Senior Medical Students Research Articles

A junior doctor led near-peer acute ENT/head and neck surgery workshop for medical students

BackgroundNear-peer teaching (NPT) involves teaching by peers who are at a close, but not the same, level of training. This study investigated whether a novel surgical NPT workshop, designed and delivered by junior doctors using simulation models for acute otolaryngology conditions, improved the knowledge and confidence level of senior medical students. MethodsA one-day NPT workshop was held for medical students in their third year of a four-year postgraduate medical degree at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney, Australia. Four acute otolaryngology/head and neck surgery problems that might be encountered by junior doctors and require prompt management were chosen. These were post-operative neck swelling, epistaxis, and tracheostomy management (obstruction and bleeding). Six junior doctors facilitated didactic tutorials and practical skills training using models. Multiple choice question mini-tests and questionnaires were administered before and after the workshop to assess changes in students' knowledge and confidence in assessment, management, and practical skills. ResultsThe most common reason for participation was to acquire knowledge and practical skills (93.2 %). Mean correct MCQ mini-test knowledge scores increased significantly from 60 % pre-workshop to 83.9 % post-workshop (p < 0.05). Students reported significantly increased confidence in recognition and management of all four conditions. All students favoured including the course in their curriculum and would recommend the course to others. The tutors subjectively reported valuable teaching experience. ConclusionNPT is an effective method for teaching medical students how to assess and manage acute otolaryngology/ENT surgery conditions that may present as emergencies for junior medical officers on the ward.

Management of Dental Trauma of Senior-Year Medical Students Attending Medical School in Tokat

Aim: Since trauma often requires immediate intervention, the initial care of patients is typically provided by emergency room physicians. Emergency departments prioritize the treatment of conditions that threaten the patient's overall health, which can lead to overlooking the treatment of traumatic dental injuries. Early intervention in dental and surrounding tissue injuries is crucial for prognosis. Therefore, it is important to assess the knowledge and awareness of dental trauma among medical doctors, who are often the first responders in trauma cases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and approaches of senior-year medical students regarding dental traumas in Tokat city, Türkiye. Materials and Methods: For this cross-sectional study, a validated questionnaire consisting of 10 questions previously used in similar studies was used. Students completed the questionnaire online using the Google® Forms program. The data obtained in this study were analyzed using the SPSS v23 (Chicago, IL, USA) software package program. Frequency and percentage values were obtained. Results: While 7.1% of the students stated that they would reimplant the avulsed tooth, 71.4% stated that they would refer the patient to the dentist. While 42.8% of the students preferred sterile saline solution for handling the avulsed tooth, 20.2% preferred wet gauze. While 85.7% of the students found the level of knowledge about oral and dental injuries insufficient, 71.4% stated that they would like to participate in an educational program on this subject. Conclusions: It has been observed that senior medical school students have insufficient knowledge about intervening in injuries to teeth and surrounding tissues. Curriculum regulation and training programs are required to improve students' knowledge and awareness about injuries to teeth and surrounding tissues. Students should also be informed that they can access the free IADT ToothSOS Mobile App on the International Association for Dental Trauma (IADT) website (http://www.iadt-dental-trauma.org), which can guide them on emergency response to dental trauma when they encounter dental trauma.

Empowering students to create their dramatizations increases understanding of physiology.

Complex subjects such as physiology can be challenging for students to learn. These challenges are not uncommon in implementing the learning process in physiology and affect learning outcomes. Dramatization is an interactive and effective method to improve learning outcomes. In a project designed by senior medical students, junior medical students were guided in creating dramatizations related to three topics. Senior students were trained and assisted to prepare scenarios and make videos. The dramatizations were then carried out with junior medical students to help them better understand physiology and pathophysiology topics. A group of junior students receiving the same topics in a lecture format served as a control group. Pretest and posttest questionnaires were used to measure the improvement of learning outcomes. Assessment results showed an increase in performance in both groups. This study shows that dramatizations provide an effective alternative to lectures for instructing junior medical students.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The preparation of dramatizations involved students. The ideas, analogies, and dramatizations were originally from students. Dramatization is an alternative form of understanding learning objectives of medical physiology in an interesting way to increase motivation.

