Views Of Medical Students Research Articles

The attitudes and knowledge of medical students towards surrogacy

SummaryWe aimed to evaluate the attitudes and knowledge of medical students' towards surrogacy as a means of assisted reproduction. An online survey was sent to medical students from UK universities, 185 anonymous replies were received. A total of 72.2% agreed with surrogacy as a means of assisted reproduction; 43.9% thought the intended mother was the legal mother at birth; 28.7% correctly identified the surrogate mother as the legal mother; 76.0%felt that the intended mother should be the legal mother at birth; 15.2% thought surrogacy arrangements were enforceable by law; 29.2% correctly knew they were not. There was no difference in knowledge of surrogacy among students who had studied obstetrics and gynaecology compared with those who had not. Medical students were generally tolerant in their attitudes to surrogacy. There were discrepancies between the position of UK law governing surrogacy and the personal views of medical students.

Remaining in or leaving the profession: the view of medical students

The circumstances under which medicine is practised have changed considerably in the past few decades and this together with the alternative prospects available for doctors on the labour market, has resulted in ever more of them leaving the profession. The aim of our complex study was an analysis of the professional socialisation. In this study is medical students' views regarding their staying in a medical career or leaving it and the relationship with other elements of becoming a doctor are described. The study was carried out with a self-administered questionnaire with 503 general medical students randomly selected from two Hungarian medical schools. Depending on their opinions regarding the advantages of staying in the profession or leaving it, the medical students were divided into two groups (career stayers)--57,5% of the students feel sure that, they will stay in the profession; (possible career leavers)--42,5% represented those students who were not sure if they wanted to work as doctors in the future. We analysed the similarities and differences between the two groups regarding their career socialisation. A significant difference was revealed between the two groups regarding the strength of their dedication to the profession. The medical students indicated that their decision as of leaving or staying with medicine is not conditioned by objective factors (for example: origin, financial status), but it is conditioned by subjective factors, like sense of vocation. Our results can contribute to shaping of a better professional identity during training, as well as to a better understanding of job abandoners.

Promoting evidence based medicine in preclinical medical students via a federated literature search tool

Background: Medical educators are increasingly faced with directives to teach Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) skills. Because of its nature, integrating fundamental EBM educational content is a challenge in the preclinical years.Aims: To analyse preclinical medical student user satisfaction and feedback regarding a clinical EBM search strategy.Methods: The authors introduced a custom EBM search option with a self-contained education structure to first-year medical students. The implementation took advantage of a major curricular change towards case-based instruction. Medical student views and experiences were studied regarding the tool's convenience, problems and the degree to which they used it to answer questions raised by case-based instruction.Results: Surveys were completed by 70% of the available first-year students. Student satisfaction and experiences were strongly positive towards the EBM strategy, especially of the tool's convenience and utility for answering issues raised during case-based learning sessions. About 90% of the students responded that the tool was easy to use, productive and accessed for half or more of their search needs.Conclusions: This study provides evidence that the integration of an educational EBM search tool can be positively received by preclinical medical students.

Is suicide prevention properly taught in medical schools?

Objective: To determine the need and feasibility of developing a national suicide prevention (SP) curriculum for undergraduate medical students. Design: Exploratory study using semi-structured phone interviews and surveys. Data was obtained from ten (out of 15) Australian Medical Schools (AMS), 373 medical students from one Queensland medical school, and 24 Australian General Practitioners, between April and June, 2006. Results: Convergent views of AMS, medical students, and GPs revealed a high need and support for SP curricula, especially on skills-based education. Students who previously received SP education rated themselves significantly higher on skills-based SP abilities than those who had not. Over one-third of GPs had not received SP training from their universities (37.5%), yet 66% had experienced a case of suicide among their patients, and a third recorded on average a case of suicide every two years. The majority of students and GPs rated themselves as least competent on skills-based SP capabilities, yet rated these capabilities very high in importance for the medical profession. Whilst 80% of AMS provides some form of SP education, the quantity and quality of this is divergent. All AMS indicated support for a more uniformed SP curriculum, identified priority SP topics and delivery mechanisms, and 80% agreed to participate in a future piloting of a SP curriculum. Conclusions: SP curriculum may positively impact on student's perceived competency. Skills-based SP curricula were highly recommended to improve ‘hands-on’ assessment, intervention and management capabilities. Further consultation is required with all AMS to specify structure and resource needs for a national SP curriculum.

