Undergraduate Medical Curriculum Research Articles

Teaching students to mentor: Near-peer mentoring in undergraduate medical radiation science education

Mentoring is emphasised as a professional requirement by national bodies which administer the registration of new graduate medical radiation professionals. ‘Near-peer’ mentoring, where the mentor and mentee are similar in social or professional status, has the potential to develop necessary mentoring skills and attitudes in the undergraduate setting. This is in addition to the positive benefits experienced by the mentee, who is beginning to navigate the university environment. In this educational perspective, the concept and value of near-peer mentorship within undergraduate medical radiation curriculum is discussed. Based on the literature, recommendations and strategies are described for educators looking to implement near-peer mentoring programs within their universities or healthcare institutions.

Current Status of Immunology Education in U.S. Medical Schools

Immunology is an integral component of undergraduate medical education because of its critical role in many disease processes. Due to the complexity of the subject, the best practice of immunology education in the undergraduate medical curriculum has not been extensively discussed. This study intended to determine the current status of immunology education in U.S. medical schools with the hope of providing insight into curriculum design pertaining to this subject. Immunology curriculum information was collected from the curriculum Web pages of 199 U.S. medical schools, including multiple campuses. Data pertaining to the setting of immunology education such as subjects that are co-taught with immunology, timing of courses, credit hours, and integration level were recorded in Microsoft Excel for analysis. Of 199 U.S. medical schools studied, 174 posted curriculum information related to immunology online. For course settings, 59 (33.9%) offer immunology with microbiology, 42 (24.1%) offer immunology as part of a foundational sciences course, and 18 (10.3%) offer immunology as a stand-alone course. Ten programs (5.7%) have immunology fully integrated in system-based curriculum. Of 119 medical schools that provide information regarding timing, 94 (71.9%) provide immunology education in year 1 of the curriculum, 16 (9.2%) in year 2, and 9 (5.2%) in both years 1 and 2. Differences exist in allopathic versus osteopathic programs in the immunology curriculum setting. Credit hour data were not complete due to inconsistent availability. Our data suggest that immunology education in U.S. medical schools lacks consensus. Continued discussion on best practices of immunology education across U.S. medical schools is recommended.

Experiences of embedding gender and sexuality diversity workshops in an undergraduate medical imaging curriculum.

This commentary describes some of the reported challenges of health participation for the gender- and sexuality-diverse (GSD) population, particularly related to medical imaging practice. The approach and student feedback of an undergraduate education initiative to support students in the delivery of culturally competent care are described. The experiences of delivery over a three-year period are reported, including the 2020 online delivery due to COVID-19 precautions. Student feedback demonstrates positive outcomes from the workshops and activities.

The current status of interventional radiology in the undergraduate medical curriculum and the way forward.

Interventional radiology (IR) is underrepresented in undergraduate medical school curricula. Despite the introduction of a suggested undergraduate curriculum for IR by the British Society of Interventional Radiology (BSIR), current evidence suggests there is inadequate knowledge and awareness of IR amongst medical students. As a result of this, there is a lack of visibility of the subspeciality amongst medical students and junior doctors contributing to the shortage of IR trainees resulting in an IR workforce crisis in the UK. The uptake of the proposed undergraduate IR curriculum remains unclear, highlighting the need for a thorough audit and improvement of IR teaching in undergraduate medical education. In this commentary, we discuss the importance of including IR in the undergraduate curriculum, the evidence surrounding undergraduate IR education, the reasons for the potential lack of interest in IR from medical students and future steps to ensure optimal IR exposure in undergraduate medical school curricula.

A Critical Appraisal of the New Competency-Based Medical Undergraduate Curriculum in Biochemistry.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12291-022-01088-y.

