Postgraduate Experience Research Articles

Impact of Undergraduate Research Experience Intensity on Measures of Student Success

Despite the growing interest to provide research engagement opportunities to undergraduate students, few studies have investigated how engagement “intensity” impacts measures of student success. A quasi-experimental, matched-subject design was employed to study differences between varying levels of research experience intensity (i.e., Experienced, Novice, Control groups) on Graduating GPA, Time to Graduate, and type of post-graduation experience. Results indicated that experienced students had significantly higher graduating GPAs than novice or control students, and both research groups had significantly lower time to graduate than the control group. Findings also indicated experienced student researchers are significantly more likely to progress to graduate school than either novice research or control students. Implications for implementing research initiatives are discussed.

Influence of a youth development leadership graduate degree program on the professional pathways of youth leaders

This study examines the professional pathways of youth development leaders during and following completion of a youth development leadership master's degree program and documented reported experiences, events, and products of graduates associated with those pathways. Fifty-three alumni who completed a youth development leadership master’s degree program responded to three open-ended questions through an online survey. Qualitative data were analyzed using deductive-inductive content analysis. Participants’ most salient post-graduation experiences included pursuing a new job, career, or career change; leading a major project; assuming expanded roles and responsibilities; and receiving a promotion or pay increase. Common products identified by participants included grant and fundraising proposals; evaluation reports and measures; curricula; and employee or volunteer training plans. The study findings supported the development of the Youth Development Professional Pathways Model (YDPPM). Process modeling youth development leaders’ professional pathways provided a fuller understanding of how their careers unfolded during and after degree completion which scholars have identified as an important step for the youth development field.

The United Kingdom's National Early Warning Score: should everyone use it? A narrative review.

This review critiques the benefits and drawbacks of the United Kingdom's National Early Warning Score (NEWS). Potential developments for the future are considered, as well as the role for NEWS in an emergency department (ED). The ability of NEWS to predict death within 24 h has been well validated in multiple clinical settings. It provides a common language for the assessment of clinical severity and can be used to trigger clinical interventions. However, it should not be used as the only metric for risk stratification as its ability to predict mortality beyond 24 h is not reliable and greatly influenced by other factors. The main drawbacks of NEWS are that measuring it requires trained professionals, it is time consuming and prone to calculation error. NEWS is recommended for use in acute UK hospitals, where it is linked to an escalation policy that reflects postgraduate experience; patients with lower NEWS are first assessed by a junior clinician and those with higher scores by more senior staff. This policy was based on expert opinion that did not consider workload implications. Nevertheless, its implementation has been shown to improve the efficient recording of vital signs. How and who should respond to different NEWS levels is uncertain and may vary according to the clinical setting and resources available. In the ED, simple triage scores which are quicker and easier to use may be more appropriate determinants of acuity. However, any alternative to NEWS should be easier and cheaper to use and provide evidence of outcome improvement.

The differences among educational background, certificationcharacteristics, and professional subgroups of cardiologistsin China: a cross-sectional survey

Aim: To explore the gender, educational background, and choice of subspecialty characteristics of doctors working in the department of cardiology at four tertiary hospitals (Shanghai, Nanjing, Xuzhou, and Hangzhou, named Hospital A, B, C, and D, respectively) selected from four representative cities in China. Methods: A total of 201 physicians from four tertiary hospitals in four cities in East China completed the questionnaire. Survey questions include physicians’ educational background, professional title, specialty, and post-graduate education. These hospitals were in cities with diverse sizes and affiliated with different organizations. Results: Most cardiologists working in the invasive subspecialty have a senior title (59.29%), especially in HospitalD (100%). Hospital D has the highest proportion of cardiologists with a domestic post-graduate education(56.25%); however, Hospital A has the highest proportion of cardiologists with an international post-graduate education (46.67%). Compared with male doctors, there are fewer female doctors (20.59 vs. 79.41%,p<0.001)and fewer female doctors have a senior title and post-graduate education (p<0.005). Most female doctors choose the non-invasive subspecialty (86.67 vs. 13.33%,p<0.001). Conclusion: Differences including age, sex, professional title, post-graduate education experience, and choice of subspecialty exist in the cardiologists from four representative hospitals in China. The extent to which these differences would affect the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases deserves further research

