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Social Constructivism in Medical School Where Students Become Patients with Dietary Restrictions.

ABSTRACT: Background:Experiential vertical integration of basic science with clinical concepts remains a challenge in medical school curricula. In addition, training physicians in nutritional competency that translates into patient care is a challenging endeavor ranging from biochemical mechanisms to socioeconomic challenges. Methods:Employing a social constructivism paradigm, we implemented a collaborative cook-off competition in a basic science course where 140 first-year medical students per year translated their studies of inborn errors of metabolism, energy metabolism, micronutrients and immunology into edible creations intended for people with disorders requiring dietary management. After learning about the disorders in lecture, problem-based learning, team-based learning and through patient interviews, four problem-based learning groups (7 students per group) were assigned to prepare food dishes for one of the five assigned disorders. Together, students researched the dietary requirements, shopped, paid for, prepared, presented and shared their food. To the class, faculty and re-invited patients, the groups explained the dietary restrictions, the chosen ingredients, how they prepared the food, and why their dish was suitable for the disorder. Each category was judged and awarded a first-place food prize with a grand prize at the end. At the completion of the course, student feedback was elicited via anonymous evaluations. Over 3 years, 380 comments were collected. We used grounded theory to generate a codebook that was then analyzed by the authors for overarching themes. Results:Qualitative results described three major themes: increased relevance of basic science to real life, increased empathy towards complying with dietary restrictions, and increased student group cohesiveness. Conclusion:The patient-centered cook-off competition taught students the relevance of basic science but in addition, it taught empathy towards the patient experience. We also discovered that the process of food preparation was a bonding experience that promoted collaboration, cohesiveness and friendship within the student class.

SUBMITTER: Hennrikus EF

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7395697 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Social Constructivism in Medical School Where Students Become Patients with Dietary Restrictions.

Hennrikus Eileen F EF Skolka Michael P MP Hennrikus Nicholas N

Advances in medical education and practice 20200728

<h4>Background</h4>Experiential vertical integration of basic science with clinical concepts remains a challenge in medical school curricula. In addition, training physicians in nutritional competency that translates into patient care is a challenging endeavor ranging from biochemical mechanisms to socioeconomic challenges.<h4>Methods</h4>Employing a social constructivism paradigm, we implemented a collaborative cook-off competition in a basic science course where 140 first-year medical students ...[more]

PMID: 32801986

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Project description:BackgroundMedical education in this era has been disturbed by coronavirus disease. Our faculty has quickly adapted the curricula to online formats. The online format seems to be more advantageous in terms of content material and virtual activities, but the results of these adjustments will require subsequent evaluation. The aim of this study was to evaluate medical student expectations of online orthopedics learning that was created based on social constructivism theory.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional survey was carried out to assess the fifth-year medical student expectations of our newly developed online orthopedics course during the outbreak. Constructivist Online Learning Environment Survey (COLLES) was applied for evaluating the expectations during orthopedic rotation. The survey contains six aspects based on social constructivist principles: relevance, reflection, interactivity, tutor support, peer support, and interpretation. All students responded to the preferred COLLES before starting the online course, and the actual COLLES was filled out when the online course was completed. Before and after attending the online course, the scores were compared and interpreted to assess student expectations.ResultsA total of 126 fifth-year medical students studied the online orthopedic course. The preferred COLLES were completed by 125 students, while 120 students replied to the actual COLLES. The overall scores from the post-course survey in all aspects were significantly higher than scores from the pre-course with P-value < 0.01. The comparison between the preferred and actual scores showed this online course fulfilled student expectations.ConclusionThe outbreak of coronavirus disease 19 has disrupted medical student education. The online orthopedic learning course in our department has been developed to deal with the current situation. Using the various activities based on social constructivism theory in the online platform was able to fulfill medical student expectations.

Project description:BackgroundUniversity-based mental health services for medical students remain a challenge, particularly in low-income countries, due to poor service availability. Prior studies have explored the availability of mental health services in high-income countries but little is known about mental health services in countries in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Uganda. Medical students are at a higher risk of developing mental health challenges during their course of study as compared with other students. Thus, there is a need for well-structured mental health services for this group of students. The aim of this study was to explore perspectives on mental health services for medical students at a public University in Uganda.MethodsThis was a qualitative study where key informant interviews were conducted among purposively selected university administrators (n = 4), student leaders (n = 4), and mental health employees of the university (n = 3), three groups responsible for the mental well-being of medical students at a public university in Uganda. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed to identify relevant themes.ResultsThe working experience of university administrators and mental health providers was between eight months to 20 years, while student leaders had studied at the university for over four years. We identified five broad themes: (1) Burden of medical school: A curriculum of trauma, (2) Negative coping mechanisms and the problem of blame, (3) The promise of services: Mixed Messages, (4) A broken mental health system for students, and (5) Barriers to mental health services.ConclusionDistinguishing between psychological distress that is anticipated because of the subject matter in learning medicine and identifying those students that are suffering from untreated psychiatric disorders is an important conceptual task for universities. This can be done through offering education about mental health and well-being for administrators, giving arm's length support for students, and a proactive, not reactive, approach to mental health. There is also a need to redesign the medical curriculum to change the medical education culture through pedagogical considerations of how trauma informs the learning and the mental health of students.

