Patient Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation: Why Physicians Need to Be Trauma-Informed.

Introduction: Many people experience trauma, and its cumulative effects throughout the life span can alter health, development, and well-being. Despite this, few publications focusing on interpersonal trauma include a holistic understanding of the nature and widespread exposure of trauma experiences for patients. We developed an educational resource to teach residents about identifying and intervening with patients who experience trauma across the life span using a trauma-informed care (TIC) perspective. Methods: We created a 4-hour educational session for residents that included didactics, a virtual visit with a domestic violence shelter, a discussion with a person who had experienced trauma, and role-playing. A pretest/posttest retrospective survey assessed resident confidence level in identifying and intervening with patients who may have experienced trauma. We used the Wilcoxon signed rank test to compare pretest and posttest scores and the Kruskal-Wallis test to compare responses by residency type and year. Free-text questions were analyzed for thematic content. Results: During the 2021-2022 academic year, 72 of 90 residents (80%) from four residency programs attended and evaluated the session. More than 90% of respondents reported the session met their educational needs and provided them with new ideas, information, and practical suggestions to use in their clinical endeavors. The results demonstrated significantly increased confidence on most of the metrics measured. Discussion: This session significantly improved residents' confidence in identifying and intervening with patients who have had trauma experiences using a TIC perspective, which may lead them to provide improved patient care to those who have experienced trauma.

Psychologists and Integrated Behavioral Health Simulation Training: A Survey of Medical Educators and Perspectives of Directors of Clinical Training.

It is well established that the integration of behavioral healthcare into the medical home model improves patient outcomes, reduces costs, and increases resident learning. As academic health centers increasingly integrate behavioral healthcare, targeted training for interprofessional collaboration around behavioral healthcare is needed. Simulation educational approaches potentially can provide this training. Health service psychologists are well-poised to support this because of their specialized training in integrated healthcare. The present exploratory study aimed to evaluate existing simulation programs and develop recommendations for integrated behavioral health training and evaluation. Directors of ACGME accredited residency programs that are high utilizers of the medical home model (Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Medicine/Pediatrics, Family Medicine) as well as Psychiatry residencies and medical schools with membership in the Society for Simulation in Healthcare were recruited to complete a 26-item survey to assess program usage of psychologists as part of simulation training for integrated behavioral healthcare services. Of 79 participants who completed initial items describing their training program, only 32 programs completed the entire survey. While many academic health centers offered integrated team and behavioral health simulations, few utilized psychology faculty in design, implementation, and evaluation. Other behavioral health providers (psychiatrists, social workers) were often involved in medical school and pediatric residency simulations. Few institutions use standardized evaluation. Qualitative feedback and faculty-written questionnaires were often used to evaluate efficacy. Survey responses suggest that psychologists play limited roles in integrated behavioral healthcare simulation despite their expertise in interdisciplinary training, integrated behavioral healthcare, and program evaluation.

The SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Real-Time Training and Service for Preventive Medicine Residents.

The 2020 SARS-CoV-2 pandemic created a unique opportunity for Public Health/General Preventive Medicine (PH/GPM) and Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OM) residents to contribute to pandemic public health response activities. We surveyed all 18 Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded PH/GPM and OM residency program directors to evaluate program and resident involvement in pandemic response activities from January 1 through June 30, 2020. Of 116 residents, 110 (95%) participated at some level in the response activities including screening/testing, contact tracing, surveillance, data analysis, incident command, provider support, reopening, direct patient care, education, and risk communication. Residents' response activities were in multiple settings, such as state, local, and federal health agencies; hospital systems; long-term care facilities; academic centers; local businesses and labor unions; Federally Qualified Health Centers; homeless shelters; and clinics. Residents' participation was facilitated by their training in public health, epidemiology, the care of patients and populations, and emergency preparedness. Programs should continue to promote these experiences and key roles that PH/GPM and OM residents can play, as this leadership is a necessity for the successful navigation of future major public health events. As the pandemic continues, evaluation of residents' experiences will help guide longer-term changes to program curriculum and partnerships. Many trainees' contributions and expertise met both educational and service goals and therefore should be integrated into ongoing pandemic response work in PH/GPM and OM programs.

