Attitudes Of First-year Medical Students Research Articles

Vaccination as a Significant Factor Influencing the Psychoemotional State of Medical Students During the Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic: An International Aspect.

The rapid spread of SARS-COV-2, characterized by its severe course in the absence of effective specific treatment for this infection, may become a significant risk factor for psycho-emotional disorders' emergence during this pandemic. One of the vulnerable groups in the current situation are first-year medical students, whose problems associated with an unfavorable sanitary-epidemiological situation and an increased infection risk are compounded by the difficulties of adapting to specific professional environments. In this situation, along with strict adherence to nonspecific prevention methods, the mass student SARS-COV-2 vaccination acquires particular importance. To compare the attitudes of first-year medical students in Russia and Azerbaijan toward SARS-COV-2 immunization and to assess the vaccination impact on the student's psycho-emotional state during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic. The study involved 594 first-year students at the Moscow and Baku branches of Sechenov University. The Google Forms platform was used to conduct an anonymous sociological survey. To compare the psychoemotional state of vaccinated freshmen and non-vaccinated students, we used the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI, to assess reactive anxiety and the Beck Depression Inventory test - to diagnose depressive symptoms. The online survey was conducted during the fourth wave of coronavirus infection. WHO official sources were used to analyze the current epidemiological SARS-COV-2 situation during the study data provided by the Russian Federal Service on Customers' Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance and JHU CSSE. Statistical analysis was carried out using RStudio. The study results showed that vaccination coverage of first-year students at the Moscow branch of Sechenov University during the fourth wave of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic was 42,9±5,13%, at the Baku branch - 69,6±5,86%. The lack of reliable information about anticovid vaccines, indicated by a third of all respondents, may largely determine the motivated participation in the vaccination SARS-COV-2 campaign. The role of medical school in imparting knowledge about active SARS-COV-2 immunization to medical students was found to be insignificant. It was shown that the percentage of students willing to recommend SARS-COV-2 vaccination to the people around them and thereby contribute to increasing collective immunity level significantly depends on the percentage of students vaccinated. It was proved that vaccinated students were characterized by significantly greater psychological stability regardless of their study place. Vaccination is not only a good preventive measure against the infection spread but also a significant factor in stabilizing the psycho-emotional state of first-year students, which significantly affects the quality of their educational process and its effectiveness.

The start of sexual health curriculum development and evaluation at Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University's (SU) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), developed a sexual health course to be integrated throughout the revised medical curriculum. To use the Sexual Health Education for Professionals Scale (SHEPS) to gather baseline and future follow-up data to inform curriculum development and evaluation. The first-year medical students (N = 289) of the FMHS SU. The SHEPS was answered before the start of the sexual health course. The knowledge, communication and attitude sections were answered with a Likert-type scale. Students had to describe their perceived confidence in their knowledge and communication skills to care for patients within specific sexuality-related clinical scenarios. The attitude section measured the students' level of agreement or disagreement on sexuality-related opinion statements. The response rate was 97%. Most students were female, and 55% of the class were first taught about sexuality in the age group 13-18 years. The students had more confidence in their communication skills than knowledge before any tertiary training. The attitude section revealed a binomial distribution, ranging from acceptance to a more restrictive attitude towards sexual behaviour. It is the first time the SHEPS has been used in a South African context. The results provide novel information about the range of perceived sexual health knowledge, skills and attitudes of first-year medical students before they start tertiary training.Contribution: Findings from this study will guide content development and evaluation of the sexual health course at the institution where the study was conducted, as well as allow for culture sensitive education.

