Undergraduate Medical Education Curriculum Research Articles

Diversity in Dermatology? An Assessment of Undergraduate Medical Education.

A lack of representation of skin of color (SoC) in dermatology curricula is well-documented across North American medical schools and may present a barrier to equitable and comprehensive undergraduate medical education. This study aims to examine representation in dermatologic educational materials and appreciate a link between bias in dermatologic education and student diagnostic ability and self-rated confidence. The University of Toronto Dermatology Undergraduate Medical Education curriculum was examined for the percentage photographic representation of SoC. A survey of 10 multiple-choice questions was administered to first- and third-year medical students at the University of Toronto to assess diagnostic accuracy and self-rated confidence in diagnosis of 5 common skin lesions in Fitzpatrick skin phototypes (SPT) I-III (white skin) and VI-VI (SoC). The curriculum audit showed that <7% of all images of skin disease were in SoC. Diagnostic accuracy was fair for both first- (77.8% and 85.9%) and third-year (71.3% and 72.4%) cohorts in white skin and SoC, respectively. Students' overall self-rated confidence was significantly greater in white skin when compared to SoC, in both first- (18.75/25 and 17.78/25, respectively) and third-year students (17.75/25 and 15.79/25, respectively) (P = .0002). This preliminary assessment identified a lack of confidence in diagnosing dermatologic conditions in SoC, a finding which may impact health outcomes of patients with SoC. This project is an important first step in diversifying curricular materials to provide comprehensive medical education.

Students' and Faculty Perspectives Toward the Role and Value of the Hidden Curriculum in Undergraduate Medical Education: a Qualitative Study from Saudi Arabia.

A hidden medical curriculum is defined as the unwritten, unofficial, and unintended learning that students experience in medical school along with more formal aspects of education. This term describes the behaviours, attitudes, assumptions and beliefs conveyed by teachers, peers and the surrounding environment. However, more research is needed to evaluate its impact on student and faculty interactions in this context. We conducted this qualitative study utilizing focus group and semi-structured interviews of students and faculty to evaluate the perspectives of medical students and faculty toward the role and impact of the hidden medical curriculum in medical education at Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data was analysed using open-, axial- and selective-coding using thematic framework analysis. Interviewees consisted of 24 students in years 1-3 during the spring semester 2018-2019, 8 faculty members and 4 teaching assistants. We identified six core themes of hidden curriculum at Alfaisal University (Appendix). Role and behavioural modelling, value-based teaching, interpersonal faculty-student interactions, effects of diversity and socialization, teaching methodologies and hidden curriculum, mentoring and student support systems. Although some of the themes identified in these focus group interviews were similar to previously published studies, the novel themes that we identified were diversity, socialization and interpersonal faculty-student interactions. We conclude that identifying the issues pertaining to hidden curriculum is important for the development of medical students and for nurturing and upholding the values that we want to instil in our future physicians.

Appraisal of the Current Pharmacology Curriculum, Teaching Methodology and Effectiveness in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Student-Centric, Questionnaire-Based Study

Background: Periodic students’ feedback ensures and enhances the effectiveness of the curriculum of medical subject.&#x0D; Objective: This study was designed to obtain students appraisal of the undergraduate pharmacology curriculum and teaching methodology.&#x0D; Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology at Colonel Malek Medical College, Manikganj, Bangladesh from May to June, 2019 for a period of two months. Questionnaire-based data were collected from students of both sexes who had completed 3rd Professional examination. Likert Scale was applied to collect students’ feedback on pharmacology.&#x0D; Results: A total number of 40 students were recruited for this study of which 60.0% students were strongly agreed about organized teaching. About 47.5% students were agreed that the course was appropriate at their level and achieved their goals in Pharmacology. However, 55% of them strongly agreed that teacher provided clear constructive feedback during class. Total 60%, were agreed that the course improved their problem-solving skills. Overall, 55% students were agreed regarding their satisfaction on Pharmacology course delivery and conduction.&#x0D; Conclusion: In conclusion, periodic appraisal from students regarding evaluation of the student-centric undergraduate pharmacology curriculum is vital in developing efficient medical graduates.&#x0D; Journal of Current and Advance Medical Research, January 2021;8(1):30-33

Are Clerks Proficient in the Basic Sciences? Assessment of Third-Year Medical Students' Basic Science Knowledge Prior to and at the Completion of Core Clerkship Rotations.