Development of an assessment technique for basic science retention using the NBME subject exam data

IntroductionOne of the challenges in medical education is effectively assessing basic science knowledge retention. National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) clerkship subject exam performance is reflective of the basic science knowledge accrued during preclinical education. The aim of this study was to determine if students’ retention of basic science knowledge during the clerkship years can be analyzed using a cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA) of the NBME subject exam data.MethodsWe acquired a customized NBME item analysis report of our institution’s pediatric clerkship subject exams for the period of 2017–2020 and developed a question-by-content Q-matrix by identifying skills necessary to master content. As a pilot study, students’ content mastery in 12 major basic science content areas was analyzed using a CDA model called DINA (deterministic input, noisy “and” gate).ResultsThe results allowed us to identify strong and weak basic science content areas for students in the pediatric clerkship. For example: “Reproductive systems” and “Skin and subcutaneous tissue” showed a student mastery of 83.8 ± 2.2% and 60.7 ± 3.2%, respectively.ConclusionsOur pilot study demonstrates how this new technique can be applicable in quantitatively measuring students’ basic science knowledge retention during any clerkship. Combined data from all the clerkships will allow comparisons of specific content areas and identification of individual variations between different clerkships. In addition, the same technique can be used to analyze internal assessments thereby creating an opportunity for the longitudinal tracking of student performances. Detailed analyses like this can guide specific curricular changes and drive continuous quality improvement in the undergraduate medical school curriculum.

Teaching, Learning and Assessing Anatomy with Artificial Intelligence: The Road to a Better Future.

Anatomy is taught in the early years of an undergraduate medical curriculum. The subject is volatile and of voluminous content, given the complex nature of the human body. Students frequently face learning constraints in these fledgling years of medical education, often resulting in a spiraling dwindling academic performance. Hence, there have been continued efforts directed at developing new curricula and incorporating new methods of teaching, learning and assessment that are aimed at logical learning and long-term retention of anatomical knowledge, which is a mainstay of all medical practice. In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has gained in popularity. AI uses machine learning models to store, compute, analyze and even augment huge amounts of data to be retrieved when needed, while simultaneously the machine itself can be programmed for deep learning, improving its own efficiency through complex neural networks. There are numerous specific benefits to incorporating AI in education, which include in-depth learning, storage of large electronic data, teaching from remote locations, engagement of fewer personnel in teaching, quick feedback from responders, innovative assessment methods and user-friendly alternatives. AI has long been a part of medical diagnostics and treatment planning. Extensive literature is available on uses of AI in clinical settings, e.g., in Radiology, but to the best of our knowledge there is a paucity of published data on AI used for teaching, learning and assessment in anatomy. In the present review, we highlight recent novel and advanced AI techniques such as Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), or more complex Convoluted Neural Networks (CNN) and Bayesian U-Net, which are used for teaching anatomy. We also address the main advantages and limitations of the use of AI in medical education and lessons learnt from AI application during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the future, studies with AI in anatomy education could be advantageous for both students to develop professional expertise and for instructors to develop improved teaching methods for this vast and complex subject, especially with the increasing paucity of cadavers in many medical schools. We also suggest some novel examples of how AI could be incorporated to deliver augmented reality experiences, especially with reference to complex regions in the human body, such as neural pathways in the brain, complex developmental processes in the embryo or in complicated miniature regions such as the middle and inner ear. AI can change the face of assessment techniques and broaden their dimensions to suit individual learners.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Saudi Medical Students about Emergency Management of Traumatic Dental Injuries.

Several studies indicate that physicians lack emergency management knowledge concerning traumatic dental injuries (TDIs), emphasizing the fact that medical students are not taught about this topic. This study aimed to assess the basic knowledge and attitudes of medical students in Saudi Arabia about emergency TDI management. This cross-sectional study recruited a convenience sample of medical students in their clinical years through social networking sites and asked them to answer a pretested internationally accepted questionnaire that included demographic questions, two case scenarios about crown fractures and avulsion of permanent teeth, and self-assessment questions. The data were analyzed statistically using descriptive statistics and the chi-squared test (p < 0.05). A total of 761 medical students responded. Only 5.8% of the students reported receiving information about TDIs in their curriculum. Medical students, mainly those ready to graduate, were more knowledgeable of the emergency management of a crown fractured permanent tooth than an avulsed permanent tooth (p < 0.0001). However, more than half of the students were unable to differentiate between a primary versus permanent fractured tooth and would manage an avulsed primary or permanent tooth similarly. Regarding students' attitudes, less than one-quarter of the students (13.5%) were confident about diagnosing TDIs and/or providing emergency management when required (18.1%). Furthermore, only about one-tenth of the students (9.3%) were satisfied with their self-perceived knowledge, and most (71%) reported needing further education about the topic. Medical students in Saudi Arabia have insufficient knowledge about the emergency management of TDIs. Gaps in students' knowledge of emergency management of avulsion injury were identified in addition to their low confidence level to either diagnose or immediately treat TDIs if required. Students felt dissatisfied with their current knowledge level, this being most prominent among graduating students. There is a need to elaborate the undergraduate medical curriculum in Saudi Arabia to include emergency management of TDIs.

