Perceptions Of Medical Students Research Articles

Challenging the deficit discourse in medical schools through reverse mentoring—using discourse analysis to explore staff perceptions of under-represented medical students

IntroductionDespite the increasing diversity of UK medical students, students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, some minority groups and members of communities with protected identities remain under-represented in medicine. In trying to ascertain...

Involvement of medical students in research. Facilitators and constraints

Scientific research is fundamental to the education of medical students. However, their involvement in research is limited. To describe the perceptions of medical students about facilitators and constraints to perform undergraduate research. Medical students attending the Chilean Congress of Medical Students in the Metropolitan Region in 2018, were surveyed. The responses obtained were subjected to a qualitative content analysis and were grouped according to perceptions of facilitators and constraints. The main facilitators reported were linkage with research teachers, personal motivation towards research, and research-oriented curriculum. The main constraints were lack of time for research, lack of access to formal information channels to engage in research, and sub-optimal conditions for research. The main factor promoting research at the undergraduate level was the link with the teacher, mainly through informal channels. The lack of official information provided through formal instances and lack of time hampers the access to research.

Perception of Medical Undergraduate Students about an Electronic Practical Examination In Orthopaedics During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background/purpose of studyNo study has evaluated the perception of medical undergraduate students to the electronic objective structured practical examination (e-OSPE) in orthopaedics. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the feasibility and perception of the medical undergraduate students to e-OSPE conducted by the department of Orthopaedics to assess problem-solving and clinical decision-making skills of medical undergraduate students.MethodsMedical undergraduate students of second and third year at our medical college who completed the orthopaedic clinical posting and appeared for the orthopaedic practical examination during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic were included in this prospective observational study. Students appearing for the exams from 20th March 2021 to 26th June 2021 were invited to complete the questionnaire immediately after the e-OSPE. Internal consistency of the survey questions was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha.Results272 out of 312 eligible students completed the survey and the survey response rate was 87.2%. Nine groups of medical undergraduate students gave the orthopaedic practical exams from 20th March 2021 to 26th June 2021. 91.2% students felt that the e-OSPE represented a valid modality of evaluation of essential orthopaedic practical knowledge during the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall reliability of the 19 questions included in our survey was very high (Internal consistency: Cronbach’s alpha = 0.88).ConclusionThe e-OSPE was well received by the medical undergraduate students at our institute and the students had a positive perception about the new examination technique used in orthopaedics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A comparative study on perceptions of medical students from the different curriculum on team-based learning

Objectives: Our medical school followed the traditional curriculum earlier, and due to a large amount of content embedded in each discipline, which had less scope for active and deep learning. To overcome this, we adopted an integrated curriculum and introduced a few active teaching/learning (T/L) methodologies, which promote deep learning and problem-solving skills. One such T/L methodology we introduced was team-based learning (TBL). Before implementing this active T/L methodology in the integrated curriculum, we evaluated the effectiveness of TBL in medical students from the traditional curriculum and aimed to determine students’ perceptions. Furthermore, we aimed to explore the perception of TBL in students who underwent integrated curriculum to evaluate the difference in their perception compared to the traditional curriculum. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in RAK Medical and Health Sciences University on the 1st year medical students from the traditional and integrated curriculum. Institutional ethical committee clearance and informed consent were obtained before starting the study. A pre-validated 5-item survey questionnaire comprising questions related to the content, process, and teamwork was used to obtain perceptions of students’ on TBL. Results: The students positively perceived the teaching-learning experience using TBL and understood the concepts better. Even the students with integrated curriculum had the same positive impact on their learning attitudes. The majority of students in both cohorts agreed that discussion among their teams helped them to learn better. Around two-thirds (66%) of students from the traditional curriculum and one-third (39%) of students from integrated curriculum wanted TBLs as T/L methodology over didactic lectures. Conclusion: TBL helped to learn better and understand the subject and promoted self and peer engagement, which facilitated their learning by clarifying the doubts with peers. Due to this positive TBL experience, most students from both curriculums recommended its use as a T/L method over lecture. Hence, TBL sessions in medical schools can be used as an effective T/L method to facilitate meaningful learning.

