Year Of Graduation Research Articles

Through the Looking Glass: Comparing Resident and Attending Views on Competency and Autonomy

ObjectivesSurgical residencies act as an apprenticeship to train new surgeons, ideally with increasing trainee autonomy and competency. Objective methods of measuring these two qualities are needed. MethodsThe objective of this pilot study is to use the Surgical Autonomy Program (SAP) to compare resident and attending perception of competency, via Zones of Proximal Development (ZPDs), and autonomy, via TAGS (Teach, Advise, Guide, Solo) scale for a common pediatric neurosurgical procedure. The most common pediatric neurosurgical procedure, a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, was broken down into four ZPDs. After each procedure, the resident and the attending rated the competency of the resident by ZPD, and their autonomy using TAGS. These ratings were then compared to see if the attending and the resident agreed on their levels of competency and autonomy. ResultsThere were no significant difference in the rating of competency or autonomy between the residents and the attendings. Post graduate year (PGY) was significantly associated with differences in TAGS ratings with those having less experience showing a positive perception gap. Other covariates (age, gender) were not associated with differences in rating. The residents found that the ZPDs checklist was a useful tool for communicating with the attending and for getting appropriate autonomy in the OR. ConclusionsPediatric neurosurgical trainees and attendings had concordance on their perceptions of resident autonomy and competency, suggesting that this tool could be a useful way of objectively grading the progress of neurosurgical residents in surgery.

Demographics and Characteristics of US-Based Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Fellowship Program Directors: A 2023 Descriptive Analysis

Fellowship program directors (FPDs) play an important role in the development of fellows and learners, but little is known about their demographics. This cross-sectional study aims to examine the characteristics of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (MIGS) FPDs. A retrospective cross-sectional study. Data obtained from publicly available information on official websites of the program directors studied. MIGS fellowship program directors. All US-based MIGS programs affiliated with the AAGL in 2023 were included. Information about FPD gender, medical school attended and graduation year, residency program attended and graduation year, any additional graduate degrees earned, fellowship programs completed, and the year of their appointment as FPD was collected through publicly available sources. Scholarly activity was measured by peer-reviewed articles and the Hirsch index. Of the 54 FPDs, 28 (51.85%) were female and 26 (48.15%) were male. Male FPDs were significantly older (54.6 ± 8.7 years) than female FPDs (46.2 ± 5.0 years), p < 0.05. Average age at appointment was 43.1 ± 6.7 years, with female FPDs being appointed at significantly younger ages (39.4 ± 5.1 years) compared to male FPDs (44.5 ± 6.8 years), p < 0.05. Male FPDs had statistically significant higher Hirsch indices (14 ± 11.4) compared to female FPDs (8 ± 5.8), p < 0.05. Of the FPDs who completed a fellowship, 27 (50.00%) did so in MIGS, eight (14.81%) in Gynecologic-Oncology, six (11.11%) in Urogynecology, and four (7.41%) in Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility. MIGS fellowships have a uniquely equal representation of male and female FPDs, as surgical subspecialties historically tend to be male dominant. Notably, there is diversity in the type of fellowship pursued by MIGS FPDs, with nearly half of FPDs completing a fellowship outside of MIGS. The reasons for differences in scholarly contributions, indicated by Hirsch index, of male versus female FPDs is unclear.

