Self-reported side effects of COVID-19 vaccines among health professions students in India.

Studies focusing on the safety and common side effects of vaccines play a crucial role in enhancing public acceptance of vaccination. Research is scarce regarding the usage of COVID-19 vaccines and the side effects experienced by health professions students in India and other countries. This study aimed to document self-reported side effects associated with COVID-19 vaccination among medical and dental students of six medical and dental colleges and teaching hospitals in four states (Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and West Bengal) of India. A cross-sectional survey using purposive sampling of medical and dental students was conducted from 26 April to 26 May 2021. Data was collected using a Google Forms questionnaire capturing information regarding receiving COVID-19 vaccines, side effects and symptoms, onset and duration of symptoms, use of treatment to alleviate symptoms, awareness of haematologic risks associated with vaccination, and side effects from previous (non-COVID-19) vaccinations. The majority (94.5%) of participants received both doses of the Covishield/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Among participants (n = 492), 45.3% (n = 223) reported one or more side effects. The most frequently reported side effects were soreness of the injected arm (80.3%), tiredness (78.5%), fever (71.3%), headache (64.1%), and hypersomnia (58.7%). The two most common severe symptoms were fever (14.8%) and headache (13%). Most side effects appeared on the day of vaccination: soreness of the injection site (57%), fever (43.1%), and tiredness (42.6%). Most reported symptoms persisted for one to three days-soreness of the injection site (53%), fever (47.1%), and headache (42.6%). Logistic regression showed that women were almost 85% less likely to report side effects. The study's findings corroborate the safety of the Covishield/AstraZeneca vaccine's first dose, evidenced by the relatively minor and transient nature of the side effects. However, the study underscores the necessity for ongoing research to assess the long-term impacts of COVID-19 vaccines, especially in the context of booster doses, thereby contributing to the global understanding of vaccine safety and efficacy.

What Should Health Professions Students Know About Countertransference in Inpatient Psychiatric Environments?

Inpatient psychiatric units are heavily regulated physical environments designed around the twin aims of treatment and containment. Less formally regulated but no less important are emotional norms and tones that also contribute significantly to psychiatric care environments. Inpatient psychiatric units are co-created by patients and clinicians, but clinicians have authority that patients do not. This means that clinicians' management of their own transference and reactions is clinically and ethically important. This article defines transference reactions and draws on case examples to canvass how positive and negative transference reactions can influence inpatient care of patients who are suicidal.

University staff perspectives on determinants of high-quality health professions student placements in regional, rural and remote Australia: protocol for a mixed-method study.

INTRODUCTION: In rural areas, work-integrated learning in the form of health student placements has several potential benefits, including contributing to student learning, enhancing rural health service capacity and attracting future rural health workforce. Understanding what constitutes a high-quality rural placement experience is important for enhancing these outcomes. There is no current standardised definition of quality in the context of rural health placements, nor is there understanding of how this can be achieved across different rural contexts. This study is guided by one broad research question: what do university staff believe are the determinants of high-quality health professions student placements in regional, rural and remote Australia? METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study will adopt a convergent mixed-method design with two components. Component A will use explanatory sequential mixed methods. The first phase of component A will use a survey to explore determinants that contribute to the development of high-quality health student placements from the perspective of university staff who are not employed in University Departments of Rural Health and are involved in the delivery of health student education. The second phase will use semistructured interviews with the same stakeholder group (non-University Department of Rural Health university staff) to identify the determinants of high-quality health student placements. Component B will use a case study Employing COnceptUal schema for policy and Translation Engagement in Research mind mapping method to capture determinants that contribute to the development of high-quality health student placements from the perspective of University Department of Rural Health university staff. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The University of Melbourne Human Ethics Committee approved the study (2022-23201-33373-5). Following this, seven other Australian university human research ethics committees provided external approval to conduct the study. The results of the study will be presented in several peer-review publications and summary reports to key stakeholder groups.