Perceptions of undergraduate medical students towards online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic-experiences from a medical college in Delhi

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has caused upheaval in all aspects of our lives and education system has also faced disruptions. Medical teaching is of paramount importance as it is preparing future doctors for such emergencies. Though online teaching by the institutions and faculties has continued but it is also equally important to know the learners’ perspective, i.e.., the undergraduate medical students who have to cope-up with the change in teaching practices. To assess the perceptions of medical students regarding online learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. To understand the problems and apprehensions faced by these students.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students of a medical college in Delhi. To ensure reliable results, a sample size of 50% was decided with equal representation from students studying in different professional years of MBBS. Results: Although medical students had used online learning earlier but it was not very preferable. Students faced challenges both due to unsatisfactory learning atmosphere at home and also technological issues associated with online learning. Students are also worried about lengthening of duration of the course and inadequate clinical exposure.Conclusions: Medical education system has to be prepared for blended learning by use of resources to overcome challenges associated with technological problems so as to facilitate learning of the students.

The Utility of Online Information Sessions for Medical Student Recruitment in Plastic Surgery: A New Paradigm Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased barriers for medical students seeking to engage with plastic surgery. Traditional approaches such as pursuing clinical electives broadly are no longer feasible and medical students are seeking innovative approaches for engagement. The current study evaluated the efficacy of online information sessions on medical student perception and proposed a timeline for longitudinal medical student recruitment. Methods: The McGill Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery residency program held an online information session for medical students focusing on a wide array of topics related to plastic surgery and residency. Following the session, an anonymous survey was sent to participants gauging their satisfaction with the event and potential effects it had on career planning. Results: Thirty-four participants completed the survey, comprising more than 60% of annual applicants to Canadian plastic surgery programs. 94% of participants stated that their view of McGill's training program improved and reported a desire for additional sessions from other training programs. 68% of respondents reported being more likely to consider training at McGill and 100% agreed that such sessions could influence their decision to pursue a given training program. Social media was the most common resource used by participants to gain information on training programs. Conclusion: Online information sessions are valuable tools for medical student recruitment and can directly influence their views of a specific training program and affect career planning. Investing in generating high quality content through online forms of communication is paramount as most medical students are turning to these platforms amidst the pandemic.

Risk Perception Measurement and Influencing Factors of COVID-19 in Medical College Students.

Purpose: In China, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been under control and entered the normal prevention and control stage. For medical college students, many studies have analyzed their knowledge, risk perception, and prevention behaviors of COVID-19, but only a few pieces of research explore the content structure of COVID-19 risk perception and the influencing factors. This study measured the students' risk perception of COVID-19 and its dimensions and analyzed the influencing factors of risk perception among them.Methods: The online questionnaire survey was conducted at Hangzhou Medical College in Zhejiang Province among undergraduates and junior college students. A scale was formulated to precisely measure and analyze the COVID-19 risk perception among medical college students. The factors affecting the COVID-19 risk perception in medical college students were analyzed using the multivariate linear regression model.Results: A total of 810 medical students participated in the survey. Results show that COVID-19 risk perception among medical college students was divided into four dimensions: perceived health threat, perceived severity, perceived controllability, and perceived infection possibility. The results showed that income, education, major, and COVID-19 knowledge were the important factors affecting the COVID-19 risk perception of medical college students. Related factors have different influences on the various dimensions of COVID-19 risk perception. COVID-19 knowledge was significantly related to all dimensions of risk perception.Conclusion: This study evaluates the content structure of medical college students' risk perception of COVID-19 precisely and related influencing factors. It is necessary to grasp the risk perception, prevention, and control behaviors of medical college students of different backgrounds, education levels, and majors. Further knowledge training should be conducted for students majoring in clinical medicine, especially the pandemic prevention and control measure training to enhance their sense of security at work.

Pimping: Valuable Teaching Tool or Mistreatment? Perceptions of Medical Students and Faculty Differ.