Assessment of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) among physiotherapists in Cameroon: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundEvidence-Based Practice (EBP) is reported to ease effective and adequate decision making for all works of life including health professionals. Investigating the level of implementation of EBP among physiotherapists helps to identify barriers and propose solutions for its extensive implementation. Despite available data on EBP elsewhere, it remains limited or non-existent in Cameroon. This study was designed to establish the current state of EBP among physiotherapists in Cameroon, by assessing knowledge, practice, and barriers to its implementation.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted online among French- and English-speaking physiotherapists in Cameroon over a period of six months from April to July 2023, using the EBP2 questionnaire. This enabled us to collect socio-demographic data from participants and information on their knowledge, understanding and practice of EBP and possible barriers to EBP according to 5 domains (Confidence, Relevance, Terminology, Practice, Compatibility) scored out of 100. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS 25.0 software and Pearson correlations (95% CI) and significance (p < 0.05).ResultsA total of 110 physiotherapists practising in the 10 regions of Cameroon participated in the study. The majority were male (54.5%), the median age was 34 years (age range 20 to 50), the median year of graduation was 2019 (range 2004 to max 2022) with 72.7% never having knowledge or training in EBP. Participants scored below 50/100 for 3 domains (confidence, relevance, and compatibility) showing poor general knowledge and understanding of EBP, although they generally had a positive attitude towards EBP. The use of EBP in practice was low (26.3/100 SD. 6.5), despite that they appeared to have a good understanding of research terminology (55.4 SD. 17.2). Level of study of participants did not appear to significantly influence domain scores (P > 0.05). The main barriers to practice were lack of time (75.1%), workload (66%), cost of access to information resources like databases for seek informations about recent support protocols (60%), ease of access to computers (49%), and lack of resources or skills (49%).ConclusionPhysiotherapists in Cameroon have a poor knowledge of EBP and a low level of practice of EBP, despite an overall positive attitude towards it. These results could inform stakeholders of higher education on the need to improve training of physiotherapy students in the domain of EBP in Physiotherapy. Also, it will help in raising the level of scientific research and promoting the implementation of EBP in Cameroon.

When to take the primary certification examination: sooner or later?

Most Pathology residents take the Anatomic Pathology and/or Clinical Pathology primary pathology certification examination(s) near the end of their final year of training (i.e., Spring), whereas some postpone the examination(s) to the Fall administration of that year or even later. We compared the Spring and Fall administration pass rates of initial primary certification candidates for those who graduated in the same year they took the examination. We also compared the pass rates of same-year graduates with individuals who postponed the examination for a year or more. We also surveyed the candidates regarding the reasons they chose the Spring or Fall administration. Candidates who chose the earlier (i.e., Spring) administration were more likely to pass compared with those who took the later Fall administration (p = 0.0026 for Anatomic Pathology; p = 0.0004 for Clinical Pathology). Delaying the certifying exams beyond the calendar year of residency graduation was associated with a higher failure rate (p < 0.0001 for both Anatomic and Clinical Pathology). The survey results suggest that residents often take their certification examinations earlier to not interfere with fellowship training, because it coincides with the completion of residency training, or it is expected by their program. Pathology residents are more likely to pass the primary certification examinations when they are taken closer to the end of training, rather than postponing it to a later administration. Pathology residency program directors should encourage residents, who are deemed ready, to take their certification examinations at the earliest possible administration.

Gender pay gaps across STEM fields of study

ABSTRACT Gender pay gaps in earnings are well-documented in the literature. However, new factors contributing to women’s lower earnings have emerged and remain under-researched. Educational choices are among them. We use a rich administrative dataset from Poland, a Central Eastern European country with high tertiary education enrolment and high female employment rates among young women, to study gender pay gaps among tertiary education graduates with degrees in different fields of study while paying particular attention to STEM fields graduates (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). We find that already in the first year after graduation, women earn over 20% less than men. This gap widens over time. We also find significant variation across different STEM fields both in the size of the gender pay gap and in how it changes over time. The gap is the largest among mathematics graduates, at over 25%; while it does not exceed 3% among chemical and Earth sciences graduates. As these differences narrow only slightly within the first four years of graduates’ working careers, policymakers’ efforts to increase the number of women earning STEM degrees may not be enough to achieve gender pay equality.

Team players and helpers – describing professional identity among finnish physicians in a cross-sectional study