Anticipated debt and financial stress in medical students

Background: While medical student debt is increasing, the effect of debt on student well-being and performance remains unclear.Aim: As a part of a larger study examining medical student views of their future profession, data were collected to examine the role that current and anticipated debt has in predicting stress among medical students.Method: A survey was administered to medical students in all four years at the University of Toronto. Of the 804 potential respondents across the four years of training, 549 surveys had sufficient data for inclusion in this analysis, for a response rate of 68%. Through multiple regression analysis, we evaluated the correlation between current and anticipated debt and financial stress.Results: Although perceived financial stress correlates with both current and anticipated debt levels, anticipated debt was able to account for an additional 11.5% of variance in reported stress when compared to current debt levels alone.Conclusions: This study demonstrates a relationship between perceived financial stress and debt levels, and suggests that anticipated debt levels might be a more robust metric to capture financial burden, as it standardizes for year of training and captures future financial liabilities (future tuition and other future expenses).

Computer-assisted instruction: a survey on the attitudes of osteopathic medical students.

To investigate the views of osteopathic medical students on their preferred learning methods, their current use of computers as an educational tool, and their attitudes regarding the role of computers in medical education, based on their skill level. A 27-item questionnaire was distributed to first-through fourth-year osteopathic medical students. Items asked students to assess their levels of computer skills and experience, their current use of computers as an educational tool, and their attitudes regarding the role of computers in medical education. Of the 246 students (80% of enrolled students) who responded to the questionnaire, a majority (129 [53%]) rated themselves as having intermediate computer skills, and the remaining students rated their skills as basic (69 [28%]) or advanced (46 [19%]). Most students (176 [72%]) felt that they learned best by both hearing and seeing or reading new material, that they learned more easily from a printed page than a computer screen, and that live lectures provided them with the best opportunity for learning. However, when compared with students who have basic and intermediate computer skills, students with advanced computer skills were more in favor of computer-assisted instruction and testing as well as a school requirement to own a computer and to use a laptop computer in class. Students' opinions of the importance of computer technology in medical education seem to be based mainly on their self-assessed technical competency levels. Understanding this dynamic may aid medical educators in the implementation of computer-assisted instruction.

Universal Health Care and Reform of the Health Care System: Views of Medical Students in the United States

Nearly 46 million Americans did not have health insurance in 2004. Recent studies have documented physicians' support for various remedies, including universal health care. The authors undertook this study to assess medical students' views on these topics. In 2002, the authors surveyed a national random sample of first-year and fourth-year medical students (from the American Medical Association Masterfile) to determine their views about health care reform options, including universal health care. Response data were weighted and compared using chi-squared tests; statistical significance was set at p < or = .05. Of 1,363 medical students, 770 completed the questionnaire (response rate = 56.5%). In rating the importance of several health care issues, more than 80% of both first-year and fourth-year students rated the expansion of health care coverage as important. Nearly all first-year (90%) and fourth-year (88%) students agreed with the statement, "Everyone is entitled to adequate medical care regardless of ability to pay." Most students favored health care reform that would achieve universal health care, with first-year students (70%) somewhat more likely than fourth-year students (61%) to support universal health care (p = .012). Students were less likely to believe that physicians support universal health care, and more likely to believe that the public does. Both groups of students generally support the expansion of health coverage to the uninsured and some form of universal health care. This may be relevant both to policymakers in their considerations of health care reform and to medical educators concerned with teaching students about health policy issues.

