Training Program For Medical Students Research Articles

COMSKIL: a communication skills training program for medical students.

Objectives: Training communication skills has come to be recognized as a vital aspect of medical school education. A medical communication course based on the COMSKIL Communication Skills Training (CST) Program was developed, integrated into the core curriculum, and evaluated at the Leipzig University Medical School. Methods: Between October 2016 and July 2017, 312 medical students (mean age 21.80 years; 62% male) participated in the medical communication course. Each course unit was evaluated via questionnaires specifically designed to address the theoretical and practical content of the curriculum. The items correspond to the material covered in each course unit. Students responded using a 5-point-Likert scale (1=“not at all helpful”, 5=“extremely helpful”) to rate the degree to which the course helped them learn about the subject matter and train the skills covered in the curriculum. Results: The average score for the first part of the course (theoretical foundations) was M=3.69 (SD=0.35). The second part received a similar rating (M=3.84; SD=0.73). The role play exercises with actor-patients received a score of M=4.27 (SD=0.62). In an overall evaluation at the end of the course, students rated the administration of the course (setting, etc), knowledge gained, and skills trained with a score of M=4.11 (SD=0.66). The role play exercises received an overall score of M=4.36 (SD=0.61). Conclusion: A new curriculum for teaching medical students patient-physician communication skills based on the COMSKIL CST program was established at the University of Leipzig. The goal of this course is to teach students about the kinds of communication scenarios they will encounter in their future working lives as care providers and equip them with the fundamental communication techniques and skills they need to successfully handle those situations. A formal evaluation of the program resulted in satisfactory findings, indicating that it is well suited for use in medical universities.

Medical students’ and faculty experience in learning and teaching family medicine in Vellore

ABSTRACT The first family medicine training programme for medical students in India began at Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore in 2005 as a two-week programme. Currently, it includes two mandatory and one elective programme along with one to two weeks during the internship. In this study, the authors examined the impact of the mandatory programmes in family medicine through the feedback of medical students and the faculty experience. The aim of the authors was to examine the impact on medical students based on their feedback and the experience of faculty in teaching family medicine. This paper reports a retrospective evaluation based on the feedback of third-year medical students after their mandatory programmes in 2018. The authors collected students’ feedback using questionnaires and recorded the faculty experience through a focus-group discussion (FGD) and in-depth interview. Overall attendance of students was 50–60%. About 75% of students who filled in the questionnaire felt the programme to be relevant to their future role as ‘Physicians of First Contact’. Faculty felt challenged to balance their role as academics in addition to their clinical responsibilities. However, introducing family medicine principles in the medical curriculum was sensed by the faculty to equip students to manage common clinical conditions effectively. In conclusion students’ understanding of the unique status of family medicine to accommodate patients of all ages and problems within a single umbrella health-care system was well discerned by the authors in this study.

Impact of a Residential Rural Community-Based Training Program for Medical Students on Cognitive and Affective Domains of Learning in Community Medicine: A Mixed Methods Study.

Introduction:As part of undergraduate training in community medicine, students of 1st-year MBBS at our medical college in South India undergo rural residential community-based training called Rural Orientation Program (ROP).Objective:The objective was to study the impact of ROP at a medical college in South India.Methodology:Short-term impact was studied immediately before and after ROP using a 30-item questionnaire administered to 142 students. Medium-term impact was studied among 23 students in 2nd-year MBBS. Quantitative component consisted of objective structured practical examination scores and qualitative component documented reflections on learnings. Long-term impact was studied by surveying 287 alumni (batches of 1979 onward) to explore the impact of ROP on their career.Results:We found a significant (P < 0.001) improvement in the median posttest score (21, interquartile range [IQR]: 20–23) when compared to pretest (12, IQR: 10–16). The mean OSPE score was 19.34 ± 3.19 (maximum score = 25) with 54.55% obtaining a score ≥20. Thematic analysis of reflections depicted that students gained insights on factors influencing health and social organizations in rural areas. ROP helped develop empathy toward patients and a holistic approach toward health, in understanding rural dynamics and improved communication skills.Conclusion:ROP increases subject knowledge and plays a role in molding attitudes of students toward the care of people in rural areas and improves communication skills. This time-tested model can be replicated in other medical colleges across the country.

