Student-run Program Research Articles

Anatomy Camp: A Medical Student-Run Outreach Program

Anatomy Camp is a medical student-run program for underserved youth from communities near the university. Middle and high school students are invited to visit the medical school for an afternoon of interacting with medical students, informal learning of anatomy and wellness, and becoming inspired to consider medical and STEM professions.

The MedConnect Program: Symptomatology, Return Visits, and Hospitalization of COVID-19 Outpatients Following Discharge From the Emergency Department.

Background and objectiveAlthough hospitalization is required for only a minority of those infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the high rates of morbidity and mortality among these patients have led researchers to focus on the predictors of admission and adverse outcomes in the inpatient population. However, there is scarce data on the clinical trajectory of individuals symptomatic enough to present for emergency care, but not sick enough to be admitted. In light of this, we aimed to examine the symptomatology, emergency department (ED) revisits, and hospitalization of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outpatients after discharge from the ED.MethodsAdult patients with COVID-19 infection were prospectively enrolled after discharge from the ED between May and December 2020. Patients were followed up longitudinally for 14 days via phone interviews designed to provide support and information and to track symptomatology, ED revisits, and hospitalization.ResultsA volunteer, medical student-run program enrolled 199 COVID-19 patients discharged from the ED during the first nine months of the pandemic. Of the 176 patients (88.4%) who completed the 14-day protocol, 29 (16.5%) had a second ED visit and 17 (9.6%) were admitted, 16 (9%) for worsening COVID-19 symptoms. Age, male sex, comorbid illnesses, and self-reported dyspnea, diarrhea, chills, and fever were associated with hospital admission for patients with a subsequent ED visit. For those who did not require admission, symptoms generally improved following ED discharge. Age >65 years and a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) were associated with a longer duration of cough, but generally, patient characteristics and comorbidities did not significantly affect the overall number or duration of symptoms.ConclusionsNearly one in five patients discharged from the ED with COVID-19 infection had a second ED evaluation during a 14-day follow-up period, despite regular phone interactions aimed at providing support and information. More than half of them required admission for worsening COVID-19 symptoms. Established risk factors for severe disease and self-reported persistence of certain symptoms were associated with hospital admission, while those who did not require hospitalization had a steady improvement in symptoms over the 14-day period.

The Nova Hydroculture Project: Bringing a Community of Science Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) Learners Together to Grow a Unique Garden

The Nova Hydroculture Project (NHP) is a collaboration between the Nova Southeastern University (NSU) American Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (ASBMB) and Sigma Xi chapters as well as Science Alive and the Nova Public Schools (K‐12) in Broward County, FL. Science Alive is a 501(c)(3) non‐profit organization (faculty‐sponsored and student‐run program) providing opportunities for teams of learners from all academic levels to explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) beyond textbooks through hands‐on, interactive discovery. By providing service learning opportunities for college students to lead in the local school community, we fill a need for the development of fun and educational science‐related activities in schools with traditionally underserved populations. For the NHP we are collaborating with schools that have the Title 1 designation meaning that at least 40% of the student population comes from low‐income families. Many of our college volunteers are the first in their families to attend college, as would be the case for many of the K‐12 students that we serve. Therefore, we are in an ideal environment to positively impact students that are “just like us”. The NHP involves building hydroculture gardens with food plants (such as tomatoes, peppers, and berries). Showing NHP participants how to grow vegetables and fruits in a small space with reduced amounts of water can teach alternate methods to grow fresh produce, especially in communities where traditional agricultural practices may not be possible. These techniques are also being used on the International Space Station (ISS) in their Vegetable Production System (Veggie). The first peppers from the ISS Veggie were harvested and consumed on the ISS in early November 2021, which was exciting for our teams to discuss. The NHP also provides experiential learning opportunities for young students to apply science and engineering concepts to garden‐building while working in teams with their mentors. The NHP teams document the growth and water quality of the gardens, take photos, and make science journal entries throughout the Project. Not only are hydroculture gardens fantastic opportunities to learn about science, math, technology, art, and engineering, but they are also living, breathing entities that require ongoing care and commitment, thus fostering a collaborative and interactive experience for everyone involved. The NHP brings together diverse teams of K‐12 students, parents, teachers, NSU students, and faculty as we work together and learn from each other in our diverse community.

