{"title":"Evaluation of a hybrid model of a Physician Associate Studies programme: students, teachers, and examiner perspectives.","authors":"Pauline Joyce, Melanie Cunningham, Lisa Alexander","doi":"10.1007/s11845-025-03918-3","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To date, there is one university offering the Physician Associate (PA) Studies programme in Ireland. Responding to a demand for PAs outside of Dublin, a hybrid model was introduced, allowing students undertake the didactic phase of the programme online for synchronous instruction, attending campus twice a month for anatomy learning, clinical skills, and integration sessions.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>The aim of this study was to evaluate the hybrid model from the perspectives of students and their teachers, including the external examiner.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a mixed methods study, using surveys (n = 15), focus groups with students (n = 10), teaching staff (n = 4), and a one-to-one interview with an external examiner. Action points of programme board meetings were also analysed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>While attitudes to online learning were positive, the need for improvements was highlighted. During online teaching sessions, the students expressed the need to feel more a part of the traditional classroom experience. Even though lecturers were aware of students online, some found it difficult to engage with these students. Clinical teachers did not detect any differences between hybrid and on-campus students on their clinical application to practice.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings suggest that hybrid learning is influenced by previous online learning experiences. Students admitted to a feeling of social isolation at times and the reminder for faculty to support an inclusive environment. Student performance showed that hybrid students did as well or better across both years of the programme, and this translated into clinical practice too.</p>","PeriodicalId":14507,"journal":{"name":"Irish Journal of Medical Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Irish Journal of Medical Science","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-025-03918-3","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: To date, there is one university offering the Physician Associate (PA) Studies programme in Ireland. Responding to a demand for PAs outside of Dublin, a hybrid model was introduced, allowing students undertake the didactic phase of the programme online for synchronous instruction, attending campus twice a month for anatomy learning, clinical skills, and integration sessions.
Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the hybrid model from the perspectives of students and their teachers, including the external examiner.
Methods: This was a mixed methods study, using surveys (n = 15), focus groups with students (n = 10), teaching staff (n = 4), and a one-to-one interview with an external examiner. Action points of programme board meetings were also analysed.
Results: While attitudes to online learning were positive, the need for improvements was highlighted. During online teaching sessions, the students expressed the need to feel more a part of the traditional classroom experience. Even though lecturers were aware of students online, some found it difficult to engage with these students. Clinical teachers did not detect any differences between hybrid and on-campus students on their clinical application to practice.
Conclusion: Findings suggest that hybrid learning is influenced by previous online learning experiences. Students admitted to a feeling of social isolation at times and the reminder for faculty to support an inclusive environment. Student performance showed that hybrid students did as well or better across both years of the programme, and this translated into clinical practice too.
期刊介绍:
The Irish Journal of Medical Science is the official organ of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland. Established in 1832, this quarterly journal is a contribution to medical science and an ideal forum for the younger medical/scientific professional to enter world literature and an ideal launching platform now, as in the past, for many a young research worker.
The primary role of both the Academy and IJMS is that of providing a forum for the exchange of scientific information and to promote academic discussion, so essential to scientific progress.