BackgroundEvery physician has a unique professional identity. However, little is known about the diversity of identities among physicians. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the professional identity of physicians in Finland using descriptions of professional identity.MethodsThis study was part of a larger cross-sectional Finnish Physician 2018 Study. The target population consisted of all Finnish physicians under the age of 70 (N = 24,827) in 2018. The sample was drawn from physicians born on even numbered days (N = 11,336) using the Finnish Medical Association register. A total of 5,187 (46%) physicians responded. Professional identity was examined by 27 given characterisations using a five-point Likert scale. Multivariate logistic regression was used in assessing how place of work, graduation year and gender were associated with identity descriptions.ResultsThe descriptions which most physicians identified with were “member of a working group/team” (82%), “helper” (82%), and “health expert” (79%); the majority reported these as describing them very or quite well. Identity descriptions such as “prescriber of medications” (68% vs. 45%), “prioritiser” (57% vs. 35%) and “someone issuing certificates” (52% vs. 32%) were more popular among junior than senior physicians. The biggest differences between the genders were found in the descriptions “provider of comfort” (62% vs. 40%) and “someone engaged in social work” (45% vs. 25%), with which women identified more frequently than men.ConclusionsStrong identification as a member of a team is an important finding in the increasingly multiprofessional world of health care. Importantly, most physicians shared several core professional identity descriptions (i.e., helper, health expert) that reflect the traditional image of an exemplary doctor.

Selection of international medical graduates into postgraduate training positions in Canada. Who applies? Who is selected?

International medical graduates (IMGs) are an essential part of the Canadian physician workforce. Considering current pressures on the health care system, an update regarding application numbers and match rates for IMGs to postgraduate positions in Canada is needed. We conducted a quantitative cross-sectional study to explore the characteristics of IMGs who are currently applying to the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) positions to gain a broad understanding of the composition of this group and the factors associated with successful matching. Out of 1,725 applicants in 2019, 14.1% matched on the first attempt and 6.4% after two to three attempts. Only 22.7% matched with a position (57.6% women). Applicants submitted an average 19.6 site/program applications. The percentage of IMGs matched did not statistically differ by gender. The relationship between the year of graduation or geographic area of medical school qualified and matching was significant for the first and second iterations, with current-year graduates and Oceania/Pacific Islands applicants more likely to match. This study provided us with accurate numbers and information about the Canadians studying abroad and IMG groups applying, and factors associated with being matched to the IMG positions through CaRMS, which will be instrumental in informing future selection implications for Canada.

A study of doctoral time-to-degree in selected disciplines at South African public universities

Scholarship on doctoral success highlights differences in timely degree attainment between disciplines. However, research on doctoral education in South Africa is limited to identifying general factors that affect the successful completion of a doctoral degree with very little reference to differences across disciplines. This study’s objective is to compare time-to-degree, as the number of years between a doctoral student’s commencement year and graduation year, across selected disciplines as well as to identify factors, above and beyond that of disciplinary field, which are explanatory of shorter time-to-degree. The study investigates the role of selected student demographics (such as commencement age, gender, race, and nationality), institutional (type of higher education institution), and situational factors (such as part-time or full-time enrolment) in predicting doctoral time-to-degree. Results of multiple linear regression models indicate that mode of enrolment is the strongest predictor of completion time with part-time students recording a statistically significantly longer time-to-degree when compared to full-time students. A student’s discipline, nationality, and institution are also identified as statistically significant predictors of time-to-degree while gender, race, and age are not. However, the interaction between commencement age and enrolment mode is indicated to be a strong predictor of doctoral completion time. Although shorter completion times can be considered an indicator of efficiency at doctoral level, it is imperative to consider wider contextual factors in thinking about this issue.

Behavioral economic and wellness-based approaches for reducing alcohol use and consequences among diverse non-student emerging adults: study protocol for Project BLUE, a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundEmerging adults (EAs) who are not 4-year college students nor graduates are at elevated risk for lifetime alcohol use disorder, comorbid drug use, and mental health symptoms, compared to college graduates. There is a need for tailored brief alcohol intervention (BAI) approaches to reduce alcohol risk and to facilitate healthy development in this high-risk population. Most BAIs include a single session focused on discussing risks associated with drinking and correcting normative beliefs about drinking rates. EAs may benefit from additional elements that enhance general wellness. The substance-free activity session (SFAS) aims to clarify life goals and values and increase goal-directed activities that provide alternatives to alcohol use, and the relaxation training (RT) session teaches relaxation and stress reduction skills.MethodsThe present study is a randomized 3-group (BAI + SFAS vs. RT + SFAS vs. education control) trial with 525 EAs (175 per group; estimated 50% women and 50% African American) who report recent risky drinking and who are not students or graduates of 4-year colleges. Participants will have the option of completing the intervention sessions in person or via a secure video teleconference. Levels of drinking and alcohol-related problems will be evaluated at baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-intervention. The primary hypothesis is that both BAI + SFAS and RT + SFAS participants will report significantly greater reductions in alcohol use and problems relative to education control participants, with no differences in outcomes between the two active treatment conditions.DiscussionThe results of this study will inform alcohol prevention efforts for high-risk community dwelling emerging adults.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04776278.

