ABSTRACT
Healthcare organizations offer numerous clinical and academic leadership pathways for physicians, among which the position of program director (PD) is considered to be a prominent educational leadership role. As PDs are instrumental in the recruitment and training of the next generations of physicians, PD gender distribution can affect the present and future of a medical specialty. This study offers a dialectical perspective in understanding how international PDs negotiate gendered understanding of their work/role by using the framework of Relational Dialectics Theory 2.0. Thirty-three interviews of PDs from Qatar, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates were conducted and, using contrapuntal analysis, the competing discourses of meanings of gender in the PD work/role were examined. Competing discourses where structural, cultural, and professional meanings of gender were interrogated revealed inherent multiple meanings of how gender is understood in PD work/roles. In making sense of these meanings of gender, PDs express dilemmas of traditional gender binaries of masculine/feminine work/role meanings to explain the term in different ways in their everyday organizational and cultural struggles. The findings have implications for PD recruitment and retention in teaching hospitals.
Subject(s)
Internship and Residency , Physicians , Humans , Education, Medical, Graduate , Leadership , QatarABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms and burnout are common among medical students. However, few studies have investigated their trajectory over the course of medical school. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate year-by-year changes in depressive and burnout symptoms over the course of medical school training. DESIGN: Prospective study. PARTICIPANTS: Medical students who matriculated at a private medical school in Maryland from 2010 to 2016 (n=758). MAIN MEASURES: Clinically significant depressive symptoms were defined as a score of ≥10 on the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). High emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment were defined as scores of ≥ 27, ≥10, and ≤33 on the respective MBI subscales. KEY RESULTS: At matriculation, the prevalences of significant depressive symptoms, high emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment were 4.3%, 9.4%, 8.6%, and 37.7%, respectively. After adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, and cohort, compared with year 1, the odds of significant depressive symptoms was significantly higher at the beginning of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years of study (ORs=2.63, 2.85, and 3.77, respectively; all ps<0.001). Compared with the 1st year, the odds of high emotional exhaustion also increased during the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years of study, (ORs=3.46, 4.79, 8.20, respectively; all ps<0.001), as did the odds of high depersonalization (ORs=3.55, 6.14, 12.53, respectively; all ps<0.001). The odds of low personal accomplishment did not significantly differ across years of study. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that symptoms of depression and burnout may increase during medical school. Because of the high prevalence of depressive symptoms and burnout in medical students, interventions earlier in the medical career pathway that aim to prevent, detect, and treat these symptoms may be of benefit to the physician community.
Subject(s)
Burnout, Professional , Students, Medical , Burnout, Professional/diagnosis , Burnout, Professional/epidemiology , Depression/diagnosis , Depression/epidemiology , Humans , Prospective Studies , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
PHENOMENON: Program director (PD)-resident relationships are important in shaping resident experiences and educational outcomes. Yet, there is limited literature on the development or meaning of these relationships, particularly from the PD perspective. Through qualitative interviews, we explore how PDs navigate their role to develop and maintain relationships with their trainees, and elucidate how these relationships impact the PDs personally and professionally. APPROACH: Qualitative study using individual semi-structured interviews of former and current PDs (n = 33) from multiple specialties and hospitals in accredited residency programs in Qatar, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. We used attachment theory and narrative analysis to investigate how PDs perceive and describe relationship building with their residents amidst tensions of familiarizing themselves with their new role. FINDINGS: PD-resident relationships are complex and multidimensional, shifting over time, changing patterns and evolving to respond to different contexts. PDs initially negotiate their own roles, while navigating their relationships with residents and other stakeholders to create their professional identities. PDs develop professional alliances, defining for the resident the profession and its expectations. As residents negotiate the various challenges of their training, the role of the PD emerges into one of providing emotional support and advocacy. The support and attachment are often enduring and extend beyond the period of residency training. INSIGHTS: Our study examines the experiences of program directors as they negotiate complex educator-learner relationships. The PDs described roles that extended beyond their job description. Although all interviewees reported that the PD position was challenging, they focused on the rewarding aspects of the job and how their relationships helped sustain them through the difficulties. Through their reflections, the PDs described the personal satisfaction and benefits of their interactions with the residents, and how the engagement contributed to personal and professional success.
