Medical School Training Research Articles

Medical Students' Attitudes, Knowledge, and Beliefs about Medical Cannabis: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

BackgroundThere has been increased attention given to understanding the uses of medical cannabis (MC) for symptom management of various medical conditions. Physicians receive minimal training in medical school and rely mostly on anecdotal evidence; by proxy, medical students generally do receive formal training in MC. It is unknown how medical students perceive MC, including its efficacy, appropriateness in medicine, its possible adverse effects, and its value for patients. This study investigated medical students’ perceived knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward MC to better understand their knowledge about and attitudes toward MC. MethodUsing a semi-structured interview guide, eight focus groups were conducted with 83 medical students via Zoom virtual meeting platform (Zoom Video Communications, Inc., San Jose, California, United States) in June 2022. The interviews were guided by the following content areas: (1) beliefs about cannabis' therapeutic utility, (2) perceived knowledge about MC, (3) the role of the physician regarding MC, (4) concern for cannabis’ adverse effects, and (5) MC education in the school curriculum. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, an iterative, systematic process of coding patterns, and emerged themes in the interview data to explore medical students’ perceptions about MC. Themes were validated based on whether each theme captured distinct parts of the interview data and whether their content cohered meaningfully.ResultsFour themes emerged from the focus group interviews investigating medical students’ perceptions of MC: (1) erroneous beliefs about MC, (2) unreliable sources of information, (3) mixed attitudes toward legalization, and (4) desire for MC education while in medical school. Attitudes regarding MC in general, including legalization, varied by United States state of origin of the student and exposure to MC (e.g., use by family member). ConclusionMC seems to be a significant issue for medical trainees who might be required to recommend it to patients and manage coexisting therapies. Cultivating new knowledge about students’ perceptions and perceived knowledge about medicinal options and dosing of MC is critical for medical educators as they design undergraduate curricular initiatives for future physicians.

Physical activity knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of pre-clinical medical students attending an Australian university

BackgroundThrough the provision of advice and counselling, general practitioners (GPs) play an important part in promoting physical activity (PA). Lack of knowledge is a key barrier to engaging in such practice. Little is known about the knowledge and attitudes of current medical students and their preparedness to engage in PA promoting practice in the future. This study aimed to investigate the PA knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of medical students attending an Australian university.MethodsA sample of 107 pre-clinical medical students from an Australian university completed an online survey. Questions asked about age, sex and past-week PA behaviour (using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short form) as well as understanding of key PA messages and perceptions of the role of a GP, confidence to engage in PA promoting practices and satisfaction with current medical school training (responses were on 5-point Likert scale). Descriptive statistics (proportions, means) were used to summarise demographic and attitudinal measures.ResultsAlmost all students (92%) were categorised as being moderately or highly active in the past-week. Knowledge of key PA messages was moderate (3.6 ± 0.9), however understanding of key messages about the dose of PA varied (ranging from 0% to 80.4% agreement). GPs were regarded as having a role to play in promoting PA; with high agreement that discussing the benefits of PA is a part of the role of a GP (4.7 ± 0.5). There was only moderate agreement that participants had received training in the health benefits of PA (3.1 ± 1.0) and in PA counselling (3.2 ± 1.0). Students indicated lower levels of satisfaction with this training (2.5 ± 0.9).ConclusionsStudents in this study were typically physically active, had positive attitudes toward PA and felt that it was the role of the GP to engage in PA promoting practices. Students understood key PA messages, and while they reportedly received some training in providing PA counselling, they were somewhat dissatisfied with this training.

Using the 'Twelve tips for applying change models' for undergraduate medical curriculum reform in Pakistan: Incorporating a new Trauma Evaluation and Management TEAM® course.

