Variations in Medical Students' Educational Preferences, Attitudes and Volunteerism during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Appelbaum NP
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8188156 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundAs the disease caused by the novel coronavirus has spread globally, there has been significant economic instability in the healthcare systems. This reality was especially accentuated in Ecuador where, the shortage of healthcare workers combined with cultural and macroeconomic factors has led Ecuador to face the most aggressive outbreak in Latin America. In this context, the participation of final-year medical students on the front line is indispensable. Appropriate training on COVID-19 is an urgent requirement that universities and health systems must guarantee. We aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Ecuadorian final-year medical students that could potentially guide the design of better medical education curricula regarding COVID-19.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional 33-item online survey conducted between April 6 to April 2020 assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and prognosis toward COVID-19 in Ecuadorian final-year medical students. It was sent by email, Facebook, and WhatsApp.ResultsA total of 309 students responded to the survey. Out of which 88% of students scored high (≥ 70% correct) for knowledge of the disease. The majority of students were pessimistic about possible government actions, which is reflected in the negative attitude towards the control of COVID-19 and volunteering during the outbreak in Ecuador (77%, and 58% of the students, respectively). Moreover, 91% of students said they did not have adequate protective equipment. The latter finding was significantly associated with negative attitudes.ConclusionsAlthough a large number of students displayed negative attitudes, the non-depreciable percentage of students who were willing to volunteer and the coexisting high level of knowledge displayed by students, suggests that Ecuador has a capable upcoming workforce that could benefit from an opportunity to strengthen, improve and advance their training in preparation for COVID-19. Not having personal protective equipment was significantly associated to negative attitudes. Providing the necessary tools and creating a national curriculum may be one of the most effective ways to ensure all students are trained, whilst simultaneously focusing on the students' most pressing concerns. With this additional training, negative attitudes will improve and students will be better qualified.
| S-EPMC7903404 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an unprecedented disruption in medical education and healthcare systems worldwide. The disease can cause life-threatening conditions and it presents challenges for medical education, as instructors must deliver lectures safely, while ensuring the integrity and continuity of the medical education process. It is therefore important to assess the usability of online learning methods, and to determine their feasibility and adequacy for medical students. We aimed to provide an overview of the situation experienced by medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical students regarding electronic medical education. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with medical students from more than 13 medical schools in Libya. A paper-based and online survey was conducted using email and social media. The survey requested demographic and socioeconomic information, as well as information related to medical online learning and electronic devices; medical education status during the COVID-19 pandemic; mental health assessments; and e-learning knowledge, attitudes, and practices. A total of 3,348 valid questionnaires were retrieved. Most respondents (64.7%) disagreed that e-learning could be implemented easily in Libya. While 54.1% of the respondents agreed that interactive discussion is achievable by means of e-learning. However, only 21.1% agreed that e-learning could be used for clinical aspects, as compared with 54.8% who disagreed with this statement and 24% who were neutral. Only 27.7% of the respondents had participated in online medical educational programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, while 65% reported using the internet for participating in study groups and discussions. There is no vaccine for COVID-19 yet. As such, the pandemic will undeniably continue to disrupt medical education and training. As we face the prospect of a second wave of virus transmission, we must take certain measures and make changes to minimize the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on medical education and on the progression of training. The time for change is now, and there should be support and enthusiasm for providing valid solutions to reduce this disruption, such as online training and virtual clinical experience. These measures could then be followed by hands-on experience that is provided in a safe environment.
| S-EPMC7688124 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundRecent educational initiatives by both the World Health Organization and the American Association of Medical Colleges have endorsed integrating teaching of patient safety and quality improvement (QI) to medical students. Curriculum development should take into account learners' attitudes and preferences. We surveyed students to assess preferences and attitudes about QI and patient safety education.MethodsAn electronic survey was developed through focus groups, literature review, and local expert opinion and distributed via email to all medical students at a single medical school in the spring of 2012.ResultsA greater proportion of students reported previous exposure to patient safety than to quality improvement topics (79% vs. 47%). More than 80% of students thought patient safety was of the same or greater importance than basic science or clinical skills whereas quality improvement was rated as the same or more important by about 70% of students. Students rated real life examples of quality improvement projects and participation in these projects with actual patients as potentially the most helpful (mean scores 4.2/5 and 3.9/5 respectively). For learning about patient safety, real life examples of mistakes were again rated most highly (mean scores 4.5/5 for MD presented mistakes and 4.1/5 for patient presented mistakes). Students rated QI as very important to their future career regardless of intended specialty (mean score 4.5/5).ConclusionsTeaching of patient safety and quality improvement to medical students will be best received if it is integrated into clinical education rather than solely taught in pre-clinical lectures or through independent computer modules. Students recognize that these topics are important to their careers as future physicians regardless of intended specialty.
