Canadian Undergraduate Research Articles

Mental Health Stigma: Explicit and Implicit Attitudes of Canadian Undergraduate Students, Medical School Students, and Psychiatrists.

To compare explicit and implicit stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness among undergraduate students, medical school students, and psychiatrists, and to assess whether attitudes are associated with education level, exposure to, and personal experience with mental illness. Participants from McMaster University were recruited through email. Participants completed a web-based survey consisting of demographics; the Opening Minds Scale for Healthcare Providers (OMS-HC) 12-item survey, which measures explicit stigma; and an Implicit Association Test (IAT), measuring implicit bias toward physical illness (diabetes mellitus) or mental illness (schizophrenia). A total of 538 people participated: undergraduate students ( n = 382), medical school students ( n = 118), and psychiatrists ( n = 38). Psychiatrists had significantly lower explicit and implicit stigma than undergraduate students and medical school students. Having been diagnosed with mental illness or having had a relationship with someone experiencing one was significantly associated with lower explicit stigma. Mean scores on the OMS-HC "disclosure/help-seeking" subscale were higher compared with the "attitudes towards people with mental illness" subscale. There was no correlation between the OMS-HC and IAT. These findings support the theory that increased education and experience with mental illness are associated with reduced stigma. Attitudes regarding disclosure/help-seeking were more stigmatizing than attitudes towards people with mental illness. The groups identified in this study can potentially benefit from anti-stigma campaigns that focus on reducing specific components of explicit, implicit, public and self-stigma.

14 Years of Progress: Canadian Undergraduate Conference on Healthcare

The Canadian Undergraduate Conference on Healthcare (CUCOH) has grown in its size and breadth of conference activities over the past 13 years, to become the largest undergraduate healthcare conference in Canada, which. It began at Queen’s University, in Kingston Ontario, with a clear need to bring together undergraduate students from diverse educational backgrounds to create a forum for healthcare knowledge exchange between experts in their fields and un-dergraduate students. The conference quickly grew in its programming to now host innovative training workshops, expert-led case challenges, and an expanding research competition program. It also grew in its size of students and experts, now welcoming over 400 students across 8 provinces in Canada, and over 50 experts to lead workshops, sem-inars, and judging of the research competition. Over the next few sections, we hope to provide you with an understanding of the inner workings of CUCOH, the successes garnered and challenges faced, and advice we would give to future conference planners.

Supplemental Material for Research Productivity and Impact of Professors in Canadian Undergraduate Psychology Programmes

Supplemental Material for Research Productivity and Impact of Professors in Canadian Undergraduate Psychology Programmes

Predicting Academic Success and Psychological Wellness in a Sample of Canadian Undergraduate Students

Introducción. Los estudiantes universitarios necesitan enfrentarse con nuevos y complejos roles y conseguir el éxito académico. Este artículo explora la ejecución académica y el bienestar psicológico entre estudiantes universitarios de Canadá.Método. Utilizando una muestra de conveniencia, un total de 501 estudiantes de Regina, Saskatchewan participaron en el estudio mediante un autoinforme.Resultados. Los análisis de regresión múltiple mostraron que los alumnos mayores y los más satisfechos con su salud física tenían mayores niveles de bienestar psicológico, indicaron mayores aspiraciones educativas, iban a clase con más regularidad, pasaban más tiempo estudiando, y aquellos cuyos padres tenían un nivel educativo mayor obtuvieron mejores resulta-dos académicos. Por otro lado, los hombres más satisfechos con su apariencia física, su auto-imagen, o con sus relaciones con los demás, puntuaron más alto en la escala de satisfacción vital, informaron de un mayor sentido de aspiraciones vitales y obtuvieron mayores niveles de bienestar psicológico.Discusión y Conclusiones. Los resultados del estudio contribuyen a la investigación en bienestar y ejecución académica de los estudiantes. Aumentando la comprensión de los factores que influyen en ambas variables los educadores, orientadores, consejeros académicos y profesionales de la salud estarán más equipados para diseñar estrategias de intervención que permitan mejorar los resultados del aprendizaje y conectarlos con la calidad de vida.

