Challenges and Motivational Facilitators of Social Accountability in Medical Students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences: A Qualitative Study

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.

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Understanding reasons for taking gap years before medical school, and the impact of gap years on the student experience of medical education

AJP Advances in Physiology Education ◽

10.1152/advan.00059.2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Haroon Rashid ◽

Jonathan D. Kibble

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Identity Formation ◽

Professional Identity Formation ◽

University Of Central Florida ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Central Florida ◽

The University ◽

The Impact ◽

Florida College

Gap years have grown in popularity among students attempting to go to medical school in recent years. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), more than half of matriculated students now have taken time off between their undergraduate studies and medical school. While many claim benefits to taking gap years, research on the impacts of these experiences on medical students is largely nonexistent. This study aims to qualitatively analyze the gap year phenomenon and its impacts on medical students through semi-structured interviews conducted at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. Through these interviews, the research team collected in-depth responses that were thematically analyzed. Analysis revealed the following major themes regarding the impacts of gap years: 1) adaptability to change and failure, 2) professional identity formation and understanding of team role, 3) understanding the "real world", 4) refocusing of goals, 5) resilience and stress management, and 6) reinforcement of motivation.

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Evaluation of the geriatric curriculum implemented at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, since 2017: A qualitative study

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.16040.2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 417 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Faezeh Jaafari ◽

Somayeh Delavari ◽

Leila Bazrafkan

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Clinical Education ◽

Group Discussion ◽

Geriatric Medicine ◽

General Medicine ◽

Ambulatory Setting ◽

Field Observations ◽

Medical Sciences ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

The University

Background: Recently, there has been an increase in life expectancy due to improvements in nutrition, health, and sanitation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the geriatric curriculum in the field of general medicine at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), Iran to improve the quality of services provided to this population in the community. Methods: This was a qualitative study. Six educational hospitals and ambulatory centers of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences participated in this study. Within these centers, 15 medical education faculty members and educational experts, 6 medical students, 6 elderly patients and 6 nurses working in the university related to the geriatric field were selected using purposive sampling. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion and field observations in the teaching hospital and ambulatory setting of SUMS from June 2017 to May 2018. Based on the qualitative research, the data underwent conventional content analysis and the main themes were developed from this. Results: Three main themes were extracted from the data: effective clinical education, geriatrics curriculum challenges and promotion strategies for geriatric medicine. Subcategories that emerged were a competent curriculum teacher, a challenging program, management of resources, promotion of the program, and the revision required in the curriculum, which were related to other concepts and described in the real-world situation of the geriatric curriculum in the university, as observed in field observations. Conclusions: This study identified three concepts as main themes that can be used to explain how to implement a geriatric curriculum in a medical university. The main contributing factor to different views of the participants was identified as the revision required to the curriculum for integrative care in a geriatric patient. This should be taken into consideration while planning any programs and decisions aimed at education of medical students on this topic.

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Medical Students’ Commitment during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Preparedness, Motivation, and Impact on Students’ Skills

10.21203/rs.3.rs-37069/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Lukas Müller ◽

Markus Heymanns ◽

Laura Harder ◽

Julia Winter ◽

Stephan Gehring ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Medical Center ◽

Care Staff ◽

Health Care Staff ◽

Web Based ◽

The University ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, many authors have suggested a commitment of medical students to support overworked health care staff. However, whether the students are prepared for such an occupation remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate medical students’ preparedness for a commitment in the pandemic and to assess the impact on their skills and attitudes.Methods: In April 2020, the CoronaPreventMainz (CPM) study was initiated to test 3300 employees with direct patient contact at the University Medical Center Mainz. To accomplish the huge logistic effort, medical students were recruited as support staff.Using a web-based questionnaire, the participating students were asked 27 questions covering six different topics.Results: Of the 75 recruited students, 63 (84.0%) participated in this survey. The median age was 24 years, and 66.6% (n = 42) were female. The vast majority agreed that students should be used as voluntary helpers during this crisis (87.3%) and had the feeling of contributing in the fight against the pandemic (90.5%). Most of the students (80.6%) even reported an improvement in their practical skills. Fear of self-infection was low (7.9%), and overextending situations occurred for just 3.2%. However, less than one-fifth (19.4%) of the students felt prepared for the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic by medical school, and two-thirds (67.7%) demanded special preparation. Conclusion: Through their commitment, the medical students felt that they were taking part in the fight against the pandemic. However, only a few felt well-prepared by medical school and the students’ need for special preparation courses is huge. Therefore, single-center initiatives can only be the beginning. Dedicated courses on how to support health care staff in natural disasters should be integrated into the medical curriculum to better prepare medical students for the next crisis.

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

10.31234/osf.io/478ef ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jihoon Hong ◽

Ikjae Jung ◽

Mingeol Park ◽

Kyumin Kim ◽

Sungook Yeo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Online Survey ◽

Rating Scales ◽

School Curriculum ◽

Social Accountability ◽

New Normal ◽

Adequate Knowledge ◽

The Impact

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.