Basic sciences are a cornerstone of undergraduate medical education (UME), yet research indicates that students' basic science knowledge is not well retained. Many UME curricula are increasing the integration between the basic and clinical sciences with the goal of enhancing students' knowledge levels; however, the impact of clerkship training on students' basic science knowledge remains inconclusive. Thus, using clerkship directors' expectations as framework, we aimed to assess third-year medical students' basic science knowledge during clerkship training and evaluate the influence of clerkship training on their basic science knowledge. Using concepts deemed necessary by clerkship directors, we created a basic science assessment for each clerkship rotation. Assessments were distributed to third-year medical students as a pre- and post-test to assess their basic science knowledge prior to and at the completion of each rotation. On average, students retained ≥ 60% of relevant basic science knowledge from pre-clerkship, and neither clerkship rotation order, nor the basic science discipline being assessed, impacted students' basic science knowledge levels. Post-test data revealed that students, on average, reinforced fundamental concepts during clerkship. Interestingly, even though lower-performing students demonstrated the greatest post-test improvement, they still left each rotation with knowledge deficits compared with their highest-performing peers, suggesting that the clinical experience of clerkship appears to be particularly beneficial for lower-performing students, in regard to enhancing their basic science knowledge. Overall, results indicate that earlier exposure to clinical learning in UME, along with integration of basic science education into clerkship, could promote students' basic science knowledge acquisition and retention.

A virtual ‘hour on-call’: creating a novel teaching programme for final-year undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic

Historically, undergraduate medical education curricula have consisted of a mixture of lecture-based teaching, problem-based learning (PBL) and, more recently, in situ simulation. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led to the suspension of much of the teaching carried out using these traditional methods due to social distancing requirements and self-isolation.1 Although distance learning is not a new modality, the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the development of unique, safe and effective teaching programmes using emergent technology, such as Zoom and MS Teams. There is evidence that distance learning via videoconferencing has equivalence to face-to-face learning.2 We discuss the results …

An analysis of core EPAs reveals a gap between curricular expectations and medical school graduates\u2019 self-perceived level of competence

BackgroundEntrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) are being implemented worldwide as a means to promote competency-based medical education. In Switzerland, the new EPA-based curriculum for undergraduate medical education will be implemented in 2021. The aim of our study was to analyze the perceived, self-reported competence of graduates in 2019. The data represent a pre-implementation baseline and will provide guidance for curriculum developers.MethodsTwo hundred eighty-one graduates of the Master of Human Medicine program of the University of Zurich who had passed the Federal Licensing Exam in September 2019 were invited to complete an online survey. They were asked to rate their needed level of supervision (“observe only”, “direct, proactive supervision”, “indirect, reactive supervision”) for 46 selected EPAs. We compared the perceived competence with the expected competence of the new curriculum.ResultsThe response rate was 54%. The need for supervision expressed by graduates varied considerably by EPA. The proportion of graduates rating themselves at expected level was high for “history taking”, “physical examination” “and documentation”; medium for “prioritizing differential diagnoses”, “interpreting results” and “developing and communicating a management plan”; low for “practical skills”; and very low for EPAs related to “urgent and emergency care”.ConclusionsCurrently, there are significant gaps between the expectations of curriculum developers and the perceived competences of students. This is most obvious for practical skills and emergency situations. The new curriculum will either need to fill this gap or expectations might need to be revised.