13th Annual Canadian Undergraduate Conference on Healthcare 2017: Medicine in the Modern World

The following are abstracts from the research competition at the 13th annual Canadian Undergraduate Conference on Healthcare. The conference was entitled “Medicine in the Modern World”, held on November 10th-12th, 2017 at Queen’s University. Abstracts are grouped under the categories of oral and poster presentations, with sub-categories based on the general field in which the abstract is found. For more information about the conference, please go to https://www.cucoh.com/.

Cohort Effects and the Returns to Canadian Undergraduate Education

We use Census and National Household Survey data to generate estimates of the private rate of return to a Canadian bachelor's degree that allow for differences in earnings determination, taxes, and tuition by birth cohort. Log-earnings equation estimates that allow for cohort effects suggest that earnings equations have shifted significantly across cohorts in ways that have increased the returns to education. These effects dominate the effect of changes to taxes and tuition across the 1927–1981 birth cohorts examined. The results suggest that rate-of-return estimates based on a single cross-sectional data set underestimate the rates of return of recent cohorts.

Evaluation of a Redesigned Canadian Undergraduate Nursing Program: A Prospective Cohort Study

The objective of this study was to determine the degree to which the educational outcomes of the accelerated, redesigned bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program at The British Columbia Institute of Technology are similar to those of its previous program. A prospective cohort study compared outcomes for the first two classes of students in the redesigned program with those of the final class of students in the original program. Data were gathered from administrative records, focus group discussions, and online surveys for BSN students (later, graduates), faculty, and staff, a focus group discussion with Specialty Nursing faculty, and interviews with program leadership and representatives of provincial health authorities. No differences were found between the two programs for most outcomes. Although hindered by some low response levels, the evaluation data indicate that the British Columbia Institute of Technology's redesigned BSN program's educational outcomes are largely similar to those of its predecessor. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(8):484-489.].

Collaborative Baccalaureate Programs: Preliminary Data on Canadian Undergraduate Nursing Students' Satisfaction

Ten years ago, nursing education in Ontario, Canada, changed when entry to practice and licensure became a bachelor's of science in nursing (BScN) for RNs. This article presents the initial results of an ongoing 5-year longitudinal study on undergraduate students' satisfaction within a collaborative BScN program and predictors of satisfaction with their nursing education. BScN nursing students from one group of collaborative sites participated in a survey pertaining to satisfaction with their program. Data were collected via paper and pen or online. Initial data found that students were satisfied or strongly satisfied with their collaborative nursing education (M ± SD = 183.9 ± 32.7). However, any type of conflict had a significant negative relationship with satisfaction in all domains. No other significant predictors of satisfaction were uncovered. Overall, students were very satisfied with a collaborative model of baccalaureate nursing education. Conflict of any type decreases satisfaction within all domains of nursing education. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(7):420-424.].

056 Prevalence of Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder Criteria in a Sample of Canadian Undergraduate Students

056 Prevalence of Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder Criteria in a Sample of Canadian Undergraduate Students

The Presence of Gender Disparity on the Force Concept Inventory in a Sample of Canadian Undergraduate Students