Reconceptualising postgraduate taught student experience through the lens of emotions and well-being: Moving from explanatory methodology to revelatory

This study introduces a methodological approach for exploring taught postgraduate (PGT) student experience as a relationship with emotion and wellbeing. We examine the anatomy of PGT student emotions at one UK university and explore their functional and consequential role in student experience. Findings suggest PGT student experience is defined by a complex array of emotions that interact closely with appraisal, motivation, and behaviour. They have deleterious or beneficial impact on core dimensions of learning and wellbeing including engagement, cognitive flexibility, and social connectedness. Our methodological approach provides an avenue for exploring this complexity through a multi-level and revelatory examination of emotions, from which it is possible to develop proactive approaches to student wellbeing through improved emotion awareness, competencies, and control.

Representation of Gender and Postgraduate Experience Among Professional Medical Society Boards in Japan

This cross-sectional study investigates the gender ratio and postgraduate years of experience of Japanese professional medical society boards of directors.

What Happens After Graduation? The Post-Law School Experiences and Reflections of Aotearoa, New Zealand Law Graduates

From 2014 to 2019, a national, longitudinal study followed a group of self-selected law students enrolled at four of the six Aotearoa New Zealand law schools. This paper presents study participants’ self-reported post-law school reflections and experiences. These provide insight as to how participants’ time at law school served them after graduation. Reported data include participants’ work experiences, future career plans and reflections on their law school experience. The data is unique in that it captures the postgraduation experiences and reflections of a cohort which includes not only those who are employed in the legal profession but also those who are not. Key findings are largely positive self-reported post-law school outcomes for Aotearoa New Zealand law graduates, but that Aotearoa New Zealand law schools have work to do review and/or improve the delivery of the learning and teaching experiences leading to those outcomes. The reported data give law teachers, law schools and universities new information to consider and use in course and programme development and reviews. It will also be of interest to prospective and current law students and their families, employers of law graduates and the legal profession.

Addressing recruitment challenges in food and drink

Addressing recruitment challenges in food and drink

‘Introduction to paediatrics’ course – use of simulation to introduce foundation doctors to paediatrics as a novel specialty

Post-graduate doctors typically apply for speciality training during, or soon after, the Foundation Two Year, however many have very limited exposure to Paediatrics. This was compounded during the COVID-19 pandemic, as access to taster days was significantly reduced. Previously, simulation-based taster days in Undergraduate Medicine [1] and Anaesthetics [2] have been shown to be valuable. We therefore provided an ‘Introduction to Paediatrics’ course aimed at doctors with an interest in pursuing a career in Paediatrics. The aims of the course were to: experience a range of common Paediatric presentations and procedural skills, learn about applying for Paediatrics, and learn about a career in Paediatrics. Learners attended a one-day face-to-face programme held in our Learning and Resource centre, including a simulation suite. Learners were exposed to four scenarios designed to cover a wide range of common Paediatric scenarios. These included: bronchiolitis in an ex-preterm baby; bilious vomiting in a neonate; febrile seizures; and diagnosis of diabetes in a teenager. The scenarios were designed to be challenging but accessible to doctors without previous experience of Paediatrics. An embedded faculty member in the role of a Paediatric registrar was available to provide support during the scenario if requested. Complementing these scenarios were two procedural skills stations (neonatal life support and umbilical venous catheterisation), and a series of short talks on a career in Paediatrics. The participants were asked to feedback via an online survey. Nine foundation doctors attended the pilot course. Only one of them had any formal postgraduate experience in Paediatrics, and all of them were considering applying to Paediatric training. All the participants stated that they would recommend the course to someone who was considering Paediatric training and that the day was useful in deciding whether to do Paediatrics training or not. Using a Likert scale, they rated all the scenarios and the procedural skills as ‘Good’ or ‘Very good’. When asked to give a star rating out of 5, the mean was 4.9. This course appears to be an effective way of providing foundation doctors with a ‘taster’ of Paediatrics. The participants enjoyed the course and would recommend it to others. Although not a substitute for clinical Paediatric experience, it provides another opportunity for interested foundation doctors to learn about a specialty. Based on the success of this course, we hope to deliver this course on a regular basis. 1. Thorley-Dickinson V, Kasfiki E, Stephenson T, Purva M.‘A day in the life of a doctor’: Simulation-based taster day for college students intending to apply to medical school. BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning. 2014;1:A47 2. Khoud, Ahmed Ben, Matthew Aldridge and Jeremy Purdell-Lewis. ‘P8 The anaesthetic taster course: our experience of running a simulation taster course with near-peer tutors.’ BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning. 2018;4:A54–A55.