The Experience of Colombian Medical Students in a Pilot Cultural Safety Training Program: A Qualitative Study Using the Most Significant Change Technique

Problem: The Colombian government provides health services grounded in the Western biomedical model, yet 40% of the population use cultural and traditional practices to maintain their health. Adversarial interactions between physicians and patients from other cultures hinder access to quality health services and reinforce health disparities. Cultural safety is an approach to medical training that encourages practitioners to examine how their own culture shapes their clinical practice and how to respect their patients’ worldviews. This approach could help bridge the cultural divide in Colombian health services, improving multicultural access to health services and reducing health disparities. Intervention: In 2016, we conducted a pilot cultural safety training program in Cota, Colombia. A five-month training program for medical students included: (a) theoretical training on cultural safety and participatory research, and (b) a community-based intervention, co-designed by community leaders, training supervisors, and the medical students, with the aim of strengthening cultural practices related to health. Evaluation used the Most Significant Change narrative approach, which allows participants to communicate the changes most meaningful to them. Using an inductive thematic analysis, the authors analyzed the stories and discussed these findings in a debriefing session with the medical students. Context: Cota is located only 15 kilometers from Bogota, the national capital and biggest city of Colombia, so the small town has gone through rapid urbanization and cultural change. A few decades ago, inhabitants of Cota were mainly peasants with Indigenous and European traditions. Urbanization displaced agriculture with industrial and commercial occupations. One consequence of this change was loss of cultural health care practices and resources, for example, medicinal plants, that the community had used for centuries. Impact: A group of 13 final-year medical students (ten female and three male, age range 20–24) participated in the study. The medical students listed four areas of change after their experience: increased respect for traditional health practices to provide better healthcare; increased recognition of traditional practices as part of their cultural heritage and identity; a desire to deepen their knowledge about cultural practices; and openness to incorporate cultural practices in healthcare. Lessons Learned: Medical students reported positive perceptions of their patients’ cultural practices after participating in this community-based training program. The training preceded a positive shift in perceptions and was accepted by Colombian medical students. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first documented cultural safety training initiative with medical students in Colombia and an early attempt to apply the cultural safety approach outside the Indigenous experience.

Effectiveness of a communication skills training program for medical students to identify patients communicative clues

ObjectiveThis study explores whether an Experiential Training Programme (ETP) in communication skills (CS) improves students' ability to identify patients clues compared to those who follow a non-experiential training throughout their medical studies. MethodIntervention Group (IG): 85 4th-year medical students who received the ETP and Control Group (CG): 67 recently graduated students who did not receive it. Their immediate (written) response was requested to three expressions offered by patients containing communicative clues. The answers were grouped into 2 categories: Clue recognised and response patient-centred and the opposite. Three researchers analysed the answers. ResultsResponses 366 (65 from the CG and 77 from the IG): 280 did not recognise clues: 131 (62%) in IG and 149 (96%) in CG and 86 recognised them: 80 (37.9%) in IG and 6 (3.9%) in CG (p = 0.000). Some clues were more elusive than others (p = 0,003). ConclusionsThe students who received the ETP in CS showed greater ability to explore patients perspective taking advantage of different types of communicative clues than those who did not receive it in a non-relational context. Practice implicationsFurther research is needed to assess whether this ability is maintained in simulated or real clinical situations.

Near Peer Mentors to Address Socio-Emotional Issues Among Underrepresented Minority High School Students in Research Intensive STEM Programs: Perceptions of Students and Mentors.