Characteristics of Matriculants to Thoracic Surgery Residency Training Programs.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic surgery (TS) residency positions are in high demand. There is no study describing the nationwide attributes of successful matriculants in this specialty. We examined the characteristics of TS resident applicants and identified factors associated with acceptance. METHODS: Applicant data from 2014 to 2017 application cycles was extracted from the Electronic Residency Application System and stratified by matriculation status. Medical education, type of general surgery residency, and research achievements were analyzed. The number of peer-reviewed publications and the corresponding impact factor for the journals where they were published were quantified. RESULTS: There were 492 applicants and 358 matriculants. The overall population was primarily male (79.5%), white (55.1%), educated at United States allopathic medical schools (66.5%), and trained at university-based general surgery residencies (59.6%). Education at United States allopathic schools (odds ratio [OR], 2.54; P < .0001), being a member of the American Osteopathic Association (OR, 3.27; P = .021), general surgery residency affiliation with a TS residency (OR, 2.41; P = .0003) or National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Center (OR, 1.76; P = .0172), and being a first-time applicant (OR, 4.71, P < .0001) were independently associated with matriculation. Matriculants published a higher number of manuscripts than nonmatriculants (median of 3 vs 2, P < .0001) and more frequently published in higher impact journals (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study includes objective and quantifiable data from recent application cycles and represents an in-depth examination of applicants to TS residency. The type of medical school and residency, as well as academic productivity, correlate with successful matriculation.

Prioritizing Diversity in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery: Starting a Conversation.

Academic centers embody the ideals of otolaryngology and are the specialty's port of entry. Building a diverse otolaryngology workforce-one that mirrors society-is critical. Otolaryngology continues to have an underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities. The specialty must therefore redouble efforts, becoming more purposeful in mentoring, recruiting, and retaining underrepresented minorities. Many programs have never had residents who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color. Improving narrow, leaky, or absent pipelines is a moral imperative, both to mitigate health care disparities and to help build a more just health care system. Diversity supports the tripartite mission of patient care, education, and research. This commentary explores diversity in otolaryngology with attention to the salient role of academic medical centers. Leadership matters deeply in such efforts, from culture to finances. Improving outreach, taking a holistic approach to resident selection, and improving mentorship and sponsorship complement advances in racial disparities to foster diversity.

Medical Education's Wicked Problem: Achieving Equity in Assessment for Medical Learners.

Despite a lack of intent to discriminate, physicians educated in U.S. medical schools and residency programs often take actions that systematically disadvantage minority patients. The approach to assessment of learner performance in medical education can similarly disadvantage minority learners. The adoption of holistic admissions strategies to increase the diversity of medical training programs has not been accompanied by increases in diversity in honor societies, selective residency programs, medical specialties, and medical school faculty. These observations prompt justified concerns about structural and interpersonal bias in assessment. This manuscript characterizes equity in assessment as a "wicked problem" with inherent conflicts, uncertainty, dynamic tensions, and susceptibility to contextual influences. The authors review the underlying individual and structural causes of inequity in assessment. Using an organizational model, they propose strategies to achieve equity in assessment and drive institutional and systemic improvement based on clearly articulated principles. This model addresses the culture, systems, and assessment tools necessary to achieve equitable results that reflect stated principles. Three components of equity in assessment that can be measured and evaluated to confirm success include intrinsic equity (selection and design of assessment tools), contextual equity (the learning environment in which assessment occurs), and instrumental equity (uses of assessment data for learner advancement and selection and program evaluation). A research agenda to address these challenges and controversies and demonstrate reduction in bias and discrimination in medical education is presented.

Exploring the internship experiences of Swedish final term student midwives: A cross-sectional survey.

Today, student midwives in Sweden spend half of their midwifery education at various internships. Practice reality demonstrates that there is an insufficient number of preceptors for the students, and the workload is demanding. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the experiences of final term Swedish students during their midwifery internship and whether other paedagogical learning experiences beyond the apprenticeship model were included. A cross-sectional survey was distributed to 288 final year midwifery students at all universities offering the midwifery programme in Sweden. This paper focuses on open-ended questions, which were answered by 108 students, and analysed inductively via thematic analysis. Students described an intensive period with pressure during their internship. They expressed a desire for fewer parallel tasks and a better-structured internship. Students revealed that it was both a challenge and stressful to be under constant high performance while practising clinically. Furthermore, students described feelings of competition towards fellow peers in regard to attaining the final number of 50 assisted births. As to the paedagogical methods, the classical preceptorship model with a one-to-one student-preceptor relationship was predominately used. Preceptors were perceived as crucial role models. However, this learning experience was considered suboptimal for learning in the event where preceptors were not engaged or felt insecure regarding their knowledge, or if the preceptor was changed. For the students, the most optimal setting would be if preceptors were selected, trained, and supported in their role to supervise students, instead of being assigned any available preceptor, who was, at times, not a midwife.

