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Background: Despite the extensive benefits associated with the provision of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) within a school context, many initial teacher training programs inadequately prepare pre-service teachers to deliver this content. Programs that do provide such instruction do not routinely share details of their curriculum, syllabi, or evaluation data. Methods: This paper outlines the structure of an Australian undergraduate course for pre-service teachers that focuses on instruction in CSE. This course spans twelve teaching weeks, aligns with evidence-based principles for sexuality education, prioritises experiential learning and requires students to complete authentic, practical assessment tasks. Formative, process, and short-term impact evaluation data, based upon five years of delivery, are described. Results: Students completing this course reported statistically significant improvements in attitudes associated with CSE and comfort in facilitating all domains of learning (knowledge, attitudes, skills). Conclusions: Positive process and short-term impact data provide strong evidence for the provision of CSE to pre-service teachers, regardless of future teaching speciality. Proposed amendments include the creation of a fully online tuition pattern and an expansion of content to incorporate other audiences, such as community-based educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenomenon: Patient-centered communication is an ideal for undergraduate medical education and has been for decades. However, medical students often find the patient-centered approach challenging. The present study finds a possible discordance between formal intentions of a medical curriculum and the corresponding learning environment. The objective of our study was to explore how medical curriculum resonates with the purpose of patient-centered medicine, including how a possible dynamic may have helped maintain this discordance in undergraduate medical education. Approach: The study took a qualitative approach exploring the medical curriculum via a structured communication course. The educational context for the course was considered a discursive environment, partially constructed through documents. The concept of textual agency was used to analyze curriculum and course documents. This was to explore how competencies were presented in the medical curriculum and course descriptions and how they were translated through the practices of the communication course. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze observations made during the course. Findings: Our analysis suggested that the medical curriculum content and structure still emphasize bio-medical disciplines and knowledge domains in students learning. This connected well with the socialization of medical students toward the role as medical experts whose primary task is to provide information, while patients are defined as passive subjects, who received information. The course description also operationalized complexities of patient-centered communication to a measurable, instrumental structure of skills. This focus on one-directional communication frames the students' understanding of the courses and their performance in it. They learn that: (1) meeting a real patient is a rare opportunity, (2) engaging patients' thoughts and feelings in the conversation is challenging, and (3) the biomedical aspect should be prioritized in the conversation. Insights: These findings suggested that the medical curriculum we studied gave limited room for patient-centered medicine, even in communication training. The power of macro-level documents framed and focused micro-level learning activities and could help explain observed disharmonies in patient-medical student encounters. We see how patient-centered medicine – in both texts and practice – is represented and enacted as a peripheral activity and patients are given a marginal position in encounters with students. The findings suggested that there are challenges for progress and change toward a more patient-centered communication training and curriculum. However, empirical findings also offered points of departure for course leaders and curriculum planners wishing to take steps toward a stronger and more reflective patient-centered approach in medical education, supported through the document structure and the translation of the curriculum through relevant learning activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transitions of patient care from the inpatient to outpatient setting is a high‐risk time often resulting in medical errors and adverse events. Transitions of care programmes have been demonstrated to reduce negative outcomes. Several professional societies have highlighted care transitions as a central pillar of patient care and therefore a crucial aspect of health professional education; however, little data exist on medical student education in this area. Approach: The Transitions of Care Curriculum was developed and delivered to all Harvard Medical School Core I Internal Medicine Clerkship students at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA between January 2017 and March 2019, where 12–14 students participated each quarter and included didactic teaching followed by experiential learning. Student data were collected via postclerkship survey. Patient data were collected via chart review. Student self‐reported comfort level with transitions in care skills and medical errors were analysed. Evaluation: All student measures related to comfort with transitions in care skills demonstrated statistically significant improvement after curriculum participation(p < 0.001). Of the patients with a completed postdischarge note, students identified ≥1 postdischarge related issue in 33 of 70 patients, with multiple issues identified in many of these patients. Seventy‐six total issues were identified. Implications: The Transitions of Care Curriculum demonstrated promising student and patient outcomes, suggesting that students can successfully learn and advance clinical skills while having a positive impact on a highly needed and important aspect of patient care by reducing postdischarge errors and adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) has long recognized and championed increasing diversity within the surgical workplace. SAGES initiated the Fundamentals of Leadership Development (FLD) Curriculum to address these needs and to provide surgeon leaders with the necessary tools and skills to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in surgical practice. In 2019, the American College of Surgeons issued a request for anti-racism initiatives which lead to the partnering of the two societies. The primary goal of FLD was to create the first surgeon-focused leadership curriculum dedicated to DEI. The rationale/development of this curriculum and its evaluation/feedback methods are detailed in this White Paper. Methods: The FLD curriculum was developed by a multidisciplinary task force that included surgeons, education experts, and diversity consultants. The curriculum development followed the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE) instructional design model and utilized a problem-based learning approach. Competencies were identified, and specific learning objectives and assessments were developed. The implementation of the curriculum was designed to be completed in short intervals (virtual and in-person). Post-course surveys used the Kirkpatrick's model to evaluate the curriculum and provide valuable feedback. Results: The curriculum consisted of interactive online modules, an online discussion forum, and small group interactive sessions focused in three key areas: (1) increasing pipeline of underrepresented individuals in surgical leadership, (2) healthcare equity, and (3) conflict negotiation. By focusing on positive action items and utilizing a problem-solving approach, the curriculum aimed to provide a framework for surgical leaders to make meaningful changes in their institutions and organizations. Conclusion: The FLD curriculum is a novel leadership curriculum that provided surgeon leaders with the knowledge and tools to improve diversity in three areas: pipeline improvement, healthcare equity, and conflict negotiation. Future directions include using pilot course feedback to enhance curricular effectiveness and delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Motility disorders are frequently encountered in gastroenterology (GI) practice, yet a national structured training curriculum for GI fellows in motility disorders is lacking. Since GI fellowships vary considerably in opportunities for specialized esophageal motility (EM) training, novel educational technology may be leveraged to provide standardized EM curriculum to train GI fellows in esophageal manometry. Methods: GI fellows participated in an online EM learning program at a single academic center from 2017 to 2022. Fellows answered case-based questions and were provided with evidence-based, corrective feedback related to core EM learning objectives. The primary outcome was change in knowledge and comfort in interpretation and clinical application of EM studies. Results: Sixty-nine fellows actively participated in the online EM curriculum. 