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Perceptions of Ghanaian medical students completing a clinical elective at the University of Michigan Medical School.

ABSTRACT: International medical electives typically represent a unidirectional flow of students from economically advantaged countries in the global "North" to resource-poor nations in the global "South." Little is known about the impact of bilateral exchanges on students from less affluent nations.Since 2007, students from the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) and medical schools in Ghana have engaged in a bilateral clinical exchange program. A 45-item online survey was distributed to all 73 Ghanaian medical students who had rotated at UMMS from 2008 to 2010 to assess perspectives on the value and impact of their participation.Incoming Ghanaian students outnumbered outgoing UMMS students 73 to 33 during the study period. Of eligible Ghanaian students, 70% (51/73) participated in the survey, with 40 of 51 providing valid data on at least 50% of questions. Ninety-seven percent (37/38) reported that the UMMS rotation was valuable to their medical training, 90% (35/39) reported changes in how they approach patient care, and 77% (24/31) reported feeling better equipped to serve patients in their home community. Eighty-five percent of students (28/33) felt more inclined to pursue training opportunities outside of their home country after their rotation at UMMS.More studies are needed to determine the feasibility of bidirectional exchanges as well as the short-term and long-term impact of rotations on students from underresourced settings and their hosts in more resource-rich environments.

SUBMITTER: Abedini NC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4077908 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Perceptions of Ghanaian medical students completing a clinical elective at the University of Michigan Medical School.

Abedini Nauzley C NC Danso-Bamfo Sandra S Moyer Cheryl A CA Danso Kwabena A KA Mäkiharju Heather H Donkor Peter P Johnson Timothy R B TR Kolars Joseph C JC

Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 20140701 7

<h4>Problem</h4>International medical electives typically represent a unidirectional flow of students from economically advantaged countries in the global "North" to resource-poor nations in the global "South." Little is known about the impact of bilateral exchanges on students from less affluent nations.<h4>Approach</h4>Since 2007, students from the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) and medical schools in Ghana have engaged in a bilateral clinical exchange program. A 45-item online s ...[more]

PMID: 24826847

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Project description:BackgroundProtective measures like social distancing and staying home when possible were imposed by the public health authorities to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Educational institutions which had previously experienced only face-to-face traditional methods of service delivery suffered from huge difficulties in maintaining an effective teaching process. This cross-sectional study investigates the experiences of students of Hawler Medical University (Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan), exploring their e-learning experience and satisfaction when conventional classroom learning was suspended due to lockdown.MethodsA self-administered online questionnaire designed on Google Forms was administered from 14 to 31 March 2020. The main section of the questionnaire asked participants to rate their agreement with statements concerning e-learning satisfaction using a five-point Likert scale, with answers ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree.ResultsFrom an initial 1550 participants, 808 ultimately completed the processual stage. The majority of respondents were female, from the College of Medicine, of urban residence, and of an average economic situation. Three-quarters of the respondents had not participated in any online course before, 27.7% did not have the required electronic devices, 43.3% did not have the sufficient computer skills for the e-learning, and 38% thought that the University did not support the use of the e-learning system. During the processual stage, only 24.4% thought that the internet connection was good and helpful, 14.6% easily attended the online sessions, 35.6% thought that teachers have enough time to answer students' questions and concerns, and 18% that the teaching materials contributed to the course objectives and overall learning outcome.ConclusionsHawler Medical students were not well prepared to engage in the e-learning process. The majority experienced internet access and other technical problems in accessing the online sessions. They did not feel that the e-learning process has contributed to the achievement of course objectives and overall learning outcomes.

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Project description:BackgroundThe prevalence of mental illness among medical students is high. A gap remains on what knowledge should be given to improve the attitudes and perceptions towards mental health. Despite the vast body of literature globally, no study has been conducted in Uganda to assess the levels of knowledge, attitude, and perception among medical students in Uganda.ObjectiveTo determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and perception and their associated factors among medical students in Uganda.MethodsA cross-sectional study was done among 259 undergraduate medical students in a public university capturing information on knowledge, attitude, and perception towards mental health. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with knowledge, attitude, and perception.ResultsAbout 77.72% had high knowledge, 49.29% had positive attitudes, and 46.92% had good perceptions of mental health. There was a significant positive relationship between attitude and perceptions towards mental illness. At multilevel analysis, being in year 4 increased the level of knowledge (β = 1.50 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.46-2.54], p = 0.005) while a positive history of mental illness worsened perceptions towards mental illness (β = -4.23 [95% CI = -7.44-1.03], p = 0.010).ConclusionMedical students have a high level of knowledge about mental illness but the majority had poor attitudes and perceptions of mental illness. Exposure to psychiatry knowledge about mental illness in year four increased students' knowledge while prior experience with mental illness conditions was associated with poorer perceptions. The information present in this study can be used by policymakers and future researchers to design future studies and interventions to improve knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes especially among students who have a history of mental illness. Improvements in knowledge, attitude, and perception may improve the mental health services for the future patients of these medical students.

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Perceptions of Ghanaian medical students completing a clinical elective at the University of Michigan Medical School.

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Perceptions of Ghanaian medical students completing a clinical elective at the University of Michigan Medical School.

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