Background: Trauma evaluation and management skills are not taught enough in medical school undergraduate curriculums worldwide. It has been recommended by trauma educators to incorporate trauma training in medical schools' curriculum as first-line management of trauma cases is usually required by junior doctors in ERs. The introduction of formal trauma training in the form of the Trauma Evaluation and Management TEAM® course is a change introduced into the curriculum. Even when introducing such a simple change, certain factors need to be considered including the stakeholders' apprehensions and involvement, the complexity of the internal and external environment, cultural context and political influences, and finally the psychological impact of change. Methods: Based primarily on the " Twelve tips for applying change models to curriculum design, development and delivery" by McKimm and Jones (2018), these 12 tips provide educators, involved in curriculum or program development, a practical example of the systematic and organized outlines to improve medical curricula. Results & Conclusions: While addressing these factors, this framework can guide educators for the successful development and implementation of a suggested change in the existing curriculum.

Digitalization in Medicine: Are German Medical Students Well Prepared for the Future?

The German healthcare system is facing a major transformation towards digitalized medicine. The aim was to find out the attitude and the degree of preparation of upcoming medical professionals for digital medicine. By means of an online survey, medical students from 38 German faculties were asked about different topics concerning digitalization. Most students (70.0%) indicated that they had not had any university courses on digital topics. Thus, only 22.2% feel prepared for the technical reality of digitalized medicine. Most fear losing patient contact because of digitalized medicine and assume that the medical profession will not be endangered by digitalization. Security systems, data protection, infrastructure and inadequate training are cited as the top problems of digitalization in medicine. Medical students have major concerns about incorrect decisions and the consecutive medicolegal aspects of using digital support as part their treatment plans. Digitalization in medicine is progressing faster than it can currently be implemented in the practical work. The generations involved have different understandings of technology, and there is a lack of curricular training in medical schools. There must be a significant improvement in training in digital medical skills so that the current and future healthcare professionals are better prepared for digitalized medicine.

Implementing a Social Determinants of Health Curriculum in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Qualitative Analysis of Faculty Experience.

Following shifts that broadened the medical profession's conceptualization of the underlying drivers of health, medical schools are required to integrate curricula on health disparities and the social context of medicine into undergraduate medical education. Although previous research has focused on student experiences and outcomes in these curricula, less attention has been paid to the experiences of the physician-faculty involved. This study aimed to capture faculty insights to improve understanding of the challenges and opportunities of implementing this curricular reform. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 faculty members at one U.S. medical school in spring 2019 to capture their experiences designing and teaching a new curriculum related to the social determinants of health and health disparities. Study design, including interview guide development, was informed by the critical pedagogy perspective and social constructionist approaches to curriculum implementation. With the use of a constructivist grounded theory approach, interview transcripts were analyzed using open, thematic, and axial coding techniques. Primary themes were categorized as professional, organizational, interactional, or intrapersonal and organized into the final model. Participants processed their experiences at 4 concentric levels: professional, organizational, interactional, and intrapersonal. Faculty generally embraced the movement to incorporate more discussion of social context as a driver of health outcomes. However, they struggled with the shortcomings of their training and navigating structural constraints within their school when developing and delivering content. When confronted with these limitations, faculty experienced unexpected tension in the classroom setting that catalyzed self-reflection and reconstruction of their teaching approach. Findings highlight the challenges that faculty encounter when integrating social determinants of health and related curricula into undergraduate medical education. They also speak to the need for a broader conceptualization of relevant expertise and have implications for how medical schools select, train, and support medical educators in this work.

Emergency Medical Technician Training in Medical School on Preparation for Required National Board Exams and Clerkship Rotations: Results from a Student Survey.

