Medical Education Curriculum Research Articles

How aware are we about doping in sports? : A cross-sectional pilot survey of doctors

BackgroundDoctors lack the required anti-doping knowledge. The aim of this single-centre pilot study is to survey the awareness level of doctors about anti-doping regulations and their opinion with reasons on inclusion of sports pharmacology/anti-doping aspects in undergraduate medical curriculum. MethodsAfter ethical clearance, a cross-sectional online pilot survey was done among medical doctors on anti-doping aspects, general awareness, practical applications and opinion on inclusion of doping in sports as a competency under undergraduate medical curriculum. Responses were categorized and analysed. The significance was set at 0.05. Results80 doctors including 53 medicine and allied residents, 16 surgery and allied residents and 11 medical doctors took part in the study. 94% doctors understood about doping, 53% were aware about anti-doping organisation, 37% on regulations and 64% were right on prohibited list substances. 80% drugs of abuse mentioned clustered under only four categories (S1, S2, S5 and S6) of the World anti-doping agency (WADA) prohibited list. Practical sports specific anti-doping knowledge in weight cutting (97%), retroactive therapeutic use exemption of medical emergency management (0%), anti-asthmatic medication use (59%) and alcohol use (41%) were significant. Internet (67%) and newspaper (20%) were the main source of information. 73% doctors recommended inclusion of doping in sports in MBBS competency-based medical education (CBME) curriculum. ConclusionAnti-doping specific awareness and knowledge was found lacking among doctors. 73% doctors favour inclusion of doping in sport as a competency in the undergraduate medical curriculum to aid in better clinical practice and athlete counselling.

A Working Framework to Address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education.

Health disparities exist among groups that are based on race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and geography. Often, interventions directed at addressing these disparities are episodically incorporated into health professions education as opposed to a more uniform integration throughout a curriculum. Thus, a working framework for integrating and assessing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) specifically into foundational science teaching in health professions' education is needed. Current frameworks are theoretically based and often bereft of practical examples that basic science and clinical educators would find useful in educational settings. Here we analyzed examples in pharmacology, therapeutics, and clinical medicine to create a tool aimed at identifying and remediating biases and disparities across the undergraduate medical education (UME) curriculum. We initially focused on pharmacology examples and performed a literature search followed by an in-depth analysis of the literature together with our experiences teaching topics with a DEI component. It became clear that, in addition to pure pharmacology topics, there are many pharmacology- and therapeutics-related topics that also involve race, gender, and sexual orientation. These include clinical guidelines and clinical screening criteria. Further analysis of all of the examples derived from our multi-faceted analysis revealed common themes that we, in turn, compiled into a framework. This framework can be used by foundational science and clinical educators to help both students and faculty understand how to navigate DEI-associated foundational science content.

P.016 Re-norming medical education: centering patient experience and diverse bodies in Lumbar Puncture (LP) instruction

Background: Medical curricula are often created with limited patient and student input and underrepresent certain body types. Traditional medical education often prepares learners to perform procedures, such as lumbar punctures (LPs), on a young white able-bodied 70kg male. When approaching diverse patients, this educational gap can lead to medical learners’ lack of confidence, skill, and knowledge, resulting in poor patient experiences. Methods: This co-design project involves patient and student input. We interviewed five patients who underwent LPs and explored their experience through a trauma-informed approach. To visualize landmarking across body types, we recruited nine volunteers of diverse body sizes, ages, tattoos, and skin colour (Fitzpatrick Scale). Incorporating patient narratives, as well as videos and photographs showing landmarking on diverse bodies, we crafted an online LP instructional module. Focus groups of 6-10 students will be held to collect student perception of the effectiveness of the module. Results: Our learning module and related media will be built into Western University’s Undergraduate Medical Education curriculum, available under a Creative Commons license through the Western Health Education Media Library. Conclusions: Integrating patient experience and student feedback, we are developing a comprehensive educational tool to better equip medical learners to deliver patient-centered LPs across diverse body types.

Impact of health insurance education program on health care professional students: An interventional study.

