Attitudes Of Medical Students Research Articles

Implementing Public Health Modules as an Approach to Improve Knowledge and Attitudes of Medical Students: A Student-Led, Multiyear Study.

Public health is a necessary focus of modern medical education. However, while numerous studies demonstrate benefits of public health education during medical school among self-selected students (i.e., those interested in public health), there are few educational models shown to be effective across the general medical student population. This study examined the effect of a multiyear, case-based, longitudinal online public health curriculum required for all medical students at an urban, research-focused U.S. medical school. The authors created 11 short public health modules to supplement a year-long, organ-based preclerkship course at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Beginning in 2020, all students were required to complete these modules, with repeated surveys to assess changes in attitudes and knowledge of public health over time. The authors compared responses for these domains before and after each module, across multiple time points throughout the year, and cross-sectionally to a 2019 cohort of students who were not provided the modules. Across 3 cohorts, 405 of 420 (96.4%) students provided responses and were included in subsequent analyses. After completing the modules, students reported perceiving a greater importance of public health to nearly every medical specialty ( P < .001), more positive attitudes toward public health broadly ( P < .001), and increased knowledge of public health content ( P < .001). These findings were consistent across longitudinal analysis of students throughout the year-long course and when compared to the cohort who did not complete the modules. Case-based, interactive, and longitudinal public health content can be effectively integrated into the required undergraduate medical education curriculum to improve all medical students' knowledge and perceptions of public health. Incorporating evidence-based public health education into medical training may help future physicians to better address the needs of the communities and populations in which they practice.

Implementation of a dermatology skin of color educational module for medical students.

Research in dermatology education highlights the lack of skin of color (SOC) instruction for medical students, leading to concerning healthcare outcomes. Because of the already limited opportunity for students to have dedicated teaching in pathophysiology, management, and treatment of dermatologic diseases in medical school, we developed an educational module that addresses these gaps. We created a one-hour virtual lecture for medical students focused on common skin diseases tested on the United States Medical Licensing Examination with visual images across all skin types. A questionnaire was administered before and after the educational module to assess outcomes comparing disease identification in lighter (Fitzpatrick scale I-III) versus darker (Fitzpatrick scale IV-VI) skin tones and to determine medical school student attitudes. An analysis of 43 examination scores before, and after attending the educational module determined rosacea, psoriasis, and basal cell carcinoma to be conditions in SOC patients that demonstrated the most significant improvement (47.3%, 54.9%, and 30.8%, respectively). Our results also highlighted worse performance outcomes for diseases in SOC in the pre-examination questionnaire. Thus, our study indicates that a concise education module focused on disease presentations inclusive of all skin types may efficiently increase students' ability to identify diseases commonly misdiagnosed in the clinical setting.

Attitude of Medical Students Towards Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) Prevention in a Tertiary Hospital in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

Attitude of Medical Students Towards Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) Prevention in a Tertiary Hospital in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

Teaching Scottish medical students about global health in partnership with LMIC institutions. Does it change their views on volunteering in LMIC settings?

An elective placement is a core part of most United Kingdom (UK) medical degrees, and a significant proportion of students choose to pursue their elective in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). There is a risk that students are ill-prepared for some of the ethical challenges that they will face during these placements, and that they have little appreciation for some of the negative effects that their placement can have on the host healthcare system. This study sought to address some of these negative consequences by exploring the preparation of medical students for these experiences, and the effect of including the LMIC perspective in preparation materials. This qualitative study used thematic analysis to explore the attitudes of final year medical students at a Scottish medical school to international volunteering, after completing a module on global health. This module was designed and delivered in partnership with academics from Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia, thus incorporating a strong LMIC perspective. This study demonstrated the ability of a global health module with a strong LMIC perspective to influence the attitudes of final year medical students in the following ways: 1) Challenging assumptions around international volunteering and, in particular, around some of the negative effects of international volunteering that had not previously been considered. 2) Changing future practice around international volunteering. This study provides good evidence that having a strong LMIC voice in preparation materials for medical students embarking on LMIC electives has the ability to increase awareness of some of the potential harms, and to positively influence how they plan to have discussions around and approach such experiences in the future.