Assessing Graduate Competency Fit for the Workplace: A Tracer Study Investigation in Education

Objective: Effective curriculum programs depend on how well higher education programs prepare people for jobs and how well the job market offers employment opportunities. Unfortunately, many university graduates often work in roles that do not align with what they learned in their studies. This study aims to assess the compatibility between the competencies possessed by graduates of the Information Systems Program at Surabaya State University and the expectations of employers. Method: A tracer study was conducted to investigate the extent to which program graduates are absorbed into the workforce. This research was conducted on alums of the Information Systems Program at Surabaya State University who graduated in 2022. The research method was an online survey with a quantitative descriptive analysis approach. Results: The results revealed that 25.0% of the respondents found the relevance of the Information Systems program to their jobs to be very close, 25.0% considered it close, 37.5% found it quite close, and approximately 12.5% did not find it very close. This indicates that the learning experience provided by the Information Systems program aligns well with job requirements and can be effectively implemented. Novelty: This research focused on aligning the competencies acquired by the Information Systems Program graduates at Surabaya State University. This focused approach on a specific program and year of graduation adds a novel perspective to the broader discourse on the effectiveness of higher education in meeting the demands of the job market.

Prescription Trends of Thiazide Diuretics in a Canadian Primary Care Population From 2015 to 2021

BackgroundHypertension Canada 2017 guidelines favoured the use of thiazide (TZ)-like diuretics, such as CLTD (chlorthalidone) and indapamide (IND) over hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). Health Canada warned in 2019 that HCTZ may be associated with increased risk of skin cancer. Our study looked at the changes in TZ prescriptions from 2015 to 2021 in Ontario, Canada. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted of adults with hypertension, using electronic medical record data from the University of Toronto Practice-Based Research Network database covering mostly the Greater Toronto area. Outcomes included the proportion of patients who received a prescription of HCTZ, CLTD, or IND each month. Interrupted time-series analysis was used to evaluate the change in outcomes after publication of the 2017 guidelines and 2019 safety warning. Prescription trends were stratified by prescribing physicians’ sex and year of medical school graduation. ResultsA total of 100,428 patients with hypertension were included in the cohort, with 31,700 patients who received at least one TZ prescription from 343 family physicians. We found a declining trend in HCTZ prescriptions over time, accompanied by an increase in IND and CLTD prescriptions, with statistically significant but transient changes in prescription rates after publication of the 2017 guidelines and the 2019 safety warning for all 3 medications. Female physician and early-career physician prescription rates changed faster than that of their counterparts immediately after the Health Canada safety warning was issued. ConclusionsTZ diuretic prescription patterns have changed in recent years, but Hypertension Canada’s 2017 guidelines and the 2019 Health Canada safety warning did not have a sustained significant impact on the change in prescription rates of HCTZ, IND, and CLTD.

Quantitative indicators of the training of cadets of the Irkutsk Fire Technical School in 1968-1993.

