scholarly journals Student perspectives on the value of rural electives

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Couper
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Repeated Reading ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Graduate Entry ◽  
Community Benefits ◽  
Rural Doctor ◽  
The University

Background: Medical students in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg have the opportunity to do electives at the end of the first and third years of a four-year graduate-entry medical programme. Upon their return they are required to write a short portfolio report. Over the period 2005 to 2011, 402 students chose to do rural electives.Aim and setting: To understand the value of rural electives from the perspective of medical students in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits, as derived from their assessment reports.Methods: A review was conducted of 402 elective reports. Common themes were identified through repeated reading of the reports, and then content analysis was undertaken using these themes.Results: Major themes identified were the reasons for choosing a rural facility for the elective, including going to a home community; benefits of the elective, especially in terms of clinical skills and personal growth; relationship issues; the multiple roles of the rural doctor, who is often a role model working in difficult conditions; and the challenges of rural electives.Conclusion: The electives were overwhelmingly positive and affirming experiences for students, who developed clinical skills and also learnt about both themselves and their chosen career.

scholarly journals A Mobile Medical Knowledge Dissemination Platform (HeadToToe): Mixed Methods Study

10.2196/17729 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e17729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ido Zamberg ◽  
Olivier Windisch ◽  
Thomas Agoritsas ◽  
Mathieu Nendaz ◽  
Georges Savoldelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
Postgraduate Education ◽  
Third Party ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Knowledge Dissemination ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
The University

Background Finding readily accessible, high-quality medical references can be a challenging task. HeadToToe is a mobile platform designed to allow easy and quick access to sound, up-to-date, and validated medical knowledge and guidance. It provides easy access to essential clinical medical content in the form of documents, videos, clinical scores, and other formats for the day-to-day access and use by medical students and physicians during their pre- and postgraduate education. Objective The aim of this paper is to describe the architecture, user interface, and potential strengths and limitations of an innovative knowledge dissemination platform developed at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. We also report preliminary results from a user-experience survey and usage statistics over a selected period. Methods The dissemination platform consists of a smartphone app. Through an administration interface, content is managed by senior university and hospital staff. The app includes the following sections: (1) main section of medical guidance, organized by clinical field; (2) checklists for history-taking and clinical examination, organized by body systems; (3) laboratory section with frequently used lab values; and (4) favorites section. Each content item is programmed to be available for a given duration as defined by the content’s author. Automatic notifications signal the author when the content is about to expire, hence, promoting its timely updating and reducing the risk of using obsolete content. In the background, a third-party statistical collecting tool records anonymous utilization statistics. Results We launched the final version of the platform in March 2019, both at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Geneva and at the University Hospital of Geneva in Switzerland. A total of 622 students at the university and 613 health professionals at the hospital downloaded the app. Two-thirds of users at both institutions had an iOS device. During the practical examination period (ie, May 2019) there was a significant increase in the number of active users (P=.003), user activity (P<.001), and daily usage time (P<.001) among medical students. In addition, there were 1086 clinical skills video views during this period compared to a total of 484 in the preceding months (ie, a 108% increase). On a 10-point Likert scale, students and physicians rated the app with mean scores of 8.2 (SD 1.9) for user experience, 8.1 (SD 2.0) for usefulness, and 8.5 (SD 1.8) for relevance of content. In parallel, postgraduate trainees viewed more than 6000 documents during the first 3 months after the implementation in the Division of Neurology at our institution. Conclusions HeadToToe is an educator-driven, mobile dissemination platform, which provides rapid and user-friendly access to up-to-date medical content and guidance. The platform was given high ratings for user experience, usefulness, and content quality and was used more often during the exam period. This suggests that the platform could be used as tool for exam preparation.

scholarly journals Evaluation of an Ophthalmology Session for Third-Year Medical Students at the University of Colorado School of Medicine

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. e23-e31
Author(s):  
Judas Kelley ◽  
Jasleen Singh
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Test Score ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
Colorado School ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
University Of Colorado ◽  
School Of Medicine ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The University