65 fellows completed a pre-curriculum test, and 54 fellows completed a post-curriculum test. There was a cumulative improvement between pre-curriculum test and post-curriculum test scores from 70 to 87%, respectively (p < 0.001). Fellows had a mean improvement of 19% in questions as they progressed through the curriculum. Prior to enrolling in the EM course, 26% of fellows felt comfortable in interpreting EM studies compared to 54% of fellows after completion of the program (p < 0.001). Conclusion: An online, technology-based curriculum was effective in educating GI fellows on core competencies of EM. Fellows demonstrated improvement in proficiency of clinically important EM studies and increased comfort in interpreting EM studies. Further studies are needed to evaluate the use of technology-based learning to widely disseminate a structured training curriculum in EM, particularly in training programs without a motility presence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most school-based prevention curricula for young children fail to address multiple types of abuse and limit instruction to a single day, despite evidence that polyvictimization is common and children learn better when allowed to practice material repeatedly. This study utilized a cluster randomized control trial design to evaluate a multi-abuse prevention program, the Monique Burr Foundation for Children (MBF) Child Safety Matters®, based on varying lesson structure. Participants included nine Florida schools consisting of 843 children in grades K-2. Schools were randomized within cluster to implement in two lessons, four lessons, or after study data collection (i.e., control group). Lessons averaged 34 minutes (SD = 8.8 minutes) in length for 2-lesson group and 23.6 minutes (SD = 6.9 minutes) for the 4-lesson condition. Knowledge was assessed before implementation and on average 11 weeks after implementation. There were no statistical differences between clusters. Controlling for pre-test scores, schools in the four-lesson group scored highest on a measure of knowledge of potentially risky and unsafe situations (M = 69.68, SE =.80) on post-test, followed by schools in the two-lesson group (M = 67.31, SE =.77), followed by schools in the control group (M = 62.92, SE =.76). Results support use of more frequent, shorter lessons for prevention programs and the promise of addressing multiple forms of child victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Greater lifetime exposure to psychological trauma correlates with a higher number of health comorbidities and negative health outcomes. However, physicians often are not specifically trained in how to care for patients with trauma, especially in acute care settings. Our objective was to identify implemented trauma-informed care (TIC) training protocols for emergency and/or trauma service physicians that have both sufficient detail that they can be adapted and outcome data indicating positive impact. Methods:Weconducted a comprehensive literature search in MEDLINE (Ovid), Scopus, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Ebsco's Academic Search Premier, and MedEdPORTAL. Inclusion criteria were EM and trauma service clinicians (medical doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, residents), adult and/or pediatric patients, and training evaluation. Evaluation was based on the Kirkpatrick Model. Results: We screened 2,280 unique articles and identified two different training protocols. Results demonstrated the training included patient-centered communication and interprofessional collaboration. One curriculum demonstrated that targeted outcomes were due to the training (Level 4). Both curricula received overall positive reactions (Level 1) and illustrated behavioral change (Level 3). Neither were found to specifically illustrate learning due to the training (Level 2). Conclusion: Study findings from our review show a paucity of published TIC training protocols that demonstrate positive impact and are described sufficiently to be adopted broadly. Current training protocols demonstrated an increasing comfort level with the TIC approach, integration into current practices, and referrals to trauma intervention specialists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Secondary school students are vulnerable to risky sexual behaviors (RSBs) which may lead to adverse health consequences, such as teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV/AIDS. In Tanzania, the burden of teenage pregnancy was reported to be 27% in 2016. The integration of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education into the school curriculum is one of the proven crucial interventions. However, there is limited information on the extent to which curriculum-based SRH education is relevant for fostering good practices for coping with RSBs. This study sought to describe students' and teachers' perceptions of the relevance of curriculum-based SRH education. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted from May to June 2020 (involving 5 secondary schools in Ilemela district, Mwanza, Tanzania). In-depth interviews (30) were conducted among secondary school students and 10 interviews for teachers. The data were collected in Swahili and then transcribed and translated into English after which thematic content analysis was performed. Results: The majority (56%) of secondary school students were revealed to have a limited understanding of curriculum-based SRH education, which was limited to a few aspects of health that involved married people and pregnant women. Teachers of different subjects had different perceptions about the relevance of curriculum-based SRH education. Civics teachers had the perception that it was relevant and enough, while Biology teachers thought that it was not enough. Students reported utilizing the information taught in class to manage and navigate RSBs. Moreover, they expressed a need for additional delivery strategies to be used for a comprehensive understanding of sexual and reproductive health. Conclusion: Despite the identified gaps in providing a comprehensive knowledge that builds on the appropriate attitudes and skills, the existing curriculum-based SRH education in secondary schools was utilized to help students in addressing and managing RSBs. However, there is a need for more comprehensive information and an improved delivery approach for SRH to equip students with the necessary skills when faced with RSBs. Plain English summary: Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education integrated into school curricula has proven effective in addressing risky sexual behaviors (RSBs) among in-school adolescents. Adolescents attending secondary schools, are susceptible to RSBs such as early sexual activity, multiple partners, unprotected intercourse, and unsafe abortions, leading to adverse health outcomes such as teenage pregnancies and HIV/AIDS. Despite the integration of SRH education into secondary school syllabi, these behaviors are still evident among students. There is a lack of data on the impact and relevance of curriculum-based SRH education on RSBs. To explore the relevance and effectiveness of SRH education in addressing RSB patterns, in-depth interviews were conducted among secondary school students and civics and biology teachers focusing on their perceptions and practical outcomes of SRH education in reducing RSBs. After conducting a thematic content analysis three main themes were discovered: (1) Student's understanding of curriculum-based SRH education in coping with RSBs (2), Perceptions of curriculum-based SRH education in coping with RSBs and (3) Utilizing curriculum-based SRH education in coping with RSBs. Majority of secondary school students (56%) had a limited understanding of SRH narrowed to aspects concerning married individuals and pregnancy. Teachers provided varying opinions regarding the efficacy of curriculum-based SRH education, with Civics instructors believing there is relevance while Biology teachers considered it limited. Students acknowledged using the available knowledge to address RSBs but expressed a desire for supplementary strategies to achieve a more thorough understanding of SRH. Improving the SRH education provided in schools will help reduce the consequences of RSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurposeMethodsResultsConclusionsStudent study behaviours that prioritise the UKMLA content map over the local curriculum are a significant risk for UK medical education. To mitigate this, we describe a student-centred faculty process to improve local curriculum guidance based on an evaluation of student study behaviours, concerns and needs. Responses informed the build of an online curriculum map.A mixed methods approach was adopted, including an online anonymous survey exploring student study behaviours and preferences for curricular guidance. This was followed by student-led focus groups to explore emergent themes further. Qualitative data underwent reflexive thematic analysis.121 students responded to the survey, of which 12 consented to participate in two student-led focus groups. Five key themes emerged, including motivation for learning, student use of the intended curriculum, student experience of the enacted curriculum, the hidden curriculum, and expectations of an online curriculum map.A participatory framework enabled shared aims and responsive outcomes for curricular development in the run up to the UKMLA. Student responses led to clarification of guidance, reorganisation of learning resources and optimal design of an online curriculum map which linked all content in a visible, UKMLA aligned framework, accessible to all students and teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the main courses for the cultivation of professional quality and skills of horticulture specialty, the exploration on the mixed teaching reform of fruit cultivation course is still very limited. At the same time, the teaching pattern and teaching system of “curriculum ideological and political education” of the curriculum are not perfect, and the educational function of the curriculum is not fully played, which restricts the training of new farmers. In this paper, the implementation of new concepts, new missions, new goals and new measures of “Anji consensus”, “Beicang Action” and “Beijing Guide”was taken as the core, the moral education was regarded as the fundamental,strengthening agriculture and the development of rural areas were taken as their own responsibility. From the construction of teaching resources in the “earth classroom”,the exploration of blended teaching mode, the construction of interactive teaching design, the renewal of the “four modernizations” of teaching contents by scientific research, the exploration of diversified teaching methods based on the student-centered, diversified course evaluation integrated with knowledge, ability and process, the reform and practice were carried out. The teaching results of innovation and practice of TCE and TSFP teaching mode of fruit tree cultivation course under the background of new agricultural science were condensed and formed. The constructed TCE and TSFP mixed teaching model was highly operational, replicable and it could be applied in the mixed teaching of plant production courses, which was of great significance for improving the training quality of new agricultural and forestry talents, and promoting agricultural modernization and rural revitalization in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To validate the content of the prototype of a serious game targeted at teaching patient safety in nursing. Method: Methodological study with a quantitative approach, according to a psychometric reference. Validation procedures were carried out in November 2018, in two Delphi validations. The items that reached content validation coefficient of 0.80, or agreement equal or above 80%, were considered valid. Results: 10 judges participated in the first Delphi round, while 6 participated in the second. At the end of the second Delphi round, all items analyzed reached values above 0.80 and 80%. Conclusion: The content developed for the serious game is valid to promote the teaching of patient safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision-making in fetal cardiology is fraught