A Near Peer Mentoring Program (NPMP) was developed in which Medical Student Training Program (MSTP) students met weekly with small groups of high school students who were participating in an intensive summer biomedical research immersion program. The goal of the NPMP was to provide and engage the high school students with opportunities to express and discuss their research and more importantly, their stresses and concerns. After initial reservations, the NPMP provided a comfortable venue for high school students to engage in discussions of both laboratory and personal topics. Overall, their concerns and stresses were expressed in five categories: 1) College Preparation, 2) Preparation for MD and PhD Training and Careers, 3) Summer Research Programmatic Issues and Laboratory Social Structure, 4) Social Issues, and 5) Health and Wellness. High school students identified the following major factors as contributing to programmatic success: relatability, role models, comfort and approachability, organization, and mentor fit. The Near Peer Mentoring initiative revealed the need for STEM and other programs targeting academic success and career development to be alert to social and emotional concerns of students and to provide opportunities for their expression, discussion and guidance.

A PATHWAY TO GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY SUBSPECIALTY TRAINING: THE AAGP SCHOLARS PROGRAM

The AAGP Scholars program initially began in 2010 as a member funded training program for medical students and Psychiatry residents with the goal of inspiring interest in the field of Geriatric Psychiatry. Between 2010-2018, 292 former Scholars participants were surveyed, eliciting 98 responses (response rate 33%). Survey responses are currently being collated and included collection of demographic data, and assessment of the following: ongoing involvement in the AAGP, completion of or ongoing interest in geriatric psychiatry fellowship training, board certification status in geriatric psychiatry, and the impact of the program on the career path of the trainees who completed the program.

The Highly Structured Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) for Medical Students at the University of Pittsburgh.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) is a 5-year medical student training program designed to prepare the next generation of MD-only physician-scientists engaging in preclinical research. This article provides an overview of the program, including the novel longitudinal structure and competency goals, which facilitate success and persistence in a laboratory-based physician-scientist career. The authors present data on 81 medical students accepted to the program from academic year 2007-2008 through 2018-2019. Extrinsic outcomes, such as publications, grant funding, and residency matching, indicate that PSTP trainees have actively generated research deliverables. A majority of eligible PSTP trainees have earned Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Research Fellow funding. PSTP students have produced a mean of 1.6 first-authored publications (median, 1.0) and a mean of 5.1 total publications (median, 4.0) while in medical school and have authored 0.9 publications per year as residents/fellows, excluding internship. Nearly 60% of PSTP students (26/46) have matched to top-10 National Institutes of Health-funded residency programs in their specialty (based on Blue Ridge Institute rankings). PSTP alumni are twice as likely as their classmates to match into research-heavy departments and to publish first-authored papers. Results of a 2018 program evaluation survey indicate that intrinsic outcomes, such as confidence in research skills, significantly correlate with extrinsic outcomes. The program continues to evolve to maximize both scientific agency and career navigation skills in participants. This medical student PSTP model has potential to expand the pool of physician-scientist researchers in preclinical research beyond the capacity of dedicated MD-PhD and postgraduate training programs.

Medical student training program for medical research - programs and efforts in the University of Tokyo

Medical student training program for medical research - programs and efforts in the University of Tokyo

Using a Workshop Format for Physiatry Trainees in the Management of Acute Sports-Related Concussion.

Select residency and medical student training programs have developed and researched skill-based workshops, focusing on mastering a surgical or communication skill; however, they are less frequently studied in physiatry residency programs. Given the importance of concussion care in physiatric practice, this study sought to measure the effectiveness of a novel sports-related concussion workshop. Based on the 5th International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport, a 6-hr concussion workshop was developed. Participants were administered a preworkshop and postworkshop questionnaire to gauge level of comfort managing various aspects of concussion, case-based questions to assess participant knowledge, and questions regarding satisfaction with workshop-based training sessions. Sixteen participants, ranging from PGY-2 to PGY-5, were included in the analyses, with significant gains (P < 0.0001 to P = 0.0045) made in all measures of comfort managing sports-related concussion; the study was unable to detect a statistically significant improvement in knowledge as assessed by the patient vignettes (P = 0.17), but participants did report high levels of satisfaction with workshop-based training sessions. Thus, workshop-based physiatry trainee education sessions can be used to teach trainees certain skills or provide comprehensive training in the management of a specific condition. Participants demonstrated improved comfort managing concussion, a trend toward improved knowledge, and a high degree of satisfaction with the content's method delivery.

