The Effects of Implementing Gamification in the Hepatology Curriculum for Medical Students.

Background Gamification, the incorporation of game theory into the curriculum, has been correlated with improved knowledge retention compared to standard didactics. Objective To determine the impact of gamified hepatology modules on medical student knowledge retention and exam performance. Methods We created three web-based, gamified hepatology modules with 15-question pre- and post-tests. Differences in each module's pre- and post-test scores were compared using paired t-tests. Medical school exam scores (total score and hepatology-specific score) in module users versus non-users were compared using independent two-sample t-tests. Results Module completion yielded significant increases in pre- to post-test scores for the jaundice (p=0.002) and anatomy modules (p<0.001). Module users scored 1.2 points higher on the total exam score (p=0.4) and 2 points higher on the hepatology exam score (p=0.31). Post-module survey results revealed higher knowledge retention in hepatology topics, expanded interest in hepatology, and an increased inclination to use web-based learning platforms for future learning experiences. Conclusion Module use led to improved post-test scores in the modules. Module users also had higher hepatology exam and total exam scores, yet, this difference was not statistically significant. Overall, this study suggests that gamification may be beneficial in aiding hepatology knowledge recall.

Evaluation of the Effect of Nutrition Education on Osteopathic Medical Students' Personal Nutrition Choices and Incorporation Into Future Medical Practice.

CONTEXT: Our current research project evaluates the impact of nutrition education on the medical student's personal nutrition goals and the likelihood of incorporating nutrition needs into patient evaluation and treatment plans in future practice. The growing popularity of lifestyle medicine has further emphasized the importance of nutrition in the treatment of all patients, especially those suffering from chronic diseases. The paucity of formal medical nutrition education in medical school curricula leaves a significant gap in the knowledge base of physicians in practice. OBJECTIVE: In an attempt to close the gap, we increased nutrition education in first-year osteopathic medical students by establishing a nutrition course emphasizing modern competencies and their importance in clinical practice.  Methods: The course evaluation utilized a two-group quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test study design. The intervention group consisted of medical students participating in the newly established course, and the control group consisted of second-year medical students who had not taken the course as part of their curriculum. Information was collected about students' knowledge, attitudes, behaviors around nutrition, their plans to pursue a residency with a focus on culinary medicine and incorporate medical nutrition into their medical practice in the future, and their intention to incorporate culinary medicine into future treatment plans. Participation rates within a voluntary culinary medicine interest group were also tracked. RESULTS:  Students in the intervention group were 26% more likely to report that proper nutrition for patient care had been addressed in coursework. This suggests that medical students exposed to the medical nutrition course have received more training that is critical in proper patient care than students in the control group. Students in the intervention group were 93% more likely to believe that proper nutrition can be used to prevent disease. Lastly, significantly more students in the intervention group (33% more) intend to explore residency programs with a focus on culinary medicine than those students in the control group. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that nutritional education promotes an awareness of the effectiveness of nutritional counseling in disease prevention and management. Furthermore, it will hopefully prompt future physicians to consider nutritional counseling during their clinical rotations, through residency, and into their independent practice. The presentation of nutrition in the first year of medical school is critical to develop increasing numbers of primary care physicians that promote the importance of nutrition and a healthy lifestyle for patients.

The Digital Determinants of Health: A Guide for Competency Development in Digital Care Delivery for Health Professions Trainees.

Unlabelled: Health care delivery is undergoing an accelerated period of digital transformation, spurred in part by the COVID-19 pandemic and the use of "virtual-first" care delivery models such as telemedicine. Medical education has responded to this shift with calls for improved digital health training, but there is as yet no universal understanding of the needed competencies, domains, and best practices for teaching these skills. In this paper, we argue that a "digital determinants of health" (DDoH) framework for understanding the intersections of health outcomes, technology, and training is critical to the development of comprehensive digital health competencies in medical education. Much like current social determinants of health models, the DDoH framework can be integrated into undergraduate, graduate, and professional education to guide training interventions as well as competency development and evaluation. We provide possible approaches to integrating this framework into training programs and explore priorities for future research in digitally-competent medical education.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Student Performance and Evaluation Scores.