Subject(s)
Internship and Residency , Medicine , Humans , Education, Medical, Graduate/methods , Personal Satisfaction , QatarABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This is the first randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of note template design on note quality using a simulated patient encounter and a validated assessment tool. OBJECTIVE: To compare note quality between two different templates using a novel randomized clinical simulation process. DESIGN: A randomized non-blinded controlled trial of a standard note template versus redesigned template. PARTICIPANTS: PGY 1-3 IM residents. INTERVENTIONS: Residents documented the simulated patient encounter using one of two templates. The standard template was modeled after the usual outpatient progress note. The new template placed the assessment and plan section in the beginning, grouped subjective data into the assessment, and deemphasized less useful elements. MAIN MEASURES: Note length; time to note completion; note template evaluation by resident authors; note evaluation by faculty reviewers. KEY RESULTS: 36 residents participated, 19 randomized to standard template, 17 to new. New template generated shorter notes (103 vs 285 lines, p < 0.001) that took the same time to complete (19.8 vs 21.6 min, p = 0.654). Using a 5-point Likert scale, residents considered new notes to have increased visual appeal (4 vs 3, p = 0.05) and less redundancy and clutter (4 vs 3, p = 0.006). Overall template satisfaction was not statistically different. Faculty reviewers rated the standard note more up-to-date (4.3 vs 2.7, p = 0.001), accurate (3.9 vs 2.6, p = 0.003), and useful (4 vs 2.8, p = 0.002), but less organized (3.3 vs 4.5, p < 0.001). Total quality was not statistically different. CONCLUSIONS: Residents rated the new note template more visually appealing, shorter, and less cluttered. Faculty reviewers rated both note types equivalent in the overall quality but rated new notes inferior in terms of accuracy and usefulness though better organized. This study demonstrates a novel method of a simulated clinical encounter to evaluate note templates before the introduction into practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04333238.
Subject(s)
Medical Records , Outpatients , HumansABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Gender inequities are documented in academic medicine. Within General Internal Medicine (GIM), there are fewer female division directors and first and last authors on publications. With gender parity in US medical school graduates and with Academic Hospital (AH) medicine being a relatively newer discipline, one might postulate that AH would have less gender inequity. DESIGN: A national survey of AH programs was developed via literature review and expert recommendations. Domains included program and faculty information. Gender of the leader was determined via website or telephone call. PARTICIPANTS: Leaders of AH programs associated with the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC). Programs without a primary teaching hospital or hospitalist program and those not staffed by university-affiliated physicians were excluded. MAIN MEASURES: Description and characteristics of leaders and programs including a multivariable analysis of gender of hospitalist leaders and the portion of female faculty. KEY RESULTS: 59% response rate (80 of 135); there were no differences between responders/non-responders in NIH funding (p = 0.12), type of institution (p = 0.09), geographic region (p = 0.15), or year established (p = 0.86). Reported number of female and male faculty were approximately equal. 80% of hospitalist leaders were male; 37% of male hospitalist leaders were professors, no female leaders were professors. In univariate and multivariate analysis only the number of hospitals staffed was a significant predictor of having a female hospitalist leader. There were no significant predictors of having fewer female faculty. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated gender inequality in academic hospital medicine regarding leadership and rank. Though there was equal gender distribution of faculty, among leaders most were men and all "full professors" were men. As diversity benefits the tripartite mission research on methods, initiatives and programs that achieve gender equity in leadership are needed.
Subject(s)
Hospital Medicine , Hospitalists , Academic Medical Centers , Faculty, Medical , Female , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , Male , United StatesABSTRACT
Gender inequity in academic medicine remains an important issue worldwide. While institutional programs and policies can help promote equity in recruitment, retention, scholarship, promotion, and leadership, they often do not address the physical and social isolation that many women in international academic medicine face. Creating networking opportunities through building women's groups can provide a personal and professional support structure that decreases isolation and promotes the advancement of women. Based on a multidisciplinary literature review on change processes, group formation, and women's empowerment, as well as lessons learned from personal experience, we offer 12 tips to successfully create, maintain, and support physician women's groups, employing Kotter's change-management framework. We believe that these groups can provide a structured platform for networking opportunities to advance women physicians in academic medicine worldwide.
