Medical Education Conference Research Articles

Out-BREAK!: An IDWeek 2023 Escape Room to Break Out of the Educational Mold.

An escape room is a cooperative game that has been adapted into medical education and major academic conferences. We describe the design, development, and implementation of an educational ID-themed escape room activity entitled "Out-BREAK!" at an international conference, IDWeek 2023. An anonymous survey was conducted to collect demographic data, assess participant satisfaction with the escape room puzzles, and gauge participant interest in game-based learning. Thirty escape room sessions were held over 3 days and included 201 participants. Escape room survey respondents (n = 132) were younger and more likely to be trainees compared with in-person IDWeek attendants. Among 131 responses, all respondents enjoyed the experience and would recommend the escape room activity to friends. Survey respondents enjoyed the puzzle solving (93%), medical content (92%), and team building (79%) components. Only 35% of the respondents had ever previously participated in game-based learning; 95% thought the escape room was a valuable teaching method. Among the 72 survey respondents involved in medical education, almost all (90%) said they were interested in incorporating escape rooms into medical education. The Out-BREAK! escape room at IDWeek 2023 was successfully implemented and well received. Despite only a third of participants having prior experience with game-based learning, almost all respondents perceived the escape room to be an effective teaching method.

Developing and delivering a migraine disparities and diagnosis undergraduate medical educational program to underrepresented in medicine medical student members of the Student National Medical Association: A pilot project.

Migraine is underdiagnosed. On average, medical students have approximately 3 h of exposure to headache education throughout medical school training. Moreover, some medical students have racially-based biases in pain. There is a paucity of underrepresented in medicine (UIM) headache practitioners. UIM practitioners are more likely to practice in underserved communities and provider-patient ethnic concordance may help eliminate healthcare disparities. The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is an organization committed to supporting current and future UIM medical students and addressing the needs of underserved communities. The goal of this project was to develop and deliver a brief Migraine Diagnosis and Disparities Undergraduate Medical Education Program (MD2UMEP) to increase awareness of migraine diagnosis and disparities in UIM medical students in the SNMA. For connecting/relationship-building with SNMA, the SNMA Region V website was reviewed. Calls were made to Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM) Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) explaining the educational initiative with subsequent emails to the Director of WSUSOM's ODEI followed by a video-conference meeting (VCM). VCMs were conducted with two SNMA member leaders from WSUSOM. A local and regional presentation/delivery of the MD2UMEP was planned. Communication was maintained electronically. For development/delivery of the MD2UMEP, headache literature was reviewed for key concepts underpinning migraine diagnosis and migraine disparities with a focus on African Americans. Slides with talking points were developed with references. Pre- and posttest questions were drafted and made accessible via a QR code. The MD2UMEP was presented and students completed the questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify responses. The MD2UMEP work began July 31, 2021, with program delivered in final form on October 1, 2022. A professional relationship was established with SNMA leadership. A MD2UMEP was developed then administered at the 2022 SNMA Region V Medical Education Conference. Headache medicine was introduced to UIM SNMA medical students. Anonymously, nine individuals responded to the MD2UMEP pretest questions. Eight individuals answered the posttest questions. At the program's conclusion, UIM student performance improved on seven of 10 test questions on migraine diagnosis and disparities and remained at 100% on one of 10 test questions. On two of the questions, the number correct remained the same (although percentage overall increased due to the smaller denominator). There was a higher proportion of correct responses on the posttest. There is great need for migraine diagnosis and disparities education among medical students. A new migraine diagnosis and disparities program was developed for medical students. SNMA members were receptive to the MD2UMEP and it strengthened their knowledge of migraine diagnosis and disparities. This program exposed UIM medical students to headache medicine.

Balancing acts: Navigating the landscape of medical education conferences.

Balancing acts: Navigating the landscape of medical education conferences.

Exploring 40 years of Korean medical education conference themes.

