Arthur Drouaud, Ryan M. Antar, Vincent E. Xu, Paul Nagao, Sean Tafuri, Michael J. Whalen
{"title":"Online Interest in Urology Residency: A Comprehensive Analysis of Current Internet Temporal and Geographic Patterns","authors":"Arthur Drouaud, Ryan M. Antar, Vincent E. Xu, Paul Nagao, Sean Tafuri, Michael J. Whalen","doi":"10.3390/ime3020014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ime3020014","url":null,"abstract":"Urology is one of the most competitive specialties in medicine, creating a challenge for prospective students looking to secure a residency position. Our study aims to assess online interest in urology residency by querying online interaction with search terms and criteria for urology residency programs. Utilizing Google Trends analysis from 2011 to 2024, this study examined urology-related search volume indexes, as well as temporal and geographical patterns. Furthermore, the number of residency positions from the American Urological Association database for the 2022 match process was evaluated. Our analysis of temporal trends revealed increased interest in urologist salaries from 2011 to 2019, followed by a decline from 2019 to 2023. Interest in urology-related interviews, applications, research, and letters increased in 2019, marked by the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. California, New York, and Texas had the lowest interest-to-position (IP) ratio, while Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia had the highest IP ratio. Our analysis reveals an evolving interest in salaries, residency programs, and USMLE Step 1 changes in areas connected with urology. We report key geographical areas with high urology residency interest and low numbers of programs, implying a need for expanded residencies in underserved yet high-interest areas. Awareness and continued interest monitoring after the COVID-19 pandemic is critical for understanding interest in urology applicants.","PeriodicalId":510221,"journal":{"name":"International Medical Education","volume":"39 153","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141016413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hannah Ong, Shaquille Charles, Joshua Ong, Baraa Nawash, Shavin Thomas, John R. Fowler
{"title":"Assessment of Postgraduate Academic Productivity Following a Longitudinal Research Program in a Medical School Curriculum","authors":"Hannah Ong, Shaquille Charles, Joshua Ong, Baraa Nawash, Shavin Thomas, John R. Fowler","doi":"10.3390/ime3020013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ime3020013","url":null,"abstract":"Early involvement and exposure to evidence-based research during medical school have been shown to play a formative role in students’ holistic development as future physicians. While there are medical schools encouraging research initiatives, few programs implement 4-year longitudinal research in the curriculum. Here, the authors categorized graduates as pre-LRP or post-LRP and utilized PubMed’s Advanced Search Builder to identify each graduate’s publications with a time frame that began from 1 year to 7 years post-graduation. The data were then analyzed to identify any significant changes between these two cohorts. A total of 1022 medical school graduates from an ACGME-accredited U.S. medical school were included in this study. The average rate of publications annually was 0.47 + 1.43 (pre-LRP) and 0.57 + 1.40 (post-LRP). Additionally, the average probability of at least one publication in a given year was 22% (95% CI: 0.21–0.23) pre-LRP and 27% (95% CI: 0.25–0.28) post-LRP. Lastly, the average probability of at least one first-author publication in a given year was 12.2% (95% CI: 0.12–0.13) pre-LRP and 15% (95% CI: 0.14–0.16) post-LRP. Overall, participation in a mentored longitudinal research program during medical school demonstrated a positive trend in the number and rate of publications. The implementation of a mentored longitudinal research program can contribute to increased research productivity in physicians’ early careers, leading to the development of important research skills, the fostering of commitment in scholarly work, and a deeper understanding of evidence-based medicine.","PeriodicalId":510221,"journal":{"name":"International Medical Education","volume":" 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140686161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sima Ipakchian Askari, Dianne Vasseur, Bob Hofstede, P. Koowattanataworn, H. Nap
{"title":"Mapping Dementia Care Technology: Tailored Digital Solutions across Stages","authors":"Sima Ipakchian Askari, Dianne Vasseur, Bob Hofstede, P. Koowattanataworn, H. Nap","doi":"10.3390/ime3020012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ime3020012","url":null,"abstract":"Over the years, there has been an increase in the development of assistive technologies. To date, the stages of dementia that these technologies can be best implemented has been underexplored. In previous work, researchers developed an infographic providing guidance on when best to introduce assistive technologies for people with dementia, and although this infographic is relevant, it was based solely on the experience of the authors during various national and international projects. However, various studies have been conducted on the use and implementation of technology for people with dementia, providing information on when care technology should be implemented. Therefore, the aim of this paper was to conduct a literature review, and based on the results, to design an infographic showing recommendations on when to implement an