Perception analysis of first year MBBS students after attending the first one-month Foundation Course in a North Indian medical college

Introduction: The Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) Curriculum for undergraduate medical education was introduced in India from the 2019 academic session onwards. A new element of the curriculum is the one-month Foundation Course. Aim: To collect and analyse feedback from first year MBBS students regarding their experience with the one-month Foundation Course. Methodology: This study was conducted at LLRM Medical College, Meerut. The Foundation Course timetable was designed as per the guidelines given by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The sessions were attended by newly joined first year MBBS students of 2019 batch. A feedback form designed on Google Forms was used to obtain feedback from the students at the conclusion of the Foundation Course. Results: Out of the total 100 students, 66 responded to the feedback form. Respondents were overall satisfied with the sessions covered under the 6 sections. A majority of 24 respondents were of the opinion that the Field Visit sessions were the best conducted sessions. When asked for suggestions for further improvements in future foundation courses the two major themes generated were ‘Good experience’ and ‘More topics/sessions to be included’. Conclusion: The strength of the first foundation course conducted in this institution lies in its meticulous planning and implementation as well as the enthusiastic participation and positive reception by students. The feedback received from the students will be helpful in further refinement of the course for future implementation. Keywords: Education Medical Undergraduate, Feedback, Curriculum, Learning.

Start the Way You Want to Finish: An Intensive Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Orientation Curriculum in Undergraduate Medical Education.

Problem:Medical students often feel unprepared to care for patients whose cultural backgrounds differ from their own. Programs in medical schools have begun to address health: inequities; however, interventions vary in intensity, effectiveness, and student experience.Intervention:The authors describe an intensive 2-day diversity, equity, and inclusion curriculum for medical students in their orientation week prior to starting formal classes. Rather than using solely a knowledge-based “cultural competence” or a reflective “cultural humility” approach, an experiential curriculum was employed that links directly to fundamental communication skills vital to interactions with patients and teams, and critically important to addressing interpersonal disparities. Specifically, personal narratives were incorporated to promote individuation and decrease implicit bias, relationship-centered skills practice to improve communication across differences, and mindfulness skills to help respond to bias when it occurs. Brief didactics highlighting student and faculty narratives of difference were followed by small group sessions run by faculty trained to facilitate sessions on equity and inclusion.Context:Orientation week for matriculating first-year students at a US medical school.Impact:Matriculating students highly regarded an innovative 2-day diversity, equity, and inclusion orientation curriculum that emphasized significant relationship-building with peers, in addition to core concepts and skills in diversity, equity, and inclusion.Lessons learned:This orientation represented an important primer to concepts, skills, and literature that reinforce the necessity of training in diversity, equity, and inclusion. The design team found that intensive faculty development and incorporating diversity concepts into fundamental communication skills training were necessary to perpetuate this learning. Two areas of further work emerged: (1) the emphasis on addressing racism and racial equity as paradigmatic belies further essential understanding of intersectionality, and (2) uncomfortable conversations about privilege and marginalization arose, requiring expert facilitation.

Undergraduate medical education in Nigeria: current standard and the need for advancement.

The post-independence era in Nigeria ushered in an array of fundamental structuring and development in all sectors of the Nigerian economy including medical education and training. This era saw the establishment of medical schools across the country which mirrored the medical curriculum of British universities. This paper dives into the general structure of undergraduate medical education in Nigeria, its historical background and how it compares with neighboring and distant countries. Since the undergraduate medical education curriculum has not seen significant modifications since conception, this paper presents the challenges of the existent structure to include biased admission process, emphasis on irrelevant pre-medical courses, paucity of of technologically-advanced teaching and learning aids, increased workloads of lecturers amongst others. Importantly, solutions and recommendations are prescribed in this paper, which if considered, may improve undergraduate medical training in Nigeria, and ultimately improve the standard of healthcare service provision in the country.