Enhanced Neonatal Resuscitation Provider Course for Novice Learners.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of an enhanced format of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) course on new clinicians' comfort level in providing neonatal resuscitation. DESIGN: Pilot project based on the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework with a pretest-posttest design. SETTING/LOCAL PROBLEM: This course was developed in response to an assessment of new NRP clinicians who self-reported low competence and comfort with selected steps of neonatal resuscitation after participating in our system's usual NRP provider course. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of nurses, respiratory therapists, and physicians taking the NRP course. INTERVENTION/MEASUREMENTS: The enhanced-format course facilitated hands-on practice at skills stations before the integrated skills station and simulation/debriefing component. The level of comfort in key areas of neonatal resuscitation was assessed in a postintervention survey on a 4-point Likert scale. RESULTS: After completion of this enhanced-format course, participants reported an increase in comfort level with equipment and selected resuscitation skills. CONCLUSION: An enhanced NRP provider course targeted to the unique learning needs of novice learners may increase their comfort level and satisfaction with newborn resuscitation knowledge and skills.

Assessment and management of depression and suicidality: Pediatric resident perspectives on training and practice.

INTRODUCTION: Primary care is a common access point for children and adolescents with depression and suicidality concerns. In this setting, pediatricians typically function as front-line providers given barriers that patients face in accessing mental health clinicians. METHOD: This study surveyed chief residents from all pediatric residency programs in the United States (N = 214) to evaluate (a) their attitudes, knowledge, practices, and comfort in managing depression and suicidality concerns in primary care, and (b) the relationship between residency training processes and pediatric residents' practices, knowledge, and comfort related to identifying and managing depression and suicidality. RESULTS: The usable response rate was 37.6%. The large majority of respondents are involved in evaluation and management of depression and suicidality; yet many respondents reported a lack of knowledge and comfort in these roles. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations for pediatric residency program training processes are discussed, including the potential added value of colocating mental health clinicians into the primary care continuity training clinic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Home Surgical Skill Training Resources for Obstetrics and Gynecology Trainees During a Pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created a unique educational circumstance in which medical students, residents, and fellows find themselves with a gap in their surgical training. We reviewed the literature, and nine categories of resources were identified that may benefit trainees in preventing skill decay: laparoscopic box trainers, virtual reality trainers, homemade simulation models, video games, online surgical simulations, webinars, surgical videos, smartphone applications, and hobbies including mental imagery. We report data regarding effectiveness, limitations, skills incorporated, cost, accessibility, and feasibility. Although the cost and accessibility of these resources vary, they all may be considered in the design of remote surgical training curricula during this unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Toward Creating Equity in Awards Received During Medical School: Strategic Changes at One Institution.

Membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AΩA) is a widely recognized achievement valued by residency selection committees and employers. Yet research has shown selection favors students from racial/ethnic groups not underrepresented in medicine (not-UIM). The authors describe efforts to create equity in AΩA selection at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, through implementation of a holistic selection process, starting with the class of 2017, and present outcomes.Informed by the definition of holistic review, medical school leaders applied strategic changes grounded in evidence on inclusion, mitigating bias, and increasing opportunity throughout the AΩA selection process. These addressed increasing selection committee diversity, revising selection criteria and training committee members to review applications using a new instrument, broadening student eligibility and inviting applications, reviewing blinded applications, and making final selection decisions based on review and discussion of a rank-ordered list of students that equally weighted academic achievement and professional contributions.The authors compared AΩA eligibility and selection outcomes for 3 classes (2014-2016) during clerkship metric-driven selection, which prioritized academic achievement, and 3 classes (2017-2019) during holistic selection. During clerkship metric-driven selection, not-UIM students were 4 times more likely than UIM students to be eligible for AΩA (P = .001) and 3 times more likely to be selected (P = .001). During holistic selection, not-UIM students were 2 times more likely than UIM students to be eligible for AΩA (P = .001); not-UIM and UIM students were similarly likely to be selected (odds ratio = .7, P = .12)This new holistic selection process created equity in representation of UIM students among students selected for AΩA. Centered on equity pedagogy, which advocates dismantling structures that create inequity, this holistic selection process has implications for creating equity in awards selection during medical education.

