Undergraduate Training Research Articles

Lessons learned from the experiences of patients with long-term conditions: recommendations for enhancing the undergraduate medical curriculum

ABSTRACT The importance of involving patients in medical education is widely accepted, but their contribution to medical curriculum design is not well documented. Patients have the potential to bring a unique perspective and more refined experience to curriculum development. This applies particularly to those with long-term conditions (LTCs) who have multiple exposures to doctors throughout their healthcare journey. The aim of this study is to explore what views patients with LTCs have on the attributes medical students require to have, in order to provide them with high-quality care. Ten patients with LTCs, encompassing both primary and secondary care over a broad set of demographics, were interviewed by telephone using a semi-structured questionnaire. The interviews were recorded using a digital voice recorder and manually transcribed verbatim onto a Microsoft Word document for thematic analysis using NVIVO software and following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework. Five themes have emerged highlighting where the care of LTC patients could be improved: ‘advocacy’; ‘compassion’; ‘the desire to be acknowledged as an individual’”; acknowledgement of their expertise”; and ‘benefits of continuity of care’. The findings make a major contribution to undergraduate and postgraduate clinical training development. They reinforce themes in healthcare which need more emphasis in the medical curriculum, whilst simultaneously highlighting that even well-recognised concepts such as patient-centred holistic care, are not well implemented in the context of actual practice.

Bridging the Digital Competence Gap: A Comparative Study of Preservice and In-Service Teachers in Lebanon Using the DigCompEdu Framework

AbstractThis study investigates the digital competence levels of Lebanese preservice and in-service teachers using the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu). The research aims to explore the existing gap in digital competence between these two groups through a cross-sectional descriptive survey, involving 170 in-service teachers and 194 preservice teachers from various undergraduate teacher training programs in Lebanon. The findings reveal significant differences between in-service and preservice teachers in all six competence areas and no significant difference per subject areas, with in-service teachers demonstrating higher overall digital competence compared to preservice teachers. The study draws attention to the need for improved practical training and targeted interventions in teacher education programs to better prepare preservice teachers for the digital demands of modern classrooms. The findings have implications for policy and practice, particularly in enhancing teacher training programs to meet the evolving digital needs of education.

Using Virtual Reality in Mental Health Nursing to Improve Behavioral Health Equity.

Nursing students often experience anxiety, stress, and fear during a clinical rotation in a mental health setting due to stressors and biases toward the setting as well as lack experience in caring for patients with mental health conditions. One in four people worldwide suffers from a mental disorder; therefore, it is critical that nurses feel confident interacting with these patients to provide equitable care. Undergraduate training is a critical period for changing students' attitudes toward this population. This study's goal was twofold. First, we offered students' exposure to common behaviors and symptoms displayed by a patient with mental illness through an engaging and immersive virtual reality simulation experience before taking care of patients in a clinical setting. Second, we aimed to determine if a virtual reality simulation will change students' attitude and stigma, favorably, toward patients with mental health conditions. We used a mixed-method comparative analysis to collect information and identify themes on undergraduate students' attitudes and stigma toward patients with mental health conditions. Our findings demonstrate that virtual reality simulations enhance awareness and sensitivity to the situations of others (empathy) while improving their communication skills. The use of virtual reality in a baccalaureate curriculum deepens the understanding of health equity in behavioral health for nursing students.

Nutrition Education and Practice in University Dental and Oral Health Programmes and Curricula: A Scoping Review.

Dentists and oral health practitioners have a potential role in supporting the prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases. However, the extent to which university education prepares practitioners to provide nutrition care is unclear. This scoping review identifies and synthesises the evidence related to university-level nutrition education provided to dental and oral health students globally. A scoping review identified relevant literature through search terms "dentistry," "oral health," or "oral hygiene"; "dental students" or "dental education"; "nutrition education" or "nutrition science." Articles were included that examined nutrition education in undergraduate oral health training; or nutrition knowledge, attitudes, confidence, or skills or dietary habits; experts' opinion papers; and position statements. No limitations on the publication years or languages of the articles were applied. A total of 136 articles were included. Half were surveys of students (n = 49) or academic staff (n = 21). The remainder comprised reports of curriculum initiatives (n = 26), opinion papers or narrative reviews (n = 24), position statements (n = 6), curriculum development (n = 6) and curriculum guidelines (n = 9). While dental and oral health students and curriculum experts overwhelmingly recognised the importance of nutrition, most studies that assessed nutrition knowledge of students revealed limited knowledge. Students were not confident in their skills to provide nutrition care. Lack of nutrition experts on teaching teams and unclear expectations about developing nutrition competencies were identified as barriers to greater nutrition education. Nutrition education in university dental and oral health degrees is highly variable. The potential for oral health professionals of the future to promote oral health through nutrition is unrealised.