with ethical issues yet education in bioethics for trainees is limited or nonexistent. In this innovation report, we describe the development of a fetal cardiology bioethics curriculum designed to address this gap. The curriculum was developed to supplement the core curriculum for cardiology fellows and fetal cardiology subspecialty trainees. The series combines didactic and interactive teaching modalities and contains 5 key components: (1) introduction to bioethics and its role in fetal cardiology, (2) counseling and pathways for compassionate terminal care, (3) case vignette-based ethical analysis and discussion cases, (4) fetal counseling considerations for shared decision-making and recommendations, (5) facilitated communications role play. The curriculum was refined using session evaluations from end users. This report describes the innovative curriculum as a starting point for further incorporation and study of bioethical education in pediatric cardiology and fetal training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There exists strong evidence for the early introduction of peanut to at‐risk infants for the primary prevention of peanut allergy. There is a need for educational initiatives to assist in dissemination and implementation of updated clinical guidelines on peanut allergy prevention. Approach: The aim for this project was to create an innovative curriculum for paediatricians on peanut allergy prevention. The Intervention to Reduce Early Allergy (Peanut) in Childhood (iREACH) study was leveraged to recruit paediatricians for a needs assessment. Materials from the iREACH study, including an educational YouTube video and knowledge survey, were evaluated. Applying findings from the needs assessment, an innovative curriculum was developed, and updated knowledge survey questions were developed. Evaluation: The iREACH YouTube video had suboptimal viewing behaviours, and iREACH participants had high baseline knowledge scores that did improve after viewing the video. The majority of respondents to the needs assessment felt that all paediatricians needed access to an effective educational module on peanut allergy prevention, and they wanted a broadly accessible curriculum that incorporated quality media and content segmentation. An online, interactive curriculum was developed that includes clinical cases and games, and updated knowledge questions were created with associated internal structure and reliability evidence, as well as relation to other variables evidence. Implication: The next steps of this project will focus on curriculum implementation and evaluation through a randomised, prospective study with the aim to serve as an educational model for how to integrate specialty‐specific guidelines into broader clinical practice through education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Associate Fellowship Program (AFP) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), a postgraduate training residency for early career librarians, incorporates a curriculum component introducing participants to the operational areas of the NLM. Recent organizational shifts catalyzed a curriculum evaluation to examine its alignment with the mission of the AFP and the NLM. This article outlines the evaluation process and offers recommendations on designing post-graduate curricula to serve the needs of emerging professionals. Furthermore, this study highlights one way in which professional standards can be incorporated into institutional training and orientation programs to further both individual and organizational professional development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Picture-word writing curriculum-based measures (PW CBM-Ws) are technically sound, formative measures of descriptive, sentence-level writing but cannot estimate underlying linguistic skills. The purpose of this exploratory alternative scoring investigation was to apply metrics from language sample analysis (LSA) to PW CBM-Ws as a complementary measure of underlying language skills in beginning writers' sentence-level writing. Method: LSA metrics were applied to 104 typically developing first through third graders' PW CBM-W samples across fall and spring semesters. Factorial analyses of variance with post hoc Bonferroni pairwise comparisons were applied after obtaining alternate-form reliability and criterion-related validity estimates. Results: Analyses revealed reliable discrimination between grades and significant growth between fall and spring semesters for three LSA metrics: mean length of T-unit in words, mean length of T-unit in morphemes, and number of different words. While mean length of T-unit in words and morphemes demonstrated evidence of discrimination and growth in first grade only, number of different words showed evidence of reliable discrimination and growth in first and third grades. Conclusions: Mean length of T-unit in words, mean length of T-unit in morphemes, and number of different words showed evidence of adequate criterionrelated validity, discrimination among grades, and sensitivity to growth when calculated using PW CBM-W samples to gauge underlying linguistic skills in first- and third-grade students. Implications and future directions for research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: In many medical schools, students are exposed to obstetrics for 2 weeks during the third-year obstetrics and gynecology clerkship. Hence, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a curriculum combining online obstetric modules and a normal spontaneous vaginal delivery (NSVD) simulation on medical student knowledge and comfort pertaining to obstetrics at the start of the clerkship. METHODS: Students completed the curriculum at the start of the clerkship. They completed questionnaires before and after each module and the simulation. The questionnaires assessed knowledge, management comfort level, and satisfaction with module/simulation. Comfort level and satisfaction scores were based on a 1–5 Likert scale (1 = very uncomfortable/unfavorable, 5 = very comfortable/favorable). Satisfaction scores for online modules were compared with those for a historical cohort of traditional lectures on the same topics. Students also rated satisfaction with the curriculum. RESULTS: Sixty students participated. Mean knowledge and comfort scores significantly increased from 7.2 to 9.2 (P <.001) and from 2.7 to 3.9 (P <.001) before and after the modules, respectively. Although satisfaction scores for traditional lectures were significantly higher than for online modules (4.7 vs. 4.4, P <.001), online modules were still favorably received. Mean satisfaction score for the NSVD simulation was 4.8. Overall, satisfaction score for the curriculum was 4.5. DISCUSSION: An obstetric curriculum consisting of online modules and simulation significantly increases medical student learner knowledge and comfort and is associated with a high level of satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluid mechanics is a fundamental course in many disciplines such as civil engineering and hydraulic engineering, with broad applicability and practical significance in engineering. However, the abstractness and multiplicity of its basic concepts hinders students' first-hand experience during traditional classroom learning, and the time and space limitation of its offline experiment often results in unsatisfying teaching effectiveness. To address these challenges, a set of virtual simulation experiment system is developed for the course of fluid mechanics, along with an external support system to maximize its performance. Evaluation based on curriculum objective achievement shows that this experimental system has significantly improved the teaching effectiveness for the course of fluid mechanics. It promotes students' independent learning skills and their ability utilizing fluid mechanics knowledge to understand, simplify and solve practical engineering problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood forms the fundamental basis for developing various social-emotional skills and represents a unique opportunity to lay the foundation for healthy development. Insensitive learning environments in early childhood may lead to social-emotional difficulties, increasing the risk of developing severe behavioral problems. However, professional development (PD) opportunities that support early childhood education professionals' (ECEPs) knowledge and skills to promote young children's social and emotional development are scarce. In Finland, notably, the increasing need to enhance competence through further training has been widely recognized. Therefore, this study introduced the POMPedaSens program in early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Finland. The program aims to promote children's social-emotional learning (SEL) by supporting ECEPs' engagement and emotional availability. As a universal intervention program, POMPedaSens includes all children in ECEC regardless of risk factors. The present study included 200 children (MAGE = 72.27 months, SD = 5.48; 53% girls) and 62 ECEPs (MAGE = 43.82 years, SD = 11.71; 95% female). ECEPs received the intervention training to implement the curriculum in their everyday daycare routine. The present study describes the program design, implementation, and results from a preliminary evaluation of the social validity of the POMPedaSens program, measured by the ECEPs' satisfaction with the program. The results of the social validity evaluation suggested high teachers' satisfaction and improved children's SEL. These findings prove that the program may effectively build ECEPs' capacity to promote children's SEL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching the components of health advocacy is straightforward, but fostering young people's self-efficacy to be health advocates for themselves, others, and their community is more complex. This complexity sometimes renders advocating for health, the basis of National Health Education Standard (NHES) #8, challenging to teach. We utilized a pedagogical approach called biblioguidance to teach this skill to 10th-grade students. The premise of biblioguidance, also called bibliotherapy, is that information, guidance, and even solace can be found through reading and vicariously living story events. To implement this approach, we consulted the literature and created a six-step framework to guide the design, development, and evaluation of a health advocacy curriculum, including young adult novels, guided reading prompts, electronic journals, and small group discussions. Our pre/post-assessment, rooted in NHES #8, evaluated the impact on students' (N = 168) self-efficacy to health advocate for themselves, others, and the community. Results revealed a significant change (p <.001), particularly in advocating