Search

ObjectiveThis study evaluates the effectiveness of a cultural competence and humility intervention for third-year medical students by assessing changes in clinical evaluation assessments in patient encounters.MethodsThis study examines the effect of a 1-h educational intervention on cultural competence and cultural humility for third-year medical students. Clinical assessments during observed patient encounters are compared in the clerkship before and after the intervention. The intervention adapts a previously studied cultural competence didactic and emphasizes cultural humility practices. Change in scores from the intervention cohort (clinical year 2019-2020) is compared to a pre-intervention cohort (2018-2019).ResultsStudents who completed the intervention demonstrate greater clinical competency in "relating to patients in a respectful, caring, empathetic manner" as assessed by supervising physicians compared with pre-intervention cohort students (2.7% difference in earning top two scores in subsequent clerkship, P value 0.05, Cramer's V 0.04). Greater clinical competencies were also found in the intervention students compared with pre-intervention students in the domains "demonstrates accountability, contribution and commitment to patient care" and "develops insightful, focused, pertinent questions based on clinical scenarios" (3.8% difference in earning top two scores in subsequent clerkship, P value 0.01 and 5.1% difference, P-value 0.003 with Cramer's V of 0.05 and 0.06, respectively).ConclusionsEducational interventions to improve cultural competence and cultural humility are important during clinical years to shape future physicians. Our study suggests that brief interventions may improve medical students' clinical competencies. A future study with a more robust intervention is expected to yield more substantial results.

ObjectiveThis study evaluates the effectiveness of a cultural competence and humility intervention for third-year medical students by assessing changes in clinical evaluation assessments in patient encounters.MethodsThis study examines the effect of a 1-h educational intervention on cultural competence and cultural humility for third-year medical students. Clinical assessments during observed patient encounters are compared in the clerkship before and after the intervention. The intervention adapts a previously studied cultural competence didactic and emphasizes cultural humility practices. Change in scores from the intervention cohort (clinical year 2019-2020) is compared to a pre-intervention cohort (2018-2019).ResultsStudents who completed the intervention demonstrate greater clinical competency in "relating to patients in a respectful, caring, empathetic manner" as assessed by supervising physicians compared with pre-intervention cohort students (2.7% difference in earning top two scores in subsequent clerkship, P value 0.05, Cramer's V 0.04). Greater clinical competencies were also found in the intervention students compared with pre-intervention students in the domains "demonstrates accountability, contribution and commitment to patient care" and "develops insightful, focused, pertinent questions based on clinical scenarios" (3.8% difference in earning top two scores in subsequent clerkship, P value 0.01 and 5.1% difference, P-value 0.003 with Cramer's V of 0.05 and 0.06, respectively).ConclusionsEducational interventions to improve cultural competence and cultural humility are important during clinical years to shape future physicians. Our study suggests that brief interventions may improve medical students' clinical competencies. A future study with a more robust intervention is expected to yield more substantial results.

This paper uses a mixed-methods approach to investigate how the Young Women Leaders Program, a mentoring program for at-risk adolescent girls, supports mentor commitment, prejudice reduction, and increased understanding and acceptance of diversity among the undergraduates serving as mentors. The results suggest that particular mentoring program components can enhance college students' mentoring commitment and provide them with opportunities for interactions across boundaries of difference, leading to multiple benefits. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

Increased training is necessary to ensure that the next generation of health care professionals are prepared to effectively and compassionately serve patients with Alzheimer's Disease. Second Life® is a virtual world shown to provide a safe, convenient, and effective environment for teaching health-related content. To date, there has been no comprehensive review of studies using Second Life in education about Alzheimer's Disease. The authors conducted a scoping review of the literature on the use of Second Life in the education of medical, nursing, and health professions students about Alzheimer's Disease. Searches were conducted in PubMed, SCOPUS, and CINAHL. Thirty-two studies containing outcomes of the application of virtual reality and the virtual world Second Life were identified. Studies were classified using the Kirkpatrick Four-Level Training Evaluation Model. Changes in knowledge, attitudes, and confidence (Level 2), were most commonly reported, followed by positive reactions (Level 1). No studies identified system-level results and few examined changes in behavior. While results indicate positive student reactions and enhanced learning from Second Life interventions related to Alzheimer's Disease, they also highlight a need for future research examining outcomes at the higher Kirkpatrick levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Spring 2021, Asian, Hispanic, and Black students were more likely to experience burnout compared to White students (OR=1.28 (0.96, 1.72), OR=1.15 (0.78, 1.68), OR=1.14 (0.71, 1.84) respectively). While M2s and M3s reported the highest stress and burnout, M1s who entered school during the pandemic had the highest loneliness scores. In this follow-up study, we aim to (1) compare student burnout, stress, and loneliness in Spring 2020 vs. 2021 and (2) explore student experiences in Spring 2021. [Extracted from the article]