Subject(s)
Faculty, Medical/organization & administration , Physicians, Women/organization & administration , Societies, Medical/organization & administration , Cultural Competency , Cultural Diversity , Empowerment , Group Processes , Humans , Internationality , Leadership , Organizational Objectives , Social MediaABSTRACT
Gender inequity in academic medicine remains an important issue worldwide, with more female faculty entering academic medicine internationally. Some academic institutions have initiated programs and created policies to promote gender equity, but disparities remain in faculty numbers, promotions rates, research productivity and access to funding and resources. We offer 12 tips for best practices in the broad domains of faculty recruitment, retention and scholarship, promotion and leadership that institutions and individual faculty can adopt to promote gender equity. While the 12 tips form a comprehensive approach, each tip can be implemented individually depending on institutional needs and culture. Each tip includes practical advice for implementation supported by a successful example from the literature.
Subject(s)
Academic Medical Centers/organization & administration , Faculty, Medical/organization & administration , Academic Medical Centers/statistics & numerical data , Faculty, Medical/statistics & numerical data , Female , Humans , Internationality , Leadership , Male , Mentors , Personnel Selection/organization & administration , Policy , Sex Distribution , Social Networking , Staff Development/organization & administration , Work-Life BalanceABSTRACT
PROBLEM: Educational scholarship is an important component for faculty at Academic Medical Centers, especially those with single-track promotion systems. Yet, faculty may lack the skills and mentorship needed to successfully complete projects. In addition, many educators feel undervalued. INTERVENTION: To reinvigorate our school's educational mission, the Institute for Excellence in Education (IEE) was created. Here we focus on one of the IEE's strategic goals, that of inspiring and supporting educational research, scholarship, and innovation. CONTEXT: Using the 6-step curriculum development process as a framework, we describe the development and outcomes of IEE programs aimed at enabling educational scholarship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. OUTCOME: Four significant programs that focused on educational scholarship were developed and implemented: (a) an annual conference, (b) a Faculty Education Scholars' Program, (c) "Shark Tank" small-grant program, and (d) Residency Redesign Challenge grants. A diverse group of primarily junior faculty engaged in these programs with strong mentorship, successfully completing and disseminating projects. Faculty members have been able to clarify their personal goals and develop a greater sense of self-efficacy for their desired paths in teaching and educational research. LESSONS LEARNED: Faculty require programs and resources for educational scholarship and career development, focused on skills building in methodology, assessment, and statistical analysis. Mentoring and the time to work on projects are critical. Key to the IEE's success in maintaining and building programs has been ongoing needs assessment of faculty and learners and a strong partnership with our school's fund-raising staff. The IEE will next try to expand opportunities by adding additional mentoring capacity and further devilment of our small-grants programs.
Subject(s)
Faculty, Medical , Fellowships and Scholarships , Program Development , Schools, Medical , Program Development/methods , Staff DevelopmentABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To describe gender differences of international clinician educators (CEs) and leaders, and CEs' perceptions by gender of preparation, roles, rewards and factors affecting job satisfaction and retention in emerging international competency-based residency programmes. METHODS: Cross-sectional surveys of CEs and leadership were conductedJune 2013-June 2014 at institutions that had adopted competency-based graduate medical education and were accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-International. RESULTS: 274 (76.3%) of 359 eligible participants responded; 69 (25.2%) were female. Two (18%) of 11 chief executive officers and 1 (9%) of 11 chief medical officers were women. Female CEs were younger, more likely to be single and childless. They were less likely to hold academic appointments, despite no gender differences in length of time at current institution or in current position. A greater proportion of female CEs felt they were 'never' rewarded by academic promotion. Satisfaction rates were similar between the genders. Single female CEs were five times as likely to report being 'extremely likely' to stay in the country. Female CEs with children <21 were less likely to report high likelihood of staying in academia. Marital status and children were not associated with outcomes for male CEs. CONCLUSIONS: In the international academic medicine programmes studied, there were fewer female CEs in the pipeline and they perceived a gender gap in appointment and advancement. Stakeholders at international programmes need to develop contextualised strategies to expand entry and decrease attrition of women into CE tracks, and promote gender equity.