Comparing the Effects of Early Clinical Exposure on the Attitude and Motivation of First-year Medical Students from Ilam University of Medical Sciences Based on Video-based Education and Learning-in-Hospital Settings Methods

Background: Exposure to an unfamiliar clinical environment is highly important for medical students since it affects their attitudes. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect of implementing a short course of familiarity with the clinical environment through video-based education and learning-in-hospital settings on the attitudes of first-year medical students. Methods: In the present quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design, 59 first-year medical students were divided into two groups of “learning-in-hospital settings” and “video-based education”. Students' attitudes and motivations were measured using questionnaires, and the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS 22. Results: The attitude of most students from learning-in-hospital settings group was positive before and after the exposure. The attitude of most students from the video-based education group, on the other hand, was positive after watching the video while it was negative before the intervention; this difference, however, was not statistically significant (P = 0.1). In pre-exposure and post-exposure stages, the motivation of students in video-based education group was higher than that of students in learning-in-hospital settings group, but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.6). Female students in video-based education group had a higher positive attitude (P = 0.02) than male students (P = 0.01) before and after the exposure, and were highly motivated. Conclusions: Early clinical exposure to learning-in-hospital settings and, particularly, to video-based education may have been an effective factor contributing to motivating and encouraging the medical students.

Medical Student Perspectives on LGBTQ Health.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community members experience adverse health outcomes at higher rates than non-LGBTQ individuals. We examined the impact of student demographics as well as gender and sexuality didactic instruction on the attitudes of first-year medical students toward LGBTQ patients. In January 2017, 255 first-year students at an urban allopathic medical school participated in a gender and sexuality health curriculum. We assessed student attitudes regarding LGBTQ patients using anonymous pre- and postintervention surveys. Each item was measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Of 255 possible respondents, we received 244 responses to the preintervention survey (95.7% response rate) and 253 to the postintervention survey (99.2% response rate). Participants were predominantly white (66.8%), heterosexual (94.7%), and cisgender (100%). Respondents who identified as LGBQ were significantly (P<.05) more likely than heterosexual students to agree with the following preintervention statements, among others: (1) Discordance between birth sex and gender is a natural human phenomenon, (2) When meeting a patient for the first time, I feel comfortable asking what pronoun they use, (3) I am able to empathize with the life experience of an LGB/T patient, (4) I am motivated to seek out opportunities to learn more about LGBTQ-specific health care issues. Statistically significant changes in attitudes between time points are seen in 4 out of 15 items. A focused gender and sexuality curriculum appears to impact medical student attitudes regarding LGBTQ patients. Furthermore, recruitment of LGBTQ-identifying medical students may translate into improved workforce motivation to provide health care for LGBTQ patients.

The impact of antistigma education on the attitudes of first-year medical students towards mental illness

Introduction The stigma and prejudice surrounding mental illness exist widely throughout the world. Several surveys have shown that the general population has limited knowledge about mental illness and holds unfavorable attitudes toward people with mental disorders and that physicians endorse these negative attitudes. Medical students and their attitudes towards psychiatry and psychotherapy as well as towards the mentally ill form the foundation of their later actions as medical doctors. Objective This study explored first-year medical students' beliefs, attitudes and desired social distance towards people with mental illness and assessed the impact of an antistigma education program in changing them. To achieve these aims a pre- and post questionnaire study design was followed. Methods A new 2-h educational program was developed to change attitudes towards mental illness, and was conducted on first-year medical students. The study was conducted on 250 medical students from University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu Hatieganu, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (140 from Romanian section and 110 from English year). Results At 2 months after the intervention, the authors observed positive changes in students' attitude regarding mental illness. Conclusions According to the results of the current study, a relatively short and simple intervention could be successful in reducing the stigma of mental illness. Because the curriculum of undergraduate psychiatric training in Romania did not entail any specific antistigma training modules, one could argue that the present findings advocate for incorporation of such an orientation in undergraduate psychiatric training. Future work in this direction might shed light on the significance of such an education.

