Student-led Initiative Research Articles

Recruitment of Underrepresented Minorities in Medical School Through a Student-led Initiative

The goal of matriculating a diverse medical cohort remains important for institutions across the country as it results in an increase in the diversity of the physician workforce. By admitting students who are underrepresented in medicine, the pressing health needs of the growing and diverse patient population of our country can be met by physicians who are representative of their communities. Given the challenges of choosing from a small pool of applicants, medical schools should consider seeking the support of current medical students in expanding the applicant pool and recruiting the next generation of physicians. The purpose of this paper is to describe a student-led initiative established at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine for recruiting students underrepresented in medicine. Through this pipeline program, current underrepresented applicants experience a two-day recruitment event that introduces them to life as a medical student. Incorporating current medical students in recruitment programming allows institutions to access a knowledgeable and inspirational resource that is readily available. Current medical students can provide firsthand perspectives into the journey that is medical school while serving as role models for future physicians.

'Disaster day': global health simulation teaching.

As society diversifies and globalisation quickens, the importance of teaching global health to medical undergraduates increases. For undergraduates, the majority of exposure to 'hands-on' teaching on global health occurs during optional elective periods. This article describes an innovative student-led initiative, 'Disaster Day', which used simulation to teach global health to undergraduates. The teaching day began with an introduction outlining the work of Médecins Sans Frontières and the basic principles of resuscitation. Students then undertook four interactive simulation scenarios: Infectious Diseases in a Refugee Camp, Natural Disaster and Crush Injury, Obstetric Emergency in a Low-Income Country, and Warzone Gunshot Wound. Sessions were facilitated by experienced doctors and fourth-year students who had been trained in the delivery of the scenarios. Students completed pre- and post-session evaluation forms that included the self-rating of confidence in eight learning domains (using a five-point Likert scale). Twenty-seven students voluntarily attended the session, and all provided written feedback. Analysis of the pre- and post-session evaluations demonstrated statistically significant improvements in confidence across all but one domains (Wilcoxon signed rank test). Free-text feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with students appreciating the practical aspect of the scenarios. For undergraduates, the majority of exposure to 'hands-on' teaching on global health occurs during optional elective periods Simulation-based teaching can provide students with 'hands-on' exposure to global health in a controlled, reproducible fashion and appears to help develop their confidence in a variety of learning domains. The more widespread use of such teaching methods is encouraged: helping tomorrow's doctors develop insight into global health challenges may produce more rounded clinicians capable of caring for more culturally diverse populations.

Lessons from a student-led development project in Peru: Aligning technical and educational perspectives

With the growth of student interest in humanitarian engineering development projects, a critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of this type of work is crucial to success. While a number of models exist for joining development with technical expertise in humanitarian engineering projects, this paper focuses on the experiences of students working on a program in Peru within the Greater Austin Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB)-USA. This program is a unique EWB-USA program that builds on ongoing academic research in the Peruvian Andes at the University of Texas at Austin and regional efforts by The Mountain Institute to mitigate the effects of climate change on Peruvian communities that need technical solutions to water issues. We contrast the benefits and struggles of pursuing a student-led initiative with a regional scope. Specifically, this case study shares how the roles of partnerships between universities, private sector, government, and nongovernmental organizations create challenges and opportunities for a student-led humanitarian engineering program. The key challenges identified are (1) effectual use of U.S. team members, (2) building trust and open communication with in-country partners, and (3) understanding community dynamics and adapting projects to their local context. We present how development of a ‘non-traditional engineering classroom’ framework can serve as a proactive means for facilitating effective knowledge transfer, critical reflection, and service-learning to improve project outcomes.

Missing mums-to-be & smartphone technology: Addressing antenatal clinic DNAs with novel uses of a mobile application