Subject(s)
Education, Medical, Graduate , Faculty, Medical/statistics & numerical data , Internationality , Physicians, Women/statistics & numerical data , Accreditation , Adult , Competency-Based Education , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Leadership , Male , Middle Aged , Sex Factors , WorkforceABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To describe clinician-educators (CEs) in new graduate medical education (GME) systems and characterize perception of preparedness, roles and rewards, and factors affecting job satisfaction and retention. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of all CEs of institutions using competency-based GME and accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-International (ACGME-I). RESULTS: 274 of 359 eligible participants (76.3%) responded, representing 47 residency programs across 17 specialties. CEs were predominantly married men aged in their 40s, employed at their current institution 9.3 years (±6.4 years). CEs judged themselves competent or expert in teaching skills (91.5%), trainee assessment (82%) and mentoring (75%); less so in curriculum development (44%) and educational research skills (32%). Clinical productivity was perceived by the majority (62%) as the item most valued by their institutions, with little or no perceived value for teaching or educational efforts. Overall, 58.3% were satisfied or very satisfied with their roles, and 77% expected to remain in academic medicine for 5 years. A strong negative correlation was found between being a program or associate program director and likelihood of staying in academic medicine (aOR 0.42; 0.22 to 0.80). CONCLUSIONS: In the GME systems studied, CEs, regardless of country or programme, report working in environments that value clinical productivity over educational efforts. CEs feel competent and prepared for many aspects of their roles, have positive attitudes towards teaching, and report overall job satisfaction, with most likely to remain in academic medicine. As medical training advances internationally, the impact on and by CEs requires ongoing attention.
Subject(s)
Accreditation , Clinical Competence/standards , Education, Medical, Graduate/standards , Accreditation/standards , Adult , Attitude of Health Personnel , Competency-Based Education , Cross-Sectional Studies , Fellowships and Scholarships/organization & administration , Female , Humans , Male , Program Evaluation , Societies, MedicalABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Facial lipoatrophy is common in people on antiretroviral (ARV) regimens for HIV/AIDS and can impair health-related quality of life. OBJECTIVES: We developed the Facial Appearance Inventory (FAI) to measure the impact of ARV-associated facial lipoatrophy. METHODS: Qualitative methods were used to identify key concerns of people with facial lipoatrophy. The major concerns were used to identify 24 items for the FAI. The FAI was administered to a cross-sectional sample of 96 people with HIV and facial lipoatrophy and compared to the established Assessment of Body Change Distress (ABCD) and MOS-HIV questionnaires. RESULTS: Mean age was 48.8 years, 87.5% were men, 69.8% were Caucasian, and 60% had some college education. Mean CD4 count was 435 cells/mm(3). There were few missing data, and the summary score showed no floor or ceiling effects, with a mean (SD) of 25.6 (17.9). Cronbach's alpha for the scale was 0.98. FAI items satisfied criteria for convergent and discriminant construct validity. FAI items were more strongly correlated with mental health domains (R = 0.33) than with physical health domains (R = 0.26) on the MOS-HIV. Patients with greater severity of lipoatrophy had significantly worse scores than those with less severity (James 3-4, vs. James 0-2). There were no significant differences for FAI scores by age group, income group, CD4 cell count, or HIV viral load group. Those with less education and those with darker skin types reported less impairment (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The 24-item FAI shows evidence for reliability, validity, and usefulness as a measure of the impact of facial lipoatrophy.
Subject(s)
Anti-Retroviral Agents/adverse effects , Body Image/psychology , HIV Infections/drug therapy , Lipodystrophy/psychology , Personal Satisfaction , Quality of Life/psychology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cross-Sectional Studies , Face , Female , Focus Groups , Humans , Lipodystrophy/chemically induced , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It is not known whether medical students support the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or possess the knowledge or will to engage in its implementation as part of their professional obligations. OBJECTIVE: To characterize medical students' views and knowledge of the ACA and to assess correlates of these views. DESIGN: Cross-sectional email survey. PARTICIPANTS: All 5,340 medical students enrolled at eight geographically diverse U.S. medical schools (overall response rate 52% [2,761/5,340]). MAIN MEASURES: Level of agreement with four questions regarding views of the ACA and responses to nine knowledge-based questions. KEY RESULTS: The majority of respondents indicated an understanding of (75.3%) and support for (62.8%) the ACA and a professional obligation to assist with its implementation (56.1%). The mean knowledge score from nine knowledge-based questions was 6.9 ± 1.3. Students anticipating a surgical specialty or procedural specialty compared to those anticipating a medical specialty were less likely to support the legislation (OR = 0.6 [0.4-0.7], OR = 0.4 [0.3-0.6], respectively), less likely to indicate a professional obligation to implement the ACA (OR = 0.7 [0.6-0.9], OR = 0.7 [0.5-0.96], respectively), and more likely to have negative expectations (OR = 1.9 [1.5-2.6], OR = 2.3 [1.6-3.5], respectively). Moderates, liberals, and those with an above-average knowledge score were more likely to indicate support for the ACA (OR = 5.7 [4.1-7.9], OR = 35.1 [25.4-48.5], OR = 1.7 [1.4-2.1], respectively) and a professional obligation toward its implementation (OR = 1.9 [1.4-2.5], OR = 4.7 [3.6-6.0], OR = 1.2 [1.02-1.5], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of students in our sample support the ACA. Support was highest among students who anticipate a medical specialty, self-identify as political moderates or liberals, and have an above-average knowledge score. Support of the ACA by future physicians suggests that they are willing to engage with health care reform measures that increase access to care.