Concept inventories (CI) are validated, research-based, multiple-choice tests, which are widely used to assess the effectiveness of pedagogical practices in bringing about conceptual change. In order to be a useful diagnostic tool, a CI must reflect only the student understanding of the conceptual material. The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) is arguably the standard for testing conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Studies in the United States and United Kingdom have shown the existence of a gender gap in FCI scores and gains between male and female students. This study aimed to examine whether such a gap exists for Canadian students at a mid-sized university. Four-hundred and thirty-four men and 379 women taking first-term introductory physics courses from the past nine years were assessed with the FCI prior to and after receiving instruction. A gender gap in the pre-instruction and post instruction scores was revealed in favour of male students (p < 0.01). There also existed a gender disparity in the learning gains between the two tests, where males had significantly higher gains (p < 0.01), although the effect size was small. Further analysis found that both male and female students who studied in classes that included interactive engagement methods had somewhat higher gains than students in traditional lecture courses, but that the interactive engagement methods did not eliminate the gender gap between male and female students (p < 0.01). Our results sound a cross-disciplinary note of caution for anyone using concept inventories as research or self-assessment tools. Les inventaires de concepts sont des questionnaires à choix multiples validés basés sur la recherche qui sont largement utilisés pour évaluer l’efficacité de pratiques pédagogiques en instaurant un changement conceptuel. Afin d’être des outils diagnostiques utiles, les inventaires de concepts doivent refléter uniquement la compréhension qu’a l’étudiant de la matière conceptuelle. Le « Force Concept Inventory (FCI) » est sans aucun doute la norme pour tester la compréhension conceptuelle de la mécanique newtonienne. Des études menées aux États-Unis et au Royaume-Uni ont montré l’existence d’un écart hommes-femmes dans les résultats du FCI et ainsi que dans les acquis. Cette étude vise à déterminer si un tel écart existe parmi les étudiants canadiens dans une université de taille moyenne. Un total de 434 hommes et 379 femmes inscrits à un premier cours d’introduction à la physique au fil des neuf dernières années ont été évalués avec le FCI au tout début et à la toute fin de la session. Les résultats ont révélé un écart hommes-femmes dans les résultats des tests, aussi bien ceux effectués avant le cours que ceux après le cours, en faveur des étudiants masculins (p < 0.01). Ils ont également révélé une disparité entre hommes et femmes dans les acquis d’apprentissage entre les deux tests : les hommes avaient atteint des acquis plus élevés (p < 0.01), bien que l’ampleur de l’effet ait été faible. Des analyses complémentaires ont montré que tant les hommes que les femmes qui avaient étudié dans des classes qui comprenaient des méthodes d’engagement interactif avaient obtenu davantage d’acquis que les étudiants qui avaient suivi des cours magistraux traditionnels, mais que les méthodes d’engagement interactif n’avaient pas éliminé l’écart hommes-femmes parmi les étudiants (p < 0.01). Nos résultats présentent une mise en garde à l’intention de ceux qui utilisent les inventaires de concepts en tant qu’outils de recherche ou d’auto-évaluation, quelle que soit leur discipline.

Dietary Intake and Associated Body Weight in Canadian Undergraduate Students Enrolled in Nutrition Education

ABSTRACTThe primary purpose of this study was to describe dietary intakes among Canadian undergraduate students enrolled in an Introductory Nutrition course. A secondary objective was to determine food group servings associated with meeting more Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) of select nutrients and with a lower body mass index (BMI). Participants (n = 124, 20.7±3.2yrs) provided output from a 3-day dietary record and completed a physical activity/demographics questionnaire. Linear regression showed that the dietary intake associated with meeting the most DRIs included vegetables, fruits, protein foods, and dairy (p = 0.001). Protein foods were a positive predictor and fruit a negative predictor of BMI (p = 0.001 and p = 0.023 respectively). Males consumed more grains (p = 0.001), dairy (p = 0.04), protein foods (p < 0.001), empty calories (p = 0.007) and total calories than females (p < 0.001). A diet characterized by greater intake of vegetables, fruits, protein foods, and dairy was associated with a Canadian undergraduate population meeting the greatest number of nutrient requirements.

Why wait until residency? Competency-based education in longitudinal integrated clerkships.

This essay was selected as the winner of the 2015 Canadian Undergraduate Surgical Education Committee student essay competition. It was written in response to the prompt: "How is your school preparing you for residency - be it surgical or medical?".