Rate of publication hastens, but number of publications slows academic promotion.

Openings for an assistant professor often attract a hundred or more applicants. This allows hiring committees to select highly productive candidates based on their number of publications. Applicants with more rapid publication would be hired with little or no postgraduate experience, but those with slower rates of publication would need more postgraduate experience. Our results show an association of more postgraduate experience, slower rates of publication, a smaller research group, and slower promotion when years are measured from PhD granting; conversely little or no postgraduate experience is generally associated with more rapid publication, a larger research group, and faster promotion. These results suggest the unexpected result that the number and rate of publication have opposite effects on the years from PhD granting to promotion which parametric survival analysis using a log-logistic distribution with gamma frailty confirmed. Statistical analysis revealed that number and rate of publication are reciprocal suppressor variables which were individually weaker predictors of years to promotion, but much more powerful when combined. Intuitively, this is probably because number and rate of publication contain information about other variables with: (1) number of publications being associated with more postgraduate experience, a smaller research group, and slower rates of publication; and (2) rate of publication being associated with a larger research group, and less postgraduate experience. Further, we found that promotion committees closely follow institutional tenure policy requiring promotion a fixed number of years after hiring as an assistant professor which may partially explain why promotion committees fail adjust the number and rate of publication for research group size as fairness in promotion might favor. Our results suggest that both postgraduate experience and research group size influence a professor’s career.

The rise of the clinical teaching fellow: a personal view of the postgraduate experience.

Clinical teaching fellowships are becoming increasingly popular, with the numbers of posts ever-expanding. This increase has accelerated as education and training start to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the nature of these roles, the entry requirements and the potential benefits are often poorly defined. This article outlines the author's experience of working as a clinical teaching fellow for a year and provides tips on what to look out for when considering these roles, as well as how to get the most out of them.

Motivation for postgraduate studies by nonacademic optometrists: A case study at a South African university.

BackgroundAn increasing number of optometrists who are nonacademics are pursuing postgraduate studies, despite such qualifications traditionally being more relevant to an academic rather than a clinical setting.AimThis study set out to explore possible reasons for the increase in postgraduate studies by nonacademic optometrists and their experiences thereof.SettingPostgraduate optometry students who were registered at a selected South African university within the period 2010–2020 participated in the study.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional research design was used, which entailed an online survey and a follow-up questionnaire focused on the motivation for postgraduate studies, choice of institution, research area, expectations and outcomes and supervision received. Convenience sampling was used to recruit the participants, and data were analysed with descriptive statistics.ResultsResponses were received from 54 optometrists who were pursuing postgraduate studies but not currently in academia. The main reasons reported for enrolling in postgraduate studies were interest in research (69.2%) and academia (61.5%). Institutional reputation was the reason provided by 48.1% of respondents for their choice of institution for their postgraduate studies. Fifty per cent of respondents opted for research in the public health field. To be a better researcher was the most common expectation (88.5%), with 73.1% indicating achieving this outcome. Most respondents indicated that they had received constructive and timeous supervision during their studies.ConclusionInterest in research and academia are important factors influencing nonacademic optometrists to pursue postgraduate studies; however, the postgraduate experience is likely to also facilitate development of other professional and clinical skills.ContributionThis study provides an insight into the motivation and experiences of non academic optometrists who pursue postgraduate degrees.

