Near-Peer Paradigms in Medical School: Integrating Student Teaching Assistants Into a Core Radiology Clerkship.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Near-peer paradigms have been demonstrated effective in supporting how students navigate novel clinical environments. In this study, we describe an innovative model of incorporating teaching assistants (TAs) into a core radiology clerkship and investigate both its perceived educational value by clinical-year learners and its perceived impact on professional growth by TAs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: At one U.S. medical school, the core clinical year includes a clerkship in radiology incorporating both reading room exposure and a didactic curriculum. Radiology faculty deliver a variety of traditional and interactive, "dynamic" lectures, while medical student TAs deliver additional dynamic sessions, including a final TA-created review session. The educational value of each didactic session by clerkship students was assessed using a five-point scale survey, and the professional value of the experience by TAs was assessed using a five-point Likert survey. RESULTS: Spanning from 2020 to 2023, 268 (74.4%) clinical-year students submitted the post-clerkship survey, with the didactic review sessions created and led by TAs receiving the highest ratings of any didactic session. Of 16 former TAs, 12 (75%) completed the post-service survey, with all respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing that they enjoyed and would recommend their experience, and that it enhanced their interest in radiology and in academic medicine. CONCLUSION: Near-peer education in a core radiology clerkship enhances the experience of the learner through peer guidance and the experience of the teacher through professional development. These findings may increase student interest in pursuing academic radiology as a career and invite opportunities for broadening medical school education in radiology.

An Innovative Educational Approach to Teach High School Students the Physiologic Mechanisms and Nutrition Concepts Associated with the Development of Obesity.

An interdisciplinary team-teaching session was introduced to high school students who participated in the Oakland University William Beaumont (OUWB) Future Physician Summer Enrichment Program (FPSEP). The session aimed to integrate physiological concepts and nutrition that are associated with development of obesity. Foundational information about the different food ingredients, physiology of the gastrointestinal organ system followed by concepts associated with the development of obesity and its complications were introduced. The session was delivered using combined educational approaches such as dialogical-narrative approach and hands-on application activities. Overall, the session was perceived very well by high school students. This innovative approach offered several benefits. It promoted critical thinking, practical skills development, and a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Students engaged in active learning, connected theoretical concepts with real-world scenarios, and had the opportunity to develop a sense of personal responsibility towards maintaining their health. We believe that using combined educational approaches in team-teaching sessions promote inclusiveness, interactive engagement and enhance long-life learning. Key words: high school education, innovation, physiology, nutrition, obesity.

Student Perspectives on the Undergraduate Medical Student Research Experience at a Single United States Allopathic Institution.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to identify student-reported institutional facilitators and barriers to successful research experiences at a single United States allopathic institution. Residency applications have increasingly become more competitive, and with the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 exam's transition to pass/fail, factors such as research experience and outcomes may become more important to increase residency application competitiveness. This study sought to explore factors that impact successful research experiences leading to tangible outcomes for medical students at our medical school, the Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine. Methods  A cross-sectional survey was developed and administered via REDCap to 853 students in May 2022. Survey question domains included demographics, past and present research participation, perceived barriers/facilitators to research, tangible outcomes (e.g., publications and posters), and overall satisfaction with research comparing subjectively "best" and "worst" experiences. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) deemed this project as non-regulated research.  Results We had a 24% (n = 204/853) response rate. The responses were distributed equally among the four classes. A big portion of the participants (71%, n = 59/83) identified a tangible outcome as the most important measure of success. Regarding facilitators, students identified having a mentor (89%, n = 165/184) and departmental connections (85%, n = 156/184) as the most important when looking for a project. Barriers included SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) lacking in 31% (n = 24/75) of worst projects, followed by a clear timeline in 29% (n = 22/76) and hours of commitment in 27% (n = 21/78). The best projects were more likely to have resulted in a publication (61% (27/44) vs. 32% (14/44)) or have a poster (64% (28/44) vs. 36% (16/44)). Conclusions Medical students are interested in participating in research, with important facilitators including mentorship and departmental connections. Modifiable variables include lack of clear timelines, well-defined roles and responsibilities, and time commitments. This information may be useful for faculty who mentor medical students or medical schools interested in designing medical student research programs.