The Role of Faculty in Connecting Canadian Undergraduate Arts and Humanities Students to Scholarly Inquiries into Teaching: A Case for Purposeful Experiential Learning

Increasingly, various sectors of Canadian universities are advocating an assortment of beyond-the-classroom learning models – from research assistantships through service learning and cooperative education placements. At the same time, faculty who engage in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and related inquiries into teaching and learning are striving to shift attention on their activities from the periphery to a more central position within campus culture – a particular challenge for Arts and Humanities professors, who may find themselves marginalized within SoTL. This article focuses attention on the intersections of experiential learning and SoTL and SoTL-related activity. Students have much to benefit from, and offer to, these activities – beyond their usual role as subjects of studies. I present a framework based on examples from research and my own experiences – with a focus on undergraduate Arts students, who, arguably, have the fewest opportunities for Experiential Learning in general – that illustrates varying degrees of involvement. As Arts faculty attempt to enhance and highlight inquiries into teaching and learning, they would be wise to conjoin them with experiential learning by including students in the process and product. Divers secteurs des universités canadiennes conseillent de plus en plus un assortiment de modèles d’apprentissage hors de la salle de classe – que ce soit par le biais de postes d’assistants à la recherche, de l’apprentissage par le service ou de stages dans le cadre de l’enseignement coopératif. En même temps, les professeurs qui sont actifs dans l’Avancement des connaissances en enseignement et en apprentissage (ACEA) et dans des domaines connexes liés à l’enseignement et à l’apprentissage s’efforcent d’attirer l’attention sur leurs activités pour les faire passer de la périphérie à une position plus centrale sur les campus – ce qui s’avère être un réel défi pour les professeurs des facultés de lettres et sciences humaines car ils se retrouvent marginalisés au sein de l’ACEA. Cet article se concentre sur les intersections de l’apprentissage par l’expérience et de l’ACEA et des activités liées à l’ACEA. Les étudiants ont grandement profité de ces activités et y ont beaucoup apporté, au-delà de leur rôle en tant qu’objets d’études. Je présente un cadre basé sur des exemples issus de ma recherche et de mes propres expériences – avec une concentration sur les étudiants de premier cycle en lettres et sciences humaines qui, et cela est discutable, ont le moins grand nombre d’occasions, en général, de participer à l’enseignement par l’expérience – qui illustrent divers degrés d’implication. Alors que les professeurs des facultés de lettres essaient d’améliorer et de rehausser la recherche en enseignement et en apprentissage, ils auraient intérêt à y ajouter l’apprentissage par l’expérience en incluant les étudiants dans le processus et dans le produit.

#Nomoretextbooks? The impact of rapid communications technologies on medical education.

This paper was selected as the 2013 student essay winner by the Canadian Undergraduate Surgical Education Committee. The essay was in response to the question "How does rapid communications technology affect learning?"

Oncology Education in Canadian Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Programs: A Survey of Educators and Learners

The oncology education framework currently in use in Canadian medical training programs is unknown, and the needs of learners have not been fully assessed to determine whether they are adequately prepared to manage patients with cancer. To assess the oncology education framework currently in use at Canadian medical schools and residency training programs for family (fm) and internal medicine (im), and to evaluate opinions about the content and utility of standard oncology education objectives, a Web survey was designed and sent to educators and learners. The survey recipients included undergraduate medical education curriculum committee members (umeccms), directors of fm and im programs, oncologists, medical students, and fm and im residents. Survey responses were received from 677 educators and learners. Oncology education was felt to be inadequate in their respective programs by 58% of umeccms, 57% of fm program directors, and 50% of im program directors. For learners, oncology education was thought to be inadequate by 67% of medical students, 86% of fm residents, and 63% of im residents. When comparing teaching of medical subspecialty-related diseases, all groups agreed that their trainees were least prepared to manage patients with cancer. A standard set of oncology objectives was thought to be possibly or definitely useful for undergraduate learners by 59% of respondents overall and by 61% of postgraduate learners. Oncology education in Canadian undergraduate and postgraduate fm and im training programs are currently thought to be inadequate by a majority of educators and learners. Developing a standard set of oncology objectives might address the needs of learners.