PurposeThe University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville has incorporated Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training into the first semester curriculum with students becoming state-certified EMTs and completing one ambulance shift per month throughout their pre-clerkship years. Although there have been programs that have reported EMT experiences in the pre-clinical years of medical education, student perceptions of how the EMT experiences help prepare them for board exams and clerkships is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to measure student perceptions regarding the impact of an EMT course and training in the pre-clerkship curriculum in medical school on helping prepare them for national board exams (ie USMLE® Step 1, 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), 2 Clinical Skills (CS)) and clerkship rotations.MethodsSecond-, third-, and fourth-year medical students at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville completed an anonymous voluntary survey with response rates of 66.3%, 55.2%, and 56.9%, respectively. The study was reviewed and exempted by the University of South Carolina Institutional Review Board.ResultsSeventeen percent, 14%, and 41% of students agreed/strongly agreed an EMT course helped prepare them for the USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS exam, respectively. Sixty-four percent of students agreed/strongly agreed that an EMT course and experience helped prepare them for clerkship rotations.ConclusionThe findings in this study support EMT training and experience as an EMT as one method to help prepare students for clerkship rotations.

Dactylitis from Mycobacterium intracellulare infection.

<b>Background:</b> Systematic reviews on the effects of problem-based learning have been limited to knowledge competency either during medical school or postgraduate training. We conducted a systematic review of evidence of the effects that problem-based learning during medical school had on physician competencies after graduation. <b>Methods:</b> We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Databases, and the tables of contents of 5 major medical education journals from earliest available date through Oct. 31, 2006. We included studies in our review if they met the following criteria: problem-based learning was a teaching method in medical school, physician competencies were assessed after graduation and a control group of graduates of traditional curricula was used. We developed a scoring system to assess the quality of the studies, categorized competencies into 8 thematic dimensions and used a second system to determine the level of evidence for each competency assessed. <b>Results:</b> Our search yielded 102 articles, of which 15 met inclusion criteria after full text review. Only 13 studies entered final systematic analysis because 2 studies reported their findings in 2 articles. According to self-assessments, 8 of 37 competencies had strong evidence in support of problem-based learning. Observed assessments had 7 competencies with strong evidence. In both groups, most of these competencies were in the social and cognitive dimensions. Only 4 competencies had moderate to strong levels of evidence in support of problem-based learning for both self-and observed assessments: coping with uncertainty (strong), appreciation of legal and ethical aspects of health care (strong), communication skills (moderate and strong respectively) and self-directed continuing learning (moderate). <b>Interpretation:</b> Problem-based learning during medical school has positive effects on physician competency after graduation, mainly in social and cognitive dimensions.

A systematic scoping review of communication skills training in medical schools between 2000 and 2020

Background Communication skills training (CST) remains poorly represented and prioritised in medical schools despite its importance. A systematic scoping review (SSR) of CST is proposed to better appreciate current variability in their structure, content, and assessment. This is to guide their future design in medical school curricula. Methods The Systematic Evidence-Based Approach (SEBA) was used to guide concurrent SSRs of teaching and assessment in CST. After independent database searches, concurrent thematic and content analysis of included articles were conducted separately. Resultant themes/categories were combined via the jigsaw perspective to provide a more holistic view of the data. These were then compared to tabulated summaries of the included articles to create funnelled domains. Results 52,300 papers were identified, 150 full-text articles included, and four funnelled domains were identified: Indications, Design, Assessment, and Barriers and Enablers of CST. CSTs confer numerous benefits to physicians and patients. It saw increased confidence, improved diagnostic capabilities and better clinical management, as well as greater patient satisfaction and treatment compliance. Skills may be divided into core, prerequisite competencies, and advanced skills pertinent to more challenging and nuanced scenarios – such as population or setting-specific situations. CST teaching and assessment modalities were found to align with Miller’s Pyramid, with didactic teaching gradually infused with experiential approaches to enhance their understanding and integration. A plethora of CST frameworks, teaching and assessment methods were identified and are presented together. Conclusion While variable in approach, content and assessment, CST in medical schools often employ stage-based curricula to instil competency-based topics of increasing complexity throughout medical school education. This process builds on the application of prior knowledge and skills, influencing practice and, potentially, the students’ professional identity formation. In addition, the institution plays a critical role in overseeing training, ensuring longitudinal guidance and holistic assessments of the students’ progress.