Gender diversity in radiology: Shedding light on the 256 shades of grey.

Despite medical school cohorts being composed of approximately 50% men and women, trainee positions in Clinical Radiology remain predominantly occupied by men. This study aims to identify reasons behind the gender gap, explore why more women are not pursuing a career in Clinical Radiology and to assess if there are gender differences in these reasons. Prospective multi-centre study using a voluntary, anonymous questionnaire aimed at senior Medical Students and Junior Doctors. A total of 318 participants responded to the questionnaire - 197 women (61.9%), 114 men (35.8%), 4 non-binary (1.3%), 2 preferred not to answer gender (0.6%), 1 I/they (0.3%). The most common reasons for not considering Clinical Radiology as a specialty include 'perceived limited patient contact' (62%), 'never/rarely exposed to it' (59%) and 'too lonely' (49%). Reasons with the largest gender discrepancies were 'too technology heavy' and 'limited patient contact', both cited more frequently by women. Most respondents indicated that their opinions of Clinical Radiology may change with more exposure during medical school, more patient contact and more mentorship. This study has revealed multiple reasons why women may not pursue specialty training in Clinical Radiology. Notable differences were found in the reasonings provided by men and women. Limited Clinical Radiology exposure and mentorship in medical school result in a lack of interest in this specialty as a career option. A proposed solution is to offer more medical school lectures and more junior doctor rotations to debunk stereotypes that may be negatively impacting opinions on Clinical Radiology. More mentorship of Medical Students and Junior Doctors, particularly from women, may also help decrease the gender gap.

Twelve tips for final year medical students undertaking clinical assessment

Background Clinical assessors in pre-registration examinations have been shown to make decisions about student performance by drawing on two overlapping, yet slightly different perspectives: achieving academic learning outcomes, and contributing to clinical workplace function. The implication for senior medical students is that they should be aware that in ‘final’ clinical assessments they may be judged from both academic and workplace perspectives, where the emphasis may be on how well the candidate would fit into a clinical team, demonstrating reliability, trustworthiness, teachability and ‘safety’. Methods This article presents 12 tips for how senior medical students may demonstrate progress towards achieving ‘work readiness’, and so improve performance in assessments close to graduation. Results Clinical assessors may include judgment of how well the candidate might work as a junior member of a clinical team, particularly when candidates perform at the borderline level and where assessors are more experienced. This judgment is based on an impression of the student’s demonstration of reliability, trustworthiness, patient safety and teachability. While the underpinning theory was explored in final OSCEs, the suggestions may also be relevant to workplace-based clinical learning and assessment. Conclusions Senior medical students should prepare for clinical assessments that will consider more than essential knowledge and skills.

Preparing medical students for their educational task as physicians: important, desirable and unexplored territory

BackgroundPhysicians engage in educational activities in daily practice and take over an important role in providing information and transferring knowledge to patients and medical students. Therefore, it is important to focus on methods to develop teaching skills during medical school. Peer-teaching is a teaching method that is connected to different positive learning outcomes. This study aims to investigate the perspective of medical students regarding teaching as a core competency of physicians and peer-teaching as an opportunity to acquire educational skills. The study also aims to examine to what extent medical students are prepared for their teaching role at medical schools.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed by an online survey amongst Dutch medical students from all medical schools across all years of study. In total, 2666 medical students filled out the survey. The survey was part of the annual online survey of the Dutch medical advocacy group (DeGeneeskundestudent) amongst all medical students in the fall of 2017. The data were analysed with descriptive statistics and statistical tests (chi-squared-test and binomial test).ResultsThe results show that 49% of medical students see teaching as one of the core tasks of a physician. However, only 25% feel well prepared by their medical school for this teaching role. Instead, there are many students who gain experiences and teaching skills on their own outside medical schools. 64% of the respondents agrees that senior medical students can educate junior medical students well.ConclusionsImplementing peer-teaching in the curricular of medical schools could be an effective teaching method to prepare medical students for their future teaching role. It is important that medical schools focus on enhancing educational quality and designing learning environments for best learning outcomes to better prepare medical students for professional life.