Effectiveness of healthcare ethics training in the undergraduate medical curriculum: A quasi-experimental study from rural India.

Conventional medical education does not provide adequate training to undergraduates to resolve healthcare-related ethical dilemmas. This quasi-experimental study using a pre-post design was conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices in healthcare ethics (HCE) and evaluate the effectiveness of the introduction of HCE in ethical behaviour among medical undergraduates at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Sevagram, India. All the participants thought that knowledge of HCE is important. There was an improvement in the knowledge of HCE after the intervention, as both weighted mean and percentage consensus improved. In Phase I, absolute learning gain, relative learning gain, and normalised gain "g" were significantly higher after the intervention. In Phase II, the intervention showed low and moderate effectiveness in improvements in the affective and psychomotor domain, and in the ability to handle ethical issues, respectively; but no significant improvement in communication skills. During the feedback session, it was seen that a majority of the participants thought that it is the need of the hour to introduce skill-based HCE into their curriculum from the first year. It can be concluded that it is possible to improve knowledge, and affective, psychomotor ability to handle ethical issues among undergraduate medical students with formal training.

Building the Nigerian Palliative Care Workforce: An Interdisciplinary Distance Learning Training Program.

Education and capacity building in palliative care are greatly needed in Nigeria. Currently, two institutions integrate palliative care into the undergraduate medical curriculum and no post graduate training exists. A team from the University of Lagos in Nigeria and Northwestern University in the US collaborated to design, implement, and evaluate a 12-hour virtual palliative care training program for Nigerian health professionals. This study investigated the impact of the first session of the training program on healthcare professionals' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and confidence in palliative care. The Education in Palliative and End-of-Life (EPEC) curriculum and the Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA) curriculum were used as foundations for the program and adapted for the Nigerian context. Delivered online, the training focused on goals of palliative care, whole patient assessment, communication skills, pain management, psychosocial issues, palliative care in COVID, oncology, and HIV. A mixed-methods evaluation based on Kirkpatrick's evaluation framework was used and data were gathered from surveys and focus groups. Thirty-five health professionals completed the training. The training had a positive impact on knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Confidence in providing end-of-life care increased from 27.3% to 92.9% while confidence in prescribing medication to relieve symptoms at the end of life increased from 42.9% to 92.0%. Performance on multiple-choice knowledge tests increased by 10% (p < 0.01). All participants stated that they would recommend the program to a peer while 96.4% reported the program was relevant to the Nigerian context. Qualitative analysis suggested that the training would help participants provide more holistic care for patients, communicate better, and change how they interacted with families. Topics to be addressed in future training were identified. This virtual training can be an important element in palliative care capacity building in Nigeria and represents a model for global health collaboration.

Challenges in the Teaching-Learning Process of the Newly Implemented Module on Bioethics in the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum in India.

The National Medical Commission of India introduced the Competency Based Curriculum in Medical Education for undergraduate medical students in 2019 with a new module named Attitude, Ethics and Communication (AETCOM) across the country. There was a consensus for teaching medical ethics in an integrated way, suggesting dedicated hours in each phase of undergraduate training. The AETCOM module was prepared and circulated as a guide to acquire necessary competency in attitudinal, ethical and communication domains. This study was aimed to explore the perceptions of students and medical teachers and identify the challenges in teaching and learning process of the newly implemented AETCOM module. It was a mixed method designed study with structured questionnaires for students and teachers at various medical schools in India. Based on the quantitative data, in-depth interviews with medical teachers were undertaken. Challenges were perceived by both students and teachers. The students had a mixed perception, facing difficulties in passive learning with scarce resource materials. Challenges identified by teachers were a lack of knowledge and skills required for teaching bioethics, the logistics of managing large numbers of students in the stipulated time frame, interdisciplinary integration—both horizontal and vertical, and assessment program in terms competency-based education. The study draws the attention of all stakeholders for a revision and efforts for further improvement in the teaching and assessment process, and setting a standard model in medical education in India.

