BMC Medical Education最新文献

Background: Cancer care requires collaboration across specialties, making interprofessional education essential. The INTERACT-EUROPE 100 project promotes interprofessional cancer care by implementing the Inter-Specialty Cancer Training Program (ISCTP) on a larger scale across Europe. This study aimed to co-adapt a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess the impact of the ISCTP, with the broader goal of informing evaluation practices in other educational programs in cancer care. A modified three-round Delphi study was conducted involving cancer care experts and patient representatives. In the first round, 61 participants responded to three open-ended questions in written form to gather their perspectives on key aspects to consider when evaluating the ISCTP. Thematic analysis of these responses yielded twelve overarching statements that were subsequently prioritized by 46 participants in the second round using a ranking task. The third and final round consisted of two cross-national online focus group discussions (n = 15), which allowed for the contextualization of these findings. ISCTP evaluation priorities were defined at various levels: assessing program satisfaction through feedback on content relevance, interactivity (e.g., collaborative exercises), and participant engagement through attendance and active participation. Additionally, emphasis was placed on evaluating both declarative knowledge acquisition and the application of procedural knowledge, as well as competence assessment using culturally sensitive rubrics. Overall, findings underscore the need to measure participant performance through satisfaction, behavioral changes, and patient-centered outcomes to successfully implement existing evaluation frameworks. Having incorporated interest-holder perspectives, these findings provide a robust and patient-centered foundation for a comprehensive ISCTP evaluation.

Background: Digital literacy and scientific creativity are becoming significant concerns in the cultivation of professional and innovative talents within medical higher education, particularly given the widespread application of digital technology in modern medicine. Although existing studies suggest a link between digital skills and students' performance, research specifically focusing on the relationship between digital literacy and scientific creativity remains limited. Furthermore, the internal mechanisms through which digital literacy influences scientific creativity have not been clearly elucidated. Knowledge conversion, as conceptualized in the SECI model, may mediate this relationship. This study aims to explore the relationship between digital literacy and scientific creativity among medical students and assesses the mediating role of knowledge conversion and its four dimensions.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 770 medical students from Central South University (December 2024 to March 2025) was conducted using digital literacy scales, scientific creativity scales, and knowledge conversion scales. SPSS 24.0 and AMOS software were used to analyze the data, with mediating effects specifically examined via the Hayes PROCESS macro.

Results: Digital literacy exhibited a significant positive effect on medical students' scientific creativity. Mediation analysis revealed that knowledge conversion served as a significant mediator, explaining the vast majority of this effect, which underscores its role as a primary pathway. However, a significant direct effect of digital literacy remained, thus confirming a partial mediation model. Among the dimensions of knowledge conversion, externalization emerged as the most potent mediator.

Conclusions: This study highlights the significant role of digital literacy in directly enhancing the scientific creativity of medical students, as well as the mediating effect of knowledge transformation, particularly in its externalization dimension. The findings provide valuable insights for educational interventions, indicating that strategies should not only focus on digital skills but also integrate knowledge management training. Furthermore, the proposed DLSC-SECI model provides a theoretical framework for systematic training aimed at improving the scientific creativity of medical students in the digital era.

Background: Although curiosity in medicine is associated with many benefits, the literature is generally sparse or anecdotal. We seek to contribute to the understanding of curiosity by exploring its perception in the context of undergraduate medical education.

Methods: Given its subjective and abstract concept, we utilised a qualitative approach in this research. Focus groups and one-to-one semi structured interviews with medical students, clinical teachers and senior curriculum leaders were undertaken. Data collected was thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke model.

Results: All participants felt curiosity was important for learning and patient care. Curiosity was perceived to be a dynamic process - from the initial stage of knowledge acquisition to holistic practice. Teachers were identified as agents to nurture curiosity. Positive role modelling, enthusiasm in teaching and effective teaching styles were some ways to achieve this. Exams were deemed to hinder the development of curiosity. Participants felt curiosity could be nurtured through an ad-hoc basis during students' day-to-day placement and structured learning activities.

Conclusions: We recommend that medical schools review their existing curriculum to identify more opportunities for curiosity development and eliminate potential barriers. Regular workshops for teachers could raise awareness on nurturing curiosity and to develop effective teaching skills.

Background: Basic research is essential for the development of dental science, and the demand for medical doctors involved in basic research is increasing. However, the enthusiasm and resolve to engage in basic science research has declined, as understanding the necessity of and conducting basic science research with clinical observations are challenging for students. In addition, the increasing need to implement cross-disciplinarity in dental research activities has even weakened research innovation. In response, the School of Stomatology launched a programme named the Academic Career Planning Course of Stomatology Students (ACPCSS) in 2022. This study evaluated the programme's effectiveness in enhancing dental students' enthusiasm, commitment, and innovation in basic research.

Methods: The programme has set up three modules to facilitate on-site or online lectures on the necessity of basic science in stomatology subdisciplines to strengthen students' enthusiasm, and the approaches of clinical-research integration to develop their resolve, and cross-disciplinary research innovation with dental science. In the cross-sectional study, questionnaires were distributed to evaluate the effect of the programme. Retrospective analyses compared academic performance-measured by publications and funded research projects-among students with different levels of lecture participation.

Results: To date, the programme has held 22 lectures, and a total of 3357 participants have attended. The participating dental students have engaged in more scientific activities, including publishing more research papers and multidisciplinary papers and acquiring more funded projects. ACPCSS is associated with improved dental students' awareness of the necessity of research, increased resolve to engage in basic science, and enhanced innovation in dental research.

Conclusion: The ACPCSS project has cultivated participants' enthusiasm, resolve, and innovative abilities in scientific research. This was accomplished through three dedicated training modules, which emphasized: the necessity of research in dental subspecialties, clinical research integration methodology, and cross-disciplinary research exploration.

Background: To evaluate the efficacy of a modified snowballing method in teaching Oral Pathology to dental students, aiming to enhance their understanding and performance in elaborating clinical diagnoses and in preparation for dental board exams.

Methods: Oral Pathology topics relevant to the dental curriculum were introduced to students throughout the course. At the end of the term, practice sessions were booked and essential information about this active methodology was provided to the students, who reviewed the content and individually tackled a multiple-answer quiz mirroring the format of their upcoming dental board exams. Subsequently, students formed small groups to retake the same quiz, this time, sharing knowledge and discussing answers collaboratively amongst themselves. Each group reached a consensus on their answers and submitted a single group response. The exercise concluded with a class discussion led by the course coordinator to consolidate learning outcomes.

Results: The class average on the individual quiz was 51.7% ± 5.8%, which significantly improved to 80.6% ± 4.3% on the group quiz (p = 0.001). Every student exhibited up to 61.6% of improvement in their scores when comparing individual and group quiz results.

Conclusions: Integrating a modified snowballing technique into dental education enhances diagnostic reasoning, teamwork, and exam preparedness among dental students. This active learning approach fosters essential skills for interprofessional collaboration and better equips future practitioners to manage complex oral health cases within integrated health care settings. The modified snowballing technique employed herein has significantly and positively impacted the performance of dental students in their performance on board exam-style Oral Pathology questions. It is expected that implementing a modified snowballing technique in dental education can lead to better learning outcomes and increased confidence among students in handling clinical cases and exam scenarios, also helping them prepare more effectively for dental board exams.