A STUDY TO ASSESS THE ATTITUDE OF MEDICAL STUDENTS TOWARDS LEARNING COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN A TEACHING HOSPITAL IN ANDHRA PRADESH

Objective: Communication plays an essential role in present era of medical and health system where doctor should maintain good interpersonal relationship with patients. Teaching of communication skills to medical students as a part of the curriculum has gained importance in recent past. This study was conducted to assess attitude of medical students towards learning communication skills.&#x0D; Methods: Prior institutional ethical committee approval and prior informed consent obtained from participants. Study conducted among medical students of second and third year MBBS. Students were given a questionnaire (google forms). Questionnaire consisted of 26 items related to positive and negative attitude; 13 items in each subscale. Responses received were entered and analysed in Microsoft excel.&#x0D; Results: Total of 300 students participated, with a response rate of 76%. 132(57.9%) students were second year and 96(42.1%) were third year. 159(69.7%) students were females and 69(30.3%) were males. Reliability of scale was calculated using Cronbach’s Alpha, 0.859 for PAS and 0.704 for NAS; which were good and acceptable values. Better positive attitude scores (52.34±6.03) observed over negative attitude scores (40.07±6.40), implies students having a positive attitude towards learning communication skills. There were no significant differences between scores when compared between males and females and between second and third year MBBS students.&#x0D; Conclusion: Results of study emphasize that introduction of AETCOM learning modules in the medical curriculum has a positive impact on students towards learning communication skills. Doctor-patient inter-relationship, treatment decision-making, etc., are dependent on doctor’s communication skills; which can be improved and strengthened with AETCOM implementation in medical curriculum.

Effect of Surgery Before and After Clerkship on the Attitude of Medical Students Toward Surgery as a Future Career in Saudi Arabia

Background: It is becoming harder and harder to persuade talented medical students to choose carers in any of the medical specialties. According to studies, the majority of medical students make their final career decisions while still in college. Various student and institution-related aspects are crucial to the decision on specialization. Gender, age, marital status, prestige influence, surgical mentors, career potential, intellectual challenge, and clerkship experience are among the variables recognized as having a major impact on the decision to choose surgery as a career. Methods: The data were collected through an online self-administered questionnaire. The study is a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. The target population of this study included medical students in the fourth year and above from Saudi Arabia. Results: This study was conducted in Saudi Arabia with 835 participants, of whom 62.4% and 37.6% were female and male, respectively. The majority of respondents (83.2%) fell within the age range of 18 - 25 years. The largest representation of participants came from the western region (29.7%), followed by the southern region (27.4%). Regarding career aspirations, 60.5% were willing to pursue a career in surgery; however, 39.5% expressed a negative inclination. Among medical students, general surgery students showed no significant change in attitudes before and after a surgical clerkship; nevertheless, other specialties remained largely unaffected. Factors influencing the choice of a surgical career included lifestyle concerns, perception of working hours, prestige, manual activity, intellectual challenge, research opportunities, work-life balance, financial considerations, and patient perception. Conclusions: This study indicated that a significant percentage of participants expressed a positive inclination toward pursuing a career in surgery. However, a surgical clerkship did not significantly influence the attitudes of medical students toward general surgery or other specialties. Factors such as lifestyle concerns, working hours, prestige, intellectual challenge, and financial considerations played crucial roles in shaping career choices among medical students.

