Undergraduate Educational Experience Research Articles

학령인구 세대의 대학원 진학 결정 요인 분석

This study explores the influence of college students' socioeconomic background, characteristics of their home university, undergraduate educational experiences, and interaction terms of the main variables on their decision to pursue the graduate degree. The sample was constructed by linking the results of the KELS(Korean Educational Longitudinal Survey) 9th four-year college student survey and the 10th to 12th graduate student survey (N=1,566). On this sample, cross-sectional analyses, independent group t-tests, and binary logistic regression analyses with graduate school enrolment as the dependent variable were conducted. The analysis shows that parents' willingness to pay for graduate education, graduation from a public university, high grades in major courses, major-aptitude match, home university location - governance type interaction term have statistically significant positive effects on the decision to go to graduate school. Additional binary logistic regression analyses were conducted on various student groups with different characteristics. Based on the results, the main variables are discussed and policy implications are presented.

Challenges Facing First-Generation College Graduates in Medical School

First-generation (FG) medical students remain underrepresented in medicine despite ongoing national efforts to increase diversity; understanding the challenges faced by this student population is essential to building holistic policies, practices, and learning environments that promote professional actualization. Although FG students have been extensively studied in the undergraduate literature, there is little research investigating how FG students experience medical education or opportunities for educators to intervene. To explore challenges that FG students experience in undergraduate medical education and identify opportunities to improve foundational FG support. This qualitative study was conducted using an online platform with 37 FG students enrolled in 27 US medical schools. An interprofessional team of medical educators and trainees conducted semistructured interviews from November 2021 through April 2022. Participants were recruited using a medical student listserv. Data were analyzed from April to November 2022. After conducting a preliminary analysis using open coding, a codebook was created and used in a thematic analysis; the codebook used a combination of deductive and inductive coding. Among the 37 students recruited for this study, 21 (56.8%) were female; 23 (62.2%) were in the clinical phase of training; 1 (2.7%) was American Indian or Alaska Native, 7 (18.9%) were Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin, 8 (21.6%) were non-Hispanic Asian or Asian American, 9 (24.3%) were non-Hispanic Black or African American, and 23 (32.4%) were non-Hispanic White; mean (SD) age was 27.3 (2.8) years. Participants described 4 major themes: (1) isolation and exclusion related to being a newcomer to medicine; (2) difficulty with access to basic resources (eg, food, rent, transportation) as well as educational (eg, books); (3) overall lack of faculty or institutional support to address these challenges; and (4) a sense of needing to rely on grit and resilience to survive. Although grit and resilience are desirable traits, results of this study suggest that FG medical students face increased adversity with inadequate institutional support, which forces them to excessively rely on grit and resilience as survival (rather than educational) strategies. By applying the holistic model often used in admissions to the postmatriculation educational process, targeted and flexible initiatives can be created for FG students so that all students, regardless of background, can achieve robust professional actualization.

Creating ophthalmology experiences in undergraduate medical education: pilot of a cased-based learning ophthalmology tool

PurposeTo evaluate medical student perceptions of a novel ophthalmology resource delivered through facilitated workshops in the core clerkship curriculum.MethodsWe created www.2020sim.com, a free case-based learning (CBL) ophthalmology tool, adapted from NephSIM (www.nephsim.com). The tool was first piloted with the internal medicine (IM) residents. After confirming a need, we focused on undergraduate medical education (UME) by expanding the 20/20 SIM content and partnering with the neurology (pilot academic year [AY] 2020-2021) and pediatric clerkships (pilot AY 2021-2022) to deliver a facilitated one-hour ophthalmology workshop within each clerkship’s didactic curriculum. We evaluated the tool using pre- and post-surveys and knowledge assessments.ResultsOf 80 IM residents, 33 (41.3%) completed the needs assessment. Of the 25 residents who attended the workshop, 23 (92.0%) completed the exit survey. IM residents reported discomfort in several ophthalmology domains (9 of 14 rated mean score < 3.0), confirming a need. Most (n = 21/23, 91.3%) rated the tool as good/excellent. Of 145 neurology clerkship students, 125 (86.2%) and at least 88 (60.7%) students completed the pre- and post-test/exit surveys, respectively. On average, participants highly rated the tool, perceiving 20/20 SIM to be relevant to their education [4.1 (0.8)]. Mean pre- to post-test knowledge scores increased from 7.5 to 8.5/10.0 points (p < 0.001). Of the 136 pediatric clerkship students, 67 (49.3%) and 51 (37.5%) completed the pre- and post-surveys, respectively. Respondents perceived increased comfort with ophthalmology topics after the facilitated workshop [3.8 (0.8)]. Mean pre- to post-test knowledge scores trended from 1.8 to 2.0/5.0 points (p = 0.30). Collectively, 20/139 (14.4%) of exit survey respondents visited www.2020sim.com within 1 month after the workshop.ConclusionAfter identifying areas of greatest need with residents, we partnered with core clerkships to deliver cross-disciplinary ophthalmology content in UME. We found high engagement with 20/20 SIM, with trends toward increased knowledge.