| S-EPMC3570358 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020 necessitated the removal of medical students from direct patient care activities to prevent disease spread and to conserve personal protective equipment. In order for medical student education to continue, virtual and online electives were designed and implemented expeditiously. We created a virtual curriculum that taught quality improvement (QI) skills within the context of the global pandemic.MethodsThis 4-week curriculum enrolled 16 students. Students completed the revised QI knowledge application tool (QIKAT-R) before and after the course to assess QI knowledge. Students completed prereading, online modules, and received lectures on QI and incident command systems. Each group designed their own QI project related to our hospital system's response to the pandemic. Finally, groups presented their projects at a peer symposium and completed peer evaluations.ResultsStudents' QIKAT-R scores improved throughout the course from a mean of 5.5 (SD = 1.3) to a mean of 7.5 (SD = 1.1; p < 0.001). Students reported that the virtual learning experience delivered the material effectively, and all students agreed that they would participate in QI work in the future.DiscussionPatient safety and QI topics are content areas for multiple medical licensing examinations. Virtual learning is an effective way to deliver QI content to medical students and residents, especially when projects are trainee-led, QI-trained faculty serve as mentors, and the projects harmonize with institutional goals. Our virtual pandemic-focused curriculum has demonstrated efficacy in increasing medical student QI knowledge.
| S-EPMC7880258 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ProblemIn March 2020, the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) became a global pandemic. Medical schools around the United States faced difficult decisions, temporarily suspending hospital-based clerkship rotations for medical students due to potential shortages of personal protective equipment and a need to social distance. This decision created a need for innovative, virtual learning opportunities to support undergraduate medical education.ApproachEducators at Yale School of Medicine developed a novel medical student curriculum converting high-fidelity, mannequin-based simulation into a fully online virtual telesimulation format. By using a virtual videoconferencing platform to deliver remote telesimulation as an immersive educational experience for widely dispersed students, this novel technology retains the experiential strengths of simulation-based learning while complying with needs for social distancing during the pandemic. The curriculum comprises simulated clinical scenarios that include live patient actors; facilitator interactions; and real-time assessment of vital signs, labs, and imaging. Each 90-minute session includes 2 sets of simulation scenarios and faculty-led teledebriefs. A team of 3 students performs the first scenario, while an additional team of 3 students observes. Teams reverse roles for the second scenario.OutcomesThe 6-week virtual telesimulation elective enrolled the maximum 48 medical students and covered core clinical clerkship content areas. Communication patterns within the virtual telesimulation format required more deliberate turn-taking than normal conversation. Using the chat function within the videoconferencing platform allowed teams to complete simultaneous tasks. A nurse confederate provided cues not available in the virtual telesimulation format.Next stepsRapid dissemination of this program, including online webinars and live demonstration sessions with student volunteers, supports the development of similar programs at other universities. Evaluation and process improvement efforts include planned qualitative evaluation of this new format to further understand and refine the learning experience. Future work is needed to evaluate clinical skill development in this educational modality.
| S-EPMC8475640 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThere has been a rapid increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 in Latin America, Africa, Asia and many countries that have an insufficient number of physicians and other health care personnel, and the need for the inclusion of medical students on health teams is a very important issue. It has been recommended that medical students work as volunteers, undergo appropriate training, not undertake any activity beyond their level of competence, and receive continuous supervision and adequate personal protective equipment. However, the motivation of medical students must be evaluated to make volunteering a more evidence-based initiative. The aim of our study was to evaluate the motivation of medical students to be part of health teams to aid in the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods and findingsWe developed a questionnaire specifically to evaluate medical students' perceptions about participating in the care of patients with suspected infection with coronavirus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire had two parts: a) one part with questions on individual characteristics, year in medical school and geographic location of the medical school and b) a second part with twenty-eight statements assessed on a 5-point Likert scale (totally agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree and totally disagree). To develop the questionnaire, we performed consensus meetings with a group of faculty and medical students. The questionnaire was sent to student organizations of 257 medical schools in Brazil and answered by 10,433 students. We used multinomial logistic regression models to analyze the data. Statements associated with greater odds ratios for participation of medical students in the COVID-19 pandemic were related to a sense of purpose or duty ("It is the duty of the medical student to put himself or herself at the service of the population in the pandemic"), altruism ("I am willing to take risks by participating in practice in the context of the pandemic"), and perception of good performance and professional identity ("I will be a better health professional for having experienced the pandemic"). Males were more prone than females to believe that only interns should participate in the care of patients with COVID-19 (odds ratio 1.36 [coefficient interval 95%:1.24-1.49]) and that all students should participate (OR 1.68 [CI:1.4-1.91]).ConclusionsMedical students are more motivated by a sense of purpose or duty, altruism, perception of good performance and values of professionalism than by their interest in learning. These results have implications for the development of volunteering programs and the design of health force policies in the present pandemic and in future health emergencies.