In the complex landscape of health care, the relationship between medical practice and health insurance is increasingly crucial for effective care delivery. This paper emphasises the importance of integrating health insurance education into medical training, focusing on its impact on patient outcomes, health care accessibility, and system sustainability. It posits that health care providers with a comprehensive understanding of health insurance can offer more informed, efficient care by adeptly navigating coverage complexities. The study utilised a pretest-post-test design with a yearlong health insurance education curriculum at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Student participants from various medical programmes self-assessed their knowledge and comfort across 13 health insurance topics before and after the intervention. The curriculum included workshops and a capstone project, emphasising real-life patient insurance challenges. Results show statistically significant improvements in 13 participants' understanding of health insurance concepts, highlighting the curriculum's effectiveness. The findings advocate for the inclusion of health insurance education in medical curricula. Such knowledge is vital in systems with diverse insurance models, like the United States, where understanding insurance intricacies is key to patient care. The study's limitations, such as a small sample size and reliance on self-reported data, suggest the need for further research with more participants and objective measures. In conclusion, incorporating health insurance education into medical training is essential for preparing health care professionals to navigate insurance complexities, make informed treatment decisions, and guide patients effectively. This approach fosters well-rounded professionals capable of managing both medical and financial aspects of patient care, leading to more equitable and efficient health care delivery. Future research should explore the long-term effects of this education on clinical practice and patient outcomes, particularly its impact on health care costs and patient satisfaction.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching learning process in pre clinical medical education in selective medical college in Bangladesh

Background: The corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major disruption in educational sector including medical education. This disease outbreak has changed the medical education curriculum from traditional platform to elearning for students including Bangladesh. Objective: To observe the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching learning process in medical education in Bangladesh. Methods: This qualitative survey was done among the 68 pre-clinical students aged 19 to 23years, of a non-government medical college in Bangladesh, from march to December 2021. All study participants were first year undergraduate MBBS students from anatomy, biochemistry and physiology. Data was collected by administering pre-tested questionnaires through Google form. Results: About 75% of the participants agreed that online classes were helpful during the home stay period of COVID pandemic, but about 92.2% of them were skeptical about the success of this online system for their future medical education. About 80.9% had difficulty in keeping their concentration during online class. About 94% found difficulty to follow online practical classes. Majority of the students (82.4%) feel anxious whether they were capable of doing their job properly since this method needs technical knowledge. About 50% students had limited access to internet, there were technical issues like power cut (76.5%), and poor network of internet (69.1%) also reduced the effectiveness of online education. Online class also disrupt teacher-student relationship. Conclusion: The internet based classes served the purpose of continuation of academic activity in medical education during adverse condition of COVID . But due to uneven use of technology it had some obstacles also. Student’s ability to learning in medical education was also hampered in the absence of physical classes. This online method of education system needs much improvement to be effective in medical education. J Bangladesh Soc Physiol 2022;17(2): 64-71

Status and perception of point-of-care ultrasound education in Korean medical schools: A national cross-sectional study.

As point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly being used in clinical settings, ultrasound education is expanding into student curricula. We aimed to determine the status and awareness of POCUS education in Korean medical schools using a nationwide cross-sectional survey. In October 2021, a survey questionnaire consisting of 20 questions was distributed via e-mail to professors in the emergency medicine (EM) departments of Korean medical schools. The questionnaire encompassed 19 multiple-choice questions covering demographics, current education, perceptions, and barriers, and the final question was an open-ended inquiry seeking suggestions for POCUS education. All EM departments of the 40 medical schools responded, of which only 13 (33%) reported providing POCUS education. The implementation of POCUS education primarily occurred in the third and fourth years, with less than 4 hours of dedicated training time. Five schools offered a hands-on education. Among schools offering ultrasound education, POCUS training for trauma cases is the most common. Eight schools had designated professors responsible for POCUS education and only 2 possessed educational ultrasound devices. Of the respondents, 64% expressed the belief that POCUS education for medical students is necessary, whereas 36%, including those with neutral opinions, did not anticipate its importance. The identified barriers to POCUS education included faculty shortages (83%), infrastructure limitations (76%), training time constraints (74%), and a limited awareness of POCUS (29%). POCUS education in Korean medical schools was limited to a minority of EM departments (33%). To successfully implement POCUS education in medical curricula, it is crucial to clarify learning objectives, enhance faculty recognition, and improve the infrastructure. These findings provide valuable insights for advancing ultrasound training in medical schools to ensure the provision of high-quality POCUS education for future healthcare professionals.

