Future Of Medical Education Research Articles

Exploring the breadth of medicine: 8-year outcomes of a brief clinical summer immersion for premedical students

BackgroundExposure to the breadth of healthcare opportunities is crucial to high-school and college students considering a career in medicine. Most programs revolve around research or subspecialties, limiting exposure to the richness within medicine.ObjectiveWe conducted a program evaluation of the Stanford Clinical Summer Internship (CSI) 2-week program, to understand learner viewpoints around CSI program utility, and to assess long term impact. We assess viewpoints by learner level (high school versus college) and participation mode (in-person versus virtual).MethodsIn 2016 we launched a two-week premedical internship, incorporating AAMC core competencies. In 2022 and 2023, we surveyed past participants, collecting demographic data and evaluating/comparing CSI’s impact on educational and career paths, future preferences in healthcare careers, and influential factors of matriculation for high-school and college participants.ResultsOf 411 past participants, 42% responded (n = 173). We found minimal significant differences between high school and college students. The primary reason for joining was exploring a career in health professions. Notably, 82% acknowledged Stanford-CSI broadened their medical perspectives, 79% gained clarity on healthcare professionals' daily life, 79% heightened their interest in healthcare careers, 71% enhanced their resumes, and 72% learned valuable clinical skills. In-person participants reported developing more friendships (agree/strongly agree: 60% vs 35%, unpaired t-test: p = 0.01), while virtual participants reported having more interest in research careers (40% vs 68%, p = 0.01). Amongst high school matriculants (n = 133), 46% are now in college and 4% in medical or nursing school. Amongst collegiate matriculants (n = 40), 89% have graduated and 11% are now in graduate or medical school. All respondents believed Stanford-CSI was a worthwhile investment of time and resources, with nearly all reporting subsequent increased interest in medicine.ConclusionsStanford-CSI's summer internship gives premedical students real-world medical profession exposure and fosters meaningful connections. Our findings and teaching framework can guide similar program developments, supporting future medical education initiatives.

Flexner's legacy and the future of medical education: Embracing challenge and opportunity.

This editorial comments on the article by Alzerwi. We focus on the development course, present challenges, and future perspectives of medical education. Modern medical education is gradually undergoing significant and profound changes worldwide. The emergence of new ideas, methodologies, and techniques has created opportunities for medical education developments and brought new concerns and challenges, ultimately promoting virtuous progress in medical education reform. The sustainable development of medical education needs joint efforts and support from governments, medical colleges, hospitals, researchers, administrators, and educators.

Game Evolution Research on the Choice of Training Strategies between Clinical Departments and Doctors under the Background of Hospital-Provided Training

Objective: This study aims to explore the dynamic game process of training participation strategies among hospitals, clinical departments, and newly recruited doctors, as well as the impact of hospital intervention on this process. By applying game evolution theory, a comprehensive model is constructed to analyze the decision-making logic of training participation and propose new training strategies to promote the professional growth of newly recruited doctors and improve hospital service quality. Methods: The stability of dynamic game equilibrium points was analyzed by constructing Jacobian matrices, considering nine different game scenarios with and without hospital intervention. An empirical study from a hospital was introduced to verify the theoretical model's predictions. Results: The study found that without hospital intervention, clinical departments and newly recruited doctors tend to choose not to participate in training. After hospital intervention, through the provision of resources and incentives, the participation and effectiveness of training significantly improved. Conclusion: The study reveals the crucial role of hospital intervention in promoting the participation of newly recruited doctors in training and proposes a training strategy that combines theory and practice. This strategy not only helps new doctors quickly adapt to the hospital environment but also improves the quality of medical services, providing talent support for the hospital's continuous development. It offers theory-based decision support for hospital managers and provides new ideas for the improvement of future medical education and practice.

Naloxone Coprescribing and the Prevention of Opioid Overdoses: Quasi-Experimental Metacognitive Assessment of a Novel Education Initiative.

