An Effective COVID-19 Medical Student Elective.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the importance of teaching medical students pandemic preparedness and COVID-19 related clinical knowledge. To fill the gap of COVID-19 instruction backed by evaluation data, we present a comprehensive COVID-19 pilot curriculum with multiple levels of evaluation data.Methods
In the spring of 2020, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine piloted a two-week, primarily asynchronous COVID-19 elective course for medical students. The goal of the course is to provide a foundation in clinical care for COVID-19 while introducing students to emerging issues of a modern pandemic. Objectives align with institutional objectives, and instruction is delivered in thematic modules. Our curriculum utilizes numerous instructional strategies effective in distance learning including independent learning modules (ILM), reading, video lectures, discussion board debates, simulation and evidence-based argument writing. We designed a three-level, blended evaluation plan grounded in the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick evaluation model that assessed student satisfaction, relevance, confidence, knowledge and behavior.Results
Our end of course survey revealed that students had high levels of satisfaction with the curriculum, and felt the course was relevant to their clinical education. Various assessment tools showed excellent levels of knowledge attainment. All respondents rated themselves as highly confident with the use of personal protective equipment, though fewer were confident with ventilator management.Conclusion
Overall our pilot showed that we were able to deliver relevant, satisfying COVID-19 instruction while allowing students to demonstrate knowledge and desired behaviors in COVID-19 patient care.
SUBMITTER: Sudario G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8782135 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC7270863 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAn innovative medical student elective combined student-directed, faculty-supported online learning with COVID-19 response field placements. This study evaluated students' experience in the course, the curriculum content and format, and its short-term impact on students' knowledge and attitudes around COVID-19.MethodsStudents responded to discussion board prompts throughout the course and submitted pre-/post-course reflections. Pre-/post-course questionnaires assessed pandemic knowledge and attitudes using 4-point Likert scales. Authors collected aggregate data on enrollment, discussion posts, field placements, and scholarly work resulting from course activities. After the elective, authors conducted a focus group with a convenience sample of 6 participants. Institutional elective evaluation data was included in analysis. Authors analyzed questionnaire data with summary statistics and paired t-tests comparing knowledge and attitudes before and after the elective. Reflection pieces, discussion posts, and focus group data were analyzed using content analysis with a phenomenological approach.ResultsTwenty-seven students enrolled. Each student posted an average of 2.4 original discussion posts and 3.1 responses. Mean knowledge score increased from 43.8 to 60.8% (p < 0.001) between pre- and post-course questionnaires. Knowledge self-assessment also increased (2.4 vs. 3.5 on Likert scale, p < 0.0001), and students reported increased engagement in the pandemic response (2.7 vs. 3.6, p < 0.0001). Students reported increased fluency in discussing the pandemic and increased appreciation for the field of public health. There was no difference in students' level of anxiety about the pandemic after course participation (3.0 vs. 3.1, p = 0.53). Twelve students (44.4%) completed the institutional evaluation. All rated the course "very good" or "excellent." Students favorably reviewed the field placements, suggested readings, self-directed research, and learning from peers. They suggested more clearly defined expectations and improved balance between volunteer and educational hours.ConclusionsThe elective was well-received by students, achieved stated objectives, and garnered public attention. Course leadership should monitor students' time commitment closely in service-learning settings to ensure appropriate balance of service and education. Student engagement in a disaster response is insufficient to address anxiety related to the disaster; future course iterations should include a focus on self-care during times of crisis. This educational innovation could serve as a model for medical schools globally.
| S-EPMC8003893 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThere are growing numbers of refugees throughout the world. Refugee health is a relatively unstudied and rarely taught component of medical education. In response to this need, a Refugee Health Elective was begun. Medical student perceptions toward cultural aspects of medicine and refugee health before and after participation in the elective were measured.MethodsPreliminary questionnaires were given to all preclinical students at the academic year commencement with follow-up questionnaires at the refugee elective's conclusion. Both questionnaires examined students' comfort in interacting with patients and familiarity with refugee medical issues, alternative medical practices, and social hindrances to medical care. The preliminary answers served as a control and follow-up questionnaire data were separated into participant/non-participant categories. All preclinical medical students at two Midwestern medical schools were provided the opportunity to participate in the Refugee Health Elective and surveys. The 3 data groups were compared using unadjusted and adjusted analysis techniques with the Kruskall-Wallis, Bonferroni and ANCOVA adjustment. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant.Results408 and 403 students filled out the preliminary and follow-up questionnaires, respectfully, 42 of whom participated in the elective. Students considering themselves minorities or multilingual were more likely to participate. Elective participants were more likely to be able to recognize the medical/mental health issues common to refugees, to feel comfortable interacting with foreign-born patients, and to identify cultural differences in understanding medical/mental health conditions, after adjusting for minority or multilingual status.ConclusionAs medical schools integrate a more multicultural curriculum, a Refugee Health Elective for preclinical students can enhance awareness and promote change in attitude toward medical/mental health issues common to refugees. This elective format offers tangible and effective avenues for these topics to be addressed.