In March 2020, the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine suspended in person clinical teaching due to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) pandemic. During this period, virtual cases, telehealth participation, and online cases were incorporated into medical education. We have examined the effects of educational outcomes of third and fourth year students throughout clerkship performance, national standardized test scores, and our local fourth year OSCE examination. We found that USMLE step 2 scores were higher in the COVID-affected group. Patient logs in the COVID-affected group were lower for internal medicine, family medicine, OBGYN, and psychiatry clerkships. Clerkship performance grades in the COVID-affected group were lower for OBGYN and higher for surgery and psychiatry, but not different in other clerkships. USNBME subject specific examination scores in the COVID-affected group were higher for internal medicine, surgery, family medicine and psychiatry, but not different in all other specialties. For the fourth year OSCE, students in the COVID-affected group performed better on note taking and worse on physical examination. Future investigations will be needed to explore how our COVID-affected medical students perform in residency and beyond.

Bridging Gaps: A Quality Improvement Project for the Continuing Medical Education on Stick (CMES) Program.

BACKGROUND: Aimed at bridging the gap in continuing medical education (CME) resource availability in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the "Continuing Medical Education on Stick" (CMES) program introduces two technological solutions: a universal serial bus (USB) drive and the CMES-Pi computer facilitating access to monthly updated CME content without data cost. Feedback from users suggests a lack of content on tropical infectious diseases (IDs) and content from a Western perspective, which may be less relevant in LMIC settings. METHODS: This quality improvement project was intended to identify areas for improvement of the CMES database to better meet the educational needs of users. We compared the CMES content with the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) Exam content outline to identify gaps. The curriculum map of the CMES library, encompassing content from 2019 to 2024, was reviewed. An anonymous survey was conducted among 47 global users to gather feedback on unmet educational needs and suggestions for content improvements. All healthcare workers who were members of the CMES WhatsApp group were eligible to participate in the survey. RESULTS: The curriculum map included 2,572 items categorized into 23 areas. The comparison with the ABEM outline identified gaps in several clinical areas, including procedures, traumatic disorders, and geriatrics, which were represented -5%, -5%, and -4% in the CMES library compared with the ABEM outline, respectively. Free responses from users highlighted a lack of content on practical skills, such as electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation and management of tropical diseases. Respondents identified emergency medical services (EMS)/prehospital care (81%), diagnostic imaging (62%), and toxicology/pharmacology (40%) as the most beneficial areas for clinical practice. In response to feedback from users, new content was added to the CMES platform on the management of sickle cell disease and dermatologic conditions in darkly pigmented skin. Furthermore, a targeted podcast series called "ID for Users of the CMES Program (ID4U)" has been launched, focusing on tropical and locally relevant ID, with episodes now being integrated into the CMES platform. CONCLUSIONS: The project pinpointed critical gaps in emergency medicine (EM) content pertinent to LMICs and led to targeted enhancements in the CMES library. Ongoing updates will focus on including more prehospital medicine, diagnostic imaging, and toxicology content. Further engagement with users and education on utilizing the CMES platform will be implemented to maximize its educational impact. Future adaptations will consider local relevance over the ABEM curriculum to better serve the diverse needs of global users.

Design and pilot test of an implicit bias mitigation curriculum for clinicians.

Introduction: Clinician implicit racial bias (IB) may lead to lower quality care and adverse health outcomes for Black patients. Educational efforts to train clinicians to mitigate IB vary widely and have insufficient evidence of impact. We developed and pilot-tested an evidence-based clinician IB curriculum, "REACHing Equity." Methods: To assess acceptability and feasibility, we conducted an uncontrolled one-arm pilot trial with post-intervention assessments. REACHing Equity is designed for clinicians to: (1) acquire knowledge about IB and its impact on healthcare, (2) increase awareness of one's own capacity for IB, and (3) develop skills to mitigate IB in the clinical encounter. We delivered REACHing Equity virtually in three facilitated, interactive sessions over 7-9 weeks. Participants were health care providers who completed baseline and end-of-study evaluation surveys. Results: Of approximately 1,592 clinicians invited, 37 participated, of whom 29 self-identified as women and 24 as non-Hispanic White. Attendance averaged 90% per session; 78% attended all 3 sessions. Response rate for evaluation surveys was 67%. Most respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the curriculum objectives were met, and that REACHing Equity equipped them to mitigate the impact of implicit bias in clinical care. Participants consistently reported higher self-efficacy for mitigating IB after compared to before completing the curriculum. Conclusions: Despite apparent barriers to clinician participation, we demonstrated feasibility and acceptability of the REACHing Equity intervention. Further research is needed to develop objective measures of uptake and clinician skill, test the impact of REACHing Equity on clinically relevant outcomes, and refine the curriculum for uptake and dissemination.ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03415308.