Students' experience and perceptions of undergraduate endodontic education in New Zealand.

This study investigated the clinical experience and perceptions of New Zealand graduating dental students (2019 and 2020) towards endodontic teaching and their clinical learning outcomes using an online survey and clinical scenarios. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS software, and qualitative data were analysed thematically. Responses were similar for both cohorts (response rates 74%, 2019; 73%, 2020). Endodontic teaching was valuable and interesting but difficult compared with other disciplines. Molar endodontics, finding canals and managing posture were challenging. Students felt more confident and less anxious when supervised by clinicians experienced in endodontics. Time management was the most anxiety-inducing factor and significantly related to clinical experience (p < 0.001). Overall, students appropriately applied knowledge in most areas of endodontics while holistic problem-solving in complex scenarios was variable. Maximising clinical experience and supervision from teachers experienced in endodontics are important for learning, improving confidence and reducing anxiety.

A Cost-Effective Microfluidic Device to Teach the Principles of Electrophoresis and Electroosmosis.

Electrophoresis is integral to analytical and biochemistry experiences in undergraduate education; however, fundamental principles of the method are often taught in upper-level laboratories through hands-on experiences. A laboratory activity is reported that teaches the concepts of electrophoretic mobility and electroosmotic flow. A single reuseable instrument, called a mini-E, costs 37 USD and consists of a DC power supply, a voltmeter, platinum electrodes, and a chip cast in polydimethylsiloxane. This activity uses common reagents costing only 0.02 USD per student. Experiments are devised that allow students to investigate the properties of electrophoretic flow and electroosmotic flow by separating the two commonly used food dyeing agents Brilliant Blue FCF and Allura Red AC in vinegar and in a solution of ammonium hydroxide. A dark-purple mixture of these dyes is separated into red and blue bands that are easily visualized. The migration order of the dyes differs when the separation is performed under conditions of reversed polarity and suppressed electroosmotic flow (vinegar) compared to conditions of normal polarity and active electroosmotic flow (ammonium hydroxide). When delivered to chemistry majors, students had a significant gain in their ability to apply the concepts of electroosmosis and electrophoresis to predict analyte migration. Although this activity targets upper-level chemistry content, it can also be adapted for other laboratory experiences.

Using an Accelerated Undergraduate Needs Finding Course to Build Skills, Inspire Confidence, and Promote Interest in Health Technology Innovation.

