Project description:BackgroundThe management of emotions in the workplace is a skill related to the ability to demonstrate empathic behaviour towards patients; to manage emotional reactions in oneself and to lead others as part of a team. This ability has been defined as emotional intelligence (EI) and doctor's EI may be related to communication skills and to patient satisfaction levels. This study reports on the use of two assessments of EI as part of a course on Personal and Professional Development (PPD) in a graduate medical school curriculum.MethodsFifty one graduate entry medical students completed an eight session course on PPD between December 2005 and January 2006. Students completed two measures of EI: self-report (EQ-i) and ability (MSCEIT V2.0) over a two year study period. The data gathered were used to explore the relationship between self-report and ability EI and between EI and student demographics, academic performance and change over time.ResultsAnalysis of the EI data demonstrated that self-report EI did not change over time and was not related to ability EI. Females scored higher than males on a number of self-report and ability EI scores. Self-reported self-awareness was found to deteriorate in males and females over time. High self-reported EI was found to be associated with poor performance on clinical competency assessments but with good performance on a number of bio-medical knowledge based assessments.ConclusionsThis report concludes that assessments of EI can be incorporated into a medical school curriculum as part of a PPD programme and that the concept of EI may be associated with performance in medical school.
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:In response to the COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, residency and fellowship programs transitioned to virtual instruction to deliver didactics and continue with medical education. The efficacy of such a fully online learning environment, however, remains unknown. To investigate its impact on medical education, this study surveyed hematology/oncology fellows at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center on their attitudes regarding the online-based lecture program. Fellows were emailed a 19-question survey with questions on demographics, ease of technical access to the online platform, level of comfort with participation, knowledge acquisition, wellness, and COVID-19-specific coverage. A free-text question soliciting ways to improve upon online learning was also included. The response rate was 71% (30/42). Most respondents reported easy/very easy accessibility to the online environment. Seventy-seven percent of the participants did not experience a technical issue. Seventy percent felt comfortable/very comfortable with participating in the conference. Thirty-seven percent felt comfortable/very comfortable with actively offering an answer to questions during the interactive board review session. Eighty-seven percent would have been more willing to offer an answer during the board review session if an anonymous poll format was utilized. Sixty-three percent felt they learned the same amount as they typically do during an in-person session. Thirty-three percent reported they were less focused as compared with an in-person session. One hundred percent of the participants had their questions answered, either at all times (87%) or sometimes (13%). Sixty percent experienced a change in social interactions as compared with an in-person session. Fifty-four percent reported that it was easy/very to balance online attendance despite personal/family commitments. One hundred percent appreciated the flexibility of the online learning environment. Ninety percent felt safer at home attending these lectures compared with receiving these lectures in-person during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, most fellows felt comfortable with the transition to a fully online learning environment. Strategies to encourage active participation, enhance social interaction, and provide additional flexibility are still needed.
Project description:IntroductionThe growing demand for Hematology and Oncology services has greatly piqued the interest of potential residents towards this specialty. Since the programs' official websites are now becoming the primary source of information that potential residents turn to, we aimed to analyze program websites' content and availability across parameters that have been used by evaluators of websites.Methods& Materials: A list of 181 fellowship programs were identified using The Fellowship and Residency Electronic and Interactive Database (FRIEDA). 160/181 were accessed via a hyperlink or Google search. Content of these websites was evaluated on a 40-point criteria system in 10 distinct domains. Websites without accessible links were excluded from the search.ResultsThe 160 programs were divided based on the region with the North-East having the most programs (32.5%) and the West having the least programs (12.4%). Exactly 3/4th of the websites had been updated with the latest available information. "Program overview" (89%) was the most common domain present on the websites while "Alumni" was the least common, present on only (25%) of the websites.ConclusionWhen compared with previous similar research, there have been a few significant improvements across the programs' websites, however many still lack important information regarding certain domains. The content and availability of the program's website can encourage or deter an applicant, in their decision to apply to the program, hence making it necessary for programs to augment their websites.
Project description:BackgroundIn 1985 medical schools were integrated into the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education was created in Iran. Under this infrastructure education, research and service provision are unified, and it is expected that collaboration between researchers and decision makers become easier in such an integrated context.The question here is how the researchers behavior in the biggest medical university of the country towards collaboration is, i.e. how much do decision makers participate in different stages of research? Which factors affect it?MethodologyThe samples under study were all Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) completed research projects that had gotten grants in 2004 and were over by the time this study was done. Two questionnaires were designed for this study: i) the research checklist which was filled for 301 projects, ii) the researcher's questionnaire, which was sent to principle investigators, 208 of which were collected. Multiple linear regression analysis was used for evaluating the potential factors affecting individuals 'collaboration score'.ResultsOnly 2.2 percent of TUMS' projects initiated in 2004 have had collaboration as a joint PI or co-investigator from non-academic organizations. The principle investigators mean collaboration score was 2.09, where 6 was the total score. So the collaboration score obtained was 35%. The 'type of research' had significant association with the collaboration score which is shown in the linear regression; collaboration was seen more in clinical (p = 0.007) and health system researches (p = 0.001) as compared to basic research.ConclusionThe present study shows that not many individuals collaborated as co-investigators from outside the university. This finding shows that research policy makers need to introduce interventions in this field. And assessment of barriers to collaboration and its facilitating factors should be considered in order to make it actually happen.