ImportanceThe AAMC Graduate Questionnaire has drawn attention to medical student mistreatment. Pimping, a form of Socratic teaching often used in medical education where students are singled out by faculty for questioning, may be considered by some students and faculty as mistreatment. To date, minimal research has been performed on the viewpoints of students and faculty regarding pimping and its relation to mistreatment. ObjectiveThis study aims to formally define pimping and determine if there is a difference in the perception of students and faculty on its role in medical education.Design: Medical students and faculty of Michigan medical schools were surveyed via electronic questionnaire. Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests were performed.SettingMedical schools within the state of Michigan ParticipantsStudents who had completed their core clerkships and faculty with experience educating medical students in a clinical setting ResultsThe student response rate was 42%; the faculty response rate could not be determined. The majority of students agreed with our operational definition of pimping and 100% had experienced pimping. 54% of students reported a positive experience with pimping, 26% neutral, and 20% reported a negative experience. The majority of students reported it was challenging and educational and should be used regularly. Several differences were found between students and faculty as to why faculty use pimping. Students’ perception of their role on the clinical care team influenced their perception of pimping as mistreatment, and students reported pimping made them feel more a part of the team.Conclusion and relevanceThis study helps to define pimping and sheds more light on the perceptions of pimping from students and faculty and their differences. Most medical students report a benefit from pimping, even though it may be stressful, and suggest it should be used regularly, which is in contrast to faculty opinion. Pimping may make students feel more a part of the clinical care team, but their role on the team may not influence whether they perceive it as mistreatment.  Our data suggest medical schools should educate students and faculty on pimping and not move toward discouraging or banning it.

Medical students perceptions of virtual learning stations as an innovative teaching tool: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT Deficiencies in students’ interaction and motivation to learn are among the most reported challenges in medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to find new methods to overcome these challenges. We implemented a virtual learning station (VLS) approach in pathology lectures about locomotor diseases carried out over 2 weeks. The study was performed at the Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt. We assessed students’ satisfaction and their perceptions of the method used qualitatively via a narrative survey. Common themes in the narratives had been extracted and a coding book had been developed where a brief definition and description of each code had been included. Response rate was 88.8% out of 304 participating first-year students. Most students (93.5%) were satisfied with the VLSs. Extracted themes of students’ perceptions were categorized into advantages, limitations/disadvantages, and recommendations to improve the approach. Regarding the advantages, seven subcategories, namely, knowledge, skills, learning environment, self-efficiency, content & technique, focusing, and feedback, were extracted. Students mentioned the long duration, less collaborative teams, and connection problems as the main limitations/disadvantages. In addition, regarding recommendations, four subcategories, namely, generalization of experience, frequency of repetition, feedback, and duration of sessions, were extracted. So, VLSs can be an innovative learning solution for online medical lecturing in the COVID-19 era to overcome the lack of students’ interaction and motivation to learn.

Perceptions of medical students towards and effectiveness of online surgical curriculum: a systematic review

BackgroundOnline education has been used as an adjunct modality for teaching and it attracts attention in recent years as many medical students can not accomplish their clerkship in the hospital due to COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to collect the articles related to online surgical education for medical students, and to analyze the effectiveness of online education and the perceptions of the medical students.MethodWe performed a systemic literature search in PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, ERIC and Cochrane library. Keywords used for searching included “medical student”, “online education”, “online teaching”, “online learning”, “distance learning”, “electronic learning”, “virtual learning” and “surgical”. Medical education research study quality instrument (MERSQI) was used for the evaluation of the quality of the searched articles.ResultsFrom 1240 studies retrieved from the databases, 13 articles were included in this study after screening. The publication year was from 2007 to 2021. The mean MERSQI score of the 13 searched articles was 12.5 +/− 1.7 (range 10.0-14.5). There were totally 2023 medical students who attended online surgical curriculum. By online course, improvement of understanding and knowledge on the studied topics could be reached. The confidence in patient encounters could be improved by online curriculum with sharing experiences, discussing, and role playing. However, students felt concentration was poor during online course. Medical students studying through video platform could get better test scores than those studying with textbooks. Regarding basic surgical skills, online teaching of suturing and knot-tying could be possible and was appreciated by the students who could practice away from the hospital and get feedbacks by instructors through online environment. The scores for the clinical competence assessment for incision, suturing and knot-tying were found to be no significant difference between the online teaching group and face-to-face teaching group.ConclusionOnline surgical curriculum for medical students is not easy but inevitable in the era of COVID-19 pandemic. Although online course is not the same as physical course, there are some efforts which could be tried to increase the effectiveness. Basic surgical skills could also be taught effectively through online platform. Even if the COVID-19 pandemic is over in the future, online curriculum could still be a helpful adjunct for surgical education.