Red Ribbon Club inculcation of positive deviance approach to promote blood donation among undergraduate medical college students

BackgroundBlood is an essential part of human life and blood donation has become a necessity that every society must take into consideration. Health care professionals have a major responsibility in raising community awareness on blood donation. ObjectiveThis study aims to find out the knowledge and attitude of undergraduate medical students on blood donation and to determine the effectiveness of positive deviance (PD) approach. MethodologyThis institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted as a part of World AIDS Days celebration by Red Ribbon club among 414 undergraduate students using convenient sampling technique. A baseline and endline survey were conducted using a pre-structured validated questionnaire. To address the knowledge gap PD approach was used for the students who had voluntarily donated blood, volunteered in providing health education, and shared their experience to their peers. Ethical principals were adhered. ResultsThe mean age of the students was 20.4 ± 1.2 years. Most respondents had moderate knowledge on blood donation and positivity attitude towards the same. The key finding of our study is that about 45 students (10.9%) have donated blood till now. As a result of PD training session more than half of them volunteered to donate blood in the future. ConclusionThis study shows that awareness about blood donation were minimal among the medical students with misconceptions. After PD approach, the willingness was increased from 10% to 66%. Thus, PD approach builds capacity and leadership in volunteers is considered as the best approach for behavior change among their own peers.

Assessing Educational and Attitudinal Outcomes of a Student Learner Experience Focused on Homelessness.

Patient navigation programs help guide vulnerable populations, such as those experiencing homelessness, through the health care system. Medical students developed the student-run Patient Navigator Program (PNP) to serve persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) in the Dallas area. The objective of this study was to build on previously published data to determine how medical student attitudes, knowledge, and confidence working with PEH changed during involvement in the PNP, particularly after participating as a patient navigator. Student fellows completed a survey prior to a training elective (time point 1), immediately after the training elective (time point 2), and after acting as a patient navigator (time point 3). The PNP survey, which intended to measure student attitudes and knowledge regarding PEH, included the Health Professionals' Attitudes Toward the Homeless Inventory (HPATHI) and the Student-Run Free Clinic Project (SRFCP) surveys. In our analysis, we compared responses among the different time points. Seventy-six of 88 students who completed the training elective chose to participate in the PNP fellowship. Skills, knowledge, and self-efficacy improved from time points 1 to 2, 1 to 3, and 2 to 3. Social advocacy also improved from time points 1 to 2 and 1 to 3. Improvements from time point 1 to 2 demonstrated the value of didactic learning, while further improvements from time point 2 to 3 demonstrated the added benefit of hands-on experiential learning. Our study illustrates the potential educational benefits that a PNP provides to medical students who may encounter or care for this population during their careers.

Attitudes of medical students to electroconvulsive therapy

PurposeThis study aims to explore medical students’ attitudes to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The authors sought to determine correlates of baseline attitudes to ECT and whether specific forms of ECT teaching improved attitudes to ECT during students’ psychiatry placement.Design/methodology/approachAt the beginning of their placement, fourth-year medical students completed a questionnaire capturing background information and baseline attitudes. A second questionnaire, in the second half of the placement, recorded educational and clinical experience gained on ECT during placement, in addition to attitudes at this timepoint. The authors measured attitude using a five-point Likert scale and defined a positive shift in attitude as an improvement of ≥ 1 point between the two time points.FindingsAt Timepoint 1, 66% reported a positive attitude to ECT. This was associated with having attended a lecture and with having read a professional article on ECT at some time before the psychiatry placement. Attitudes significantly improved during the placement (66% vs 95% positive). Students who attended a lecture on ECT were more likely to have a positive shift in attitude, as were students who experienced three or more teaching modalities.Practical implicationsPersonal, social and medical problems arise from treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders. ECT is a safe and effective treatment for such disorders.Originality/valueIt is hoped that this study will contribute to the development of medical education, so that lectures on ECT, and three or more teaching modalities, are incorporated into the undergraduate medical curriculum.

Medical Student Attitudes Toward Patients With Substance Use Disorder After Experiential Learning on an Addiction Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Service: A Pilot Study.