Perceptions and Attitudes of First-Year Medical Students on a Modified Team-Based Learning ( TBL ) Strategy in Anatomy

Although team-based learning (TBL) is widely used in medical education, its evaluation from the perspectives of the students exposed to it has been limited. This paper reports on a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of perceptions of first year medical students towards TBL. Lectures in an anatomy course were transformed into a series of TBL sessions for two cohorts of first-year medical students. Each session consisted of pre-class reading, in-class readiness assurance tests, and problem-solving of clinical cases by student teams. At the end of each course, students were surveyed using qualitative and quantitative instruments to assess their perceptions of the strategy. Internal consistency of questionnaire items was determined by a reliability analysis (Cronbach's alpha). Principal component factor analysis and correspondence analysis were conducted on the quantitative data. Open-ended questions were explored by thematic analysis. Students' evaluations indicated that TBL is a welcome alternative to lecture-based teaching; as implemented in this study, it encouraged clinical problem solving and fruitful in-class discussion. Principal component factor analysis identified five factors (Cronbach's alpha 0.602-0.875). However, the majority of students disapproved of mixed gender TBL teams. Most students agreed that the strategy facilitated consistency in their study, generated an increased awareness about self-directed learning, and had a positive impact on their learning attitudes. TBL is a welcome instructional strategy as reported by our first-year medical students. It was perceived to be a better approach compared to content-based lectures. The effect on actual student performance is currently being investigated.

Attitudes of First-year Medical Students in Singapore Towards Older People and Willingness to Consider a Career in Geriatric Medicine

Training of future physicians in the care of elderly patients will need to evolve in accordance with the exponential increase of elderly patients, but some may have preconceived attitudes affecting their management. This study determined medical students' attitudes towards older people and their willingness to consider a career in Geriatric Medicine. All 250 first-year medical students, prior to any formal clinical exposure at the National University of Singapore School of Medicine, were asked to participate voluntarily in the study based on the UCLA Geriatrics Attitudes Scale. The 14-item questionnaire consisted of a mixture of positively and negatively worded questions answered on a 5-point Likert scale. A fifteenth question enquired about their willingness to consider Geriatric Medicine as a potential career choice. The mean UCLA attitudes score was 3.58 [+/-standard deviation (SD), 0.41] suggesting a generally positive attitude. There was a strong association between attitude scores and willingness to consider Geriatric Medicine as a career (R = 0.48, P <001). However, only one third of the cohort was willing to consider a career in Geriatric Medicine. There was no difference in attitude scores between male and female students, but females were significantly more likely to consider Geriatric Medicine as a potential career choice. First-year medical students in Singapore have a generally positive attitude towards older people, although only 1 in 3 persons was willing to consider a career in Geriatric Medicine. Higher attitude scores and female gender were the main predictors of willingness to consider a career in Geriatric Medicine.

???It??s Always Continuing???: First-Year Medical Students??? Perspectives on Chronic Illness and the Care of Chronically Ill Patients

Caring for patients with chronic health conditions is an important component of health care in the 21st century. This study uses qualitative research methods to take an in-depth look at the attitudes of first-year medical students toward chronic illness and the care of chronically ill patients. In Spring 2000, 26 first-year medical students at the College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, were invited to participate in interviews focused on their attitudes toward caring for patients with chronic illness. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed to identify iterative themes. Concurrently, all 105 first-year students were given a questionnaire that asked about their attitudes toward various aspects of patient care. Nineteen students participated in the interviews. Students viewed chronic illness as incurable, long running, life altering, and often terminal. Most students had firsthand experience with chronic illness in family members; many had premedical work experience with chronically ill patients. Most students described themselves as comfortable with a partnership relationship with patients. Students acknowledged responsibility for caring for those with chronic illness but anticipated sadness and frustration in this work. One hundred and four students completed the questionnaire. Respondents' attitudes were consistent with those expressed in the interviews, suggesting that the interview findings represent the class as a whole. Students enter medical school with complex attitudes toward chronic illness, many of which are more negative than previously reported. Qualitative instruments constitute important methods for studying the intricacies of students' attitudes and outlooks.

Attitudes of first-year medical students toward the confidentiality of computerized patient records.

