Dataset: Knowledge and attitude retention following an implicit bias classroom workshop

Background: Baylor College of Medicine provides a classroom-based implicit bias workshop to all third-year medical students to increase students’ awareness of their unconscious bias and develop strategies for reducing health care disparities. The workshop meets our immediate goals and objectives. However, we are unsure if the benefit would be long-term or diminish over time. Methods: To examine the concept retention from the implicit bias classroom workshop, we administered a self-developed seven-item seven-point Likert-scale survey to our medical students at pre-, post-, and one-year post-workshop attendance. Results: The data set was comprised of survey results from two cohorts of our third and fourth-year medical students from 2018 to 2020 and included 289 completed records at three measurement points. The data included: Student Identifiers, Sex, Race/Ethnicity, Student Enrollment Type, Cohort, and three repeated measures results for each of the seven items, which were documented in wide format. The data may be of interest to those who wish to examine how factors including elapsed time, race, and sex may associate with attitudes and understandings of implicit bias following related training, and those interested in analytical methods on longitudinal research in general.

Employment of color Doppler echocardiographic video clips in a cardiac auscultation class with a cardiology patient simulator: discrepancy between students’ satisfaction and learning

Background We have provided fourth-year medical students with a three-hour cardiac auscultation class using a cardiology patient simulator since 2010. The test results of 2010-2012 revealed that as compared with aortic stenosis murmur, students correctly identified murmurs of other valvular diseases less often. We investigated whether employment of color Doppler echocardiographic video clips would improve proficiency in identifying murmurs of aortic regurgitation and mitral regurgitation, and whether students’ favorable responses to a questionnaire were associated with improved proficiency. Methods A total of 250 fourth-year medical students were divided into groups of 7-9 students in 2014 and 2015. Each group attended a three-hour cardiac auscultation class comprising a mini-lecture, facilitated training, two different auscultation tests (the second test being closer to clinical setting than the first) and a questionnaire. We provided each student with color Doppler echocardiographic videos of aortic regurgitation and mitral regurgitation using a tablet computer, which they freely referred to before and after listening to corresponding murmurs. The test results were compared with those in 2010-2012. The students had already completed the course of cardiovascular medicine, comprising lectures including those of physical examination, echocardiography, and valvular heart diseases, before participating in this auscultation training class. Results Most students indicated that the videos were useful or somewhat useful regarding aortic regurgitation (86.3%) and mitral regurgitation (85.7%). The accuracy rates were 78.4% (81.2% in 2010-2012) in aortic regurgitation and 76.0% (77.8%) in mitral regurgitation in the first test, and 83.3% (71.4%) in aortic regurgitation and 77.1% (77.6%) in mitral regurgitation in the second test, showing no significant differences as compared to 2010-2012. Overall accuracy rate of all heart sounds and murmurs in the first test and that of second/third/fourth sounds in the first and second tests were significantly lower in 2014-2015 than in 2010-2012. Conclusions Referring to color Doppler echocardiographic video clips in the way employed in the present study, which most students regarded as useful, did not improve their proficiency in identifying the two important regurgitant murmurs, revealing a discrepancy between students’ satisfaction and learning. Video clips synchronized with their corresponding murmurs may contribute toward improving students’ proficiency.

Teaching Medical Advances in a Time of Crisis: A Human Microbiome Data Interpretation E-Learning Elective for Medical Students

Medical schools were upended by the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in suspension of all in-person educational activities, and leaving clinical clerkships on hold. Emerging medical advances need to be integrated in undergraduate medical curriculum as evidence continues to evolve regarding their clinical application. Here, we describe an innovative distance- learning elective course developed to keep fourth year medical students abreast of important scientific advances. Within each module, each successive entry introduced concepts with increasing complexity and included up-to-date literature material to help in the learning progression. Students’ overall satisfaction was high, as the elective helped them gain personal confidence, improved their medical and intellectual skills, increased their curiosity in medical science, and allowed them to analyze scientific literature they did not understand before.

