Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development最新文献

Objective: Remote teaching strategies have been widely adapted in recent years but their impact on dental students' learning outcomes is less well understood. The aim of this mixed-method pilot study was to examine the impact of remote teaching on undergraduate dental student's learning outcome as assessed by examination performance and student feedback in an orthodontics course.

Methods: Out of the lectures (19 in total), 10 were delivered remotely (live online lecture or video recording) and 9 as traditional classroom teaching in 2023. The course examination, completed by 47 of the 48 course participants, consisted of 38 single best answer multiple choice questions with 2 questions dedicated to each lecture topic.

Results: The average lecture attendance was 83% of the students enrolled in the course. Statistical analysis revealed no significant association between examination scores and the mode of teaching or the mandatory nature of the lecture (r_s  = -0.022, p = .897 and r_s  = -0.048, p = .773, respectively). However, individual students' examination scores correlated positively with the frequency of lecture attendance (r_s  = 0.416, p = .004). Students' preferences were in favor of blended learning approach, although notable individual differences in opinions were observed in the feedback received.

Conclusion: The findings of this study support the hypothesis that remote teaching generates an equally good learning outcome in orthodontics as classroom lectures, as reflected by examination performance.

Objective: Medical specialist trainees report dissatisfaction with both the usefulness and timing of feedback provided following summative examinations. This study aimed to explore ophthalmology trainee and supervisor experiences of feedback following final summative examination (the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists Advanced Clinical Examination (RACE)).

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with ophthalmology trainees who had recently sat RACE (2017-2021) (n = 19) and supervising ophthalmologists who support trainees to prepare for RACE (n = 10). Interview data were thematically analyzed.

Results: Two themes were identified. Inadequate feedback related to trainee experiences receiving feedback relating to examination performance that was insufficient and unhelpful in identifying gaps in learning, explaining the reasons for failure and supporting preparation for resitting. Inability to contextualize feedback encompassed trainee and supervisor concerns regarding the inability to review examination manuscripts after sitting the examination, the absence of marking criteria, rubrics and model answers to understand the passing standard and the lack of opportunity to discuss performance with examiners.

Conclusions: Detailed, individualized task-level and process-level feedback on examination performance is needed for all trainees. Opportunities to view examination manuscripts, marking criteria and model answers, as well as speak with examiners, would improve transparency of the assessment process, enhance feedback and improve trainee success.

Objective: Stigma surrounding mental health persists as a significant impediment to adequate support and help-seeking behaviors in Slovenia, despite advancements in psychiatric care and education. This study investigates stigma among first-year medical students at the University of Maribor, Slovenia and how the stigma changes after completing a course in mental health literacy.

Participants: Participants were first-year medical students at the University of Maribor in the academic year 2023/2024. A total of 116 students participated in the baseline study, with 66 students participating in the follow-up study.

Study method: The intervention involved implementing the "Transitions" program, aimed at enhancing mental health literacy and reducing stigma. We conducted a baseline study and a follow-up study, then used Wilcoxon signed rank test for repeated measures to compare the differences in ranks before and after implementation of the program.

Findings: There was a significant reduction in stigma after intervention (Wilcoxon Z = -3.06, P < .01), suggesting a positive impact of the educational program. This reduction aligns with findings from similar programs globally, suggesting the efficacy of educational interventions in mitigating mental health stigma.

Conclusions: The study emphasizes the importance of integrating mental health education into medical curricula to foster stigma reduction and enhance mental health literacy among future medical doctors.

Introduction: Patient safety and the culture of keeping patients safe are not well-researched concepts in dentistry. Research is lacking on patient safety culture in dental teaching hospitals.

Objective: This study examined the knowledge and perceptions of patient safety and patient safety culture in a Caribbean dental school among clinical faculty, dental surgery assistants and recent graduates.

Method: A qualitative research design using an anonymous online open-ended questionnaire, which underwent face validity by three subject matter experts, was used to acquire data to answer three developed research questions. Qualitative data was uploaded to QDA Miner and a five-stage thematic analysis using emergent coding was used to develop themes to answer the research questions.

Results: Qualitative data was obtained from 28 respondents, 12 clinical faculty, 10 recent graduates, and 6 dental surgery assistants. Four participants graduated in 2020, 1 graduated in 2021, and 5 graduated in 2022. The ages of participants ranged from 23 to 74 years. Themes used to answer the research questions included: the application of a clinical knowledge-based framework for the understanding of patient safety, understanding the individual elements of patient safety culture, gatekeepers of patient safety, and understanding personal limitations.

Conclusion: Clinical and curriculum leaders at this dental school should consider the introduction of a patient safety curriculum given respondents understand patient safety from a clinical experiential perspective only and many respondents perceive patient safety culture as being guided predominantly by rules and policies with clinical faculty bearing the ultimate responsibility for keeping patients safe.

Objective: Medical residents learn how to perform many complex procedures in a short amount of time. Sequential learning, or learning in stages, is a method applied to complex motor skills to increase skill acquisition and retention but has not been widely applied in simulation-based training (SBT). Central venous catheterization (CVC) training could benefit from the implementation of sequential learning. CVC is typically taught with task trainers such as the dynamic haptic robotic trainer (DHRT). This study aims to determine the impact of sequential learning on skill gains and learning curves in CVC SBT by implementing a sequential learning walkthrough into the DHRT.