Challenges and Barriers to Medical Research Among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia.

The pivotal role of research in medicine is undeniable, as it is vital for the progress of healthcare methods and patients' well-being. This notwithstanding, medical and dental students in Saudi Arabia face many barriers that prevent them from participating in research activities. This research aims to reveal the impediments that are particularly relevant, with select challenges and barriers being mentioned, such as time issues, the inadequate supply of resources, and insufficient training and guidance. By using a cross-sectional study, the researchers have provided a questionnaire for medical students across multiple Saudi Arabian medical colleges via the online platform. The IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23 (Released 2015; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) was used for data analysis, which leaned clearly on the descriptive statistical part, using a chi-square test to investigate the association between two categorical variables. There were 469 total participants, and data analysis clearly showed that lack of statistical skills (74.2%), time constraints (73.3%), and research topic selection (71.4%) were the most major obstacles to research participation. Even though the same barriers existed, a significant percentage of students (75.5%) definitely showed interest in the research, with 89.6% of the students recognizing the importance of research in the medical field. Furthermore, it should be highlighted that the female students showed a stronger positive attitude toward research than the male students (70% vs. 58.3%). The results highlight the necessity for the improvement of the medical education curriculum within Saudi Arabia, including the creation of a research participation system for the students. Through learning strategies emphasizing the importance of research, mentorship programs, and providing resources to the students, there will be an increase in their participation and success in the research. This will lead to an enriching medical research environment.

Preparing Future Pediatric Care Providers with a Clinical Informatics Elective.

Clinical informatics (CI) has reshaped how medical information is shared, evaluated, and utilized in health care delivery. The widespread integration of electronic health records (EHRs) mandates proficiency among physicians and practitioners, yet medical trainees face a scarcity of opportunities for CI education. We developed a CI rotation at a tertiary pediatric care center to teach categorical pediatric, pediatric-neurology, and medicine-pediatric residents foundational CI knowledge and applicable EHR skills. Created in 2017 and redesigned in 2020, a CI rotation aimed to provide foundational CI knowledge, promote longitudinal learning, and encourage real-world application of CI skills/tools. Led by a team of five physician informaticist faculty, the curriculum offers personalized rotation schedules and individual sessions with faculty for each trainee. Trainees were tasked with completing an informatics project, knowledge assessment, and self-efficacy perception survey before and after rotation. Paired t-test analyses were used to compare pre- and postcurriculum perception survey. Thirty-one residents have completed the elective with their projects contributing to diverse areas such as medical education, division-specific initiatives, documentation improvement, regulatory compliance, and operating plan goals. The mean knowledge assessment percentage score increased from 77% (11.6) to 92% (10.6; p ≤ 0.05). Residents' perception surveys demonstrated improved understanding and confidence across various informatics concepts and tools (p ≤ 0.05). Medical trainees are increasingly interested in CI education and find it valuable. Our medical education curriculum was successful at increasing residents' understanding, self-efficacy, and confidence in utilizing CI concepts and EHR tools. Future data are needed to assess the impact such curricula have on graduates' proficiency and efficiency in the use of CI tools in the clinical workplace.

Use of Social Learning Tools Improves Engagement and Performance in Undergraduate Medical Physiology Education