Project description:Defining professionalism in this constantly evolving world is not easy. How do you measure degrees of benevolence and compassion? If it is so obvious to our profession, what professionalism is, then why is it so difficult to teach it to medical students and residents? Today's definition of medical professionalism is evolving - from autonomy to accountability, from expert opinion to evidence-based medicine, and from self-interest to teamwork and shared responsibility. However, medical professionalism is defined as the basis for the trust in the patient-physician relationship, caring and compassion, insight, openness, respect for patient dignity, confidentiality, autonomy, presence, altruism, and those qualities that lead to trust-competence, integrity, honesty, morality, and ethical conduct. The purpose of this study is to explore professionalism in terms of its fundamental elements among medical students of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA). This was a cross-sectional study carried out on medical students of UniSZA. The study population included preclinical and clinical medical students of UniSZA from Year I to Year V of academic session 2014/2015. The simple random sampling technique was used to select the sample. Data were collected using a validated instrument. The data were then compiled and analyzed using SPSS Version 21. Out of 165 questionnaires distributed randomly among Year I to Year V medical students of UniSZA, 144 returned, giving a response rate of 87%. Among the study participants, 38% (54) and 62% (90) were males and females, respectively. The grand total score was 170.92±19.08. A total of 166.98±20.15 and 173.49±18.09 were the total professionalism score of male and female study participants, respectively, with no statistically significant (P=0.61) differences. This study found almost similar levels of familiarity with all fundamental issues of professionalism with no statistically (P>0.05) significant differences. Medical faculty members should give more effort for the professional development of medical doctor. Henceforth, researchers believe and expect that the country will produce more rational and holistic medical doctors.

Project description:BackgroundEarly in medical education, physicians must develop competencies needed for tobacco dependence treatment.ObjectiveTo assess the effect of a multi-modal tobacco dependence treatment curriculum on medical students' counseling skills.DesignA group-randomized controlled trial (2010-2014) included ten U.S. medical schools that were randomized to receive either multi-modal tobacco treatment education (MME) or traditional tobacco treatment education (TE).Setting/participantsStudents from the classes of 2012 and 2014 at ten medical schools participated. Students from the class of 2012 (N = 1345) completed objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), and 50 % (N = 660) were randomly selected for pre-intervention evaluation. A total of 72.9 % of eligible students (N = 1096) from the class of 2014 completed an OSCE and 69.7 % (N = 1047) completed pre and post surveys.InterventionsThe MME included a Web-based course, a role-play classroom demonstration, and a clerkship booster session. Clerkship preceptors in MME schools participated in an academic detailing module and were encouraged to be role models for third-year students.MeasurementsThe primary outcome was student tobacco treatment skills using the 5As measured by an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) scored on a 33-item behavior checklist. Secondary outcomes were student self-reported skills for performing 5As and pharmacotherapy counseling.ResultsAlthough the difference was not statistically significant, MME students completed more tobacco counseling behaviors on the OSCE checklist (mean 8.7 [SE 0.6] vs. mean 8.0 [SE 0.6], p = 0.52) than TE students. Several of the individual Assist and Arrange items were significantly more likely to have been completed by MME students, including suggesting behavioral strategies (11.8 % vs. 4.5 %, p < 0.001) and providing information regarding quitline (21.0 % vs. 3.8 %, p < 0.001). MME students reported higher self-efficacy for Assist, Arrange, and Pharmacotherapy counseling items (ps ≤0.05).LimitationsInclusion of only ten schools limits generalizability.ConclusionsSubsequent interventions should incorporate lessons learned from this first randomized controlled trial of a multi-modal longitudinal tobacco treatment curriculum in multiple U.S. medical schools. NIH Trial Registry Number: NCT01905618.

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Social Constructivism in Medical School Where Students Become Patients with Dietary Restrictions.

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Social Constructivism in Medical School Where Students Become Patients with Dietary Restrictions.

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