Critical thinking pedagogical practices in medical education: a systematic review.

Introduction: The development of critical thinking (CT) has been a universal goal in higher education. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of currently used pedagogical practices to foster CT/ clinical reasoning (CR)/ clinical judgment (CJ) skills and/or dispositions in undergraduate medical students. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched from January 2010 to April 2021 with a predefined Boolean expression. Results: Of the 3221 articles originally identified, 33 articles were included by using PICOS methodology. From these, 21 (64%) reported CR pedagogical practices and 12 (36%) CT pedagogical practices. Discussion: Overall, pedagogical practices such as cognitive/visual representation, simulation, literature exposure, test-enhancing and team-based learning, clinical case discussion, error-based learning, game-based learning seem to enhance CT/CR skills and/or dispositions. Further research is required to identify the optimal timing, duration and modality of pedagogical interventions for effectively foster CT/CR in medical education.

Relationship between Thinking Dispositions, Working Memory, and Critical Thinking Ability in Adolescents: A Longitudinal Cross-Lagged Analysis.

Previous studies have demonstrated that thinking dispositions and working memory are closely related to students' critical thinking ability. However, little is known about whether bidirectionality between thinking dispositions, working memory, and critical thinking ability exists in adolescence. This study, therefore, explored this aspect across two time points. Participants were 509 Chinese adolescents (mean age at Time 1 = 14.09 years; 59.7% girls). At Time 1, adolescents were administered the measures of thinking dispositions, working memory, and critical thinking ability. They were reassessed using these measures at Time 2 one year later. The results revealed a bidirectional longitudinal relationship between adolescents' thinking dispositions and critical thinking ability, suggesting that thinking dispositions at Time 1 predicted critical thinking ability at Time 2; critical thinking ability at Time 1 also predicted subsequent thinking dispositions in adolescents. Furthermore, working memory at Time 1 showed a larger predictive effect on critical thinking ability at Time 2 compared with thinking dispositions at Time 1. These findings underscore the role of early thinking dispositions and working memory in promoting adolescents' critical thinking ability.

Factors Affecting Leadership in Pharmacy Students: A Nationwide Survey.

Purpose: Leadership is increasingly becoming a priority in the forms of higher education associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution; however, few studies have examined it in the context of pharmacy education. This study investigated the levels of communication competence, critical thinking disposition, problem-solving ability, and leadership of pharmacy students, and identified factors related to leadership. Methods: This study was conducted using a nationwide cross-sectional online survey with a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 416 third-to-sixth-year pharmacy students from all 35 pharmacy schools in South Korea, completed the survey from September 1 to 15, 2019. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, Pearson's correlations, and multiple regression analysis. We verified construct validity by performing an exploratory factor analysis. Results: The pharmacy students revealed a moderate level of communication skills, critical thinking disposition, problem-solving ability, and leadership. Significant positive correlations were found among communication competence (r=0.724, p<0.001), critical thinking disposition (r=0.615, p<0.001), problem-solving ability (r=0.599, p<0.001), and leadership. After adjustment for control variables, communication competence (ß=0.319, p<0.001) was found to be the most significant predictor of leadership (F=104.12, p<0.001, R2=0.756). Conclusion: This study showed that the students' leadership was influenced by their competence in communicating effectively, thinking critically, and solving problems. Pharmacy educators should acknowledge and implement innovative curriculum and assessment approaches in preparing pharmacy students for their professional paths.