Stigma surrounding substance use disorder (SUD) is highly prevalent in health care. Negative attitudes toward patients with SUD have been shown to negatively impact patient care. Addressing SUD stigma in medical students is a promising approach, however, few curricula include experiential learning on addiction psychiatry clinical services. We describe a medical student rotation on an addiction psychiatry clinical service and examine its effect on attitudes toward patients with SUD. Medical students were integrated onto an addiction psychiatry consultation-liaison service serving medically/surgically hospitalized patients with co-occurring SUD and other psychiatric disorders. Students learned and practiced in-person assessment of patients and received instruction on basic principles of psychiatry and evaluation and management of SUD. A targeted anti-stigma curriculum was included. Attitudes toward patients with SUD were measured with the Medical Condition Regard Scale (MCRS) before and after the experience. Each item of the MCRS and an overall composite attitude score were analyzed. Of the 36 students on the clinical rotation, 33 completed the survey. Attitudes showed widespread improvement toward patients with SUD. Mann-Whitney U tests showed significant improvement in most items of the MCRS. Further analysis of composite scores showed an improvement in overall attitudes toward patients with SUD. Inclusion of medical students on an addiction psychiatry consult service as part of the core psychiatry clerkship may hold promise for helping improve student attitudes and decrease stigma toward patients with SUD. Controlled study is needed to compare other clinical experiences and determine specific causative effects.

Status and predictors of medical students’ knowledge and attitude towards palliative care in Jordan: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundPalliative care focuses on the ability of medical students to use their expanded experiences and knowledge; however, basic medical education does not provide adequate knowledge and skills regarding palliative and end-of-life care. This study designed to examine knowledge related to palliative care and attitudes toward dying people among medical students in Jordan.MethodsCross-sectional, descriptive design was used in this study. A total of 404 medical students were recruited using convenience sampling techniques from six medical programs. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire in relation to knowledge and attitudes regarding palliative care and dying persons using Palliative Care Assessment Knowledge (PCAK) and Frommelt Attitudes toward Care of the Dying Scale Form B (FATCOD-B).ResultsMedical students have a moderate level of knowledge related to palliative care in (PCAK) part1 subscale about; pain managing (n = 156, 38.6 %), managing other palliative care symptoms (n = 164, 40.6 %), and in witnesses' family counseling and breaking bad news discussion (n = 178, 44.1 %). However, medical students have inadequate knowledge concerning the palliative care in part-2of the scale. Furthermore, students have positive attitudes towards caring for dying patients with mean score of 108.76 (SD = 8.05). The highest ranked attitude subscales were; Fairs/Malaise (M = 29.03, SD = 4.28), Communication (M = 21.39, SD = 2.51) and Relationship (M = 18.31, SD = 1.55). There was a significant difference in attitudes in relation to gender (t = -5.14, p < 0.001) with higher female mean score (M = 109.97) than males (M = 105.47). Also significant difference found among those who are exposed to Palliative Care and those who are not (t = -6.33, p < 0.001) with higher mean score of those exposed to palliative acre courses (M=298) than those who did not (M=106).ConclusionImproving knowledge and attitudes of medical students regarding palliative and end of life care should be highlighted to medical educators and medical schools need to incorporate palliative and end-of-life care into medical curricula across all levels

Evaluating clinical communication skills of medical students, assistants, and professors

BackgroundThe skill of communicating with the patient is one of the basic clinical skills and part of the necessary competencies for medical doctors. The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and performance (KAP) of medical students, assistants, and professors of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences regarding clinical communication skills with patients.MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted at the hospitals of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences in Iran. The study included a total of 289 participants, consisting of 51 professors, 72 assistants, 90 external staff, and 76 interns who work at these hospitals. The participants were selected through a convenience sampling method. The data-gathering tools used included a questionnaire to collect demographic characteristics, a researcher-made questionnaire to assess knowledge, a communication skills attitude questionnaire, and a communication skills survey questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and frequency, as well as statistical tests that included one-way ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation test. The significance level for the study was considered to be 0.05.ResultsThe mean scores of knowledge of professors were higher compared to other groups (P = 0.002). All participating groups had a positive attitude toward learning communication skills. There were statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the communication performance of the study groups (P < 0.001). There was a positive relationship between positive attitude and communication performance, and a significant negative relationship was observed between negative attitude and communication performance.ConclusionThe results indicate the relatively favorable attitude and performance of the groups and their low knowledge. It is suggested that the doctor-patient communication skills courses be included as one of the necessary courses in the medical education curriculum.