Critical evaluation of naloxone coprescription academic detailing programs has been positive, but little research has focused on how participant thinking changes during academic detailing. The dual purposes of this study were to (1) present a metacognitive evaluation of a naloxone coprescription academic detailing intervention and (2) describe the application of a metacognitive evaluation for future medical education interventions. Data were obtained from a pre-post knowledge assessment of a web-based, self-paced intervention designed to increase knowledge of clinical and organizational best practices for the coprescription of naloxone. To assess metacognition, items were designed with confidence-weighted true-false scoring. Multiple metacognitive scores were calculated: 3 content knowledge scores and 5 confidence-weighted true-false scores. Statistical analysis examined whether there were significant differences in scores before and after intervention. Analysis of overall content knowledge showed significant improvement at posttest. There was a significant positive increase in absolute accuracy of participant confidence judgments, confidence in correct probability, and confidence in incorrect probability (all P values were <.05). Overall, results suggest an improvement in content knowledge scores after intervention and, metacognitively, suggest that individuals were more confident in their answer choices, regardless of correctness. Implications include the potential application of metacognitive evaluations to assess nuances in learner performance during academic detailing interventions and as a feedback mechanism to reinforce learning and guide curricular design.

Safety management within the scope of teaching practical clinical skills: framing errors for cardiopulmonary resuscitation training – a multi-arm randomized controlled equivalence trial

Introduction Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is among the most important skills in clinical practice. Errors can happen here, just like everywhere, and potentially have severe consequences. Two common error handling strategies known from practice are Error Management (EM) and Error Avoidance (EA). However, its effects on medical performance outcomes remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the role of error framing in basic life support (BLS) training for future healthcare professionals. Materials and Methods In an equivalence trial (N = 430), first-year medical, dentistry, physiotherapy, and midwifery students underwent BLS training. In the three study arms, participants received either (1) instructions framing errors positively (EM), (2) instructions framing errors to be avoided (EA), or (3) no further instructions (Control). CPR performance was assessed using a resuscitation manikin measuring compression depth (CD) and compression rate (CR). The self-confidence ratings were assessed using a questionnaire. Equivalence margins for the outcome parameters and sample size calculations were based on previous standard BLS studies, using two-sided 95% confidence intervals to determine significance of equivalence. Results The results regarding CD revealed equivalence with a trend toward superiority of EM over EA (proportional difference 23.3%-points; 95% CI 11.4%–34.2%) and EM over control (proportional difference 23.4%-points; 95% CI 11.5%–34.2%.) and significant equivalence of EA and control (proportional difference 0.1%-points; 95% CI −11.6%–11.7%). Significant equivalence was determined for all study arms with respect to CR and self-confidence. Conclusion Our study revealed that EM was not detrimental to learners’ CPR performance. Given existing research on long-term beneficial effects of EM on patient safety, coupled with the proven equivalence of EM and EA concerning short-term performance, we argue that EM is a promising approach for future medical education purposes. Raising awareness of error framing and teaching error-handling strategies is expected to benefit ongoing safety management efforts in medical education and beyond.

Explaining the Current Status of General Medicine Curriculum from the Perspective of Cancer Education Based on SWOT Analysis

Introduction: Given the rapid advancements in the field of medicine, it is essential to review current status of curricula both quantitatively and qualitatively. The present study aims to determine the current status of general medical curriculum with a focus on cancer-related topics and education based on Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT)analysis. Methods: This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted during the academic year 2022-2023 at Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. The study population consisted of 12 experts specialized in higher education, medical education, basic sciences, preclinical education, general medicine internships, oncology, and medical education experts, whom were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through document reviews and expert panel discussions, and were analyzed using SWOT analysis. Results: The results indicated that the existence of a national curriculum was identified as a strength, while the absence of an independent syllabus for cancer education was recognized as a weakness. In terms of opportunities, the implementation of transformation and innovation programs in medical education and the possibility of localizing curricula by universities were positively evaluated. However, student dissatisfaction with the quality of clinical cancer education and the theoretical and practical knowledge deficiencies of graduates in this area were identified as threats. Conclusion: To enhance the effectiveness and foster innovation in policy-making, cancer education, and clinical care, and to prepare future professionals, academic specialists and medical education authorities must leverage evidence-based strategies and academic experiences to purposefully integrate interdisciplinary collaboration in teaching cancer-related educational content into the general medical curriculum.