Undergraduate musculoskeletal ultrasound training based on current national guidelines—a prospective controlled study on transferability

IntroductionMusculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) is integral to routine clinical diagnostics for musculoskeletal and joint disorders. This study aims to establish and validate a sonography course tailored to undergraduate medical students acquiring MSUS-specific skills at a German university.MethodsA blended learning training concept, comprising 24 instruction sessions of 45 min each, was designed based on the current national guidelines of the German Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (DEGUM). This program was integrated into the clinical phase of the undergraduate students’ medical education. The self-perceived improvement in competency and the effectiveness of the course design were evaluated using a a 7-point Likert scale questionnaire. Objective learning success was evaluated via a written test and a “Direct Observation of Practical Skills” practical exam. Control groups included medical students without MSUS training (control group 1) and doctors who had completed DEGUM-certified basic MSUS courses (control group 2). Both control groups completed the written test, while control group 2 also took the practical final exam. The study involved 146 participants: 56 were allocated to the study group, 44 to control group 1, and 46 to control group 2.ResultsThe study group rated their skills significantly higher after the course (p < 0.01). Participants expressed high satisfaction with the course design, the teaching materials, and the teachers. The study group's performance on the final written test was comparable to those of control group 2 (p = 0.06) and significantly superior to control group 1 (p < 0.001). Additionally, the study group’s performance on the practical final exam was not significantly different from control group 2 (p = 0.28), with both groups achieving scores exceeding 80%.ConclusionBoth subjective and objective measures of learning suggest that an MSUS course designed for postgraduates can be effectively adapted for undergraduate medical students. Incorporating MSUS training into the clinical curriculum is recommended to enhance future medical professionals' educational experience and practical skills.

India's role in the odyssey of medical training in South Africa.

Apartheid had a devastating impact on medical education in South Africa. Until the development of the University of Natal Medical School in 1951, there were minimal opportunities for blacks (collectively Africans, Indians and so-called coloureds) to undertake undergraduate and postgraduate medical training in South Africa. At the height of apartheid (1968-1977), whites who had constituted 17% of the population, accounted for up to 87% of all medical graduates. The African majority, constituting 70% of the population had less than 5% of all medical graduates in South Africa. The global isolation of South Africa from the late 1940s further impacted negatively on the medical training for blacks in South Africa. During apartheid, the Government of India provided full scholarships to the marginalized in South Africa to study medicine in India. This initiative, coming at a time when India was grappling with its post-colonial challenges, was a remarkable yet seldom appreciated gesture.

Improving struggling medical and nursing students’ subjective vitality, school engagement and academic performance through a peer mentorship intervention programme: an intervention protocol

BackgroundThe undergraduate medical training programme is demanding and rigorous. This underlines the importance of a peer mentorship strategy to improve the well-being, self-determination, school connectedness, and performance of struggling medical and nursing students. This study is aimed at identifying struggling medical and nursing students using two cumulative continuous assessment test (CAT) scores, assess their subjective vitality and school engagement and evaluate the impact of the peer mentorship intervention on them.MethodsThe study will adopt a mixed-methods approach and will be conducted in the medical colleges of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria, and the University of Rwanda. Three instruments will be used: The subjective Vitality Scale (SVS), the University Student Engagement Inventory (USEI), and the academic records of the students before and after the commencement of the intervention programme. The consenting least-performing medical and nursing students identified by their low CAT scores (below 45%) in basic medical sciences will be selected for study in each institution. The outcome measures will include students’ CAT scores, subjective vitality, and school engagement scores. The data will be analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Thematic content analysis will be adopted in the analysis of the responses generated from the focus group discussion. The mean ± standard deviation or median and interquartile range statistic will be adopted for the quantitative data.DiscussionGiven the paucity of data on struggling medical and nursing students in Nigeria and Rwanda, this research was designed to help in exploring evidence-based interventions to improve and prevent poor subjective well-being of struggling students. The study is expected to fill these knowledge gaps. Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trial registry, PACTR202405546896613, registration date: 27th May, 2024. This proposal has been supported by grant 1R25TW011217 from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Fogarty International Center (FIC) which also includes co-funds from the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy (S/GAC) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to the African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth). The Grant Principal Investigators are Profs. Nelson K.Sewankambo (contact PI), Prisca Adejumo, Jean Bisimwa Nachega, Fatima Suleman.