From an elective in Nepal to research collaborations in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific — my journey in global health

I undertook my medical school training in Auckland, graduating in 1992. I was certainly not one of the top students. My only A+ was in physiology, a subject which I really enjoyed. I found the hospital culture of my clinical years challenging because of the hierarchical nature of the environment and all the egos. In my sixth year, I went to a combined government and mission hospital surgical service in Pokhara, Nepal, for my medical elective. It was an amazing experience, especially because my host suggested I could go into the valleys to the west and see what they were doing on their public health projects. I think he could see that I wasn’t happy assisting in the operating room and all that went with it.

An online survey and interview of GPs in the UK for assessing their satisfaction regarding the medical training curriculum and NICE guidelines for the management of menopause.

Background:The UK is home to 13 million menopausal women. The aim of this study was to determine the views of GPs on their levels of confidence and comfort when advising or treating menopausal women and assess the need for further training.Method:An anonymous online questionnaire was sent out to GPs working within the NHS across the UK between January 2021 and March 2021. The questionnaire was circulated via GP e-mail lists, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and included an option for respondents to volunteer for a semi-structured interview.Results:The questionnaire had 173 responses. 52% of GPs indicated that they were not offered enough support to be able to advise and treat women with menopausal symptoms appropriately. 77.5% of GPs expressed that there is a need to improve training provided on menopause in medical school and GP training. 60.7% of GPs felt comfortable managing menopausal women and offering them management options. 22.5% of the respondents felt that the NICE guidelines are easy and clear guidance for clinical practice. Five GPs were further interviewed, and the analysis of the responses showed the perceived need by the GPs for improvements in medical training regarding menopause.Conclusion:There is a need for better support and medical training for GPs to help them advice and treat women with menopausal symptoms. This is key for ensuring that every woman in the UK feels supported in their journey during the menopausal transition and is offered evidence-based advice to help them make informed decisions.

Medical student experiences and perceptions of palliative care in a middle eastern country

IntroductionTeaching in palliative care (PC) is an important component of medical education. Yet, studies in many countries document a fragmented and inconsistent approach to PC teaching. The goal of this study is to assess PC education, experience, and comfort levels in providing end-of-life care in recently graduated medical students.MethodsA survey was distributed to medical student applicants to residency programs at a large academic medical center in the United Arab Emirates. Descriptive statistics were used to tabulate variable frequencies.ResultsOf 226 surveys, 183 were completed (80.7% response). Over half of respondents (104/183, 56.8%) did not receive any formal PC education or training in medical school. General introduction to PC (64%), pain management (68%), and non-pain symptom management (56%) were the most common topics. Only 13% (24/183) of medical students participated in PC rotations. Only 25% of participants (46/183) reported assessment of PC knowledge or skills. Gender differences were noted, with women more comfortable discussing prognosis (Pearson Chi-square value 8.67, df 3, p < 0.013) and assessing decision-making capacity (Pearson Chi-square value 15.02, df 3, p < 0.005). Few students expressed comfort with any aspect of PC. The majority of respondents (174/183, 95%) felt that it is important to receive PC education in medical school.ConclusionsMost newly graduated medical students reported limited education in PC, with minimal clinical experience. The vast majority described a lack of comfort in providing care for dying patients and their families. Educational reform is necessary to embed PC knowledge and skills into medical school curricula.