To investigate the attitudes of students entering medical school toward the confidentiality of computerized medical records. First-year medical students at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine responded to a series of questions about a hypothetic breach of patient's privacy through a computerized patient record system. The individual authors independently grouped the blinded responses according to whether they were consistent with then-current institutional policy. These preliminary groupings were discussed, and final categorizations were made by consensus. While most students had a sense of what was right and wrong in absolute terms, half the class suggested at least one course of action that was deemed to be inconsistent with institutional policies. The authors believe that medical schools should directly address ethical and legal issues related to the use of computers in clinical practice as an integral part of medical school curricula. Several teaching approaches can facilitate a greater awareness of the issues surrounding technology and medicine.

Medical Students' Attitudes Toward Providing Care for the Underserved

To investigate the association between attitudes toward caring for the medically indigent and years of medical training. Questionnaire comparing attitudes of first-year medical students (MS-Is) and fourth-year medical students (MS-IVs). Southwest medical school. A total of 83 (67%) male and 41 (33%) female MS-I and 65 (73%) male and 24 (27%) female MS-IV volunteers. Self-report, attitudinal scale developed for this study that provided a measure of overall attitudes, perceived societal expectations, physician/student responsibility, personal efficacy, and provision of basic services and expensive procedures. Overall attitudes were significantly less favorable for MS-IVs (95% confidence interval [CI], 99.6 to 106.2) than MS-Is (95% CI, 109.5 to 114.3, P < .0001). Except for basic services (P = .46), MS-IVs had worse attitudes on all attitudes subscales. Male MS-IVs reported significantly less favorable attitudes than male MS-Is in the areas of general attitudes (P = .03) and physician/student responsibility (P = .01). Female medical students showed no significant differences across classes (P > .05). Except for physician/student responsibility, female medical students' attitudes were more favorable than those of males, regardless of class. The MS-IVs are less favorably inclined toward caring for the medically indigent than MS-Is, though these differences are apparent only for males. Further research is needed to explore why females appear to be more resistant to attitude changes, and what educational interventions are necessary to better train physicians to respond to national health care issues.

Attitudes towards cancer. Development of the cancer attitudes questionnaire.

A questionnaire evaluating attitudes towards cancer (the Cancer Attitudes Questionnaire) was constructed to compare the attitudes of first-year medical students before and after taking a clinical oncology program with those of students who did not participate in the program. A factor and reliability analysis revealed five underlying factors that explained 42% of the variance and reliabilities ranging from 0.55 to 0.79. An analysis of covariance revealed that students who participated in the clinical oncology program were more positively predisposed toward the outpatient functioning of cancer patients (P less than 0.04) at the conclusion of the year than students who did not take the course; the participating students were also somewhat less pessimistic toward the disease (P less than 0.07). Women (regardless of whether they had taken the course) assigned significantly greater importance to the patient's and family's attitudes in relation to outcome of disease (P = 0.03) than did male students. It appears that an early medical educational oncology experience emphasizing contact with ambulatory cancer patients can appreciably alter the attitudes of first-year medical students towards cancer.

Change in Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward Social Issues After a Course in Behavioral Science

The attitudes of first-year medical students toward social issues in medicine were measured before and after a course in Behavioral Science to test the hypothesis that medical students attitudes towards social issues could be improved by a specific educational experience. Pre and post data from the Attitudes Towards Social Issues in Medicine (ATSIM) reveal that first-year medical students attitudes toward the social and behavioral determinants of patient health did improve after the course. Further analysis of pre and post-course ATSIM data indicates that medical students attitudes toward the allied health professions also improved. While the results differ from several previous studies, the data suggest that a course in Behavioral Science not only affects the cognitive knowledge of the students but also affects their attitudes towards social issues.

Attitudes of first-year medical students toward rural medical practice.

Attitudes of first-year medical students toward rural medical practice.

Effects of a course in internal medicine on the attitudes of first-year medical students.

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