Gender and Family Stereotypes in a Photograph: Research Using the Eye-Tracking Method

Abstract The article presents the results of a 2022 study involving students training to be civic studies teachers. Three research goals were set: to determine which gender and family stereotypes burden the interpretation of a photograph; to identify qualitative differences in the perception, analysis, and interpretation of the photograph depending on the form of the questions asked; and to gain respondents’ feedback on the test. The test used a computer and was based on a family photograph and a series of questions. Three methods of data collection and analysis were used (audio recording analysis, eye-tracking, interview). The study found that future teachers are substantially influenced by gender stereotypes in Czech society. It also confirmed the importance of didactic structuring when analysing iconographic material. The findings show the importance of gender-sensitive education and the development of didactic skills for interpreting visual texts as part of undergraduate training for future civic studies teachers.

Developing a Public Health Course to Train Undergraduate Student Health Messengers to Address Vaccine Hesitancy in an American Indian Community.

The purpose of the Diné Teachings and Public Health Students Informing Peers and Relatives about Vaccine Education (RAVE) project was to develop strategies for health communication that addressed COVID-19 vaccine safety for residents of the Navajo Nation. The RAVE project developed a 16-week course using the Diné Educational Philosophy as a framework to train Diné College (DC) public health undergraduate students (n = 16) as health messengers to share COVID-19 vaccine safety information with unvaccinated peers and relatives. An online community survey (n = 50) was used to assess DC community vaccination perceptions to guide course development. The two primary reasons survey participants got vaccinated were to protect the health of others [82% (n = 41)] and to protect their own health [76% (n = 38)]. A pretest/post-test and a retrospective pretest (n = 13) were implemented to determine course effectiveness. A finding approaching significance was related to student confidence in being health messengers (9.1% increase). RAVE offers the first example in the published literature of successfully training American Indian undergraduate students in the context of a public health course to contribute to the response workforce during a public health crisis.

Paediatric rheumatology in Nigeria: history, challenges and the future.

Pediatric rheumatology is a relatively new subspecialty in Nigeria. For many years, rheumatic disease had not been well-recognized or studied in Nigeria, so there has been a low suspicion index. The clinical presentation of most pediatric rheumatic diseases (PRDs) mimics non-rheumatic diseases making it a diagnostic challenge most of the time. The story has changed in Lagos since the creation of a pediatric rheumatology unit at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. There is now a high index of suspicion for these diseases in the hospital but no one knows about what is happening in the other 35 states of the country who do not have a pediatric rheumatologist. Major challenges being faced presently are poor awareness among healthcare workers and the community, high cost of investigations and medications, lack of pediatric rheumatologists in most hospitals in the country, lack of pediatric rheumatology training centers for both undergraduate and postgraduate training, and lack of research data. The healthcare community in Nigeria is looking forward to a future where pediatric rheumatology will be highly recognized and established.

Preliminary Effect of Challenge-Based Learning on Fostering Nursing Students’ Multidisciplinary Collaboration in Community Health Care Settings

BackgroundCompetence in multidisciplinary collaboration is an essential attribute of nurses working in community health settings. Nursing students should be equipped with this attribute during undergraduate training. AimTo examine the effect of Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) on multidisciplinary collaboration among nursing students. MethodsA one-group pretest-posttest study. Nursing students worked in multidisciplinary groups to conduct community projects framed with CBL. The students designed, planned, and implemented health promotion activities for the selected health topics over a 14-week semester. Multidisciplinary collaboration was measured by Collaboration Scale at baseline and after the projects were completed. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the total and subdomain collaboration scores within-group. p-value <0.05 was statistical significance. ResultsThe total and subdomain collaboration scores were significantly greater than those of the pretest ones (p<0.001), with the effect sizes (r) ranging from 0.48 to 0.71. ConclusionsThe present findings shed light on the potential positive effect of CBL on strengthening nursing students’ competence in multidisciplinary collaboration. Future studies with a more rigorous approach are needed to verify the findings.