Background Medical school ophthalmology education continues to be marginalized, creating the challenge of teaching students how to adequately diagnose and manage common ocular diseases in a limited time. Objective This study aimed to improve the ophthalmic medical knowledge and clinical skills of third-year medical students. Methods This curriculum was provided to 76 out of 124 third-year medical students in the 2016 class at the University of Colorado-Denver School of Medicine program. It was a half-day session that incorporated lectures, problem-based cases, and clinical skills. Participating students were given a self-reflection survey on their knowledge at the beginning and end of the session. Participating students were given a pre-test and post-test 6 months later via SurveyMonkey. Another quiz was given to all students within the class. Comparisons of pre- and post-tests, pre- and post-surveys, and quiz results in the participating and nonparticipating groups were made. Results Participating students' mean pre-test score was 61.8% (n = 76) and post-test score was 72.3% (n = 47), p < 0.01, indicating a significant increase in knowledge. There was an increase in 2 points on the Likert scale of understanding in ophthalmology between surveys. Participating students received a quiz mean score of 61.2%, which was significantly higher than those in the nonparticipating group (54.3%), p < 0.05. Conclusion This session improved medical students' confidence and medical knowledge in ophthalmology.

scholarly journals Mentor-Mentee Program with Medical Students: A Successful Program with Ethical Considerations

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-139
Author(s):  
Tin Tin Thein ◽  
Tun Aung ◽  
Aye Aye Wynn ◽  
Win Win Than ◽  
Mie Mie Sein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
Interest In Research

   Background: Mentoring is the relationship of a guide or a teacher with another person/student augmenting his/her carrier growth, knowledge, skills, and experiences implemented by caring, sharing and helping hands. The aim of this paper is to highlight the mentoring, type of mentoring, how important of matching and consideration of ethical issue in mentoring program. Not missing these significant points, mentoring program could be successful in universities including medical faculty.  Methods: The SMART principles of specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound are essential to structure the matching between mentor and mentee. The rule of etiquette and ethical issues are crucial and beneficial for mentor mentee relationship. Clinical mentoring programs help to develop students’ clinical skills and can increase interest in under-subscribed specialties. Positive mentoring plays a part in reversing the decline of academic medicine, by sparking interest through early research experiences.  Results: There is the short term goal which is to introduce an immediate support network for incoming students and the long term goal is to cultivate a mentoring culture to engage all strata of medical students and every faculty member. Medical students expressed that mentoring program is to provide counselling, develop professionalism, increase students' interest in research, and support them in their personal growth.  Conclusion: The goal of mentorship is to provide additional support to student or mentee by steering of the academic needs or social prerequisites to accelerate the personal and professional development of mentee with advice, guide and feed backs from the mentor. 

scholarly journals Workshops in Healing for Senior Medical Students: A 5 Year Experience

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Henry Kearsley ◽  
Elizabeth Lobb
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Repeated Reading ◽  
Contemporary Literature ◽  
Art Music ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Music And Literature ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Open Coding ◽  
The University

Objectives:  To provide a 5-year (2008-2012) overview and appraisal of a novel course for senior undergraduate medical students (Workshops in Healing) at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia within the context of a traditional 6-year curriculum.  In these innovative workshops, 8-12 self-selected students per year participate over 6 hours in two sessions, several days apart.  The sessions use artwork and other evocative images, poetry, music, statues and classic/contemporary literature to illustrate points of discussion relating to suffering, healing and the doctor-patient relationship. Methods: A written open-ended reflection was requested from 48 students in the final year of their 6-year medical course within a few weeks of the second workshop.  The study employed an emergent qualitative design.  Open coding involved repeated reading of the sections of the student’s feedback and a line-by-line analysis of this data.  Selective coding was then used to link data together and develop the themes.Results:  Students identified the following benefits from the workshops:  1)  the opportunity to re-affirm their commitment to their chosen career path;  2)  the value of listening to other students share their stories;  3)  the importance of the timing of the Workshops to occur after exams;  4)  the use of various mediums such as art,  music and literature to present concepts of suffering and healing;  and 5) the creation of a safe and confidential space.Conclusions:  Students reported that the workshops gave them a renewed sense of drive and enthusiasm for their chosen career.  They highlighted the importance of addressing an aspect of Medicine (healing) not covered in the traditional medical curriculum.  For many students the workshops provided a broader understanding of the meaning of concepts such as suffering and healing, and helped them to rediscover a deeper meaning to Medicine, and their roles as healthcare professionals.

scholarly journals E-learning Modules to Improve Clinical Reasoning and Practice: a Prospective Comparative Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiola Stollar ◽  
Bernard Cerutti ◽  
Susanne Aujesky ◽  
Daniel Scherly ◽  
Mathieu Nendaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Learning Methods ◽  
Learning Modules ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Fourth Year Medical Students ◽  
Prospective Comparative Study ◽  
The University