Engaging the next generation of physician-informaticians through early exposure to the field: successes and challenges associated with starting a novel clinical informatics interest group.

Clinical informatics remains underappreciated among medical students in part due to a lack of integration into undergraduate medical education (UME). New developments in the study and practice of medicine are traditionally introduced via formal integration into undergraduate medical curricula. While this path has certain advantages, curricular changes are slow and may fail to showcase the breadth of clinical informatics activities. Less formal and more flexible approaches can circumvent these drawbacks. Interest groups (IGs), which are organized through the Association of American Medical College Careers in Medicine (CiM) program, exemplify the informal approach. CiM IGs are student-led groups that provide exposure to different specialty options, acting as an adjunct to the traditional medical curriculum. While the primary purpose of these groups is to assist students applying to residency programs, we took a novel approach of using an IG to increase student exposure to an area of medicine that had not yet been formally integrated at our institution. IGs provide unique advantages to formal integration into a curriculum as they can be more easily setup and can quickly respond to student interests. Furthermore, IGs can act synergistically with UME, acting as proving grounds for ideas that can lead to new courses. We believe that the lessons and takeaways from our experience can act as a guide for those interested in starting similar organizations at their own schools.

Cultural competence education for undergraduate medical students: An ethnographic study

The COVID-19 pandemic and the escalation of the Black Lives Matter Movement worldwide have foregrounded the long-standing inequality in society and healthcare. The provision of culturally competent care has become more necessary than at any other time. However, cultural competence (CC) education remains inconsistent across medical schools, and little is known about how students develop their CC through campus-based classroom teaching. We took an ethnographic approach to study students’ development of CC in campus-based formal classroom teaching. This study was conducted in a large London medical school in England. We triangulated data collected from 6-month participant observation, 25 individual interviews, and three focus groups to generate reliable accounts of students’ CC developmental experience. Thick descriptions were developed through iterative, inductive, interactive, and reflexive review and interpretation of data using NVivo 11. The results show that students undergo staged cultural learning throughout their undergraduate medical curriculum through bespoke CC lectures, workshops, clinical/research projects, and integrated clinical simulations that incorporate CC and other clinical subjects. The early learning mainly takes place in the pre-clinical year of the curriculum, among which a range of valued-based sessions is observed as conducive to students’ development of CC. As they progress, students develop their CC by attending clinical sessions with embedded cultural content. The curriculum in senior years presents reduced mandatory teaching, but more clinical exposure and opportunities to reach out to other subjects and disciplines. It means students start to have more diverse and dispersed learning experiences based on their individual choices, some of which may contribute to their development of CC. This study provides a rare insight into medical students’ CC development through participation in campus-based classroom teaching. Various learning opportunities contribute to different aspects of CC development and cater to different learning preferences of the diverse student population. To support students’ comprehensive development of CC, educators need to work collaboratively and use overt signposting to related disciplines and subjects. There needs to be recognition of students’ learning not only in the formal curriculum but also in the informal and hidden curricula.

2022 Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics (APHMG) consensus-based update of the core competencies for undergraduate medical education in genetics and genomics.

The field of genetics and genomics continues to expand at an unprecedented pace. As scientific knowledge is translated to clinical practice, genomic information is routinely being used in preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic decision-making across a variety of clinical practice areas. As adoption of genomic medicine further evolves, health professionals will be required to stay abreast of new genetic discoveries and technologies and implementation of these advances within their scope of practice will be indicated. The Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics previously developed medical school genetics core competencies, last updated in 2013. The competencies were reviewed and updated through a structured approach incorporating a modified Delphi method. The updated Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics core competencies are presented. Current revisions include competencies that are concise, specific, and assessable. In addition, they incorporate recent advances in clinical practice and promote equity and inclusion in clinical care. The 2022 competencies will serve as a guide for medical school leadership and educators involved in curriculum development, implementation, and assessment. Use of these competencies across the undergraduate medical curricula will foster knowledge, skills, and behaviors required in medical practice across a wide range of specialties.