Staphylococcal nasal colonisation amongst medical students

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of hospital-acquired infections. Medical undergraduates are frequently exposed to hospital-adapted bacterial strains especially S. aureus and therefore are always at risk of colonisation. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 150 undergraduate students, of different semesters, to detect S. aureus nasal colonisation. A detailed history regarding attending the hospital ward teaching, hospitalisation, frequency of nose touching and immunocompromised condition was unequivocally obtained from all the participants. Anterior nares were swabbed and inoculated on mannitol salt and blood agar plates. S. aureus isolates were subsequently verified by conventional microbiological techniques. The antibiotic susceptibility testing was done by the modified Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. In addition, PCR-based detection of mecA gene and pvl gene was performed. Results: Out of 150 students, we found 18 students (3 of 1st, 10 of 5th and 5 of 9th semester, respectively) to be colonised by S. aureus. Of these 18 isolates, 8 were found to be methicillin-resistant. We observed a significant association (P &lt; 0.05) of hospital exposure, ward teaching/hospitalisation with S. aureus colonisation. These S. aureus isolates exhibited varying susceptibility towards different antibiotics with multiple antibiotic resistance indexes ranging from 0.08 to 0.58. Interestingly, all eight methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates displayed mecA positivity while all were found to be pvl negative. Conclusion: The results indicate the importance of imparting knowledge about infection control practices during the initial years of undergraduate training in medical schools, which may increase awareness amongst students before getting outpatient or ward postings.

Editorial introductions.

Current Opinion in Cardiology was launched in 1985. It is part of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of cardiology is divided into 14 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Section Editors for this issue. SECTION EDITORS Ali J. MarianAli J. MarianDr Ali J. Marian joined the faculty at the Department of Medicine (Cardiology) at Baylor College of Medicine, USA, in 1992 and was recruited to The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases at UTHealth, USA, in 2006. His colleagues nationally and internationally recognize him for his research achievements and expertise in genetics of cardiomyopathies. He received the Young Investigator Award from the American College of Cardiology, the Junior Faculty Award for research from the American Federation of Medical Research, the Award for Excellence in Research at Baylor College of Medicine, the Established Investigator Award by the American Heart Association, the Clinician-Scientist Award in Translational Research from Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the Best Editor Award from the American Heart Association. Dr Marian is an Associate Editor of Cardiovascular Research and Section Editor on Genetics for Current Opinion in Cardiology and Current Atherosclerosis Reports. He was a Deputy Editor of Circulation Research, Associate Editor for Circulation and an Associate Editor for European Journal of Clinical Investigation. He received the Best Editor Award from the American Heart Association for his work for Circulation Research. Dr Marian has co-authored ∼ 200 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. He has served as a reviewer for > 100 National Institute of Health, American Heart Association and other organizations study sections. Dr Marian's research is supported by grants from NHLBI-NIH, Leducq Foundation Trans-Atlantic Network of Excellence and local foundations. Rebecca CogswellRebecca CogswellDr Cogswell completed internal medicine residency, chief residency, and cardiology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, USA. While at UCSF, she also completed a year of advanced clinical research training. She then went on to complete Advanced Heart Failure fellowship at the University of Minnesota, USA. She has been on faculty at the University of Minnesota since 2013 and is presently the Medical Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support Program. Dr Cogswell's research focus is the skeletal muscle changes that occur in end stage heart failure. Specifically, she is interested in what these changes can reveal about optimal timing of advanced heart failure therapies and using these measures to predict outcomes after mechanical circulatory support. She has built a left ventricular assist device database at the University of Minnesota and is collaborating with other centers towards answering several clinical questions in the contemporary continuous flow LVAD population. She is presently the Advanced Heart Failure fellowship director and is an active reviewer for Journal of Heart Lung Transplant and Circulation Heart Failure. She is a principle investigator for several heart failure and LVAD related clinical trials. In 2017, she was appointed to the Medtronic Heart Failure Advisory Board. In addition, she developed and directs to the Infiltrative Cardiomyopathies Clinic at the University of Minnesota. Gene KimGene KimDr Kim is a cardiologist with the Advanced heart failure, Cardiac transplant, and Mechanical Circulatory Support Program at the University of Chicago Medicine, USA. He is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and the Advanced Heart Failure Fellowship Program Director. His medical school, residency, and fellowship training were completed at the University of Chicago. Dr Kim's research interests include the genetic and epigenetic regulation of heart failure and arrhythmogenesis with publications on the role of microRNAs in cardiomyopathy. His interests also include myocardial recovery, extracellular matrix in failing myocardium, and the role of inflammation and angiogenesis in LVAD patients. He has published over 80 articles and book chapters and is an investigator in numerous clinical trials.

