Piloting a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Needs Assessment to Explore Patron Perceptions at a University Health Science Library

Objective: A pilot diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) needs assessment was conducted at a health sciences library. The objectives were to 1) quantitatively assess patrons’ attitudes towards the existing DEI climate in the library and 2) qualitatively identify contextual factors influencing patrons’ perceptions. Population: The assessment was led by a DEI Team at the University of Florida’s Health Science Center Libraries (HSCL). HSCL serves the university’s six health science colleges from two sites, Gainesville and Jacksonville. HSCL Gainesville was selected as the study location, due to higher annual footfall within the physical library. Methods: Two “HappyOrNot” customer satisfaction machines were placed by library exits. Twelve DEI-related questions were displayed on the machines, one question per week, for the duration of 12 weeks total. Additionally, a box for open-ended comments was placed by each machine. Findings: The total number of responses was 3,445, with 7 written comments. Overall, respondents felt happiest with the library’s welcoming and home-like environment. The library was perceived by many as a physically safe space. Most also felt that the library demonstrates a commitment to DEI and that they are treated fairly, equitably, and with respect by library staff. Areas of concern were a perceived lack of respect from other library visitors, as well as library services for patrons with disabilities and non-native English language speakers. Conclusions: The project enabled the HSCL to gather important information concerning patrons’ perceptions of the library’s DEI climate and their associated needs. The HappyOrNot machines provided a straightforward and convenient method for patron feedback, resulting in an impressive number of responses. However, limitations of the pilot included the inability to obtain participants’ demographic information, as well as the anecdotal evidence indicating that some respondents did not read the questions. Future plans therefore involve a follow-up online survey with detailed demographic questions.

The people behind the papers – Nathalia Azevedo Portilho, Rebecca Scarfò, Andrea Ditadi and Momoko Yoshimoto

Blood cells emerge in several waves through a number of different progenitors during embryonic development. A new paper in Development investigates whether the development of B1 lymphocytes, a type of B cell, is dependent on the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells. To hear more about the story, we caught up with joint first authors Nathalia Azevedo Portilho and Rebecca Scarfò, and their respective supervisors Momoko Yoshimoto, Associate Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, USA, and Andrea Ditadi, Group Leader at the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele in Milan, Italy.

2019 Novel Coronavirus Vaccination Among Medical Students

COIVD-19 vaccination of medical students is essential since these students will have contact with patients and will become future healthcare leaders. Hence, we surveyed medical students at Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock, TX, and received 234 responses. The majority of students were vaccinated against COVID-19 (215/234; 91.8%) and reported pro-vaccine attitudes, such as support for a COVID-19 booster shot (191/234; 81.6%) and an annual COVID-19 vaccine (186/234; 79.5%). Among those who did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the most frequent reasons included waiting for more evidence (16/19; 84.2%) and concern about the side effects (15/19; 79.0%). These results indicate that medical students consider vaccination important and suggest that students can provide an important resource for patients and public education.

Challenges for China's medical education in the coming post-COVID-19 era

The year of 2020 has been overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical workers throughout China have played critical roles in battling severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and saving lives. The whole of society has now fully realized the significance of medical workers and many began to think about medical education in China: How can we further improve medical education for the next generation of clinicians, medical scientists, nurses, public-health workers and administrators related to medical care, so that they are well prepared to meet societal needs for medical care in the ever-changing world? In this panel discussion, medical-education experts from several prominent medical schools in China gathered to discuss the reform and future development of China's medical education. Xiang Chen President of Xiangya School of Medicine, Vice President of Central South University, Changsha, China Baorong Chi Professor of Norman Bethune Health Science Center of Jilin University, Changchun, China Yiqun Hu Vice Chancellor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China Yang Ke Professor of Peking University Health Science Center, former Vice President of Peking University, Beijing, China Ming Kuang Vice President of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China Mengfeng Li President of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China Hongbing Shen President of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China Xuehong Wan Professor of West China Medical Center, Vice President of Graduate School of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China Hong Yan President of Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Vice President of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China Guoqiang Chen (Chair) Chancellor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China