for community health. Further, the teachers found that the curriculum facilitated the discussion of health-related topics in subsequent units. We will continue using the curriculum but expand it to include opportunities for authentic application and qualitative data evaluation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical schools' curricula have expanded over the decades to incorporate important new medical breakthroughs and discoveries. Their current focus and overall structures remain, however, stubbornly captive of early 20th‐century thinking, with changes having been undertaken in a piecemeal fashion. Indeed, since the notable Flexner reform in 1910, medical schools' study plans have suffered successive and typically always partial adjustments which have failed to keep up with scientific, technological and sociological change. This difficulty may be attributable to the well‐known conservatism of medical schools, where updating study plans is a process that invariably encounters numerous barriers to change. These observations were afforded detailed attention some 15 years ago when de Oliveira wrote: 'it is now perfectly demonstrated that public medical schools have not been able to adapt their operation in depth and in due time to the new demands of teaching dictated by an explosive scientific and technological development'. Recent advances in communication and information technologies, as well as the introduction of new pedagogical techniques, have the potential to bring significant benefits to medical practice and healthcare systems, but these have not in the main become properly taught and utilized. The proposition that healthcare is evolving from reactive disease care to care that is predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory was initially regarded as highly speculative, yet systems approaches to biology and medicine are now beginning to provide experience of both health and disease at the molecular, cellular and organ levels. Medicine is a broad scientific field. In contrast to the 19th century, current medical 'sectarianism' is a positive by‐product of rapid and gratifying medical progress, and the multiplicity of new models means that the lines of evidence legitimately bearing on practice and health policymaking are already highly diverse and likely to become ever more variegated over time. Put simply, most sound decisions, by definition, will be evidence‐informed and not evidence‐based, where divergence may be as informative as convergence. Here, the most enduring lesson of history is, perhaps, that clinical medicine is constantly rediscovering its humanistic core. Complexities create opportunities for innovation. In innovative environments, high‐performing organizations are finding ways to create a culture that supports a diverse workforce preparing to deliver different models of care, with direct implications for excellence of patient experience and strong repercussions for medical education. The COVID‐19 crisis saw major increases in the use of telemedicine, virtual office visits and other forms of online contact, and these are likely to increase considerably. This particular transformation will not be easy or comfortable to make. But reconfiguration of medical education seems inevitable, fuelled by online educational technology and the need to transform clinical training to more outpatient settings with promotion based on competency and person‐centeredness, not simply time. As we prepare to enter 2024, this is an exciting time to be working in healthcare. We have more evidence than ever about how to provide high quality, person‐centered care, and to keep patients safe. Shame on us if there is any hesitation about applying this knowledge to make the healthcare experience better for patients and providers. Embracing change and making continuous improvements are essential and urgent priorities for medicine and healthcare and, as we describe in the current article, will become more and more indispensably important in our rapidly changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Environmentally sustainable food initiatives accompanying nutrition education, such as the Food Education and Sustainability Training (FEAST) program, have gained traction in school settings. The aim of this trial was to conduct an impact and process evaluation of FEAST, to evaluate its effect on children's fruit and vegetable (F&V) intakes, and secondary outcomes: F&V variety consumed, nutrition knowledge, food preparation/cooking skills, self-efficacy and behaviours, food waste knowledge and behaviours, and food production knowledge. Methods: FEAST was a 10-week curriculum-aligned program, designed to educate children about healthy eating, food waste, and sustainability, while teaching cooking skills. It was implemented by classroom teachers, face-to-face and online, during COVID-19 school closures, in Australia in 2021. A custom designed survey was used to collect baseline and post-intervention data from students. Generalised linear mixed models (GLMM) estimated group differences in pre-post changes for primary and secondary outcomes. Surveys were also administered to students and teachers to evaluate intervention implementation. Results: Twenty schools participated and self-selected to be either intervention schools (n = 10) or wait-list control (WLC) schools (n = 10). A total of 977, 5th and 6th grade children participated in the trial with a mean age of 11.1 years (SD ± 0.7). The FEAST intervention, compared to WLC, did not result in significant increases in primary outcomes nor secondary outcomes. The process evaluation revealed FEAST was well-received by students and teachers, but COVID-19 school closures hindered implementation fidelity with a less intense program delivered under the constraints of pandemic lockdowns. Conclusions: This is the first cluster non-randomized controlled trial designed to independently evaluate FEAST in the primary-school setting. No evidence was found for improved F&V intakes in children, nor secondary outcomes. However, the positive process evaluation results suggest that further trials of the program are warranted. If implemented as originally designed (pre-pandemic), with increased duration and complemented by supporting school policies, such programs have the potential to improve children's daily F&V intakes, cooking skills and food waste behaviours. This would support the Australian curriculum and contribute to: health promotion within schools and sustainable schools initiatives, the national agenda to reduce food waste and sustainable development goals. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: [ACTRN12620001347954]- Registered prospectively on 14/12/2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of teaching can be an essential driver for curriculum development. Instruments for teaching evaluation are not only used for the purpose of quality assurance but also in the context of medical education research. Therefore, they must meet the common requirements for reliability and validity. This position paper from the GMA Teaching Evaluation Committee discusses strategic and methodological aspects of evaluation in the context of undergraduate medical education and related courses; and formulates recommendations for the further development of evaluation. First, a four-step approach to the design and implementation of evaluations is presented, then methodological and practical aspects are discussed in more detail. The focus here is on target and confounding variables, survey instruments as well as aspects of implementation and data protection. Finally, possible consequences from evaluation data for the four dimensions of teaching quality (structural and procedural aspects, teachers and outcomes) are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Medical school curricula have increasingly incorporated topics and content related to health equity and affiliated social determinants of health. However, there is limited literature to guide how programs might measure the success of these initiatives. Previous studies assessed medical student attitudes and perceived knowledge, preparedness, and skills. Based on self-reported measures of these attributes, we compared within-group and between-group differences at the onset of a novel equity-focused curriculum implementation. METHODS: A multi-component approach to "thread" lectures, panel discussions, and other content dedicated to health equity concepts was assessed using adapted versions of two validated survey instruments of the measured constructs. Baseline data were collected prior to coursework and at follow-up early in students' second year assessed change attributable to the equity-focused curriculum thread, with additional comparison to a cohort of second-year students who had no exposure to the curriculum. Data were collected at the beginning of academic years 2021–2022 and 2022–2023. RESULTS: The multivariate analysis of variance indicated significant change over time (p < 0.001) with the analyses of variance identifying students' perceived current skills and topic knowledge increasing over time. No significant differences were found between two separate groups of M2 students. CONCLUSIONS: Students' perceived skills at working with diverse patient populations and knowledge of topics focused on health equity increased across the study, despite a much smaller response rate for the same student cohort at follow-up. Students' perception that they are prepared to care for patients of diverse backgrounds was unaffected. Attitudinal assessment revealed a ceiling effect at baseline, which should be explored further with longitudinal assessment. For the ongoing effort to evaluate the success of equity-focused curricula and programs, this study contributes evidence of change on some but not all outcomes, and can help guide other programs in determining which outcomes best reflect areas of programmatic need and impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Best practices for content selection, mode of delivery, and timing of pediatric clerkship readiness curricula for medical students have, by and large, not been established. Capitalizing on changes in structure of the clinical clerkships during the COVID-19 pandemic, we created an upfront clerkship readiness curriculum, termed Pediatric Intersession (PI), to replace the existing weekly lecture-based clerkship didactics. METHODS: Our goal was to develop an interactive curriculum with innovative instructional design methodology intended to promote broad foundational pediatric knowledge and clerkship preparedness using case-based learning. We first conducted a needs assessment and crafted curriculum content using guiding principles from the 2019 Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP) curriculum. We then