POS-826 ENGAGING MEDICAL STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS IN NEPHROLOGY EDUCATION: AN UPDATED SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

There is global recognition that interest in nephrology is declining among both paediatric and adult medical trainees, while the burden of chronic kidney disease and end-stage-kidney-disease continues to rise. There is a growing need to engage trainees in nephrology education and attract them to the subspecialty. Given prior reviews on this topic were published in 2016, the primary objective of this updated review was to appraise the current state of literature in nephrology education for medical students and residents, to examine the findings of educational studies in nephrology published in the last six years, and understand major themes from these studies in order to better define the gaps in this field. A systematic literature search was conducted on four major academic search engines including MEDLINE (OvidSp) (1946 – ), ERIC (1966 – ), EMBASE (1974 – ) and Web of Science (1976 – ) until October 22, 2020 with the help of a medical librarian, retrieving a total of 2694 studies. Forty studies published after September 1, 2014 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria (Figure 1). These studies were analyzed based on focus of the study, type of study design, and outcomes.Figure 1. Prisma Flow Chart The studies fell into three main areas of focus: a) factors that influence interest in nephrology careers (28%), b) current gaps in knowledge (7%) and c) innovative educational strategies (65%). Barriers to engaging learners in nephrology education included a lack of exposure, lack of mentorship, and the perceived complexity of nephrology. Baseline awareness was lacking in the areas of management of chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury. Innovative educational strategies that have shown positive response in increasing knowledge and interest in nephrology include application of interactive learning methods, case-based learning, blended learning, and technology-assisted learning (Figure 2).Figure 2. Educational Strategies Novel ways of inspiring and teaching this complex specialty are essential to the ongoing recruitment and growth of nephrology. Ultimately, application of active learning strategies may better engage learners and reduce the perceived barriers to interest in nephrology and gaps in knowledge.