The impact of applying unfolding case-study learning on critical care nursing students' knowledge, critical thinking, and self-efficacy; a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: The unfolding case-study learning approach is a growing modernized learning strategy implemented in different health disciplines. However, there is a lack of existing research that examines the effects of unfolding case studies in advanced nursing courses. AIM: To examine the impact of applying an unfolding case-study learning approach on critical care nursing students' knowledge, critical thinking, and self-efficacy. METHODS: This posttest-only, quasi-experimental study was conducted at XXX University in Palestine. A single-stage cluster sampling was used to assign nursing students enrolled in the critical care nursing course into experiment and conventional groups. The intervention group (n= 91) underwent unfolding case-study learning for selected cardiovascular topics, whereas the conventional group (n= 78) was taught using the traditional teaching methods. The posttest assessment was conducted using Knowledge Acquisition tests, Yoon`s Critical Thinking Disposition Instrument (YCTD), and the Self-Efficacy for Learning and Performance instruments. The Social Constructivist Theoretical Framework was integrated into the study. RESULTS: Homogeneity was achieved between both groups concerning Age, Gender, and GPA. The experiment group scored significantly higher than the conventional group regarding the posttest knowledge acquisition tests (7.12 vs. 5.49, respectively, t=-12.7, P<0.001, CI: -1.89 to -1.38), critical thinking (4.32 vs. 3.63 respectively, t=17.390, p<0.001, CI: -77 to -61) and self-efficacy (6.12 vs. 4.4 respectively, t=-30.897, p<0.001, CI: -1.82 to -1.60). Multivariate analysis revealed that 69 % of the variations of posttest scores were influenced by critical thinking scores (Adjusted R Squared=0.690, F=3.47, P=0002, η2=0.969). Similarly, self-efficacy has been shown to contribute by 74 % to the variations of scores after conducting the study program (Adjusted R Squared=0.743, F=4.21, P=0001, η2=0.974). However, the variations of both critical thinking and self-efficacy scores were not significantly influenced by the contribution of knowledge acquisition (p=0.772 and 0.857, respectively) and students' GPA (p=0.305 and 0.956, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Irrespective of knowledge level and GPA, the unfolding case-study learning approach can enhance the critical thinking and self-efficacy of students enrolling in advanced nursing courses.

Employing Escape Rooms in Medical Education to Deliver Engaging and Immersive Learning: Brief Review.

The conventional mode of medical education is delivered using didactic lectures, wherein teachers disseminate the desired information to a large number of students in a structured manner. The purpose of the current review is to explore the scope and need of escape rooms in medical education and identify the potential considerations to be acknowledged while designing an escape room in a medical college for training undergraduate medical students. Escape rooms in principle refer to the learning environments that are interactive and immersive, in the sense that students who are part of these rooms are posed with a puzzle or a challenge or a task that must be solved by them within a defined period of timeframe to eventually escape from the room, which is the ultimate goal of such sessions. The success of escape rooms is determined depending by the way it has been designed, in terms of their ability to engage the involved participants and promote collaboration. In conclusion, the employment of escape rooms in medical education is an innovative teaching-learning method to overcome the limitations of conventional strategies. Acknowledging the merits of escape rooms in the development of critical thinking and teamwork skills, it is the need of the hour that every medical institution must explore the possibility and introduce it within their settings to ensure experiential and long-term learning among medical students.

Serious Games in Medical Education: What it Adds? How to Go about It?

Medical educators have adopted a number of teaching-learning methodologies to make their sessions interactive considering the need for active engagement of students to strengthen the process of learning. One among them is the use of serious games, wherein digital applications are used to enable the attainment of the intended learning objectives. A wide range of serious games can be designed to target different areas in healthcare training, which cumulatively provide a holistic and engaging approach for students to acquire knowledge and develop skills. Owing to the extensive areas and domains in medical education wherein we can use serious games, the benefits attributed to them are immense. The successful introduction of serious games into the medical curriculum depends on several factors and we must adopt a systematic approach to optimize the benefits. In conclusion, the introduction of serious games into medical education can benefit medical students by helping them master multiple skills required for successful clinical practice. Acknowledging the changing landscapes in medical education, there is an immense need that teachers and administrators to explore the possibility of integrating these games into medical schools.