TUR-P phantom for resident surgical training: food-based design as a human mimicking model of the prostate.

PURPOSE: This study would like to develop a novel model similar to human prostate in terms of its texture profile, sensation upon resection, and anatomical hallmarks for resident transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P) training. METHODS: Ten phantom designs were proposed, using broadly available ingredients and a homemade protocol. Three steps of evaluation and development were done: objective measurement measuring texture profile (e.g. hardness, elasticity, cohesiveness/consistency, and adhesiveness/stickiness) using TA-XT2i Texture Analyzer (Llyod Instruments, Ametek Inc) to compare the designs with human prostate, finding the most similar design to prostate; expert consensus by a panel of urologist/senior residents comparing the simulation of TUR-P on the selected design with pre-existing control phantom; and anatomical design development using 3D printing for molding. RESULTS: Texture profile analysis for mean hardness, elasticity, cohesiveness/consistency, and adhesiveness/stickiness of human prostate was 3753.4 ± 673.4, 85 ± 1.9, 0.7 ± 0.03, and 0, respectively, and design IX was the most similar to human prostate (3660.7 ± 465.6, 87.0 ± 2.5, 0.6 ± 0.05, 0). Furthermore, expert consensus showed superiority of design IX compared with pre-existing control phantom (16.95 ± 1.36 vs 8.86 ± 3.10; P < 0.001). Most of the respondents agreed that the texture, consistency, and phantom ability to mimic human prostate upon resection were similar with human prostate, though hallmarks of the prostate e.g. veromontanum, and lobes were lacking. We used these feedbacks to develop a mold, designed to produce these important anatomical hallmarks. CONCLUSION: This study developed a cost-effective prostate model from a food-based design that is similar to human prostate in terms of its texture and sensation upon TUR-P resection provided with important anatomical hallmarks.

Key factors for implementing mindfulness-based burnout interventions in surgery.

BACKGROUND: Burnout and distress are widespread issues in surgical training. While effective interventions are slowly coming to light, little has been published regarding the sustainable implementation of such interventions, including the critical need to identify barriers and enablers. METHODS: Enhanced Stress Resilience Training (ESRT), a mindfulness-based cognitive intervention for surgical trainees, was delivered and studied on three separate occasions. For each, focus groups, field notes, surveys and interviews were collected involving leadership, administrators and participants. Thematic analysis was used in each instance, and across instances, to explore concepts and themes, which were used to identify critical influences effecting implementation. RESULTS: Culture (surrounding the intervention), infrastructure (supporting the intervention) and adaptability (of the intervention) were repeatedly critical influences, guiding iterative adaptation of the intervention, and resulting in sustainability across groups and over time. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying critical influences on intervention feasibility and acceptability can guide intervention refinement and shift sustainable implementation barriers to become enablers, as was the case at our institution. This approach may be useful in other settings.

An Investigation of the Relationship Between COMLEX-USA Licensure Examination Performance and State Licensing Board Disciplinary Actions.

PURPOSE: Passing the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-USA) serves as a licensing requirement, yet there is limited understanding between this high-stakes exam and performance outcomes. This study examined the relationship between COMLEX-USA scores and disciplinary actions received by osteopathic physicians. METHOD: Data for osteopathic physicians (N = 26,383) who graduated from medical school between 2004 and 2013 were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression to assess the relationship between COMLEX-USA scores and placement into one of 3 disciplinary action categories relative to no action received, controlling for years in practice and gender. RESULTS: Less than 1% of physicians in this study (n = 187) had a disciplinary action(s). Controlling for all COMLEX-USA levels, years in practice, and gender, higher Level 3 scores were associated with significant decreased odds for all action categories: revoked licensed (odds ratio [OR] = 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36, 0.72; P < .001), imposed limitations to practice (OR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.41, 0.84; P < .01), and other action imposed (OR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.33, 0.69; P < .001), relative to not receiving an action. In these same models, higher Level 2 Performance Evaluation Biomedical/Biomechanical Domain scores decreased the odds for an action that revoked a license (OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.58, 0.98; P < .05) and imposed limitations to practice (OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.49, 0.84; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence that the COMLEX-USA delivers useful information regarding the likelihood of a practitioner receiving state board disciplinary actions.

Political and pedagogical projects of nursing residency to the elderly from Paulo Freire's perspective.