137. Applying Gamification to Microbiology Core Curriculum in Undergraduate Medical Education

BackgroundGamification uses elements of game design to enhance learner engagement. We introduced a microbiology “trivia game” for first year medical students (MS1), leveraging principles of gamification (self-efficacy, points, leaderboards, etc.) to enhance participation. We hypothesized this would engage learners and improve course performance.MethodsWe created a “microbiology trivia game” using Kaizen-Education, a software platform (Kaizen) developed by our Center for Clinical and Translational Science. All MS1 in the Microbiology course at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (Fall 2019) were invited to participate by downloading the smartphone app. We created 56 questions emphasizing high yield concepts and their clinical application. Participation was voluntary during the Microbiology course (3 weeks). We collected app utilization and test performance data in this IRB approved investigation. We completed descriptive analyses of student engagement including a Player Efficiency Rating (PER). The PER is a student-level composite measure of student accuracy, play frequency and question completion. We calculated Spearman rank correlation of mean exam scores and PER. At course completion students received a survey about their experience.Results181 (96%) of 189 Microbiology students answered ≥ 1 question. Across those 181 students, 161 (89%) completed all questions (table 1). An average of 67 students answered questions each day. Collectively, students answered 96% of all published questions (n=10,136; 56 questions x 181 students). A total of 49% of questions were answered < 24H from publication. Survey response rate was 34% (n=61), and our teaching innovation was positively received (table 2).Final exam performance increased from 80% (2018) to 87% (2019) among students in the gamification enhanced Microbiology course. A correlation between higher PER and better exam scores was found (0.34; p≤0.0001). ConclusionOur gamification infused Microbiology course was well received. Students appreciated the opportunity to apply core foundational microbiology concepts to clinical medicine scenarios early in training. Novel teaching methods may increase student engagement in Medical Microbiology courses, for many the birthplace of their passion for Infectious Diseases.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

1128. Online Spaced Education to Teach Microbiology to Medical Students in a Threaded Medical School Curriculum

BackgroundA strong foundation in microbiology continues to be essential for physicians-in-training. Little research exists examining pre-clinical microbiology education in undergraduate medical education (UME) curricular structures. Further, no study has evaluated the use of a spaced repetition model for pre-clinical UME students studying microbiology in a threaded curriculum.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort design study and enrolled 81 out of 154 (53%) first-year medical students at Oregon Health & Science University from August 2018 through December 2019. The first 18 months of the UME curriculum is organized by organ system blocks with end-of-block exams including retired National Board of Medical Examiner (NBME) questions. Participants were invited to complete 10 microbiology questions using the spaced practice online platform QSTREAM weekly. Performance between participants and non-participants on end of block NBME exams were compared using t-tests for categorical variables.ResultsAt the conclusion of the study, 42.5% of participants were “very active” (questions in < 2 days), 7.5% of participants were “active” (questions in 3-7 days), and 50.0% of participants were “inactive” (questions in >7 days). Student performance on second-pass questions improved by 41%, and NBME end-of-block exams demonstrated improved performance in each block compared to non-participants. Specifically, performance in the Skin, Bones, and Musculature end-of-block exam and Developing Human end-of-block exam was significantly (p=0.0001, 0.008, respectively) improved, and study participants outperformed non-participants on topics practiced in the study.ConclusionAs more medical schools move to a threaded curriculum, with many of these programs proposing fewer contact hours, innovative methods targeting microbiology education should be explored for pre-clinical medical students. Online spaced practice in a threaded curriculum could provide a feasible and acceptable pedagogical technique for UME and add to the discourse around microbiology curriculum development. With initial start-up costs, sustaining such a program across medical school curricula is an inexpensive, innovative, technologically-savvy approach to medical education.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Tıp fakültelerinin sosyal hesap verebilirliğe yönelik görüşleri; nitel bir çalışma

Background: Within the complex interactions of preventive medicine and health care, it has been increasingly accepted that educational and research activities of physicians should meet individual and social expectations in frame of social accountability. In this study, the opinions of key people who have role in undergraduate medical education curriculum development were compiled, and their reflection on the curriculum development and evaluation processes were evaluated.Methods: This is a qualitative study. In Istanbul, 11 medical schools (4 state medical schools, 7 private medical schools), which were graduated their students based on national core competencies, were selected. The contact information obtained from the web pages of medical schools. Semi-structured interviews were held face to face with faculty members who played an important role in medical education. The voice records of interviews were taken, and turned into text. Then, content analysis was done by two researchers. The themes determined as a result of the analysis were grouped and interpreted.Results: The concepts of social accountability evoked in the participants were responsibility society, promise to society, and transparency. Institutional support, stakeholder engagement and policy continuity have been evaluated as the main results of the compiled opinions on the processes of development, implementation and evaluation of social accountability activities.Conclusion: Key people made sense of the concept of social accountability around responsibilities to society. It was emphasized that sufficient time should be spent for understanding and discussion of social accountability in curriculum development activities. In addition, national consensus on social accountability would contribute to those processes.