Objective: We sought to increase engagement, reduce cognitive load, and foster self-directed learning while potentially improving exam performance by incorporating a social annotation tool (SAT) into a flipped classroom setting in an undergraduate medical education curriculum. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that using the SAT (Perusall) as preparatory material for a flipped classroom would increase engagement and academic performance compared to using a pre-recorded lecture video when teaching cardiovascular physiology. Methods: Within a first-year undergraduate medical physiology course, students (n=125) used the SAT to annotate assigned cardiovascular physiology readings before a flipped classroom session. This strategy was compared to the common practice of providing students with a pre-recorded lecture. Students took an assessment before and after to assess knowledge acquisition and engagement with both formats. Results: The SAT intervention identified an average time spent engaged with the material of 142.1 minutes ( n=125), with a pre- and post-assessment score improvement of approximately 20.25% (61.5% vs 82%; n=81). The pre-recorded one-hour lecture found that students engaged with the material, on average, for 51.45 minutes, corresponding to an average of 91% video completion. Findings from this lecture intervention showed the pre- and post-assessment scores improved by an average of 5% (71% vs. 76%; n=80). A paired sample t-test identified a significant difference between the percent improvement between quizzes for SAT (M=19.71, SD=26.374) and percent improvement for recorded lecture (M=6.57, SD=26.369); [t(69)=3.450, p=0.001]. The use of SAT enhanced academic performance in midterm and final exams. The average performance in questions that mapped back to the flipped classroom utilizing SAT text was 91% (n=6) , as compared to an average performance of 73% to those questions that mapped back to the online pre-recorded lecture (n=11 ). Conclusions: Incorporating SATs into a flipped classroom model increased engagement and academic performance versus passive lectures when teaching medical physiology. Our study provides support to the use of social learning tools to enhance active learning in undergraduate medical education. none. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Students' and junior doctors' perspectives on radiology education in medical school: a qualitative study in the Netherlands.

Modern medicine becomes more dependent on radiologic imaging techniques. Over the past decade, radiology has also gained more attention in the medical curricula. However, little is known with regard to students' perspectives on this subject. Therefore, this study aims to gain insight into the thoughts and ideas of medical students and junior doctors on radiology education in medical curricula. A qualitative, descriptive study was carried out at one medical university in the Netherlands. Participants were recruited on social media and were interviewed following a predefined topic list. The constant comparative method was applied in order to include new questions when unexpected topics arose during the interviews. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded. Codes were organized into categories and themes by discussion between researchers. Fifteen participants (nine junior doctors and six students) agreed to join. From the coded interviews, four themes derived from fifteen categories arose: (1) The added value of radiology education in medical curricula, (2) Indispensable knowledge on radiology, (3) Organization of radiology education and (4) Promising educational innovations for the radiology curriculum. This study suggests that medical students and junior doctors value radiology education. It provides insights in educational topics and forms for educational improvement for radiology educators.

Breaking down barriers and building up facilitators of lecture free curriculum in medical education: An interpretive structural modeling

Introduction The field of medical education has seen a growing interest in lecture free curriculum. However, it comes with its own set of challenges and obstacles. In this article, we aim to identify the prerequisites, facilitators, challenges, and barriers of lecture-free curriculum in medical education and examine their interrelationships using interpretive structural modeling (ISM) technique. Methods In this mixed-method study initially, we performed a scoping review and semi-structured interviews and determined the main prerequisites, facilitators, challenges, and barriers of lecture-free curriculum in medical education using qualitative content analysis approach. The interrelationships among these components were investigated using ISM. Therefore, self-interactive structural matrices were formed, initial and final reachability matrices were achieved, and MICMAC analysis was conducted to classify the factors. Results Finally, two ISM models of prerequisites and facilitators with 27 factors in 10 levels and challenges and obstacles with 25 factors in eight levels were developed. Each of the models was divided into three parts: key, strategic, and dependent factors. ‘Providing relevant evidence regarding lecture free curriculum’ emerged as the most important prerequisite and facilitator, and ‘insufficient support from the university’ was identified as the most critical barrier and challenge. Conclusions The study highlights the significant importance of lecture-free curriculum in medical education and provides insights into its prerequisites, facilitators, challenges, and barriers. The findings can be utilized by educational managers and decision-makers to implement necessary changes in the design and implementation of lecture-free in medical education, leading to more effective improvements in the quality and success of education.