The Korean Society of Medical Education (KSME) was founded in 1983 and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023. This study examines the evolution of topics discussed at KSME conferences from 1971 through 2023, highlighting shifts in the focus of medical education. We analyzed 90 KSME conferences over 5 decades (1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s), categorizing the topics into three eras based on emerging themes and continuity. Consequently, 37 topics covered at the conference were categorized. Ten topics continuously appeared from the 1970s to the 2010s, including future directions of medical education, teaching methods, faculty development, and curriculum. The topics from the 1970s to the 1990s included 14 areas, such as medical education evaluation, non-undergraduate curriculum, community-related, and research. Thirteen new topics emerged after the 2000s, such as social accountability, student support, professionalism, and quality improvements. The most common topics under innovations in medical education, a case of curriculum innovation at universities that began after 2000, were clinical clerkship, curriculum development, and medical humanities. KSME's selection of conference topics has been strategically aligned with societal needs and the evolving landscape of medical education. Future topics should continue to address relevant societal and educational challenges.

5th Developing Excellence in Medical Education Conference, Education in the wider context - the patient, the team and the global community, Monday 4 - Tuesday 5 December 2023, Manchester Central, Hybrid conference.

5th Developing Excellence in Medical Education Conference, Education in the wider context - the patient, the team and the global community, Monday 4 - Tuesday 5 December 2023, Manchester Central, Hybrid conference.

Measuring continuing medical education conference impact and attendee experience: a scoping review.

The aim was to comprehensively identify published research evaluating continuing medical education conferences, to search for validated tools and perform a content analysis to identify the relevant domains for conference evaluation. We used scoping review methodology and searched MEDLINE® for relevant English or French literature published between 2008 and 2022 (last search June 3, 2022). Original research (including randomized controlled trials, non-randomized studies, cohort, mixed-methods, qualitative studies, and editorial pieces) where investigators described impact, experience, or motivations related to conference attendance were eligible. Citations were assessed in triplicate, and data extracted in duplicate. Eighty-three studies were included, 69 (83%) of which were surveys or interview based, with the majority conducted at the end of or following conference conclusion. Of the 74 tools identified, only one was validated and was narrowly focused on a specific conference component. A total of 620 items were extracted and categorized into 4 a priori suggested domains (engagement-networking, education-learning, impact, scholarship), and an additional 4 identified through content analysis (value-satisfaction, logistics, equity-diversity-inclusivity, career influences). Time trends were evident, including the absence of items related to equity-diversity-inclusivity prior to 2019, and a focus on logistics, particularly technology and virtual conferences, since 2020. This study identified 8 major domains relevant for continuing medical education conference evaluation. This work is of immediate value to individuals and organizations seeking to either design or evaluate a conference and represents a critical step in the development of a standardized tool for conference evaluation.

Learning in healthcare virtual communities of practice; let’s rethink how we connect and grow

Being both a healthcare worker and a healthcare educator can sometimes be a lonely endeavour and opportunities to improve our craft may not be accessible. Medical education courses and conferences abound, often at high price points and in locations a long way from home. Healthcare virtual communities of practice (HvCoP) offer readily accessible information, connection and community, and opportunities for growth on our most ubiquitous accessory – our phone. How can we as a thoughtful, concerned, healthcare community improve accessibility and provide sustainability for our friends and colleagues to the latest literature, most recent practices, evidence-informed materials and provide a truly supportive and evolving environment where we all feel safe to share and connect? This essay started as a first-person reflection of one clinician’s journey (BS), including the highlights, and challenges in developing and sustaining HvCoPs and was then guided and edited by the second author (KW’s) reflections, who has co-facilitated several HvCoPs abroad. Within this essay, BS’ original, personal reflections are signalled in italics, whereas standard text indicates the joint reflections of both authors.

Pediatric standardized residency training faculty’s perceptions of medical education research: a questionnaire survey

Background Rigorous medical education research (MER) conducted by faculty in pediatric standardized residency training (SRT) can contribute to the promotion of child health care. This study aimed to assess the perceptions of pediatric SRT faculty regarding MER in Guangdong Province, China. Methods In August 2022, an anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted during a medical education conference in Guangzhou, Guangdong. A total of 40 pediatric SRT clinical teachers from 10 teaching hospitals in Guangdong Province attended the pediatric session of the medical education conference and completed the questionnaire during the conference. The questionnaire covered various topics related to MER conducted in SRT, the challenges they encountered in MER, and their perceptions of grants on MER. Results Among the 40 teachers, 16 (40.00%) stated that they did not participate in any MER activities. The main challenges they encountered in conducting MER were the lack of training (72.50%), limited time (80.00%), and lack of grants funding (60.00%). Only 10 (25.00%) teachers were reported to have received grants for MER projects. Conclusions The findings highlight the importance of providing support and training to pediatric SRT faculty in Guangdong Province, China, to enhance their engagement in MER. Addressing these challenges can lead to significant improvements in child health care promotion through evidence-based educational practices.

