Project description:BackgroundUsing commercially available television and movies is a potentially effective tool to foster humanistic, compassionate and person-centred orientations in medical students.AimWe reviewed pedagogical applications of television and movies in medical education to explore whether and why this innovation holds promise.MethodsWe performed a literature review to provide a narrative summary on this topic.ResultsFurther studies are needed with richer descriptions of innovations and more rigorous research designs.ConclusionAs we move toward evidence-informed education, we need an evidence- based examination of this topic that will move it beyond a 'show and tell' discussion toward meaningful implementation and evaluation. Further exploration regarding the theoretical basis for using television and movies in medical education will help substantiate continued efforts to use these media as teaching tools.
Project description:Currently, accreditation in medical education is a priority for many countries worldwide. The World Federation for Medical Education’s (WFME) launch of its 1st trilogy of standards in 2003 was a seminal event promoting accreditation in basic medical education (BME) globally. In parallel, the WFME also actively spearheaded a project to recognize accrediting agencies within individual countries. The introduction of competency-based medical education (CBME), with the 2 key concepts of entrusted professional activity and milestones, has enabled researchers to identify the relationships between patient outcomes and medical education. The recent data-driven approach to CBME has been used for ongoing quality improvement of trainees and training programs. The accreditation goal has shifted from the single purpose of quality assurance to balancing quality assurance and quality improvement. Although there are many types of postgraduate medical education (PGME), it may be possible to accredit resident programs on a global scale by adopting the concept of CBME. It will also be possible to achieve accreditation alignment for BME and PGME, which center on competency. This approach may also make it possible to measure accreditation outcomes against patient outcomes. Therefore, evidence of the advantages of costly and labor-consuming accreditation processes will be available soon, and quality improvement will be the driving force of the accreditation process.
Project description:IntroductionUrological presentations are commonly seen in primary care and urologists are concerned that educational gaps exist in undergraduate curricula in Canadian medical schools. A pan-Canadian survey of undergraduate urology education directors (UUEDs) was used to determine the current status of undergraduate urology education in Canada.MethodsIn the fall of 2018, a survey was administered to all 17 UUEDs representing every Canadian medical school. The survey assessed multiple factors, including the timing and duration of urologist-led instruction, the perceived adequacy of urological content in the curriculum, and the level of preparedness of graduating students.ResultsThe response rate was 100%. Variation in the duration (mean total instructional hours: 22.5±17.2 [5-75] hours) and timing of formal urological instruction was seen. The majority of schools covered core content areas, however, erectile dysfunction, urotrauma, and pediatric urology topics were under-represented. One school had a mandatory urology clerkship rotation (one week), while the other 16 schools offered a selective, with 24.3% of students completing this experience. The majority of UUEDs (64.7%) believed the curricular time devoted to urology was inadequate, 29.4% felt that their graduates were unprepared to diagnose and treat common urological problems, and 76.5% strongly agreed or agreed that a national urology curriculum would be useful.ConclusionsThere was significant variability in the duration of instruction and delivery of urological topics in Canadian medical schools. There was a perceived need for more urological instruction by most UUEDs, who welcomed a more standardized national curriculum as a strategy to address this need.
Project description:IntroductionResearch is needed to understand the frequency of e-cigarette impressions in scripted television and movies, especially in scripted content with characters and storylines that may appeal to young adults. This study aimed to determine the extent of e-cigarette-related imagery and dialogue in Netflix content popular with young adults. We also determine the demographics and character qualities of actors shown holding e-cigarettes.MethodsNielsen ratings data were used to compile a list of the most popular Netflix original films and TV shows among U.S. viewers 18-24 years old between June 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021. We used a sample of 12 films and 113 TV episodes from 12 series. Three coders were trained to analyze a total of 101 h of content for the presence of e-cigarettes, level of use, type of characters holding e-cigarettes, brand visibility, and the presence of vaping-related dialogue. Twenty percent of all episodes/films were double coded to ensure reliability.ResultsOut of 125 titles, 16 (13%) had e-cigarette-related content. Thirteen titles (10%) showed at least one character holding an e-cigarette, and three others mentioned vaping without showing e-cigarettes. The total time of e-cigarettes onscreen amounted to 399 s and the average screen time for e-cigarettes was 31 s. Ninety-nine percent of the time an e-cigarette appeared on screen it was being held by a character.ConclusionThis study documented recent e-cigarette imagery found on Netflix and demonstrates the need for health communication campaigns to denormalize e-cigarette use, particularly among susceptible populations, such as young adults.