Association Between Burnout, Anxiety, and Depression in Senior Medical Students: A Cross-sectional Study (P2-7.005)

Association Between Burnout, Anxiety, and Depression in Senior Medical Students: A Cross-sectional Study (P2-7.005)

Perception, Knowledge, Indications, and Future Prospects of Point-of-Care Ultrasound Among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become integral across medical specialties globally, addressing clinical queries, guiding procedures, and bridging the gap between physical examination and advanced imaging. Early ultrasound training for medical students enhances clinical decision-making and reduces diagnostic errors. Aims To evaluate the knowledge and attitude of senior medical students towards POCUS and to assess knowledge gaps and difficulties encountered by senior medical students to assist in the development of future curricula. Methodology This is an observational, cross-sectional approach to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practice ofPOCUSamong senior medical students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted from January to September 2023. An electronic questionnaire was distributed through online platforms utilizing medical school databases across various regions. The survey encompassed sociodemographics, training methods, diagnostic indications, and participants' self-reported proficiency and attitudes toward POCUS. The data was chiefly collected using the Likert scale. Descriptive statisticswere used to describe the quantitative and categorical variables. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine correlations. Results A total of 359 senior medical students completed the survey. Most responders were females (57.9%) with the predominating age group being ≤ 24 years (83.6%). The students predominantly were from the Central region of Saudi Arabia (75.5%). Ultrasound training varied among responders; 31.5% received formal courses (median duration: two hours) and 23.4% informal courses (median duration: four hours). Around 17.3% practiced POCUS self-teaching (median duration: four hours). A total of 3.6% had formal POCUS accreditation. A gargantuan 82.2% never used POCUS in their attached hospital for a variety of reasons.Multivariable logistic binary regression analysis showed a positive correlationbetween students' self-teaching of POCUS and their perceived difficulty performing an ultrasound examination for patients in daily practice. Discussion A comparable study was done at King Saud binAbdulazizUniversity for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in 2022 surveying 229 senior medical students byRajendramet al. In their study, 21.4% completed formal courses and 12.7% took informal courses. While many students in our study were not exposed to POCUS (82.2%), KSAU-HS reported a higher percentage reaching 94.8%. A study by Russel et al. demonstrated more than half of 154 surveyed medical schools in the United States have implemented POCUS into their students' curriculum. Conclusion POCUS stands as a valuable skill that can enhance the educational journey of undergraduate medical students. Considering that a significant number of participants haven't yet taken formal medical school courses suggests a lack of awareness about its significance in the medical field. Offering additional courses with practical components could enhance the proficiency, confidence, and outlook of medical students toward POCUS.

Explanation of the personality factor with the Enneagram in the selection of the specialty branch of the intern doctors