Medical schools should use a variety of measures to evaluate the effectiveness of their clinical curricula. Both outcome measures and process measures should be included, and these can be organized according to the four-level training evaluation model developed by Donald Kirkpatrick. Managing evaluation data requires the institution to employ deliberate strategies to monitor signals in real-time and aggregate data so that informed decisions can be made. Future steps in program evaluation includes increased emphasis on patient outcomes and multi-source feedback, as well as better integration of existing data sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Losses of idealism, empathy, and professionalism over the course of medical education have been described previously in the literature. A 2012 national survey of medical students estimated 37%-44% with burnout, 58% screen positive for depression, and 9.4% with suicidal ideation in the past 12 months. Given changes in related traits, we sought to explore whether burnout and symptoms of depression change over time. The objectives of this study were to assess the differences in medical student burnout and symptoms of depression between first year (MS1) and third-year (MS3) medical students at one medical college.Methods: Students were administered the modified Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) depression screening instrument as an optional part of a mandatory annual survey administered by the medical college near the end of the academic year (March-May, 2015). Anonymous responses from MS1s and MS3s were analyzed to estimate trends in burnout and possible depression over time and to examine the relationship between the two measures.Results: Possible depression (Total PHQ2 equal or greater than 3) was present in 28.5% of all respondents. MS3s had significantly higher levels of Emotional Exhaustion (EE) and Depersonalization (DP), and lower levels of Personal Accomplishment (PA), than MS1s. When PHQ2, gender, and campus/program effects were controlled via regression, MS3s tended to record EE and DP scores over 2 points higher than MS1s and PA scores over 2 points lower. Regrets about entering medicine were also higher in MS3s in the controlled models. PHQ2 scores were also positively associated with all subscales except for PA.Conclusions: Students appear to be at slightly greater risk for burnout as they temporally progress through medical school. These findings are consistent with similar measurements of decreasing empathy and idealism when comparing cohorts of early versus late medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Professionalism as a competency in medical education has been defined in multiple ways. Irby and Hamstra offered three frameworks of professionalism in medical education. This study examines medical students' definitions of professionalism to assess whether they align with these frameworks., Methods: We administered an open-ended questionnaire to 92 medical students at a single university in the United States. We conducted thematic coding of responses and calculated code frequencies., Results: The response rate was 54%. There were no observable differences between the responses of students in clinical versus preclinical training phases. The majority of comments (84%) reflected aspects of multiple frameworks from Irby and Hamstra and three emergent themes were identified. Most respondents (96%) cited aspects of the behavior-based framework. Most students' (66%) responses also aligned with the virtue-based framework. Emergent themes were "hierarchical nature of medicine," "academic environment/hidden curriculum," and "service and advocacy." "Service and advocacy" can be viewed as contexts for Irby and Hamstra's identity formation framework, but references did not align with the full definition., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that students view professionalism through multiple frameworks and indicate a predominance of the behavior-based framework. Experiences with organizational culture and values may be important in students' definitions of professionalism., (© 2023 by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.)

Introduction: Attracting and retaining healthcare providers in rural locations in the USA has been an issue for more than two decades. In response to this need, many health sciences education institutions in the USA have developed special programs to encourage students to become healthcare providers in rural locations. One approach is the use of community-based education experiences through rural track programs. Rural track programs seek to address the shortage of healthcare providers working in rural areas by nurturing and educating students interested in rural practice and primary care. Such programs serve both medical students and students of other health professions. Yet, little is known about student experiences in rural track programs. As such, this study aimed to generate discourse on student experiences in the rural training environment and gain insight into the impact of rural environments on student learning., Methods: An exploratory qualitative analysis of medical and physician assistant student experiences in two rural medical education training programs was conducted using the photovoice methodology. Photovoice is a participatory research method combining photography with participant commentary and focus groups., Results: Twenty-two third-year medical and six second-year physician assistant students participated in the study. Students noted that in their rural sites the learning environment extended beyond direct clinical teaching in four primary ways: (1) relationships with clinical faculty translated to a sense of meaningful participation in healthcare teams; (2) connections with community members outside of clinical settings led to increased awareness of healthcare concerns; (3) rural settings provided important space to reflect on their experiences; and (4) the importance of infrastructure was highlighted. Students also believed that diversity of occupation, education, attitude, and perception of medical care impact learning in rural environments., Conclusions: The photovoice participatory research methodology allowed for a deeper understanding of the aspects of the rural training experience that resonated most among students in real time, using visual representations of students' lived experiences as defined by the students.