Challenges faced by teachers of postgraduate health professions blended learning programs: a qualitative analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Blended learning, which integrates classroom face-to-face teaching with both asynchronous and synchronous online learning elements, has swiftly gained acceptance in educational environments. However, the implementation of blended learning presents challenges that impact all stakeholders, necessitating thoughtful consideration. Teachers play a central role in shaping the instructional experience among these stakeholders. To fully realize the potential of comprehensive blended learning, it is imperative to identify the challenges faced by these teachers and develop strategies that sensibly address and overcome them. METHODOLOGY: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted with twelve teachers involved in the postgraduate blended learning health professions program at Khyber Medical University, Peshawar in 2022. One-on-one semi-structured Interviews were conducted via WhatsApp/ZOOM, transcribed by Otter AI, coded on NVivo & analyzed using Braun/Clarke's Thematic Analysis. RESULTS: Three themes of challenges faced by teachers of postgraduate blended learning programs were constructed namely (1) Skills, such as (i) digital, (ii) instructional, and (iii) online class management, and (2) Administrative barriers in terms of (iv) resources (iv) training, and (3) Faculty resistance. CONCLUSION: This study provides profound insights into the daunting challenges that postgraduate blended learning program teachers encounter in terms of skills, administrative barriers, and faculty resistance. These findings offer a valuable opportunity for program directors to identify the critical requirements of these faculties in their pursuit of effective teaching and learning, ultimately transforming the landscape of blended education. This study emphasizes the need for ongoing faculty development and institutional support to address the identified challenges and improve the quality of postgraduate blended-learning programs.

Mapping student engagement in health professions education policy and decision-making: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: "Student engagement" (SE) is gaining momentum as an approach to improve the performance of health professions education (HPE). Nevertheless, despite the broad studies about the role of students in various areas, little is known about the role of SE in policy and decision-making activities. This study aimed to map SE in policy and decision-making regarding terms and definitions, engagement models, influencing factors, outcomes and achievements, and the interconnection between the influencing factors. METHOD: Five databases (PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science, and ERIC) were systematically searched from Jan 1, 1990, to Nov 12, 2022. The review was followed according to the Arksey and O'Malley framework for scoping reviews and reported according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. We included articles published in English focusing on HPE policy and decision-making. The authors summarized and synthesized the findings into themes, subthemes, tables, and models. RESULTS: Of the 22 articles included in the full-text review, terms and definitions were tabled, and three themes were extracted: 1. models of SE, in which 10 studies (45.5%) presented the highly structured formal models as Organizations, 5 studies (22.7%) reported less-structured community and group as Programs, and 7 studies (31.8%) engaged students only in surveys or interviews as Perspective; 2. Factors influencing SE, that were categorized into 7 subthemes: structural, environmental, and motivational factors, member characteristics, training and mentoring, member relationships, valuing and recognizing. 3. Outcomes and achievements of SE related to systems and members. The interconnection between influencing factors is also demonstrated as a conceptual model. DISCUSSION: There are various SE models in HPE policy and decision-making, which are mapped and categorized depending on the degree of formality, structuredness, and level of engagement. In our study, three more common SE models in HPE policy and decision-making were investigated. Additionally, these collaborative methods emphasized curriculum development and quality assurance and employed students in these activities. It is worth mentioning that to make SE models more efficient and sustainable, several influencing factors and their interconnections should be considered.

Assessment approaches in undergraduate health professions education: towards the development of feasible assessment approaches for low-resource settings.

BACKGROUND: Feasible and effective assessment approaches to measuring competency in health sciences are vital in competency-based education. Educational programmes for health professions in low- and middle-income countries are increasingly adopting competency-based education as a strategy for training health professionals. Importantly, the organisation of assessments and assessment approaches must align with the available resources and still result in the fidelity of implementation. A review of existing assessment approaches, frameworks, models, and methods is essential for the development of feasible and effective assessment approaches in low-resource settings. METHODS: Published literature was sourced from 13 electronic databases. The inclusion criteria were literature published in English between 2000 and 2022 about assessment approaches to measuring competency in health science professions. Specific data relating to the aims of each study, its location, population, research design, assessment approaches (including the outcome of implementing such approaches), frameworks, models, and methods were extracted from the included literature. The data were analysed through a multi-step process that integrated quantitative and qualitative approaches. RESULTS: Many articles were from the United States and Australia and reported on the development of assessment models. Most of the articles included undergraduate medical or nursing students. A variety of models, theories, and frameworks were reported and included the Ideal model, Predictive Learning Assessment model, Amalgamated Student Assessment in Practice (ASAP) model, Leadership Outcome Assessment (LOA) model, Reporter-Interpreter-Manager-Educator (RIME) framework, the Quarter model, and the model which incorporates four assessment methods which are Triple Jump Test, Essay incorporating critical thinking questions, Multistation Integrated Practical Examination, and Multiple Choice Questions (TEMM) model. Additional models and frameworks that were used include the Entrustable Professional Activities framework, the System of Assessment framework, the Reporter-Interpreter-Manager-Educator (RIME) framework, the Clinical Reasoning framework (which is embedded in the Amalgamated Student Assessment in Practice (ASAP) model), Earl's Model of Learning, an assessment framework based on the Bayer-Fetzer Kalamazoo Consensus Statement, Bloom's taxonomy, the Canadian Medical Education Directions for Specialists (CanMEDS) Framework, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) framework, the Dreyfus Developmental Framework, and Miller's Pyramid. CONCLUSION: An analysis of the assessment approaches, frameworks, models, and methods applied in health professions education lays the foundation for the development of feasible and effective assessment approaches in low-resource settings that integrate competency-based education. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study did not involve any clinical intervention. Therefore, trial registration was not required.