IntroductionPersonality characteristics have an important place in the choices of interns who are at the stage of deciding how their profession will be shaped in the future. While the Big 5 personality model has been widely used in evaluating the personality traits factor in career planning, the Enneagram has increased in popularity in recent years. In this study, it was aimed to investigate how senior medical students evaluate their professional future between these choices and the students’ personality types.Objectives Forms and scales were presented to 221 interns who agreed to participate in our study and were studying in their final year in the 2022-2023 period at three different faculties, two state universities and one private university in the Marmara Region in Turkey.MethodsThe sociodemographic data form, Enneagram Personality Types and Subtypes Inventory, and Positive Future Expectation Scale, prepared by the researchers and containing questions about the factors that may be effective in choosing medical specialization, obtained through a face-to-face pilot interview with ten students and literature review, were applied to the participants. Participants answered the forms and scales via ‘Google forms’.Results211 out of 221 participants, who did not constitute outliers, were included in the analysis. The mean age of the participants was 24.43 (S.E= 0.11)In terms of Enneagram typologies, Type 2 (39.3%) exhibited the highest prevalence, followed by Type 1 (13.3%), Type 6 (11.8%), and Type 7 (8.5%).Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship was found between specialization area and Enneagram types (Fisher exact &lt;.001, p&lt; .001). Post-hoc examinations highlighted specific associations, such as the relationship between Type 3 and Cardiovascular Surgery, Orthopedics and Traumatology; Type 4 and Pneumology, Psychiatry; Type 5 and PRC, Type 6 and Infectious Diseases, Neurology, Medical Microbiology; Type 7 and Cardiology; Type 8 and Pediatrics, Medical Biochemistry; and Type 9 and Family Medicine, Radiology, Psychiatry, Medical Pathology.ConclusionsWhen the results are evaluated, the highest rate of type 2 and type 1 of the Enneagram typology in senior medical faculty students supports the fact that the medical profession consists of responsible and principled people who love helping others. It is compatible with the character traits of people with type 9 who avoid stress and conflict, preferring the department to have a low workload, and turning to family medicine, radiology, psychiatry and medical pathology departments, which are estimated to have relatively fewer working hours and emergency applications.Our study suggests that this scale be used more widely, as the Enneagram typology, which is used in many professional and career choices, shows results compatible with the participants’ preferences in choosing a medical specialty.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Hypertensive Emergency Team-Based Learning.

The target audiences for this team-based learning (TBL) activity are resident physicians and medical students. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of the adults in the United States have hypertension,1 which is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death.2 In extreme cases, patients may present in hypertensive emergencies, defined as an acute, marked elevation of systolic blood pressure >180mmHg or diastolic blood pressure >120mmHg with evidence of organ dysfunction.3,4 Patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms of hypertensive emergencies must be promptly diagnosed and treated to prevent further morbidity and mortality. This TBL utilizes four clinical cases to educate resident physicians and medical students not only on the recognition of hypertensive emergencies, but also on the workup, management, and disposition of patients who present to the ED with hypertension. By the end of this TBL session, learners should be able to: 1) define features of asymptomatic hypertension versus hypertensive emergency, 2) discuss which patients with elevated blood pressure may require further diagnostic workup and intervention, 3) identify a differential diagnosis for patients presenting with elevated blood pressures, 4) recognize the features of different types of end-organ damage, 5) review an algorithm for the pharmacologic management of hypertensive emergencies, 6) indicate dosing and routes of various anti-hypertensive medications, 7) choose the appropriate treatment for a patient who is hypertensive and presenting with flash pulmonary edema, 8) identify an aortic dissection on computed tomography (CT), 9) choose the appropriate treatment for a patient who is hypertensive and presenting with an aortic dissection, 10) identify intracranial hemorrhage on CT, 11) choose the appropriate treatment for a patient who is hypertensive and presenting with an intracranial hemorrhage, and 12) describe the intervention for warfarin reversal. This is a classic TBL that includes an individual readiness assessment test (iRAT), a multiple-choice group readiness assessment test (gRAT), and a group application exercise (GAE). Learners and instructors were given the opportunity to provide verbal feedback after completion of the TBL. Learners included senior medical students and first-, second-, and third-year emergency-medicine residents. Learners were specifically asked if they felt the cases were educational, relevant, and useful to their training. Six resident physicians and three medical students volunteered their verbal feedback, and agreed when they were specifically asked if the cases were educational, relevant, and useful to their training. The same learners also agreed when asked if they felt the TBL was a more enjoyable activity than a direct lecture to refresh their knowledge and skills. One instructor observed that interns and medical students were generally able to reach a correct diagnosis; however, they seemed to struggle more with describing appropriate pharmacologic interventions when compared to more senior learners. Hypertension is a common complaint and incidental finding in patients presenting to the ED. Given its non-specific value, it can be a difficult topic for the novice healthcare provider to master. The differential diagnosis for a patient presenting with hypertension is vast, ranging from benign to emergent, and can sometimes necessitate minimal to substantial workups. Thus, this TBL is a useful, relevant, and effective exercise for residents-in-training to review and understand the management of hypertension. Hypertension, hypertensive emergency, asymptomatic hypertension, flash pulmonary edema, aortic dissection, intracranial hemorrhage, warfarin reversal, team-based learning.