A cross-sectional survey on academic librarian involvement in evidence-based medicine instruction within undergraduate medical education programs in Canada

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the range of involvement of Canadian academic medical librarians in teaching evidence-based medicine (EBM) within the undergraduate medical education (UME) curriculum. This study articulates the various roles that Canadian librarians play in teaching EBM within the UME curriculum, and also highlights their teaching practices. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to a targeted sample of academic librarians currently involved in UME programs in Canadian medical schools. Results: 12 respondents (including one duplicate response) representing ten schools responded to this survey. 7 of 10 respondents were involved in EBM instruction, 3 of 10 institutions had a dedicated EBM course. Librarians were involved in a variety of roles, and often co-created and co-delivered content along with medical school faculty, and were present on course committees. They used a variety of educational strategies, incorporated active learning, as well as online modules. Discussion/Conclusion: The data highlighted the embedded nature of EBM instruction in undergraduate medical education programs in Canada. It also showed that librarians are involved in EBM instruction beyond the second step of EBM; acquiring or searching the literature.

Training the Trainer: Faculty From Across Multiple Specialties Show Improved Confidence, Knowledge and Skill in Point of Care Ultrasound After a Short Intervention.

Objectives Lack of faculty skill and confidence in performing and teaching point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) remains a significant barrier to implementation of a longitudinal ultrasound curriculum in undergraduate medical education. Our objective was to assess faculty comfort, knowledge and skill with performing and teaching POCUS before and after a focused workshop.Methods This was a prospective study assessing faculty from multiple specialties. Faculty completed a pre- and post-workshop survey and ultrasound knowledge assessment, and a post-workshop objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to assess ability to perform POCUS. Differences between pre- and post-workshop responses were analyzed using Fisher's Exact and Wilcoxon tests, and statistical significance was accepted for p<0.05.ResultsWe analyzed data on 78 faculty from multiple disciplines. Faculty had a median of 7.5 years of experience with medical student teaching. Sixty-eight percent of faculty had performed <25 prior ultrasound (US) examinations. Comparing pre- to post-workshop responses, we found significant reductions in barriers to using US, and improved confidence with using, obtaining and interpreting POCUS (p<0.01). Faculty felt significantly more comfortable with the idea of teaching medical students POCUS (p<0.01). POCUS knowledge improved from 50% to 86% (p<0.01). On the post-workshop OSCE, 90% of anatomic structures were correctly identified with a median image quality of 4 out of 5.ConclusionAfter attending a six-hour workshop, faculty across multiple specialties had increased confidence with using and teaching POCUS, showed improved knowledge, and were able to correctly identify pertinent anatomic structures with ultrasound while obtaining good image quality.

Peer assessment of professionalism in undergraduate medical education

BackgroundFostering professional behaviour has become increasingly important in medical education and non-traditional approaches to assessment of professionalism may offer a more holistic representation of students’ professional behaviour development. Emerging evidence suggests peer assessment may offer potential as an alternative method of professionalism assessment. We introduced peer assessment of professionalism in pre-clerkship phases of undergraduate medical education curriculum at our institution and evaluated suitability of adopting a professional behaviour scale for longitudinal tracking of student development, and student comfort and acceptance of peer assessment.MethodsPeer assessment was introduced using a validated professional behaviours scale. Students conducted repeated, longitudinal assessments of their peers from small-group, clinical skills learning activities. An electronic assessment system was used to collect peer assessments, collate and provide reports to students. Student opinions of peer assessment were initially surveyed before introducing the process, confirmatory analyses were conducted of the adopted scale, and students were surveyed to explore satisfaction with the peer assessment process.ResultsStudents across all phases of the curriculum were initially supportive of anonymous peer assessment using small-group learning sessions. Peer scores showed improvement over time, however the magnitude of increase was limited by ceiling effects attributed to the adopted scale. Students agreed that the professional behaviours scale was easy to use and understand, however a majority disagreed that peer assessment improved their understanding of professionalism or was a useful learning experience.ConclusionsPeer assessment of professional behaviours does expose students to the process of assessing one’s peers, however the value of such processes at early stages of medical education may not be fully recognized nor appreciated by students. Electronic means for administering peer assessment is feasible for collecting and reporting peer feedback. Improvement in peer assessed scores was observed over time, however student opinions of the educational value were mixed and indeterminate.