Project description:PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance for medical professionals to engage in work transcending national borders and to deeply understand perspectives of health in other countries. Internationalization of medical education can play a key role to that end, by preparing culturally competent and globally conscious medical healthcare professionals.The aim of this scoping review is to identify current practices and formats in internationalization in medical education, which to date has received sparse academic attention. The need for this review is heightened amid COVID-19 where a clearer understanding of current internationalization efforts can inform more effective practice. We also explore if the motivations driving internationalization activities in medicine align with current practice and formats based on a framework of thematic categories found in the field of international higher education. In addition, we identify gaps in existing research.MethodsUsing a scoping review, an international and interdisciplinary research team employed a comprehensive search strategy to identify publications on existing efforts in IoME, published from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2020, in Scopus, PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied to identify relevant data from publication titles, abstracts, and main texts, which were subsequently summarized. Coding schemes were developed based on models for comprehensive internationalization in higher education.Results350 articles met the inclusion criteria. Most articles originated from the high-income countries of the Global North and accounted for a literature base favoring perspectives and understandings that were typically representative of this region. Whereas motivations for internationalizing medical curricula in high-income countries were generally rooted in a model of social transformation/justice/health equity, drivers relating to competition and workforce preparation were common in the low- and middle-income countries.Importantly, the motivations driving internationalization activities generally did not align well with reported internationalization formats, which included student mobility, international curricula at home, and global partnerships. There was a disconnect between what medical curricula/professionals hope to accomplish and the reality of practice on the ground.Discussion and conclusionThere is a need for a common definition of internationalization of medical education and a more balanced and unbiased literature base, capturing the full spectrum of internationalization activities existing in both the Global North and South. International partnership frameworks need to equally benefit institutions of both the Global North and Global South. Currently, institutions in the low- and middle-income countries generally cater to the needs and interests of their high-income counterparts. There are concerns about student mobility from high-income countries to low- and middle-income countries. Finally, medical education should be more inclusive and all medical students should gain access to international perspectives and experiences.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01553-6.
Project description:In 2008, the German Council of Science had advised universities to establish a quality management system (QMS) that conforms to international standards. The system was to be implemented within 5 years, i.e., until 2014 at the latest. The aim of the present study was to determine whether a QMS suitable for electronic learning (eLearning) domain of medical education to be used across Germany has meanwhile been identified.We approached all medical universities in Germany (n=35), using an anonymous questionnaire (8 domains, 50 items).Our results (response rate 46.3%) indicated very reluctant application of QMS in eLearning and a major information deficit at the various institutions.Authors conclude that under the limitations of this study there seems to be a considerable need to improve the current knowledge on QMS for eLearning, and that clear guidelines and standards for their implementation should be further defined.