БРОНХИАЛЬНАЯ АСТМА – ФАРМАКОЭПИДЕМИОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ СРЕЗ ЗНАНИЙ ВРАЧЕЙ. ИТОГИ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ «ASSA–III»

Introduction. Number of bronchial asthma (BA) cases increases every year. Despite the improvement of clinical guidelines proposed by national societies and GINA (Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention) expert committee, BA is still an urgent and significant public health problem. In some basic issues of etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and pharmacotherapy, there is still a deficiency in healthcare professionals’ knowledge. Aim. To study the basic bronchial asthma knowledge of physicians from different regions. Materials and Methods. A multicenter anonymous survey was conducted among medical specialists regarding their knowledge of and preferences in the topic of bronchial asthma. This is the third stage of the ASSA (Assessment of Senior Medical Students in Bronchial Asthma) project. Statistical data were processed using the Pearson chi-square criterion (χ2) and complementary adjustments. Results and Discussion. Over the years 2019-2023, an anonymous survey of 472 physicians was conducted in ten cities and regions of Russia. In general, the level of basic specialists was found to be relatively satisfactory: An average of 65.8 % according to the study. At the same time, a deeper understanding was noted in the basic and theoretical aspects of the BA etiopathogenesis and diagnosis (the average result in the pool of questions was 84.1%), while the pool of questions regarding the disease treatment turned out to be more difficult for the respondents (their average result was 52.1%). The respondents gave the best answers to questions regarding the reference to a prolonged suffocation attack (95.6%), the levels of asthma control (93.6%), and the key methods of BA diagnosis (91.3%); the worst results were obtained for questions related to the choice of reasonable treatment tactics for mild asthma at therapy stages 1 (34.7%) and 2 (32.2%), indications for sublingual immunotherapy (12%), and indications for adding tiotropium (33.6%). Conclusion. According to the findings, it was concluded that physicians generally had a relatively satisfactory level of knowledge on the main issues related to the BA definition, etiopathogenesis, and diagnosis. However, their knowledge regarding the advanced approaches to pharmacotherapy is insufficient, and these issues require in-depth and additional studies. We also identified the specific changes in the physicians’ knowledge depending on their seniority.

Mechanisms of Near-Peer Learning in a Longitudinal Clerkship: A Grounded Theory Study.

Many medical schools incorporate longitudinal clerkships, which promote continuity and may offer early clinical exposure during the preclinical curriculum. However, the mechanisms of near-peer learning and how it contributes to the development of clinical skills in longitudinal clinical experiences are less clear. The authors explored how peer-to-peer interactions among medical students influenced their developmental trajectories from nascent clinicians to more seasoned practitioners capable of juggling dual roles of clinical care and clinical supervision within longitudinal clerkships. The Education-Centered Medical Home (ECMH) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is a longitudinal clerkship that represents an ideal setting to explore peer learning. At ECMH, continuity is established across all 4 years of medical school among small groups of students from each year, a preceptor, and a panel of outpatients. The authors conducted 6 focus groups and 9 individual interviews between March 2021 and February 2023 with medical students from all years. Using constructivist grounded theory, the authors collected and analyzed data iteratively using constant comparison to identify themes and explore their relationships. Within ECMH, peer relationships fostered an informal learning culture that enabled meaningful peer interactions while reinforcing the established culture. The authors identified 3 essential learning practices between senior and junior medical students: preparing for patient encounters, shifting roles dynamically during the joint encounter, and debriefing encounters afterward. These practices strengthened learning relationships and supported students' developmental trajectories. Longitudinal peer learning relationships enabled meaningful peer interaction that influenced medical students' clinical development and capability for clinical supervision. Mutual trust, familiarity, and continuity facilitate targeted feedback practices and growth at the edge of junior students' capabilities. Optimizing this peer learning environment and seeking new opportunities to use longitudinal peer learning in clinical environments could promote psychological safety and professional identity formation for medical students.