Determinants of polydoctoring among multimorbid older adults; a cross-sectional study in an urban area of Japan.

Multimorbidity increases with age, leading to various adverse outcomes, including higher mortality, care dependency, hospitalizations, and healthcare costs. Polydoctoring, managing a patient with multimorbidity by multiple healthcare providers, can be a risk of fragmented care and increased healthcare expenditures. This study aims to identify patient-related factors contributing to polydoctoring in older adults with multimorbidity. This study is a cross-sectional study using baseline data from the Kawasaki Aging and Wellbeing Project. Participants were residents of Kawasaki City aged 85-89 years, without disability in basic activities of daily living, and being able to visit study site. The regularly visited facilities (RVF) index was employed to quantify polydoctoring. Polydoctoring was defined as having two or more RVFs. Poisson regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between polydoctoring and patient demographics, including types of chronic conditions and socioeconomic factors. A total of, 968 participants with multimorbidity were analyzed. Increased RVF was significantly associated with eye diseases (rate ratio [RR] 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-1.44), osteoporosis (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.08-1.38), prostate diseases (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07-1.40), and osteoarthritis (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05-1.27). No significant correlation was found with educational status or financial hardship. The study indicated that certain chronic conditions are linked to increased polydoctoring among multimorbid older adults in Japan. However, most of those conditions are considered to be within a scope of family medicine/general practice. Training general practitioners to manage these conditions could reduce healthcare costs and the treatment burden, indicating a direction for future healthcare policy and medical education.

Results of a Needs Assessment for a DEI Workshop for GME Program Coordinators.

Competency in diversity, equity, and inclusion skills is critical for graduate medical education program coordinators. Coordinators contribute to high-level personnel and program management while also providing informal social support to residents. However, little has been reported about program coordinator learning needs, interest, and self-reported skills and attitudes regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in graduate medical education. This study sought to describe the characteristics, job tasks, attitudes, and learning needs of program coordinators attending a professional development session about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Participants registered for a September 2022 program coordinator professional development workshop on diversity, equity, inclusion, and bias were invited to complete an electronic needs assessment prior to the workshop. Items were based on expert opinion and literature review. We performed descriptive and comparative analysis. The response rate was 54% (106/198); 90% (94/104) of respondents identified as female; 42% (44/104) identified as an underrepresented minority. Fifty-seven percent (63/104) received mandatory training on bias while 13% (14/104) were previously trained on bias at a conference specific to the role of a coordinator. Eighty-nine percent (86/104) of coordinators reported having contact with applicants during recruiting; 67% (63/104) offer informal resident evaluations. Most participants agreed it is the coordinator's professional responsibility to confront colleagues who display signs of discrimination toward women (66%; 62/104) or based on cultural/ethnic identity (65%; 61/104). Program coordinators report visible and impactful roles in the residency leadership and management team. Few coordinators have received diversity, equity, and inclusion training related to their complex work in graduate medical education. Future graduate medical education diversity, equity, inclusion, and bias competency programs should specifically include program coordinators.

Exploring challenges, innovations, and technological integration in medical education after COVID-19 pandemic: An In-depth analysis

Background: The sudden shift to remote learning, prompted by global health restrictions, compelled educators to devise innovative pedagogical strategies that transcend traditional boundaries. This transition underscored the pivotal role of technology in bridging gaps and enhancing learning experiences. As a result, technology ceased to be a mere supplement and instead became an essential conduit for effective medical education delivery. Methods: A systematic review was performed by searching relevant studies until June 2023 using the PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases. The sudden shift to remote learning, prompted by global health restrictions, compelled educators to devise innovative pedagogical strategies that transcend traditional boundaries. This transition underscored the pivotal role of technology in bridging gaps and enhancing learning experiences. As a result, technology ceased to be a mere supplement and instead became an essential conduit for effective medical education delivery. Results: The systematic review of the literature found 47 studies that satisfied the inclusion criteria, addressing different facets of technology’s influence on medical education during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period. The analysis reveals a dynamic landscape where challenges catalyzed advancements. Educational institutions swiftly adapted to the new normal by embracing technology-driven solutions. Virtual patient interactions, augmented reality modules, and AI-driven personalized learning emerged as effective tools. These innovations not only addressed immediate challenges but also laid the groundwork for a more flexible and inclusive medical education ecosystem. Conclusions: The challenges experienced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly influenced the transformation of medical education in the post-pandemic era. By analyzing challenges and proposing innovative solutions, the crucial significance of technology is underscored, emphasizing the necessity for a comprehensive and adaptable approach to shape the trajectory of future medical education. J MEDICINE 2024; 25: 166-172