| S-EPMC7968644 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic posed enormous challenges to the German healthcare system and highlighted the need for strategies to recruit, train, and deploy medical personnel. Until now, no holistic concept existed to use medical students as support for professionals in intensive care units (ICU) to avoid staff shortages in medical care.MethodIn a large-scale pilot project 265 medical students were trained for an ICU assignment. The innovative training module was accompanied by a pre-post questionnaire for self-assessment of the skills learned. 22 weeks after the training module and still during the pandemic deployment, another questionnaire was used to evaluate experiences in deployment and the efficiency of the training module with respect to preparation for ICU deployment.ResultsThe analysis revealed significant mean differences for all COVID-19-specific variables (safety dimension) in favor of the training module (n = 168). The deployment evaluation showed that the training concept was inconsistently assessed as preparation for the work deployment for 69 of the 89 deployed students in total (53% agreement/47% disagreement).ConclusionThe results show a good feasibility of an innovative training concept for medical students with respect to a pandemic deployment as assistants in intensive care units. The concept is suitable for providing additional helpers in intensive care units during a pandemic; however, the inconsistent evaluation indicates that the concept can be expanded and needs to be adapted.
| S-EPMC8290386 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSince the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), distance education has been extensively implemented in all educational institutes and remote electronic exams (E-exams) have been adopted as a primary mode of assessment.ObjectivesThis cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the experience of students at faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Applied Medical Sciences at Jordan University of Science and Technology regarding remote E-exams preferences and academic dishonesty during the pandemic.Materials and methodsThe survey composed of 16 questions, prepared using Google forms and distributed through students' E-learning platforms. The survey explored factors affecting students' preference for remote E-exams, methods for course assessment/evaluation, factors related to students' exam dishonesty/misconduct during remote E-exams and measures that can be considered to reduce this behavior. Data were analyzed using descriptive, cross tabulation and Chi-square tests.ResultsAmong 730 students, approximately only one third preferred remote E-exams. This was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with academic major, efforts/time for remote E-exam preparation, questions appropriateness with study material, and academic achievements (students Grade Point Average (GPA), curriculum objectives). Combining both exams and quizzes was the most preferred method of assessment (30%), while submission of reports or short written assignments were the least preferred ones. Exam dishonesty/misconduct appears as one of the major challenges with remote E-exams. The main measures considered by students to reduce exam dishonesty included substituting the exam with other forms of assessment, using different exam forms, the use of online proctoring solutions and considering compulsory pass/fail grades.ConclusionResults suggested less preference of remote E-exams among students at medical faculties. Findings from this study are highly valuable to plan for academic strategies to overcome difficulties and challenges of remote E-exams. These might include improvement for the distance teaching methodologies, rearrangement of assessment options, modification of the academic curriculum to fit the current situation, and adopting certain measures to prevent exam dishonesty and maintain academic integrity.
| S-EPMC7825891 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ContextThe COVID-19 pandemic has forced traditional teaching to be re-structured and delivered online.ObjectiveTo analyse medical students' perceptions about the benefits and difficulties of the remote teaching of Pathology during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignA cross-sectional study was performed with an online survey applied to students from the third and fourth year of medical graduation, who attended the remote teaching of Pathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online teaching methods consisted of synchronous activities with live interactive lectures, case-based discussions and asynchronous activities with recorded lectures, tutorials and texts available on the online teaching platform. Students' perceptions about the remote teaching of Pathology were assessed through online survey.ResultsNinety students (47.4%) of 190 participants completed the questionnaire, 45 were male and 52 in the third year of medical graduation. Perceived conditions that facilitated Pathology learning included the use of the online teaching platform and time flexibility for study. Students regarded live interactive lectures as superior to traditional face-to-face lectures. Perceived conditions that hindered the implementation of the online teaching included difficulty separating study from home activities, lack of motivation and worsening of quality of life due to physical distancing from colleagues and the faculty. Overall, the remote teaching of Pathology was positively valued by 80% of the students.ConclusionOnline tools allowed the content of Pathology to be successfully delivered to the students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience may be a model for future teaching activities of Pathology in health science education.
| S-EPMC8673725 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study aimed to assess students' perceptions of their educational environment in the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Morocco, using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Morocco, in which medical students' perceptions of their educational environment were assessed using the DREEM criteria during the 2013-2014 academic years. The DREEM inventory encompasses 50 items divided into five subdomains: perceptions of learning, perceptions of teaching, academic self-perceptions, perceptions of atmosphere, and social self-perceptions. The DREEM has a maximum score of 200, which would correspond to a perfect educational environment. The mean scores (±standard deviation) of students' responses were compared according to their year of study and gender. The responses of 189 postgraduate medical students were included. The mean total DREEM score was 90.8 (45.4%). The mean total scores for five subdomains were 21.2/48 (44.2%), 21.8/44 (49.6%), 13.1/32 (40.9%), 19.0/48 (39.6%), and 15.6/28 (55.7%) respectively. Female students reported higher perceptions of teaching scores than males (P=0.002), and students in their fifth year of study reported significantly higher social self-perceptions scores than those in their fourth year (P=0.03). In this study of the oldest faculty of medicine in Morocco, students perceived the educational environment as having many problems.
| S-EPMC4652071 | biostudies-literature