Self-perception of Teaching Difficulties in Prospective Teachers: Adaptation of the Teaching Problems Inventory

The aim of this article is to analyze the psychometric properties of an abbreviated version of the Teaching Problems Inventory. For this purpose, the scale is subjected to a previous exploratory factor analysis to statistically examine the underlying constructs. Previously, a confirmatory factor analysis was performed and a new grouping into dimensions was generated. To analyze the properties of the items, descriptive statistics were performed: mean, standard deviation and inter-item correlations. To study the psychometric properties of the scale, Cronbach's alpha, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) -to identify the latent structure of the variables-, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used as a procedure to check the results of the EFA. As recommended, participants were randomly divided into two groups to perform the AFE with one group and the AFC with the other to avoid distortions Participant: the proportion of items, sample size, normality, linearity, and correlation between variables were checked as assumptions for the factor analysis. The sample consisted of 992 undergraduate teacher training and master's degree students from different Spanish regions: Valencia, Andalusia, Catalonia, Madrid, Castilla la Mancha, and Castilla y León. The results of the different reliability and validity analyses showed that the reduced scale has higher reliability values and is still sensitive to capture gender and age scoring difference. As a conclusion, the consistency of the instrument to evaluate the teaching difficulties of students of different degrees and postgraduate degrees in education is highlighted. As for the limitations, the elimination of 2 items relevant at a theoretical level stands out: Motivating students in school tasks and Discipline problems with students/groups of students.

For which entrustable professional activities must medical students be prepared if unsupervised patient care without further training is an expectation? An international Global South study

IntroductionTraining medical students requires objectives that are often translated into frameworks of competencies. Since the introduction of entrustable professional activities (EPAs), these tasks or ‘units of professional practice’, originally conceived...

Trial by fire: The qualitative essence of interns’ baptism into medical responsibility

BACKGROUND: The transition from medical student to intern represents a challenging period of professional and personal development. This study aimed to explore junior doctors’ experiences navigating this critical passage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted on a junior intern doctor working in a tertiary care hospital, in Gujarat. About 40 junior doctors participated in semi-structured interviews reflecting on their internship transition. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Perceived deficits in preparedness for clinical work and emotional readiness were a major theme. Interns felt underprepared in skills like clinical reasoning and procedures. The abrupt onset of patient care responsibility provoked anxiety and eroded confidence. Difficulty adapting to workplace culture and hierarchies was another challenge. Long work hours, unfamiliar team dynamics, and new professional relationships were demanding. The intensity of workload and patient care duties provoked overwhelming stress, fatigue, and burnout risk during the junior doctor transition. Peer support and mentoring facilitated adaptation. Enhanced undergraduate training in practical skills and professional competencies was advised to improve preparedness. CONCLUSION: Junior doctors face major challenges to their well-being, confidence, and competence as they transition into clinical practice. Support structures to ease this demanding passage of professional development are needed. Medical schools must strengthen curricula to address preparedness gaps. Improved onboarding and supervised orientation may also benefit new interns. Facilitating an optimal student-to-doctor transition has important implications for physician training, satisfaction, and retention.

A importância do aprofundamento teórico-metodológico na formação docente e nas produções de materiais didáticos dialógicos no curso de Letras

The Bakhtinian approach has been present in Brazilian official curricular documents since the 1990s. However, its pedagogical appropriation has been guided by the linguistic structure to the detriment of social interaction (Faraco, 2009), demanding efforts in Portuguese school subject teacher training. In this article, the objective is to show how the dialogic discourse theory deepening can contribute to teaching materials production, based on Portuguese language major training experience at the University of São Paulo in 2020. In this experience, the theoretical-methodological approach includes the concepts of speech genres (Bakhtin, 2016 [1952-1953]) and theme (Volóchinov, 2018 [1929]) and on the production of didactic proposals aligned with the Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC) (Brasil, 2018) and with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Unesco, 2017). In this work, we analyze the proposal “Gênero do discurso e produção de texto: editorial” [“Speech genres and text production: editorial”], identifying the authors' observance of Bakhtinian discursive referents: i) sphere/field of human activity; ii) speech genre; iii) its relative stability; iv) multiple voices in statements; v) thematic totality. The results indicate dialogical quality in the material with the presence of elements that express social dynamics, confirming the relevance of theoretical deepening and its practical application in undergraduate teacher training.

Application of Printed Teaching Materials in Digital Form

The study focuses on the identification of criteria, limits for the transformation and usability of printed teaching texts and materials in their digital form in the educational process. Based on the identified criteria, the goal is to upgrade the form of printed teaching texts, in accordance with the needs of education in the 21st century, into a digital form. In order to increase the level of competence of teacher students in the field of handling ICT, for their future practice, it is important to appeal to the necessity of integrating ICT into teaching. The output of the study is a concrete demonstration of the transformation of print content into digital form and the presentation of data of a group of students educated in the field of handling digital means and platforms, during their undergraduate training, in a specific subject.