Integrating Information Behaviour and Information Literacy During Academic Tasks: A Comparative Study of Japanese and Canadian Undergraduate Students in Canadian Universities

This presentation reports preliminary results from doctoral research that investigates the information behaviour and information literacy skills of Japanese and Canadian undergraduate students during their research tasks in Canadian universities. Differences and similarities in behaviours and skills between the two groups are identified through analysis of research portfolios and interviews.Cette communication présente les résultats préliminaires d'une étude doctorale portant sur le comportement informationnel et la maîtrise de l'information des étudiants japonais et canadiens de premier cycle lors de leurs travaux de recherche dans les universités canadiennes. Les différences et les similitudes dans les comportements et les habiletés des deux groupes sont décelées au moyen de l'analyse des dossiers de recherche et d'entrevues.

Medical History in Canadian Undergraduate Medical Education, 1939-2012.

The virtues of learning medical history for medical students have long been argued. Surveys of Canadian medical schools were done in 1939, 1968, and 1999 to discover details about the inclusion of medical history in undergraduate medical education (UME). In 2012, we completed our own survey. While medical history is more commonly included in the core UME curriculum now than in the past, half of Canada's schools still do not require it. An analysis of trends over time reveals the central importance of longstanding and emergent prejudices and cultural influences as barriers to more widespread inclusion of medical history.

The Role of Economics in Canadian Undergraduate Business Education

The authors analyzed curricula from all 61 Canadian undergraduate business programs and found that business schools that contain economics departments, business schools with higher mathematics and statistics requirements, and business schools that have received Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation are more likely to require additional economics courses beyond the standard introductory level microeconomics and macroeconomics. Among those schools that require one or more additional economics courses, managerial economics is the preferred requirement. The authors also found that many specialized business programs, such as human resources, finance, and international management, include either required or optional economics courses beyond those already required in the school's general business degree program. Based on the findings, the authors make recommendations for business school curriculum development.

Gender Differences in Gossip and Friendship

Gossip has been related to friendship as it can increase the bond between people and sense of belonging to a group. However, the role of gender in the relationship between gossip and friendship has not been examined in the literature. So, the present study examined gender differences in the relationship between friendship quality and gossip tendency with a sample of 167 female and 69 male Western Canadian undergraduate University students using the Friendship questionnaire and the Tendency to Gossip questionnaire. Given gender differences in friendship, with males being more agentic and females more communal, the relationship between gossip and friendship was predicted to be stronger in the males compared to the females. Friendship quality was positively correlated with gossip tendency in the males, but this effect was not present with the females. The information gossip scale was strongly associated with male friendship quality. This finding may be related to the greater emphasis on status with males, and that possession of knowledge and control of information is a method of attaining status. Physical appearance gossip was found to be more prevalent in females, but not related to friendship quality. This type of gossip may be a more of a competitive threat to the relationship in females. Achievement related gossip was also related to male friendship quality, which reflects the greater emphasis on individuation in male friendships.

Teaching Dermatology to Canadian Undergraduate Medical Students

The Canadian dermatology undergraduate curriculum was reviewed in 1983, 1987, and 1996. All surveys revealed the limited amount of time dedicated to dermatology in the undergraduate curriculum. This survey was designed to obtain current information regarding undergraduate dermatology teaching in Canadian medical schools. A survey was sent electronically to all undergraduate dermatology curriculum coordinators at each of the 17 Canadian medical schools. Between 1996 and 2008, the average number of hours of dermatology teaching has increased by 7 hours to 20.5 ± 17.2 hours. Again, most of the teaching is performed in the preclinical years. The majority of schools would like to have more time dedicated to dermatology teaching; however, many schools cited a restriction in the number of dermatology faculty members, with an average of 7.8 ± 7 dermatologists, as a barrier to education delivery. It is important to have dermatology included throughout the undergraduate medical curriculum because most dermatologic problems are seen by nondermatologists. Respondents at each school believed that there may be value in moving toward a national strategy for dermatology curriculum changes, and this can ensure both uniformity and consistency within Canada.