To assess mental health literacy among MBBS students about Psychiatric issues at Patna Medical College

Background: Mental health is a big problem throughout the world, and India is not far behind. When we look at progress in the field of mental health, it appears to be sluggish. Despite the fact that a newly created mental health literacy (MHL) scale revealed substantial score disparities between the general public and mental health professionals, there is currently no published scale to measure MHL among healthcare students. Aims and Objectives: The major part was comparing the knowledge, attitude and perception of 1st year medical students with final year medical students regarding psychiatric disorders and measuring there response on Likert scale. Materials and Methods: The participants were recruited from 1st year to final year undergraduate students, during the period April 2019 to January 2020 in Patna Medical College and Hospital, Patna. The sample consisted of 100 students (50 from 1st year MBBS Students and 50 from final year MBBS (Students) Non-random, non-stratified, and purposive sampling was done for the purpose of the study. Results: Among the groups, majority of the of the final year students (64%) agreed that the best described condition of the patient was Generalized Anxiety Disorder, but only 26% of the 1st years students agreed that the best described condition of the patient was Generalized Anxiety Disorder. There was significant difference between 1st years and final year students about the knowledge of the described condition with P<0.001. Conclusion: Result showed that the final year students had more knowledge about the cases with regard to correct diagnosis, usefulness of various treatments and interventions and best the source of help. The 1st and final yearstudent had no differences in the attitude and perception regarding various cases given in the vignettes. Stigma based attitude was almost equally common among both 1st year and final year students.

Evaluation of Perception of Medical and Paramedical Students towards Rapid Antigen Testing Program for COVID-19 in the City of Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Introduction: WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic on 11thMarch,2020. It was recommended to use standard Q COVID-19 Ag detection test as a point of care diagnostic assay for testing in the containment zones as well as hospitals in combination with the RT-PCR test.Medical students had been involved to carry out the Rapid Antigen Testing (R.A.T) Program.Objective: To evaluate perception of medical and paramedical students towards rapid antigen testing program (R.A.T.). Method: This was a cross sectional study conducted among Medical/Paramedical students of Ahmedabad, Gujarat participating in R.A.T. This program involved testing of people by standard Q COVID-19 Ag detection test. Patients who tested positive were isolated and counselled for further management. Feedback responses from the students were elicited regarding program effectiveness, utility and students’ satisfaction. Results: A total of 513 responses were recorded. 72.8% of the students perceived their communication skills to improve with patients. It helped 62.9% students to allay fear and apprehension regarding COVID.About77.8% of the students were extremely satisfied with the transport facility provided by the authorities. About 53% students were extremely satisfied with personal protective equipment. 36.6% students were extremely satisfied with remuneration. R.A.T. program invited intermediate rating with 34.8% students rating it as 7 or 8 on a scale of 0-10. Conclusion: Students reacted positively for the program and reported improvement in their communication skills. Most of the students were satisfied working at the community level during this pandemic and this program provided them unique chance to work at grassroots level. Undergraduate students for the first time were given individual responsibility as a health care worker in society. Hence, eliciting their perception and feedback was useful for all stakeholders.

Temporal changes in medical student perceptions of their clinical skills and needs using a repeated self-assessment instrument

BackgroundMedical student needs in clinical skill training may change over time, but data on this topic are limited. This study uses repeated self-assessments on clinical rotations during medical school to evaluate students’ perceptions of their clinical skill growth.MethodsA self-assessment rating was completed by students during each clinical rotation as they progressed through their core clinical rotation year. The instrument consisted of questions on 5 clinical skill categories where students rated their performance as “below”, “at” or “above” expected, and open-ended questions on strengths and challenges. We evaluated changes in self-ratings between the first (n=136) and third (n=118) quarters by matched-pair analysis of the shift in responses between time points using a Sign Test. We also identified the main themes from the students’ responses to open-ended questions.ResultsWe found 22.4 % and 13.3 % of students increased their self-assessment ratings on “Oral Presentation Skills” and on “Differential Diagnosis”, respectively. In contrast, perceived ability to communicate with patients saw the largest negative shifts. “Patient Interaction” was the most commonly identified area of strength and “Knowledge and Organization” was most frequently cited as a barrier.ConclusionsStudents demonstrated a positive shift in perceived competence in some core clinical skills that are not strongly emphasized in the preclinical curriculum, likely reflecting increased exposure over time. However, their perceived competence in communication skills declined. This may reflect initial over-estimation or true decline due to competing needs/interests. These patterns of change can inform the design of longitudinal curricula that anticipate and address students’ needs during clinical rotations, such as placing increased emphasis on presentation skills and differential diagnosis earlier in the curriculum, and adding more emphasis to communication skills in later phases.