The subject of the research of the scientific article is the peculiarities of the process of training firefighters on the basis of the Irkutsk Fire Technical School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR during the period of activity of this educational institution from 1968 to 1993 on the territory of the Irkutsk region. In this publication, on the basis of previously unpublished and not introduced into scientific circulation archival materials, historical data on quantitative changes in the recruitment and training of cadets of the Irkutsk Fire Technical School during the period of their educational activities are investigated. The author considers the issues of organizing entry examinations for incoming applicants, notes significant events in the educational activities of cadets, and summarizes data on the number of specialists who have completed training. The article identifies the features of the educational process on the basis of the school, which allowed the formation of a professional staff of firefighters in the regions of Siberia and the Far East. The research methodology includes a concrete historical approach (M.V. Astakhov, I.D. Kovalchenko, V.F. Kolomiytsev, A.P. Pronstein, etc.), as well as generalization, comparison, synthesis, classification, concretization; analysis of archival documents, legislation and scientific literature; retrospective analysis; method of historical analogies. The novelty of this scientific article lies in the fact that during the scientific research, historical and pedagogical sources, archival data describing in detail the history of the formation and development of the cadet recruitment structure of the school, as well as a detailed report on the quantitative and qualitative indicators of graduates of the fire school by year of graduation were identified and summarized. The conducted research is of interest to a wide range of readers, since the study of the educational activities of the school, structural and organizational measures for the recruitment and graduation of firefighters is a very important component in the study of the formation and development of departmental education of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR in the territory of the Baikal region in the XX century. The list of heads of these structural divisions at the stage of formation and development of the Irkutsk Fire Technical School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR is considered.

The impact of final-year clinical placements on nursing students' career planning for the graduate year and beyond

AimsThis study had three objectives: 1) to determine final-year nursing students' career preferences and long-term career plans; 2) to investigate factors influencing nursing students' specialty choices following their final-year clinical placement(s); and 3) to understand how final-year clinical placements can be used to develop the career interests of nursing students to different nursing specialties. BackgroundClinical placement provides an insightful experience that may influence students to feel inclined to work in certain specialties. Therefore, each clinical placement should promote students' learning and enhance positive experiences that could develop their career interests and encourage them to seek employment in the specialty on graduation. DesignA cross-sectional online survey. MethodsThe survey was structured using the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale – Short Form. The questionnaire was distributed to final-year nursing students (N = 222) at two public universities in Western Australia. This study specifically reports on the Goal selection and Planning domains of the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale – Short Form, which were explored through additional questions prompting participants to explain their career preferences and reasons for their nursing specialty choices. ResultsMost participants, fifty-three percent, had low confidence in making career decisions. The Goal Selection and Planning questions measured the students' confidence in choosing a suitable practice destination and preparing for their professional careers. Overall, participants prefer employment in hospital settings both in the short- and long-term aspects of their nursing career. The factors influencing the students' career decisions were classified into three main categories: the clinical environment, educational factors and individual factors. ConclusionsThe nursing curriculum may encourage nursing students to work in some specialties over others. This study provides insight into factors that may promote or inhibit students' career choices and how students may be motivated to pursue the less preferred nursing specialties.

The studying of public health and health care as obligatory component of program of residency training

The article considers the teaching of the discipline "Public Health and Health Care" to residents of all specialties. For analyzing attitude of residents to studying the discipline "Public Health and Health Care", as well as improvement of training physicians at the stage of residency and their full mastery of necessary competencies, survey was carried out on sampling of 424 residents of the second (graduate) year of training. The number of questions were formulated to be included into questionnaire to obtain data about respondents (age, gender, region of study, citizenship, experience of working at medical position) and to identify their attitude to the study of the discipline "Public Health and Health Care" " in residency (sections of program as practically applicable, assessment of form of teaching the discipline and use of educational technologies, including remote and digital learning, choice of universal and general professional competencies). The majority of residents (65.1%) plan to be engaged not only in direct clinical activities in the future, but also to undergo additional training in health care management and work in positions related to organizational managerial activities from position of head of department to of head of medical organizations and administration of regional health care services.