assistive technology. The infographic was evaluated during interviews with experts on the implementation of care technology for people with dementia. Our results propose earlier implementation for several technologies, as well as the importance of considering contextual factors such as personal characteristics, background and technical experience when implementing technology. The designed infographic can facilitate the digital transition for healthcare institutions and personnel by offering information into the implementation process of care technology.","PeriodicalId":510221,"journal":{"name":"International Medical Education","volume":"22 S11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140702135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Students’ Experiences with Interprofessional Service-Learning Global Health Education Pilot Program in Ghana","authors":"Patricia Anafi, Marie Meckel, Lori Jean Peterson","doi":"10.3390/ime3020011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ime3020011","url":null,"abstract":"Interprofessional service-learning programs can help to break down the education and training silos between public health and health care in the United States. This paper describes the development and implementation of one such program between the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Bay Path University Physician Assistant Program, and the Wa-West Health District in Ghana. The program brought together Master of Public Health students and Physician Assistant students to complete an applied practicum and training experience in a low-resource community that faces significant health care and public health delivery challenges. In 2017 and 2018, nine students participated in the two-year pilot program, UMass Amherst Interprofessional Integrated Service Learning and Community-Based Participatory Collaboration. Students completed projects designed by Ghanaian health officials over two summers in direct collaboration with the communities. Findings from the evaluation of the pilot program revealed that though the students faced some challenges with the program, such as language barriers, transportation issues due to poor roads, and difficulty scheduling meetings while completing their projects in Ghana, the majority described their experience as positive and were satisfied. Some expressed the idea that their experiences were something that they could incorporate into their current and future practices. In addition, they reported that interprofessional communications and collaborations were effective. Recommendations are offered to address the program’s challenges for its continuation and formalization.","PeriodicalId":510221,"journal":{"name":"International Medical Education","volume":"48 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140730595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anne Holbrook, Simran Lohit, O. Chang, J. Deng, Dan Perri, Gousia Dhhar, Mitchell Levine, Jill Rudkowski, Heather McLeod, Kaitlynn Rigg, Victoria Telford, Anthony J Levinson
{"title":"Prescribing Competence of Canadian Medical Graduates: National Survey of Medical School Leaders","authors":"Anne Holbrook, Simran Lohit, O. Chang, J. Deng, Dan Perri, Gousia Dhhar, Mitchell Levine, Jill Rudkowski, Heather McLeod, Kaitlynn Rigg, Victoria Telford, Anthony J Levinson","doi":"10.3390/ime3020010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ime3020010","url":null,"abstract":"Suboptimal knowledge of clinical pharmacology, therapeutics, and toxicology (CPT) and poor-quality prescribing are threats to patient safety. Our previous national survey of medical faculty identified limited confidence in medical student graduates’ ability to safely prescribe, as well as an interest in a national prescribing competence assessment. Given the in-person challenges posed by the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we aimed to re-evaluate opinions and gauge the interest in e-learning resources and assessments. Using public sources, a sampling frame of medical school leaders from all 17 Canadian medical schools, including deans, vice-deans, and program directors for clerkship, residency, and e-learning, were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey. Survey questions were finalized after several rounds of testing, and analyses were descriptive. Of 1448 invitations, 411 (28.4%) individuals reviewed the survey, and, among them, 278 (67.6%) completed at least one survey question, with representation from all schools. While more than 90% of respondents agreed that medical students should meet a minimum standard of prescribing competence, only 17 (7.9%) could vouch for their school meeting objectives in CPT, and many had significant concerns about their own or other schools’ recent graduate prescribing abilities. Given the lack of local CPT e-curricula resources, there was strong interest in a national online course and assessment in CPT. Our national survey results suggest an ongoing inadequacy of medical trainees’ prescribing competence, and also provide a strong endorsement for both a national online CPT course and assessment during medical school.","PeriodicalId":510221,"journal":{"name":"International Medical Education","volume":"78 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140784738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Khang Duy Ricky Le, Emma Downie, Elizabeth Azidis-Yates, Cameron Shaw
