scholarly journals Assessing Readiness for Clinical Practice: Students’ Perspectives of their Veterinary Curriculum

Author(s):  
L. Sanchez ◽  
Alison Kwiatkowski ◽  
Jeff Abbott ◽  
Dana Zimmel ◽  
Linda Behar-Horenstein

Studies describing the effectiveness of a veterinary curriculum from the student perspective are currently sparse. The overall purpose of this investigation was to describe students’ perceived preparedness for clinical practice. Three focus group meetings with fourth year veterinary students were conducted. Data were open-coded and categorized to identify themes. Four main themes emerged: Challenging communications, Un/appreciating curricular experiences, Documenting demands impede case involvement, and Hungering for timely, effective feedback. Overall students felt comfortable talking to clients about medicine but less comfortable discussing euthanasia or money; they appreciated the split clinical curriculum but questioned the value of the 1st/2nd year courses; they felt that paperwork on clinical rotations negatively impacted patient involvement; expressed the need for well-defined expectations regarding grading/assessment and autonomy on clinical rotations. Despite the reported issues, students expressed satisfaction with the split curriculum and readiness to enter their chosen field of study.

Author(s):  
Rachel J. Hinrichs

Objective: This study explored dietetic interns’ perceptions and knowledge of evidence-based practice (EBP), their use and observation of EBP principles during their clinical rotations, and their intentions to use EBP in their careers.Methods: A mixed methods design combining a survey and focus group was employed. Dietetic interns (n=16) from a large Midwestern university were recruited in person and via email to participate in the survey, focus group, or both. Perceptions and experiences of EBP were analyzed through the focus group (qualitative), and EBP knowledge and clinical practice behaviors were analyzed through the survey (quantitative). The focus group discussion was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Four major themes emerged from the focus group data: (1) observations of EBP in clinical practice, (2) use of EBP during clinical rotations, (3) barriers to EBP, and (4) perceived use of EBP as future registered dietitians. Interns considered EBP important for their profession and future careers. They struggled, however, with the discrepancies between current research and practice, and highlighted differences that they observed and barriers that they experienced across different clinical settings.Conclusions: This exploratory study is the first to examine dietetic interns’ perceptions of and experiences with EBP in the clinical setting. Future research is needed to identify how dietetics educators, librarians, and preceptors can address the barriers that interns perceive in applying EBP in their internships.


Author(s):  
Rikke Torenholt ◽  
Henriette Langstrup

In both popular and academic discussions of the use of algorithms in clinical practice, narratives often draw on the decisive potentialities of algorithms and come with the belief that algorithms will substantially transform healthcare. We suggest that this approach is associated with a logic of disruption. However, we argue that in clinical practice alongside this logic, another and less recognised logic exists, namely that of continuation: here the use of algorithms constitutes part of an established practice. Applying these logics as our analytical framing, we set out to explore how algorithms for clinical decision-making are enacted by political stakeholders, healthcare professionals, and patients, and in doing so, study how the legitimacy of delegating to an algorithm is negotiated and obtained. Empirically we draw on ethnographic fieldwork carried out in relation to attempts in Denmark to develop and implement Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) tools – involving algorithmic sorting – in clinical practice. We follow the work within two disease areas: heart rehabilitation and breast cancer follow-up care. We show how at the political level, algorithms constitute tools for disrupting inefficient work and unsystematic patient involvement, whereas closer to the clinical practice, algorithms constitute a continuation of standardised and evidence-based diagnostic procedures and a continuation of the physicians’ expertise and authority. We argue that the co-existence of the two logics have implications as both provide a push towards the use of algorithms and how a logic of continuation may divert attention away from new issues introduced with automated digital decision-support systems.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Abdullah Sarkar ◽  
Ahmad Ozair