"Everyone who wants to can practice on me"- a qualitative study of patients' view on health profession students' learning in an interprofessional clinical placement.

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare services face significant challenges due to the aging population, increasing complexity of health issues, and a global shortage of health professionals. Health professions education needs to adapt and develop with healthcare services' needs. Interprofessional education and patient partnership are two trends that are increasingly being reinforced. Health professions students worldwide are expected to acquire competencies in interprofessional collaboration through undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Developing interprofessional collaborative skills in clinical placements is crucial. This study aims to explore two patients' meetings with an interprofessional student team and better understand how the patient can participate actively in the students´ learning processes. METHODS: This is a small single-case study. Two patients participated. Data was generated through participant observation and qualitative interviews. A practical iterative framework for qualitative data analysis inspired the analysis. RESULTS: The patients observed and reflected on the interprofessional students' learning process and felt responsible for contributing to their learning. The patients contributed to students' learning by making themselves available for practicing and sometimes giving feedback. They considered it a win-win situation to be involved in the interprofessional learning activity as they perceived being taken seriously by the students when addressing their problems and experienced positive outcomes for their situation, such as better physical functioning and adjustments to assistive devices. Patients emphasized the importance of learning collaboration between health professionals and how this could contribute to them feeling safer as patients. DISCUSSION: This study highlights the importance of including patients in interprofessional students' learning processes. Patients' active participation in interprofessional clinical placements can empower them, improve their self-efficacy, and potentially shift the power dynamic between patients and healthcare professionals. The study emphasizes the importance of the patient perspective in future research on interprofessional education in clinical settings. The study also highlights the need for clinical supervisors to facilitate patient involvement in interprofessional clinical placements and reinforce patients' feedback for the student team. CONCLUDING COMMENTS: Overall, this study contributes to the growing body of research on interprofessional education and patient partnership and emphasizes the importance of including patients in health professions education.

Examining online international health professions education: a mixed methods review of barriers, facilitators, and early outcomes☠.

BACKGROUND: Access to quality healthcare education across the world is disproportionate. This study explores the potential for Cardiovascular Perfusion education to be delivered online to reach international students. METHODS: Exploratory mixed methods were used to identify the barriers, facilitators, and early outcomes of online international health professions education. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis yielded four primary and nine subthemes. Multiple interventions were implemented in the planning of a novel online international Extracorporeal Science (ECS) program based on these themes. Quantitative data from the first semester of the new ECS program was collected along with data from the traditional entry-level program and historic data from previous entry-level cohorts. No significant correlations or differences were found between students. Student satisfaction surveys were determined to be equivalent for each group. Mixed data analysis revealed exceptional student satisfaction in areas where qualitative feedback was incorporated into the program design. CONCLUSIONS: Online international education may be a viable option in the health professions. Barriers and facilitators to this mode of education were identified and utilized in designing one such program. Early outcomes from the novel ECS program reveal that student performance and satisfaction are equivalent to those of a traditional in-person training program.

Comparing the Perspectives of Generative AI, Mental Health Experts, and the General Public on Schizophrenia Recovery: Case Vignette Study.

