Instagram as a virtual art display for medical students.

Implication Statement We require our medical students to create art as part of a core course. Projects have historically been displayed at our health sciences library. During a rapid adjustment to virtual teaching at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, using Instagram to hold a virtual art show was a quickly implemented alternative. With student consent, course directors posted different artwork every weekday for eight weeks to a course account. By capitalizing on the visual strengths and extensive reach of the Instagram platform, we promoted our medical students' talents both locally and nationally. We plan to use Instagram and in-person displays in the future. Énoncé des implications de la recherche Dans un de leurs cours du tronc commun, nos étudiants en médecine sont amenés à faire de l'art. Avant la pandémie de la COVID-19, leurs projets étaient exposés à la bibliothèque des sciences de la santé. La solution de rechange trouvée dans le cadre d'une adaptation rapide à l'enseignement virtuel au début de la pandémie a été d'utiliser Instagram pour exposer virtuellement les œuvres. Avec le consentement des étudiants, les responsables de cours ont publié des œuvres différentes tous les jours pendant huit semaines sur un compte Instagram créé pour le cours. Tirant parti des atouts visuels et de la vaste portée de la plateforme, nous avons pu promouvoir les talents de nos étudiants en médecine tant au niveau local qu'au niveau national. À l'avenir, nous comptons combiner les expositions physiques et Instagram.

Field Test Results of Sex- and Gender-Specific Health Multimedia Case-Based Learning Modules.

Background: The sex- and gender-specific health (SGSH) multimedia case-based learning modules (MCBLMs) were developed to address the absence of validated or peer-reviewed material that incorporates topics of sex and gender differences into medical curricula. This article provides the methodology for development of the modules and reports the results of a field test of the modules in different medical educational settings. Methods: MCBLMs were created by a multidisciplinary committee of scientists, health profession educators, and students. Two modules, osteoporosis and diabetes, were tested in various settings based on the curricular needs at each of the five accredited institutions. Each module consisted of a pretest and three interactive, multimedia stand-alone sections with post-tests. Scores on the tests were compared using a paired-samples t-test. A postmodule survey was used to evaluate the format. Results: Four hundred eighteen students participated in the field testing. For the 194 who completed the osteoporosis module, the post-test scores (M = 13.71, standard deviation [SD] = 2.09) were significantly higher than the pretest scores (M = 10.54, SD = 2.41), p < 0.001. Post-test scores for the 285 who completed the diabetes module (M = 16.55, SD = 2.46) were also significantly higher than the pretest scores (M = 13.71, SD = 2.09), p < 0.001. The postmodule survey showed positive acceptance of the format with an average score of 3.54/4 for osteoporosis and 3.45/4 for diabetes. Conclusion: The SGSH MCBLM field testing results show that the modules have a positive effect on content knowledge in multiple settings and are well accepted by learners.

Tools for Discussing Identity and Privilege Among Medical Students, Trainees, and Faculty.

Introduction: Physicians and students of all backgrounds should be prepared to interact with patients of various socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, gender, religious, and sexual orientation identities. The approach described here emphasizes how important it is for physicians and physicians-in-training to develop self-awareness before engaging with patients. Methods: Over the course of 6 months, we conducted workshops on identity awareness for four groups: (1) fourth-year medical students (N = 6), (2) first-year medical students (N = 88), (3) faculty and staff (N = 11), and (4) residents/fellows (N = 4). Exercises in this workshop prompted learners to reflect on the development of social and professional identities through the use of an identity wheel activity, a group reading about professional identity formation, and a hands-on activity modeling social inequity. Results: Our analysis of responses to pre- and postsurveys indicated that learners in the first-year medical student group (N = 88) experienced increased awareness and acknowledgment of social identity, professional identity, professional relationships, and the concepts of privilege and difference following participation in this workshop. Discussion: These exercises guide learners toward critical thinking about privilege and identity to better prepare them for culturally inclusive patient interactions. These materials can be used with physicians at various levels of training. The earlier they are used, the more time learners will have to reflect on social and professional identities before interacting with patients.

An empirical assessment of the short-term impacts of a reading of Deborah Zoe Laufer's drama Informed Consent on attitudes and intentions to participate in genetic research.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the short-term impact of the play "Informed Consent" by Deborah Zoe Laufer (a fictionalized look at the controversy over specimens collected from the Havasupai Tribe for diabetes research in 1989) on perceptions of trust, willingness to donate biospecimens, and attitudes toward harm and privacy among the medical and undergraduate students, faculty, and the public in the Intermountain West. METHODS: Surveys were administered before and after a staged reading of the play by professional actors. Survey items included the short form Trust in Medical Researchers, and single-item questions about group identity, ethics of genetic testing in children, and willingness to donate biospecimens. In addition, respondents were given the option to answer open-ended questions through e-mail. RESULTS: Out of the 481 who attended the play, 421 completed both the pre and post surveys, and 166 participants completed open-ended questions online approximately 1 week after the play. Across all participants, there were significant declines for trust in medical researchers and for the survey item "is it ethical for investigators to test children for adult onset diseases" (p < .001 for both) following the play. There was a significant increase in agreement to improve group identity protections (p < .001) and there were no differences on willingness to donate biospecimens to research (p = .777). Qualitative data provided extensive contextual data supporting these perspectives. DISCUSSION: This is one of the first studies to document short-term impacts of a theatrical performance on both attitudes and behavioral intentions toward research ethics and clinical research participation. Future research should continue to explore the impact of theatrical performances among public and investigators on the ethical issues and complexities in clinical research.

Perspective: The doctor as performer: a proposal for change based on a performance studies paradigm.

The authors recognize the pressing need for teaching methods that encourage empathy in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical curricula. While the useful application of theatrical acting techniques in medical education has been reported in major medical journals, these reports present an incomplete picture of these techniques and their potential importance to physician competence. The authors propose a broader understanding of performance theories and practices and a more nuanced appreciation of the experience and knowledge acquired through working with standardized patients and acting exercises. The academic discipline of performance studies offers a paradigm not only for teaching doctors how to "act" in a more truly empathetic and compassionate manner but also for analyzing, and thus evaluating and improving, human interactions in the medical environment. A complex understanding of performance is essential to the development of an empathetic imagination, a cognitive faculty that allows physicians to generate unique responses to given situations rather than employing reactions learned by rote in "communications training." The authors recommend the inclusion of a wide range of performance theories and practices alongside the ubiquitous presence, in medical schools and other physician education forums, of actors performing as standardized patients.