Can You Teach Yourself Point-of-care Ultrasound to a Level of Clinical Competency? Evaluation of a Self-directed Simulation-based Training Program.

IntroductionSelf-directed learning in medical professions is established as an effective method of training in certain modalities. Furthermore, simulation technology is becoming widely used and accepted as a valid method of training for various medical skills, with ultrasound being one of the best studied. The use of point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) in the practice of emergency medicine is well established, and PoCUS is a core competency of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada emergency medicine standards. The primary goal of our study was to assess the effectiveness of a self-directed simulation-based training program for medical students, in terms of achieving competency in basic PoCUS scans.MethodsFourteen second-year medical students with no prior ultrasound experience were provided access to online study modules created by SonoSim ultrasound training solutions (SonoSim, Santa Monica, CA, US), covering ultrasound theory and methodology, and attended a two-hour introductory session where they were introduced to the study protocol, simulation equipment, and software. Participants then undertook self-directed ultrasound simulation training throughout the year, using the CAE Vimedix PoCUS simulator (CAE Healthcare, Sarasota, FL, US) and the SonoSim ultrasound training solution system. Upon reaching 10 (and 25) scans in each of the four categories (cardiac, abdomen, aorta, and pelvic), a triggered assessment was arranged in which participants scanned a live volunteer under the direct supervision of PoCUS-certified physicians. The physicians scored the participant attempts in terms of image acquisition, interpretation, and clinical understanding. No feedback was provided to the participants. Following the study, participants submitted feedback regarding the design of the study and were asked to rank their preferred training program protocols out of a provided list of five different options.ResultsAt the first triggered assessment (after completing only 10 scans in each category), four out of 14 participants were scored as competent in the aorta scan, two out of 14 participants were competent in the pelvic scan, and none of the participants were competent in both the cardiac and abdominal scans. Only nine out of 14 participants completed the second triggered assessment (after completing 25 scans in each category). At the second assessment, only three participants were scored as competent in the aorta scan, two participants were competent in the cardiac scan, and one participant was competent in the pelvic scan. None of the 14 learners completed the final phase of the training and assessment protocol. Feedback following the termination of the study showed that none of the participants supported continuing the study protocol as designed originally, and the preferred study design consisted of a full-day introductory course with live models and simulation, followed by self-directed learning with simulation and live models until 50 scans in each category were achieved.ConclusionWe were unable to demonstrate the achievement of competence in PoCUS in medical learners engaged in our combined self-directed simulation-based training program. This is in contrast to the considerable literature supporting self-directed learning and simulation-based learning for other skills. Feedback from faculty, curriculum integration, and alignment with clinical experience may be beneficial.

The role of the teaching practice in undergraduate medical education: A perspective from the United States of America

This article describes and reflects on the role of teaching practices in undergraduate medical education on the basis of teaching experience in the United States of America. China in particular, but also other family medicine–emerging countries, continues to embark on a path of creating and embracing a family medicine–centric system. The purpose of this article is to provide a US perspective on teaching priorities and strategies for medical students, and how these fit into a larger structure of the family medicine clinical clerkship. We emphasize knowledge, clinical skills, clinical behaviors, and strategies for succeeding as a preceptor. We introduce key aspects of the University of Michigan family medicine clerkship and the highly effective structure provided by the leadership of the course directors. This organizational structure provides a framework for implementing the family medicine clerkship for teaching medical students. As China and other family medicine–emerging countries increasingly embrace the discipline, we hope these ideas will provide a meaningful reference. Significance statement Despite the growth of family medicine for more than 50 years in many countries, there remain many family medicine–emerging countries that have limited experience in the teaching of family medicine to medical students. This article provides suggestions for specific educational practices when one is teaching a medical student engaged in a clinical clerkship. Specifically, it focuses on both what to teach and how to teach family medicine–relevant clinical skills, knowledge, and behaviors to a medical student during a clinical rotation. Moreover, the article includes a series of formative and summative evaluation forms that are used at the University of Michigan that have content similar to the formats used in many US medical student training programs and that can be adapted for use in other settings.