Abstract Background: Controversy remains about how successfully e-learning can improve clinical skills and knowledge acquisition. Our study's main objective was to compare the effects of e-learning versus traditional education on medical students' reasoning and how they applied their knowledge to clinical skills by evaluating their performance in a pediatrics exam based on key features. Our secondary objectives were to assess the factors associated with e-learning that might influence exam scores and to evaluate medical students' satisfaction with these two learning methods. Methods: Prospective observational study of two pediatric clerkship cohorts (2016–17 and 2017–18) of fourth-year medical students at the University of Geneva's Faculty of Medicine, Switzerland. All students participated in a standardized program of traditional seminars and e-learning using case-based scenarios. To compare the two learning methods, we taught two subjects using traditional seminars in 2016–17 and then using e-learning modules in 2017–18. To evaluate factors that might have influenced e-learning's effects, we monitored the use of all the e-learning modules studied in the months preceding the pediatric exam. Student satisfaction was evaluated using a questionnaire of four-point Likert scale-like items. Results: We included 299 medical students. Students using interactive e-learning modules had the same median scores for exam questions associated with e-learning as students who attended traditional seminars (median 80%, IQR 67%–100% vs. median 80%, IQR 67%–100%; p=0.975). A linear regression model showed an association between the scores for exam questions associated with e-learning and the number of quizzes taken and sex. Even though the overall satisfaction with the two learning methods was similar, students claimed that they learned more in e-learning than in traditional seminars, that learning objectives were better explained in e-learning modules, and that traditional seminars were better integrated into the curriculum.Conclusions: We found no evidence of a difference in students’ reasoning and how they applied their knowledge to clinical skills between e-learning and traditional seminar-based methods. The number of quizzes taken and being a female student were factors associated with better scores. Overall, students were satisfied with both learning methods, but they claimed that they learned more with e-learning.

If GPs who teach medical students were assisted to be good role models might this influence the medical career the students choose?

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp20X711281
Author(s):  
Jonathan White
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Student Teaching ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Workforce Planning ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
The Uk

BackgroundMost patients are cared for in the community by GPs, and workforce planning for the UK NHS suggests that 50% of medical school graduates need to train as GPs. While there is pressure on medical schools to provide more student teaching in general practice, general practice must be prepared for this increase in workload and teachers should have appropriate training.AimThis study examined the influence that teachers as role models can have on the development and career choices of medical students and whether GPs who teach medical students might benefit from assistance in developing positive attributes.MethodA literature search was carried out. Relevant papers were those that examined the influence of a doctor as teacher role model for medical students, both in assisting in professional development and clinical skills, and in influencing career choice.ResultsThe review identified eleven papers. There was evidence of association between a student having an influential role model as teacher and choosing specialty training in that area, although evidence of a causative connection is less convincing. A recurring theme is the recommendation that teachers should be aware of the influence they can have as role models, both positive and negative.ConclusionAs medical student teaching moves into general practice GPs who teach will need to be helped to understand and develop positive role model attributes, to promote general practice as an attractive career to the students. Further research needs to identify the extent of assistance required and whether medical schools are prepared for this extra responsibility.

scholarly journals Attitudes to Organ Donation and Knowledge of Donation and Transplantation among University of Auckland Medical Students

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. JMECD.S20080
Author(s):  
Lindsey Harbour ◽  
Cayley Ingham ◽  
Stephen Streat ◽  
Warwick Bagg
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Organ Donation ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
Primary Care Settings ◽  
Correct Information ◽  
Medical Program ◽  
The University ◽  
Medical Programs

Aims • To explore organ donation and transplantation knowledge and attitudes among medical students at the University of Auckland. • To understand students' perception of the extent of training received prior to and during the medical program. Method A validated web-based questionnaire consisting of 42 questions in five categories was anonymously administered to all enrolled medical students at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, in September 2012. Results In all, 419 out of 989 (42%) Year 2–6 students responded. A total of 99.3% of medical students supported organ donation, but knowledge was limited (mean score 7.54/15±2.26). A total of 38% of students reported having participated in organ donation learning. A total of 96% of students believed that organ donation information should be available in primary care settings. A total of 69% of students reported that if a patient asked a question about organ donation that they did not know the answer to, they also would not know where to source the correct information from. Conclusion This study demonstrates that although medical students support organ donation, they lack the knowledge required to facilitate informative discussions with patients. Enhanced organ donation education in medical programs may enable students to develop skills and knowledge allowing them to better discuss donation with patients.

scholarly journals A Mobile Medical Knowledge Dissemination Platform (HeadToToe): Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ido Zamberg ◽  
Olivier Windisch ◽  
Thomas Agoritsas ◽  
Mathieu Nendaz ◽  
Georges Savoldelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
Postgraduate Education ◽  
Third Party ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Knowledge Dissemination ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
The University

