Dataset Information

Writing centers, libraries, and medical and pharmacy schools.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study investigated the existence of writing centers at medical and pharmacy schools, the location of those writing centers in a library or elsewhere, and librarians' perceptions of how writing centers are viewed by students, faculty, and staff.

Methods

A twelve-question survey was sent to libraries affiliated with a medical and pharmacy school in the United States.

Results

Respondents were curious about writing centers, how they were viewed on campus, and how to start one. Overall, respondents described engagement with writing centers: 68% had a writing center on campus, 23% had a writing center in their library, and 11% had a writing center on the health sciences campus, including in the health sciences library. No respondents reported hearing negative comments from faculty or students about the writing centers, and 60% of respondents with writing centers that were available to medical and pharmacy students would recommend one to health sciences libraries without access to a writing center.

Conclusion

This exploratory study showed that the establishment of writing centers in health sciences libraries is a topic of interest. Future studies could further investigate health sciences libraries' roles in writing centers for pharmacy, medical, and other health sciences students.

SUBMITTER: McGurr MJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6919988 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Writing centers, libraries, and medical and pharmacy schools.

McGurr Melanie J MJ

Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA 20200101 1

<h4>Objective</h4>This study investigated the existence of writing centers at medical and pharmacy schools, the location of those writing centers in a library or elsewhere, and librarians' perceptions of how writing centers are viewed by students, faculty, and staff.<h4>Methods</h4>A twelve-question survey was sent to libraries affiliated with a medical and pharmacy school in the United States.<h4>Results</h4>Respondents were curious about writing centers, how they were viewed on campus, and how ...[more]

PMID: 31897055

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Project description:BackgroundTo conduct a systematic assessment of library and informatics training at accredited Western U.S. medical schools. To provide a structured description of core practices, detect trends through comparisons across institutions, and to identify innovative training approaches at the medical schools.MethodsAction research study pursued through three phases. The first phase used inductive analysis on reported library and informatics skills training via publicly-facing websites at accredited medical schools and the academic health sciences libraries serving those medical schools. Phase Two consisted of a survey of the librarians who provide this training to undergraduate medical education students at the Western U.S. medical schools. The survey revealed gaps in forming a complete picture of current practices, thereby generating additional questions that were answered through the Phase Three in-depth interviews.ResultsPublicly-facing websites reviewed in Phase One offered uneven information about library and informatics training at Western U.S. medical schools. The Phase Two survey resulted in a 77% response rate. The survey produced a clearer picture of current practices of library and informatics training. The survey also determined the readiness of medical students to pass certain aspects of the United States Medical Licensure Exam. Most librarians interacted with medical school curricular leaders through either curricula committees or through individual contacts. Librarians averaged three (3) interventions for training within the four-year curricula with greatest emphasis upon the first and third years. Library/informatics training was integrated fully into the respective curricula in almost all cases. Most training involved active learning approaches, specifically within Problem-Based Learning or Evidence-Based Medicine contexts. The Phase Three interviews revealed that librarians are engaged with the medical schools' curricular leaders, they are respected for their knowledge and teaching skills, and that they need to continually adapt to changes in curricula.ConclusionsThis study offers a long overdue, systematic view of current practices of library/informatics training at Western U.S. medical schools. Medical educators, particularly curricular leaders, will find opportunities in this study's results for more productive collaborations with the librarians responsible for library and informatics training at their medical schools.

Dataset Information

Writing centers, libraries, and medical and pharmacy schools.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Writing centers, libraries, and medical and pharmacy schools.

Similar Datasets

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