Project description:AimTo characterize defibrillation and cardiac arrest survival outcomes in movies.MethodsMovies from 2003 to 2012 with defibrillation scenes were reviewed for patient and rescuer characteristics, scene characteristics, defibrillation characteristics, additional interventions, and cardiac arrest survival outcomes. Resuscitation actions were compared with chain of survival actions and the American Heart Association (AHA) Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) 2020 Impact Goals. Cardiac arrest survival outcomes were compared with survival rates reported in the literature and targeted by the AHA ECC 2020 Impact Goals.ResultsThirty-five scenes were identified in 32 movies. Twenty-five (71%) patients were male, and 29 (83%) rescuers were male. Intent of defibrillation was resuscitation in 29 (83%) scenes and harm in 6 (17%) scenes. Cardiac arrest was the indication for use in 23 (66%) scenes, and the heart rhythm was made known in 18 scenes (51%). When the heart rhythm was known, defibrillation was appropriately used for ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation in 5 (28%) scenes and inappropriately used for asystole in 7 (39%) scenes. In 8 scenes with in-hospital cardiac arrest, 7 (88%) patients survived, compared to survival rates of 23.9% reported in the literature and 38% targeted by an AHA ECC 2020 Impact Goal. In 12 movie scenes with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, 8 (67%) patients survived, compared to survival rates of 7.9-9.5% reported in peer-reviewed literature and 15.8% targeted by an AHA ECC 2020 Impact Goal.ConclusionIn movies, defibrillation and cardiac arrest survival outcomes are often portrayed inaccurately, representing missed opportunities for public health education.
Project description:Background: Today's medical students are growing up in a digital age in which the use of smartphones and smart devices is now irrevocably part of professional life. However, the abilities to use these devices that have become so ubiquitous in private life can only be partially transferred to work with patients and the medical setting. Since little is known about digitalization in medical education, the aim of this paper is to gain an overview of the current training in digital competencies at Swiss universities. Methods: The medical deans at all Swiss universities were contacted by telephone and informed about an online survey. The invitation to fill out the Survey Monkey questionnaire was subsequently sent by email to the specific contacts at each university. The survey consisted of questions to be answered using a defined scale and open-ended questions. The survey's focus, topics involving digital competencies, is based on the content in the Principal Relevant Objectives and Framework for Integrative Learning and Education in Switzerland (PROFILES) and the National Competency-based Catalogue of Learning Objective in Undergraduate Medicine (NKLM). Results: All of the dean's offices that were contacted participated in the survey. The topics on digitalization were all rated as relevant or very relevant. Our survey shows a heterogeneous picture in terms of implementing PROFILE and NKLM content. A few universities have well-established educational approaches or even implemented curricula, but often these are still in development. Participants also mentioned factors that are necessary for successfully setting up and implementing curricula dealing with digitalization and factors that can impede such efforts. Conclusion: The importance of acquiring digital competencies during medical study is known and recognized by all Swiss medical schools. Curricular integration varies in its progress and represents major challenges for the medical faculties. It is precisely the inclusion of students in such efforts that may be a potential response to this challenge.
Project description:BackgroundPathology education provides information on pathology and guides students to become pathologists. Recently, the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China required the establishment of the system of 'High-quality Online and Offline Courses', which indicates that online courses will play an important role in higher education. Furthermore, the number of pathologists currently cannot satisfy clinical needs. To solve this health issue and implement the policy from the Ministry of Education, it is necessary to improve the current state of pathology education. First, we need to know students' opinions of the current courses and their professional choices.MethodsOnline questionnaires covering the quality of traditional courses, attitudes towards online courses, and suggestions for optimizing courses were designed and applied. Whether students want to become pathologists and the underlying reasons for this interest are also included in this survey. Participants are medical students from certain colleges in Nanjing. The collected data were assessed by statistical analyses, and p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant.ResultsOf the 342 valid responses, 60.94% of undergraduate students showed their interest in pathology courses, and among them, 48.72% expressed that they may become pathologists. However, the corresponding percentage is only 29.59% in the group without interest. To optimize curricula, the top two suggestions are introducing more clinical cases (undergraduate students, 64.45%; graduate students, 79.09%) and making the classes lively and interesting (undergraduate students, 59.77%; graduate students, 62.79%). Approximately 80.00% of students consider online courses to be good supplementary materials to traditional courses, and approximately half prefer an online-offline mixed learning model. Salary, interest, and employment status are the main factors influencing students' professional choices.ConclusionsStudents are generally satisfied with traditional pathology courses, and online courses are good supplementary materials in their opinions. It has been suggested that clinical cases be introduced in classes. It is more likely that students who have an interest in pathology will become pathologists. The data from this survey also show that the main causes of the shortage of pathologists are a lack of engaging work and an unsatisfactory salary.