Twelve tips for integrating ultrasound guided peripheral intravenous access clinical skills teaching into undergraduate medical education

Peripheral Intravenous access (PIV) is a procedure undertaken by Medical Practitioners and Non-Medical Practitioners. Traditional PIV uses a visual and tactile technique to locate blood vessels close to the surface of the skin. Chronic medical conditions, dehydration, obesity and recurrent intravenous access can make PIV challenging. Ultrasound (US) guided PIV is recommended to aid the identification of the arm arteries and veins and improve the success rate of needle placement in difficult cases. Medical and non-medical schools, and hospital organisations, are recognising the importance of US guided PIV education for undergraduate and postgraduate Medical and Non-Medical Practitioners. This to promote independence, efficiency and to improve patient safety. The aim of this 12 tips article is to highlight the considerations and practicalities of integrating and delivering, a practical based skills (PBS) session, on the use of US guided practice as an adjunct in difficult PIV, into the undergraduate medical education curricula.

Design and evaluation of a blended mental health curriculum for undergraduate medical education in Pakistan

There is a significant shortage of qualified psychiatrists and related service providers in Pakistan; this occurs in the backdrop of burgeoning evidence of a high prevalence of mental health disorders in the country. At the Aga Khan University Medical College, Psychiatry has been taught to the undergraduates as a mandatory one-month clinical rotation since 1987. AKU is the only medical college with a formal psychiatry training at the undergraduate level. In 2017, a team of faculty members reassessed the curriculum, teaching methodology and learning outcomes of the psychiatry rotation. As a result, an outcome-based, blended curriculum was devised that integrated virtual and classroom-based learning with patient skills training. The new curriculum has now been in implementation for one year. At the end of the rotation, a questionnaire was administered to determine students’ experience of online learning. WEBLEI was adapted to measure students’ perceptions across four subscales. Data was gathered from learners’ use of the virtual learning system, participation in facilitator-based sessions and the clinical teaching and learning. Students were also asked to compare didactic face-to-face sessions with blended learning. Blended learning scored higher on all measures such as student engagement, critical thinking, student-led learning and alignment of assessment method with learning outcomes. The analysis of this data has informed future directions regarding the design and implementation of a Pakistan-wide mental health program. This study also highlights the challenges of curriculum design and its implications in the broader context of Pakistan. The results add to the existing literature about the experience, challenges and successful outcomes of designing a blended curriculum for Pakistan.&#x0D; Keywords: Blended learning, Integrated curriculum, Mental health, Learning analytics, PakistanHow to cite this article:Chachar, A.S., Siddiqui, S.A., Saeed, H., Naseem, A. &amp; Mian, A.I. 2020. Design and evaluation of a blended mental health curriculum for undergraduate medical education in Pakistan. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the South. 4(2): 100-117. https://doi.org/10.36615/sotls.v4i2.111.This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Aligning the contents of curriculum of undergraduate medical education in Bangladesh with health related targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Abstract Introduction: This descriptive type of cross sectional study was conducted to assess teachers’ views regarding the alignment of contents of curriculum of undergraduate medical education in Bangladesh with the health related targets of Sustainable Development Goals.&#x0D; Methods: The study was conducted during the period of July 2018 to June 2019. The study used standardized pre-tested instruments. Convenience sampling technique was employed to include 04 public and 04 private medical colleges, of which 05 were located in Dhaka city and 03 were located outside Dhaka city. Data were collected from 123 faculty members by using self-administered semi-structured questionnaire and from 25 Key informants by using in-depth Interview schedule. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS 19.0.&#x0D; Results: Among 123 medical teachers 84(68.3%) opined inadequacy of contents about neglected tropical diseases, 97(78.9%) about road traffic accidents, 103(83.7%) about narcotic drug abuse, 93(75.6%) about universal health coverage, 108(87.8%) about sexual health care services, 97(78.9%) viewed about tobacco control and 116(94.3%) about early warning about national and global health risks.&#x0D; Conclusion: To achieve the health related targets of SDG, the curriculum of undergraduate medical education should be reviewed with inclusion of relevant contents which will help students to achieve relevant competencies of SDGs.&#x0D; Bangladesh Journal of Medical Education Vol.11(2) 2020: 21-26