Background: The current paradigm in mental health care focuses on clinical recovery and symptom remission. This model's efficacy is influenced by therapist trust in patient recovery potential and the depth of the therapeutic relationship. Schizophrenia is a chronic illness with severe symptoms where the possibility of recovery is a matter of debate. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes integrated into the health care field, it is important to examine its ability to assess recovery potential in major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the ability of large language models (LLMs) in comparison to mental health professionals to assess the prognosis of schizophrenia with and without professional treatment and the long-term positive and negative outcomes. Methods: Vignettes were inputted into LLMs interfaces and assessed 10 times by 4 AI platforms: ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4, Google Bard, and Claude. A total of 80 evaluations were collected and benchmarked against existing norms to analyze what mental health professionals (general practitioners, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and mental health nurses) and the general public think about schizophrenia prognosis with and without professional treatment and the positive and negative long-term outcomes of schizophrenia interventions. Results: For the prognosis of schizophrenia with professional treatment, ChatGPT-3.5 was notably pessimistic, whereas ChatGPT-4, Claude, and Bard aligned with professional views but differed from the general public. All LLMs believed untreated schizophrenia would remain static or worsen without professional treatment. For long-term outcomes, ChatGPT-4 and Claude predicted more negative outcomes than Bard and ChatGPT-3.5. For positive outcomes, ChatGPT-3.5 and Claude were more pessimistic than Bard and ChatGPT-4. Conclusions: The finding that 3 out of the 4 LLMs aligned closely with the predictions of mental health professionals when considering the "with treatment" condition is a demonstration of the potential of this technology in providing professional clinical prognosis. The pessimistic assessment of ChatGPT-3.5 is a disturbing finding since it may reduce the motivation of patients to start or persist with treatment for schizophrenia. Overall, although LLMs hold promise in augmenting health care, their application necessitates rigorous validation and a harmonious blend with human expertise.

Promoting Interprofessional Collaboration-Related Competencies in Students from Seven Health Professions.

Health professions students in their final year of the mental health counseling (MHC), nursing, occupational therapy (OT), pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, and speech/language pathology programs at Touro University participated in a virtual interprofessional education (IPE) symposium designed to promote interprofessional collaboration. The students worked as an interprofessional team with a faculty facilitator to first create a plan of care and later a discharge plan for a fictitious patient. At the completion of the symposium, 281 out of 311 students completed the Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS), a tool that assesses competency in collaborative practice. Results demonstrated a significant increase in every collaboration-related competency for all participants as a group (p < 0.001), as well as significant differences between professions (F = 2.99, p = 0.007). For example, students from OT rated themselves lowest at the start and showed the greatest gains, and students from MHC showed the smallest gains but had the fewest participants. This virtual symposium resolved some common logistical challenges and was effective at improving interprofessional collaborative competency. Including a wide variety of health professions in this IPE activity facilitated a broad reach and applicability to the interprofessional teams that students will encounter in the future.

Perceptions of Cheating Among Students of Health Professions.

For many decades, academic cheating has been prevalent across many institutions and majors. This problem has been exacerbated by new technology that has increased opportunities for students to access and use information dishonestly. There is fear amongst faculty that dishonesty in the academic world could negatively impact professionals in their future careers. The greater prevalence of cheating may be related to students misunderstanding what constitutes cheating. To better understand students' perceptions of cheating, a group of faculty surveyed students across 11 academic programs at a college of health professions using a slightly modified version of a validated tool via an online platform. Data about cheating perceptions were collected from more than 400 students. Although most respondents agreed that cheating is wrong, some were open to explanations of innocence related to possible cheating scenarios. Also, most respondents did not agree that a person who cheats is an unethical person. These findings suggest that students believe cheating can occur unintentionally. Although the findings support that more education about academic dishonesty would be valuable, this study can inform efforts to develop more targeted education and interventions to reduce cheating behaviors.

Top 5 Things Health Professions Students Should Know About Ecology and Waste Management.

The environments in which we live affect individual and community risk for disease transmission and illness severity. Communities' and neighborhoods' waste stream management designs and health care organizations' spatial and structural architecture also influence individuals' and communities' pathogenic vulnerabilities and how well health sector industrial hygiene practices support them. This article describes a One Health approach to planetary environmental health and suggests strategies for implementing a One Health or Planetary Health approach in the context of climate change.