From Crisis to Connectivity: Exploring the Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Medical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: In a virtual setting at a private university in Lima, Peru, 277 medical students participated in a study in 2021 during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. OBJECTIVE:  The aim was to investigate how information and communication technologies (ICTs) were utilized as educational aids in their field. RESULTS: The findings showed a high level of satisfaction with ICT resources, especially among female students (54%). However, challenges were present: 64% faced technical issues during virtual classes, while 60% saw information availability and internet access as major advantages. Despite connectivity problems affecting 83% of students, 55% believed ICTs supported collaborative learning. Interestingly, while 64% found ICT use distracting, 52% found it easy to use. CONCLUSION: ICTs played a significant role in medical education, introducing new methods and tools despite obstacles and providing a dynamic and adaptable e-learning environment.

Perspectives From Students and Faculty on How Women Achieve Leadership Roles in Academic Medicine: An Exploratory Qualitative Study.

INTRODUCTION: The glass ceiling in academic medicine has resulted in lower pay and fewer career advancement opportunities for women. Creating change relies on preparing early-career women for positions of leadership, but most leadership programs focus on faculty, not trainees. The present exploratory qualitative study investigates how to prepare women medical students to be leaders in academic medicine. METHODS: Focus groups with medical students and faculty who identify as women were conducted at an academic medical center in the West. A total of 25 individuals (10 students and 15 faculty) participated. Recordings of focus groups were transcribed and coded using thematic analysis until saturation of themes was achieved. FINDINGS: Codes were organized into three themes: obstacles, support systems, and self-presentation. Obstacles identified included the subthemes microaggressions, macroaggressions, a lack of female role models in leadership, and personal characteristics such as the ability to self-promote and remain resilient. Support systems included sponsorship, allyship, mentorship, networking, and gender-specific role modeling subthemes. Self-presentation involved learning behaviors for demonstrating leadership and exuding confidence, being strategic about career moves, resiliency, and navigating social norms. CONCLUSIONS: The key themes of obstacles, support systems, and self-presentation are targets for systemic and individualistic improvement in leadership development.

Perception, Knowledge, Indications, and Future Prospects of Point-of-Care Ultrasound Among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become integral across medical specialties globally, addressing clinical queries, guiding procedures, and bridging the gap between physical examination and advanced imaging. Early ultrasound training for medical students enhances clinical decision-making and reduces diagnostic errors. Aims To evaluate the knowledge and attitude of senior medical students towards POCUS and to assess knowledge gaps and difficulties encountered by senior medical students to assist in the development of future curricula. Methodology This is an observational, cross-sectional approach to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practice of POCUS among senior medical students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted from January to September 2023. An electronic questionnaire was distributed through online platforms utilizing medical school databases across various regions. The survey encompassed sociodemographics, training methods, diagnostic indications, and participants' self-reported proficiency and attitudes toward POCUS. The data was chiefly collected using the Likert scale. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the quantitative and categorical variables. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine correlations. Results A total of 359 senior medical students completed the survey. Most responders were females (57.9%) with the predominating age group being ≤ 24 years (83.6%). The students predominantly were from the Central region of Saudi Arabia (75.5%). Ultrasound training varied among responders; 31.5% received formal courses (median duration: two hours) and 23.4% informal courses (median duration: four hours). Around 17.3% practiced POCUS self-teaching (median duration: four hours). A total of 3.6% had formal POCUS accreditation. A gargantuan 82.2% never used POCUS in their attached hospital for a variety of reasons. Multivariable logistic binary regression analysis showed a positive correlation between students' self-teaching of POCUS and their perceived difficulty performing an ultrasound examination for patients in daily practice. Discussion A comparable study was done at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in 2022 surveying 229 senior medical students by Rajendram et al. In their study, 21.4% completed formal courses and 12.7% took informal courses. While many students in our study were not exposed to POCUS (82.2%), KSAU-HS reported a higher percentage reaching 94.8%. A study by Russel et al. demonstrated more than half of 154 surveyed medical schools in the United States have implemented POCUS into their students' curriculum. Conclusion POCUS stands as a valuable skill that can enhance the educational journey of undergraduate medical students. Considering that a significant number of participants haven't yet taken formal medical school courses suggests a lack of awareness about its significance in the medical field. Offering additional courses with practical components could enhance the proficiency, confidence, and outlook of medical students toward POCUS.