Combining postgraduate research training, public engagement, and primary school science education-a Superbugs Master (MSc) class.

Since 2018, the 'Superbugs' initiative at Cardiff University (United Kingdom) has been delivering projects that take a research-driven approach to public engagement, involving rigorous evaluation of the methodologies of delivery and the mechanics of communication. The overall aim of Superbugs is to raise awareness and improve public knowledge of microbiology, infection and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In the present project, four postgraduate students were recruited to undertake research projects as part of their Master of Science (MSc) studies. After a period of literature appraisals, the students chose to focus on the topic of personal and food hygiene and were tasked with collecting information on effective strategies for educating young children. Taking advantage of a focus group of primary school teachers, the students then designed evidence-informed educational activities and the evaluation strategies by which the impact of these would be assessed. A pilot delivery of these activities was carried out in a community setting at a local public library, before final delivery as part of a school outreach workshop. The MSc students produced three new elements of educational material; a story book, a treasure hunt and an interactive card game, primarily built around the concepts of challenge and gamification. Feedback collected from primary school pupils aged 6-7 years old and teachers indicated that the activities developed were successful in both being engaging to young people and resulting in an improved knowledge on the chosen topics. Taken together, we present evidence that postgraduate research training, underpinned by active and service learning, represents a valid and effective way of delivering impactful public engagement. In turn, the experience holds benefit for the students not only in terms of their academic study and core scientific skills, but also their wider appreciation and confidence in being effective engagers and science communicators.

Comparing Peer-Taught Student Tutors to Faculty-Taught Student Tutors in Educating Medical Students on Musculoskeletal Ultrasound.

INTRODUCTION: In recent years, medical education has witnessed a shift in the integration of ultrasound into the preclinical years of medical school. Given the exponential increase in accessibility to ultrasound technology, students now have the opportunity to create peer learning groups in which ultrasound concepts can be taught from peer to peer, empowering students to work together to integrate ultrasound concepts early in their preclinical education. This project investigates the efficacy of peer-taught student tutors (PTSTs) in imparting the fundamentals of basic ultrasound techniques to first-year medical students in the setting of identifying and labeling upper extremity musculoskeletal (MSK) anatomy.  Methods: First-year medical students were instructed to identify volar forearm structures with an ultrasound probe. Students and instructors were given access to an ultrasound probe, ultrasound gel, an iPad, and a standardized patient. Students were taught either by an ultrasound instructor (UI) or PTST. After a hands-on demonstration by a UI or PTST, participating students were told to take screenshots and label their images as accurately as possible, identifying the aforementioned volar structures on a standardized patient without any feedback. The labeled screenshot images of volar structures were graded based on the ability to clearly visualize the intended structures.  Results: The results of this study compare the efficacy of PTSTs as educators of basic sonographic identification techniques with that of UI faculty members. A chi-square analysis was performed between the images obtained by the UI and PTST students, and there was no statistically significant difference in identification accuracy between the groups (p = 0.7538, 0.1977, 0.1812, 0.301). When using the Mann-Whitney U rank test, there remained no statistically significant difference between the accuracy of the students taught by STs compared to students taught by UIs (p = 0.7744, 0.09538, 0.07547, 0.1846). Another finding showed that students belonging to both teaching groups were generally not able to infer the pathology of volar wrist structures when given pathology identification questions regarding upper extremity ultrasound. Using chi-square with Yates correction, there is no sufficient evidence to justify an association between the ability to answer pathology-based ultrasound questions and instructor type (p = p = 0.6299, 0.8725). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the interpretation that the capability of first-year medical students to learn novice MSK sonographic identification is independent of whether the educator is a PTST or UI. This interpretation reveals a promising avenue toward the integration of the fundamentals of ultrasound identification early in medical education with little to no concern for the exhaustion of institutional resources. Along with the other well-documented benefits of the utilization of STs in medical school, a peer tutoring system centered on ultrasound skills designed in the way this study describes can be an effective, resource-sparing system that enhances medical students' sonographic capabilities early in their preclinical years.