OBJECTIVE: to analyze political and pedagogical projects of nursing residency to the elderly from Paulo Freire's perspective. METHOD: a descriptive, exploratory study, qualitative approach using documentary analysis. Data source was pedagogical political projects of nursing residency programs in the health of the elderly. The data were collected between March and May 2017. Data analysis was based on Bardin's Thematic Analysis. It had as analytical categories specific dimensions of the proposed theoretical framework. RESULTS: twelve pedagogical political projects showed that learning dimensions appear in an incipient, fragmented way, demonstrating the reproduction of banking education, disregarding the importance of bringing the student as a subject of learning. CONCLUSION: there is a gap in pedagogical political projects from Paulo Freire's perspective. It is necessary that regulatory institutions can systematize and encourage so that pedagogical projects of these programs are based on Paulo Freire's epistemological bases, enabling the so desired holistic training.

Efficacy of a Short Role-Play Training on Breaking Bad News in the Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION: Breaking bad news (BBN) in the emergency department (ED) represents a challenging and stressful situation for physicians. Many medical students and residents feel stressed and uncomfortable with such situations because of insufficient training. Our randomized controlled study aimed to assess the efficacy of a four-hour BBN simulation-based training on perceived self-efficacy, the BBN process, and communication skills. METHODS: Medical students and residents were randomized into a 160-hour ED clinical rotation without a formal BBN curriculum (control group [CG], n = 31) or a 156-hour ED clinical rotation and a four-hour BBN simulation-based training (training group [TG], n = 37). Both groups were assessed twice: once at the beginning of the rotation (pre-test) and again four weeks later. Assessments included a BBN evaluation via a simulation with two actors playing family members and the completion of a questionnaire on self-efficacy. Two blinded raters assessed the BBN process with the SPIKES (a delivery protocol for delivering bad news) competence form and communication skills with the modified BBN Assessment Schedule. RESULTS: Group-by-time effects adjusted by study year revealed a significant improvement in TG as compared with CG on self-efficacy (P < 0.001), the BBN process (P < 0.001), and communication skills (P < 0.001). TG showed a significant gain regarding the BBN process (+33.3%, P < 0.001). After the training, students with limited clinical experience prior to the rotation showed BBN performance skills equal to that of students in the CG who had greater clinical experience. CONCLUSION: A short BBN simulation-based training can be added to standard clinical rotations. It has the potential to significantly improve self-efficacy, the BBN process, and communication skills.

Advancing Nutrition Education, Training, and Research for Medical Students, Residents, Fellows, Attending Physicians, and Other Clinicians: Building Competencies and Interdisciplinary Coordination.

Nutrition plays an important role in health promotion and disease prevention and treatment across the lifespan. Physicians and other healthcare professionals are expected to counsel patients about nutrition, but recent surveys report minimal to no improvements in medical nutrition education in US medical schools. A workshop sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute addressed this gap in knowledge by convening experts in clinical and academic health professional schools. Representatives from the National Board of Medical Examiners, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, and the American Society for Nutrition provided relevant presentations. Reported is an overview of lessons learned from nutrition education efforts in medical schools and health professional schools including interprofessional domains and competency-based nutrition education. Proposed is a framework for coordinating activities of various entities using a public-private partnership platform. Recommendations for nutrition research and accreditation are provided.

Role play for genetic counseling learning: Value and students perceptions.

BACKGROUND: Performing genetic counseling is one of the tasks of every paediatrician. This assumes prior training during the residency. AIM: To assess the impact of role-play (RP) for training of paediatric residents in genetic counseling and participants' perception. METHODS: Repetitive cross-sectional evaluation study. During two RP sessions, two residents played the role of the parents of a patient with cystic fibrosis, and another the role of the doctor. Residents had an evaluation by standardized patient exercises immediately before and after the session. Test scores were compared by the Wilcoxon rank test for associated samples. A satisfaction questionnaire was completed by the participants anonymously. RESULTS: Post-test scores were better than pre-test scores overall (p = 0.002) and for items in the cognitive domain (p = 0.002). Of the 12 participants, only one had had previous training in genetic counseling. All participants were satisfied with the learning and felt that it would change the way they practice. All participants thought they could do genetic counseling autonomously, but nine of them wanted to have other RP sessions on the same theme. Only one participant found the session stressful and all wanted to multiply this type of sessions for other learning. CONCLUSION: RP is an effective and well-accepted means for genetic counseling training. It should be integrated with paediatric resident training.