Presentation 1 - Public Health in the Medical Curriculum
Aikaterini Dima

International Federation of Medical Students\' Associations (IFMSA)

 

PURPOSE As the scope and needs of medicine are changing, Public Health (PH) is becoming a crucial component of healthcare. On the contrary, in many undergraduate medical programs, PH subjects are not given enough importance to cover the needs of medical students as future professionals. The methodologies are lacking development of students' interest. At the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA), students have observed the lack in the depth of knowledge of PH and seek to advocate for its adequate inclusion. METHODS IFMSA held a worldwide online survey in order to compile students needs and perceptions about PH education in medical schools. Qualitative input was also collected during IFMSA meetings. A toolkit was developed for medical students and teaching institutes to educate medical students about the content and preferred methodologies for teaching PH, equip them with relevant advocacy skills. RESULTS 327 responses from 139 countries were obtained. An absolute majority (69%) of schools have PH as a mandatory course. Minority (15%) of schools offer MD and PH Blended Programmes. There is no common concept on which years of study are best for PH content. The most prevalent teaching method is lecturing, however, it was not the most desired. More interactive methods as workshops, community practice were highlighted. CONCLUSIONS Based on the input, the toolkit on PH in medical curricula have been developed including sections on medical students perceptions, preferred PH content, teaching methodology, and advocacy. The impact of the toolkit will be subsequently evaluated by IFMSA.  PH including global health is essential for all future healthcare providers. We need to educate about its importance and represent informed views. IFMSA is providing medical students with skills to understand, advocate and implement the inclusion of PH in medical curricula globally.

 

Presentation 2 - LONGITUDINAL STUDENTS AS TEACHERS PATHWAY
Jacqueline K. Kobayashi

University of Utah School of Medicine

 

PURPOSE Every patient encounter is a teaching encounter. Physicians are responsible for educating patients, students, and colleagues, yet most medical students are not trained to be excellent educators. Despite the efficacy of student teachers in medical education, longitudinal programs to support this are uncommon. The Students as Teacher Pathway (SaT) at the University of Utah School of Medicine was developed to provide interested students with structured longitudinal opportunities to gain skills to become successful educators, as well as mentorship to help guide a career in medical education. METHODS The SaT pathway involves a 4-year curriculum that begins with introductory sessions during the first semester of medical school and ends with a capstone project during the 4th year. The SaT pathway includes: MS1: Teaching fundamentals (8 sessions) MS2: Clinical teaching (8 sessions) MS3: Skills application MS4: Advanced topics (4 sessions), elective, capstone completion Principles of this course are also incorporated into the broader medical curriculum to expose all students to the fundamentals of teaching as it will be utilized throughout their career. RESULTS The inaugural year of the SaT pathway had 14 MS1 and 2 MS2 students enroll. Student feedback was positive and expressed that the pathway provided early exposure to careers in academic medicine and educational principles. This pathway provides students with a foundational skill set regarding effective teaching methods which they can develop within a 4-year medical education, and continue to improve on throughout their future careers. CONCLUSIONS This longitudinal pathway is uniquely situated to prepare medical students to become excellent educators by establishing early interest, teaching skills and theory, and providing opportunities and structured experiences to develop advanced skills in clinical education methodology as well as mentorship to help guide a career in medical education.

 

Presentation 3 - Interprofessional Service Learning in Medical Education: Assessment of Student Perspectives on Current Educational Trends
Malek H. Bouzaher

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
 

Purpose: In an effort to train providers who will be properly equipped to function in collaborative healthcare teams, medical schools around the country are integrating interprofessional experiences into their curriculum, many of which incorporate a significant service learning component. Community service learning has been extolled as an effective vehicle for interprofessional health education largely based upon studies assessing the short-term impact of these experiences on positive team behaviors and communication skills. Through this study, the authors explore the year-over-year outcomes of this trend in interprofessional health education to determine whether the short-term successes detailed in prior studies are sustainable over time.  Methods: Course evaluations were collected from 168 first year medical students (M1) at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) over a 4-year period beginning in 2013 and ending in 2017. All 238 current and former VTCSOM students were also prospectively surveyed and 87 (37%) responses were received.  Results:  M1 students perceived similar quality in the interprofessional health education program across years. However, statistically significant differences were observed between pre-clinical students and clinical students/physicians on measures related to similarities between service learning and clinical experiences, community impact, and overall service learning experience.   Conclusion: Pre-clinical medical student perceptions regarding interprofessional service learning remain relatively consistent over time. However, as students progress through their medical education, they perceive the skills learned and obstacles encountered through these opportunities to be less generalizable to the clinical setting. These findings suggest a need to re-evaluate the context and goals of these experiences.

 

Presentation 4 - The Utility of Personality Assessments in Medical Student Coaching - a Pilot Study
Jennifer A. Villwock
University of Kansas Medical Center

PURPOSE: The rapid growth experienced during medical training is impacted by personality. However, insight into personality can be lacking. This study investigated the utility of personality assessments for use in student coaching. METHODS: 50 first year medical students were invited to complete the Hogan assessments and their results incorporated into coaching sessions all students receive as part of the medical school curriculum. 25 students were invited to participate as controls, receiving standard coaching. Perceived Stress Scale(PSS), 2-item Maslach Burnout Inventory(MBI) responses were recorded at baseline(August) and 2-3 month intervals corresponding to enrichment weeks between academic blocks. A nonparametric approach to two-way factorial repeated measures design was used to determine both between group and within group differences. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: 31 students completed the Hogan assessments. The students and their coaches received results and an associated MentorGuide document. 15 students were controls. Student stress and burnout indices were not significantly different between groups. Time significantly impacted burnout indices and 40%(4/10) of PSS indices. Best scores in 8 of the 12 measures occurred in August. There was no significant interaction between group and time. Temporal trends were non-monotonic, suggesting that elapsed duration of coaching and/or schooling was not the basis for significance. At baseline, burnout was positively correlated with being "angered because of things outside your control," feeling that "difficulties were piling up." At the study conclusion, burnout was negatively correlated with feelings of being "able to control irritations." 72% of the Hogan students recommended personality assessments to others. 81% students in both groups would recommend them to future medical students. CONCLUSIONS: The under-utilization of assessment results in formal coaching sessions represents a missed opportunity. The large proportion of students recommending these assessments indicates more formal study is needed to optimize curricula and develop best practices.