+Ciencia: a training program to increase evidence-based science communication and literacy for Hispanic high school and undergraduate students.

Science misinformation represents a significant challenge for the scientific community. Hispanic communities are particularly vulnerable due to language barriers and the lack of accessible information in Spanish. We identified that a key step toward enhancing the accessibility of information for non-native English-speaking communities involves imparting science communication education and training to Hispanic youth. Our goal was to provide them with the skills to become science ambassadors who can effectively engage with their communities and bridge communication gaps. To address this, we developed the first science communication training program in Spanish for Hispanic high school and undergraduate students in Puerto Rico. The program called +Ciencia aims to provide training and education on science communication for Hispanic minorities through experiential and collaborative learning. In the short term, our multifaceted approach works to counter misinformation and promote science literacy within the broader community. Over the long term, our grassroots efforts with students will evolve into a generation of professionals equipped with strong engagement skills and comprehensive training in science communication with a specific focus on Hispanic audiences. Herein, we describe the components of this educational program and provide open access to educational materials and articles developed by three cohorts.

Effects of a 60-Minute Lecture About Diagnostic Errors for Medical Students: A Single-Center Interventional Study.

INTRODUCTION: The danger of diagnostic errors exists in daily medical practice, and doctors are required to avoid such errors as much as possible. Although various factors, including cognitive, system-related, and patient-related factors, are involved in the occurrence of diagnostic errors, the percentage of doctors with insufficient medical knowledge among those factors is extremely low. Therefore, lectures on diagnostic errors might also be useful for medical students without experience working as doctors. This study investigated whether a 60-minute lecture on diagnostic errors would enable Japanese medical students to consider the factors involved in diagnostic errors and how their perceptions of diagnostic errors change. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This single-center interventional study was conducted in October 2022 among fourth-year medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, Saga University. A questionnaire survey was conducted before and immediately after the lecture to investigate changes in the perceptions of medical students regarding diagnostic errors. One mock case question was given on an exam the day after the lecture, and the number of responses to cognitive biases and system-related and patient-related factors involved in diagnostic errors were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 83 students were analyzed. After the lecture, medical students were significantly more aware of the existence of the concept of diagnostic error, the importance of learning about it, their willingness to continue learning about it, and their perception that learning about diagnostic errors improves their clinical skills. They were also significantly less likely to feel blame or shame over diagnostic errors. The mean numbers of responses per student for cognitive bias, system-related factors, and patient-related factors were 1.9, 3.4, and 0.9, respectively. The mean number of responses per student for all factors was 5.6. CONCLUSION: A 60-minute lecture on diagnostic errors among medical students is beneficial because it significantly changes their perception of diagnostic errors. The results of the present study also suggest that lectures may enable Japanese medical students to consider the factors involved in diagnostic errors.