Career adaptability and career coping styles among Chinese medicine specialty students during the COVID-19: The mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy

Over the past decade, the attrition rate of Chinese medical graduates has remained high, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this situation. Medicine specialty students are the main force of the future healthcare industry. The career choices and career confidence of those entering the healthcare industry will have a huge influence on the quality of future healthcare provision. Considering the possible emergence of public health emergencies such as COVID-19 in the future, helping students develop good career adaptability will contribute to their future career development. However, the relationship between career adaptability, career coping styles and career decision-making self-efficacy remains unclear during the COVID-19. This study aims to examine the interconnections amongst career coping styles, career adaptability and career decision-making self-efficacy among Chinese medicine specialty students and the mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy. Questionnaire survey was conducted on 747 medicine specialty students from China. The results showed that positive coping style has a significant positive correlation with career decision-making self-efficacy, career adaptability, and their sub-dimensions. There was a partial mediating effect of career decision self-efficacy between the predictor variable positive coping style and the outcome variable career adaptability. By promoting the level of positive coping style or career decision-making self-efficacy among medicine specialty students, the career adaptability can be directly or indirectly enhanced. This survey will help to guide future medical education decisions during a similar pandemic to prevent further loss of healthcare professionals in the medical service.

Application of the “Plan-Do-Check-Action” plan in improving the pass rate of the “National Medical Licensing Examination”

BackgroundThe National Medical Licensing Examination (NMLE) is the only objective, standardized metric to evaluate whether a medical student possessing the professional knowledge and skills necessary to work as a physician. However, the overall pass rate of NMLE in our hospital in 2021 was much lower than that of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, which was required to be further improved.MethodsTo find the reasons for the unsatisfactory performance in 2021, the quality improvement team (QIT) organized regular face-to-face meetings for in-depth discussion and questionnaire, and analyzed the data by “Plato analysis” and “Brainstorming method”. After finding out the reasons, the “Plan-Do-Check-Action” (PDCA) cycle was continued to identify and solve problems, which included the formulation and implementation of specific training plans by creating the “Gantt charts”, the check of effects, and continuous improvements from 2021 to 2022. Detailed information about the performance of students in 2021 and 2022, and the attendance, assessment, evaluation and suggestions from our hospital were provided by the relevant departments, and the pass rate-associated data was collected online.ResultsAfter the PDCA plan, the pass rate of NMLE in our hospital increased by 10.89% from 80.15% in 2021 to 91.04% in 2022 (P = 0.0109), with the pass rate of skill examination from 95.59% in 2021 to 99.25% in 2022 (P = 0.0581) and theoretical examination from 84.5% in 2021 to 93.13% in 2022 (P = 0.027). Additionally, the mean scores of all examinees increased with the theoretical examination score increasing from 377.0 ± 98.76 in 2021 to 407.6 ± 71.94 in 2022 (P = 0.004).ConclusionsOur results showed a success application of the PDCA plan in our hospital which improved the pass rate of the NMLE in 2022, and the PDCA plan may provide a practical framework for future medical education and further improve the pass rate of NMLE in the next year.