organized material into four daily modules prior to the start of the clerkship and employed flipped classroom (FC) methodology. RESULTS: Sixty-six percent of students completed course evaluations, and >90% of the 100 respondents reported that the PI enhanced their clinical learning. Pre-/post-testing demonstrated some knowledge gain following the small-group sessions and there was no change on the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Subject Exam mean scores compared to prior cohorts of students. CONCLUSIONS: The global pandemic provided an opportunity to re-envision our pediatric clerkship didactics content, while also incorporating instructional design methodology preferred by students. Our curriculum promotes a small group-based, interactive approach to clerkship readiness that fosters learning in the clinical environment that can be adapted for various settings. Our evaluation suggests that the transition to a FC readiness curriculum can be done successfully while effectively preparing students for their pediatric clerkship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training is essential to graduate medical education, but it lacks standardization. Although the impact of providers’ biases and cultural competency on patient outcomes is well documented, the value of and satisfaction with DEI curricula in Pediatrics residency training programs is not well studied. This study aimed to complete a cross-sectional evaluation of the current DEI curriculum at a large Pediatrics-focused academic institution and identify areas of perceived deficiency among Pediatrics trainees. Methods: Residents and residency program directors completed surveys in 2020. Respondents evaluated the DEI curriculum of the program and the competency of residents to complete patient care related to specific DEI-oriented actions. Our analysis used descriptive statistics. Results: In total, 48 of 137 resident trainees (35%) and 7 of 9 program leaders (78%) completed the survey. Respondents were most dissatisfied with current education related to implicit bias, refugee/immigrant health, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other health topics. Respondents reported low resident competency in DEI-focused patient care tasks and did not view residents as competent to address the healthcare needs of patients and families experiencing racism. Conclusions: Pediatrics residents and program directors consider DEI topics important and express a need for more robust DEI curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to evaluate the implementation of the revitalized tertiary physical education program known as the Physical Activity towards Health and Fitness (PATHFit) of a state university in Pampanga, Philippines relative to the statutory standard of the Commission on Higher Education and UNESCO's Quality Physical Education (QPE) Model. A Mixed Methods Sequential Explanatory Design was utilized involving faculty members (n = 24) and a stratified sample of second-year college students (n = 114). Instrumentations were drafted based on the provisions of two standards considered in the study. The quantitative phase revealed that both the internal stakeholders evaluated the standards of the CMO 39, s. 2021 and the QPE standards and found them to be extremely evident and extremely effective. Additionally, t-tests revealed that there was a significant difference in the evaluation of the respondents. Regression analysis further identified that all five dimensions of the QPE which are assessed in concreteness are significant predictors of program effectiveness. The qualitative phase explored the two dimensions as actualized by the university in terms of notable practices and challenges encountered. It was suggested that the university may institutionalize mechanisms to foster quality physical education standards as embedded in the curriculum development cycle's planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a postgraduate training programme in child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) in Nigeria. It explains the background, curriculum development, teaching, evaluation and outcomes. By its 10th year the programme had trained 166 CAMH professionals from 14 African countries. Many of the graduates are running clinical CAMH services in their countries, mostly pioneered by them. They are also conducting CAMH training, including as faculty on the programme, and some are in international CAMH leadership roles. Key success elements of the programme that can be replicated in other low- and middle-income countries include international partnership, adopting a train-the-trainer approach, using a curriculum that covers clinical aspects of CAMH while also developing leadership and research skills, use of free-access training resources, and access to seed funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To address health inequities, emergency physicians must understand the structural underpinnings of health disparities, including social determinants of health (SDoH), and must critically reflect on the integration of SDoH into clinical practice. SDoH education should include reflective knowledge acquisition, while incorporating systemic sociohistorical forces and individual factors, such as bias, which propagate inequities but are rarely emphasized in graduate medical education (GME). The health humanities (HH), an inclusive transdisciplinary field combining arts, humanities, and social justice, may represent a novel unexplored approach toward incorporating SDoH in GME. Methods: We sought to implement and evaluate a GME HH‐based curriculum focused on SDoH. An interprofessional team applied Kern's framework to create a longitudinal HH curriculum integrating narrative medicine and visual thinking strategies with evidence‐based practices for addressing SDoH in clinical practice. This curriculum was implemented for 52 residents in an EM program in 2019–2020; sessions were initially held in the classroom and community and then virtually during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Objectives included encouraging (1) critical thinking about SDoH, (2) engagement with patients and communities, (3) self‐reflection, and (4) translation of SDoH to patient care. Descriptive statistics and a constructivist paradigm were applied to results of a postcurriculum survey and focus group, respectively. Results: A curriculum evaluation survey completed by 32/52 residents (61.5%) revealed agreement (75%–90%) that objectives were met. 93.1% of respondents thought humanities were important in residency training. Qualitative analysis of a focus group with 10 participants revealed additional impacts on individual growth, transformation of departmental culture, and transformation of patient care. Curriculum implementation was inexpensive and relied on interprofessional collaboration. Conclusions: The HH represent a promising collaborative framework for integrating SDoH in GME and may inspire transformation of learners' attitudes and practices in EM, though clinical impacts still need to be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To create an interdisciplinary curriculum to teach key topics at the intersection of women's health, gender-affirming care, and health disparities to internal medicine (IM) residents. Materials and Methods: A core team of faculty from IM, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Surgery partnered with faculty and fellows from other disciplines and with community experts to design and deliver the curriculum. The resulting curriculum consisted of themed half-day modules, each consisting of three to four inter-related topics, updated and repeated on an ∼3-year cycle. Health equity was a focus of all topics. Module delivery used diverse interactive learning strategies. Modules have been presented to ∼175 residents annually, beginning in 2015. To assess the curriculum, we used formative evaluation methods, using primarily anonymous, electronic surveys, and collected quantitative and qualitative data. Most surveys assessed resident learning by quantifying residents' self-reported comfort with skills taught in the module pre- and postsession. Results: Of 131 residents who completed an evaluation in 2022/23, 121 (90%) "somewhat" or "strongly" agreed with their readiness to perform a range of skills taught in the module. In all previous years where pre- and postsurveys were used to evaluate modules, we observed a consistent meaningful increase in the proportion of residents reporting high levels of comfort with the material. Residents particularly valued interactive teaching methods, and direct learning from community members and peers. Conclusion: Our interdisciplinary curriculum was feasible, valued by trainees, and increased resident learning. The curriculum provides a template to address equity issues across a spectrum of women's and gender-affirming care conditions that can be used by other institutions in implementing similar curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing research is the key to building an evidence-based practice for nursing. It is a necessity for nursing students to be professionals and to be encouraged to conduct research. This research was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a scientific research education program on the attitudes of nursing students towards research methods. A single group pre and post implementation study. The sample was composed of the third-year nursing students (n = 196). A questionnaire, and the Scientific-Research-Methods-Course-Attitude-Scale (SRMC-AS) were used for the data collection. The intervention consisted of theoretical education, group discussions, and research project writing practices lead by the researchers. The difference between mean scores of the SRMC-AS baseline measurement (85.18 ± 9.09), 3rd month (91.20 ± 7.59), and 6th month (90.68 ± 11.16) was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The scientific research education program was found effective about positively increasing the attitudes of the students towards the course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Development of core concepts in disciplines such as biochemistry, microbiology and physiology have transformed teaching. They provide the foundation for the development of teaching resources for global educators, as well as valid and reliable approaches to assessment. An international research consensus recently identified 25 core concepts of pharmacology. The current study aimed to define and unpack these concepts. Experimental Approach: A two‐phase, iterative approach, involving 60 international pharmacology education experts, was used. The first phase involved drafting definitions for core concepts and identifying key sub‐concepts via a series of online meetings and asynchronous