A one-day surgical-skill training course for medical students\u2019 improved surgical skills and increased interest in surgery as a career

BackgroundDespite many high-quality programs in basic surgical-skill education, the surgical skill of junior doctors varies widely. This, together with the waning interest in surgery as a career among medical students, is a serious issue confronted by hospitals and healthcare systems worldwide. We, therefore, developed and implemented an intensive one-day surgical-skill training course for two purposes; it would improve surgical skills and increase interest in surgery among medical students.MethodsThe surgical-skill training program is named Surgical Skill Weekend (SSW) and it includes hands-on training sessions for surgical-suturing techniques and advanced surgical procedures (i.e. laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery), hybrid simulation sessions, and an operating-room session where aforementioned sessions are all put together. By the end of the program, students’ improvements in surgical-suturing skills were assessed by experts in a form of checklist, and changes in the interest in a surgical career, if there were any, were answered by the students who participated in the program.ResultsA total of ninety-one (91) medical students participated in the 2015 and 2016 SSW courses. Their overall satisfaction level with the course was very high (Very satisfied: 78%, Quite satisfied: 22%). All of the participant’s surgical-suturing skills significantly improved (median score range: 14–20, P < 0.05) and their interest in a surgical career increased significantly (from 56% to 81%, P < 0.05) by completing the program.ConclusionsAn intensive and comprehensive surgical-skill training program for medical students can not only improve surgical-suturing skills but also increase interest in surgery as a career.

Ärztliche Führung im Krankenhaus. Praktischer Nutzen von ärztlichen Führungs- und Management Kursen aus subjektiver Sicht der Teilnehmenden

ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to evaluate the benefit of Leadership and Management Courses for clinicians, specifically which leadership and management contents are beneficial to their daily clinical work and whether these contents support their individual career. MethodE-mail invitations to participate in the study were sent to all 543 medical doctors of the University Hospital Hanover, Germany, who had taken part in one of the leadership and management courses offered between June 2005 and June 2015. The enquiry was carried out between June 1 and June 30, 2015. 84 e-mail addresses were no longer active; and so, N=459 clinicians actually received the invitation. Of these, 104 participated (22.7%). ResultsThe study included 59 items. Six were free text items, twelve items were closed questions which could be answered by choosing from a drop down menu, and 41 were answered on a Likert scale from 0 (not fitting at all) to 10 (perfect fit). Based on the items answered on a Likert scale, the following scales and mean values were deduced: Job Satisfaction (M=7.44); Leadership (M=7.77); Trust (M=7.22); Striving for Power (M=7,45); negative Affect (M=4,91); Target Achievement Motivation (M=8.19); Communication (M=8.30) and Management (M=6.48). Regression analysis showed that Job- and Team Satisfaction can predict to what extent the participants regard themselves as good leaders. The study participants defined the following topics as very important: leadership and management style, managerial functions, team management, human resources development and project management. Further topics included rhetoric skills, presentation techniques, as well as basic economics such as understanding balance sheets, profit & loss statements and contribution margin calculation. 55% of the course contents were described as being directly applicable to their daily working environment. In the clinicians’ view, the ideal leader acts as a role model (passing on values like respect, appreciation, honesty, openness, fairness, sense of justice, and empathy), someone who motivates his colleagues by giving them a vision, structure and transparency. The participants estimated that they met 60% of these qualifications. 51% of the participants found the course highly beneficial, and 45% rated it as being beneficial. 55% said that the course boosted their career. 96% were willing to attend further leadership and management courses. 98% would recommend the course to their colleagues. ConclusionThe return rate of 22.7%, the subjective benefit of the courses (96%), the willingness to attend such courses (96%) and to recommend them to colleagues (98%) demonstrates that clinicians are highly interested in leadership and management topics. This may be due to the fact that these topics are not part of the training program for medical students or junior doctors. Our findings are in consistent with organisational and psychological research results showing that “soft” psychological factors related to leadership topics are a significant and crucial factor behind the success of organisations and hospitals.