Developing Awareness and Allies: Simulating Difficult Conversations about Microaggressions for Faculty and Students.

Discrimination and bias in clinical training often take the form of microaggressions, which, albeit unintentional, are detrimental to the learning environment and well-being of students. Although there are a few reports of medical schools training students to respond to microaggressions, none have included a complementery student-led faculty training module. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a case-based approach to improving student resilience and increasing faculty awareness of microaggressions in the clinical setting. We created four realistic cases of microaggressions and uncomfortable conversations, based on students' experiences on the wards, to implement training for incoming third-year students and their core faculty. Standardized patients were trained to effectively portray discriminatory faculty, residents, and patients. Institutional review board-approved surveys were administered and statistically analyzed to evaluate for efficacy. Students had greater mean confidence scores for responding to microaggressions immediately and at 6 months after the sessions (P < 0.05). Faculty showed improved mean confidence and understanding of the definition of a microaggression (P < 0.05). This approach had results similar to other studies, with the additional benefit of training faculty with the same scenarios. We believe that this method helped bridge the gap between students' notions of discrimination and faculty understanding of microaggressions.

Advancing Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training in Medical Schools: Ultrasound-Guided Subclavian Vein Access Training Using Formalin-Embalmed Cadavers.

OBJECTIVES:This brief report examines the feasibility of using formalin-embalmed cadavers in training medical students to use ultrasound guidance to access the subclavian. This novel educational approach is discussed in the context of the ongoing integration of point-of-care ultrasound training into medical education. Additionally, this report explores how cadavers can provide practical, effective, and hands-on skills training opportunities for medical students to learn to perform common clinical procedures under ultrasound guidance.DESIGN:This report presents subjective and objective data evaluating the utility of teaching medical students to perform ultrasound-guided subclavian vein access on formalin-embalmed cadavers.SETTING:Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Ivins, UT.SUBJECTS:Twenty-five first-year medical students at Rocky Vista University.INTERVENTIONS:None.MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:Pre and posttraining questionnaires were administered to assess each participant’s self-confidence in using ultrasonography to access the subclavian vein of a cadaver. A statistically significant increase in participant self-confidence was observed across all questionnaire items from pre to posttraining. Objective evaluation consisted of a supervised skills test. Participants were evaluated on their ability to visualize the subclavian vein with ultrasound and achieve flashback of blood/embalming fluid into a syringe. During skills testing, the number of needle sticks and the time taken to achieve flashback were recorded for each participant. Twenty-three of the 25 participants were able to successfully complete the skills testing assessment.CONCLUSIONS:The formalin-embalmed cadaver can be a readily available and effective learning tool for medical education programs seeking to provide training opportunities in ultrasound-guided clinical procedures. The use of cadavers allows learners to train in a low stress and anatomically authentic environment without risk of patient discomfort.

Using the ‘Twelve tips for applying change models’ for undergraduate medical curriculum reform in Pakistan: Incorporating a new Trauma Evaluation and Management TEAM® course

Background: Trauma evaluation and management skills are not taught enough in medical school undergraduate curriculums worldwide. It has been recommended by trauma educators to incorporate trauma training in medical schools’ curriculum as first-line management of trauma cases is usually required by junior doctors in ERs. The introduction of formal trauma training in the form of the Trauma Evaluation and Management TEAM® course is a change introduced into the curriculum. Even when introducing such a simple change, certain factors need to be considered including the stakeholders’ apprehensions and involvement, the complexity of the internal and external environment, cultural context and political influences, and finally the psychological impact of change. Methods: Based primarily on the “Twelve tips for applying change models to curriculum design, development and delivery” by McKimm and Jones (2018), these 12 tips provide educators, involved in curriculum or program development, a practical example of the systematic and organized outlines to improve medical curricula. Results &amp; Conclusions: While addressing these factors, this framework can guide educators for the successful development and implementation of a suggested change in the existing curriculum.