Embarking on the era in new medicine: reshaping the systems of medical education and knowledge

Abstract Recent revolutions in science and technology have driven human civilisation to an unprecedented level and have promoted the rapid development of modern medicine. New Medicine (NM) is proposed in response to the recent technological revolution and higher requirements for health. The characteristics of NM have been summarised using systems, holistic, intelligent, and precision (SHIP) paradigms. The development of NM has led to substantial changes in healthcare systems and related human resources. However, information regarding how current medical talent cultivation goals adapt to the developments in the era of NM remains unclear. Such adaptations may require a systemic revamping of the current medical education. Recently, medical educators have proposed the construction of New Medical Education (NME), but no unified consensus on its connotation and roadmap exists. Systematically understanding the core essence of NM and identifying the matched strategies of NME are crucial and will benefit future reform strategies that attempt to tackle potential challenges and achieve sustainable goals for medical services. Here, we aim to summarise the changes that have emerged in the field of medicine, how these changes affect the development of medicine, and how the field should prepare for the future medical education.

The future of medical education in the shadow of Chatbots

The Article Abstract is not available

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

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

Simulation Based Teaching and Learning in Clinical Education

Medical education is undergoing significant changes each day in different corners of the world. Calls from different stakeholders for a change in the instructional methods have resulted in innovative medical curriculum. The new curriculum stresses the importance of proficiency in several clinical skills by medical students rather than mere acquisition of knowledge. Teaching and training using simulation technique is very powerful. It provides valuable opportunities to learn and practice the key competencies in medical education, such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership as well as management skills such as physical examination, diagnostic and surgical procedures. Pedagogical innovations like simulation-based teaching needs to be brought to the forefront in clinical education in our country. Simulation programs may function well from a technical point of view, but they are often difficult to fit into a curriculum, especially in low-resource settings, where money and technical-know-how are the main limitations. Medical educators have been pushed inevitably to rely on such technology-based learning looking at the future of medical education. However, they should not only embrace it but also develop and evaluate its sustainability and application in preclinical and clinical settings. If well-designed, learning how to operate a simulation program generally requires little effort for them and their students. A short introduction by the teacher is often sufficient to enable the student to work with the program. Bang. J Neurosurgery 2023; 13(1): 24-28

The utility of soft-preservation in Medical Education: Current trends &amp; future directions

The future of Medical Education (ME) must be evaluated in light of the increasing variety and availability of educational models and embalming techniques for student and physician education and training. To evaluate the viability and sustainability of the different learning models, research and data on the diverse teaching modalities will be assessed from the perspectives of training residents and physicians. A literature review was conducted to provide an overview of the diversity of soft-preservation techniques presently available. It was shown that ME is optimized using soft-preservation techniques, but that many are limited in their present ability to accurately reflect the live human anatomy, and that more research must be done to identify the optimal preservation technique given unique educational needs. The aggregation of current research study results will aid educational programs in identifying the modalities of training most appropriate for their curriculum, and help in identifying models that can be utilized long-term to improve ME.

How do we teach generative artificial intelligence to medical educators? Pilot of a faculty development workshop using ChatGPT

Purpose Artificial intelligence (AI) is already impacting the practice of medicine and it is therefore important for future healthcare professionals and medical educators to gain experience with the benefits, limitations, and applications of this technology. The purpose of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a faculty development workshop on generative AI using ChatGPT, to familiarise participants with AI. Materials and methods A brief workshop introducing faculty to generative AI and its applications in medical education was developed for preclinical clinical skills preceptors at our institution. During the workshop, faculty were given prompts to enter into ChatGPT that were relevant to their teaching activities, including generating differential diagnoses and providing feedback on student notes. Participant feedback was collected using an anonymous survey. Results 27/36 participants completed the survey. Prior to the workshop, 15% of participants indicated having used ChatGPT, and approximately half were familiar with AI applications in medical education. Interest in using the tool increased from 43% to 65% following the workshop, yet participants expressed concerns regarding accuracy and privacy with use of ChatGPT. Conclusion This brief workshop serves as a model for faculty development in AI applications in medical education. The workshop increased interest in using ChatGPT for educational purposes, and was well received.

Integrating training in evidence-based medicine and shared decision-making: a qualitative study of junior doctors and consultants.