Critical appraisal skills training to undergraduate medical students: A Randomized Control Study.

Introduction: Critical appraisal skills are presumed to perform a principal part in evidence-based health education and practice methods. This study aimed to design an educational intervention around critical appraisal in this context, evaluate the efficacy of the teaching methods, and investigate critical appraisal skills training to undergraduate medical students.Methods: In this prospective Randomized Control Trial (RCT), 256 sixth-year undergraduate medical students from Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran, participated. 124 of the students were not taught critical thinking methods as a control group, and 132 participants were taught critical thinking methods by multi-media and attended an online Critical Appraisal Skills (CAS) training workshop as an intervention group. We used the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) questionnaire to evaluate students' knowledge, attitude, confidence, and appraisal skills. This questionnaire was translated into Persian for the first time in Iran by Shokooh Varai, et al. They investigated its validity and reliability, the reliability of the questionnaire being obtained by the Richardson Index (0.75), and the validity being confirmed by some faculty members of Tehran Nursing and Midwifery School. To compare both control and intervention groups, we used an independent t-test and a Chi-Square test at a significance level of 5%, and to analyze the demographic information, we applied some descriptive statistics: frequency, frequency percentage, mean and standard deviation. All of the statistical approaches were analyzed, using SPSS 22.Results: In all dimensions of the critical appraisal skills, medical students who completed the critical appraisal multi-media training and workshop performed better than those who did not (control group), and this difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Moreover, the Chi-Square test results showed no statistical relationship between the groups regarding the demographic variables (p>0.05). Also, the Cohen's D effect size values in the knowledge and confidence dimensions were greater than 0.5; this meant a large effect. Regarding the attitude and appraises Skill dimensions, the effect size was between 0.2 and 0.5, which meant a medium effect.Conclusions: Teaching critical appraisal skills through multi-media and CAS online workshops to medical students effectively improves the students' knowledge and confidence in appraising articles. This teaching also indicated a medium effect on students' attitudes and behavior. Our findings can justify implementing critical appraisal skills teaching modules in the undergraduate medical education curriculum.

Implementation and Evaluation of Competency-based Medical Education in Phase I of Undergraduate Medical Curriculum.

Introduction: Adaptation to the “Competency-based Medical Education” (CBME) is a major challenge faced by medical colleges all over India. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the mechanisms adopted in the process of implementation of CBME in Phase I at our institution.Methods: In this qualitative study, 12 faculty members including professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and tutors from preclinical departments of the first professional year participated as the study participants. Focus Group Discussion were conducted with the participants regarding the strategies adopted and the challenges faced in implementation of CBME. Gap analysis was done based on the guidelines from CBME modules. In depth interview was conducted with the heads of the pre-clinical departments to propose appropriate action plans. The interviews were audio-recorded and thematic analysis of the transcripts was done.Results: The crucial areas identified were the implementation of early clinical exposure, AETCOM, integrated, and skill modules during the COVID pandemic. The faculty expressed lack of clarity in designing the sessions for “Self-Directed Learning”. Tapering the content relevant to basic sciences was a major challenge faced in the integrated sessions. The faculty members requested sensitization to different student centric instructional methods for small group teaching and guidelines for valid assessment strategies.Conclusions: Acquisition of competencies is enhanced by appropriate instructional methods and effective assessment strategies. Frequent and constant hands-on training on the CBME modules through “Faculty Development Programs” plays a crucial role in the successful implementation of CBME.

Assessing the Effectiveness of the Integrated OSPE in Undergraduate Medical Curriculum, Students’ Perception