The Sooner, The Better – “Intern Bootcamp” for Senior Medical Students

The Sooner, The Better – “Intern Bootcamp” for Senior Medical Students

"Cold feet": A qualitative study of medical students who seriously considered emergency medicine but chose another specialty.

Emergency medicine (EM) has historically been among the most competitive specialties in the United States. However, in 2022 and 2023, 219 of 2921 and 554 of 3010 respective National Resident Matching Program positions were initially unfilled. Medical students' selection of a medical specialty is a complex process. To better understand recent trends in the EM residency match, this qualitative study explored through one-on-one interviews the rationale of senior medical students who seriously considered EM but ultimately pursued another specialty. A convenience sample of senior medical students from across the United States was recruited via multiple mechanisms after the 2023 match. Participant characteristics were collected via an online survey. Qualitative data were generated through a series of one-on-one semistructured interviews and thematic analysis of the data was performed using a constant comparative approach. Sixteen senior medical students from 12 different institutions participated in the study. Thematic saturation was reached after 12 interviews but data from all 16 interviews were included for qualitative analyses. Five major themes emerged as important in students' consideration but ultimate rejection of EM as a career: (1) innate features of EM attracted or dissuaded students, (2) widespread awareness of a recent workforce report, (3) burnout in EM, (4) their perception of EM's standing in the health care landscape, and (5) early EM experience and exposure. This qualitative study identified five major themes in the career decisions of senior medical students who seriously considered EM but chose another specialty. These findings may help inform the perceptions of students and guide future EM recruitment efforts.

Time to normalise protected characteristics in written assessments: A mixed methods study

Background Despite increasing endeavours to incorporate teaching material on healthcare for minority groups into medical school curricula, including cultural competency, there is a lack of research exploring medical students' comprehension of this. With age and gender as the only demographic information routinely provided in undergraduate single best answer (SBA) questions, the diversity of patients encountered by doctors in clinical practice is not fairly represented in assessments. This study examined the impact of not declaring gender or explicitly indicating LGBT+ identities and ethnicity, on how medical students evaluate clinical scenarios through SBA questions. Methods 200 medical students across clinical years completed 15 SBA questions in an online simulated exam. Participants were randomised to control and test groups testing different types of patient demographic information in question stems. Results Linear regression modelling demonstrated overall statistically nonsignificant differences between groups. The largest effect size was seen in the LGBT+ question intervention group, which had the fewest white and postgraduate participants. Older and more senior medical students performed better generally. White participants overall significantly outperformed non-white participants; this difference was eliminated when answering a mix of question styles. Using a mix of question styles produced statistically significant differences, with participants scoring worse on LGBT+ and ethnicity style questions. Conclusion Increased depth and breadth of clinical experience enables medical students to approach clinical scenarios with more flexibility. Unfamiliarity with minority patient groups may have impacted their performance in this study. For medical education to remain contemporary in preparing future clinicians to interact with diverse patient groups, assessments need to normalise the presence of these patients.

Are serious games seriously good at preparing students for clinical practice?: A randomized controlled trial