Evaluating the effects of action learning on the research competency of undergraduate nursing students: A mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Research skills in nursing are crucial for guiding evidence-based practice and enhancing health care. However, undergraduate nursing students often encounter challenges in skill development because of curriculum constraints that prioritize clinical education. Bridging this skill gap is imperative for preparing students for evidence-based practice and nursing scholarship. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the impact of incorporating action learning into undergraduate nursing research classes to improve the quality of nurse education. DESIGN: A mixed-methods approach was employed using pre- and post-online surveys for quantitative analysis and reflective journals for qualitative analysis. SETTINGS: The study was conducted at a college of nursing in Seoul, South Korea. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 19 fourth-year nursing students participated in the study. METHODS: Action learning-based nursing research classes were implemented over ten sessions, integrating lectures and team activities. Pre- and post-assessment data on communication skills, critical thinking tendencies, and problem-solving abilities were analyzed using paired t-tests. The qualitative analysis involved content analysis of individual and team reflective journals. RESULTS: Participants in action learning-based nursing research classes showed significant improvements in their communication skills (t = 3.46, p = 0.002), critical thinking tendencies (t = 3.80, p = 0.001), and problem-solving abilities (t = 1.82, p = 0.043). From the analysis of reflective journals four main themes were developed: organized team projects, dynamics of learning goal achievement, extended application of learning outcomes, and recommendations for better action learning-based classes. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights action learning as an effective educational method that integrates theory and practice in nurse education, helping students prepare for their future roles as nursing professionals. The findings underscore the effectiveness of action learning in improving undergraduate nursing students' research competency and support the need for continued development of such pedagogical approaches.

Constructing analogies: Developing critical thinking through a collaborative task.

Analogies are used to make abstract topics meaningful and more easily comprehensible to learners. Incorporating simple analogies into STEM classrooms is a fairly common practice, but the analogies are typically generated and explained by the instructor for the learners. We hypothesize that challenging learners to create complex, extended analogies themselves can promote integration of content knowledge and development of critical thinking skills, which are essential for deep learning, but are challenging to teach. In this qualitative study, college biology students (n = 30) were asked to construct a complex analogy about the flow of genetic information using a familiar item. One week later, participants constructed a second analogy about the same topic, but this time using a more challenging item. Twenty participants worked on the challenging analogy in pairs, while the other 10 worked alone. Analysis of the 50 interviews resulted in a novel-scoring scheme, which measured both content knowledge (understanding of biology terms) and critical thinking (alignment of relationships between elements of the analogy). Most participants improved slightly due to practice, but they improved dramatically when working with a partner. The biggest gains were seen in critical thinking, not content knowledge. Having students construct complex, sophisticated analogies in pairs is a high-impact practice that can help students develop their critical thinking skills, which are crucial in academic and professional settings. The discussion between partners likely requires students to justify their explanations and critique their partner's explanations, which are characteristics of critical thinking.

Ethnocultural empathy development of future language teachers through digital multiliteracy resources for low-literacy adult migrants.

The increasingly digital and multicultural 21st-century society requires future teachers to be prepared for the changes and challenges they may encounter. Not only language and digital competences, but critical-thinking and problem-solving skills are needed. Moreover, well developed socio-affective abilities, empathy among them, are also key when dealing with others. This is even more relevant when teachers are to work with a non-mainstream population, such as adult migrants with low literacy levels, and to design student-centered curricula or activities. Empathy is a multifaceted process involving, among others, perception, intellection, affect and other sensory aspects of the lived experience. It has been argued that the first-person perspective-taking involved in empathic engagement must necessarily involve rational computation and cognitively mediated processing. Training future teachers in the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies is a means to integrate multimodal digital instruction and aggregate cognitive as well as socio-emotional features to the education of future language teachers. Method: A mixed-method pre-post study was conducted with 48 trainee teachers who participated in stand-alone digital multiliteracy interventions, in which they were encouraged to envisage themselves as future teachers of low-literate migrants. Policy documents such as the reference guide on Literacy and Second Language Learning for the Linguistic Integration of Adult Migrants, journal articles, audiovisual resources as well as examples of existing educational materials aimed at the target audience, were made available to them on an online platform. In two separate studies, trainees were encouraged to collaboratively produce two different multimodal outputs. The Revised Scale of Ethnocultural Empathy was administered before and after the intervention, subjecting the data obtained to quantitative analysis. Qualitative data was also collected to gain a better understanding of the affective and cognitive processes experienced by the participants. Results: Simple statistical analysis coupled with the comparison of means was used to respond to the research questions. Statistical hypothesis testing, including correlations and non-parametric statistics were used to analyze the relationship between each of the factors within the RSEE and the participants, considering the different interventions applied. Non-parametric tests (U-Mann Whitney) were used to compare the differences between the levels of ethnocultural empathy of the participants in the two studies. Significant differences were found in Factor 3 (Empathy) and Factor 5 (Anxiety) between the groups and their post-intervention results, with a p value of 0.053 and 0.038, respectively. The effect size r was calculated, obtaining a size effect of 0.625 for Factor 3 (Empathy) and 0.674 for Factor 5 (Anxiety). These results indicate that the significant differences and the size effect between both groups are large. U-Mann Whitney non-parametric analysis also revealed gender differences in Factor 3 (Empathy), showing females higher levels than males. Effect size r analysis showed a large size effect of 0.708 for Factor 3 (Empathy). The findings pertaining to gender-related differences in empathy levels confirm the conclusions drawn by previous studies. When contrasting study 1 and 2, statistical differences were also shown after the intervention for the 'Anxiety and Lack of Multicultural Self-efficacy' factor. The qualitative data analysis was carried out with Atlas.ti v.8, in order to isolate and categorize the broader themes and the most significant explanatory quotes extracted from the participants' records and interviews. The results reveal the learning strategies that each group of learners applied to successfully complete the task at hand, as well as the participants' deployment of their critical thinking skills and the awakening of a sense of awareness of their own professional competence development process. Conclusion: This study set out to compare how effective two digital multiliteracy interventions were in developing future language teachers' ethnocultural empathy and cognitive abilities when appraising the educational needs of low-literacy migrants. Despite the small sample size, the study certainly adds to our understanding of the impact of multimodal tasks involving critical thinking skills on trainees' cognitive and affective abilities. Besides, it expands the growing body of research that points to the desirability of embedding digitally-based content creation tasks in training curricula for future language teachers.