Fostering Proficiency in Cell Identification: A Comparative Analysis of Diagrams and Microscopic Images for Optimal Cytopathology Learning in Competency Based Medical Education Curriculum

Background: Histopathology and Cytopathology are crucial aspects of medical education. With a paradigm shift from traditional to competency-based curriculum, teaching strategies are crucial to enable learning. we undertook a comparative analysis to evaluate the efficacy of two distinct teaching Learning tools—diagrams and microscopic images—in enhancing the observational and cognitive skills of medical students. Material and methods: A mixed method research design was planned to obtain quantitative data followed by qualitative data. These were later integrated for interpretation. A series of thirty microscopic images of cells, from topics already taught and diagrams of the same cells, drawn with Hematoxylin Eosin pencils, were projected to assess cell identification. Students were tasked with identifying and documenting their observations. The microscopic images were sourced from standard textbooks, while the diagrams were prepared by faculty and validated by subject experts. Responses were evaluated and scores analyzed using paired t-test. Focus group discussion was conducted to obtain qualitative data. Results: A group of 74 second-year medical students voluntarily participated in this study. Statistical analysis revealed that the scores for diagram identification were significantly higher than those for microscopic images, with a p-value of less than 0.05. Diagrams had a positive impact. Conclusion: Diagrams were superior to microscopic images in facilitating cell identification. This study underscores the importance of incorporating drawing-based teaching and learning methods in cytology as they encourage a more profound and effective learning process. Continued inclusion of diagrams in medical education to enhance students' cell identification skills is recommended. Keywords: Cytopathology, Curriculum, Medical Education, Drawing

Bioethics curriculum for undergraduate medical students: an evaluation study utilizing mixed methods approach

BackgroundThe undergraduate bioethics curriculum introduced in a private medical college in Pakistan in 1988 and revised in 2009 has evolved over time to incorporate globally relevant innovations, including integration of bioethics spirally within an existing problem-based learning curricular framework. The present evaluation study shares the results of this integrated bioethics curriculum delivered for 10 years across the five-year undergraduate medical curriculum. The study assessed the effectiveness of the curriculum in terms of student achievement, appropriateness of course contents and efficiency of instructional methods.MethodsThe study utilized a mixed method sequential explanatory design. The quantitative method was used in the first phase to gather data by utilizing a structured online questionnaire. This was followed by the second phase of qualitative methods to explain the findings of the first phase and enrich the data gathered. This phase was based on focus group discussions and document review.ResultsStudent and faculty responses showed the curriculum contents to be relevant, informative, and appropriate as per learning objectives and student achievement. Multi-modal instructional methods used were stated to be effective and engaging; small group teaching and shorter sessions suggested to be preferable for fostering discussion and maintaining student engagement and attention. Large class formats were stated to be less effective. Students affirmed the contribution of bioethics education to their personal and professional development and ethical positioning. The majority of students agreed that the curriculum contributed to their knowledge acquisition (60.3—71.2%), skill development (59.41—60.30%) and demonstration of ethical/professional behavior (62.54—67.65%). The ranges indicate agreement with related sets of questions.Participants suggested that the curriculum could be further strengthened by better integration in clinical years, role modelling and providing opportunities for application in clinical health care settings. Moreover, topics like ethical issues related to the use of social media, public health ethics and ethics and law were suggested as additions to the existing curriculum. These findings have regional and global relevance for the development and assessment of effective bioethics curricula.ConclusionAn effective bioethics curriculum for undergraduate medical education should run longitudinally across the 5 year curriculum and be integrated in the modules and clerkships. Basic acquisition of knowledge and skills takes place in Years 1 & 2 with reinforcement and application in Years 3–5. Learning embedded in an integrated curriculum can help students recognize, critically analyze and address ethical dilemmas. Involvement and commitment of the clinical faculty is essential for reinforcing the ethical principles and concepts learnt in the earlier years.

IJCM_395A: Exploring medical student’s perspective on Competency based medical education (CBME) curriculum at Government Medical College in Maharashtra.

Background: Competency based medical education (CBME) is implemented recently in India. The study was conducted to evaluate the perspectives of undergraduate medical students towards CBME curriculum at a Government Medical College in Maharashtra. CBME is helpful in expanding the dimensions besides basic medical knowledge to the core competencies of a high-grade skilled clinical graduate. Moreover, value addition with other competencies such as empathy, professionalism, altruism, communication skills, ethics, and humanities that focuses on health systems as a National goal ‘Health for All’. Objective: To explore medical student’s perspective on Competency based medical education (CBME) curriculum at Government Medical College in Maharashtra. Methodology: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among undergraduate medical students at Dr. SCGMC, Nanded. A validated questionnaire was administered through Google link among medical students. Results: A total of 225 students has participated. Around 130 (58%) students are from first year and 96(43.2%) students opined that learning AETCOM skills are necessary and around 125(55.8%) students opined that there should be sometime for sports activities during week days also and 107(48.2%) students stated that early clinical exposure in the first year is beneficial. Conclusion: The CBME curriculum focuses on learning the competencies needed in clinical practice and provides standards and framework for measuring performance. The thrust of the new curriculum attempts to make medical education in India more outcomes oriented.