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , Professional Competence/statistics & numerical data , Students, Medical/psychology , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Health Care Reform , Humans , Male , Medicine , Schools, Medical , United States , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Audience response systems (ARSs) are electronic devices that allow educators to pose questions during lectures and receive immediate feedback on student knowledge. The current literature on the effectiveness of ARSs is contradictory, and their impact on student learning remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: This randomised controlled trial was designed to isolate the impact of ARSs on student learning and students' perception of ARSs during a lecture. METHODS: First-year medical student volunteers at Johns Hopkins were randomly assigned to either (i) watch a recorded lecture on an unfamiliar topic in which three ARS questions were embedded or (ii) watch the same lecture without the ARS questions. Immediately after the lecture on 5 June 2012, and again 2 weeks later, both groups were asked to complete a questionnaire to assess their knowledge of the lecture content and satisfaction with the learning experience. RESULTS: 92 students participated. The mean (95% CI) initial knowledge assessment score was 7.63 (7.17 to 8.09) for the ARS group (N=45) and 6.39 (5.81 to 6.97) for the control group (N=47), p=0.001. Similarly, the second knowledge assessment mean score was 6.95 (6.38 to 7.52) for the ARS group and 5.88 (5.29 to 6.47) for the control group, p=0.001. The ARS group also reported higher levels of engagement and enjoyment. CONCLUSIONS: Embedding three ARS questions within a 30 min lecture increased students' knowledge immediately after the lecture and 2 weeks later. We hypothesise that this increase was due to forced information retrieval by students during the learning process, a form of the testing effect.
Subject(s)
Computer-Assisted Instruction/methods , Education, Medical, Graduate/methods , Students, Medical , Teaching/methods , Computer-Assisted Instruction/trends , Educational Measurement , Educational Technology/trends , Faculty, Medical , Feedback , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Learning , Program Evaluation , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Clinician Educators' (CEs) focus on patient care and teaching, yet many academic institutions require dissemination of scholarly work for advancement. This can be difficult for CEs. Our division developed the Clinician-Educator Mentoring and Scholarship Program (CEMSP) in an effort to assist CEs with scholarship, national reputation, recognition, promotion and job satisfaction. The key components are salary-supported director and co-director who coordinate the program and serve as overall mentors and link CEs and senior faculty, and a full-time Senior Research Coordinator to assist with all aspects of scholarship, a close relationship with the General Internal Medicine (GIM) Methods Core provides advanced statistical support. Funding for the program comes from GIM divisional resources. Perceived value was evaluated by assessing the number of manuscripts published, survey of faculty regarding usage and opinion of CEMSP, and a review of faculty promotions. Although impossible to attribute the contributions of an individual component, a program specifically aimed at helping GIM CE faculty publish scholarly projects, increase participation in national organizations and focus on career progression can have a positive impact.
Subject(s)
Faculty, Medical/organization & administration , Fellowships and Scholarships/organization & administration , Mentors , Peer Review, Research , Staff Development/organization & administration , Academic Medical Centers/organization & administration , Career Mobility , Humans , Internal Medicine/education , Job SatisfactionABSTRACT
Gender affirmation is standard medical care, and community input is an essential component of patient-centered care. This study shares how our organization assessed patients' perceptions of health care organizations that provide gender-affirming care. Building on qualitative interview data, we distributed an online survey via a lesbian-gaybisexual-transgender-queer research firm. The survey was completed by 314 transgender individuals residing in 37 U.S. states and territories. Most respondents (69%) reported negative experiences seeking health care. Patients would travel long distances for competent providers and were more willing to seek care from an institution actively working to change a formerly negative reputation. Patients described high-quality organizations as prioritizing staff training (95.5%), having inclusive policies (93.3%), and hiring expert staff (86.0%). Programs should ensure cultural competency training for all staff. They should recruit and retain providers skilled in transgender medicine, especially trans-identified providers. Patient experience and reputation in the community influence where patients seek care.