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.

The Timing, Factors, and Impact of USMLE Step 1 Becoming Pass/Fail on the Process of Choosing a Specialty.

Background  Choosing a medical specialty is an important decision. A combination of factors influenced this decision. Student characteristics and examination performances can influence this decision. With the transition of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 becoming pass/fail, it is important to analyze the specialty decision process. Objective The purpose of this multimethod study is to assess when in the curriculum students choose a specialty, what factors influence their decision, and the impact of USMLE Step 1 scores on a student's assessment of competitiveness. Methods In February 2022, a survey was prepared and approved by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Institutional Review Board (IRB). The survey contained multiple-choice questions and a free-response section. The survey was sent to the Class of 2022 and 2023 students at Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine who follow a Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship. Descriptive statistics and one-sample t-tests were calculated. Results A total of 89 students completed the survey: 42 out of 60 students (70%) from the Class of 2022 and 47 out of 61 students (77%) from the Class of 2023. This study found that 78.8% of longitudinal interleaved clerkship (LInC) students committed to their specialty during the second half of the clinical year. The effects of positive and negative experiences during clerkships were most significantly different (p < 0.001). Conclusion The majority of LInC students arrive at their decision by the latter half of the clinical year. A variety of factors help students arrive at their decision. Our findings suggest that the pass/fail grading system will make it more difficult for students to assess their personal competitiveness.

Flipped Classroom With Artificial Intelligence: Educational Effectiveness of Combining Voice-Over Presentations and AI.

BACKGROUND: Most theorists and medical educators agree that a curriculum rich in active learning (AL) strategies, such as a flipped classroom, is superior to passive listening to promote better retention and application of new knowledge. Although AL multimodal teaching strategies have been considered the most effective, including online virtual teaching, voice-over pre-recorded lectures, and, more recently, the addition of artificial intelligence (AI), data on the effectiveness of these methods in medical education is scarce. The present educational research study examined the effectiveness of voice-over-style lectures and AI in facilitating learning outcomes as assessed by test scores after participating in basic science lectures in a medical school setting. METHODS: Participating students were divided equally into two educational strategy groups: slide decks only traditional way (PPT) or PPT plus AI (PPT+AI) platform (edYOU; Los Angeles, CA, USA). The PPT+AI group comprised the PPT with narration and real-time interaction with an AI being personalized, which leverages natural language processing to tailor customized conversations to each student's current knowledge. Students in the two groups were asked to participate in a formative quiz (not reflective of their academic evaluations) to answer questions relevant to voice-over lectures (PPT and PPT+AI). The statistical strategy for conducting quiz item analysis included item difficulty, item discrimination, and point-biserial correlation R. A student's T-test was conducted to compare the two strategies' effectiveness via test scores. A priori, an alpha level of 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS:  Data are presented as mean ± s.e.m.; Cohen's d. A total of 42 (n=21 in each group) students participated in the study. Students using PPT+AI obtained statistically significant (P <0.043; d = .54) higher quiz scores under challenging questions and less time spent in lectures (54.1 ± 14.3 hrs.) in the PPT+AI group (P <0.001; d = 1.17) compared with the PPT group.  Conclusions: The PPT+AI strategy could be the difference between a pass and a fail, as the PPT+AI strategy is particularly efficient in improving difficult question test scores. At the same time, students may learn the material in less time (efficiency). Research on the application of AI as part of educational strategies for improving satirized test scores, including boards, is warranted. The present study is part of the necessary early steps to better understand the impact of AI as an educational strategy for improving educational outcomes.

Live Patient Encounters: A Perspective From Second-Year Medical Students.