{"title":"The Impact of Simulated Ward Rounds on the Clinical Education of Final-Year Medical Students: A Systematic Review","authors":"Khang Duy Ricky Le, Emma Downie, Elizabeth Azidis-Yates, Cameron Shaw","doi":"10.3390/ime3010009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ime3010009","url":null,"abstract":"(1) Background: Final-year medical students often feel under prepared for their transition into clinical practice. Clinical ward rounds and shadowing approach this issue by building transferable skills; however, they are highly variable, with teaching clinicians experiencing a large number of work-related interruptions. Simulated ward rounds have garnered significant interest by translating clinical encounters into standardised educational opportunities for students. This review evaluates the impact of simulated ward rounds in promoting the clinical competencies required for work in final-year medical students and assesses the impact of simulated ward rounds on the experience of clinical learning for medical students. (2) Methods: A computer-assisted search was performed in the Medline, Embase, and CINAHL databases. Studies that evaluated simulated ward rounds in final-year medical student cohorts were included. (3) Results: In total, 107 articles were identified by the search and 26 articles were eligible for full-text analysis. The analysis of these studies showed that simulated ward rounds were effective in improving confidence, as well as the technical and non-technical skills of final-year medical students; however this is on the basis of highly heterogeneous and lower-quality evidence. (4) Conclusion: Our systematic review highlights that simulated ward rounds provide final-year medical students with increased confidence and preparedness for clinical work and identifies the need to pursue more methodologically rigorous research to inform the best practice delivery of simulated ward rounds.","PeriodicalId":510221,"journal":{"name":"International Medical Education","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140229693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria Chiara Gatto, E. Frisicale, Pietro Palopoli, Martina Sapienza, Emanuele Caroppo, Cristina Patrizi, Giovanni Migliano, Gianfranco Damiani
{"title":"The Role of Health Institutions in Training Healthcare Personnel for the Digital Transition: The International Training Program of the Order of Physicians and Dentists of Rome","authors":"Maria Chiara Gatto, E. Frisicale, Pietro Palopoli, Martina Sapienza, Emanuele Caroppo, Cristina Patrizi, Giovanni Migliano, Gianfranco Damiani","doi":"10.3390/ime3010008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ime3010008","url":null,"abstract":"Digital health, encompassing the use of digital technologies in healthcare, and telemedicine, facilitating healthcare delivery across long distances, have witnessed widespread applications across various healthcare domains. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital solutions in healthcare, overcoming barriers to access and fostering transitions to new care models. However, healthcare professionals often lack digital health competencies, necessitating targeted training initiatives. This study presents a project initiated by the Order of Physicians and Dentists of Rome, promoting a comprehensive training program in digital health for healthcare professionals. This investigation aims to describe the project, report demographic characteristics of participants, and analyze survey results on participants’ perceptions of the training program. The Erasmus+ project, titled ‘Training of Physician Trainers in Telemedicine, eHealth, and Digital Medicine,’ facilitated the digital transition of the healthcare sector through international training. The project involved structured courses, job-shadowing, and support activities in Malta and Madrid. A survey, developed using the Delphi methodology, assessed participants’ views on telemedicine. Thirty participants, selected based on merit, engaged in the project. Survey responses highlighted a strong impact on participants’ understanding of digital health concepts and increased confidence in utilizing digital tools. Notably, 85% acknowledged significant skill acquisition in healthcare digitalization. The project addressed a critical training gap among healthcare professionals, emphasizing the need for ongoing education in digital health. Despite existing recommendations, formal digital health education remains limited. The study underscores the importance of educational efforts to foster a digitalized healthcare model.","PeriodicalId":510221,"journal":{"name":"International Medical Education","volume":"109 S12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140237990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yanal Matari, Rebecca Starkman, Camille Briskin, David P. Alper, Kellen K. Petersen, Rebecca Yang, Kristina H. Petersen
{"title":"The Impact of COVID-19 and Racial Injustices on Resilience of Incoming Medical Students","authors":"Yanal Matari, Rebecca Starkman, Camille Briskin, David P. Alper, Kellen K. Petersen, Rebecca Yang, Kristina H. Petersen","doi":"10.3390/ime3010007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ime3010007","url":null,"abstract":"Medical students (MS) are at higher risk for depression than their peers. Incoming U.S. MS completed a survey that included the validated RS-14, which measures resilience and its two subcomponents: self-assuredness and drive. Surveys were administered before classes started in 2019 (pre-pandemic-cohort; n = 178) and 2020 (pandemic-cohort; n = 181). Resiliency, self-assuredness, and drive were not different between cohorts. Demographic subgroup analyses revealed that underrepresented in medicine (URiM) MS