| S-EPMC2676284 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC8357071 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPrior to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical students exhibited poorer mental health relative to the general population and other students. This research aimed to assess American medical student mental health during the pandemic's height, while also identifying stressors and vulnerable populations.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 960 US allopathic and osteopathic medical students completed a mental health survey screening for depression, anxiety, burnout, suicidal ideation and increased substance use during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Potential relationships were explored between these mental health indicators and demographic and environmental factors, such as COVID-19 exposure.FindingsOf the 960 medical students surveyed, 25.1% (n = 241) screened positive for depression, 40.4% (n = 388) screened positive for anxiety, 21.3% (n = 201) met criteria for at least one dimension of burnout, 19.0% (n = 182) started or increased substance use and 7.2% (n = 69) experienced thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) in measures of mental health were associated with those who had accessed mental health care, had a personal COVID-19 diagnosis, knew someone who died of COVID-19 or were female.ConclusionsAlthough rates of anxiety and substance use among medical students in our study were higher than previously reported, rates of burnout and thoughts of self-harm or suicide were surprisingly lower. These results indicate that some aspects of remote learning imposed by the pandemic could be protective, warranting additional study for post-pandemic medical education. Meanwhile, medical schools and clerkships should offer additional resources to students particularly vulnerable to stressors, including females and those with personal pandemic impacts.
| S-EPMC9353278 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created significant obstacles within medical education. For medical students interested in pursuing neurosurgery as a specialty, the educational policies surrounding COVID-19 have resulted in unique challenges. The present study used a nationwide survey to identify the concerns of medical students interested in pursuing neurosurgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsStudents who had previously registered for medical student neurosurgery training camps were sent an online Qualtrics survey requesting them to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting their neurosurgical education. The Pearson ?2 test and post hoc pairwise Fisher exact test were used for analysis of categorical variables, and the 2-tailed paired Student t test was used for continuous variables.ResultsThe survey was distributed to 852 medical students, with 127 analyzed responses. Concerns regarding conferences and networking opportunities (63%), clinical experience (59%), and board examination scores (42%) were most frequently cited. Of the third-year medical students, 76% reported ?1 cancelled or postponed neurosurgery rotation. On average, students were more likely to take 1 year off from medical school after than before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, measured from 0 to 100 (25.3 ± 36.0 vs. 39.5 ± 37.5; P = 0.004). Virtual mentorship pairing was the highest rated educational intervention suggested by first- and second-year medical students. The third- and fourth-year medical students had cited virtual surgical skills workshops most frequently.ConclusionsThe results from the present nationwide survey have highlighted the concerns of medical students regarding their neurosurgery education during the COVID-19 pandemic. With these findings, neurosurgery organizations can consider targeted plans for students of each year to continue their education and development.
| S-EPMC7229732 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundUndergraduate medical education was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As traditional clinical rotations were suspended, medical students quickly began alternative, novel educational experiences. Third-year medical students at an academic medical center were given the opportunity to join inpatient eConsult teams within the department of medicine. This study describes the development and implementation of this program as well as the experiences of student and faculty participants.MethodsStudent eConsult participation was rapidly developed and implemented within medical subspecialty teams in either infectious diseases (ID) or nephrology. Twelve third-year medical students and 15 subspecialty attendings participated in this program during an eight-week period from April 6 through May 29, 2020. Breadth of student clinical experience was assessed via review of clinical documentation and surveys. Participating students and attending physicians completed surveys to reflect upon their impressions of the program. Surveys were returned by nine students and eight faculty members. Survey responses were summarized with descriptive statistics.ResultsOver an eight-week period, student consultants wrote 126 notes on 100 patients; 74 of these patients (74%) were hospitalized with COVID-19. Student experiences were largely positive with most strongly agreeing that attendings promoted interactive and engaged learning (N = 8 of 8, 100%), that the experience helped to expand their knowledge about consultant roles (N = 6, 75%), and that they would participate in a remote eConsult program again if given the opportunity (N = 6, 75%). Faculty also were largely positive about the experience with most agreeing or strongly agreeing with the importance of teaching medical students about telehealth (N = 7 of 8, 88%) and eConsults (N = 6, 75%). In narrative responses, students and faculty agreed that teaching was a strength of the program whereas lack of in-person contact was a challenge.ConclusionsRapid development of an inpatient eConsult-based educational experience for third-year medical students was feasible and successful. Student-consultants saw a range of pathology including COVID-19 and related complications. Students were satisfied with the program. They were able to develop a strong relationship with attendings while learning about the role of a consultant. Faculty agreed with the importance of teaching students about telehealth and eConsults specifically.