Annual Review of Medical Education Articlesin Internal Medicine Journals 2004–2005

This journal watch is sponsored by the Alliance for Clinical Education and continues the reviews of medical education articles initiated by Jennifer Kogan on behalf of the Clerkship Directors of Internal Medicine.1 As with its predecessors,1,2 the purpose of this article is to identify and summarize medical education publications from specialty journals that are particularly salient to educators across specialties who would not usually read these journals. We are grateful to Teaching and Learning in Medicine and the Alliance for Clinical Education for giving us a forum in which we can share our education research, learn from our colleagues in other fields, and open dialogs of collaboration.The members of the Publication Committee of the Clerkship Directors of Internal Medicine reviewed the literature and prepared this review. Included are articles published in the 12 months following the last review, from September 1, 2004, through August 31, 2005. Our initial search of the Medline® database used the medical subject heading terms medical education, with the subheadings undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education, and continuing medical education combined with medical student, internship, and residency. The search was limited to the English language and identified 2,688 education articles. We then limited the journals to those in medicine, which was broadly defined to include general and subspecialty journals of internal medicine. We performed a secondary review of the contents of internal medicine journals to identify articles missed in the Medline search and excluded articles from general medical education journals, such as Academic Medicine, Medical Teacher, Medical Education, and Teaching and Learning in Medicine, and medical journals that cross specialties, such as Journal of the American Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, and Lancet. This left approximately 400 articles, which we reviewed for methodology, implications of the findings, and relevance to educators in other medical fields; this yielded 10 for inclusion. The following is a summary of each selected article grouped by theme.ProfessionalismShanafelt TD, West C, Zhao X, et al. Relationship between increased personal wellbeing and enhanced empathy among internal medicine residents. Journal of General Internal Medicine 2005;20:559-64.This exploratory study employed useful, validated measures of wellbeing and empathy to document a correlation between high mental well-being and empathy scores from a cross-sectional survey of internal medicine residents. Although the study was limited to a single program (Mayo Clinic Internal Medicine) and by a low response rate (50%), the correlation was significant (ps =. 02-.05). Several other demographic and program factors did not correlate. This study laid important groundwork for future study of causal relations and whether educational interventions aimed at mental well-being impact empathy, an important professional value. Future scholarship in this area will better enhance our efforts to foster professionalism at all levels in medical education.Arnold L, Shue CK, Kritt B, Ginsburg S, Stern DT. Medical students' views on peer assessment of professionalism. Journal of General Internal Medicine 2005;20(9):819-824.This is a well-designed, qualitative analysis of medical student views of peer assessment of professionalism. The authors identify a number of factors that affect how students view such assessment, including the educational environment, personal struggles with peer assessment, and characteristics of the assessment system. This is a must read for any clerkship director considering or currently using peer assessment of professionalism.

Remaining in or leaving the profession: the view of medical students

Views held by medical students on their remaining in a medical career or leaving it and the relationship with other elements of becoming a doctor are described. The study was carried out with a self-administered questionnaire with general medical students randomly selected in Hungary. Depending on whether they want to remain in the profession or want to leave it, medical students were divided into two groups. A significant difference was revealed between the two groups with regard to the strength of their dedication to the profession. The medical students indicated that their decision to leave or stay with medicine is conditioned by subjective factors. Our results could contribute to shaping of a better professional identity during training/socialisation, as well as to a better understanding of job abandoners.

Physician Assisted Suicide: Knowledge and Views of Fifth-Year Medical Students in Germany

ABSTRACT Suicide and assisted suicide are not criminal acts in Germany. However, attempting suicide may create a legal duty for physicians to try to save a patient's life. This study presents data on medical students' legal knowledge and ethical views regarding physician assisted suicide (PAS). The majority of 85 respondents held PAS to be illegal. More than a third of the students viewed PAS in certain situations to be ethically acceptable whereas a smaller proportion thought that it should be legal. Compared with German physicians the medical students taking part in this study were less opposed to PAS. The majority perceived the undergraduate training concerning ethical aspect of assisted death as deficient.