전업직장인의 상담학 학습경험에 관한 현상학적 연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is, on the one hand, to examine the experiences of individuals who are full-time employees and enrolled in the process of learning in counselor education, and on the other hand, to phenomenologically reveal the meaning behind their experiences.&#x0D; Methods Interviews were conducted on seven full-time employees who are in counseling graduate school for more than 3 semesters or within 1 year of graduation, and analyzed by Colaizzi's phenomenological research method. Participants consisted of those in their late 30s to early 50s who had more than 10 years of work experience and experienced vocational activities in different occupations from the counseling field. The data collection period was from September to December 2021, and after an in-depth interview of 90 to 120 minutes, additional interviews were conducted by phone or text message if necessary.&#x0D; Results As a result, 5 categories, 19 topic bundles, and 81 topics were derived. The five categories are as follows. ‘studying counseling to break away from current instability’, ‘making good changes during the counseling course of study’, ‘facing psychological difficulties arising from both occupation and academic affairs’, ‘maturing the mind through learning in counselor education’, and ‘running a life as an employee also doing in counseling job’. In conclusion, participants, with over 10 years of full-time work experience and a stable career will go to counseling, a new field, and the world of experience can be summarized as “growth through counseling studies upgrades professionalism in the current workplace and running a life as an employee also doing counseling job.”&#x0D; Conclusions The research results confirmed the experiences and meanings experienced in the course of learning in counselor education, and based on this, provided basic data for future related education and information provision.&#x0D;

Gender Disparities in Endowed Professorships Within Orthopaedic Surgery.

Background Orthopaedic surgery has the lowest number of full-time faculty positions held by women, at 19%, with endowed chairs among the most coveted and advantageous. We examined the characteristics of endowed professors from the US top 100 orthopaedic academic centers and highest-funded musculoskeletal (MSK)researchers to determine if gender is associated with endowed professorship. Additionally, we sought to determine ifgender is associated with increased NIH funding for top-performing musculoskeletal researchers. Methods Our primary study group included the top 100 orthopaedic academic centers defined by US News World Report and Doximity's rankings. Our secondary study group examined the top MSK researchers, defined as principal investigators, who received >$400,000 in annual NIH funding from 2018 to 2021. Orthopaedic departments included MSK researchers and subspecialties within orthopaedics and medicine. Publicly available sources were used to compile institutional, gender, H-index, citation number, and subspecialty data on endowed professors; statistical comparisons were calculated. Results Within the top 100 orthopaedic academic departments, 4674 faculty were identified. Seven hundred and thirty-three (15.68%) were identified as women, 3941 as men (84.32%). One hundred and ninety-four held endowed professorships; 13 were awarded to women (6.7%), and 185 (95.3%) were awarded to men, with a significant odds ratio (OR) of 2.95, favoring men. For MSK researchers, the OR increases to 11.4. Arthroplasty and sports had the highest numbers of endowments. Significant differences in H-index, publications, and graduation year were identified between men and women for top MSK researchers and orthopaedic-trained surgeons; however, these differences disappeared when considering heterogenous orthopaedic departments that included medicine subspecialties, plastic surgery, hand surgery, and neurosurgery. Additional gender differences were observed in endowment names, with awards commemorating 51.5% men, 7.2% women, and 34% families or groups. Conclusion Gender inequities at the endowment level are substantial, and there are very few women in musculoskeletal medicine to achieve endowments. Differences in H-index, publications, and graduation year between men and women MSK researchers and orthopaedic-trained surgeons, but not combined orthopaedic, PM&R, and medical subspecialty departments, suggest unique challenges in orthopaedic surgery environments and histories that may contribute to endowment disparity. Gender was not found to be associated with funding bias for top-performing musculoskeletal researchers.

Can peer feedback substitute for faculty feedback in predoctoral dental education?

The ability to give and receive feedback is a key skill to develop during predoctoral dental education, and the use of peer feedback specifically offers distinct benefits including a different understanding of material due to peers' proximity of knowledge development and assisting with overburdened instructors. However, it is unclear if peer feedback offers similar quality to instructor feedback. Dental students in two different graduation years provided quantitative and qualitative peer feedback on a case-based oral and maxillofacial pathology simulation. The data from these exercises were aggregated and analyzed to compare the quality of qualitative feedback to course examination scores. Student perceptions of peer feedback were also recorded. The mean quality of feedback was not correlated with course examination scores, though the number of times students gave high-quality feedback and received high-quality feedback was correlated with course examination scores. Student feedback overall had a lower quality than instructor feedback, though there was no significant difference between instructor feedback quality and the maximum student feedback quality received. Student perceptions of the utility of feedback were positive. While instructor feedback is more reliable and consistent, our findings suggest that in most instances, at least one peer in moderate-sized groups is able to approximate the quality of instructor feedback on case-based assignments.