Can internship programs affect nursing students' critical thinking disposition, caring behaviors, and professional commitment?

BACKGROUND: Nursing students are given opportunities to develop critical thinking disposition, caring behaviors, and professional commitment through clinical training. Therefore, nurse educators should move away from traditional methods toward new ones, such as internship programs in clinical training. This study assessed the effect of nursing internship programs on senior undergraduate nursing students' critical thinking disposition, caring behaviors, and professional commitment. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted using a pretest-posttest design but with no control group. The study sample included 46 senior students enrolled in nursing internship programs. A demographic questionnaire, the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CTDI), the Caring Assessment Report Evaluation (Care-Q), and the Nursing Professional Commitment Scale (NPCS) were used to collect data before and five months after the nursing internship programs were implemented. RESULTS: The study findings revealed that the senior nursing students' caring behaviors improved, but the total scores of critical thinking disposition and professional commitment did not change significantly after the nursing internship programs (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: According to the results, nurse educators are recommended to adopt strategies to improve the effectiveness of internship programs on critical thinking disposition and professional commitment among senior undergraduate nursing students.

Behavioral assessment of soft skill development in a highly structured pre-health biology course for undergraduates.

In this study, we assessed a highly structured, yearlong, case-based course designed for undergraduate pre-health students. We incorporated both content learning assessments and developed a novel method called Multiple Mini Exams for assessing course impact on the development of skills that professional schools often seek in pre-health students, focusing on students' abilities to collaborate with others, display bedside manners, synthesize patient case details, appropriately use scientific and medical language, and effectively attain patients' medical histories. This novel method utilized a rubric based on desired medical student skills to score videotaped behaviors and interactions of students role playing as doctors in a hypothetical patient case study scenario. Overall, our findings demonstrate that a highly structured course, incorporating weekly student performance and presentation of patient cases encompassing history taking, diagnosis, and treatment, can result in content learning, as well as improve desired skills specific for success in medical fields.