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted medical education worldwide. While healthcare professionals labored to ensure proper care for COVID-19 patients, medical students suffered from high rates of anxiety, uncertainty, burnout, and depressive symptoms. Whilst students in the pre-clinical phase of education faced disruption of didactic lectures and laboratory training, senior medical students faced uncertainty regarding their clinical rotations and internships, which are vital for practical exposure to healthcare. Several studies across the world demonstrated that clinical learning was significantly affected, with students in many countries completely cut off from in-person rotations. The disruption of the clinical curriculum coupled with a sense of failure to contribute at a time of significant need often led to despair. Reforms proposed and/or implemented by governments, medical advisory boards, medical schools, and other administrative bodies were felt to be insufficient by the medical student fraternity at large. Consequently, these students continue to face high rates of anxiety, depression, and a general sense of cynicism. In this student-authored perspective, we highlight the challenges faced by and the psychological impact on medical students directly or indirectly from the pandemic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Blanca Paola Boria-Gamboa ◽  
José Alfredo Villagómez-Cortés ◽  
David Itzcoatl Martínez-Herrera

Background: Lyme disease is a relatively new and zoonotic canine pathology mostly unknown by people involved in the management and care of dogs.  Objective: to assess the knowledge about Lyme disease by veterinarians and veterinary students in Veracruz, Mexico. Methodology: three questionnaires were designed and applied to 290 individuals (40 small animal veterinarians, 50 in other professional practice and 200 veterinary students). Results and discussion: in general, the three groups were unaware about the disease, although there is a high interest in learning about this problem. Graduates from seven universities included in this study stated that Lyme disease was not part of the veterinary curriculum in their schools. Five clinical cases suggestive of Lyme disease occurring in dogs in the area were detected at the time of this research. Conclusion: although the presence of the agent causing Lyme disease has not been demonstrated in the studied area due to the lack of laboratory support and the apparent absence of the vector, it cannot be ruled out; furthermore, it is important that veterinary practitioners and student alike be aware of the potential presence of Lyme disease, paying particular attention to differential diagnosis when resembling clinical signs are observed.


2020 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2019-002133
Author(s):  
Katherine Webber ◽  
Rebecca Selman

BackgroundMultisource feedback provides ratings of a trainee doctor’s performance from a range of assessors and enables 360 degree feedback on communication skills and team working behaviours. It is a tool used throughout palliative medicine training in the UK. There are limited data on the value of multisource feedback from a palliative medicine trainee perspective.AimTo study the views of palliative medicine trainees regarding multisource feedback as an educational tool to develop communication skills.DesignA multimodal study encompassing a focus group and questionnaire mailed to all deanery palliative doctors.Setting/participantsAll palliative medicine trainees within a UK training deanery.ResultsOver half of responding trainees thought multisource feedback had little or no impact on their clinical practice. Improvements in delivery of multisource feedback to maximise learning were identified, including skilled feedback and facilitation by educational supervisors.ConclusionsDespite multisource feedback currently having limited benefits, a number of recommendations are suggested to improve this.


2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoit Pétré ◽  
Nicolas Gillain ◽  
Nadine Jacqmin ◽  
Jef Adriaenssens ◽  
Kristel Vandenbosch ◽  
...  

Healthcare ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Rantala ◽  
Lina Behm ◽  
Helena Rosén

Quality within all areas of healthcare should be systemically monitored and ensured. However, the definition of quality is complex and diverse. In the ambulance service (AS), quality has traditionally been defined as response time, but this measurement eliminates the possibility of addressing other characteristics of quality, such as the care provided. This study aimed to explore what constitutes quality in the context of the ambulance service as experienced by ambulance clinicians, physicians, and managers. A focus group study was conducted with 18 participants. The three focus groups were analyzed with the focus group method developed by Kreuger and Casey. The participants highlighted patient involvement, information and care, as well as adherence to policies, regulations, and their own standards as representing quality in the AS. This study demonstrates that quality is in the eye of the beholder. As quality seems to be viewed similarly by patients and ambulance clinicians, physicians, and managers, stakeholders should aim for a paradigm shift where patients’ experience of the care is just as important as various time measures.


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