Differences in medical student self-evaluations of clinical and professional skills.

BACKGROUND: The skill of self-assessment is critical to medical students. We sought to determine whether there were differences between student self-assessments and their faculty assessments and if they were modified by gender. Additionally, we sought to determine the differences in these assessments between students in a traditional (core) versus an enhanced (SELECT) medical school curriculum. METHODS: In this retrospective study, mid-term and final assessment and feedback forms from the first-year Doctoring 1 course were analyzed from three academic years: 2014-2015 through 2016-2017. Data were abstracted from the forms and de-identified for analysis. Class year, student gender, and class type were also abstracted from this "on the shelf" data from program assessment. The level of agreement between faculty and student assessments was investigated using Wilcoxon signed ranks test. The gender differences (male versus female students) between student assessments and their assessment by their faculty were investigated by using the Kruskal Wallis test. RESULTS: Five hundred and thirty-five student self-assessments were analyzed. Fifty-six percent (301/535) were male while 44% (234/535) were female. Faculty assessments (P-value <0.001) were higher than students and this was not modified by student gender. Compared to the domain of "participation" in the core program, there was no difference between the student/faculty ratings based on student gender (P-value: 0.48); there was a difference in the SELECT program cohort (P-value: 0.02). Specifically, the female students appear to rate themselves lower (female student: mean/standard deviation: 2.07/0.52) compared to their faculty (faculty: mean/standard deviation: 2.42/0.55). CONCLUSION: Faculty consistently assessed the students at a higher rating than the students rated themselves. The level of difference between student self-assessments and their assessment by their faculty was not modified by student gender. With the minor exception of "participation," there was no difference between students in the two different doctoring class curriculums.

Preparticipation cardiovascular screening among National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I institutions.

BACKGROUND: Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in competitive athletes during sport, and screening strategies for the prevention of sudden cardiac death are debated. The purpose of this study was to assess the incorporation of routine non-invasive cardiovascular screening (NICS), such as ECG or echocardiography, in Division I collegiate preparticipation examinations. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of current screening practices sent to the head athletic trainer of all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football programmes listed in the National Athletic Trainers' Association directory. RESULTS: Seventy-four of 116 (64%) programmes responded. Thirty-five of 74 (47%) of responding schools have incorporated routine NICS testing. ECG is the primary modality for NICS in 31 (42%) of schools, and 17 (49%) also utilise echocardiography. Sixty-four per cent of the programmes that do NICS routinely screen their athletes only once as incoming freshmen. Of institutions that do not conduct NICS, American Heart Association guidelines against routine NICS and cost were the most common reasons reported. CONCLUSIONS: While substantial debate exists regarding protocols for cardiovascular screening in athletes, nearly half of NCAA Division I football programmes in this study already incorporate NICS into their preparticipation screening programme. Additional research is needed to understand the impact of NICS in collegiate programmes.

An innovative clerkship module focused on patients with disabilities.

Lack of medical training results in physicians being unprepared to provide care to people with disabilities, which, in turn, contributes to the substantial health disparities that are evident in this population. Few medical schools or primary care residencies address the care of adults with disabilities. Competencies and guidelines to assist American physicians in caring for patients with physical or intellectual disabilities have yet to be established, thus making educational goals unclear. This article describes one novel training module regarding people with disabilities that was developed at the University of South Florida Health, Morsani College of Medicine (USF) and inserted into the primary care clerkship during a major curriculum redesign in 2005. Since then, all USF third-year medical students have been required to participate in this disability-related course component. The authors describe the module's development and integration into the primary care clerkship, as well as the specific elements of their curriculum. By using a variety of teaching modalities in the classroom and community, and especially by involving people with disabilities themselves, the medical students have a very comprehensive learning experience regarding people who have physical, sensory, or intellectual disabilities. The authors have been able to show that USF medical students, on completion of this module, demonstrate improved knowledge, attitudes, and comfort in caring for people with disabilities, which the authors believe will lead to improved health and health care access for this underserved population. Suggestions for program replication, including common challenges, are also discussed.