Methods: 103 medical residents participated in CVC training in 2021 and 2022. One group (N = 44) received training on the original DHRT system while the other group (N = 59) received training on the DHRT^sequential with interactive videos and assessment activities. All residents were quantitatively assessed on (e.g. first trial success rate, distance to vein center, overall score) the DHRT or DHRT^sequential systems.

Results: Residents in the DHRT^sequential group exhibited a 3.58 times higher likelihood of successfully completing needle insertion on their first trial than those in the DHRT only group and required significantly fewer trials to reach a pre-defined mastery level of performance. The DHRT^sequential group also had fewer significant learning curves compared to the DHRT only group.

Conclusion: Implementing sequential learning into the DHRT system significantly benefitted CVC training by increasing the efficiency of initial skill gain, reducing the number of trials needed to complete training, and flattening the slope of the subsequent learning curve.

Background: Studying the professional commitment of a student in an 8-year medical training program of China, especially its association with academic performance, can enhance the understanding of professional loyalty in future doctors. This study aimed to investigate the self-efficacy, academic performance, professional commitment, and learning engagement of 8-year program medical students, and explore the mediating roles of professional commitment and learning engagement on the associations between self-efficacy and academic performance.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a Chinese medical university and collected the General Self-Efficacy Scale, Professional Commitment of Undergraduates Scales, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student from self-reported students. Academic performance was ascertained using course examination scores in the most recent year. We conducted a structural equation model (SEM) analysis to examine the mediating roles of professional commitment and learning engagement on the relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance.

Results: A total number of 402 medical students were included in this study. Students in the clinical practice stage had significantly lower professional commitment and learning engagement than students in the pre-medical and medical course stages. The professional commitment of students from low-income families was significantly lower than that of students from high-income families. Professional commitment and learning engagement were mediators in the relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance.

Conclusions: This study is the first to investigate professional commitment among students in the China 8-year medical program. Professional commitment plays an intermediary role between self-efficacy and academic performance.

Objectives: Virtual reality (VR) appears to be a promising educational tool for otorhinolaryngology (ORL) residency training, as it allows for safe and effective practice immediate feedback and potential improvements in patient outcomes. Despite these advantages, VR has not yet been incorporated into residency training in ORL, which may be due to limited availability or validation and skepticism toward incorporation of new training methods. This study investigates whether a VR model of the temporal bone improves learning success for ORL residents in comparison to standard plastic models and whether it depends on surgeon's experience. We also included a subjective evaluation of the learning experience with both models.

Methods: ORL residents and specialists at 2 German university hospitals were tested on their knowledge of temporal bone anatomy after training with either VR or standard plastic models. In addition, we compared knowledge of the temporal bone anatomy before- and after-VR training. Lastly, a subjective survey on the benefits and limitations of VR was conducted to assess participants' views on this new technology.

Results: About 85% of the participants considered VR to be better than conventional models and agreed that VR was a useful tool for teaching complex anatomy. Objective evaluation showed significant improvement in knowledge after using VR (before/after comparison), especially in participants with a higher level of preexisting knowledge. Direct comparison to conventional plastic models showed no superiority of the VR model.

Conclusion: VR models in ORL are not only appealing and motivating for residents, but also objectively improve their anatomical knowledge, especially in advanced residency. In addition, VR-in contrast to the plastic model-offers opportunities for further development and optimization.

Introduction: The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has set a goal to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and the World Health Organization emphasized pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a crucial element. Despite the lack of a specific role for general practitioners (GPs) in PrEP care, GPs could play a crucial role in the follow-up but this is still uncommon. Above, GPs estimate their knowledge about PrEP as low.

Objectives: This study seeks to understand the knowledge of GPs regarding PrEP care. Through online e-learning, we aimed to enhance our knowledge of PrEP care.

Methods: Firstly, we assessed general knowledge about the PrEP of GPs. Secondly, we investigated the impact of e-learning on knowledge of PrEP care among GPs. We developed a multiple-choice questionnaire to evaluate self-assessed knowledge and knowledge about PrEP. One group of participants completed an e-learning module and took a pre- and post-test to assess changes in knowledge. Another group completed the questionnaire without e-learning.

Results: Seventy-two participants completed the survey. Finally, 18 participants successfully completed the e-learning module. Nineteen percent (n = 14) of all GPs considered their general knowledge of PrEP to be "good," while 68% (n = 49) of the GPs felt confident in identifying patients at risk, rating their ability as "good." Participants achieved an average score of 4.7 (test group) and 4.6 (e-learning group) out of 10 on the knowledge test. After completion of the e-learning, the overall average score of the e-learning group significantly increased by 33% (p-value < .03).

Conclusions: GP generally scored low on knowledge covering different aspects of PrEP. However, after completing an e-learning module, there was a significant increase in the average test scores. These findings highlight the potential efficacy of targeted educational interventions in enhancing the understanding of PrEP among GPs.