Visibility & support for first generation college graduates in medicine.

Of Being a First Generation (First Gen) college graduate is an important intersectionality which impacts the lens through which First Gen students learn to become physicians. In this Perspective, we define the First Gen identity and review some of the salient First Gen literature as it applies to the medical school experience. We discuss the conception, design and execution of First Gen initiatives and program development at our medical school as a call to action and model for other institutions to create communities for their First Gen populations, focusing on inclusion and tailored support. We describe the framework through which we envisioned our programming for First Gen medical students, trainees, staff, and faculty at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Exploring a novel approach to surgery clerkship didactics during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic brings unforeseen challenges in medical education. The current study aims to: 1) describe third-year medical students' experiences with the novel Shelf-Exam-Type Question Didactics (SET QD) before (in-person) and during (virtual) COVID-19. METHODS: In this qualitative study using grounded theory, we conducted purposive sampling and used 23 in-depth semi-structured interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and the Atlas.Ti software was used to manage the thematic analysis. RESULTS: There are three themes and eight subthemes that emerged: 1) The SET QD Framework (sub-themes: questions as learning opportunities; interleaving; notable clinical scenarios; team learning; accountability). 2) Experienced Educator (subtheme: transformational teaching). 3) Virtual Accessibility (sub-themes: alleviating time constraints, and mitigating life-stressors). CONCLUSIONS: Medical students regarded SET QD as impactful for shelf exam preparation, clinical preparation, and long-term retention of the material. This novel virtual didactic method may be used in non-surgical clerkships as well.