on the quality of education. Conclusions: According to the current study findings, the conditions and facilities should be shared among medical education programs to provide a supportive environment for the students, and take a positive and effective step toward motivating them to improve their accountability.


2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximiliano Servin-Rojas ◽  
Antonio Olivas-Martinez ◽  
Michelle Dithurbide-Hernandez ◽  
Julio Chavez-Vela ◽  
Vera L. Petricevich ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to medical education. However, no data are available regarding the impact the pandemic may have on medical training in Mexico. The aim of our study was to evaluate and identify the medical school students’ perceptions of the changes in their clinical training due to the pandemic in Mexico. Methods This was a cross-sectional study where a previous validated online survey was translated and adapted by medical education experts and applied to senior medical students from March to April of 2021. The 16-item questionnaire was distributed online combining dichotomous, multiple-choice, and 5-point Likert response scale questions. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed to compare the student’s perceptions between public and private schools. Results A total of 671 responses were included in the study period. Most participants were from public schools (81%) and female (61%). Almost every respondent (94%) indicated it was necessary to obtain COVID-19 education, yet only half (54%) received such training. Students in private schools were less likely to have their clinical instruction canceled (53% vs. 77%, p = 0.001) and more likely to have access to virtual instruction (46% vs. 22%, p = 0.001) when compared to students from public schools. Four out of every five students considered their training inferior to that of previous generations, and most students (82%) would consider repeating their final year of clinical training. Conclusions The impact of the COVID-19 on medical education in Mexico has been significant. Most final-year medical students have been affected by the cancellation of their in-person clinical instruction, for which the majority would consider repeating their final year of training. Efforts to counterbalance this lack of clinical experience with virtual or simulation instruction are needed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Fagiolo

This article briefly discusses the value and impact of biography collections in medical education by illustrating the case of the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome (UCBM) Library. The UCBM Library collects, curates, and provides access to a special biography collection with the purpose of documenting the history of men and women who contributed in the field of medicine and related sciences. This article highlights the importance of academic medical libraries collecting biographical works in order to transmit knowledge and values in medical school curriculum.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Castelli ◽  
Dinah Diab ◽  
Alicia Scimeca ◽  
Chintan Mehta ◽  
Nicolette Payne ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The full impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic has yet to be seen, yet medical education has already been critically disrupted. As U.S. hospitals were forced to aggressively limit non-essential care to preserve personal protective equipment and minimize COVID-19 exposure, in-person education and hands-on training was nearly eliminated for students. The objective of this study was to immediately and comprehensively investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical student education. Medical students in the U.S. were invited to complete an online survey about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their medical education experience. Students provided basic demographic information and answered questions about the impact of COVID-19 on their training/education, finances, and mental health. Results: Medical students reported nearly 18 fewer hours of patient care per week, an immediate switch to virtual learning (74%) along with grading changes (62%), and widespread cancellation of national exams. Additionally, 55% of fourth year students graduated early to provide direct clinical care. Students across years felt that changes from the pandemic would negatively affect their residency applications and that upcoming rotations would be impacted (p<0.001). Students reported that the pandemic had negatively affected their finances, increased their anxiety/stress, increased their feelings of burnout, and negatively impacted their work-life balance (p<0.001). Conclusion: Medical education has been critically impacted by COVID-19. Student perceptions and evaluation of experiences to date should be considered as educators prepare to ready students for academic and professional transitions in the context of continued COVID-19 disruptions and distanced learning.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orthi Shahzad

Medical electives have been part of the medical school curriculum since the 1970s in the United Kingdom. They are typically 4-8 week medical placements organised by the student in a field they are interested in. Electives are an extended period to increase understanding of global health, improve our clinical skills and deepen understanding of a speciality. They are the only part of the course in which students have autonomy over their learning. Unfortunately, I am part of the cohort of medical students who will be losing this opportunity due to the devastating Covid-19 global pandemic.


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