| S-EPMC7897886 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has created obstacles for medical student education, as clinical rotations were temporarily halted. Recent literature shows online electives may provide an alternative learning platform. We developed a tele-ophthalmology student elective for rising third-year (MS3) and fourth-year (MS4) medical students to continue teaching and exposure to the field.MethodsA 4-week remote elective was approved by Emory University School of Medicine and offered between April 18, 2020 to May 15, 2020 for rising MS3 and MS4 students. The curriculum consisted of online self-study materials, student presentations, chart review assignments, case-based discussions with faculty, and telehealth experiences. All students were surveyed and tested with questions from USMLE World (UWorld) test bank at the end of the course.ResultsA total of 18 students enrolled, with 66.7% MS3 and 33.3% MS4 participance. The mean rating of fulfillment of course learning objectives was 8.1/10 (range, 6.7-8.8), with mean ratings of 8.2 for MS3s and 7.7 for MS4s. There was a significant increase in self-reported knowledge in ophthalmology, with an increase from 4.6 to 8.1 for MS3s (p=0.002) and 6.7 to 8.0 for MS4s (p=0.04). Students also reported higher interest in the field, with an increase from 4.9 to 7.8 for MS3s (p=0.01) and 7.5 to 8.7 for MS4s (p=0.1). The students performed significantly higher on the post-course test (94.8%) than UWorld question bank users (74.1%) (p<0.001).ConclusionOur novel ophthalmology elective significantly enhanced self-reported medical student knowledge and interest in the field during a crisis that required transition to remote learning. Further study of student telehealth experience and objective assessment is needed to improve online learning in ophthalmology.
| S-EPMC7842313 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesAlthough proficient systems-based practice is a foundational skill for physicians, how best to teach it has not been well established. An elective course for fourth-year medical students wherein participants had an immersive experience with multiple interprofessional staff was created and analyzed. The authors hypothesized that participating students and interprofessional staff would show gains in systems-based knowledge and interprofessional communication.MethodsThe course was a 2-week elective experience for fourth-year medical students at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA. Participants integrated into a variety of interprofessional, non-physician, and administrative roles within the hospital system. Pre- and post-elective systems-based knowledge and interprofessional communication were assessed. Participating interprofessional staff were also surveyed on their experiences.ResultsFrom 2019 through 2022, 14 students participated in the elective, all of whom provided data. All participating students showed a quantitative improvement in systems-based knowledge and qualitatively commented on the high value of the elective in furthering their understanding of interdisciplinary care and communication. Of the 22 participating interprofessional staff surveyed, 17 responded (response rate 77%), and data showed high satisfaction with the experience and that having students learn more about their jobs improved their own job satisfaction.ConclusionsAn immersive, hands-on experience with interprofessional colleagues showed dual benefits for both students and staff alike. Such an elective experience is scalable to other institutions nationally and should become a standard part of medical student curricula.
| S-EPMC10515555 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Faculty from the University of Florida Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine developed an asynchronous, fully virtual pathology elective for medical students that emphasizes both foundational pathology concepts as well as the role of pathologists in the broader health system. The program includes ten core modules as well as several selective modules which allows students to tailor their coursework to better align with their desired specialty. After completing each module, students were required to concisely summarize the topic in the form of a 280-character tweet. Students were surveyed immediately after finishing the course and again one year after finishing the course to assess the effectiveness of the course in teaching students about pathology. Survey results showed significant improvement in student knowledge about the field of pathology and high levels of satisfaction with the course content and delivery. The tweet summaries required in the course provided a unique challenge for students. Although the course was initially developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment has continued steadily through 2023. Our study suggests that online pathology electives can be an effective way to increase medical student exposure to pathology and facilitate learning about the field of pathology, especially among students who may not ultimately pursue a career in pathology.
| S-EPMC10560767 | biostudies-literature