Many undergraduate educational experiences in biomedical design lack clinical immersion-based needs finding training for students. Convinced of the merits of this type of training for undergraduates, but unable to offer a quarter-long course due to faculty and administrative constraints, we developed an accelerated block-plan course, during which students were dedicated solely to our class for 3 weeks. The course focused on the earliest stages of the health technology innovation process-conducting effective clinical observations and performing comprehensive need research and screening. We grounded the course in experiential learning theory (with hands-on, collaborative, and immersive experiences) and constructivist learning theory (where students integrated prior knowledge with new material on need-driven innovation). This paper describes the design of this intensive block-plan course and the teaching methods intended to support the achievement of five learning objectives. We used pre- and post-course surveys to gather self-reported data about the effect of the course on student learning. Despite the accelerated format, we saw statistically significant gains for all but one sub-measure across the learning objectives. Our experience supports key benefits of the block-plan model, and the results indicate that specific course design choices were effective in achieving positive learning outcomes. These design decisions include (1) opportunities for students to practice observations before entering the clinical setting; (2) a framework for the curriculum that reinforced important concepts iteratively throughout the program; (3) balanced coverage of preparation, clinical immersion, and need research; (4) extensive faculty and peer coaching; and (5) providing hands-on prototyping opportunities while staying focused on need characterization rather than solution development. Based on our experience, we expect that this model is replicable across institutions with limited bandwidth to support clinical immersion opportunities.

Technology, the flipped classroom, and exigent paradigm shifts or being forced into the present

Technology, the flipped classroom, and exigent paradigm shifts or being forced into the present

Undergraduate medical student perspectives on the role of autopsy in medical education

Medical autopsy has historically been considered a valued experience in undergraduate medical education; however, student participation has declined in recent years. Medical education literature from the educator point of view supports autopsy as an educational tool, but more data are needed on undergraduate medical students’ (UMS) perspectives on autopsy. This study aims to assess UMS opinions on the role of autopsy in undergraduate medical education. A 5-point Likert scale survey concerning autopsy and medical education was offered to all UMS at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. In addition, 28 senior students were assigned a 500 word essay on hospital autopsy and its role in medical education. Senior students were given the opportunity to view an autopsy prior to completing their essays. UMS (n = 87) reported that witnessing an autopsy can improve anatomic knowledge (μ = 4.3), observational skills (μ = 4.1), and clinicopathologic correlation (μ = 4.3) but were neutral in their perceived importance of viewing an autopsy in their pathology education (μ = 3.7). Senior students (n = 27) responding to the essay prompt reported that autopsy is essential in medical education (85.2%) and increases clinical and anatomical understanding (63.0%). This study suggests that many UMS acknowledge the importance and applicability of autopsy in their education. This concurrence of UMS opinion with the medical education literature supports making autopsy participation a widely available component of undergraduate medical education.

Impact of faculty well-being on medical student education.

The prevalence of physician burnout has risen and negatively impacts patient care, healthcare costs, and physician health. Medical students are heavily influenced by the medical teams they rotate with on the wards. We postulate that faculty well-being influences student perception of clerkships. Medical student evaluations core clerkships at one academic institution were compared with results of faculty well-being scores over 2years (2018-2020). Linear mixed models were used to model each outcome adjusting for year, mean faculty distress score, and the standard deviation (SD) of WBI mean distress scores. Clerkships and students were treated as random effects. Two hundred and eighty Well-Being Index evaluations by faculty in 7 departments (5 with reportable means and standard deviations), and clerkship evaluations by 223 students were completed. Higher faculty distress scores were associated with lower student evaluation scores of the clerkship (- 0.18 per unit increase in distress, std. err = 0.05, p < 0.01). Increased SD (variability) of faculty distress was associated with higher student overall ratings (0.49 points per unit increase in variability, std. err = 0.11, p < 0.01), as was year with 2019-2020 having lower overall ratings (- 0.17, std. err = 0.06, p < 0.01). Findings were similar for ratings of faculty teaching: mean faculty distress (- 0.15, std. err = 0.25), SD faculty distress (0.33, std. err = 0.12), 2019-2020 vs. 2018-2019 (- 0.19, std. err = 0.06) (all p < 0.01). Physician well-being is not only associated with quality of patient care and physician health, but also with medical student perceptions of clinical education. These findings provide yet another indirect benefit to improved physician well-being: enhanced undergraduate medical educational experience.

