Canadian medical education journal最新文献

Background: Community service-learning activities (CSL) have been integrated into medical schools for several years. However, little data exists to understand the impact of this type of activity on students and communities. The purpose of this research was to explore the effect of a mandatory community-based training activity offered to medical students.

Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted with students and their host community organizations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 1st and 2nd year medical students who participated in CSL activities (pre n = 21, post n = 7). These interviews were conducted before and after the CSL activities. In addition, focused focus groups with leaders of community organizations (n = 17) involved in student training completed the study.

Results: Experiences in a variety of socio-economic and cultural settings contributed to students' understanding of the concept of social vulnerability. CSL also generated a better understanding of the importance of community organizations in helping these vulnerable individuals.

Conclusion: In the context of CSL, a better understanding of the individual and community organization factors that contribute to the development of competencies related to practice in a context of vulnerability is necessary to allow for a significant and often transformative experience for future physicians.

Background: Ophthalmology has historically been a male-dominated specialty. Despite there being a higher proportion of females in Canadian medical schools since the early 2000s, it is unknown if trends in female applicants and those accepted to ophthalmology have followed suit. This study aims to evaluate trends in gender representation of ophthalmology applicants to Canadian residency programs from 1998 to 2020 and to compare those trends to other surgical specialties.

Methods: We obtained aggregate data of the annual number of male and female applicants ranking and successfully matching to ophthalmology as their first-choice specialty from the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) database. We then carried out a retrospective cross-sectional analysis on the publicly available data. Subsequently, we compared trends in female applicants to ophthalmology, as well as female practicing ophthalmologists, to other surgical disciplines.

Results: The proportion of female applicants increased from 24.3% in 1998 to 33.3% in 2020 (p = 0.001), and matched female applicants increased from 28.6% in 1998 to 40.5% in 2020 (p = 0.023). However, the incremental change in proportion did not statistically significantly increase in 2008-2012, 2013-2016, and 2017-2020. Comparison of male and female matching success rates did not reveal a significant difference (p = 0.45). Trends in female applicants to ophthalmology and female practicing ophthalmologists were similar to other surgical specialties.

Conclusions: Although the proportion of female applicants is increasing, there is a recent plateau and an inability to equalize the female-to-male ratio in ophthalmology. Further studies are needed to identify potential barriers and mitigate possible residual gender biases.

Implication Statement When equipped with the skills to recognize and intervene effectively, peers are well positioned to be early responders to near-peers in mental distress. This pilot study provides a framework for providing suicide prevention skills training to pre-clerkship medical students with the aim to improve early peer-to-peer detection and initial aid for mental health crises. This training is effective in improving students' self-reported comfort to provide early intervention to peers with declining mental health. Participants felt strongly that this training merits integration into core medical education and did not identify the added courseload as a major burden. Other programs should consider adopting such an initiative.

Background: Cognitive integration occurs when trainees make conceptual connections between relevant knowledges and is known to improve learning. While several experimental studies have demonstrated how text and audio-visual instruction can be designed to enhance cognitive integration, clinical skills training in real-world contexts may require alternative educational strategies. Introducing three-dimensional (3D) printed models during clinical skills instruction may offer unique learning opportunities to support cognitive integration.

Methods: Using case study methodology, we explore how learners and an instructor used 3D printed bones to augment their learning interactions during a clinical skills laboratory on shoulder on palpation, and to describe the instructional strategies with 3D printed bones that may support learning. Students (n = 21) worked in small groups and were given access to a 3D printed clavicle, scapula, and humerus. Data were collected through observation, a student focus group, and a semi-structured interview with the instructor. Thematic analysis to review and code the data and to generate themes.

Results: We developed four themes that describe how 3D printed models were used in the classroom and how they may support cognitive integration: classroom interactivity, visualization of anatomy, integrating knowledge, and educational potential.

Conclusions: The findings demonstrate several ways 3D printed models can augment how learners, instructors, and educational materials interact with one another and how readily learners make connections between different sources and types of knowledge. This research extends previous work by demonstrating how social learning processes and interactions with physical models can offer unique affordances that may support cognitive integration.