Introduction: Integrated OSPE is a multi-disciplinary practical exam where many disciplines are included. Each station is written as a case scenario after that the students are requested to perform a specific practical task and answer a specific question related to the case. Thereafter there is integration between cognitive and psychomotor skills. In addition to that also integrated OSPE is aligned also with the vertical integration as in the same exam, the student will be assessed on knowledge and skills of basic and clinical sciences. The current study assesses the effectiveness of the integrated OSPE from students’ perception in addition to psychometric analysis for the integrated OSPE satisfaction questionnaire was performed to ensure the trustworthiness of the data. Aim of the Study: To assess the second-and third-year medical students’ perception of integrated OSPE. Material and Methods: A descriptive study, cross-sectional study is utilized where a factor analysis of the inter-correlations of responses to 23 items reflecting the assessment of students’ perception towards Integrated OSPE for a sample of 293 medical students was carried out. The study was conducted at Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences, Jeddah, KSA. Instrument: 23 items self-administrated questionnaire was distributed to secondand third-year medical students. Results: Most of the students were satisfied with the integrated OSPE. The results revealed that the 23 items of the I-OSPE satisfaction survey resulted in four factors. Conclusion: Integrated OSPE is vital to be implemented and assessed especially in an integrated curriculum as the teaching strategies need to be aligned with the assessment methods. The current study shows high students satisfaction rate for the I-OSPE.

The assessment of personal and professional identity development in an undergraduate medical curriculum: A scoping review protocol.

Background: Over recent years there has been significant interest in the field of medical education in understanding how medical students develop their personal and professional identity as they transition through medical school and into their early career. Despite the growing amount of research that focuses on the best methods of incorporating this area into medical school curricula, there has been less focus on how to assess this construct and how it might be associated with student progression. Therefore, a scoping review is being undertaken to identify the various methods or tools currently being implemented to assess the development of personal and professional identity, including the concepts of professionalism, leadership and resilience, in medical education and outline an optimal assessment framework. Methods: The proposed scoping review of the literature will be conducted under the guidance of the methodology of the Joanna Briggs Institute for scoping reviews across multiple electronic databases. Electronic database, reference list, and citation searching from the year 2000 will be undertaken. Peer reviewed publications involving assessment methods for personal and/or professional identity formation, professionalism, leadership, and resilience being utilised with direct-entry or graduate-entry medical students will be selected. The search strategy will remain dynamic and may be further delineated as necessary during the review process. All studies that meet this study’s inclusion criteria will undergo thematic analysis. The overall findings of this analysis will be presented in a narrative format. Conclusion: In this scoping review protocol, the current methods and tools for assessment of personal and/or professional identity formation, professionalism, leadership, and resilience will be identified and synthesised into a proposed assessment framework. The hope is that this framework will then serve as an aid to support the assessment of this multi-dimensional, complex construct.

Graduate perception on the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum

Introduction: Graduate perception is supreme in assessing the effectiveness of the Undergraduate medical curriculum. The curriculum of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo consists of the Basic Sciences Stream, Applied Sciences Stream, Community Medicine Stream, Behavioral Sciences Stream and the Clinical Sciences Stream. Quality assessment and improvement programs similar to this study are undertaken routinely to ensure optimum teaching. Objective: To assess the perception of recent graduates regarding the overall MBBS curriculum, outcome of the programme and career goals, administration, services provided, infrastructure and opportunities. Methodology: The study population consisted of 198 graduates with a response rate of 66.1%. A routinely used self-administered questionnaire was used. Results: Majority of participants had a positive impression regarding the overall MBBS programme (96.2%). Overall agreement regarding the academic curriculum was that the learning outcomes, teaching activities and examinations matched appropriately in all streams. While it was suggested to focus more on clinically relevant subjects throughout. The final year professorial clerkships were identified as stressful by a considerable proportion of graduates, but it was highly dependent on the discipline. However the ability to manage emergencies and the satisfaction with the programme were rated as positive overall. Majority was satisfied with the examination procedure although a proportion of students have also agreed that they had been treated unfairly by the examiners. Conclusions: Graduate’s perception is that it is optimum if more clinically relevant theory is taught in integration with the clinical appointments. Measures need to be taken to reduce stress and increase time available for self-studying specially during the professorial appointments.

Engaging community organizations for undergraduate medical education curriculum renewal.

As part of its social accountability mission, the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine invited community service learning (CSL) partner organizations to a guided, virtual conversation on April 12, 2021 to contribute to the future strategic directions for our curriculum. Representatives of 15 organizations participated and provided insights into how they perceive CSL students, the Faculty of Medicine, and the process of assessment. This workshop forged stronger bonds between the university and these community organizations and led to recommendations for their greater involvement going forward, an approach that could be considered by other Faculties of Medicine.