An analysis of the effectiveness of reflective learning through watching videos recorded with smart glasses-With multiple views (student, patient, and overall) in radiography education.

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is designed to assess medical students' skills and attitude competencies before clinical practice. However, no method of reflective learning using video-based content has been used in OSCE education. This study aimed to confirm whether using smart glasses-based educational content is effective for OSCE reflective learning using multiple views (patient, student, and overall). This educational intervention study included a control group exposed to the traditional learning method and an intervention group exposed to a learning method incorporating smart glasses. Participants were 117 (72 in the control group and 45 in the intervention group) third-year radiological technology students scheduled to take the OSCE and 70 (37 in the control group and 33 in the intervention group) who met the eligibility criteria. Mock OSCEs were administered before and after the educational intervention (traditional and smart glasses-based education) to investigate changes in scores. After the educational intervention, a self-reported comprehension survey and a questionnaire were administered on the effectiveness of the video-based content from different views for student reflective learning. Unexpectedly, the OSCE evaluation score after the preliminary investigation significantly increased for the smart glasses control group (0.36±0.1) compared to the intervention group (0.06±0.1) setting up the radiographic conditions (x-ray center and detector center; p = 0.042). The intervention group's lower score in the mock OSCEs may have been due to the discomfort of wearing the smart glasses to perform the radiography procedure and their unfamiliarity with the smart glasses, which may have affected their concentration. The findings suggest that smart glasses-based education for OSCEs can be improved (e.g., being easy to handle and use and trouble-free).

The knowledge, confidence and attitudes of medical students in managing in-flight medical emergencies

In-flight medical emergencies (IMEs) are common during commercial airline flights. These events occur once every 100 to 1000 flights with pressurization corresponding to an altitude of 5000 to 8000 feet during the flight, low oxygen partial pressures and low humidity. This study was designed to evaluate the knowledge, confidence and attitudes of medical students in Saudi Arabia with regards to managing in-flight medical emergencies. A cross-sectional study targeting all medical students in Saudi Arabia was conducted using an online questionnaire. In total, we analyzed 378 medical students and interns; only 18% possessed an adequate perception of knowledge relating to IMEs; 36.8% felt assured in their IME response, 36.5% believed they could provide competent care, and only 34.5% considered their medical education was adequate for the treatment of IMEs. Our analyses showed that medical students in Saudi Arabia have inadequate confidence and knowledge in managing IMEs. Consequently, there is a significant gap in current medical school curricula in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that could be filled by implementing focused training on the management of IMEs.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and behaviors of undergraduate medical students about sedentary lifestyle and lifestyle modifications – A facility based descriptive study

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: A sedentary lifestyle has become very common in the medical student leading to obesity. MBBS training period of 5½ years is extensive and very challenging. To cope with time and course curriculum, medical students adapt to multiple unhealthy lifestyle arrays. Many scientific articles have reported that medical students develop numerous health diseases over due to their unbalanced schedules and routines. With limited preexisting data on lifestyle patterns of medical students, this study was planned to assess the knowledge, attitude, and behaviors of 1st year undergraduate medical students about sedentary lifestyle and lifestyle modifications at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KAHER, Belagavi, Karnataka state, India. METHODOLOGY: This is a facility-based descriptive study done among 200 first-year medical undergraduate students in the Department of Physiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, Belagavi. A predesigned structured questionnaire was circulated by Google Forms and responses were coded and entered into a Microsoft Excel sheet. The data analysis was done using percentages (%). Ethical clearance was obtained from the institutional ethical committee for human’s subject’s research of the medical college. RESULTS: Among 200 medical students, 192 (96%) of them responded to the questionnaire. About 174 (87%) of the students were practicing physical activity, about 52 (26%) of them did it five times per week, 70 (35%) did three times a week, and 50 (25%) did only once a week, whereas 26 (13%) of the students did not perform physical activity at all. During free time, the students had varied behavior about 59 (29.6%) of students spent time in one or another form of physical activity, 44 (21.8%) enjoyed music, 45 (22.3%) were active in social networking, 23 (11.4%) liked reading and creativity, and 29 (14.5%) of them did not respond to this question. About 110 (54.7%) strongly agreed to include training modules on the prevention of lifestyle disorders in undergraduate medical curriculum. CONCLUSION: More than half of the students told that 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous activity should be done regularly. Nearly two-thirds of them knew about the prevalence of obesity and listed the diseases caused by lifestyle diseases. Majority of the students practiced physical activity and knew about lifestyle diseases and were able to identify sedentary behavior. Nearly half of them told that a training module on the prevention of lifestyle diseases is required. There is an utmost important need to include a component of physical fitness in the undergraduate medical curriculum. This will help medical students to decrease stress and improve mental health.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of medical students on artificial sweeteners: A cross-sectional study at Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata

Background: With rising obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome rates, artificial sweeteners (ASs) have gained popularity as a healthier sugar substitute. However, their long-term effects remain unknown. Studies link them to increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults. On May 15, 2023, the World Health Organization issued a guideline discouraging non-sugar sweetener use for weight control and reducing non-communicable disease risk. Medical students are future doctors who will be responsible for the health of the society for 1 day. This study aims to raise awareness among medical students about the pros and cons of ASs through questionnaires based on the knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors regarding the same. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of undergraduate medical students about the use of ASs. Materials and Methods: A predesigned, pre-validated questionnaire study was conducted among 600 medical undergraduates at Medical College, Kolkata, using Google Forms. The study included 18 questions with six questions in each section of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP). The responses were analyzed as percentages, using Microsoft excel. Results: 55% of undergraduate medical students consider ASs to be different from natural sugar. About 82% acknowledge lower calorie content in ASs. While 27.2% support replacing daily sugar with sweeteners, only 5.1% actually used these sweeteners at home. About 67.8% preferred sugar-free items occasionally. Though medical students, only 59.9% occasionally checked ingredient labels while buying food items. Conclusion: Medical students have diverse knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding ASs. While they recognize the caloric advantage and potential for weight reduction, opinions vary on their impact on insulin resistance, sensory perception, cancer risk, tooth decay, and suitability for pregnant diabetic women. More education and research are needed to improve understanding and establish evidence-based recommendations in clinical practice.

A cross-sectional study on attitude and feedback of phase-II medical students on competency-based medical education

Background: Competency-based undergraduate curriculum has been introduced by MCI and it has been applicable since the 2019 batch of Indian medical graduates (IMG). There has been prototype move in learning from teacher centered to student centered. Aims and Objectives: The study intended to determine the attitude and feedback of Phase-II medical students regarding competency-based medical education (CBME). Materials and Methods: This research was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted online. Phase II medical students were required to complete an online survey through a Google form. The questions requested of the participants were to be answered on a Likert scale. The survey includes information regarding students’ perceptions of the foundation course’s framework, innovations in assessment methods, additional components of medical education based on competency, and overall study population attitude scores for diverse CBME components. Results: This study involved a total of 151 medical students. Regarding the perceptions of the framework of the foundation course, where 86.7% of participants supported basic life support training, 96% of participants supported field/health center visits, 83.4% of students were happy with their time management, and 92% of participants informed early clinical exposure was beneficial. The perception about innovations in assessment methods, where 83.4% were able to understand the assessment and feedback schemes, 58% supported questions with multiple choices in the curriculum, 75.5% stated that Objective Structured Practical Examination and Objective Structured Clinical Examination practical sessions were fruitful, 77.5% felt that medical college’s first phase is demanding intellectually, and 74.9% were accepted that vertical and horizontal integration lectures are helpful. Conclusion: The majority of students showed positive attitudes and feedback toward CBME but there are certain challenges such as difficulty with theory examination time management, having to maintain separate log books for each department, and expressing relevance about sports activities during weekdays.