Readiness to Embrace Artificial Intelligence Among Medical Doctors and Students: Questionnaire-Based Study.

BackgroundSimilar to understanding how blood pressure is measured by a sphygmomanometer, physicians will soon have to understand how an artificial intelligence–based application has come to the conclusion that a patient has hypertension, diabetes, or cancer. Although there are an increasing number of use cases where artificial intelligence is or can be applied to improve medical outcomes, the extent to which medical doctors and students are ready to work and leverage this paradigm is unclear.ObjectiveThis research aims to capture medical students’ and doctors’ level of familiarity toward artificial intelligence in medicine as well as their challenges, barriers, and potential risks linked to the democratization of this new paradigm.MethodsA web-based questionnaire comprising five dimensions—demographics, concepts and definitions, training and education, implementation, and risks—was systematically designed from a literature search. It was completed by 207 participants in total, of which 105 (50.7%) medical doctors and 102 (49.3%) medical students trained in all continents, with most of them in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America.ResultsThe results revealed no significant difference in the familiarity of artificial intelligence between medical doctors and students (P=.91), except that medical students perceived artificial intelligence in medicine to lead to higher risks for patients and the field of medicine in general (P<.001). We also identified a rather low level of familiarity with artificial intelligence (medical students=2.11/5; medical doctors=2.06/5) as well as a low attendance to education or training. Only 2.9% (3/105) of medical doctors attended a course on artificial intelligence within the previous year, compared with 9.8% (10/102) of medical students. The complexity of the field of medicine was considered one of the biggest challenges (medical doctors=3.5/5; medical students=3.8/5), whereas the reduction of physicians’ skills was the most important risk (medical doctors=3.3; medical students=3.6; P=.03).ConclusionsThe question is not whether artificial intelligence will be used in medicine, but when it will become a standard practice for optimizing health care. The low level of familiarity with artificial intelligence identified in this study calls for the implementation of specific education and training in medical schools and hospitals to ensure that medical professionals can leverage this new paradigm and improve health outcomes.

Trends in dermatology resident applicant experience and training time in the United States, 2015-2020

To the editor: Medical schools have launched programs to reduce students’ length of training and debt burden, such as 3-year “accelerated” pathways and tuition exemptions.1,2 However, little has been reported regarding the trends that may extend medical school training for students applying to dermatology, which is a competitive specialty for both US and international medical students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trends in medical school training time for dermatology applicants.

Recognising inequalities in haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation and cellular therapy training

Despite advances in haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) and cellular therapy in recent years, exposure to the discipline in medical school and early post-graduate training can vary substantially around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic heralded a new era of virtual networking and collaboration, which permitted us—as trainees—to work together and lobby for those across the globe who work in resource-poor settings and have little or no access to clinical trials and the latest advances in the field of transplantation and cellular therapy. By contrast, the pandemic might worsen existing inequalities and complicate access to specific treatment environments, thereby imposing social and psychological pressures, especially on early-career physicians and researchers. One of our main objectives in establishing the Trainee Committee within the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) in January, 2021, was to address the inequalities in transplantation and cellular therapy exposure and education among medical students and junior doctors internationally. To address these issues, we felt that it was important to first recognise the limitations that individuals working in different settings face so that we can determine the most appropriate ways of dealing with them.

44. Expansion and Integration of a Novel LGBTQ+ Curriculum into the Pre-clinical Medical Education at a Midwestern School

An estimated 4.5% of the US population identifies as LGBTQ+, and significant health disparities exist due to discrimination. Despite high prevalence, there is limited training in medical schools in LGBTQ+ healthcare. To address this educational gap, a curriculum, which was previously piloted with volunteer students (N=29), was integrated into the second year clinical skills course in order to increase knowledge of LGBTQ+ health issues and improve comfort with taking an inclusive sexual history. This study examines the impact of the now mandatory curriculum on the students’ knowledge, attitude, and perspective regarding the LGBTQ+ population.