Introduction: A student-led initiative has developed a free smartphone application to be piloted at the Women’s & Children’s Hospital (WCH) within the Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust to improve attendance at antenatal clinics following consultation with the patient population and local clinicians. The application interfaces directly with local public transport service resources to aid geographical access to antenatal clinic in addition to providing appointment reminders, a pregnancy tracker and basic healthcare information. Background & Context: Our review of antenatal clinic at the WCH identified an almost 6% Did Not Attend (DNA) rate costing the trust a direct cost of around £54,000/annum(1). This cost is in addition to the various negative health outcomes observed when women fail to attend regular antenatal clinics. The Saving Mother’s Lives report(2) showed that a third (32%) of the women who died in the period 2006-2008 failed to regularly attend antenatal appointments. The top three direct causes of maternal death in the UK are all associated with better health outcomes for the mother who regularly attends antenatal appointments(2). The same can also be said for the top three indirect causes of maternal death(2). Women who fail to attend any antenatal appointments have increased risk of low birth weight children, foetal death & neonatal death (5.46, 12.05 & 10.03, odds ratios compared to control, respectively)(2). Our team hypothesised that offering a free smartphone application with appointment reminders and public transport data could potentially improve attendance at clinics following extensive consultation with local clinicians and patients. We carried out a survey amongst women attending the antenatal service to assess interest and viability of the project. We determined there was an 89% smartphone adoption rate amongst this population (n= 91), with 84% identifying that use of a smartphone app would be useful. 9% of the population was identified as: having a smartphone, finding the concept useful & also having issues with attending antenatal appointments due to International Digital Health and Care Congress, The King’s Fund, London, September 10-12 2014. International Journal of Integrated Care – Volume 14, 01 November – URN:NBN:NL:UI:10-1-116517– http://www.ijic.org/ geographical access. All patients who indicated difficulties in attending clinic were within this category. Innovation: We developed a smartphone application that will directly interface with NHS systems to help the patient to keep track of their appointments for smartphones running Google Android or Apple’s iOS. We have integrated data from Travel South Yorkshire to offer public transport information based on GPS data obtained in real time from the smartphone. The mobile application also offers important health information to the woman regarding her pregnancy. This is all displayed in an intuitive format with a graphical representation of the woman’s journey through pregnancy. Impact: By addressing the needs of the patient sub-population identified through our questionnaire (i.e. geographical access issues) we hope to improve patient outcomes and decrease financial losses by improving attendance rates at antenatal clinic at the WCH. We hope to integrate this application into a suite of mobile applications currently being developed by the Hull & East Yorkshire NHS Trust and upon its deployment we aim to audit its effectiveness in a clinical setting.

Donors in a Dictatorship: Giving, Civil Society, and Democratic Action in Communist East Germany

This history of charitable collections in the East German dictatorship (the Protestant organized Bread for the World and the student-led Initiative: Hope for Nicaragua) analyzes the relationship between philanthropy, civil society, and democratic action. These collections, widely unknown outside of the former German Democratic Republic, indicate that independent associations could form to organize philanthropic collections for international causes in this dictatorship. These groups provided the basis for actions outside of state control by engaging East Germans in support of human rights and individual need internationally. As such, my work shows that philanthropy can both exist within a dictatorship and encourage democratic action.

The summer premedical program for matriculating medical students: a student-led initiative

The freshman academic year is one of the most difficult years that a medical student experiences in his/her academic life at a medical school. Freshmen are frequently faced with several challenges, such as adaptation to a new academic environment and its associated different methods of teaching, learning, skills, and assessment. The aim of this study was to describe a 4-wk innovative summer premedical program developed by senior medical students at the College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, in an attempt to improve/smooth the experience(s) of prospective freshmen. This report describes the objectives/strategies/methodologies used to tackle the top three identified freshman challenges, namely, 1) advancement of the academic/scholastic/educational background, 2) the development of college-required skills to succeed and excel in the freshman year, and 3) adaption to the college environment. At the end of the program, a survey was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the summer premedical program. Seventy-two students attended this program over the past three summers from 2010 to 2012, and twenty-nine students answered the survey with a response rate of 74.1%. Overall, >90% of the survey respondents reported an improvement in their understanding of basic medical science, integration, presentation skills, medical terminology, and junior-senior relationships. Furthermore, the survey highlighted the need for more focus on skills such as time management, participation in large-group discussions, and use of electronic resources, as >50% of respondents reported no improvement in these areas. In conclusion, this is the first report, to our knowledge, that describes a program developed by senior medical students to improve the experience of freshmen.