Intracorporal knot tying techniques – which is the right one?

IntroductionIntracorporal knot tying (ICKT) and suturing in minimal invasive surgery (MIS) represent a key skill for advanced procedures such as Nissen fundoplication. Suture placement under tension is particularly challenging during MIS. The aim of this study was to compare ICKT of the common surgical square knot and the slipping knot on a simulated suture placement under tension. Furthermore, we objectively assessed the surgical skill of ICKT following 3hours of hands-on training. MethodsA box trainer was used for laparoscopic knot tying with predefined openings. A 12cm suture was placed in central view. We used a standardized silicon suture pad with a defined wound dehiscence of 0.5cm and marked needle entrance and exit targets next to the incision. Twenty participants were divided among three groups in this study. The first group (n=5) consisted of senior physicians. The second group (n=5) was made up of surgical residents in the first to fourth year of residency training. The third group (n=10) contained medical students between their third and sixth year of study without any prior experience in laparoscopic surgery. Residents and students received a 3-hour hands-on training in surgical square and slipping knot tying. Each participant tied two of each knot types before and after the hands-on training. Knot quality, performance, total time and suture placement accuracy were the parameters for assessment in this study. ResultsThe knot quality was greater for the slipping knot compared with the square knot in all groups. There were no significant intragroup differences in knot tying performance, task time and accuracy of both suture methods. Students and residents improved in all categories for both ICKT techniques after training. DiscussionWe compared ICKT of the surgical square knot with the slipping knot on a simulated suture placement under tension during a standardized training program for medical students and surgical residents. In our study, the average quality of the slipping knot was significantly superior to the square knot in all participants. The knot tying performance, task time, and accuracy of students and residents after hands-on training were not significantly different between both suture methods. This suggests that the two ICKT techniques have similar properties except the quality advantages of the slipping knot. Although students and residents improved in all categories for both ICKT techniques after training, they did not achieve expert level for task times and accuracy. ConclusionsIn this pilot trail, the quality of the slipping knot was superior to the surgical square knot during intracorporal suturing under tension. Our 3-hour sequential training program improved laparoscopic suturing and knot tying skills in all participants. Our findings suggest that training centers for MIS using validated training programs should be a continuous and integral part of surgical education. Level of evidenceUSPSTF Level III: monocentric, prospective, pilot Trial.

Laparoscopic skill improvement after virtual reality simulator training in medical students as assessed by augmented reality simulator.

Definitive assessment of laparoscopic skill improvement after virtual reality simulator training is best obtained during an actual operation. However, this is impossible in medical students. Therefore, we developed an alternative assessment technique using an augmented reality simulator. Nineteen medical students completed a 6-week training program using a virtual reality simulator (LapSim). The pretest and post-test were performed using an object-positioning module and cholecystectomy on an augmented reality simulator(ProMIS). The mean performance measures between pre- and post-training on the LapSim were compared with a paired t-test. In the object-positioning module, the execution time of the task (P < 0.001), left and right instrument path length (P = 0.001), and left and right instrument economy of movement (P < 0.001) were significantly shorter after than before the LapSim training. With respect to improvement in laparoscopic cholecystectomy using a gallbladder model, the execution time to identify, clip, and cut the cystic duct and cystic artery as well as the execution time to dissect the gallbladder away from the liver bed were both significantly shorter after than before the LapSim training (P = 0.01). Our training curriculum using a virtual reality simulator improved the operative skills of medical students as objectively evaluated by assessment using an augmented reality simulator instead of an actual operation. We hope that these findings help to establish an effective training program for medical students.

Teacher training program for medical students: improvements needed.

