A Scenario-based Approach to Teaching Professionalism to Medical Students (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Doctors play a key role in individuals’ lives undergoing a holistic integration into local communities. To maintain public trust, it is essential that professional values are upheld by both doctors and medical students. OBJECTIVE We aimed to ensure that students appreciated these professional obligations during the 3-year science-based, preclinical course with limited patient contact. METHODS An interactive professionalism course entitled ‘Entry to the Profession’ was designed for pre-clinical first year medical students. Two scenario-based sessions were created and evaluated utilizing established professionalism guidance and expert consensus. Quantitative and qualitative feedback on course implementation and development of professionalism was gathered through Likert-type five-point scales and debrief following course completion. RESULTS 70 students completed the Entry to the Profession course over a two-year period. Feedback regarding session materials and logistics ranged between (mean ± standard deviation) 4.16±0.93 (appropriateness of scenarios) to 4.66±0.61 (environment of sessions). Feedback pertaining to professionalism knowledge and behaviours ranged between 3.11±0.99 (need for professionalism) to 4.78±0.42 (relevance of professionalism). Qualitative feedback revealed that a small group format in a relaxed, open environment facilitated discussion of the major concepts of professionalism. CONCLUSIONS Entry to the Profession employed an innovative approach to introducing first-year medical students to complex professionalism concepts. Future longitudinal investigations should aim to explore its impact at various stages of preclinical, clinical and postgraduate training. CLINICALTRIAL NA

Iterative approach to journal club

To identify, evaluate and refine a journal club (JC) format that increases faculty and resident engagement. An initial needs assessment followed by a trial of three JC formats: traditional single presenter, debate style and facilitated small group discussion was piloted over 6 months. Anonymous feedback was collected. The facilitated small group format was chosen. Narrative and quantitative feedback were collected from residents and faculty at 6-month intervals for the next 24 months. Changes to the format were made using feedback. Fourteen residents (n=20, 70%) and 10 faculty (n=20, 50%) completed baseline surveys. We initially observed low resident (8/14, 57%) interest in JCs. Additionally, 9/14 (64%) of residents and 1/15 (7%) of faculty reported low confidence presenting articles publicly. After implementation of the new JC format, resident reported enjoyment, on a scale of 1–5, improved from 3.6 to 4.4 (p<0.01). We observed improvement in resident confidence in the ability to critique a paper (2.7 to 4.1, p<0.01) and in confidence speaking in front of both peers (3.8 to 4.6, p<0.01) and faculty (3.0 to 3.8, p=0.04). Faculty confidence with literature critique decreased (from 4.2 to 3.8), but enjoyment remained stable (4.3 to 4.2). A facilitated small group JC format was preferred in our programme. We observed measurable improvements in both resident interest and confidence, as well as sustained faculty interest in JCs. We fostered an environment of inquiry and identified areas of continued professional development.

IPM In-Depth: A New York Model for Hands-on Interactive Greenhouse Workshops

Growers of greenhouse ornamentals in New York State (NYS) have identified the need for improved diagnosis and management of diseases, insects, and media/fertility problems to reduce crop loss and improve crop quality. With the objective of using an interactive small-group format to encourage active learning of topics, our team developed a hands-on workshop model that we termed integrated pest management (IPM) In-depth. In addition, we wanted to deliver the workshop in several locations around NYS to reach growers who traditionally have not attended on-campus programs. Each program consisted of three modules focusing on an insect, disease, or plant culture topic. Participants were divided into small groups that rotated through the areas. From 2009 to 2013, we present 20 In-depth workshops in 14 NYS counties reaching 309 attendees. The project succeeded in its intent to reach growers who had limited access to previous IPM programming; 59% of attendees had not previously attended any type of IPM programming. The majority of attendees (66%) reported that they had learned information they intended to implement at their operations. Additional impacts and challenges of offering this hands-on program are discussed.

General Chemistry: Expanding the Learning Outcomes and Promoting Interdisciplinary Connections through the Use of a Semester-long Project

The laboratory component of a first-semester general chemistry course for science majors is described. The laboratory involves a semester-long project undertaken in a small-group format. Students are asked to examine whether plants grown in soil contaminated with lead take up more lead than those grown in uncontaminated soil. They are also asked to examine whether the acidity of the rainwater affects the amount of lead taken up by the plants. Groups are then given considerable independence in the design and implementation of the experiment. Once the seeds are planted, which takes about 4 wk into the term, several shorter experiments are integrated in before it is time to harvest and analyze the plants. The use of a project and small working groups allows for the development of a broader range of learning outcomes than occurs in a“ traditional” general chemistry laboratory. The nature of these outcomes and some of the student responses to the laboratory experience are described. This particular project also works well at demonstrating the connections among chemistry, biology, geology, and environmental studies.