Medical Science Educator

Letter to the Editor on the Article: “Mixed Reality Anatomy Using Microsoft HoloLens and Cadaveric Dissection: a Comparative Effectiveness Study”

Integration of Basic and Clinical Sciences: Student Perceptions Abstract The integrated curriculum is becoming a popular concept among dental schools. The purpose of this study was to query dental students at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston – School of Dentistry (UTSD) to elucidate their level of interest in the integrated curriculum, perception of how much integration is currently occurring, and identify challenges to integration. To address this question, dental students at UTSD were invited to participate in a survey. Participants reported their perspectives on integration of sciences. All survey participants agreed that it is beneficial to integrate clinical and basic sciences and that basic science educators were incorporating clinical relevance in their regular teaching. The third and fourth year classes, classes that had been exposed to general as well as all specialty dentistry clinics, agreed that basic sciences are being incorporated into most clinical teaching. Top two barriers to integration identified by the students were lack of crossover knowledge of faculty, and insufficient time to explore connections between basic sciences and clinical sciences because of the volume of information that needs to be covered. In conclusion, student perception at UTSD is that overall basic and clinical sciences are being integrated throughout the curriculum.

A Curriculum Design and Teaching Experience Created by and for Bioscience Postdoctoral Fellows in a Medical School Abstract Many medical school postdoctoral fellows (postdocs) lack training in curriculum design and student-centered instruction. A team of bioscience postdocs and a medical school curriculum assistant dean co-created an experience to fill this gap. Kern’s and Kirkpatrick’s frameworks were used for the design and evaluation, respectively, of both the postdoc experience and the undergraduate course they developed. Postdocs taught the course using student-centered methods, especially team-based learning and Just-in-Time Teaching. Following a successful pilot phase, this low resource postdoc experience and undergraduate course are regularly offered. Participating postdocs develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively participate in medical school education.

Influence of Student Feedback on the Quality of Teaching among Clinical Teachers in Bahrain Abstract Background The effect of student feedback on teaching quality has been well-documented. However, only a few studies have examined the impact of feedback on clinical teachers delivering cross-border medical education in this geographical region. The aim of this study is to investigate (i) the quality of teaching among clinical teachers in a cross-border medical education setup, (ii) the impact of student feedback on teaching effectiveness, (iii) the differences in ratings among different groups of students, and (iv) factors that improve clinical teaching. Methods Fifty-seven clinical teachers and 140 students participated in this study. Teachers received feedback on their performance and were allowed to reflect on them. Six months later, the teachers received feedback again. Additionally, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 5 selected clinical teachers working in 2 different hospitals to explore the factors that influenced clinical teaching. Result Overall, nearly half of the clinical teachers (n = 25) showed a trend of greater scores in the second assessment, while most of the remaining teachers (n = 24) continued to have more or less the same score or marginal fall in the second assessment. Even though few clinical teachers demonstrated significantly lesser scores, careful observation of data showed that the mean value of the second score either remained above (n = 5) or closer (n = 2) to the cut-off value of 3.74, except one teacher who recorded the least mean score of 3.17 in the second assessment. In qualitative analysis, teachers emphasised that the student feedback allowed them to develop more effective teaching approaches and strategies. Conclusion The pattern of results suggests that the effect of student feedback on teaching quality can have multiple outcomes, mostly positive or neutral, and very rarely negative. This study also advocates that feedback can be more beneficial if strengthened by other interventions like faculty training.

Optimizing the Use of an Online Self-assessment Exam to Promote Self-directed Learning Behaviors in Medical Students Abstract Online self-assessment exams (SAEs) can be used to encourage self-directed learning (SDL) in medical education, but their effectiveness depends on how they are incorporated into the curriculum. In this pilot, we applied adult learning principles to the curricular design for implementing an online SAE in the neurology clerkship. We examined student perceptions of the efficacy in promoting SDL behaviors by analyzing survey responses from 76 medical students in the clerkship. Factors in the design and implementation of the SAE that promoted SDL behaviors included fostering autonomy, promoting paced study, broadening content exposure, encouraging self-reflection, and providing content with perceived value.

Poster Presentations Abstracts, 23rd Annual Meeting of the International Association of Medical Science Educators, Roanoke, VA, USA, June 8–11, 2019

Daily Evaluation Cards Are Superior for Student Assessment Compared to Single Rater In-Training Evaluations Abstract Introduction The University of Manitoba’s ambulatory pediatric clerkship transitioned to daily encounter cards (DECs) from single in-training evaluation reports (ITERs). The impact of this change on quality of student assessment was unknown. Using the validated Completed Clinical Evaluation Report Rating (CCERR) scale, we compared the assessment quality of the single ITER to the DEC-based system. Methods Block randomization was used to select from a cohort of ITER- and DEC-based assessments during equivalent points in clerkship training. Data were transcribed and anonymized and scored by two blinded raters using the CCERR. Results Inter-rater reliability for total CCERR scores was substantive (> 0.6). Mean total CCERR score for the DEC cohort was significantly higher than for the ITER cohort (25.2 vs. 16.8, p < 0.001), as were the mean scores for each item (2.81 vs. 1.86, p < 0.05). Multivariate logistical regression supported the significant influence of assessment method on assessment quality. Conclusions There is improvement in the average quality of student assessments associated with the transition from an ITER-based system to a DEC-based system. However, the improvement to only average CCERR scores for the DEC cohort suggests an unmet need for faculty development.

Committee Listing

Fostering Inclusive Approaches to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Healthcare on the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship Abstract This article from the “To the Point” series prepared by the Association of Professors in Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UMEC) provides educators with strategies for inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT)-related content into the medical school curriculum. With a focus on the Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) clerkship, we also address ways to enhance visibility of these curricula within existing clinical and teaching experiences.

Teaching Type 1 Diabetes: Creating Stakeholder Engagement in Biomedical Careers Through Undergraduate Research Curriculum Abstract Undergraduate students living with chronic diseases attending universities where major biomedical research takes place are critical stakeholders in these programs, yet they often remain sequestered from them. A directed research curriculum about Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) was developed to better engage undergraduate students with personal connections to the disease in a large medical university setting world renowned for its research in this area. The course had the following student learning outcomes: (1) gain knowledge of major T1D research programs; (2) exposure to careers in T1D research and clinical care; and (3) recognize bioethical issues in T1D research.