IntroductionSkills in peer teaching, assessment, and feedback are increasingly documented internationally as required graduate attributes in medicine. Yet these skills are rarely taught in medical schools. We sought to design and deliver a short but effective teacher training (TT) program for medical students that could be easily integrated into the professional development curriculum. This study sought to evaluate such a pilot program, based on student perception.MethodsThe study took place at a major metropolitan teaching hospital, where 38 medical students were invited to attend a voluntary, newly designed four-module TT program. In total, 23/38 (61%) of invited students attended. Mixed methods were used for evaluation. Questionnaires were completed by 21/23 (91%) of students, and 6/23 (26%) of students participated in a focus group.ResultsStudents reported that as a result of the program they felt more confident to facilitate small group teaching activities and to provide feedback to peers using the suggested frameworks. Students would like the program to contain more in-depth educational theory and to allow a more time for small group learning activities. They would also like to see opportunities for participation across all clinical schools.ConclusionThe TT program was successful in increasing student awareness of educational theory and practice, thereby improving their confidence in teaching and assessing their peers and making them feel better prepared for their careers as medical practitioners. Key improvements to the program are needed in terms of more in-depth theory and more time spent on small group learning. This might be achieved by complementing the course with e-learning.

The Short-Term and Long-Term Impact of a Brief Aging Research Training Program for Medical Students

Summer training in aging research for medical students is a strategy for improving the pipeline of medical students into research careers in aging and clinical care of older adults. Johns Hopkins University has been offering medical students a summer experience of mentored research, research training, and clinical shadowing since 1994. Long-term outcomes of this program have not been described. The authors surveyed all 191 participants who had been in the program from 1994–2010 (60% female and 27% underrepresented minorities) and received a 65.8% (N = 125) response rate. The authors also conducted Google and other online searches to supplement study findings. Thirty-seven percent of those who have completed training are now in academic medicine, and program participants have authored or coauthored 582 manuscripts. Among survey respondents, 95.1% reported that participation in the Medical Student Training in Aging Research program increased their sensitivity to the needs of older adults. This program may help to build commitment among medical students to choose careers in aging.

Association of learning styles with research self-efficacy: study of short-term research training program for medical students.

With a growing need for developing future physician scientists, identifying characteristics of medical students who are likely to benefit from research training programs is important. This study assessed if specific learning styles of medical students, participating in federally funded short-term research training programs, were associated with research self-efficacy, a potential predictor of research career success. Seventy-five first-year medical students from 28 medical schools, selected to participate in two competitive NIH-supported summer programs for research training in aging, completed rating scales to evaluate learning styles at baseline, and research self-efficacy before and after training. We examined associations of individual learning styles (visual-verbal, sequential-global, sensing-intuitive, and active-reflective) with students' gender, ranking of medical school, and research self-efficacy. Research self-efficacy improved significantly following the training programs. Students with a verbal learning style reported significantly greater research self-efficacy at baseline, while visual, sequential, and intuitive learners demonstrated significantly greater increases in research self-efficacy from baseline to posttraining. No significant relationships were found between learning styles and students' gender or ranking of their medical school. Assessments of learning styles may provide useful information to guide future training endeavors aimed at developing the next generation of physician-scientists.

Successful implementation of the European Resuscitation Council basic life support course as mandatory peer-led training for medical students

We aimed to implement the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) basic life support (BLS) and automated external defibrillator (AED) course as a mandatory peer-led training programme for medical students and to evaluate the satisfaction with this course. Medical students certified as ERC BLS/AED instructors were recruited as student trainers and organizers of the course, which was included as a mandatory part of the curriculum for second-year medical students before first clinical rotation. After each course, questionnaires were distributed to evaluate the peer-led training programme. In total, 146 students were trained and assessed. The quality of the course was rated as 9.4±0.8 (10-point scale, 10 being best), and the majority (95%) felt better prepared for their clinical rotation. Implementation of the ERC BLS/AED course as a mandatory peer-led training programme for medical students is feasible. The course has been very well accepted and the students feel better prepared for their first clinical rotation.