A Win-Win for all? A Qualitative students’ perspective about online Case-based Learning in clerkship Gynaecology and Obstetrics

Introduction: Clinical teaching is a complex entity that poses many challenges to medical educators. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical education saw a major shift towards online pedagogical methods which led to a significant query regarding their effectiveness. In order to ensure effective clinical teaching, case-based learning was adopted as the major educational tool in most Institutes. However, not much data is available regarding the effectiveness and student perceptions about such online case-based learning.Objective: The objective of the study is to explore and analyze perceptions of medical students regarding the effectiveness of case-based learning and how does this perception compare with similar studies done for face-to-face case-based learning.Method: The qualitative explorative research design was used to explore the perceptions of 21 medical graduates who had attended online case-based learning sessions during 8 weeks of their clerkship in Gynecology and Obstetrics. The study was conducted at The University of Lahore from June 2020 to August 2020. Sampling was done through purposive, non-probability sampling. Participants underwent Semi-structured interviews, that were audio-taped and manually transcribed. Thematic analysis was done using the constant comparative method through open and axial coding.Results: Findings from the participants’ responses converged on three main themes, through which case-based learning helps students. Students reported that online case-based learning provided them with “Cognitive Avails”, helped them with providing“Efficient Patient Care” and created an enhanced “Sense of Commiseration”.Conclusion: This study provides evidence that the online case-based learning sessions were perceived to be equally effective as face-to-face case-based learning by students. In light of the study findings, it is concluded that well-constructed and interesting clinical cases can be efficiently delivered online and can result in achieving desired learning objectives by students.
 KEYWORDS: Online learning, case-based learning, Perception, Medical Students

The use of elctronic cigarettes among medical student in Casablanca

Abstract Introduction The electronic cigarette is an electronic device containing or not nicotine that produces vapours that are inhaled by users, thus mimicking the use of conventional cigarettes. These devices nevertheless contain components that are harmful to health. They have become particularly popular in recent years, especially among young people. Objective To estimate the frequency of e-cigarette use among medical students and to describe perceptions and practices of e-cigarette use. Methods This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from August 2020 to March 2021 among medical students at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy in Casablanca. The data were collected through a selfadministered, pre-tested, online questionnaire. The sample size was calculated a priori and statistical analyses were carried out using RStudio software. Results A total of 491 students were collected with a mean age of 21.03+/- 2.35 years, 66% were female, 51.9% were undergraduates and 20.6% were first year students. The frequency of e-cigarette use was 20.2%, and smoking was 20.8%. Of the 99 e-cigarette users, 75.75% had used e-cigarettes in the past 12 months. More than 21.9% of e-cigarette users used it daily, the most frequent reasons for use were curiosity (88.6%) and imitation (58.4%). Regarding perceptions, 22.1% felt more or less informed about the risks of e-cigarettes, 54.8% agreed that e-cigarettes are an effective way to quit smoking and 29.5% thought they would be more effective than nicotine replacement therapies. Conclusions The frequency of e-cigarette use is high among future doctors despite their knowledge of the health effects of its use. Preventive measures should be implemented to improve the health of students. Key messages Medical student are a subgroup particulary vulnarable to e-cigarette use. The perceptions of medical students, future health care providers, are heterogeneous.

Implementation of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Training in Large Cohorts of Second Year Medical Students

ABSTRACT Substance use disorders are debilitating disorders with far reaching effects. However, many healthcare providers do not receive sufficient training on how to identify or respond to individuals who are at risk for SUDs. Because of this, residents of rural communities, who are served by fewer healthcare providers, are unlikely to encounter providers who are trained to respond effectively to SUDs. SBIRT is a tool used to intervene among patients engaging in risky substance use. Although numerous SBIRT training programs exist across the country, most have focused on relatively small groups of trainees, and have prioritized the training of mental health professionals. In response to this finding, we implemented a large-scale SBIRT training program designed to prepare approximately 540 medical students to meet the needs of patients at risk for or suffering from SUDs in West Texas. In this paper, we focused on medical student perceptions of the quality and utility of our SBIRT educational initiative. Student evaluations of the SBIRT training remained high across three cohorts of second-year medical students. The goal of this report is to provide recommendations to help enable any group to develop, adapt, and implement large-scale SBIRT training programs in other locations.