Birth Companions: Teaching Nursing Students to Become Doulas.

The benefits of continuous labor support have been repeatedly discussed in the literature and supported by professional obstetric organizations. At the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, students are offered the unique opportunity to learn how to be a doula. The Birth Companions program provides nursing students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills to provide continuous labor support to women of Baltimore and surrounding areas. This faculty-led, student-run program also supports student engagement in service learning, and practice regarding leadership skills and interprofessional collaboration as a student nurse.

A Guide to Hosting a Doctoral Conference: How We (Ph.D. Students) Hosted a (Virtual) Conference During the Pandemic

We organized a doctoral symposium in April 2021. This was a student-run program, which provided opportunities for Ph.D. students interested in studying business and institutions in China to present their work, collect feedback, and network with other students and faculty members who share similar interests. We accumulated some knowledge about how to organize a (virtual) academic conference. This article summarizes our experiences. We hope to achieve two goals. First, we hope that this guide provides some public good to the research community, especially Ph.D. students, informing them on how to design and organize small-scale academic conferences and workshops. We provide detailed procedures and include relevant materials, including the call for papers, email communications, and final agenda for readers’ reference. Second, as COVID-19 has significantly reduced travel frequency for academic researchers and suspended many in-person academic meetings, we hope that this guide will help encourage researchers to explore additional channels for academic exchanges and promote research collaboration in these challenging times.

Physician Executive Leadership Plus: An Approach to Business and Management Education for Medical Students.

INTRODUCTIONPhysicians are looked upon to lead the healthcare team, a task that has grown increasingly complex and interdisciplinary, requiring a diverse extra-clinical skillset. Physician Executive Leadership (PEL) Plus is a student-run program that uniquely utilizes both didactic and real-world project-based approaches to deliver a business and management curriculum to medical students.METHODSWe developed and implemented PEL Plus during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 academic years, geared at first- and second-year medical students. We provide an overview of this combined didactic and project-based curriculum, in addition to evaluating if the program was efficacious in teaching the desired skillset. We assessed short-term knowledge acquisition using multiple-choice questions, and investigated student perceptions of their learning and the program using Likert scales and narrative feedback. We also investigated the influence of student demographics on performance, in order to assess the appropriateness of our target audience.RESULTS28 students completed PEL Plus over the two years (14 students/year). Average performance on multiple-choice questions showed statistically significant improvement after the majority of sessions. There were no statistically significant effects of demographics on performance in the majority of sessions. Students self-rated stronger understandings of lecture topics after each session, and analysis of narrative feedback demonstrated thematic categories centred on teaching style, new knowledge, lecture content/material, projects, networking, program structure, and generic statements.DISCUSSIONPEL Plus is an innovative and effective approach to teaching business, leadership, and management skills in undergraduate medical education. Development of similar programs at other institutions will positively impact the broader medical student community.

Prevention Produce for Women with Gestational Diabetes: A Student-Run Nutrition Education Program Partnered with Local Farmer’s Markets to Improve Pregnancy Outcomes