Subject(s)
Patient-Centered Care , Transgender Persons , Humans , Transgender Persons/psychology , Patient-Centered Care/organization & administration , Female , Male , Adult , Middle Aged , United States , Young Adult , Patient Acceptance of Health Care , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Adoption of CDC recommendations for routine, voluntary HIV screening of all Americans age 1364 years has been slow. One method to increase adherence to clinical practice guidelines is through medical school and residency training. OBJECTIVE: To explore the attitudes, barriers, and behaviors of clinician educators (CEs) regarding advocating routine HIV testing to their trainees. DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS: We analyzed CE responses to a 2009 survey of Society of General Internal Medicine members from community, VA, and university-affiliated clinics regarding HIV testing practices. MAIN MEASURES: Clinician educators were asked about their outpatient practices, knowledge and attitudes regarding the revised CDC recommendations and whether they encouraged trainees to perform routine HIV testing. Associations between HIV testing knowledge and attitudes and encouraging trainees to perform routine HIV testing were estimated using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 515 respondents, 367 (71.3%) indicated they supervised trainees in an outpatient general internal medicine clinic. These CEs demonstrated suboptimal knowledge of CDC guidelines and over a third reported continued risk-based testing. Among CEs, 196 (53.4%) reported that they encourage trainees to perform routine HIV testing. Higher knowledge scores (aOR 5.10 (2.16, 12.0)) and more positive attitudes toward testing (aOR 8.83 (4.21, 18.5)) were independently associated with encouraging trainees to screen for HIV. Reasons for not encouraging trainees to screen included perceived low local prevalence (37.2%), competing teaching priorities (34.6%), and a busy clinic environment (34.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Clinician educators have a special role in the dissemination of the CDC recommendations as they impact the knowledge and attitudes of newly practicing physicians. Despite awareness of CDC recommendations, many CEs do not recommend universal HIV testing to trainees. Interventions that improve faculty knowledge of HIV testing recommendations and address barriers in resident clinics may enhance adoption of routine HIV testing.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Education, Medical, Graduate/standards , HIV Infections/diagnosis , Internal Medicine/education , Internship and Residency/standards , AIDS Serodiagnosis/standards , Adolescent , Adult , Ambulatory Care Facilities/standards , Clinical Competence , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Guideline Adherence/statistics & numerical data , HIV Infections/epidemiology , Humans , Internal Medicine/standards , Male , Mass Screening/psychology , Mass Screening/standards , Middle Aged , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Prevalence , United States/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Rapid HIV testing could increase routine HIV testing. Most previous studies of rapid testing were conducted in acute care settings, and few described the primary care providers' perspective. OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics of general internal medicine physicians with access to rapid HIV testing, and to determine whether such access is associated with differences in HIV-testing practices or perceived HIV-testing barriers. DESIGN: Web-based cross-sectional survey conducted in 2009. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 406 physician members of the Society of General Internal Medicine who supervise residents or provide care in outpatient settings. MAIN MEASURES: Surveys assessed provider and practice characteristics, HIV-testing types, HIV-testing behavior, and potential barriers to HIV testing. RESULTS: Among respondents, 15% had access to rapid HIV testing. In multivariable analysis, physicians were more likely to report access to rapid testing if they were non-white (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.22, 0.91), had more years since completing training (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02, 1.10), practiced in the northeastern US (OR 2.35; 95% CI 1.28, 4.32), or their practice included a higher percentage of uninsured patients (OR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01, 1.04). Internists with access to rapid testing reported fewer barriers to HIV testing. More respondents with rapid than standard testing reported at least 25% of their patients received HIV testing (51% versus 35%, p = 0.02). However, access to rapid HIV testing was not significantly associated with the estimated proportion of patients receiving HIV testing within the previous 30 days (7.24% vs. 4.58%, p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: Relatively few internists have access to rapid HIV testing in outpatient settings, with greater availability of rapid testing in community-based clinics and in the northeastern US. Future research may determine whether access to rapid testing in primary care settings will impact routinizing HIV testing.