Undergraduate experience of surgical teaching and its influence and its influence on career choice

The purpose of this survey was to determine the views of final year medical students in Melbourne regarding both undergraduate surgical teaching and the students' career aspirations. A structured questionnaire was given to all final year medical students at Monash and Melbourne Universities in 2003. The questions dealt with the factors influencing graduating medical students, including theatre experience, encouragement/support from surgeons, presence of mentors, lifestyle factors and gender issues. The response rate was 61.2% (251/410). Of these, 50.6% were male, 32.3% declared an interest in surgical training with the remainder either uncertain (24%) or uninterested (44%). Male students were more likely to be interested in surgery. General surgery was the most popular field (69%), followed by plastic surgery (37%) and orthopaedic surgery (35%). Of respondents, 78% reported positive influences towards pursuing a surgical career during their undergraduate years, while 63% reported a negative experience. A total of 67% believed that the current curriculum is adequate and 43% that there is enough support/encouragement towards a surgical career. Only 44% of respondents reported that surgeons are approachable. Lifestyle and family factors were the most important career influence. In particular, 57% of female respondents felt discouraged from pursuing a surgical career and 99% of these women reported lifestyle/family factors as the main source of discouragement, with a further 72% identifying a lack of female role models. This survey highlights important issues in current undergraduate perception of surgical teaching and higher training. Issues that may encourage or discourage a graduating student to pursue a surgical career are identified.

Assumptions about Disease Treatment Challenged in a Family Health Clerkship: Views of First Clinical Year Medical Students

During a family health clerkship at the University of The West Indies, students are expected to acquire individual and community diagnosis skills and the ability to relate the two, as well as acquire knowledge of other community agencies involved in health care. To determine the main assumptions related to disease treatment, which students have had to re-think after engaging in this clerkship. End of clerkship assessments were carried out from two successive groups of third year medical students (n=64) at the University of West Indies, Jamaica. Students were asked to "list two assumptions regarding treating disease that have been challenged by your experience". A subsequent content analysis was done. Fifty-five students (86%) completed the assessment. All assumptions were listed (n=99) and similar issues were linked into emerging themes. Twenty-five groups of assumptions produced seven main themes: "Issues related to compliance" (27.3%),"Patient's treatment is mainly physical" (17.2%), " Superiority of western medicine over alternative" (15.2%), "Patients' health seeking behavior and attitudes" (12.1%), " The extent of the contribution of social factors on health" (12.1%) and "Patients' knowledge and understanding of health" (7.0%). The majority of students examined felt challenged on three themes: relating to issues of compliance, treating the "whole" patient not just the physical, and the superiority of western medicine over alternative. The three most popular individual assumptions were; patients have a mindset that favours compliance, medication affordability does not affect compliance and treatment is independent of social and environmental conditions.

Video Gives Medical Students View of `Real Psychiatry'

Video Gives Medical Students View of `Real Psychiatry'

Attitudes and Views of Medical Students toward Science and Pseudoscience

:Objectives: To know opinions, attitudes and interest of medical students toward science and pseudoscience.Design: A questionnaire was administered to 124 medical students of the San Marcos University in Lima, Peru.Results: 173 students were surveyed. The response rate was 72%. Eighty-three percent (100/121) of respondents said that science is the best source of knowledge, 67% (82/123) said they were interested in science and technology news, 76% said they had not read any science magazine or book (other than medical texts and journals) in the last five years. Thirteen percent (16/124) of respondents said that astrology is “very scientific” and 40% (50/124) stated that it is “sort of scientific.” 50% of respondents shared the opinion that some people possess psychic powers.Conclusions: Medical students’ attitudes toward science are generally not favorable.

The views of Medical Students on professionalism in South Africa

ABSTRACTAn article on medical professionalism was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in February 2002 outlining a charter, and the fifth-year medical students of the Medical School of the University of Pretoria were asked to comment on the charter. The question was asked whether the principles and responsibilities as set out in the charter could also be applied to the South African context.The responses of the students could be divided into three groups with overlapping themes: 15,64% of the students felt that the charter was not at all applicable to our country because of its diverse cultures and languages and the variety of social classes and religions; 24,02% of the students felt that the charter was a universally acceptable document; and 60,34% of the students felt that, to a great extent, the charter was the ideal and the goal to strive for, although they only accepted some of the principles and responsibilities while having serious doubts and criticism of others.In conclusion, the majority...

Career intentions of UNITRA medical students and their perceptions about the future.