Background Interactive patient cases have been shown to be a valuable resource in medical education. Previous studies have demonstrated that using patients as teachers can help students improve clinical reasoning and have educational benefits; however, there is limited research on student feedback on patients as teachers. The objective of this study is to evaluate second-year medical students' (MS2s) perceptions of patient encounters during the teaching of the Skin and Musculoskeletal System Course (BMS 6635). Methods A retrospective descriptive study on prospectively maintained survey data was performed. Following course completion, MS2s were surveyed on their experience from four to five live patient encounters at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine from 2016-2022. The interactive cases involved patients with dermatologic, autoimmune, and musculoskeletal diseases. All MS2s enrolled in BMS 6635 were included. Statistical analysis was performed on survey responses to students' perceptions of live patient encounters. Results Seven hundred surveys were completed following the interactive patient encounters. Ninety percent of participants answered that they enjoyed the cases, 92% agreed the cases were an appropriate learning experience for their education, and 76% agreed the cases helped with material retention. From 2016 to 2022, there was a slight decrease in enjoyment in the cases over time (97%, 88%, 93%, 94%, 86%, 81%, p<.001, respectively), and student agreement that patient cases were an appropriate learning experience in their education (98%, 92%, 94%, 95%, 93%, 84%, p=.001, respectively), but overall remained greater than 80% satisfaction. Conclusions Patient cases are perceived to be a valuable educational resource by second-year medical students and therefore should be integrated in medical curricula. Students enjoyed patient cases, believed they had an educational benefit, and perceived they aided in material retention.

An Introduction to Harm Reduction for Medical Students: Addressing Stigma Through an Interactive Preclerkship Lecture.

INTRODUCTION: Harm reduction is a non-traditional approach to addressing substance use disorders and a tool to prevent the spread of transmissible blood-borne infections. We taught an interactive lecture on harm reduction for medical students at the California University of Science and Medicine. This lecture was unique in that it is the only one that was directly developed in collaboration with a harm reduction nonprofit organization for the purpose of educating future physicians. METHODS: The class was encouraged to think critically about the topic of harm reduction, their biases toward persons who use injection drugs (PWID), and the role of physicians in improving health outcomes for this population. We sent pre- and post-surveys to the students to measure changes in their attitudes toward PWID and harm reduction.  Results: Overall, we successfully changed medical students' perspectives of PWID. However, their perspectives on the topic of harm reduction did not change significantly from the already positive opinions students had on the topic before the session. After the session, students were less likely to enjoy giving extra time to these patients and were more likely to find that these patients were difficult to work with.  Discussion: Harm reduction interventions can potentially prevent health complications associated with drug use, such as bacterial endocarditis, abscess formation, and transmitting diseases such as hepatitis and HIV, alleviating some of the burden placed on healthcare systems by PWID. This interactive session can serve as a model for other institutions that desire to educate their medical students on the topic of harm reduction and to address the stigma that is faced by PWID.

Evaluating the Impact of Early Career Academic Medicine Workshops on Medical Students' Interest.

Introduction Academic medicine is an important field that has had a notable decline in physician interest. The aim of this study was to introduce academic medicine to medical students early in their careers with a workshop in the medical school setting, beyond conferences, to promote even greater interest in the field. Methods This workshop consisted of (1) an informational didactic session using a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, (2) small-group breakout discussion sessions to review case scenarios, and (3) a faculty panel to provide personal anecdotes and advice to students. The authors administered online pre- and post-workshop surveys to the students. One workshop was presented to first-year medical students and another to second-year medical students at California University of Science and Medicine. Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0 for Windows. Pre- and post-workshop survey question means were compared using a paired t-test. Results There were 104 pre-clerkship student attendees, 83 of whom were in their first year and 21 in their second. Within each class year, there was a statistical significance in pre- and post-workshop survey responses for questions one through four (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001), but question five responses were not statistically significant (p = 0.78). Conclusion Academic medicine workshops held early in medical students' careers are an effective way to foster interest in the field. Implementing academic medicine scholars' programs, in addition to these workshops, can help provide guidance and resources for students who want to pursue a career in academic medicine.

The Crisis of Medical Education in the Arab World: A Student's Perspective.

Medical education is an important and ever-changing profession that determines the future of healthcare and public health in any nation. It is also a complicated and difficult process that needs ongoing adaptation and innovation in order to satisfy the changing demands and expectations of health systems and communities. However, several challenges and limits impede the growth and quality of medical education in the Arab world, preventing it from reaching its full potential. In this article, we will highlight some of the major difficulties affecting medical education in the Arab world from our own experience as a medical student in one of the Arab nations.