The effects of simulation-based education on undergraduate nursing students' competences: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Education in nursing has noticed a positive effect of simulation-based education. There are many studies available on the effects of simulation-based education, but most of those involve a single institution, nonrandomized controlled trials, small sample sizes and subjective evaluations of the effects. The purpose of this multicenter randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of high-fidelity simulation, computer-based simulation, high-fidelity simulation combined with computer-based simulation, and case study on undergraduate nursing students. METHODS: A total of 270 nursing students were recruited from five universities in China. Participants were randomly divided into four groups at each institution: the high-fidelity simulation group, the computer-based simulation group, the high-fidelity simulation combined with computer-based simulation group, and the case study group. Finally, 239 participants completed the intervention and evaluation, with 58, 67, 57, and 57 participants in each group. The data were collected at three stages: before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention. RESULTS: The demographic data and baseline evaluation indices did not significantly differ among the four groups. A statistically significant difference was not observed between the four methods for improving knowledge, interprofessional collaboration, critical thinking, caring, or interest in learning. While skill improvement differed significantly among the different groups after the intervention (p = 0.020), after three months, no difference was observed (p = 0.139). The improvement in skill in the computer-based simulation group was significantly lower at the end of the intervention than that in the high-fidelity simulation group (p = 0.048) or the high-fidelity simulation combined with computer-based simulation group (p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Nursing students benefit equally from four methods in cultivating their knowledge, interprofessional collaboration, critical thinking, caring, and interest in learning both immediately and over time. High-fidelity simulation and high-fidelity simulation combined with computer-based simulation improve skill more effectively than computer-based simulation in the short term. Nursing educators can select the most suitable teaching method to achieve the intended learning outcomes depending on the specific circumstances. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This clinical trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (clinical trial number: ChiCTR2400084880, date of the registration: 27/05/2024).

Progress in medicine and artificial intelligence.

This essay questions, with regard to medicine, the idea of progress as technological development by focusing on people rather than things. It analyzes how the predominance of such an idea of progress converts today's societies to techno-fetishism that degrades community life and medical practice, contributing to the medicalization of social life. It is argued that the realization of technological potentialities depends on their forms of use; that the main motive of technological development is unlimited profit and that priority developments are those that enhance the social control that maintains the status quo. The intelligence as an intelligence quotient is criticized by proposing it as an attribute of the human being as a whole, manifested in the ways of thinking and proceeding of people in their circumstances, where affectivity and critical thinking are essential for their development; it is emphasized that its antecedent is the harmonic concert of planetary life that contrasts with the prevailing human disharmony. It is proposed that artificial intelligence is the most recent creation of techno-fetishism that deposits vital attributes in technology and that its forms of use will accentuate the degradation of human and planetary life. Another idea of medical progress is proposed, based on forms of organization conducive to the development of inquisitive, critical and collaborative skills that promote permanent improvement, whose distant horizon is dignifying progress: spiritual, intellectual, moral and convivial sublimation of collectivities in harmony with the planetary ecosystem.

Este ensayo cuestiona, a propósito de la medicina, la idea de progreso como desarrollo tecnológico al centrarlo en las personas y no en las cosas. Se analiza cómo el predominio de tal idea de progreso convierte a las sociedades actuales al tecno-fetichismo que degrada la vida comunitaria y la práctica médica contribuyendo a la medicalización de la vida social. Se argumenta que la realización de las potencialidades tecnológicas depende de sus formas de uso, que el móvil principal del desarrollo tecnológico es el lucro sin límites, y que los desarrollos prioritarios son los que potencian el control social que mantiene el statu quo. Se critica la idea de inteligencia como cociente intelectual al proponerla como atributo del ser humano como un todo, manifiesto en las formas pensar y proceder de las personas en sus circunstancias, donde la afectividad y el pensamiento crítico son imprescindibles para su desarrollo. Se destaca que su antecedente es el concierto armónico de la vida planetaria contrastante con la disarmonía humana imperante. Se plantea que la inteligencia artificial es la más reciente hechura del tecno-fetichismo que deposita en la tecnología atributos vitales, y que sus formas de uso acentuarán la degradación de la vida humana y planetaria. Se propone otra idea de progreso médico basado en formas de organización propicias para el desarrollo de aptitudes inquisitivas, críticas y colaborativas que impulsen la superación permanente, cuyo horizonte lejano es el progreso dignificante: sublimación espiritual, intelectual, moral y convivencial de las colectividades en armonía con el ecosistema planetario.

Progress in medicine and artificial intelligence.