Got Health?: A Student-Led Inquiry Youth Engagement Project

Background: Schools can serve as a pillar for health promotion for children and youth; youth reporting high levels of school engagement and peer connectedness report improved health and decreased health risk behaviours. Students that have a negative school experience and feel alienated are more likely to engage in health risk behaviours. Thus, developing effective student-led inquiry health initiatives based on empowerment and engagement are important for the health of future generations. We examined a student-led inquiry initiative that was developed and piloted in one school district in British Columbia (BC), Canada called Got Health?. The purpose was to empower students to create change in their schools through developing and leading a school health project guided by the four pillars of the Comprehensive School Health model. Methods: 4 Elementary, 2 Middle, and 2 High Schools in 1 school district were engaged in the 2011-2012 school year. The project received funding from The District Health Promoting Schools and each school was supported by a small grant from the Directorate of Agencies for School Health (DASH) in BC. Each school identified a teacher champion and a team of students to lead the project. Semi-structured focus groups were used to collect qualitative data. A framework analysis approach was used to analyse the data. Results: Mirroring those found in the literature, major outcomes identified by the focus groups include: increased school connectedness, improved health awareness, and facilitation of student engagement. Conclusions: Our results suggest that student-led health promotion projects can make a positive contribution to both student engagement and school connection. Future research should implement more randomized comparison trials that include implementation information and process evaluation to move the field forward.

An academic honor code developed and implemented by students

ObjectiveTo outline a student-led academic honor code initiative and the impact student leadership and involvement had in the overall development, implementation, and acceptance of the St. Louis College of Pharmacy Academic Honor Code and Integrity Policy (AHCIP). MethodsThe AHCIP was developed between January 2010 and April 2011. A survey was conducted in the spring of 2010 to assess student and faculty views on academic dishonesty. Key stakeholders were then provided additional opportunities for feedback through focus groups and regularly scheduled meetings. Multiple versions of the AHCIP were drafted, and the policy was approved by students, faculty, and the administration in April 2011. Implementation followed in August 2011. ResultsAs a result of a highly transparent and collaborative process, a successful and sustained implementation of a student-developed AHCIP occurred at St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Data on AHCIP reports are recorded each semester for continued evaluation. At the end of the first semester (Fall 2011), 23 potential violations were reported and evaluated by a judicial panel; 14 were found to be violations, while nine were considered not to be violations. At the end of the following semester (Spring 2012), four reports were received and reviewed by the judicial panel, and three were considered to be violations of the AHCIP. ConclusionA student-led initiative with emphasis on transparency and engagement from key stakeholders can lead to successful implementation and college-wide acceptance of an academic honor code at a professional school.

Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine: Learning from Spin-Outs

Abstract The meeting "Commercialization of Your Regenerative Medicine Research: Lessons from Spin Out Successes" was hosted by the Oxbridge Biotech Roundtable (OBR) (Oxford, UK) at the University of Oxford in February, 2013, and attracted a multi-stakeholder audience spanning academia and industry. The event featured case studies from Gregg Sando, CEO, Cell Medica (London, UK), John Sinden, CSO, Reneuron (Guilford, UK), and Paul Kemp, CEO and CSO, Intercytex (Manchester, UK). OBR is a student-led initiative with over 7000 members across eight different UK and US locations with a mission to foster a conversation about the healthcare and life sciences industry. Here we review the main themes of the meeting and the major questions facing the regenerative medicine industry and its rapidly emerging subsets of cellular and gene therapies. Notably, we discuss the compatibility of regenerative therapies to the existing healthcare infrastructure, biomanufacturing challenges (including scalability and comparability), and the amenability of regenerative therapies to existing reimbursement and investment models. Furthermore, we reiterate key words of advice from seasoned industry leaders intended to accelerate the translation path from lab bench to the marketplace.

The Compass Project: Charting a new course in physics education

A student-led initiative helps students from underrepresented minorities succeed in a most rewarding yet challenging subject: physics.

Using social media in academic practice: a student-led training initiative

The effective use of social and participative media is widely seen as a key requirement in 21st century academic practice and professional development (Research Information Network, 2010). This paper describes a collaborative, student-led initiative that identifi ed a gap in existing doctoral training provision and delivered a series of interactive sessions to PhD students and early career researchers at the University of Nottingham. With an emphasis less on the technologies and more on their social, participatory and collaborative affordances, the sessions were designed and presented by two PhD students to raise awareness of social media and provide an opportunity for discussion and shared practice. In summarising the initiative, we provide key observations, perspectives and feedback from the session organisers and attendees, and refl ect on relevant literature and our experiences and feedback from presenting at the Future Learningscapes conference.