Subject(s)
HIV Infections/diagnosis , Internal Medicine/statistics & numerical data , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data , Primary Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Confidence Intervals , Cross-Sectional Studies , HIV Infections/prevention & control , Health Care Surveys , Health Services Accessibility , Health Services Needs and Demand , Humans , Odds Ratio , Pilot Projects , Time Factors , United StatesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Residency program directors (PDs) need to navigate diverse roles and responsibilities as clinical teachers, administrators, and drivers of educational improvement. Little is known about the experience of PDs leading transformation of international residency programs. OBJECTIVE: We explored the lived experiences of international residency PDs and developed an understanding of how PDs manage educational program transformation. METHODS: Using a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with current and former PDs involved in the transformation to competency-based medical education in the first international settings to be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-International (ACGME-I). Thirty-three interviews with PDs from Qatar, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates were conducted from September 2018 to July 2019, audio-recorded, and transcribed. Data were independently coded by 2 researchers. A thematic analysis was conducted and patterns that reflected coping and managing educational reform were identified. RESULTS: PDs described distinctive patterns of navigating the educational transformation. Five themes emerged: PDs (1) embraced continuous learning and self-development; (2) managed change in the context of their local settings; (3) anticipated problems and built support networks to effectively problem-solve; (4) maintained relationships with stakeholders for meaningful and constructive interactions; and (5) focused on intrinsic qualities that helped them navigate challenges. CONCLUSIONS: International PDs were presented with significant challenges in implementing educational transformation but coped successfully through distinctive patterns and methods.
Subject(s)
Internship and Residency , Accreditation , Education, Medical, Graduate , Humans , Learning , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
PROBLEM: Some focus on recognizing excellence in clinical teaching has been lost with the increasing emphasis placed on clinical efficiency and value. Clinical teaching awards and academies of educators aim to address this problem. In 2015, medical student leaders at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine created the Distinguished Teaching Society (DTS), a student-driven program to recognize the best clinical educators. APPROACH: Medical students designed a comprehensive scoring rubric focusing on 3 domains: feedback and evaluation, role model behavior, and teaching process. A student committee solicits student nominations providing narratives endorsing faculty or house staff for potential inclusion in the DTS. Using the rubric, student judges score each deidentified narrative nomination, as well as an application from finalists and comments about finalists submitted by the student body. Inductees are recognized at an annual ceremony. OUTCOMES: From academic years 2015-2016 to 2018-2019, students nominated 254 unique candidates, and 82 nominees (32%) were inducted into the DTS. The majority of inductees were faculty and male. In 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, nearly half of inductees were female, and less than 10% of inductees self-reported as underrepresented in medicine and/or LGBTQ+. The Department of Internal Medicine had the greatest departmental representation. There were no statistically significant differences in the proportional representation within the nomination and inductee cohorts by gender, rank, and department. Several process changes were made in response to student feedback and to increase nominee and inductee diversity. NEXT STEPS: Next steps include adding a diversity and inclusion chair to the student committee and collecting survey data on student and DTS inductee opinions on how to improve learner-teacher engagement and the clinical learning environment. Future activities may include educational workshops, panel discussions, mentorship programs, and networking events. Other medical schools may find value in considering similar structures.
Subject(s)
Internship and Residency , Students, Medical , Faculty , Female , Humans , Male , Schools, Medical , Teaching , UniversitiesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Program directors (PDs) are integral to the education of the next generation of physicians. Yet, administrative burdens, substantial patient care responsibilities, and lack of protected time for teaching may contribute to work-life imbalance and physician burnout, leading to high rates of attrition. Data on international residency program leadership turnover are lacking. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to quantify PD turnover in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-International (ACGME-I) accredited programs in Singapore, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar, and to compare to US PD attrition rates. METHODS: Data on PD turnover in international programs was extracted from the ACGME-I Accreditation Data System for academic years 2010-2011 through 2018-2019 for Singapore and 2013-2014 through 2018-2019 for UAE and Qatar. Rates of PD turnover were calculated by country and by ACGME-I medical-, surgical-, and hospital-based specialty groupings and compared using χ2 test. Annual US PD turnover data was extracted from the ACGME's Data Resource Book. RESULTS: Seventy programs met inclusion criteria. International PD attrition was high, with 56 programs (80%) changing PDs since program inception, and 16 programs (29%) having 2 or more PD turnovers. There was no significant difference between PD turnover rates in hospital (83%), medical (79%), or surgical (78%) specialties. International PD attrition rates varied from 7% to 20% annually and were comparable to PD turnover in US programs (range 12%-15%). CONCLUSIONS: High PD turnover rates in newly accredited international residency programs were noted, although annual attrition rates were comparable to US residency programs.