An early-curricular team learning activity to foster integration of biochemical concepts and clinical sciences in undergraduate medical education.

The ability to connect key concepts of biochemistry with clinical presentations is essential for the development of clinical reasoning skills and adaptive expertise in medical trainees. To support the integration of foundational and clinical sciences in our undergraduate health science curricula, we developed a small group active learning exercise during which interprofessional groups of students use clinical cases to explore the biochemistry, diagnostic strategy, and evidence-based treatment options of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM). We designed multistage learning modules consisting of (1.) low-fidelity case simulations of pediatric patients presenting with IEMs, (2.) guided group discussions on clinical biochemistry, differential diagnoses, and diagnostic strategies, (3.) oral presentations of clinical reasoning strategies, and (4.) discussion of relevant evidence-based medicine topics related to the cases. These modules Scientific Knowledge Integrated in Patient Presentations (SKIPPs) were added to a first-semester foundational sciences course serving five health professions programs. The assessment of learning outcomes by students and faculty shows that SKIPPs sessions are well-received activities that significantly improve trainees' ability to integrate foundational science concepts into clinical scenarios, to practice interprofessional teamwork and to develop clinical reasoning skills.

Effect of a Mandatory Third-Year Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Course on Student Attitudes.

CONTEXT: Despite interest by osteopathic medical students in learning and incorporating osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) techniques into their future practices, most students indicate that OMT is rarely or never taught during many clinical rotations. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a mandatory OMT course taken during the third year of medical school would influence students' exposure to OMT, confidence in OMT, intent to continue developing OMT skills, and plan to provide OMT as practicing physicians. METHODS: A mandatory pilot OMT course was implemented in the 2014 third-year curriculum. A survey was then developed to assess students' attitudes toward OMT. Surveys were administered to students whose third year was in 2013 and thus had not taken the course (group 1) and to students who had taken the course in 2014 (group 2). RESULTS: Of the 223 students in group 1, 143 (64%) responded. Of the 213 students in group 2, 112 (53%) responded. Students in group 2 reported greater exposure to OMT compared with students in group 1, higher confidence levels in practicing OMT (61 [54%] vs 71 [50%]), greater intent to continue developing OMT skills, and plan to provide OMT as practicing physicians (91 [81%] vs 94 [66%]). CONCLUSION: A pilot course in OMT increased students' levels of confidence in and intent to provide OMT in their future practices.

A prematriculation intervention to improve the adjustment of students to medical school.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The transition from a baccalaureate program to a medical curriculum can be a difficult period for some students. Our study asked whether providing students with review materials and a means of assessing their degree of preparedness prior to matriculation influenced actual and perceived performance in 1st-year basic science courses. METHODS: Didactic review materials in basic science subjects encountered in the 1st year were made available to prematriculants online. Access to materials for each subject was contingent upon completion of a pretest. Prematriculants were free to use the materials as they saw fit. Once students matriculated, performance in basic science subjects was compared between those who had accessed the materials and those who had not. Students who accessed the materials were also surveyed to determine if they perceived any benefit from their use. RESULTS: More than half of matriculants chose to access the intervention materials. There was no significant difference in MCAT, prerequisite grade point average, or total grade point average between those students who chose to access the intervention materials and those who did not. Students who accessed the intervention materials reported gains in confidence in their ability to perform well in medical school. Those students who accessed the intervention materials had significantly higher examination scores in an early basic science course than those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: An online prematriculation intervention can provide useful background material to interested students. Access to this material increased performance in a 1st-year basic science course and was perceived as valuable by students.

Humanities in Gross Anatomy Project: a novel humanistic learning tool at Des Moines University.

Gross anatomy affords physical therapy students an opportunity to discover human morphology by intimately studying the dead. Moreover, it also exposes future physical therapists to the humanistic aspects of the profession. In 2007, anatomy faculty decided to socialize students to the humanities with a new course requirement: Humanities in Gross Anatomy Project (HuGA) Project. At the end of the course, students, either individually or as a group, submitted a project that described how they had been personally touched by the donor's gift and how the gift contributed to their professional growth and education. The submission could be in the form of a narrative, poem, song, video, etc. All students met the three grading criteria that were established; thus taking the first step in socializing themselves to the humanistic domain of their professional education. In summary, the HuGA project is a novel educational tool that formally provided physical therapy students with humanistic learning opportunities in a gross anatomy course and appeared to facilitate reflective learning. The utilization of reflection as it relates to clinical decision making and patient interaction is critical for physical therapy practice.