This essay challenges the idea of progress as technological development in relation to medicine by focusing on people rather than things. It analyzes how the prevalence of such an idea of progress leads contemporary societies to a technofetishism that degrades community life and medical practice, contributing to the medicalization of social life. It is argued that the realization of technological potentialities depends on their forms of use, that the main motive of technological development is unlimited profit, and the priority developments are those that enhance social control which maintains the status quo. Intelligence as an intelligence quotient is criticized by proposing it as an attribute of the human being as a whole, manifested in the ways of thinking and acting of human beings in their circumstances, where affectivity and critical thinking are essential for their development; it is emphasized that its antecedent is the harmonic concert of planetary life, which contrasts with the prevailing human disharmony. It is proposed that artificial intelligence is the latest creation of technofetishism, which deposits vital attributes in technology, and that its use will accentuate the degradation of human and planetary life. Another idea of medical progress is proposed, based on forms of organization that is conducive to the development of inquisitive, critical, and collaborative skills that promote permanent improvement, whose distant horizon is dignified progress: the spiritual, intellectual, moral, and convivial sublimation of collectivities in harmony with the planetary ecosystem.

Este ensayo cuestiona, a propósito de la medicina, la idea de progreso como desarrollo tecnológico al centrarlo en las personas no en las cosas. Se analiza cómo el predominio de tal idea de progreso convierte a las sociedades actuales al tecno-fetichismo que degrada la vida comunitaria y la práctica médica contribuyendo a la medicalización de la vida social. Se argumenta: que la realización de las potencialidades tecnológicas depende de sus formas de uso; que el móvil principal del desarrollo tecnológico es el lucro sin límites y que los desarrollos prioritarios son los que potencian el control social que mantiene el statu quo. Se critica la idea de inteligencia como cociente intelectual al proponerla como atributo del ser humano como un todo, manifiesto en las formas pensar y proceder de las personas en sus circunstancias, donde la afectividad y el pensamiento crítico son imprescindibles para su desarrollo. Se destaca que su antecedente es el concierto armónico de la vida planetaria contrastante con la disarmonía humana imperante. Se plantea que la inteligencia artificial es la más reciente hechura del tecno-fetichismo que deposita en la tecnología atributos vitales y que sus formas de uso acentuarán la degradación de la vida humana y planetaria. Se propone otra idea de progreso médico basado en formas de organización propicias para el desarrollo de aptitudes inquisitivas, críticas y colaborativas que impulsen la superación permanente, cuyo horizonte lejano es el progreso dignificante: sublimación espiritual, intelectual, moral y convivencial de las colectividades en armonía con el ecosistema planetario.

Effectiveness of an Evidence-Based Practice Education Program for Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the impact of evidence-based practice (EBP) education programs on undergraduate nursing students, focusing on enhancing EBP competency, critical thinking, and problem-solving ability. METHODS: The search, conducted through PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science up to December 2023, included studies published in English and Korean and adhered to PRISMA guidelines. Qualitative appraisal of the studies was conducted using the revised ROB II for randomized trials and the ROBINS-I for non-randomized trials. For the meta-analysis, the effect size of the intervention was calculated as a standardized mean difference. RESULTS: In our study, 11 studies met our inclusion criteria, and 8 studies of those were included in the meta-analysis. The effect sizes for EBP competency, critical thinking, and problem-solving ability were 1.55, 1.29, and 0.65, respectively. The meta-regression analysis indicated that tailored education programs of 4-7 weeks and being in the 4th grade significantly enhanced EBP competency. CONCLUSION: These findings support the development of a customizable and applied EBP education actively for students, preparing nursing students to effectively implement EBP in clinical settings after graduation. Despite the significant effect size of the outcome variables, the high heterogeneity suggests the need for further investigation to validate the EBP educational outcomes for nursing students.

Medicinal chemistry curriculum and pedagogical practices at Canadian pharmacy schools: Towards standardization of practice.

INTRODUCTION: Medicinal chemistry instruction in PharmD programs at Canadian universities is considered an important foundational science. However, with few guidelines for the required content most programs have observed a decrease in hours of medicinal chemistry instruction. A Medicinal Chemistry Special Interest Group (SIG) was formed to address these issues nationally and initiated a pan-Canadian environmental scan to better understand the depth and breadth of medicinal chemistry instruction. METHODS: The SIG carried out an environmental scan to identify medicinal chemistry content, delivery and assessments in PharmD programs in Canada. RESULTS: Core medicinal chemistry concepts across the PharmD programs are in general agreement with those listed by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Medicinal chemistry was typically taught as didactic lectures either as a standalone course or within a pharmacology course, although one program integrated some medicinal chemistry within therapeutics focused problem-based learning. There was no consistent time in program where medicinal chemistry occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The SIG found that similar medicinal chemistry content is taught across all Canadian PharmD programs, but incorporation of medicinal chemistry in therapeutics courses was minimal. Core concepts within six high-level overarching themes that guide our collective instruction were identified. The core concepts require developing high-level cognitive processes such as knowledge application and synthesis that practicing pharmacists are expected to possess for entry to practice. We the authors posit that in addition to providing a unique tool for pharmacists to employ in therapeutic decision-making, medicinal chemistry also provides early practice of important problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