Pre-service Teachers Reflection on their Undergraduate Educational Research Experience through Online Instructional Delivery

Undergraduate research as a high-impact educational practice aims to develop the personal and professional growth of preservice teachers and prepares them to be effective practitioners in the field. With the sudden shift in instructional delivery, a dearth of studies focusing on students’ experiences in conducting research in the online learning environment is observed. This study examined the experiences of 80 preservice teachers from a teacher education institution implementing a pure online instructional delivery in conducting educational research through descriptive phenomenology. Their narrative accounts were obtained through their post-assessment reflective journal with seven guide questions and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Their nuances articulated that students' prior knowledge and experiences in research, presence of support groups, availability of learning resources, and perceived benefits were the enabling factors for their learning success. However, there were also challenges along the way such as communication barriers, lack of resources, overlapping responsibilities, and the quality of their output and performance. The presence of a supportive virtual learning environment and online learning community is critical to learning outcomes and the quality of learning experiences.

How Medical Education Pathways Influence Primary Care Specialty Choice.

Primary care is associated with improved patient health and reductions in health disparities. Consequently, the demand for primary care physicians is increasing. To meet this demand, medical schools have employed strategies to graduate students interested in primary care careers, including medical education pathways-structured, longitudinal experiences that are explicitly separate from the main curricular scope of the undergraduate medical education experience. Our goal was to explore and identify common characteristics of medical education pathways that influence primary care specialty choice. Using research articles identified through a scoping review, we performed a qualitative content analysis of studies that evaluated the impact of medical education pathways on medical students' choices of primary care careers. Sixty-three papers described 43 medical education pathways; most studies used quantitative methods to describe outcomes. Program characteristics mapped onto five levels of an emerging socioecological model: state or national, community, institutional, relational, and individual. Successful medical education pathway programs complement a medical school curriculum that supports a common goal, and demonstrate multiple levels of structural and institutional factors that develop community connectedness, relatedness, and longitudinal community engagement in students. Further work is needed to better understand how each of these levels influence career choice and to reassess how to measure and report medical education outcomes that will more accurately predict the student choice of primary care careers.

COVID-19: Making the Best out of a Forced Transition to Online Medical Teaching-a Mixed Methods Study.

IntroductionThe first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a decreed confinement in Spain from March until the end of term in June 2020, forcing an abrupt transition to exclusive distance learning in universities. We aimed to describe and analyze the perceptions and experiences of undergraduate medical students and faculty members as a consequence of this educational shift so as to identify the key elements for successful online medical learning.MethodsA convergent mixed methods design was employed, using both quantitative and qualitative data collected successively through Phase 1: Online teaching follow-up program; Phase 2: Discussion groups (two focus groups and a nominal group with students and faculty, respectively) and a survey of students from first to fifth year; and Phase 3: Triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data.ResultsThirteen strongly interconnected categories were identified. Four of them played an organizational role: course planning, coordination, communication, and pedagogical coherence. The remaining nine categories were learning outcomes, teaching methodology, online resources, evaluation, time management, workload, student motivation, participation, and teacher-student relationship. Among the key aspects of learning were those that promoted rapport between faculty and students, such as synchronous sessions, especially those based on clinical cases.ConclusionsPromoting student motivation and participation at all levels were the main lessons learned for enhancing online learning and teaching experiences in undergraduate medical education. Key elements to reach this goal are, among others, planning, coordination, communication, and pedagogical coherence.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01518-9.

Global versus local: A regional core embryology syllabus for medical students.

"Core syllabus" in this work refers to knowledge topics that an instructor should necessarily and indispensably address during a discipline. This study describes the process of developing a regional human embryology core syllabus for undergraduate medical courses in Brazil, using a two-round modified Delphi method as a tool for reaching consensus. A list of 679 human embryology topics was generated based on three textbooks. The Delphi panel consisted of specialists (n=51) with at least 2 years' medical experience in activities related to the contents of embryology or health sciences professionals with at least 5 years' experience in undergraduate medical education of embryology and other cognate disciplines. The panel rated the relevance of each topic on a Likert scale. Following consensus analysis, a list of 69 "core" topics was obtained. Then, in a second Delphi round, the panel was asked to "accept," "accept with modifications," or "reject" the new list. The research team performed a final revision/screening process and generated a core human embryology syllabus comprised of 63 topics. Comparing this regional syllabus with two international core syllabuses also built Delphi panels, 60.3% of the topics overlap with both syllabuses, and 39.7% of its content is unique. This study can be a valuable tool for decision-making in the embryology curriculum for health courses and reinforces the importance of local evaluation of international curricula of human embryology before implementing them, since the incidences of congenital anomalies vary in different regions of the world.