Games to support teaching clinical reasoning in health professions education: a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Given the complexity of teaching clinical reasoning to (future) healthcare professionals, the utilization of serious games has become popular for supporting clinical reasoning education. This scoping review outlines games designed to support teaching clinical reasoning in health professions education, with a specific emphasis on their alignment with the 8-step clinical reasoning cycle and the reflective practice framework, fundamental for effective learning. METHODS: A scoping review using systematic searches across seven databases (PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase) was conducted. Game characteristics, technical requirements, and incorporation of clinical reasoning cycle steps were analyzed. Additional game information was obtained from the authors. RESULTS: Nineteen unique games emerged, primarily simulation and escape room genres. Most games incorporated the following clinical reasoning steps: patient consideration (step 1), cue collection (step 2), intervention (step 6), and outcome evaluation (step 7). Processing information (step 3) and understanding the patient's problem (step 4) were less prevalent, while goal setting (step 5) and reflection (step 8) were least integrated. CONCLUSION: All serious games reviewed show potential for improving clinical reasoning skills, but thoughtful alignment with learning objectives and contextual factors is vital. While this study aids health professions educators in understanding how games may support teaching of clinical reasoning, further research is needed to optimize their effective use in education. Notably, most games lack explicit incorporation of all clinical reasoning cycle steps, especially reflection, limiting its role in reflective practice. Hence, we recommend prioritizing a systematic clinical reasoning model with explicit reflective steps when using serious games for teaching clinical reasoning.

A comprehensive program in academic health professions to enhance faculty recruitment, mentoring, productivity, and retention: The case of RCSI's StAR program.

Top faculty talent recruitment, mentoring, productivity, and retention are paramount for organizational success among institutions of higher learning. Programs would do well to treat these various aspects of faculty management/development as inextricably linked to one another, rather than viewing recruitment or retention in a vacuum. The Strategic Academic Recruitment (StAR) program at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dublin was founded to bear these things, along with best practices in faculty development, in mind to enhance organizational effectiveness. This paper provides some background, description, and outcomes of the program thus far, revealing positive trends in scholarly productivity, teaching, program faculty commitment, and the development of future leaders for the institution, even while further evaluation and continued quality improvement for the StAR initiative are called for. It is hoped that the details provided here can be helpful for other academic organizations as they consider any of various initiatives aimed to attract high-quality labor capital, position those faculty for success, and enhance organizational effectiveness and reputation.

Developing criteria for a profession to be considered as profession of allied health in Malaysia: a qualitative study from the Malaysian perspective.

BACKGROUND: The Malaysian Allied Health Profession Act (Act 774) regulates the practice of allied health practitioners in Malaysia, with two described professions viz. allied health profession (AHP) and profession of allied health (PAH). While AHPs have been clearly identified by the law, comprehensive implementation of the act requires development of specific criteria in defining any profession as PAH in the Malaysian context. Hence, the research aims to explore and identify the criteria for defining such professions for healthcare policy direction in Malaysia. METHODS: This research utilised two methods of qualitative research (document review and focus group discussions (FGDs) involving 25 participants from four stakeholders (higher education providers, employers, associations and regulatory bodies). Both deductive and inductive thematic content analysis were used to explore, develop and define emergent codes, examined along with existing knowledge on the subject matter. RESULTS: Sixteen codes emerged from the FGDs, with risk of harm, set of competency and skills, formal qualification, defined scope of practice, relevant training and professional working within the healthcare team being the six most frequent codes. The frequencies for these six codes were 62, 46, 40, 37, 36 and 18, correspondingly. The risk of harm towards patients was directly or indirectly involved with patient handling and also relates to the potential harms that may implicate the practitioners themselves in performing their responsibilities as the important criterion highlighted in the present research, followed by set of competency and skills. CONCLUSIONS: For defining the PAH in Malaysia, the emerged criteria appear interrelated and co-exist in milieu, especially for the risk of harm and set of competency and skills, with no single criterion that can define PAH fully. Hence, the integration of all the empirically identified criteria must be considered to adequately define the PAH. As such, the findings must be duly considered by policymakers in performing suitable consolidation of healthcare governance to formulate the appropriate regulations and policies for promoting the enhanced framework of allied health practitioners in Malaysia.

Effectiveness of video-assisted debriefing versus oral debriefing in simulation-based interdisciplinary health professions education: A randomized trial.