ABSTRACTS FROM INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE (IMEC) 2023

ABSTRACTS FROM INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE (IMEC) 2023

Creating opportunities to engage with prospective historically marginalized trainees with clinical simulation

BackgroundRecruiting a diverse group of medical students, house officers, and faculty in medicine is challenging—particularly for predominantly white, midwest institutions that may not be racially or ethnically diverse. PurposeTo evaluate a novel clinical simulation program, SiMfest, for recruiting house officers from historically marginalized populations to our institution to demonstrate our leadership's commitment to high-quality education and recruitment of these students to enhance diversity in academic medicine. MethodsThe Office for Health Equity and Inclusion, institutional leadership, and clinical department chairs developed a novel and engaging series of clinical simulations, SiMfest, to engage the pipeline of historically marginalized trainees and demonstrate our leadership's commitment to high-quality education. SiMfest is a two-hour simulation session presented annually (2017–2019) by our institution at the Student National Medical Association Annual Medical Education Conference. ResultsOver 800 students participated in SiMfest sessions over three years. Of the 461 participants who completed a survey after participation, 301 identified as female, and 382 indicated a racial category considered as historically marginalized in medicine—91% of whom identified as African American or Black. Thirty percent (n = 125) of respondents identified as pre-medical (e.g., undergraduate, post-baccalaureate) students and 69% (n = 289) identified as current medical students. Over 80% of students would recommend SiMfest to others. Additionally, 73% (n = 87) of pre-medical and 54% (n = 143) of medical students reported exposure to a previously unknown specialty. Thirty-three department representatives reported their SiMfest experience revealed new information about historically marginalized applicants that they may not have engaged with through the traditional application process but would be more likely to engage with in future diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. ConclusionSiMfest harnessed our institution's high-quality training, personnel resources, and diversity, equity, and inclusion values to bring historically marginalized students in medicine and department leadership together to learn about one another and offer experiential learning. SiMfest may serve as a model for other institutions to draw on their strengths to develop innovative recruitment programs that promote the education and engagement of undergraduate and medical students from historically marginalized populations while simultaneously promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion culture change.

Use of digital technology to give and receive feedback in clinical training: a scoping review protocol

BackgroundFeedback is vital to improving trainee competencies in medical education. The challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic related to social distancing to curb the spread of the virus ignited a rapid transition to online medical education. These changes highlight the need for digital feedback tools that enhance the efficacy and efficiency of feedback practices. This protocol is for a scoping review that aims to identify the different digital tools and applications in medical education as reported in the literature, as well as highlight gaps in the current literature and provide suggestions for future technological developments and research.Methods and analysisA review of the relevant literature will be guided using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological framework for scoping studies. Using the search strategy developed by the authors, an electronic search of the following databases will be conducted: PubMed/MEDLINE, EBSCOhost (academic search complete, CINAHL with full text) Scopus, Google Scholar, Union Catalogue of Theses and Dissertations (UCTD) via SABINET Online and World Cat Dissertations and Theses via OCLC. Studies will be identified by searching literature from January 2010 to date of review. Using a validated data extraction form developed for the scoping review, the review team will screen eligible studies and import them onto an electronic library created specifically for this purpose. Data collection for the review will be documented through a PRISMA-P flowchart, and the scoping review will use a basic descriptive content analysis to analyse and categorise the extracted data. All review steps will involve two or more reviewers.DisseminationThe review will provide a comprehensive list of digital tools and applications used to enhance feedback in clinical training and inform future technological developments. The findings will be disseminated through medical education conferences and publications.

Programmatic approaches to achieving equity for women in anesthesiology.

Programmatic approaches to achieving equity for women in anesthesiology.

Reflections From Underrepresented in Medicine Applicants on the 2020 Virtual Interview Season.

Reflections From Underrepresented in Medicine Applicants on the 2020 Virtual Interview Season.