Strategies for Introductory Health Literacy Education Using Fundamental, Case-based, and Simulated Learning Experiences in Undergraduate Health Education

ABSTRACT This feature article describes strategies for designing and facilitating an introductory health literacy education mini unit using a compendium of fundamental, case-based, and simulated learning experiences in undergraduate health education. It explores issues of definition, complimentary fields, associative pedagogy and established measures, before considering contextualized and scaffolded, and skill-building approaches, and their direct translation to health education practice. The guiding perspective acknowledges health literacy as an asset and critical outcome of health education; its transferrable skills continuously enhanced in changing contexts. Conceptual and experiential health literacy education interventions are both grounded in Constructivist learning theory and informed by salient instructional planning models. Pedagogical guidance for their facilitation is provided, with particular emphasis placed on encouraging newly developed and meaningful learning informed by students’ prior experiences and knowledge. Featured collaborative and learner-centered instructional activities include live and virtual interactions, affording students practice using HL Universal Precautions to clearly communicate health information and confirm understanding of health messages. Collectively, the HL education unit was informed by emerging literature; National Health Education Standards; NACE Career Competencies; Health Literacy Clear Communication Recommended Practices; HESPA II 2020 Area VI competency, and sub-competencies. Lastly, extensive, practical applications align this HL education unit with health education practice.

Teaching Telemedicine in the COVID-19 Era: a National Survey of Internal Medicine Clerkship Directors.

BackgroundPrior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine (TM) experiences in undergraduate medical education were uncommon. When students’ clinical experiences were interrupted due to the pandemic, TM education provided opportunities for students to participate in clinical care while adhering to social distancing guidelines.ObjectiveTo assess the prevalence of TM experiences in the internal medicine (IM) core clerkship experience prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, during interruption in clinical clerkships, and following the return to in-person activities at US medical schools.DesignThe Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) survey is a national, annually recurring thematic survey of IM core clerkship directors. The 2020 survey focused on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a section about TM. The survey was fielded online from August through October 2020.ParticipantsA total of 137 core clinical medicine clerkship directors at Liaison Committee on Medical Education fully accredited US/US territory–based medical schools.Main MeasuresA 10-item thematic survey section assessing student participation in TM and assessment of TM-related competencies.Key ResultsThe response rate was 73.7% (101/137 medical schools). No respondents reported TM curricular experiences prior to the pandemic. During clinical interruption, 39.3% of respondents reported TM experiences in the IM clerkship, whereas 24.7% reported such experiences occurring at the time they completed the survey. A higher percentage of clerkships with an ambulatory component reported TM to be an important competency compared to those without an ambulatory component.ConclusionsThe extent to which TM was used in the IM clinical clerkship, and across clinical clerkships, increased substantially when medical students were removed from in-person clinical duties as a response to COVID-19. When students returned to in-person clinical duties, experiences in TM continued, suggesting the continued value of TM as part of the formal education of students during the medicine clerkship. Curricula and faculty development will be needed to support TM education.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11606-021-07061-4.

Academic and emotional effects of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic on engineering students.

The unprecedented situation of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the closure of universities worldwide and has forced the transition to online learning. This exceptional context compels us to understand students' experience with online learning. Previous literature identifies relevant factors that intervene in the online education experience and can affect students' academic development. One of the main concerns is the students' mental health, given the lockdown restrictions under which classes have been conducted. Furthermore, the impact of the prolonged lockdown and the pandemic fatigue on university students and their academic experience is still unclear. This study delves into engineering undergraduate students’ online education experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and its emotional impact across time. With this aim, a questionnaire was distributed to second, third, and fourth-year engineering undergraduate students at two time points, approximately six months apart. The results show significant differences in students' connection with other students and teachers, workspace conditions, and boredom between time points. Besides, the findings indicate significant correlations between academic development and quality of online classes, adaptation of the course, workspace conditions, and connection with other students and teachers, and also between students' emotions and connection with other students and teachers. Finally, the study identifies best practices carried out during online teaching that will be of value for future courses and engineering education beyond the pandemic situation, amongst which those related to effective communication with teachers stand out.