Abstract Objectives Gestational diabetes (GDM), glucose intolerance with onset during pregnancy, is associated with increased risk of maternal and fetal complications. Prevention and management are critical, with diet and exercise as mainstays. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables are beneficial for glucose control. Despite receiving nutrition counseling by dietitians, patients often have difficulty successfully implementing lifestyle changes. Prevention Produce is a student-run program previously shown to benefit patients with hypertension. This pilot study was conducted to determine feasibility of implementing Prevention Produce with a tailored nutrition curriculum for women with newly diagnosed GDM. Secondary aims included measurement of change in nutrition knowledge, fruits and vegetable intake, glucose control, and incidence of related pregnancy complications. Methods Women newly diagnosed with GDM through routine obstetric care at Penn State were screened and consented. Baseline data was obtained, including a nutrition knowledge questionnaire, validated food intake survey, and fruit and vegetable preferences. Nutrition, public health and medical students collaborated to provide patients with four sessions each including nutrition lessons and vouchers for produce at a market. After completion of the program, participants repeated the questionnaires which were compared to baseline. Results To date, 6 out of 9 patients enrolled have completed the program. Of those who completed the program, 83% rated the program as excellent, felt it improved their health overall, and reported eating more fruits and vegetables. Additionally, 100% felt it helped manage their GDM. Nutrition knowledge improved in 83% of patients by an average of 14% in questionnaire scores. The majority of patients increased servings of vegetables compared to baseline, with increased preferences for peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers predominating. Conclusions Preliminary results demonstrate that patients with newly diagnosed GDM find Prevention Produce helpful for improving produce intake and health overall. Participants will be monitored for the remainder of pregnancy, with a more in-depth evaluation of glucose control and rates of related complications. Funding Sources Community Start Up Grant, Penn State Hershey Public Health Sciences.

Innovative student run program teaches students simulation based clinical skills in a low-resource setting

Innovative student run program teaches students simulation based clinical skills in a low-resource setting

OCTET and BIOTEC: A Model of a Summer Intensive Camp Designed To Cultivate the Future Generation of Young Leaders in STEM

Herein, we describe an effective and tested model of a week-long summer science intensive program for high school students that aimed to elaborate on concepts covered in a high school chemistry or biology course, and to provide high school students an opportunity to learn about studying and pursuing careers in the sciences. The program was developed to combine instructional sessions, hands-on activities, and laboratory tours in order to review and build upon what students learn in high school. Student assessment and feedback confirms the effectiveness of this student-run program to teach and inspire high school students to pursue the sciences in their academic career.

"Know Your Status": results from a novel, student-run HIV testing initiative on college campuses.

Know Your Status (KYS), a novel, student-run program offered free HIV-testing at a private university (PU) and community college (CC). Following completion of surveys of risk behaviors/reasons for seeking testing, students were provided with rapid, oral HIV-testing. We investigated testing history, risk behaviors, and HIV prevalence among students tested during the first three years of KYS. In total, 1408 tests were conducted, 5 were positive: 4/408 CC, 1/1000 PU (1% vs. 0.1%, p=0.01). Three positives were new diagnoses, all black men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM). Over 50% of students were tested for the first time and 59% reported risk behaviors. CC students were less likely to have used condoms at last sex (a surrogate for risk behavior) compared to PU (OR 0.73, CI [0.54, 0.98]). Race, sexual identity, and sex were not associated with condom use. These results demonstrate that KYS successfully recruited large numbers of previously untested, at-risk students, highlighting the feasibility and importance of testing college populations.

The Colorado State University Pet Hospice Program: End-of-Life Care for Pets and Their Families

While the concept of hospice care for humans has existed for decades and is an integral part of the dying process, providing hospice care for companion animals is a new and growing service. Veterinarians and pet-owners have recently recognized that there is a need and a demand to care for pets with terminal illnesses. The Colorado State University Pet Hospice program meets those needs through supporting pets, their owners, and veterinarians, and educating professional veterinary students in end-of-life care. Developed in 2003, Pet Hospice is a student-run program that trains veterinary students in animal hospice care, and matches them with the family and veterinarian of a terminally ill pet in the community. Since its inception, 101 veterinary student volunteers have been trained and provided support to 68 families. Continued expansion of the client base, enlargement of the network of veterinarians and volunteers, and positive program evaluations reflect the strong impact of Pet Hospice and its support from veterinary students, veterinarians, and the community.

AIDS Education and a Volunteer Training Program for Medical Students

The process of AIDS education poses exceptional challenges for teachers and students. Medical students are in a unique position in the health care system. They are young enough to be ideal role models for high school and college students. They are mature enough to be responsible educators. We describe a special program designed and implemented by a medical student to train other medical students to become AIDS educators. This student-run program provides education for student volunteers who are able to educate other students and members of the community. The program is designed to educate a generation of physicians who will be well-equipped to combat the HIV epidemic and who can serve the community as AIDS educators while still in medical school.