Research on NTP Nonlinear Reflection Attack Identification Based on AHP Multidimensional Matrix in Global COVID-19 Environment

Under the influence of the global epidemic, various businesses have moved online one after another. With the rise of emerging industries such as online medical treatment, online education, and online conference, the proportion of attacks in the network service industry has increased year by year. UDP-FLOOD is still the primary scenario of DDoS attacks. Among them, with a large number of attack resources and most of them are high configuration servers, NTP (Network Time Protocol) reflection has become the most common UDP reflection attack method, accounting for 59% of the overall distribution. Therefore, establishing an efficient NTP attack detection system is a very important content to prevent network malicious attacks. At present, NTP-attacking based defensed methods mainly include IP filtering, hop mapping, and response packet detection, but they all have obvious weaknesses. Among them, the IP detection scheme can only detect historical attack IP, the implementation of hop mapping scheme is complex, and the resource overhead of response packet detection scheme is too large. Therefore, this paper proposes a nonlinear detection algorithm based on AHP multidimensional matrix quad information entropy. Through simulation experiments, the change of quad information entropy of attack intensity from 10% to 100% is counted. The detection rate based on the traditional target IP and target port algorithm is only 50% and 60%, which is significantly lower than this algorithm. Experiments show that the detection rate of this algorithm is higher.

Developing an evaluation framework for assessing the impact of recovery colleges: protocol for a participatory stakeholder engagement process and cocreated scoping review

IntroductionRecovery colleges (RCs) are mental health centres aimed at equipping people with skills to live a meaningful life despite the presence of mental distress. Unique to them is the aspect...

Can We Ensure That Workshops Are Effective in Their Goal? Impact of a National Education Workshop on Participants' Subsequent Scholarship.

Medical education conferences offer practical workshops to facilitate physicians’ lifelong learning. Little is known about integration of workshop material after conferences. We sought to evaluate the application of workshop content focused on scholarly publication preparation. We developed an email survey to examine participants’ progress preparing a publication in 2019, administered 4, 9, and 15 months post-conference. The survey included scaled items and open-ended questions. Thirty-three participants attended the workshop. Participants continued to develop their projects, but noted time, adequate evaluations, and no writing partners as barriers. Following up with workshop participants offers insights into effective application of workshop content.

Abstract PO-053: South Carolina Cancer Disparities Research Center's (SC CADRE) culturally-sensitive, state-of-the-art treatment to eliminate cancer disparities conference

Abstract BACKGROUND: The South Carolina Cancer Disparities Research Center (SC CADRE) U54 conducted the Culturally-Sensitive, State-of-the-Art Treatment to Eliminate Cancer Disparities Conference in February of 2021. This virtual live webinar was a cancer-disparities-focused Continuing Medical Education (CME) Conference, held for health professionals and community stakeholders to improve the quality of cancer care in South Carolina and to bridge the gap in health care. PURPOSE: The course objective included identifying and/or implementing new cancer treatments to decrease cancer disparities rates in South Carolina, pertaining to rural cancer screening, advanced glycation end products (AGES), breast cancer, and prostate cancer. This conference was designated as a virtual live webinar; therefore, the format included lectures and question-and-answer segments. This conference also served as an enduring activity; therefore, this program was recorded and made available on the South Carolina Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Learning Platform for additional health professionals to attain CME credits. The Medical University of South Carolina designated this live and enduring activity for a maximum of 3.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. METHOD: The CME co-course director moderated the virtual conference in WebEx. The first presentation addressed the rural cancer disparities in the United States and in South Carolina. The second presentation addressed AGES, lifestyle, and disease. The third presentation addressed breast cancer incidence in the United States and in South Carolina. The fourth presentation addressed prostate cancer screening and treatment considerations. Conference participants placed their questions in the chat box for presenters to address. Conference participants were sent a program evaluation electronically, and it resulted in a 72% response rate. RESULTS: Fifty-three health care professionals participated in the conference. Seventy-seven percent of the conference attendees were women. The course/conference participants consisted of the following: medical physicians (7.5%), health administrators (13%), registered nurses (16%), nurse practitioners (5%), social workers (16%), retiree (1%), other health care providers (13%), public health providers (11%), Ph.D. Researcher (3%), clinical lab scientists (1%), student (1%), pediatrician (1%), health education specialists (1%), and physician assistants (1%). CONCLUSIONS: At completion of this course, health care professionals and community stakeholders are able to increase the awareness of the social determinants of health in relation to rural cancer disparities, define AGES, learn how AGES can damage the body, what to do to combat AGES, and interventions. In addition, course/conference participants would learn about existing disparities in breast cancer screening, and treatment and how minorities are affected by breast cancer. In conclusion, conference participants would learn about prostate cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment. Citation Format: Latecia M. Abraham-Hilaire, Gayenell Magwood, David P Turner, Andrea Abbott, Stephen J. Savage, Judith Salley, Marvella E. Ford. South Carolina Cancer Disparities Research Center's (SC CADRE) culturally-sensitive, state-of-the-art treatment to eliminate cancer disparities conference [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-053.