A Cycle of Reinforcing Challenges and Ideas for Action in Experiential Settings.

Evidence suggests that both pharmacy students and preceptors are struggling in the experiential setting. Underlying this phenomenon is a potential interconnected and cyclic set of behaviors being reinforced between students and preceptors. These behaviors can contribute to or are the result of higher levels of burnout and a decrease in the development of student clinical skills and subsequent performance on rotation. In this review, the authors investigate various challenges commonly encountered in the experiential environment. These challenges can range from an observed decrease in student engagement, motivation, and critical thinking skills to an increase in preceptor burnout and culture shifts in the clinical practice environments. These factors all ultimately impact patient care and overall student performance. For each challenge identified, strategies will be presented that can be implemented by students, preceptors, and pharmacy programs to break the cyclic pattern identified.

Debate as an Active Learning Pedagogy Among Pharmacy Students in a Public Health Course.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a debate activity on pharmacy students' knowledge of public health and health policy topics. METHODS: Forty-six second-year pharmacy students in a required public health and health policy course debated universal healthcare coverage for Americans using the Lincoln-Douglas oral debate format. Demographic data, including age and gender, were collected. Knowledge (before/after) of universal healthcare principles was assessed via a rubric-embedded quiz related to the activity objectives. The students' perceptions of the educational value of the debate were assessed before and after the debate using a 12-item Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree through 5 = strongly agree) and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were conducted using SPSS v25 and Atlas.ti version 9, respectively. Wilcoxon t tests were conducted to compare preknowledge and postknowledge scores. An α level of 0.05 was utilized. RESULTS: Forty-two students completed the perceptions survey, yielding a 96 % response rate. The mean age was 24 ± 4 years and primarily female (63 %). Most students had no previous experience with debates (80.4 %) and there was a statistically significant improvement in knowledge after the debate from 66.5 % ± 13.4 % to 80.7 % ± 12 % , for a total increase of 14.2 %. Open responses indicated that students believed their overall knowledge about other healthcare systems increased and they developed literature review and communications skills. CONCLUSION: The debate activity enhanced the students' knowledge and assessment of controversial public health issues that will be useful during their pharmacy education and careers. The students perceived that the debates enriched their learning.

Conceptualizing patient interactions eliciting empathy, compassion, reflection, and social projection: A model with analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Conceptualizing the next patient interaction is logical, essential, and largely done intuitively with limited literature. The first objective is to elicit student thought experiences to four questions. The secondary objective is to classify responses for respective questions and to review faculty assessments. METHODS: Forty-two students completed the exercise in the first clinical prosthodontics experience after a simulation course, in the fall of 2023. Four open-ended questions were 1) differentiation from the ideal, 2) desired outcome(s), 3) self-capabilities, and 4) consequences/prognosis. Nine different faculty assessed the exercise. RESULTS: 100% of students responded to all four questions and 83% of responses were judged by faculty to grasp the concept in the question. The authors categorized responses into natural categories for each question. Authors separately assigned responses to categories. The agreement rate was 90%. Little to no overlap in responses was observed among the four questions. The sequence of questions led students to thought experiences from empathy in Question #1, to compassion in Question #2, and to self-reflection in Question #3 to social projection in Question #4. CONCLUSIONS: The main objective was met by engaging students in thought-provoking responses to questions the experienced clinician asks of every patient encounter. The exercise elicited different kinds of thought experiences on four topics. The format was succinct with acceptance by students and faculty. The project has progressed from a concept some years ago to a recent pilot to full implementation with the current project. The next steps will be refinement and follow-up in some years. The project follows an emulation model for critical thinking.