Development, Implementation and Evaluation of a Smartphone-Based Study Guide for Undergraduate Medical Students

Introduction: Most medical educators agreed that e-Learning is a necessity nowadays and not a luxury shift. Smartphones contribute to the educational process to a great extent. Integrating the use of smartphones in the curriculum has an important innovative role in medical education and health care services. Currently, medical students are using smartphones as part of their daily routine and learning activities. A study guide is a tool designed to facilitate students' interaction with the various components of the curriculum. The idea of using a mobile application in providing information through a study guide to facilitate learning was reported by different studies.&#x0D; Aims: This study aims at designing, implementing and evaluating smart-phone based study guide using mobile enhanced learning technology for the 1st year medical students at Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University (FOM-SCU) in order to enhance students' learning experience.&#x0D; The Study Objectives: Design a study guide using mobile application for the 1st year medical students. Implement the newly designed study guide on 1st year medical students (2017-2018). Evaluate the students' performance during PBL tutorial sessions before and after implementing Smartphone based study guide. Assess students' satisfaction regarding the study guide application. Identify challenges of using mobile application in medical education.&#x0D; Study Design: A quasi-experimental (pretest-posttest), using a non-probability convenience sampling, 105 students (response rate 84%), and 16 class tutors (response rate 100%).&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medical Education, FOM-SCU, Egypt during the academic year 2017-2018.&#x0D; Methodology: Using a non-probability convenience sampling technique, 105 students (response rate 84%), and 16 class tutors (response rate 100%).&#x0D; Results: Most of the students (94.3%) stated that smartphone (m-learning) is useful in Medical Education, 80.9% of them agreed that the module objectives can be met through m-learning and 61.9% of the students agreed on recommending m-learning as an innovative method of learning to others. The evaluation of students' performance in the context of Problem Based Learning (PBL) by their class tutors showed a statistically significant improvement in all items regarding the four factors assessed "independent study" (p-value &lt;0.001), "group interaction" (p-value &lt;0.001), "active participation" (p-value &lt;0.001), and "reasoning skills" (p-value &lt;0.001) when comparing pre and post-intervention scores. &#x0D; Conclusion: This study concludes the m-learning has a positive effect on the students’ performance in the PBL context. It is remarkably significant to integrate smartphone-based learning activities in the undergraduate Medical Education curriculum. Our results can encourage other health professions institutions to apply m-learning in different educational situations.

Teaching lifestyle medicine competencies in undergraduate medical education: active collaborative intervention for students at multiple locations.

The aims of this study are to 1) design feasible active collaborative educational approaches to teach and assess three of the newly described lifestyle medicine (LM) competencies to students at multiple locations; and 2) determine whether a mixed, flexible instructional delivery approach impacts students' learning and perception of confidence in LM. The educational interventions were part of the undergraduate clinical medical education curriculum and have two parts: 1) an asynchronous session [online self-learning module (SLM)], and 2) a synchronous session using case-based collaborative learning delivered either mostly face to face, as determined by the instructor (approach A) or mostly virtual, as determined by the student (approach B). Both approaches were delivered in the curriculum as planned to 27 students in approach A (26% attending virtually) and 31 students in approach B (90% attending virtually). Approach B required more planning time. Approach A students (26 of 27) agreed that the SLM was valuable as an educational tool. The performance in the summative assessment was similar (P = 0.49) in both approaches [means (SD): 33.2 points (SD 10.6) approach A vs. 33.2 points (SD 10.1) approach B]. Students reported a similar increase in confidence (P = 0.33) with setting lifestyle change goals. The two educational approaches presented here address three of the new LM competencies using active collaborative learning. Both approaches are feasible for synchronous delivery to students located at local and distant sites, either face to face or virtual. The increase in the proportion of students attending virtually did not decrease the measured outcomes of learning and perceptions of confidence.