The University of Transkei (UNITRA) medical programme follows a problem-based learning and community-based education curriculum. To gauge the views of UNITRA medical students about their future, and their career intentions. A semi-structured questionnaire on intentions to specialize or not, preferred place of work, overall view of the future, and careers guidance. The questionnaire was completed by 364 students (87.7% response rate). The sector preferences are 82.3% public, 6.8% university and 10.9% private. Place of work preferences are urban (37%), rural (27%), city (12%) and abroad (8%), while 16% have no preference. Rural preference varies from 48.5% among 1st year students to 5.9% among 6th year students, while urban preference are 26.2% for Year I and 64.7% for Year VI students. 89.8% of respondents intended to specialize, mainly in clinical fields, with the most influential factors in the choice of specialty being interest and challenge. Most students (78%) view the future positively, 13% say it is uncertain, 8% have no idea about the future; and 1% think the future is negative. Frequent reasons cited for a bright future are job-related, personal attitude, sense of achievement, and the type of training. Most students have received little or no career guidance and would like such topics in the curriculum. UNITRA medical students are optimistic about the future. The majority intend to stay in South Africa and work in the public sector, and most of them wish to pursue clinical specialties.

Attitudes toward psychiatry among students entering medical school.

To survey the attitudes of Australian medical students to determine their views about the relative attractiveness of psychiatry as a career compared with other specialties, and against findings from a North American study. We surveyed 655 first-year medical students attending six Australian Universities. Responses indicated that Australian medical students view psychiatry as distinctly less 'attractive' than other career options, as reported in the North American sample. In comparison with other disciplines, psychiatry was regarded as more interesting and intellectually challenging, but also as lacking a scientific foundation, not being enjoyable and failing to draw on training experiences. Our findings suggest that psychiatry has an image problem that is widespread, reflecting community perceptions and the specialist interests of medical students on recruitment. If psychiatry is to improve its 'attractiveness' as a career option, identified image problems need to be corrected and medical student selection processes re-considered.

Regional Musculoskeletal Examination

Confusion exists over which musculoskeletal examination skills medical students should learn. This study aimed to explore the views of third-year medical students. This was a qualitative study to allow in-depth exploration of beliefs and attitudes. Twenty students were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 focus groups. Their attitudes towards musculoskeletal examination were explored and discussed. The groups' discussions were recorded, transcribed, and framework analysis was undertaken with the aid of NUD*IST computer software. The following themes were identified: students dislike eponymous names for clinical tests; students felt there is a need for a more structured approach to musculoskeletal examination; students appeared unaware that many clinical tests were not based on evidence; students complained of a lack of confidence in the use of musculoskeletal clinical tests. Student's confidence in their musculoskeletal examination skills may be improved by the development of an agreed set of so-called core examination skills.

Report on the Medical Student View from Ground Zero—New York City, 2001

Report on the Medical Student View from Ground Zero—New York City, 2001

Students' perceptions of whistle blowing: implications for self-regulation. A questionnaire and focus group survey.

The aims of this study are to gauge and use the views of medical students to elaborate on the concept of whistle blowing and to give an indication of its role in self-regulation. An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted among medical students from a Scottish medical school. Students were asked (i) whether they should, and (ii) whether they would report to faculty academic misconduct by other students. Comparisons were made between all five year groups. Subsequently students in focus groups were asked to give their reasons for whistle-blowing or not doing so. Of the students, 40% felt they should whistle-blow, with 13% saying they would actually do so. The numbers of students who felt they should or would whistle blow were smaller in the later year groups. Focus groups identified positive and negative reasons for whistle blowing or not, and reasons connected to the process itself. Reasons given for not whistle blowing included camaraderie, retaliation by peers, self-preservation and a belief that it is not a student's responsibility to report the misconduct of others. The results have two important implications. First, medical schools have to decide whether students have a duty to whistle blow and/or whether there is a need to devise clear procedures. Any procedures should take into account the reasons given for not whistle blowing, but should concentrate on positive motivating factors. Secondly the medical profession needs to consider the role of whistle blowing, as the results suggest that whistle blowing should not be the only method of detection of misconduct in an undergraduate setting.