Exploring medical and nursing students' perceptions about a patient safety course: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Educating health professionals on patient safety can potentially reduce healthcare-associated harm. Patient safety courses have been incorporated into medical and nursing curricula in many high-income countries and their impact has been demonstrated in the literature through objective assessments. This study aimed to explore student perceptions about a patient safety course to assess its influence on aspiring health professionals at a personal level as well as to explore differences in areas of focus between medical and nursing students. METHODS: A dedicated patient safety course was introduced for year III medical and year II and IV nursing students at the Aga Khan University (2021-2022). As part of a post-course assessment, 577 participating students (184 medical and 393 nursing) wrote reflections on the course, detailing its influence on them. These free-text responses were thematically analyzed using NVivo. RESULTS: The findings revealed five major themes: acquired skills (clinical, interpersonal), understanding of medical errors (increased awareness, prevention and reduction, responding to errors), personal experiences with patient safety issues, impact of course (changed perceptions, professional integrity, need for similar sessions, importance of the topic) and course feedback (format, preparation for clinical years, suggestions). Students reported a lack of baseline awareness regarding the frequency and consequences of medical errors. After the course, medical students reported a perceptional shift in favor of systems thinking regarding error causality, and nursing students focused on human factors and error prevention. The interactive course format involving scenario-based learning was deemed beneficial in terms of increasing awareness, imparting relevant clinical and interpersonal skills, and changing perspectives on patient safety. CONCLUSIONS: Student perspectives illustrate the benefits of an early introduction of dedicated courses in imparting patient safety education to aspiring health professionals. Students reported a lack of baseline awareness of essential patient safety concepts, highlighting gaps in the existing curricula. This study can help provide an impetus for incorporating patient safety as a core component in medical and nursing curricula nationally and across the region. Additionally, patient safety courses can be tailored to emphasize areas identified as gaps among each professional group, and interprofessional education can be employed for shared learning. The authors further recommend conducting longitudinal studies to assess the long-term impact of such courses.

Filling the Gap: An Innovative Lifestyle Medicine Curriculum for Medical Students.

Lifestyle medicine (LM) offers a unique opportunity to address chronic disease globally. Practitioners are able to provide evidence-based suggestions in a way that supports behavior change. One of the barriers to implementing LM more broadly is the lack of training in this rapidly growing field. To fill this gap in LM education, the authors have created Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine, a freely available online curricular template that can be quickly implemented in a variety of health education settings and timelines. This article provides an overview of the curriculum and a discussion of how it may be implemented. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-024-01985-2.

Future Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Education.

Artificial intelligence has experienced explosive growth in the past year that will have implications in all aspects of our lives, including medicine. In order to train a physician workforce that understands these new advancements, medical educators must take steps now to ensure that physicians are adequately trained in medical school, residency, and fellowship programs to become proficient in the usage of artificial intelligence in medical practice. This manuscript discusses the various considerations that leadership within medical training programs should be mindful of when deciding how to best integrate artificial intelligence into their curricula.

Balancing Open-Mindedness and Sound-Mindedness: A Physician's Perspective.

Open-mindedness in the medical decision-making process is fundamental as it aids in averting mistakes, yet it can also breed ambiguity if it's too excessive. On the other hand, sound-mindedness, which is a balanced method that employs logic and evidence in problem-solving, could be the preferred approach. Both these traits have their limitations, yet they can supplement each other in various clinical contexts. Therefore, it's crucial for medical professionals to wisely cultivate and uphold both these traits.

Sustained selective attention in adolescence: Cognitive development and predictors of distractibility at school.

Despite much research into the development of attention in adolescence, mixed results and between-task differences have precluded clear conclusions regarding the relative early or late maturation of attention abilities. Moreover, although adolescents constantly face the need to pay attention at school, it remains unclear whether laboratory measures of attention can predict their ability to sustain attention focus during lessons. Therefore, here we devised a task that was sensitive to measure both sustained and selective attention and tested whether task measures could predict adolescents' levels of inattention during lessons. In total, 166 adolescents (aged 12-17 years) and 50 adults performed a sustained selective attention task, searching for letter targets while ignoring salient yet entirely irrelevant distractor faces, under different levels of perceptual load-an established determinant of attention in adults. Inattention levels during a just preceding classroom lesson were measured using a novel self-report classroom distractibility checklist. The results established that sustained attention (measured with response variability) continued to develop throughout adolescence across perceptual load levels. In contrast, there was an earlier maturation of the effect of perceptual load on selective attention; load modulation of distractor interference was larger in the early adolescence period compared with later periods. Both distractor interference and response variability were significant unique predictors of distractibility in the classroom, including when controlling for interest in the lesson and cognitive aptitude. Overall, the results demonstrate divergence of development of sustained and selective attention in adolescence and establish both as significant predictors of attention in the important educational setting of school lessons.