In the past, evidence-based medicine (EBM) and shared decision-making (SDM) have been taught separately in health sciences and medical education. However, recognition is increasing of the importance of EBM training that includes SDM, whereby practitioners incorporate all steps of EBM, including person-centered decision-making using SDM. However, there are few empirical investigations into the benefits of training that integrates EBM and SDM (EBM-SDM) for junior doctors, and their influencing factors. This study aimed to explore how integrated EBM-SDM training can influence junior doctors' attitudes to and practice of EBM and SDM;to identify the barriers and facilitators associated with junior doctors' EBM-SDM learning and practice; andto examine how supervising consultants' attitudes and authority impact on junior doctors' opportunities for EBM-SDM learning and practice. We developed and ran a series of EBM-SDM courses for junior doctors within a private healthcare setting with protected time for educational activities. Using an emergent qualitative design, we first conducted pre- and post-course semi-structured interviews with 12 junior doctors and thematically analysed the influence of an EBM-SDM course on their attitudes and practice of both EBM and SDM, and the barriers and facilitators to the integrated learning and practice of EBM and SDM. Based on the responses of junior doctors, we then conducted interviews with ten of their supervising consultants and used a second thematic analysis to understand the influence of consultants on junior doctors' EBM-SDM learning and practice. Junior doctors appreciated EBM-SDM training that involved patient participation. After the training course, they intended to improve their skills in person-centered decision-making including SDM. However, junior doctors identified medical hierarchy, time factors, and lack of prior training as barriers to the learning and practice of EBM-SDM, whilst the private healthcare setting with protected learning time and supportive consultants were considered facilitators. Consultants had mixed attitudes towards EBM and SDM and varied perceptions of the role of junior doctors in either practice, both of which influenced the practice of junior doctors. These findings suggested that future medical education and research should include training that integrates EBM and SDM that acknowledges the complex environment in which this training must be put into practice, and considers strategies to overcome barriers to the implementation of EBM-SDM learning in practice.

“Pap smear horror stories, self loathing, feeling like I was less of a woman”: A qualitative content analysis of an online vaginismus forum

Objective: To understand what concerns and experiences people with vaginismus share online anonymously but may not share with clinicians. Methods: Two researchers compiled all comments and posts made from November 2019 to April 2020 within an online vaginismus forum ( n = 311) for content analysis. Two researchers separately performed inductive coding, categorized quotes into overarching categories and codes, and resolved inconsistencies with a third-party adjudicator. Results: Our analysis highlighted three key categories: “psychosocial concerns” (34%), “discussion of pain” (33%), and “lack of access to vulvovaginal healthcare” (34%). The category “psychosocial concerns” comprised of the codes “shame and/or social isolation” (12%), “mental health comorbidities” (9%), “fear of partner separation” (7%), “cultural/religious stigma” (2%), “partner separation” (2%), and “fear of infertility or vaginal delivery” (1%). The category “discussion of pain” comprised of the codes “successful therapies” (16%), “sexual pain” (9%), “nonsexual pain” (6%), and “unsuccessful therapies” (2%). The category “lack of access to vulvovaginal healthcare” comprised of the codes “lack of standardized therapy guidelines” (8%), “self diagnosis” (7%), “fertility testing and/or treatments limited by vaginismus” (5%), “clinicians dismissing symptoms” (4%), “inadequate clinician knowledge about vaginismus” (2%), “inadequate health and sex education in schools” (2%), “geographical barriers” (2%), and “COVID-19” (2%). Conclusion: This novel qualitative study of an online vaginismus forum highlights the need for a patient-centered approach to inform future research, medical education, and clinical practice. Our findings suggest we reevaluate the standard of care for patients with vaginismus and expand on existing knowledge of the impact of sexual health stigma on social and health outcomes.

Growing Medical Educators from Medical Students by Supporting Self-directing Learning Opportunities Born Out of Cadaveric Dissection

AbstractThis study focuses on a subset of medical students who participated in an anatomy dissection program and undertook an additional self-directed learning (SDL) project investigating incidental findings of cadaveric pathology. The value of SDL activity is explored as a means of enhancing medical student education, particularly its student perceived value in preparing and developing them as future medical educators. It was assessed whether the project advanced student interest in medical education by analyzing their motivations for participation. The results of the study highlight the potential of SDL as an experiential learning opportunity for medical students and the role of anatomic pathology in connecting multiple domains of medical education.