BACKGROUND Finding readily accessible, high-quality medical references can be a challenging task. HeadToToe is a mobile platform designed to allow easy and quick access to sound, up-to-date, and validated medical knowledge and guidance. It provides easy access to essential clinical medical content in the form of documents, videos, clinical scores, and other formats for the day-to-day access and use by medical students and physicians during their pre- and postgraduate education. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to describe the architecture, user interface, and potential strengths and limitations of an innovative knowledge dissemination platform developed at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. We also report preliminary results from a user-experience survey and usage statistics over a selected period. METHODS The dissemination platform consists of a smartphone app. Through an administration interface, content is managed by senior university and hospital staff. The app includes the following sections: (1) main section of medical guidance, organized by clinical field; (2) checklists for history-taking and clinical examination, organized by body systems; (3) laboratory section with frequently used lab values; and (4) favorites section. Each content item is programmed to be available for a given duration as defined by the content’s author. Automatic notifications signal the author when the content is about to expire, hence, promoting its timely updating and reducing the risk of using obsolete content. In the background, a third-party statistical collecting tool records anonymous utilization statistics. RESULTS We launched the final version of the platform in March 2019, both at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Geneva and at the University Hospital of Geneva in Switzerland. A total of 622 students at the university and 613 health professionals at the hospital downloaded the app. Two-thirds of users at both institutions had an iOS device. During the practical examination period (ie, May 2019) there was a significant increase in the number of active users (<i>P</i>=.003), user activity (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), and daily usage time (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) among medical students. In addition, there were 1086 clinical skills video views during this period compared to a total of 484 in the preceding months (ie, a 108% increase). On a 10-point Likert scale, students and physicians rated the app with mean scores of 8.2 (SD 1.9) for user experience, 8.1 (SD 2.0) for usefulness, and 8.5 (SD 1.8) for relevance of content. In parallel, postgraduate trainees viewed more than 6000 documents during the first 3 months after the implementation in the Division of Neurology at our institution. CONCLUSIONS HeadToToe is an educator-driven, mobile dissemination platform, which provides rapid and user-friendly access to up-to-date medical content and guidance. The platform was given high ratings for user experience, usefulness, and content quality and was used more often during the exam period. This suggests that the platform could be used as tool for exam preparation.

scholarly journals Assessing the Transition From Pre-Clerkship to Clerkship in a Four-Year Medical Program: Recommendations for Future Success

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neel Mistry ◽  
Stefan de Laplante ◽  
Craig Murray Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
School Students ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
Future Success ◽  
Seamless Transition ◽  
Medical Program ◽  
Fourth Year Medical Students ◽  
The University

Abstract Background: The transition from pre-clerkship to clinical clerkship is a pivotal moment for medical students. At the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Unit IV and the Link Block are designed to facilitate this transition. Improvements to the current curriculum, specifically in Unit IV, may better prepare students for clerkship. We aimed to summarize existing literary evidence on the transition to clerkship and collect student feedback to generate recommendations for success with regard to clerkship preparedness at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. Methods: We conducted a literature search using PubMed, MEDLINE, ERIC, and CINAHL for studies evaluating the transition to clerkship in a four-year medical program. Using this data, we created two different versions of our survey (pre-transition and post-transition) for dissemination to second, third, and fourth-year medical students, plus MD/PhD students, in the Anglophone and Francophone stream. The survey was open for three weeks from October 10 to October 31, 2020, with weekly reminders to all eligible participants. Microsoft Excel 2016 was used for data analysis. Results: We obtained 176 respondents, of which 158 (70% Anglophone and 30% Francophone) were included in the analysis. The majority of students were in the MD2023 cohort (40%) and had completed a 4-year Bachelor’s degree (61%) prior to medical school. Students in the post-transition group were less anxious about the transition to clerkship than their junior colleagues, although differences between streams were marginal. The most notable difference concerning Entrustable Professional Activities was in terms of obtaining a complete history and performing a physical examination, with the post-transition cohort reporting increased competency compared to the pre-transition cohort in the Anglophone stream (2.9/5.0 pre-transition vs. 3.3/5.0 post-transition, +0.33 difference, p<0.05). Top two stressors for incoming clerks were a lack of clinical skills or experience, and lack of clarity around clerkship roles, responsibilities, and expectations.Conclusion: There is limited training to facilitate a seamless transition for incoming clerks at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. Changes can be made at the pre-clerkship level in the form of small-group orientation sessions, formative OSCEs, accelerated review of pre-clerkship material, and clerkship simulation sessions.

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