Addressing gaps in AMR awareness in the public: an evidence-based policy brief to guide school curriculum review in Uganda.

The government of Uganda, through its Ministry of Health, previously adopted curriculum review as a mechanism to respond to public health threats such as HIV/AIDS and include content in primary and secondary schools. This approach contributes to raising public awareness, a key strategy recommended by the World Health Organization to support the global response to the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This policy brief, developed for policymakers related to school curricula, aims to advocate for and support integration of AMR content in Uganda's primary and secondary level school curricula. The policy brief supports efforts by the multisectoral National AMR Subcommittee to create awareness on this issue as part of its role in facilitating the operationalization of Uganda's National Action Plan on AMR.

Knowledge and perceived competence with sexual and gender minority healthcare topics among medical students and medical school faculty.

BACKGROUND: Despite changes in social attitudes in the United States over the last decade, sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals continue to face significant health disparities, driven partly by disproportionately higher rates of self-reported discrimination and harassment when seeking healthcare. Historically, physicians have received little to no required training on how to provide sensitive, competent care to SGM patients, and continue to demonstrate poor competency with SGM topics despite calls for increased education and published guidelines to promote competency. The present study aimed to investigate competency with SGM topics among both faculty and medical students at one institution. METHODS: The authors distributed an anonymous online survey (2020-2021) to medical students and student-facing faculty at one allopathic medical school in the United States. The objective of the study was to evaluate knowledge, clinical skills, and self-reported competence with SGM topics. RESULTS: Of survey respondents, 223 medical students and 111 faculty were included in final analysis. On average, medical students were significantly more likely to answer General Knowledge questions correctly (97.2%) compared to faculty (89.9%). There were no significant differences in responses to Clinical Knowledge questions between medical students and faculty. however medical students were significantly more likely to report competence with eliciting a thorough sexual history, and faculty were significantly more likely to report receiving adequate clinical training and supervision to work with lesbian, gay, and bisexual patients. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students demonstrated significantly higher general knowledge about SGM topics compared to faculty. Medical students and faculty demonstrated similarly low average clinical knowledge, with percent correct 65.6% for students and 62.7% for faculty. Despite significant differences in general knowledge and low clinical knowledge, medical students and faculty self-reported similar levels of competence with these topics. This indicates insufficient curricular preparation to achieve the AAMC competencies necessary to care for SGM patients.

Domain-specific knowledge and domain-general abilities in children's science problem-solving.

BACKGROUND: Problem-solving in early and middle childhood is of high relevance for cognitive developmental research and educational support. Previous research on science problem-solving has focussed on the process and strategies of children handling challenging tasks, but less on providing insights into the cognitive network that enables science problem-solving. AIMS: In this study, we aimed to investigate whether performance in science problem-solving is mainly determined by domain-specific rule knowledge, by domain-general cognitive abilities or both. METHODS: In our study, 215 6- to 8-year-old children completed a set of three domain-specific rule knowledge tasks and three corresponding problem-solving tasks that were content-coherent, as well as a vocabulary task, and a reasoning task. RESULTS: Correlational and regression analyses revealed a negligible impact of domain-specific rule knowledge on corresponding problem-solving tasks. In contrast, the associations between problem-solving performance in different domains and the associations between problem-solving performance and domain-general abilities (vocabulary and reasoning) were comparably strong. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that science problem-solving in primary school children primarily relies on domain-general cognitive abilities. Implications of these findings are discussed with regard to cognitive theories and early science education.

ESCAPE the Boring Lecture: Tips and Tricks on Building Puzzles for Medical Education Escape Rooms.

Escape rooms in medical education are a novel, game-based learning approach for teaching medical topics. In these escape rooms, learners complete a sequential series of medical-themed puzzles leading them to "escape" a specific story. Designing puzzles can be anxiety-provoking and may be the gatekeeper for educators in medicine to create their own escape rooms. Though there have been publications on the importance and methods of building a healthcare-themed-escape room, there is a gap in the literature on designing puzzles to teach specific learning objectives successfully. In this Scholarly Perspective, the authors share puzzle ideas and support tools and use Bloom's taxonomy as the framework to teach educators how to design challenging and engaging escape room puzzles.