Perceptions of medical faculty students: The effect of problem-based learning on self-regulated learning skills

Objective: Self-regulated learning (SRL) is defined as the entirety of emotions, thoughts, and behaviours that individuals display in order to achieve their goals during the developmental period. Problem-based learning (PBL), used in medical education, is an educational model based on complete and sufficient learning. The aim of the study was to determine the perception of students from a medical faculty that applies the PBL education model on their self-regulation abilities. Investigating whether there is a difference in the students’ perception on their self-regulation abilities between the first and third year of PBL education and examining if there is a difference in female and male students regarding their perception on their self-regulation abilities are also among the purposes.
 Material and Methods: The 453 students participated in the study, 253 from the first-year students and 200 from the third-year students. The “Self-Regulated Learning Skills of Students“ scale was used in the study and the Cronbach’s alpha values were between 0.839-0.942.
 Results: In the comparison of Self-Regulated Learning Abilities of Students Scale score averages of first-year and third-year students, statistically significant high scores were identified in third-year students compared to first-year students in 4 of the 23 parameters in the scale.
 Conclusion: Self-regulation of third-year students’ high scores in four parameters can be considered to be related to PBL gains. When the Self-Regulated Learning Abilities of Students Scale score averages were compared according to gender, statistically significant high scores were found in 7 of the 23 parameters in females.

10 COVID-19 and Changing Perceptions Towards Postgraduate Surgical Training in United Kingdom

Abstract Aim The evolution of the current coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact global healthcare systems on an unprecedented scale. Here, we use data from a local NHS trust within the United Kingdom (UK) to examine the perception of medical students and foundation doctors towards postgraduate surgical training. Method This tri-centric cross-sectional study was carried out via a survey disseminated within the East Sussex Healthcare NHS trust, King’s College Hospital, and King’s College London Medical School. The survey was active for 14 days (from 15th March 2020 to 28th March 2020), comprising a total of 40 foundation doctors and 10 medical students. Results A total of 50 responses were received across five hospitals and their associated medical school. A decrease of 10% and 25% was observed in interest to pursue surgery in medical students and foundation doctors, respectively, following the outbreak of COVID-19. Over 40% of foundation doctors holding postgraduate surgical training offers were not accepting them, and of those, over 40% would not consider reapplying to surgery. There was a drop in interest across a select set of specialities, and this was more obvious where aerosol-generating-procedures was a common occurrence. Conclusions These results highlight the need for a more efficient and effective response to address the immediate situation, as well as a robust contingency plan to avert the repercussions the surgical field could face.

Medical Students' Perceptions on Research: Results from a Small European Island State.

A crucial aspect of medical education is research training. Many studies have been conducted targeting the publishing rate among medical students, but information is lacking about the perceptions of medical students towards research, especially of students studying in small island states. This study aims to investigate students' perceptions towards research and increase the insight on what motivates and hinders medical students to conduct research. An anonymous mixed-methods cross-sectional online questionnaire was distributed to five hundred and forty-nine medical students studying at the University of Malta. The data gathered was statistically analysed and consequently interpreted. A response rate of 25.05% was achieved, with 10.00% of students having already published their research. Despite 86.43% of students interested in conducting research, only 22.86% have pursued a research endeavour. The main reason for conducting research was 'out of students' own interest'. The main barrier hindering students from conducting research was perceived as the absence of research opportunities. Medical students have a positive attitude towards the conduction of research, to enhance their medical education. Hence, identification of potential barriers hindering medical students from conducting research should be sought out and hands-on research opportunities should be provided, on an elective basis, to pursue their research interest. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-021-01426-4.

Efficacy of a resident-as-teacher program (RATP) for general surgery residents: An evaluation of 3 Years of implementation

BackgroundTeaching is a responsibility of general surgery residents and formal teaching instruction is mandated. This study examines the efficacy of a formal RATP incorporated into our general surgery residency curriculum. MethodsThe RATP was developed locally and delivered longitudinally over the course of the academic year, starting in 2017. Self-assessment surveys were distributed to residents before and after completion of the program each academic year. Medical students were surveyed regarding their impression of teaching on the surgical clerkship. ResultsRATP data was collected annually. All sessions were highly rated. Residents reported improved teaching self-efficacy after participation. Medical student agreement with the statement ‘Residents provided effective teaching during the [surgery] clerkship’ increased from 68.6% prior to RATP implementation to 79.7% in the following years (p < 0.05). ConclusionsIncorporation of a locally developed RATP improved residents’ self-perceptions and medical student perception of residents as teachers. RATPs should be adopted widely.