work. These were refined in the second phase, through a 2‐day hybrid workshop followed by a further series of online meetings and asynchronous work. Key Results: The project produced consensus definitions for a final list of 24 core concepts and 103 sub‐concepts of pharmacology. The iterative, discursive methodology resulted in modification of concepts from the original study, including change of 'drug–receptor interaction' to 'drug–target interaction' and the change of the core concept 'agonists and antagonists' to sub‐concepts of drug–target interaction. Conclusions and Implications: Definitions and sub‐concepts of 24 core concepts provide an evidence‐based foundation for pharmacology curricula development and evaluation. The next steps for this project include the development of a concept inventory to assess acquisition of concepts, as well as the development of case studies and educational resources to support teaching by the global pharmacology community, and student learning of the most critical and fundamental concepts of the discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to design a proposed study unit via interactive chat (an educational bot on Telegram) and to explore its effectiveness in understanding the concepts of developing awareness towards green consumption among third-grade intermediate female students at the school in Taif City. The study utilized the experimental approach with a quasi-experimental design – a one-group design. To achieve the study’s objectives, a study unit was designed according to the ADDIE model, in addition to developing pre-test and post-test, a teacher's guide, and a student's book. After confirming the validity and reliability of the study tools, they were applied to a sample of 44 female students from the third grade of the Fifty-first intermediate school in Taif City. The study employed a set of statistical methods including (arithmetical means, standard deviations, Pearson's correlation coefficient, Cronbach's alpha coefficient, Spearman-Brown stability coefficient, Point-biserial correlation coefficient, T-test for two correlated samples, and effect size calculator (Cohen's D)). The study results showed that there was a statistically significant difference at (a ≤ 0.01) between the mean scores of the pre-test and post-test in all concepts of green consumption in favor of the post-test measurement. According to the results, the study recommended urging the curriculum developers at the Ministry of Education to "Adopt the concepts of green consumption and the relevant modern technologies required to teach it and make use of the suggested study unit ―I am a green consumer with the curricula for intermediate schools. Also, benefiting from the educational bot on the Telegram application and promoting it through social media. Moreover, preparing teachers’ guides for teaching the concepts of sustainable development to intermediate students that accurately design the lessons of green consumption concepts, creating an appropriate educational environment within schools that allows students to practice green consumption. Providing courses about green consumption to female teachers, and the modern technologies necessary to teach it inside and outside the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Coaching is an interactive process of performance improvement accomplished by fostering a coachee's ability to critically self-evaluate, create goals, and develop a plan for action. It is being increasingly used in medical education, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The American Medical Association (AMA) recommends robust faculty development for any coaching program. Our institution created a mandatory coaching program for students starting in August 2022 with 22 faculty coaches. METHODS: We used Kern's 6-step model for curriculum development to create our institution's faculty development for coaches. This manuscript describes the process of development, implementation, and early program evaluation for the curriculum for faculty coaches for the first 4 months of our mandatory coaching program. The objectives and teaching strategies are outlined. Our program evaluation consisted of immediate and follow-up surveys of faculty attendees. RESULTS: Content in the faculty development program describing the medical student curriculum, assessment, and student resources improved faculty perceived knowledge and confidence. Specific training in coaching skills, including a simulation using standardized students was used and found to be essential. We offer lessons learned from our coaches regarding timing and content for any faculty development curriculum for new coaches. CONCLUSIONS: Considerations for future faculty development curricula for academic coaching programs include timing of the faculty development, content consideration after three coaching sessions, and potential content additions and deletions. The curriculum outlined can be taken and immediately adapted for any school of medicine embarking on a coaching program for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep is a physiological process that ensures normal functioning for human beings. Deprivation and poor quality of sleep are most predominant among medical students because of the continuous stress and anxiety from the condensed medical curricula, multiple evaluations, and fear of failure. This study aims to promote academic performance among medical students at Zagazig University. This aim was achieved through the following objectives: assessing the prevalence of sleep disorders among clinical years medical students and assessing the relationship between sleep disorders and academic performance. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed at the faculty of medicine, Zagazig University using an Arabic translated Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQ) questionnaire, academic performance was assessed with a self-reported grade point average (GPA) in the last year. Results: A total of 278 fourth-year medical students were interviewed and had comprehensive data on demography, lifestyle, academic performance, and sleep quality. Poor sleep prevalence was 25.5%. There was a statistically significant difference among the poor sleepers' group and good sleepers' group regarding physical activity and GPA. Conclusion: Poor sleep quality may adversely affect GPA as well, inducing a vicious cycle. Moreover, the sleep disturbances rate among medical students must be a reason for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During a program review, faculty identified that nurse practitioner (NP) students who received a C grade in Advanced Pathophysiology (Patho) and Advanced Pharmacology (Pharm) appeared to perform poorly in the later NP management courses and on other program outcomes. Purpose: The research aimed to determine whether grades in graduate Patho and Pharm courses could predict performance in NP management courses, program progression and completion, and certification pass rates. Methodology: This research included deidentified student data from 2016 to 2018 across seven NP specialty tracks (n = 4,575). Nonparametric and parametric tests were used in the analysis. Results: A significant correlation (p < .001) existed between Patho and Pharm grades. Lower grades in these two courses were significantly related to each other and to lower management course grades. Logistic regression showed that graduate pathophysiology grades significantly predicted certification examination performance, with lower grades associated with lower certification examination performance. Graduate pharmacology grades, pathophysiology grades, composite management course grades, and admission grade point average (GPA) significantly predicted final cumulative GPA, with lower grades associated with lower performance for all variables. Conclusions: Results of this research support the hypothesis that grades of C in Patho or Pharm courses significantly predict C performance in the management NP courses and lower certification success rates. Implications: The project model can be used in future research. Study findings can be helpful to NP faculty when considering curriculum decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the growing interest in Dry Eye Disease (DED) by evaluating the quality of DED videos on YouTube, gauging audience engagement, and identifying factors influencing viewership. In this cross-sectional study, we collected videos, during July to September 2023, using the keyword 'dry eye'. A data collection form, including general characteristics and audience engagement metrics, was employed. Two medical experts rated the videos using Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool-Audio Visual (PEMAT-A/V) and custom clinical scoring tool. Among the total 52 videos assessed, 80.8% of speakers were Medical Doctors. Regarding symptoms, only 21.2% of videos mentioned excessive tearing and 34.6% stated blurry vision. The majority (69.2%) mentioned eye drops as a treatment. Lifestyle modification and limiting screen use were addressed by only 34.6% of videos. Out of the total 20, mean clinical index score was 7.5 (±5.4). The mean understandability (total = 11) and actionability (total = 3) scores were 8.1 (±2.0) and 1.7 (±0.98), respectively. Among PEMAT-A/V individual items, only 13.5% offered content summaries, and 23.5% explained actions explicitly. The number of likes, comments and views were significantly higher for the videos with higher understandability and actionability scores. The videos performed well on understandability items; however, explicit actionable items need to be included in videos. Moreover, the public views more and likes understandable and actionable videos. To maximize benefit to the audience, we recommend healthcare professionals use the PEMAT-A/V guidelines for health education content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the prevalence and types of criminal justice content being offered in Council on Social Work Education programs. Data were collected through questions sent via e-mail to program administrators and content analysis of school websites for three hundred and eight MSW programs. Criminal justice content was measured in three main areas: (a) dual- or joint-degree options, (b) concentrations or specializations, and (c) courses. The results show that most MSW programs do not cover criminal justice content. Less than one-fourth of programs had a dual-degree or joint-degree program (n=54, 17.5%), a specialization or concentration (n=17, 5.5%), or a course specific to criminal justice (n=74, 24%). Social work education must do more to include criminal justice content in its MSW programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The UK Medical Licensing Assessment curriculum represents a consensus on core content, including ENT-related content for newly qualified doctors. No similar consensus exists as to how ENT content should be taught at medical school. Method: A virtual consensus forum was held at the 2nd East of England ENT Conference in April 2021. A syllabus of ENT-related items was divided into 'Presentations', 'Conditions' and 'Practical procedures'. Twenty-seven students, 11 foundation doctors and 7 other junior doctors voted via anonymous polling for the best three of nine methods for teaching each syllabus item. Results: For 'Presentations' and 'Conditions', work-based or clinical-based learning and small-group seminars were more popular than other teaching methods. For 'Practical procedures', practical teaching methods were more popular than theoretical methods. Conclusion: Students and junior doctors expressed a clear preference for clinical-based teaching and small-group seminars when learning ENT content. E-learning was poorly favoured despite its increasing use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how students as stakeholders viewed behavioral and social science (BSS) content in a preclinical longitudinal course entitled "Medicine, Body, and Society" (MBS) at UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine (LSOM). We present students' perceptions of successes and challenges tied to "altruism" and other non-biomedical objectives outlined by this institution. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of MBS course evaluation data. Two researchers independently performed initial coding followed by interrater reliability checks to revise codes and a final MAXQDA lexical search to refine three themes. Three major themes emerged: (1) Students shared pedagogical preferences strongly favoring stories. (2) Students detected deficits in the module content tied to identities. (3) Students labelled BSS content as "soft," "subjective," and "siloed" which confounded its role in the course. Advancing altruism aligned with BSS content in preclinical medical education remains a challenge. A closer review of student evaluations framed as learner-centeredness is key to a greater understanding and resolution of competency issues in preclinical curriculum and its impact on mastery in subsequent clinical education and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the knowledge of undergraduate medical students about curriculum development and implementation. Methods: A quantitative descriptive study was conducted at a public sector institute and a private sector institute from September, 2022 to December, 2022. Simple random sampling was used and all the undergraduate MBBS students were included in study. Sample size was calculated using open epi and keeping confidence interval at 95% as 316 for FMU students and 218 for AFMDC students. Ethical approval was taken from FMU and permission to collect data was obtained from AFMDC. A Questionnaire was made and distributed among the students and data obtained was analyzed using SPSS 25.0. Results: Two hundred and forty-seven (49.4%) participants responded that the students don’t have any say in their curriculum, 400 (80%) were of the view that the students must have their opinion in the curriculum and 397 (79.4%) said that students must be involved in the process of planning and implementation of curriculum. When asked about the areas of deficiencies in the current curriculum, 101 (20.2%) pointed new skill, 84 (16.8%) indicated New information, new skills, teaching Methodology and effective teachers, 68 (13.6%) said teaching methodology while 51 (10.2%) indicated new skills and teaching methodology both. Five main themes were identified from the comments of students regarding curriculum, its development and implementation including; 1. Content revision, 2. Teaching methodologies, 3. Assessment, 4. Guidance and orientation and 5. Teacher student relationship. Conclusion: The undergraduate medical students are aware of the terms related to curriculum, its development and implementation but they are not being involved in any of this process. Content revision, clinical integration from initial years, quality assessment and faculty development are few areas that need improvement from students’ perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Purpose: This study was undertaken to establish if the Holistic Wellness Assessment (HWA) can detect intra-individual changes following a 12-week undergraduate course in holistic wellness (N=235). Methods: A single-group pretest post-test non-experimental design was used to evaluate changes in the eight HWA factors; concurrent collection of demographic variables enabled a limited moderation analysis. Results: Dependent t-tests adjusted for a false discovery rate revealed significant changes in six of the eight HWA factors indicating curriculum sensitivity in these HWA factors. Conclusions: Interpretations are offered at the HWA factor level that discuss relationships between curriculum activities and student artifacts with changes in factor and item responses over time. Using the HWA as a pre/post-test instrument helps instructors and students evaluate the changes that have been made as a result of the curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a novel, qualitative approach to evaluating the outcomes of integrating humanities and ethics into a newly revised pre-clerkship medical education curriculum. The authors set out to evaluate medical students' perceptions, learning outcomes, and growth in identity development. Led by a team of interdisciplinary scholars, this qualitative project examines multiple sources of student experience and perception data, including student essays, end-of-year surveys, and semi-structured interviews with students. Data were analyzed using deductive and inductive processes to identify key categories and recurring themes. Results suggest that students not only engaged with the curricular content and met the stated learning objectives but also acknowledged their experience in the humanities and ethics curriculum as an opportunity to reflect, expand their perceptions of medicine (and what it means to be "in" medicine), connect with their classmates, and further cultivate their personal and professional identities. Results of this qualitative study show how and in what ways the ethics and humanities curriculum motivates students past surface-level memorization of factual knowledge and encourages thoughtful analysis and evaluation about how the course material relates to and influences their thinking and how they see themselves as future doctors. The comprehensive qualitative approach reflects a holistic model for evaluating the integration of humanities and ethics into the pre-clerkship medical education curriculum. Future research should examine if this approach provides a protective factor against the demonstrated ethical erosion and empathy decrease during clinical training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Training in ergonomics is either fragmented or lacking in most GI programs. There are limited real-world data on fellows' perceptions and change in practice after the delivery of a curriculum for ergonomics. We aim to implement a curriculum for endoscopy for our GI fellows and evaluate their response to the same. Methods: We devised and implemented a curriculum with three components, delivered over 6 months for all GI fellows in an academic hospital center. These were one, a comprehensive, hour-long didactics session conducted by an experienced faculty member; two, an interactive session with a physical therapist; and three, provision of free resistance bands and compression stockings to fellows. We conducted a pre- and post-curriculum test. Data are presented as proportions and medians with interquartile range. Results: We surveyed 23 fellows. At baseline, 13.6% (3) had sustained ERI during their training. Only 63.6% (14) of trainees reported confidence in being able to recognize signs and symptoms of ERI. Their median self-reported understanding of ergonomics was 3 on a Likert scale of 1–5, corresponding with "average understanding." The majority of trainees had never reviewed any material on ergonomics prior to this curriculum. In the post-test evaluation, the median self-reported understanding of ergonomics improved to 4, corresponding with "above average understanding." All fellows requested a repeat of the curriculum, either semi-annually or annually. Conclusion: Our data show a positive perception of trainees of a practical, reproducible, and low-cost curriculum for endoscopy incorporated during GI fellowship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most medical students entering clerkships have limited understanding of clinical reasoning concepts. The value of teaching theories of clinical reasoning and cognitive biases to first-year medical students is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the value of explicitly teaching clinical reasoning theory and cognitive bias to first-year medical students. Methods: Using Kolb's experiential learning model, we introduced dual process theory, script theory, and cognitive biases in teaching clinical reasoning to first-year medical students at an academic medical center in New York City between January and June 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, instruction was transitioned to a distance learning format in March 2020. The curriculum included a series of written clinical reasoning examinations with facilitated small group discussions. Written self-assessments prompted each student to reflect on the experience, draw conclusions about their clinical reasoning, and plan for future encounters involving clinical reasoning. We evaluated the value of the curriculum using mixed-methods to analyze faculty assessments, student self-assessment questionnaires, and an end-ofcurriculum anonymous questionnaire eliciting student feedback. Results: Among 318 total examinations of 106 students, 254 (80%) had a complete problem representation, while 199 (63%) of problem representations were considered concise. The most common cognitive biases described by students in their clinical reasoning were anchoring bias, availability bias, and premature closure. Four major themes emerged as valuable outcomes of the CREs as identified by students: (1) synthesis of medical knowledge; (2) enhanced ability to generate differential diagnoses; (3) development of self-efficacy related to clinical reasoning; (4) raised awareness of personal cognitive biases. Conclusions: We found that explicitly teaching clinical reasoning theory and cognitive biases using an experiential learning model provides first-year medical students with valuable opportunities for developing knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy related to clinical reasoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Virtual simulation experiments have been rapidly applied to medical education curricula in recent years. China constructed a national virtual simulation experimental teaching center (iLAB-X), and this platform covered almost all of the virtual simulation experiment curricula of domestic colleges or universities. We aimed to comprehensively assess the characteristics and usages of virtual simulation experiments in medical education based on iLAB-X. Methods: A total of 480 virtual simulation experiment courses had been constructed on iLABX (https://www.ilab-x.com/) by December 20, 2022, and the curriculum level, type and design were all searched in this platform. We also conducted an evaluation of curriculum usage and online tests, including the page view, frequency of participation, number of participants, duration of experimental learning and passing rate of the experimental test. Results: The national and provincial high-quality virtual simulation experiment curricula accounted for 33.5% (161/480) and 35.8% (172/480), respectively. The curricula were mainly set as basic practice experiments (46.5%) and synthetic designing experiments (48.8%). Significantly, forensic medicine (100%), public health and preventive medicine (83%) and basic medical sciences (66%) focused on synthetic design experiments. In terms of usage experiments, the average duration of experimental learning was 25 minutes per course, and the average number of participants was just 1257. The average passing (score ≥60) rate of online tests was 80.6%, but the average rate of score ≥ 85 was only 58.5%. In particular, the average page views, the number of participants, the duration of learning and the test passing rate of clinical medicine were relatively low. Conclusions: The curriculum design features, construction level and utilization rate varied in different medical majors. Virtual simulation experiments are particularly underutilized in clinical medicine. There is a long way for virtual simulation experiments to go to become a supplement or alternative for traditional medical education in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undergraduate medical learners from historically marginalized groups face significant barriers, which was made concrete at our institution when a student presented her research indicating that Black students felt unsure about which faculty members to approach. To better support our students, we used Kern's model for curriculum development and a critical pedagogy approach to create a Faculty Allyship Curriculum (FAC). A total of 790 individuals attended 90 workshops across 16 months and 20 individuals have completed the FAC. A majority of participants reported they felt at least moderately confident in their ability to teach learners who are underrepresented in medicine, mentor learners who are different than they are, and teach allyship topics. An informal content analysis of open-ended responses indicated changes in awareness, attitude, insight, and use of language and being more likely to display advocacy. For others considering creating a similar program, partnering with an existing program allows for rapid implementation and reach to a wide audience. We also recommend: beginning with a coalition of willing learners to quickly build community and culture change; ensuring that the curriculum supports ongoing personal commitment and change for the learners; and supporting facilitators in modeling imperfection and upstanding, 'calling in' rather than 'calling out' learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-clerkship curricula of most Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)-accredited medical schools are divided into blocks by organ system, leaving a significant amount of information susceptible to loss due to prolonged nonuse. We describe the implementation of a formal Spiral Curriculum that periodically revisits material from previous blocks. Learners were surveyed on receptivity to the curriculum across three graduating classes at a single medical school. Medical school graduate classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 were surveyed at the end of their pre-clerkship years (2018-2020). The class of 2022 actually received the Spiraled Curriculum intervention, for which the authors created 500 board exam style multiple-choice questions, periodically administered via mandatory in-class sessions ranging from 10 to 20 questions reviewing content from previous blocks with designated expert faculty. Response rates were 36% (n = 46), 45% (n = 52), and 32% (n = 40) for classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. On a Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = neutral, 10 = strongly agree), the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 provided statistically significant differences in their belief that a Spiraled Curriculum would/did help them retain information as 8.2 (SD 1.7), 8.2 (SD 2.2), and 5.0 (SD 3.0) (n < 0.05). All classes endorsed neutral confidence in the existing pre-clerkship curriculum in themselves to prepare for United Stated Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, and in their retention of previous block material with no statistically significant differences between classes. USMLE Step 1 scores did not differ significantly between classes (n = 0.21). Those who did not receive the Spiral Curriculum were highly receptive to it in theory, while those who actually received the intervention gave a neutral rating. Per survey comments, implementation of a Spiraling Curriculum would ideally be administered as either team-based or self-directed activities, and a Spiraling Curriculum may be difficult to implement in accelerated (18 month) pre-clerkship formats. Practice points • Question: What is the receptivity of medical students to a formal Spiral curriculum that uses time-spaced repetition sessions of board exam style questions to revisit previous block content of their pre-clerkship years? • Findings: In this single-center, quasi-experimental study, the two control group medical school classes had very positive theoretical reception to a Spiral curriculum proposal (rated 8 out of 10) while the class who actually received the Spiral curriculum provided a statistically significant lower neutral rating (rated 5 out of 10), citing preference for a team-based or selfdirected format. • Meaning: Medical students are strongly in favor of structured time-spaced repetition with board exam style questions to revisit previous material but prefer a format that does not interfere with time to personalize their medical school experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of including the Dutch National Pharmacotherapy Assessment (DNPA) in the medical curriculum on the level and development of prescribing knowledge and skills of junior doctors. The secondary aim was to evaluate the relationship between the curriculum type and the prescribing competence of junior doctors. Methods: We re-analysed the data of a longitudinal study conducted in 2016 involving recently graduated junior doctors from 11 medical schools across the Netherlands and Belgium. Participants completed three assessments during the first year after graduation (around graduation (+ / − 4 weeks), and 6 months, and 1 year after graduation), each of which contained 35 multiple choice questions (MCQs) assessing knowledge and three clinical case scenarios assessing skills. Only one medical school used the DNPA in its medical curriculum; the other medical schools used conventional means to assess prescribing knowledge and skills. Five medical schools were classified as providing solely theoretical clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) education; the others provided both theoretical and practical CPT education (mixed curriculum). Results: Of the 1584 invited junior doctors, 556 (35.1%) participated, 326 (58.6%) completed the MCQs and 325 (58.5%) the clinical case scenarios in all three assessments. Junior doctors whose medical curriculum included the DNPA had higher knowledge scores than other junior doctors (76.7% [SD 12.5] vs. 67.8% [SD 12.6], 81.8% [SD 11.1] vs. 76.1% [SD 11.1], 77.0% [12.1] vs. 70.6% [SD 14.0], p < 0.05 for all three assessments, respectively). There was no difference in skills scores at the moment of graduation (p = 0.110), but after 6 and 12 months junior doctors whose medical curriculum included the DNPA had higher skills scores (both p < 0.001). Junior doctors educated with a mixed curriculum had significantly higher scores for both knowledge and skills than did junior doctors educated with a theoretical curriculum (p < 0.05 in all assessments). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the inclusion of the knowledge focused DNPA in the medical curriculum improves the prescribing knowledge, but not the skills, of junior doctors at the moment of graduation. However, after 6 and 12 months, both the knowledge and skills were higher in the junior doctors whose medical curriculum included the DNPA. A curriculum that provides both theoretical and practical education seems to improve both prescribing knowledge and skills relative to a solely theoretical curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: With an ever-expanding medical knowledge base and requirements for clinical training, medical schools struggle to incorporate subspecialty education, such as otolaryngology (OTO), into curricula. This study aims to assess the current state of OTO education, and evaluate factors contributing to the extent of OTO teaching in United States (U.S.) medical schools. Methods: A 48-question survey evaluated the extent and practices of OTO teaching. The survey was distributed by email to all 155 LCME accredited U.S. allopathic medical schools in 2020 and 2021. Results: Sixty-eight unique responses were received (43.9% of U.S. allopathic medical schools). 36.8% (n = 25) of schools reported having formal expectations of OTO knowledge in their core curriculum. Only 1 school (1.5%) had a required OTO rotation; the majority of schools offered an optional third or fourth year clerkship rotation (76.5% and 95.6%, respectively). Schools with residency programs and who employ their faculty through an OTO or surgery department were more likely to have otolaryngologists teach basic science lectures and the Head & Neck exam, offer an optional third year rotation, and have formal expectations of rotating students. Conclusions: Medical schools with residency programs and who employ their faculty through an OTO or surgery department have more robust OTO curricula. Despite the ubiquity of OTO presentations across specialties, incorporation of OTO knowledge in U.S. medical school curricula remains variable, and at times limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]