Breaking the ice: Creating and maintaining an affirming practice setting for LGBTQIA+ pharmacy trainees

AbstractLearners who identify as a sexual or gender minority (SGM) may experience anxiety and fear when entering new learning environments, hindering their ability to develop their professional identity. This may be attributed to uncertainty regarding whether the preceptors and practice site will be affirming of their gender identity and/or sexual orientation. Historically, SGM learners may have experienced these stress processes, leading to an unnecessarily poor learning experience. Postgraduate trainees' experiences have an increased and sustained negative impact when training in an “unfriendly” environment, as previous negative encounters have already challenged their professional identity. Preceptors serve as the first step in creating a welcoming and affirming practice site and are instrumental in mitigating stigmatizing encounters. By focusing on effective first impressions and non‐assumptive dialogue, a preceptor can help elevate themselves as a trusted individual in that learner's life. This article aims to discuss stigma and discrimination's effects on postgraduate and early‐career SGMs and provide a “how‐to” guide to mitigate negative experiences for pharmacy learners. Additionally, this guide will utilize case studies to better illustrate stigmatizing encounters in the trainee setting and provide considerations for equitable and affirming learning environments.

Mobility and stability: post-graduate employment experiences of working-class students

ABSTRACT The transition from university to the graduate labour market has become increasingly competitive. As university degrees no longer offer a guarantee for success, graduates mobilise other forms of capital to gain a competitive advantage. First-in-family and working-class students are seen to be disadvantaged as they lack access to the types of economic, social and personal capital employers prefer. This article is based on a qualitative longitudinal study of first-in-family, working-class students in Canada. Starting university in 2005 with very high ambitions and goals for substantial mobility, I will show how most gradually revised these goals over the 16 years they have been followed in the study, and how they engaged in a range of strategies to negotiate their potential working-class disadvantages to find career success. They further evoked a broader notion of mobility beyond career achievement, in that they also discussed personal/intellectual growth through education, their ability to develop and accumulate middle-class cultural capital, while not abandoning their working-class roots, and the importance of stability over status.

Survey on Reasons behind Postgraduate Medical Thesis Delay at virtual School of Medical Education and Management of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Students’ dissertations is a prerequisite for graduation and given that a majority of the students delayed in completing and submitting the dissertation, our study aims to determine the causes behind the delay in timely completion of dissertation among virtual School of Medical Education and Management,faculty graduates at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.
 Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 1399 with a sample size of 98 students using the postgraduate research experience questionnaire (PREQ) to evaluate students’ viewpoints, after translation and cultural adaptation, with a content validity of 0.62 and a reliability of 0.709. PREQ assessed research experience in seven dimensions of supervision, resources, research culture, advancement and evaluation, responsibilities, research skills, and professional development with 28 questions in a five-point Likert scale.
 Result: Overall, 49% were female and 51% were male participated, 73.5% under the age of 40, 99% in graduate school, and 97% in medical education. About 40.8% were in the middle of thesis writing stage and 33.7% were in the defense stage. The supervision variable with an average of 4,087 ± 0.5338, and the research skills variable with an average of 4.07 ± 0.561 had the greatest impact on students' dissertation progress.
 Conclusion: Considering that students have in mind various alternatives to advance their research work, so planning to strengthen these ways minimizes the delay in defending the dissertation among postgraduate students.

The Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training-accredited postgraduate neurosurgery fellowship application experience: a national survey.

The neurosurgery fellowship application process is heterogenous. Therefore, the authors conducted a survey of individuals graduating from Committee on Advanced Subspecialty Training (CAST)-accredited fellowships in the past 5 years to examine 1) experiences with the fellowship application process, 2) perspectives on the process, 3) reasons for pursuing a given subspecialty and fellowship, and 4) post-fellowship practices. A survey querying demographics, experiences with and perspectives on the fellowship application process, and factors contributing to the pursuit of a given fellowship was distributed to individuals who had graduated from CAST-accredited fellowships in the past 5 years. The survey response period was May 22, 2021-June 22, 2021. Of 273 unique individuals who had graduated from CAST-accredited fellowships in the past 5 years, 65 (29.7%) were included in this analysis. The most common postgraduate year (PGY) during which respondents applied for fellowship positions was PGY5 (43.8%), whereas the most common training level at which respondents accepted a fellowship position was PGY6 (46.9%), with a large degree of variability for both (range PGY4-PGY7). Only 43.1% respondents reported an application deadline for their fellowship. A total of 77.4% respondents received 1-2 fellowship position offers, and 13.4% indicated that there was a match process. In total, 64.5% respondents indicated that the fellowship offer timeline was mostly or very asynchronous. The time frame for applicants to decline or accept a fellowship offer was heterogeneous and mismatched among institutions. Respondents agreed that a more standardized application timeline would be beneficial (median response "agree"), and 83.1% of respondents indicated that PGY5 or PGY6 was the appropriate time to interview for a fellowship. Respondents reported heterogeneous experiences in applying for a fellowship, indicated that a standardized application timeline including interviews at PGY5 or PGY6 would be beneficial, and preferred streamlining the fellowship application process.