IJCM_88A: Perception of the medical college faculty on new competency-based medical education curriculum for MBBS students

Background: Medical education needs to be adjusted to meet the fast- changing expectations of society and the resulting demands on daily medical practice. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has updated the Medical Curriculum based on CBME. Objectives: 1. To assess the perceptions of the faculty members of the Medical college on the competency-based medical education curriculum for the MBBS course 2. To assess the readiness to incorporate competency-based medical education in the medical education curriculum among faculty members Methodology: This cross-sectional study was set in Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, among teaching staff of pre-clinical, para-clinical, and clinical departments. A total of 93 (pre-clinical-29, para-clinical-31, clinical=33) faculty members were requested to fill out the questionnaire. Results: Our study highlights inter-department coordination, time demands, and lack of faculty training as the major barriers to the implementation of CBME. Among all participants around 60% were females. Most of the participants had teaching experiences between 0-5 years. Almost 95% of the participants were aware of the new MCI 2019 curriculum. The majority of the participants rated their knowledge about CMBE as moderate level (38.7%). 61.3% of the faculty members consider themselves to be ready to incorporate CBМЕ. According to most faculty members, a moderate amount (50%) of training is required and sessions and workshops (68.8%) are the most preferred type of training. Conclusion: Most of the faculty members found that the CBME pattern will be effective in imparting skills to undergraduates. Most of the participants identified inter-department coordination, demands of time, and lack of training in evaluation and feedback to be the major barriers to implementing the CBME pattern. Most of the faculty members consider themselves to be ready for this change even though a lot of them find the implementation of CBME to be a difficult task.

IJCM_378A: Introduction of Elective modules Block 2 in undergraduate new Competency based Medical Education (CBME) Curriculum: Perception of students

Background: The new competency based medical education curriculum (CBME) introduced 2 months electives (2 blocks of 4 weeks) in the curriculum for undergraduates medical students during their study periods (at the completion of phase 3 part 1). Elective is an optional course, generally of short duration, where students can opt ‘electives’ as per their topic of interest, career preference and availability at institutes. During electives students get an opportunity to differentiate during medical training, experience applicative use of knowledge and develop applied skills under the supervision and guidance of preceptors. Objective: To assess the Students perception regarding Elective modules (Block-2) necessity and benefit. Methodology: This was a cross sectional study conducted in Department of Community Medicine, Pt JNM Medical college, Raipur and Associated tertiary care hospital Dr. BRAM hospital. Raipur, Chhattisgarh in which 181 undergraduates medical students were interviewed through online mode using google form and was circulated to all via WhatsApp group. Results: Total 181 study subjects were participated in which 56.4% male and 43.6% female. Sixty-eight percent study subjects agreed that elective posting increases their knowledge and skill. Most of the students 66(36.5%) perceived elective posting very good Conclusion: This study concluded that students had very good overall experience of elective posting which proved to be helpful in improving their knowledge, clinical skills and enhanced their learning opportunities.

Evaluation of Elective Posting on Adverse Drug Reaction and Pharmacovigilance under Competency-based Medical Education Curriculum among Undergraduates: A New Step in Medical Education

Abstract Context: The revised competency-based medical education, the students of 3rd-year part I MBBS are required to undergo elective postings of 1 month based on the student’s needs and choice. Aims: This study was undertaken to evaluate the outcome of elective posting of pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting as a new teaching tool in pharmacology among 3rd-year part I MBBS students. Settings and Design: The students undergoing the elective posting of pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting were evaluated for their knowledge, completeness score (out of 10) of ADRs reported, and their feedback with respect to the posting, in a pretested questionnaire. Subjects and Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional type conducted in the Pharmacology Department of Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Rural Medical College and Dr. Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil Pravara Rural Hospital, Loni. Results: Six students participated in the study, who reported 96 ADRs. Most of the ADRs (39, 40.6%) were reported immediately after their appearance. The average completeness score of the ADRs reported was 9.44 ± 0.41. The students gave an average score of 1.2 for overall experience of the posting (1 – best and 5 – worst). Conclusions: The elective posting with pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting module had a positive impact on the quality of ADR reporting in terms of completeness, causality assessment as well as time of reporting. The students felt confident in reporting ADRs and reflected positively toward the training module.