Processing Speed throughout Primary School Education: Evidence from a Cross-Country Longitudinal Study.

This cross-country four-year longitudinal study investigated the development of processing speed throughout primary school education. The analyses were conducted on data accumulated from 441 pupils in grades from 1 to 4 (aged 6.42 to 11.85 years) in Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Mixed effects growth modeling was applied to estimate average and individual growth trajectories for processing speed in two cross-country samples. Latent class growth modeling was conducted to describe various types of growth trajectories for processing speed and to compare the distribution of the types within the analyzed samples. According to the results, processing speed significantly increases across primary school years. The trajectory is described by nonlinear changes with most dynamic growth between grades 1 and 2, which slows down until grade 4. No significant cross-country differences were found in the initial score of processing speed or developmental changes in processing speed across primary school years. The development of processing speed is described by a model including three quadratic growth types but this minimally differs. It is concluded that in both samples, the development of processing speed may be characterized by homogeneity, with the most intensive growth from grade 1 to grade 2 and subsequent linear improvement until grade 4.

Three Effective, Efficient, and Easily Implementable Ways to Integrate A.I. Into Medical Education.

As a medical school CEO who is following the development of A.I. very closely, I believe that med students are eager to adopt the possibilities that A.I. tools can deliver in their training. Not only do these students already use variations of A.I. in other areas of their lives, but they also embrace advanced technology and understand how to use it. With the tech readiness of today's students in mind, I have devised three recommendations for how to best infuse A.I. into medical education. This strategic guidance can deliver significant benefits to today's tech-fluent medical school students and enhance their training in their journeys to become doctors.

A research synthesis on successful educational practices and student outcomes for physical education in schools.

Although successful educational practices (SEPs) in higher education institutions have well-established student outcomes, the vast majority do not meet physical education standards in schools. Despite the promising nature of policy initiatives supporting schools, there is scant evidence of how these SEPs affect student outcomes. This review aimed to determine the status of the literature and the type of evidence regarding school SEPs. Several studies have demonstrated that these SEPs contribute directly or indirectly to improving student outcomes. Three objectives were examined and synthesized in our review of SEP research findings. The first goal is to identify different types of impacts on students in schools. The second goal is to provide educators, principals, and policymakers with a unified and comprehensive framework. Lastly, we provide suggestions for future SEP research. The review identified 45 studies that met our inclusion criteria. Our reviewed studies documented impacts on the individual level. It encompasses both students' instrumental abilities and their sense of self-esteem and motivation. Secondly, improving interpersonal relationships, reducing conflict, and increasing group cohesion are important components at the group level. Finally, there are factors at the community level, including absenteeism reduction, parental involvement, and changes in attitudes toward school. Current research supports the effectiveness of successful school practices. It stresses the importance of implementing policies to maximize student outcomes. Finally, the review concludes by discussing findings implications and future research directions.

The value of medical shadowing for high school students: A three-dimensional view.

Medical shadowing helps provide clinical exposure to aspiring and current medical students, mainly at the college level. This paper makes a case for making medical shadowing opportunities more widely available for high school students. Through the perspective of a high school student who got such an opportunity, we demonstrate that high school students can gain valuable clinical knowledge and exposure to the ethics involved in patient care, inspiring them to explore further pathways that will help them make better-informed academic and career choices. This high school student provides pointers on preparing for medical shadowing encounters through background research and developing a note-taking template. We also offer early-career and experienced physicians' perspectives on how providing medical shadowing opportunities to high school students benefits practicing physicians by energizing their motivation, reaffirming their commitment to the profession, and gaining a fresh perspective on their work. We believe that medical shadowing for high school students can open channels to attract and motivate a young and diverse talent pool to the medical profession that will help mitigate the projected shortfall of physicians in the next decade.