AIM: We aimed to compare the debriefing experience, simulation assessment, reflection, anxiety and simulation satisfaction of using oral debriefing versus video-assisted debriefing after a simulated clinical session in an interdisciplinary cohort of health sciences students. BACKGROUND: Debriefing is a reflective process that takes place after a clinical simulation and that can be performed either in a traditional way (oral) or using video-assisted debriefing. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 143 health sciences students (35.7% male, 61.5% female). METHODS: The simulation scenario was designed to evaluate the procedure for donning and doffing personal protective equipment. Differences in debriefing experience, simulation assessment, reflection, anxiety and satisfaction were assessed. RESULTS: Regarding debriefing experience, significant differences were observed for the category "learning" (34.9 (6.13) vs. 36.7 (3.89); p = 0.039). For simulation assessment, significantly higher scores for all categories were identified in video-assisted debriefing compared with oral debriefing (p<0.001). There were also significant differences between the oral debriefing versus video-assisted debriefing for the overall score of reflection ability (86.97 (10.55) vs. 90.74 (9.67); p=0.028) as well as for the category "reflective communication" (24.72 (3.77) vs 26.04 (4.07); p=0.047). Perceived satisfaction was significantly higher in the video-assisted debriefing group compared with oral debriefing group (p <0.001). For anxiety, no significant differences were observed between debriefing groups. CONCLUSION: Video-assisted debriefing after a simulated clinical session improves debriefing experience, simulation assessment, reflection and simulation satisfaction, but does not increase anxiety compared with oral debriefing among health sciences students.

Perceived Success After Participation in the Summer Health Professions Education Program.

Importance: The number of active health care professionals has not kept pace with the increasing number of minoritized individuals in the US. The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) was developed to alleviate this underrepresentation in the health workforce. Objective: To evaluate students' changes in perceived barriers and motivators for entering and succeeding in professional school after SHPEP participation. Design, Setting, and Participants: For this cohort study, anonymous electronic surveys were sent to the 2017 to 2021 SHPEP participants at an academic health center at a large university in the southern US. Participants were first- and second-year undergraduates interested in the health professions and enrolled in the SHPEP. Program participants were invited to complete the study. Exposures: An anonymous electronic survey was administered before and immediately after program completion. Main Outcomes and Measures: The SHPEP Career Barriers Survey (SCBS) is composed of 22 questions on motivators and 20 questions on barriers to entering and succeeding in health professional school. Students responded using a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 indicating strongly disagree and 5 indicating strongly agree. Mixed analysis of variance was used to analyze the program's latent factors. Results: Of all 402 SHPEP participants (mean [SD] age, 19.32 [0.88] years) from 2017 to 2021, 325 completed the preprogram survey and 259 also completed the postprogram survey. Of the 325 initial participants, 4 identified as American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander (1.2%); 12 as Asian (3.7%); 188 as Black (57.8%); 95 as Hispanic or Latino (29.2%); 7 as White (2.2%); and 16 as multiracial (4.9%). Two hundred twelve participants were female (65.2%), and 226 were first-generation college students (69.5%). Results of the SCBS indicate that the SHPEP had a significant small to moderate association on perceived motivators (mean [SD] x̅ = 84.60 [9.67] vs 80.95 [8.93]; P = .001) and decreases in perceived barriers (mean [SD] x̅ = 48.02 [13.20] vs 51.72 [11.39]; P = .008). There was no significant difference in program success between studied years. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, the SHPEP appeared to provide essential support for underrepresented students as measured by improved perceived motivators and reduced perceived barriers to entering professional education. Knowledge from this study can assist educators and health care professionals who wish to implement similar enrichment programs.

The state of health professions students' self-directed learning ability during online study and the factors that influence it.

BACKGROUND: Universities have widely switched from traditional face-to-face classes to online instruction as a result of the epidemic. Self-directed learning is becoming the new norm for university students' learning styles. The ability of health professions students to learn independently during online study directly impacts the effectiveness of online medical education. The ability to learn on their own initiative may be affected by health professions students' professional identities, defined as their positive perceptions, evaluations, emotional experiences, and identity as professionals related to medicine. This study aimed to look into the current status and the factors that influence health professions students' self-directed learning ability (SDLA) during online study and its relationship with professional identity. METHODS: This study was conducted from September to November 2022 at a medical school in East China. An online questionnaire was used to collect participants' status of online learning, self-directed learning ability (SDLA), and professional identity. RESULTS: One thousand two hundred ninety-eight health professions students demonstrated intermediate self-directed learning ability during online study. In terms of teacher-student interaction (F = 14.778, P < 0.001), student-student interaction (F = 15.713, P < 0.001), and learning concentration (F = 13.424, P < 0.001), there were significant differences in health professions students' self-directed learning ability. Professional identity and self-directed learning ability positively correlated (r = 0.589-0.802, P < 0.01). Academic atmosphere and professional identity were significant predictors. CONCLUSIONS: The self-directed learning ability of health professions students while receiving instruction online is at an intermediate level and is influenced by several factors. Developing health professions students' professional identities can enhance their ability for self-directed learning.