Doctor Who?: Norms, Care, and Autonomy in the Attitudes of Medical Students Towards AI Pre and Post ChatGPT

This study adopts the combined TAM-TPB model to investigate attitudes and expectations of machines at a pre-career stage. We study how future doctors (medical students) expect to interact with future AI machinery, what AI usage norms will develop, and beliefs about human and machine autonomy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Wave one occurred six-months prior to the public release of ChatGPT; wave two occurred in the 6 months following. Three themes emerged: AI is tomorrow, wishing for the AI ouvrier, and human contrasts. Two differences were noted pre- versus post-ChatGPT: (1) participants began to view machinery instead of themselves as the controller of knowledge and (2) participants expressed increased self-confidence if collaborating with a machine. Results and implications for human-machine communication theory are discussed.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice of artificial intelligence among medical students in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining prominence in the field of medicine with potential benefits in diagnosis, treatment, and medical education. However, the extent to which medical students are informed about AI, their attitudes toward the integration of AI with medicine, and their engagement in AI-related practices remains an essential aspect yet to be explored. Aims and Objectives: This study aims at assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice of AI among medical students in a tertiary care hospital and understanding the perspectives of students toward AI as a teaching tool and in medical practice. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using an online survey consisting of closedended questions under categories of demographical data, knowledge, attitude, practice, and discussion among medical students of a government medical college and hospital in Kallakurichi. Results: Among 150 participants of the study, 74.16% were found to have a basic knowledge of AI cumulatively. 49.33% of the participants reported that they expected a positive impact of AI in health care; 14.0% shared that AI could have a negative impact on existing health-care practices; and the remaining 36.67% were impartial toward the outcome of AI integration. 10.67% of participants were extremely confident in their AI skills in medical practice; 26% reported that they were somewhat confident; 45.33% believed that they could adapt if needed; and 18% were uncertain of it. Finally, 17.33% were accepting toward AI evaluating their clinical skills, 36.0% were in strong denial of AI-based evaluation, and 46.67% agreed that it could be useful in some specific cases. Conclusion: In conclusion, the study highlights the current level of knowledge and attitudes of medical students toward AI. Incorporating AI tools and knowledge into medical education may lead to more informed and positively inclined future health-care professionals who can harness the potential benefits of AI in health care and advance medical knowledge.

Impact of USMLE Pass/Fail Step 1 Scoring on Current Medical Students

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to examine students’ perceptions of pass/fail scoring for Step 1, particularly when applying to competitive specialties. This study also investigated whether this transition increased anxiety among medical students and elicited student perspectives on the most critical components of residency applications. INTRODUCTION The United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1 Board Exam transitioned from a traditional numeric score to pass/fail for exams taken on or after January 26, 2022. One justification for this change, according to a statement from USMLE, was to ease the transition between undergraduate and graduate medical education. Although many factors are considered when selecting candidates to interview for residency, Step 1 scores were historically used as an important metric. Few studies specifically evaluated medical student's attitudes toward the change in Step 1 grading. METHODS An online survey was distributed to Penn State College of Medicine medical students in the 2024 to 2027 classes. Statistical analysis was conducted on responses to research plans, attitudes regarding Step 1 pass/fail, match rates, and importance of application components. RESULTS There was a 21.3% response rate (127/596) to the survey with 30.7% pursuing a competitive specialty. Students applying into competitive specialties felt their chances of matching changed significantly compared to students applying to other specialties (either increased (25.6% vs 10.2%, P &lt; .001), or decreased (28.2% vs10.3%, P &lt; .001). Majority of students (73.2%) agreed with the decision to make Step 1 pass/fail, however, students reported increased anxiety surrounding Step 2 scores. There was a significant association between which aspects students believed were most important for matching (letters of recommendation and performance on Acting Internships) and those they believed program directors would weigh heaviest ( P &lt; .001). CONCLUSION Medical students report increased anxiety with Step 2 after Step 1 became pass/fail, although students overwhelmingly agreed with this change. To address this, medical schools should offer further guidance and resources to students, focusing on mentorship and methods to optimize residency applications for their chosen specialties.