The Effectiveness of Training on Auscultation of Heart with a Simulator of Cardiology in Medical Students

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the training module with a simulator of cardiology improves auscultation skills in medical students. Methods. Medical students of the third year after completing the module of the cardiovascular system of the discipline “Propaedeutics of internal diseases, passed a two-hour or four-hour training module in clinical auscultation with retesting immediately after the intervention and in the fourth year. The control group consisted of fourth-year medical students who had no intervention. Results. The diagnostic accuracy in two-hour training was 45.9% vs 35.3% in four-hour training p <.001. The use of a cardio simulator significantly increased the accurate detection of mitral regurgitation immediately after training on a simulator (more than 73%) p <.001. The next academic year, regression was observed in the diagnostic accuracy of mitral insufficiency in the intervention group after six months of observation by 4%. The auscultation skills of students at the bedside of real patients did not increase after training on a simulator: the accuracy of diagnosis of the auscultatory picture of the defect was equally low in the intervention group and the control group (35.0% vs 30.8%, p = 0.651). Conclusions. Two-hour training was more effective than four-hour training. After training on cardiac auscultation using a patient’s cardiological simulator, the accuracy rate was low in a situation close to the clinical conditions and a clinic on a real patient.

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

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.

A Four-Week Otolaryngology Virtual Educational Curriculum for Prospective Applicants

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a suspension of visiting student rotations across the United States. For senior medical students applying into surgical subspecialties, such as otolaryngology, these away rotations serve a vital role in the residency application process. Prior to the pandemic, there was not a virtual alternative to in-person visiting student rotations for applicants. We developed a replicable and expandable program focused on helping prospective otolaryngology applicants (fourth-year medical students) gain exposure to the experiences typically offered via in-person rotations. The goal was to improve otolaryngology-specific knowledge and to help applicants demonstrate specific program interest, without the financial and logistical challenges associated with in-person away rotations.

Assessing Clinical Reasoning Ability in Fourth-year Medical Students via an Integrative Group History-taking Workshop With an Individual Reasoning Teaching Programme

Background: The most important factor in evaluating a physician’s competence is strong clinical reasoning ability, leading to correct principal diagnoses. The process of clinical reasoning includes history taking, physical examinations, validating medical records, and determining a final diagnosis. In this study, we designed a teaching programme to evaluate the clinical reasoning competence of fourth-year medical students.Methods: We created five patient scenarios for our standardised patients, including haemoptysis, abdominal pain, fever, anaemia, and chest pain. A group history-taking workshop with individual reasoning principles was implemented to teach and evaluate students’ abilities to take histories, document key information, and arrive at the most likely diagnosis. Residents were trained to act as teachers, and a post-study questionnaire was employed to evaluate the students’ satisfaction with the training programme.Results: A total of 76 students, five teachers, and five standardised patients participated in this clinical reasoning training programme. The average history-taking score was 64%, the average key information number was 7, the average diagnosis number was 1.1, and the average correct diagnosis rate was 38%. Standardised patients presenting with abdominal pain (8.3%) and anaemia (18.2%) had the lowest diagnosis rates. The scenario of anaemia presented the most difficult challenge for students in history taking (3.5/5) and clinical reasoning (3.5/5). The abdominal pain scenario yielded even worse results (history taking: 2.9/5 and clinical reasoning 2.7/5). We found a correlation in the clinical reasoning process between the correct and incorrect most likely diagnosis groups (group history-taking score, p=0.045; key information number, p=0.009 and diagnosis number, p=0.004). The post-study questionnaire results indicated significant satisfaction with the teaching programme (4.7/5) and the quality of teacher feedback (4.9/5).Conclusions: We concluded that the clinical reasoning skills of fourth-year medical students benefited from this training programme, and the lower correction of the most likely diagnosis rate found with abdominal pain, anaemia, and fever might be due to a system-based teaching programme in fourth-year medical students; cross-system remedial reasoning training is recommended for fourth-year medical students in the future.