Purpose Serious games (SGs) have great potential for pediatric medical education. This study evaluated the efficacy of a SG in improving learner satisfaction, knowledge, and behavior. Materials and methods This was an investigator-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing a SG against two controls: (i) adaptive tutorial (AT), and (ii) low-stimulus control (LSC). SG is a highly immersive role-playing game in a virtual hospital. AT delivers interactive web-based lessons. LSC is paper-based clinical practice guidelines. Metropolitan senior medical students at UNSW were eligible. A total of 154 enrolled and were block randomized to one intervention. Participants had access to one intervention for 8 weeks which taught pediatric acute asthma and seizure assessment and management. Satisfaction was assessed with Likert-scale responses to 5 statements and 2 free-text comments. Knowledge was assessed with 10 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Clinical behavior was assessed during a 30-point simulated clinical management scenario (CMS). Primary analysis was performed on a modified intention-to-treat basis and compared: (1) SG vs. AT; and (2) SG vs. LSC. Results A total of 118 participants were included in the primary analysis (modified intention-to-treat model). No significant differences in MCQ results between the SG and control groups. SG group outperformed the LSC group in the CMS, with a moderate effect (score out of 30: 20.8 (3.2) vs. 18.7 (3.2), respectively, d = 0.65 (0.2–1.1), p = 0.005). No statistically significant difference between SG and AT groups in the CMS (score: 20.8 (3.2) vs. 19.8 (3.1), respectively, d = 0.31 (–0.1 to 0.8), p = 0.18). A sensitivity analysis (per-protocol model) was performed with similar outcomes. Conclusions This is the first investigator-blinded RCT assessing the efficacy of a highly immersive SG on learner attitudes, knowledge acquisition, and performance in simulated pediatric clinical scenarios. The SG demonstrated improved translation of knowledge to a simulated clinical environment, particularly compared to LSC. SGs show promise in pediatric medical education.

Cultural Divergence in Psychedelic Use among Medical Students: An ESPAD-Adapted Survey among Poles and Iraqis.

Psychedelics can profoundly alter cognition and consciousness. Their use in Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq, is ambiguous. We aim to investigate psychedelic awareness and use among Iraqi and Polish medical students. We surveyed 739 university students from Poland (315) and Iraq (424) using 31 adapted questions from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD). We conducted multivariable analyses based on binary logistic regression to identify the factors associated with psychedelic awareness and use. Most of the respondents were females (65.6%) and senior medical students (69.6%). Notably, the Polish students displayed a higher prevalence of psychedelic use (21.6% compared to 1.2%, p < 0.001), while the Iraqi participants exhibited a lower familiarity with psychedelics (p < 0.001). The multivariable model demonstrated a commendable level of statistical accuracy and satisfactorily conformed to the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test (statistical accuracy = 91.61%, Nagelkerke R2 = 0.488, p-value = 0.848). Several factors emerged as correlates of increased psychedelic use, including lacking an intact religious belief system or commitment to its practice (OR = 7.26, 95% CI [2.33, 22.60]). Additionally, those who perceived a low risk associated with sporadic psychedelic use (3.03, [1.44, 6.36]) were likelier to engage in such behavior. Other factors included residing in Poland (2.82, [0.83, 9.55]), maintaining positive attitudes toward psychedelics (2.49, [1.20, 5.14]), frequent social nightlife activities (2.41, [1.26, 4.61]), male gender (2.05, [1.10, 3.85]), and cigarette or tobacco smoking (2.03, [1.06, 3.86]). Significant disparities exist between Poles and Iraqis, influenced by religiosity, perceptions of the usage risks, geographical location, gender, attitudes toward psychedelics, parental leniency, and social freedom, especially concerning nightlife activities. Addressing the factors influencing psychedelic usage is paramount to responsible psychedelic engagement and culturally sensitive interventions to prevent misuse.

Knowledge and attitude toward total knee arthroplasty among senior medical students in comparison to public population in Saudi Arabia: cross-sectional study.