Myanmar Language Learning Experiences at China’s Frontier

In the context of China’s implementation of Belt and Road Initiative, the development of LOTE (languages other than English) in China comes into a revitalization era. LOTE play important role acting as a bridge linking China to the other countries. Since 2009, Yunnan has been discursively constructed as a bridgehead for China to cooperate with Southeast Asian country and the education of LOTE with a particular focus on the Southeast Asian languages has experienced an unprecedented expansion size. This study explores the learning experiences of Chinese postgraduates majoring in Myanmar language in a Chinese border university in Yunnan. Findings reveal how Chinese students perceive the values of learning Myanmar language, what learning challenges they encounter and how they exert their agency to overcome their learning difficulties. The study reveals that Chinese students’ investment in learning Myanmar has been shaped by their access to various resources mediated in multiple social forces across time and space. The study can shed some lights on providing pedagogical implications for enhancing the learning outcomes of LOTE in China.

University education, mismatched jobs: are there gender differences in the drivers of overeducation?

This paper studies potential gender differences in overeducation prevalence among recent highly educated entrants to the labour market and in its underlying drivers. Using representative microdata on university graduates in Spain in the academic year 2009/2010 observed in 2014, we analyse whether males and females exhibit distinct overeducation likelihoods, distinguishing between graduates below and above 30 years of age. First, we use matching estimators based on characteristics. Next, we estimate a Heckman probit regression with interactions between the gender indicator and graduates’ characteristics to study differences between males and females in the overeducation drivers. We focus on the effects of pre- and post-graduation mobility, pre- and post-graduation labour experience, on-the-job training, first job search strategies, the field of knowledge, and English language on the probability of being overeducated. We find evidence that males and females do not exhibit different overeducation risks conditional on characteristics. In general, educational credentials that act as signals of human capital are not found to be differently valued by gender.

Identifying threshold concepts in postgraduate general practice training: a focus group, qualitative study

ObjectiveTo identify threshold concepts (TCs) for physicians undergoing postgraduate medical education (PGME) in general practice.DesignAn explorative, qualitative study with 65 min focus group interviews and thematic analysis was used. Participants...

Residency training experiences of residents with children: A phenomenological study

ABSTRACT Parenthood during postgraduate medical training has become an increasingly relevant topic in recent years. While previous research has attempted to explore the experiences of residents in a parenting role through surveys and limited qualitative studies, an in depth understanding of the postgraduate training experience of these parent residents has not been clearly described. The optimal means of supporting trainees completing residency while parenting remains unclear. The study aim was to develop a rich understanding of the residency training experience of residents in a parenting role. We conducted 15 semi-structured telephone interviews. Our study population included postgraduate trainees from 9 different programs from a large research-intensive university who were parents upon entry to residency or who became parents during residency training. Transcendental phenomenology was used as a qualitative research methodology, guided by life course theory. Thematic analysis of residents’ training experiences revealed the following themes: 1) challenges of being a parent with residency responsibilities; 2) work-life balance; 3) support systems; 4) impact on patient interactions; 5) impact on other interactions; and 6) unspoken expectations. Participants suggested actionable solutions to improve the training experience for residents in a parenting role, which included: 1) family-inclusive events; 2) scheduling flexibility; 3) support for fathers; and 4) optimizing support for breastfeeding mothers. Residents in a parenting role represent a unique postgraduate trainee population. Despite focus on resident wellness, challenges remain for individuals trying to navigate parenthood and residency. This data may be utilized to inform support and strategies to optimize the training experiences of these residents.