Peer-assisted learning in teaching clinical examination to junior medical students

Background: In medical education, peer-assisted learning (PAL) refers to teaching occurring between fellow students. Few descriptions of its use to teach clinical examination have been published. Student Grand Rounds (SGR) is a student-led initiative whereby senior students volunteer to teach clinical examination to pre-clinical peers. Student tutors attend a modified Teaching on the Run (TOTR) course originally designed to train clinicians to teach students and junior doctors.Aim: We investigated the value of SGR in teaching pre-clinical students, and evaluated the effectiveness of TOTR.Methods: Over 9 months, tutors and participants in each SGR tutorial completed an online survey. At the conclusion of annual TOTR workshops (2004–2010), participants evaluated their impressions of the course.Results: A total of 64 SGR tutorials were attended by a total of 321 students. All agreed that tutorials were beneficial and enjoyable, with a threefold increase in the number of students self-identifying as able to perform the skills required. TOTR participants classified the course as both relevant and beneficial, and all course outcomes were achieved. SGR tutors reported improved knowledge and confidence in teaching following SGR and TOTR.Conclusion: PAL is effective in supplementing teaching of clinical examination. Senior students learn valuable skills and gain experience in teaching.

Implementation and Early Outcomes of a Peer-Led Traffic Safety Initiative for High School Students

Compared with other age groups, teenagers have the lowest rate of safety belt use. We sought to determine whether an ongoing, student-led initiative would be effective in increasing safety belt use among high school students compared with another school in which the intervention did not take place. At the intervention school, there was a statistically significant increase of 15% in observed safety belt use and evidence of increased knowledge regarding proper safety belt use. High schools can be effective in changing the traffic safety behaviors of its students.

Political Action Day: A Student-Led Initiative to Increase Health Advocacy Training Among Medical Students

Background: Health advocacy is a critical aspect of the competent physician's role. It is identified as a core competency by several national physician regulatory organizations, yet few formal training programs exist. We developed an initiative to teach medical students health advocacy skills.Methods: At Political Action Day, students from Alberta medical schools lobbied the provincial government. A day of training seminars preceded Political Action Day that focused on teaching health advocacy and communication strategies. The following day, medical students met with elected representatives at the Legislative Assembly. An entry and exit survey was administered to students.Results: On October 26-27th, 2008, 40 students met with 38/83 (46%) elected representatives including the Minister of Health and Wellness. Feedback from students and politicians suggests the event was effective in teaching advocacy skills. This initiative inspired students to be politically active in the future.Conclusions: Political Action Day helps fulfill the health advocacy competency objectives, and requires minimal curriculum time and resources for integration. It is an effective tool to begin teaching advocacy, and should be further expanded and replicated at other Canadian medical schools.

Peer teaching: by students for students. A student-led initiative

Peer teaching: by students for students. A student-led initiative

Nurturing of surgical careers by the wellington surgical interest club

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) has recently introduced the new Surgical Education and Training programme. The purpose of this was, in part, to help address the anticipated shortage of surgeons in the future, by streamlining the surgical training programme. The formation of the Wellington Surgical Interest Club (WSIC), a student-led initiative, had several complementary goals. These included the desire to identify potential candidates for a career in surgery, promote a surgical career to students especially women, help students acquire basic surgical skills early, inform students about surgical careers, promote student involvement in surgical research and to create an effective mentorship model during undergraduate and junior surgical training. The strengths of WSIC are its goals, which are similar to those of the RACS with regard to promoting surgery as a career option; its easy reproducibility at other medical institutions; its ability to focus on issues of relevance to both students and junior doctors; and being a bridging solution at a time when early exposure to surgical specialties is both desired and necessary.

The Structure and Culture of Developing a Mathematics Tutoring Collaborative in an Urban High School

This conceptual article describes a model of a school-based, student-led initiative that uses peer tutoring to address underachievement in mathematics. The model is three pronged: a) it suggests a site-based approach to building on existing student excellence in mathematics to drive improved student mathematics achievement; b) it seeks to address the lack of teacher knowledge about urban students and their mathematics understanding; and c) it aims to deepen existing mathematics knowledge, confidence and interest among high school students. In the article, I share analyses of the interactions among tutors, tutees, advisors, and teacher; the mathematical discourse within those interactions; and the hierarchical and collaborative relationships that emerged over time.