Beyond Residents-as-Teachers: The Development of an Advanced Medical Education Pilot Elective for Pediatric Residents.

Introduction An advanced medical education elective can encompass themes that transcend traditional residents-as-teachers curricula. The literature is scarce regarding the development of such a curriculum for pediatric residents. Objectives To develop and implement an advanced medical education elective for pediatric residents and evaluate the effectiveness of the educational strategies and curriculum. Methods Kern's Six Steps were applied to create a two-week-long elective for pediatric residents. Residents worked through Kern's model to collaboratively develop the elective. Faculty were recruited based on expertise and content previously created. Residents developed teaching sessions for fourth-year medical students and received feedback. The curriculum was evaluated using quantitative and qualitative feedback with a five-point Likert scale and open-ended questions, group discussions, elective evaluations, and the New World Kirkpatrick Model. Results Five residents, 17 students, and 22 faculty participated. Lectures, expert panels, group discussions, and teaching sessions were seen as effective instructional methods. All residents were satisfied with the elective and its strategies and developed useful skills. Resident-led teaching sessions and interactive learning strategies were cited as a strength, while some redundancy was noted as a weakness. Faculty recommended more formal feedback on resident-led teaching sessions in the future. Conclusions Our medical education elective was designed collaboratively with residents on a medical education track. Strong faculty participation, asynchronous learning, and resident-led teaching sessions were strengths of the curriculum. The curriculum's reproducible components may serve as a foundation for institutions interested in improving their medical education didactics for residents. More research is needed to determine the external validity of this novel curriculum.

Retrospective Study of Healthcare Resources Developed for Patients by Interprofessional Teams.

Wayne State University (WSU) emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary education by having students participate in an Interprofessional Team Visit (IPTV) program. A 60-minute virtual visit is conducted to assess adults aged over 50 years within the Detroit Metropolitan Area (Metro Detroit) community. This project was designed to prepare healthcare students in evaluating the mental, physical, and social health aspects of assigned patients based on specific disciplinary assessments. Upon completion of assessments, the interdisciplinary team provided the patient with resources based on the team and the patient's agreed-upon area of concern. Twenty-eight IPTV teams, consisting of a medical and occupational therapy student and a healthcare professional student from another discipline studying at WSU, were randomly created. The IPTV resource guides created by each team were reviewed and sorted into two categories based on the health or social need of the individual patient. The data identified three main areas of interest, which included medication management, diet and exercise plans, and the use of technology to stay connected to medical professionals, friends, and family. The purpose of this report is to assess the IPTV program's findings and analyze patients' concerns based on health or social needs and the resources presented to them.

Implementing a Longitudinal Adolescent Transition of Care Curriculum: Identifying Comfort and Barriers Among Residents.

Amid growing recognition of the importance of transitioning adolescents and young adults (AYA) from pediatric- to adult-oriented health care systems, residency programs are being tasked with educating residents on best transition practices. However, consensus on how to approach training residents in transition of care (TOC) is limited. Our academic residency program therefore created and implemented a TOC of AYA curriculum for pediatric residents in an effort to increase provider knowledge and comfort with this topic. Three classes of post-graduate year one (PGY1) pediatric residents participated in this curriculum from 2017-2019 (n=35) and subsequently completed a problem-based learning (PBL) exercise in a primary care clinic with adolescent patients based on core goals in transitioning AYA. Residents completed pre-PBL and post-PBL surveys quantifying provider comfort in several aspects of the transition process. The majority of residents (94%) identified the PBL exercise as being useful, with no significant difference between classes. Eighty-nine percent (n=31) identified 1) earlier introduction of TOC and/or 2) incorporation of TOC discussions during AYA well visits as intended areas of future practice change. Overall provider comfort in transitioning AYA increased significantly from matched pre-PBL to post-PBL surveys (p=0.004). Paired mean differences also showed a significant increase in provider comfort based on several identifiable skillsets in transitioning AYA. This study suggests that a formal curriculum for pediatric residents significantly increases resident comfort in transitioning AYA and encourages change in future clinical practice. Future directions include evaluating the implementation of a formal longitudinal curriculum across several PGY levels and expansion of the curriculum to include internal medicine residents. Standardized curricula on this topic may improve resident comfort on a national level.