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is currently considered one of the most common and successful orthopaedic procedures. It plays an essential role in the long-term treatment of osteoarthritis and enhances the patient's quality of life. Very little is known about public and medical students' perceptions of this procedure. The purpose of the current study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward TKA among medical students in comparison with the general population in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and March 2023. Senior-year (interns and the fifth and sixth year) medical school students (Group A) as well as the general population (Group B) were surveyed online. The distributed questionnaire was divided into three main segments: demographics, knowledge, and the prognosis of TKA. The answers were statistically compared among participants. Three hundred thirty-one participants were involved in this study, of whom 202 were from the general population and 128 were medical students. Most of the participants were males (68.3%), and the mean age was 32.95±15.22. The results were divided into three groups: demographic, knowledge, and prognosis. Medical students demonstrated a higher knowledge score (111.25±42.38) compared to the general population knowledge score (64.68±44.29), (P<0.001). Senior-year medical school students and the general population showed a low level of knowledge regarding TKA. However, the students had a better awareness of the procedure. The authors recommend frequent public education programs for the benefits of TKA. In addition, medical schools are encouraged to emphasize the benefits of TKA as a treatment choice for end-stage knee arthritis in their curriculum and training.

Reflecting on Experiences of Senior Medical Students' External Clinical Teaching Visits in General Practice Placements: A Pilot Study.

Australian general practice training uses external clinical teaching (ECT) visits for formative work-based assessments. ECT visits appoint senior general-practitioners (GPs) observe trainee GPs' consultations, provide feedback, and make performance-enhancing recommendations. As ECT visits are one of the best assessment tools in Australian GP training, there is limited evidence of its use in undergraduate teaching. This study aims to introduce ECT visits and evaluate assessment tools during senior medical students' GP placement. This study included external and internal GP supervisors and twenty-five Chinese and Australian students during GP placements. The supervisors provided structured in-person feedback, while the ECT assessment tool used a standardised, validated feedback platform to assess every component of a consultation. Students' feedback was recorded and collected by both internal and external supervisors, and then semantically analysed by external supervisors. Twenty-five ECT visit feedbacks were collected and analysed semantically. All participating students rated ECT visits excellently and confirmed the relevance of assessment tools for discussions with supervisors to achieve the designed learning outcomes. Chinese students rated the assessment tools as innovative from a cultural perspective and recommended the ECT visit teaching model and assessment tools to their home university, whereas Australian students suggested more ECT visits during GP placements. Time management was a limitation for both the students and supervisors. ECT visit is an innovative placement teaching model and work-based assessment tool for senior medical students' GP placements, and is rated as the most preferred formative assessment tool. The limitations of this study include small group of students/supervisors and lack of patient feedback; however, all of these limitations can be overcome by involving multiple GP clinics in ongoing large-scale study. ECT visits can be introduced quantitatively into students' GP placement curricula to improve clinical reasoning, learning, and quality assurance with assessments during clinical placements.

Need assessment of medical school curriculum for MOOCs: perspectives of instructors and students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

IntroductionDesigning, developing, and implementing a course without assessing and prioritizing instructional needs may result in inefficiency due to the disregard for the actual needs of the target population. The present study aimed to determine and prioritize medical students’ instructional needs regarding Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.MethodsThis survey study was carried out in three stages (2020–2021) using the Delphi technique. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to select the instructors. The students were selected through simple random sampling. The first round of the Delphi technique involved a questionnaire consisting of one open-ended question, completed by 49 basic/clinical faculty members and 47 senior medical students. In the second round, a 5-point Likert scale-based questionnaire was used to prioritize the instructional needs. The reliability of the questionnaire was verified by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. In the third round, a focus group was used. A total of six expert faculty members and one senior medical student were invited to the focus group session to prioritize the needs. Data were analyzed using Friedman’s non-parametric ranking test in SPSS version 26.ResultsTen instructional needs priorities were extracted, including common pharmacotherapies (antibiotics and narcotics), prescriptions, physiology, anatomy, physical examination, electrocardiography interpretation, radiography, computed tomography scans, serum electrolyte disorders, and cardiovascular and internal (endocrine and metabolic) diseases. The chi-squared calculated value (715.584) indicated a significant difference in the importance of the questionnaire’s questions (P < 0.001). These questions did not have equal value, and the importance, from the respondent’s point of view and the observed distribution of ranks, was not the output of a random factor.ConclusionsThe findings of this study can be used to design MOOCs, revise instructional programs, and adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of general practitioners, which will, in turn, help meet the medical needs of the general population.