의과대학 통합 6년제 학제 개편에 대한 인식 연구

The study aims to examine the necessity and effectiveness of integrating medical education system into a 6-year curriculum combing premedical and medical education. To this end, focus group interview questions were developed based on the review of literature on medical education system. Interviews were then conducted with 10 faculty members and 4 medical students. The findings are as follows. The participants held a positive perception of the 6-year integrated medical education curriculum. The 6-year integrated curriculum are anticipated to address issues inherent in the 2+4 medical education system, including a fragmented curriculum, diminished learning motivation, heightened learning burden, and biased career choices. Also, the education of transfer students, the development of a physician-scientist system, and the suitability of the new curriculum were suggested as discussion issues. Based on the results, practical implications are proposed for the 6-year integrated medical education system.

International support for abortion education in medical schools: results of a global online survey to explore abortion willingness, intentions, and attitudes among medical students in 85 countries.

Access to safe abortion has been recognized as a fundamental human right and important public health priority. Medical schools provide a rare opportunity to expose medical students to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) topics and normalize abortion care early in a physician's career. This cross-sectional descriptive study used an online survey to explore abortion content in medical curricula and medical student intentions, attitudes, and beliefs regarding abortion provision among 1,699 medical students from 85 countries. Results demonstrate positive attitudes towards abortion provision, with 83% reporting that "access to safe abortion is every woman's right". Students also reported a relatively high willingness to provide abortion professionally despite few opportunities to learn about this care. Only one-third of students surveyed reported having taken a gynecology course (n = 487; 33%); among these, one-third said they had no content on abortion care in their programs thus far (n = 155; 32%), including instruction on postabortion care. Among the two-thirds of students who had some content on abortion care (n = 335), either on induced abortion, postabortion care (PAC), or both, 55% said content was limited to one lecture and only 19% reported having an opportunity to participate in any practical training on abortion provision. Despite most students having no or very limited didactic and practical training on abortion, 42% intended to provide this care after graduation. Three-quarters of student respondents were in favor of mandatory abortion education in medical curricula. The findings of this study offer new evidence about abortion care education in medical curricula around the globe, indicating that there is no lack of demand or interest in increasing medical knowledge on comprehensive abortion care, merely a lack of institutional will to expand course offerings and content.

Integration of Disability Awareness Improves Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward People with Disabilities

Persons with disabilities (PWD) often require special accommodations and more comprehensive healthcare yet frequently have encounters with physicians who are unprepared to provide tailored and complete care. A multipronged disability awareness curriculum for second-year medical students was implemented, including content on disability etiquette, patient-centered and interprofessional learning sessions for individuals with physical disabilities and intellectual and developmental disabilities, and a debriefing session with physiatrists. The objective of this study was to utilize a mixed methods approach to evaluate the disability awareness curriculum in undergraduate medical education (UME). Assessment was conducted using course evaluations, pre- and post-surveys including the Attitudes and Perspectives Towards Persons with Disabilities (APPD) scale and Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons with Disabilities (MAS), and student focus groups. The mean scores from both the APPD (2.11 ± 0.43 pre-score vs. 1.7 ± 0.39 post-score) and MAS (2.45 ± 0.43 pre-score vs. 2.25 ± 0.55 post-score) indicate the curriculum improved medical students’ attitudes toward PWD (p < 0.05), with lower numbers representing more favorable attitudes. After completing the curriculum, medical students’ attitudes were comparable to those of doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students. Qualitative analysis from focus groups highlighted four major themes: education, comfort level, impact on future practice, and disability differences. This curriculum has potential as a valuable framework for delivering effective disability education to medical students to prepare future physicians to serve PWD and their unique needs. It meets core competencies, provides an opportunity to learn in interprofessional environments, and integrates PWD into the educational process.