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Evaluation of the geriatric curriculum implemented at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, since 2017: A qualitative study

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.16040.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 417 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Faezeh Jaafari ◽

Somayeh Delavari ◽

Leila Bazrafkan

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Clinical Education ◽

Group Discussion ◽

Geriatric Medicine ◽

General Medicine ◽

Ambulatory Setting ◽

Field Observations ◽

Medical Sciences ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

The University

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Challenges to student transition through a United Kingdom graduate-entry medicine degree programme

The Asia Pacific Scholar ◽

10.29060/taps.2020-5-2/oa2168 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 5-13

Author(s):

Simon Tso

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Medical Students ◽

Identity Development ◽

Medical School ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Degree Programme ◽

Graduate Entry ◽

Transition Experience ◽

The University ◽

Graduate Entry Medicine

Background: The transition experience of graduate-entry medicine degree programme students is less well understood as compared to those from undergraduate-entry medicine degree programmes. Aim: This thematic analysis study aimed to explore the transition experience of graduate-entry medicine degree programme students at a United Kingdom medical school. Methods: Twenty-one student volunteers from the University of Warwick 4-year graduate-entry medicine degree programme took part in this study with fourteen participants attended a further follow-up interview. Audio recordings of their semi-structured interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Results: Results revealed three key transition periods within the University of Warwick Medical School’s graduate-entry medicine degree programme. Learning, professional identity development and managing coping strategies were the three key challenging issues dominating their transition experience. Medical students encountered a range of challenging issues throughout their medical school journey that could be categorised under three conceptual themes: challenges associated with the curriculum, challenges associated with their social role and generic life challenges. Conclusions: The findings from this study could be useful to educators and medical schools in enhancing their student support services. It could also be useful to prospective and existing medical students in understanding the realities of undertaking a graduate-entry medicine degree programme.

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The impact of integrating environmental health into medical school curricula: a survey-based study

BMC Medical Education ◽

10.1186/s12909-020-02458-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Benjamin Kligler ◽

Genevieve Pinto Zipp ◽

Carmela Rocchetti ◽

Michelle Secic ◽

Erin Speiser Ihde

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Medical Education ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Environmental Health ◽

School Curriculum ◽

Learning Objectives ◽

Lead Contamination ◽

Institute Of Medicine ◽

The Impact

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.

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Academic relationships between Hungarian professors and the Second Vienna Medical School

Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift ◽

10.1007/s10354-021-00840-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Béla Szende ◽

Attila Zalatnai

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Medical School ◽

Medical Doctors ◽

Surgical Department ◽

Treatment And Prevention ◽

Obstetrics And Gynaecology ◽

Practice Of Medicine ◽

Vienna Medical School ◽

The University ◽

The Impact

SummaryThis article discusses the impact of the ‘second’ Vienna Medical School, hallmarked by Karl Rokitansky, Joseph Skoda and Ferdinand Hebra, on the study and practice of medicine in Hungary. Six medical doctors’ lives and achievements are outlined, who formed a bridge between Vienna and Budapest through their studies and work. Four of them returned to Hungary and promoted the cause of medicine and medical education there. Lajos Arányi (1812–1877) founded in 1844 the Institute of Pathology at the University of Pest. János Balassa (1814–1868) took the Chair of the Surgical Department. Ignaz Philip Semmelweis (1818–1865), the ‘Saviour of Mothers’, received a position at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Vienna in 1846. Gustav Scheuthauer (1832–1894) became Arányi’s successor. Each of them continued to keep contact with their tutors in Vienna, especially with Karl Rokitansky, and followed the clinicopathological conception pioneered by the Vienna Medical School regarding diagnostics, treatment and prevention of diseases. Two physicians remained in Vienna: Mór Kaposi (1837–1902), who became known worldwide posthumously due to the connection between Kaposi’s sarcoma and AIDS, was the director of the Department of Dermatology of the Vienna University in 1878. Salomon Stricker (1837–1898) undertook the leadership of the Department of General and Experimental Pathology in 1872.

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O52: THE IMPACT OF STUDENT BACKGROUND ON PERFORMANCE AND STRESS DURING SURGICAL SIMULATION

British Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1093/bjs/znab117.052 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 108 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

A Soualhi ◽

MSA Amin ◽

A Aydin ◽

MS Khan ◽

P Dasgupta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Surgical Simulation ◽

Demographic Factors ◽

Skills Acquisition ◽

Laparoscopic Skills ◽

Student Background ◽

Simulation Performance ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction Early exposure of medical students to surgical skills has been associated with an increased interest in pursuing a career in surgery. This study aimed to investigate the impact of student background on basic laparoscopic skills acquisition and perceived stress to workload during simulation. Method Students were recruited to a course modelled on the European Basic Laparoscopic Urological Skills (E-BLUS) programme. Students filled out a pre-course demographic survey, and a post-course survey that evaluated perceived stress to workload (SURG-TLX). Pre- and post-course confidence in laparoscopic skills, performance in the course, as well as SURG-TLX parameters were statistically compared for all demographic factors. Result Twenty-three participants completed the course, fifteen (65%) of which were female. Ten students were junior (first and second year), and thirteen were senior (third year and above). Hobbies were grouped into either requiring hand-eye coordination (n=9), manual dexterity (n=9), or no relevance to surgery (n=5). No significant differences were found in demographic factors for course performance or pre- and post-course confidence. No significant differences were found between male and female students, and between different hobby groups, in all SURG-TLX parameters. Senior students reported a significantly higher Physical Demand of the SURG-TLX compared to juniors (p=0.042). No differences were found in other parameters. Conclusion Our study showed no correlation between student background (notably sex and stage of medical school) and basic laparoscopic skills acquisition or stress during simulation. We therefore suggest that medical students are provided with more exposure to acquire basic laparoscopic skills regardless of their background. Take-home message Medical student background is not a discriminator in surgical simulation performance and stress. All medical students, regardless of their sex or stage of medical school, should be given the opportunity to practice laparoscopic skills.

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