Evaluation of Clinical Communication in Pharmacy Undergraduates in Brazil: A Multicentric Study

ObjectiveTo assess the clinical communication characteristics of pharmacy undergraduates, estimate differences in this specific competency, and produce recommendations for further education and training. MethodsAnalysis of communication competence between 110 pharmacy students in the last graduation year from each of the 5 Brazilian regions and a simulated patient with complaints of mild allergic rhinitis passive of resolution with non-prescription medicines. The simulated appointment was recorded, and the video was analyzed using the 2 main elements: biomedical/task-focused and socio-emotional exchange of the Roter Interaction Analysis System. ResultsThe total of utterances/speech from the pharmacist to the patient was 183.4; there was a statistically significant difference according to the Brazilian region. In the consultation, the frequency with which pharmacy students returned to the segment was evaluated, with a total mean clinical history segment 2 of mean 5.60; in segment 4, which is the counseling phase, an average of 4.80. In the task codes and the socio-emotional codes, there was a statistically significant difference between the codes when compared by region. We compare by sex because it is said that women talk more than men. There was a statistically significant difference in socio-emotional code and biomedical/focused and task being higher for women. ConclusionThe level of communication competence of students should be that desired for graduation, in all regions. There seems to be a difference between training and level of competence. Considering gender, although the consultation time is similar, it appears that the quality of communication is higher for women.

Gender-based Disparity Exists in the Surgical Experience of Female and Male Urology Residents

ObjectiveTo determine if a discrepancy exists in the number and type of cases logged between female and male urology residents. Materials and MethodsACGME case log data from thirteen urology residency programs was collected from 2007 to 2020. The number and type of cases for each resident were recorded and correlated with resident gender and year of graduation. The median, and 25th and 75th percentiles number of cases were calculated by gender, and then compared between female and male residents using Wilcoxon rank sum test. ResultsA total of 473 residents were included in the study, 100 (21%) were female. Female residents completed significantly fewer cases, 2174, compared to male residents, 2273 (p = 0.038). Analysis by case type revealed male residents completed significantly more general urology (526 versus 571, p = 0.011) and oncology cases (261 versus 280, p = 0.026). Additionally, female residents had a 1.3 fold increased odds of logging a case in the assistant role than male residents (95% confidence interval: 1.27 – 1.34, p < 0.001). ConclusionGender-based disparity exists within the urology training of female and male residents. Male residents logged nearly 100 more cases than female residents over four years, with significant differences in certain case subtypes and resident roles. The ACGME works to provide an equal training environment for all residents. Addressing this finding within individual training programs is critical.

Healthcare professionals' digital health competence profiles and associated factors: A cross-sectional study.

To identify healthcare professionals' digital health competence profiles and explore associated factors to digital health competence in healthcare settings. A cross-sectional study. Data were collected from 817 healthcare professionals from nine organizations with an electronic questionnaire by using Digital Health Competence instrument (42 items) and Aspects Associated with Digital Health instrument (15 items) between 1st March and 31st July 2022. K-means clustering was used to describe digital health competence profiles. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore associated factors. Analysis revealed three digital health competence profiles: A - high competence (n = 336), B - intermediate competence (n = 352) and C - low competence (n = 129). Between the profiles, digital health competence showed significant differences (p < .001). Recent graduation year, working in outpatient environments and leader or specialist position were associated with higher digital health competence. Organizational practices and the influence from colleagues improved competence in human-centred remote counselling, digital solutions as part of work, competence in utilizing and evaluating digital solutions and ethical competence. Support from management improved digital solutions as part of work and ethical competence. Nursing and allied health professionals working in other than outpatient environments should be specifically acknowledged when digital health competence development initiatives are designed and targeted. The positive influence from colleagues could be harnessed by enhancing their involvement in digital health competence development methods such as orientation, mentoring or coaching. Additionally, managers should take a stronger role in supporting different areas of digital health competence. This was the first study that explored healthcare professionals' digital health competence profiles and associated factors. The detection of healthcare professionals' digital health competence profiles guides the development of digital health education according to different needs in healthcare environments. The study has adhered to STROBE guidelines. No patient or public contribution.