Project description:OBJECTIVES:In this cross-sectional study among 220 medical students we aimed to determine the nutritional knowledge and attitude of medical students through clinical training courses (externship and internship) of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. A nutritional knowledge questionnaire included 51 questions was used to determine the correct, perceived and accuracy of knowledge of the participant in different aspects of nutrition sciences. The nutrition attitude questionnaire included 30 questions. Both questionnaires were confirmed in terms of the validity and reliability for assessing nutritional knowledge and attitude in this sample of Iranian medical students. Nutritional knowledge and attitude were calculated as percentage of correct or appropriate responses. RESULTS:The correct knowledge was not significantly different among externs and interns (68.20?±?7.50% and 67.87?±?6.04% respectively, p?=?0.729). Results showed that most of the participants (49.61% of externs and 57.14% of inters) had a poor nutritional knowledge, significantly varied by age (p?=?0.035). The attitude index of the subjects was not significantly different among externs and interns (73.36?±?9.42% and 74.59?±?9.20%, p?=?0.335). Most students (92.7%) had a very appropriate attitude toward nutrition, significantly varied by sex (p?=?0.010). These findings indicate that there are multiple deficiencies in nutrition knowledge of medical students.
Project description:BackgroundMedical students at The University of Manchester have the option of research intercalation on the Master of Research programme. There is a paucity of evidence for the benefits of research intercalation. However, we hypothesised that research intercalation would accelerate post-graduate career progression and aimed to objectively measure the career enhancing impact, quantify the benefits and determine the alumni perception of research intercalation.MethodsData was collected retrospectively by electronic questionnaire (in 2018) from those commencing research intercalation between 2005 and 2012.ResultsParticipants (n=52) returned questionnaires (68% response), demonstrating that the cohort had completed 67 postgraduate qualifications, published 304 manuscripts (median 3 publications per person (PP); range: 0-53) and made 430 presentations (median 7 PP; range: 0-37). Alumni had been awarded 49 research grants; funding disclosed on 43% totalled £823,000. Career progression of 73% of alumni had taken the minimum number of years; 27% took longer due to time spent working abroad or to gain additional experience prior to specialty training. Fifty-five publications and 71 presentations were directly related to MRes projects.ConclusionResearch intercalation provides graduates with an opportunity to learn valuable transferrable skills, contribute to translational research, and objectively enhances medical career progression.
Project description:ObjectivesIt has been shown that assessment strongly affects students' performance. A deeper insight needs to be gained into the interplay of assessment and learning. The aim of the current study was to develop a model to explain the educational impact of assessments on students' learning, before, during and after the test.DesignThis study used semistructured interviews, focus group discussions and observation and collection of field notes. A qualitative methodology using the grounded theory data analysis approach was then used to generate an explanation of the process of how assessment impacts students' learning.SettingSchool of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences.ParticipantsParticipants were medical students and teachers with first-hand experience or expertise in assessment as well as their willingness to participate in the study. Fifteen people (eight medical students, seven faculty members) were interviewed. One focus group discussion (with five students) was held.ResultsThe extracted concepts from our study were classified into four main categories. These categories include elements of the assessment programme which affect learning, the mechanism through which they exert their effects, contextual factors and the impact they have on learning. These elements and their interplay occur within an environment with its antecedent characteristics.ConclusionsThis study suggested a model for understanding the elements of the assessment which, within the context, affect learning, the mechanisms through which they impart their effects and the final outcomes obtained.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Psychological distress in medical students is a global issue and poses a risk to their health, academic performance, and ability to care for patients as clinicians. There has been limited research on psychological distress levels in students prior to starting medicine and no direct comparison between undergraduate and graduate-entry students. METHODS:Psychological distress was assessed using the 21-item Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale in 168 undergraduate-entry and 84 graduate-entry medical students at two separated campuses of the same university in the orientation week prior to starting classes. Mean scores and severity proportions were compared between the two cohorts of students. Demographic data was also collected and compared to distress scores using subgroup analysis. RESULTS:The response rate for the study was 60.9%. The majority of undergraduate and graduate-entry medical students were within the normal limits for depression (67.2% versus 70.2%, p = 0.63), anxiety (56.5% versus 44.0%, p = 0.06), and stress scores (74.4% versus 64.2%, p = 0.10). There was no significant difference between severity groups except for severe stress (2.3% versus 9.5%, p = 0.01). The mean scores of the clinically distressed groups indicated moderate levels of depression, moderate anxiety, and moderate stress scores. There were no significant differences between undergraduate or graduate-entry students for depressive ([Formula: see text] = 17.02 versus 15.76, p = 0.43), anxiety ([Formula: see text] = 14.22 versus 13.28, p = 0.39), and stress scores ([Formula: see text] = 20.83 versus 22.46, p = 0.24). Female gender and self-believed financial concerns were found be associated with higher levels stress in graduate entry students. CONCLUSIONS:The majority of medical students enter medical school with normal levels of psychological distress. However, a large number of undergraduate and graduate-entry medical students have significant levels of depressive, anxiety, and stress levels, without a significant difference between undergraduate or graduate-entry students. There are several limitation of this study but the results suggest that education and intervention may be required to support students from the earliest weeks of medical school.