in the pre-pandemic-cohort scored higher on drive (p = 0.007) than non-URiM MS (6.07 ± 1.00 vs. 5.59 ± 0.97); however, this difference was not significant in the pandemic-cohort. Additionally, students in the pandemic-cohort were more likely to agree that peer discussions about emotional challenges would be beneficial (p = 0.014). Qualitative analysis revealed that 45.9% of pandemic-cohort respondents felt more motivated to pursue medicine. This is the first study to report differences in drive between URiM MS cohorts matriculating before and during a pandemic, a positive correlation between multiple-mini-interview (MMI) scores and drive, and a negative correlation between MCAT scores and drive. Collectively, these results suggest that the circumstances of 2020 may have negatively influenced the drive of URiM students, positively impacted the receptivity of MS to peer discussions, and motivated students to pursue medicine.","PeriodicalId":510221,"journal":{"name":"International Medical Education","volume":"34 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140251045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Samuel Obeng Nkrumah, R. Dias, Lara Hazelton, Mandy Esliger, Peggy Alexiadis Brown, Philippe Tibbo, Nachiketa Sinha, Anthony Njoku, Satyanarayana Satyendra, Sanjay Siddhartha, Faisal Rahman, Hugh Maguire, Gerald Gray, Mark Bosma, Deborah Parker, Adewale Raji, Alexandra Manning, Alexa Bagnell, R. Shalaby, V. Agyapong
{"title":"Psychiatrists’ Engagement in Research as a Pathway towards the Expansion of Distributed Medical Education (DME): A Regional Analysis across Two Provinces in Atlantic Canada","authors":"Samuel Obeng Nkrumah, R. Dias, Lara Hazelton, Mandy Esliger, Peggy Alexiadis Brown, Philippe Tibbo, Nachiketa Sinha, Anthony Njoku, Satyanarayana Satyendra, Sanjay Siddhartha, Faisal Rahman, Hugh Maguire, Gerald Gray, Mark Bosma, Deborah Parker, Adewale Raji, Alexandra Manning, Alexa Bagnell, R. Shalaby, V. Agyapong","doi":"10.3390/ime3010006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ime3010006","url":null,"abstract":"In the context of Canadian medical education, Distributed Medical Education (DME) plays a crucial role in addressing healthcare disparities, particularly in rural areas. This study focuses on the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University, analyzing psychiatrists’ engagement and willingness to participate in research at DME sites in Nova Scotia (NS) and New Brunswick (NB). The cross-sectional study, encompassing data from an environmental scan, surveyed 60 psychiatrists involved in medical education across seven health zones. Results revealed significant associations between gender, type of graduates, and specialist training. A majority of psychiatrists (68.3%) do not currently engage in mental health or translational research, citing barriers such as a lack of protected time and financial incentives. Notably, participants expressed interest in future research areas, including health services/quality improvement and addiction research. Geriatric psychiatry, predominantly female-dominated, lacked current research activities. The study emphasizes the need to address barriers and promote motivators, both intrinsic and extrinsic, to enhance psychiatrists’ research engagement. This strategic approach is essential for fostering active participation in research, thereby contributing to the expansion of DME sites in Atlantic Canada and beyond.","PeriodicalId":510221,"journal":{"name":"International Medical Education","volume":"4 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140262197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Curriculum Ideologies Underlying the AfriMEDS Curriculum Framework for Undergraduate Medical and Dental Education in South Africa","authors":"L. Mnguni","doi":"10.3390/ime3010005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ime3010005","url":null,"abstract":"South Africa faces healthcare challenges due to inefficiencies, resource constraints, and disease burden. The AfriMEDS curriculum framework was adopted as part of curriculum reform to facilitate the training of comprehensive healthcare professionals capable of addressing healthcare challenges. However, the curriculum ideologies underlying this framework have not been explored. This research aimed to qualitatively describe the curriculum ideologies underlying the AfriMEDS framework as a proxy to determine how it could facilitate the training of healthcare practitioners fit to address South African healthcare challenges. ChatGPT was used to extract data from the framework using a previously validated document analysis protocol. Interpretive analysis was employed to analyze the extracted data to determine inferred curriculum ideologies. A complex interplay of curriculum ideologies was found, with the discipline- and service-centered ideologies most dominant, followed by the citizenship-centered ideology, while the student-centered ideology was found the least. It was also found that the six components of curriculum ideologies exhibit varying degrees of ideological representation. It is concluded that, while the AfriMEDS curriculum framework could produce technically skilled and service-oriented practitioners, its effectiveness in nurturing well-rounded medical professionals may be limited. Integrating a balanced representation of all curriculum ideologies is recommended.","PeriodicalId":510221,"journal":{"name":"International Medical Education","volume":"148 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140488115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}