Learner Preferences and Perceptions of Virtual Hand Surgery Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

PurposeIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many postgraduate medical education lectures and conferences have been moved to a virtual platform. Questions remain regarding the effectiveness of virtual education, what types of educational offerings can be transitioned to a virtual format, and what types of curricula should still take place in person.MethodsThis study surveyed trainees from the United States who participated in a single institution’s hand surgery virtual flipped classroom curriculum of 6 week-long modules. Demographics, premodule and postmodule achieved levels of learning based on Bloom’s taxonomy, technology usage, and preferences were surveyed.ResultsOf the 65 participants, 41 (63.1%) responded to the survey. Trainees included hand surgery fellows (27/41 [65.9%]), orthopedic surgery residents (11/41[26.8%]), and plastic surgery residents (3/41 [7.3%]). On average, most trainees read, viewed, and participated in more than half of the articles (28/41 [68.3%]), electronic videos (31/41 [75.6%]), and conferences (35/41 [85.4%]) per week. The median level of achieved learning increased from “I can apply” to “I can analyze” for all modules. Self-directed learning was preferred for basic facts and knowledge (26/41 [63.4%]) and faculty-directed learning was preferred to review and practice advanced concepts (34/41 [82.9%]). The participants perceived benefits of the virtual curriculum to include increased scheduling flexibility (8/41[19.5%]), expert opinions (7/41 [17.1%]), and diversity of educational formats (3/41 [7.3%]). The perceived drawbacks included decreased interaction (8/41 [19.5%]), technical difficulties (6/41 [14.6%]), excessive detail (3/41 [7.3%]), and single-institution bias (2/41 [4.9%]).ConclusionsThe flipped virtual classroom model is an effective and preferred method of instruction for trainees. Trainees achieved a higher level of learning following the completion of each week-long module. Considerations for the implementation of a virtual curriculum include content quality, quantity, and reducing single-institution bias.Clinical relevanceThe implementation of virtual learning can enhance hand surgery education for the modern learner.

Twelve tips for using ePosters as an active learning strategy

ePosters (electronic Posters), a modification of traditional paper-based posters have gained popularity in medical education conferences since 2011. ePoster in educational settings differs from the traditional poster in that it allows the ePoster creator to focus on the learning process rather than reporting scientific outcomes. However, there is limited literature comparing ePosters to traditional paper-based posters and their impact on the student learning experience. ePosters as an assessment tool are well suited for online learning. This article presents twelve tips for using ePosters as an active learning strategy in classrooms and describes how to incorporate ePosters as a formative and summative assessment tool in health professions education, at all levels.

Change processes to transform health professions education: A medical education conference organized by the Educational Innovation Institute of the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University and hosted on Twitter.

BackgroundWithin the steady stream of innovations and reforms to medical education curriculum lies the commonality of change management. Change management is a complex, multifactorial construct that can either ensure the success or prevent the adoption of an innovation. Furthermore, change management is a process rather than an event. As such, it is critical to integrate longitudinal, systematic evaluation and organizational support into the implementation strategy for any innovation.PurposeThe purpose of this innovation was to support the implementation of a curriculum redesign at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG). This rigorous study used a validated framework, the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), to measure the change management process. The purpose of this study was to both document and disseminate benchmarks and developments for other medical colleges embarking on curriculum reform, but, more importantly, to use the data collected during the study to support and refine the change management process at MCG.ResultsTwo years of data have been collected in each of the diagnostic dimensions, and the results have been reported to stakeholders at MCG. As a result, changes have been made to the implementation process.