The experience of widening participation students in undergraduate medical education in the UK: A qualitative systematic review

Introduction: Most widening participation (WP) research is focused on medical school recruitment; there is a paucity of research examining whether the experience of medical school itself is an equal experience for both ‘traditional’ and WP students. Methods: This qualitative systematic review used the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) meta-aggregative approach to characterise the experience of undergraduate medical education in the UK from the perspective of WP students. Seven databases were searched, 27 studies were critically appraised, and 208 findings were grouped into 12 categories and four synthesised findings. Results: The majority of the research found relates to ethnic minority groups, with reports of other WP groups being less frequent. Whilst WP programmes attempt to alleviate disadvantages prior to entering university, our findings suggest that difficulties follow WP students into medical school. Unfamiliarity with higher education and lack of representation of WP staff in faculty can deter help-seeking behaviour and result in lack of trust. Furthermore, students from different backgrounds can find their identity conflicted upon entering medical school. Despite difficulties in establishing social networks with ‘traditional’ medical student peers, WP students form strong relationships with students from similar backgrounds. Conclusions: Ultimately, these students find that the uniqueness of their experience is a useful tool for communicating with diverse patients which they come across and are able to overcome adversity with the help of a supportive institution.

Capturing Peer Research Mentoring Experience in Undergraduate Education: A Qualitative Case Study

Capturing Peer Research Mentoring Experience in Undergraduate Education: A Qualitative Case Study

Time for practice: implications of undergraduate pianists’ choices of repertoire

AbstractThere is an on-going debate as to the skills needed for 21stcentury careers in classical music and how undergraduate students should learn them. Many graduate pianists report being under-prepared for the music profession, lacking sight-reading skills in particular. While research-evidenced pedagogy for improving sight-reading skills has been developed, little is known regarding what impact enhancing this skill could have on undergraduate educational experience. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of sight-reading training on undergraduate pianists’ choices of repertoire for practice. Two groups of 12 participants were recruited from three institutions in the UK and Australia. One group undertook the sight-reading training programme for 10 weeks. Both groups listed the solo, concerto, chamber and accompanying repertoire they practised. The mean lengths of time participants spent practising each kind of repertoire were calculated. There were significant effects of institution and therefore country on practice time but no effects of the sight-reading training. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that interventions should be designed to develop pianists’ practical skills, including sight-reading, and the long-term effects of such interventions on quality of deliberate practice, particularly on the types of repertoire that are likely to be most valuable for pianists in the early stages of their career, should be evaluated.

Experiences of Widening Participation students in undergraduate medical education in the United Kingdom: a qualitative systematic review protocol.

The objective of this review is to characterize the experiences of Widening Participation students in undergraduate medical education in the United Kingdom (UK). Most Widening Participation research in the UK is focused on medical school recruitment. Although this is important, there is a paucity of research examining whether the experience of medical school itself is an equal experience for both traditional and Widening Participation students. The aim of this review is to explore and to characterize the experiences of Widening Participation students within medical education during their studies in the UK. This review will include qualitative research conducted in the UK examining any aspect of the lived experience of undergraduate medical education according to Widening Participation students, including identity formation, learning experience in pre-clinical environments and clinical placements, and the relation to social, cultural, and financial capital. The study will consider articles found through searching the databases MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and ERIC, as well as gray literature. Studies published from 2000 onwards in the English language will be included. Studies will be assessed against the inclusion criteria at all stages by two independent reviewers. Eligible studies will be critically appraised for methodological quality. Regardless of methodological quality, all studies retrieved will be included in the review. The final synthesized findings will be graded according to the ConQual approach. Submitted and awaiting registration on PROSPERO (ID 167879).