Exploration and Practice of the Training Mechanism of Energy and Power Undergraduate Talents Under the Background of “Double-carbon”

In order to meet the development requirements of the “two-carbon” strategy, to cultivate compound and innovative talents suitable for the new needs of the energy industry, this paper aims to analyze the characteristics and development trends of energy and power majors and the current situation of the training of traditional energy and power professionals. This paper starts from the emphasis on curriculum adjustment and upgrading, strengthening interdisciplinary integration education, deepening school-enterprise cooperation, highlighting projects and competition training, etc., to build a new mode of energy and power undergraduate talent training under the background of “double carbon.” The effective strategies for the construction and implementation of the culture mechanism can provide a new perspective and ideas for China’s energy and power undergraduate talent training to provide a steady stream of talent support for China to achieve the “double-carbon” strategic goal.

Influencia entre la edad, nivel académico y la elección de modelos de periodización por los entrenadores de natación en Colombia

The objective of this research is to identify a possible influence between age and academic level in the choice of periodization models used by swimming coaches in Colombia. For this, a questionnaire was applied to 11 swimming coaches in Colombia through the Google Forms platform and the information was processed and analyzed based on descriptive statistics. The most relevant results of this study indicate that the models most used by coaches are the classic, integrated macrocycles and hybrids, in addition, it is shown that in their classification the most used models are contemporary, followed by the classic and emerging ones. The academic level of the coaches indicates that all of them have undergraduate training and a slight percentage of graduates. A clear inclination to choose contemporary models is evident; in addition, the importance of the educational level in the choice of periodization models is highlighted.

Solutions to improve quality, create breakthrough in training, fostering, attracting and employing talents in Vietnam

In order to create the possibility of economic breakthrough development, remove economic institutional bottlenecks, release resources, and develop the economy quickly and sustainably in Vietnam in the coming time, it is impossible not to mention solutions to improve the quality, create breakthroughs in training and fostering talents. This is one of the important solutions in the context that the Party and State require the application and development of science and technology more and more extensively in all fields and all sectors in Vietnam. The article focuses on researching the the political basis, legal basis, and practical basis for training, fostering, attracting and employing talents in Vietnam. Meanwhile, statistics on undergraduate and postgraduate training in the period of 2016–2022, the training level of the workforce and the Global Talent Competitiveness Index show that Vietnam has not achieved many positive changes in training, fostering, attracting and employing talents as expected. The article is approached from many different aspects, including the perspective of leaders and managers at the head of state agencies, the perspective of businesses and the perspective of the university teaching staff and scientific research workers themselves. On that basis, the article points out the key contents that need addressing so as to build solutions to improve quality, create breakthroughs in training, fostering, attracting and employing talents in Vietnam in the context of international integration and science and technology development. The main contributions of the article focus on the identification of the concept of “talent”, the criteria for determining “talent” and the renewal of awareness of policies and laws on training, fostering, attracting, employing, introducing and recommending talents.

Professional self-determination in the conditions of studying for a master's degree

Introduction. The article is devoted to one of the most urgent problems of modern education – the professional self-determination of undergraduates in the process of university education. The article provides a historical and pedagogical analysis of the state and development of the problem of professional self-determination in Russia from the 20s of the last century to the present. In the context of the formation of a new system of higher pedagogical education in Russia, the authors attempt to consider the professional self-determination of future masters as the need for their effective professional training. Materials and Methods. As research methods, the method of analysis and systematization of psychological and pedagogical theoretical and experimental and scientific and methodological studies of domestic scientists on the problem of professional development of a future specialist in the conditions of modern domestic higher education system was used. When describing the specifics of the professional training of undergraduates, the emphasis is placed on the use of methods of systematization and generalization of psychological and pedagogical research and regulatory documents. Results. Considering the professional self-determination of future specialists as the need for their professional training, based on the analysis of philosophical and psychological and pedagogical research, the authors clarified and specified the key categories of research: "self-determination", "professional self-determination", "readiness for self-determination". The article reveals the features of modern learning youth at different levels of professional self-determination. The types of self-determination (professional, social, personal, family, life, religious, etc.) are identified. Such important aspects of vocational training as: changes in the content of vocational training of a university student, the influence of socio-cultural factors on the professional training of future specialists, the formation of competencies and competence, the psychological component of vocational training in the educational environment of the university are revealed. Discussion and Conclusions. The problem of professional self-determination of undergraduates at the present stage of development of society and the creation of a new system of Russian pedagogical education in the context of globalization and digitalization is significantly updated and requires the search for new forms and methods of professional training of specialists.