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Introduction: There is a lack of qualitative analysis of the personal experiences within Couples Matching. In this qualitative study, we aim to record personal attitudes, reflections, and advice on experiences with the Couples Match process. Methods: Our survey, consisting of two open-ended questions regarding the experience of Couples Matching, was distributed from January 2022 to March 2022 via email to 106 otolaryngology program directors across the nation. Survey responses were analyzed iteratively using the constructivist grounded theory to construct themes related to pre-match priorities, match-related stressors, and post-match satisfaction. Themes were developed inductively and refined iteratively as the dataset evolved. Results: 18 Couples Match residents responded. In response to the first question: "What was the most difficult part of the process for you and/or your partner?", we identified the following themes: cost and financial burden, increased stress on the relationship, sacrificing top choices, and finalizing the match list. In response to the second question: "Using your experience as a previous applicant, what advice would you give to another couple planning on couples matching?", we identified four common themes: compromise, advocacy, dynamic conversations, and applying broadly. Conclusion: We sought to understand the Couples Match process through the perspective of previous applicants. Analyzing the views and attitudes of Couples Match applicants, our study captures the most challenging aspects of the experience and highlights possible areas to improve advising for couples, including important factors to consider when applying, ranking, and interviewing.
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Emergency departments (EDs) providing care and forensic examinations for sexual assault (SA) survivors are often supported by SA patient advocates. This study explored advocates' perspectives regarding problems and potential solutions in SA patient care through a focus group with 12 advocates.â¯Thematicâ¯analysis identified two major themes: provider-patient interactions and ED-hospital systems. Challenging aspects of provider-patient interactions included (a) provider attitudes and (b) disempowering behaviors. Within ED-hospital systems, themes included time constraints, efficiencies, and hospital preparation. Advocates surveyed were optimistic about an increased presence of SA nurse examiners and enhanced protocols and provider training to improve survivors' experiences.
Subject(s)
Patient Advocacy , Sex Offenses , Humans , Chicago , Survivors , Emergency Service, HospitalABSTRACT
PURPOSE: With the change in Step 1 score reporting, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) may become a pivotal factor in resident selection. This systematic review and meta-analysis seeks to synthesize existing observational studies that assess the relationship between Step 2 CK scores and measures of resident performance. METHOD: The authors searched MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases using terms related to Step 2 CK in 2021. Two researchers identified studies investigating the association between Step 2 CK and measures of resident performance and included studies if they contained a bivariate analysis examining Step 2 CK scores' association with an outcome of interest: in-training examination (ITE) scores, board certification examination scores, select Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competency assessments, overall resident performance evaluations, or other subjective measures of performance. For outcomes that were investigated by 3 or more studies, pooled effect sizes were estimated with random-effects models. RESULTS: Among 1,355 potential studies, 68 met inclusion criteria and 43 were able to be pooled. There was a moderate positive correlation between Step 2 CK and ITE scores (0.52, 95% CI 0.45-0.59, P < .01). There was a moderate positive correlation between Step 2 CK and ITE scores for both nonsurgical (0.59, 95% CI 0.51-0.66, P < .01) and surgical specialties (0.41, 95% CI 0.33-0.48, P < .01). There was a very weak positive correlation between Step 2 CK scores and subjective measures of resident performance (0.19, 95% CI 0.13-0.25, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: This study found Step 2 CK scores have a statistically significant moderate positive association with future examination scores and a statistically significant weak positive correlation with subjective measures of resident performance. These findings are increasingly relevant as Step 2 CK scores will likely become more important in resident selection.
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Internship and Residency , Humans , United States , Educational Measurement , Licensure, Medical , Clinical Competence , Certification , Observational Studies as TopicABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Educational program objectives (EPOs) provide the foundation for a medical school's curriculum. In recent years, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) endorsed an outcomes-based approach to objectives, to embrace the movement toward competency-based medical education (CBME). The purpose of this study was to explore the CBME frameworks used by medical schools in formulating their EPOs. A secondary aim was to determine factors related to the selection of specific frameworks. METHOD: The authors performed a quantitative content analysis of entries to the 2020 Academic Medicine Snapshot. Publicly available data gathered included demographic features of each program (e.g., year founded, accreditation status, affiliation, etc.), participation in national medical education consortia, and presence of specific CBME frameworks identified in EPOs. Descriptive statistics were used to examine trends in frameworks used by medical schools. Bivariate comparisons between factors and frameworks were conducted using chi-square tests. Logistic regression was used to examine factors predicting use of more recently developed CBME frameworks. RESULTS: A total of 135 institutions submitted Snapshots (RR = 88%). All institutions endorsed 1 or more CBME frameworks, with 37% endorsing 2 and 20% endorsing 3 or more. The most common was the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies (63%). In addition to published frameworks, 36% of institutions developed their own competencies. Schools with pending LCME visits were 2.61 times more likely to use a more recently developed curricular framework, P = .022. CONCLUSIONS: Medical schools in the United States have embraced the CBME movement through incorporation of competency-based frameworks in their EPOs. While it is encouraging that CBME frameworks have been integrated in medical school EPOs, the variability and use of multiple frameworks identifies the pressing need for a unified CBME framework in undergraduate medical education.
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Education, Medical, Undergraduate , Education, Medical , Humans , United States , Schools, Medical , Competency-Based Education , Curriculum , Clinical CompetenceABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of chronic liver disease (CLD) is rising, but it remains unclear if medical school curricula are emphasizing CLD to reflect its growing epidemiology. AIMS: To assess comfort levels and knowledge of CLD among recently graduated medical students METHODS: An anonymous survey was distributed to incoming categorical Internal Medicine (IM) interns at a single academic institution during a 2-year period. The survey consisted of 38 Likert-like questions evaluating comfort levels and self-assessed knowledge for several general medicine and liver diseases, as well as 12 multiple-choice questions to objectively test knowledge. Wilcoxon ranked sum and Fisher's exact test were then used. RESULTS: There was a 100% (n = 65) completion rate. Only 14 (22%) of those surveyed reported exposure to a hepatology rotation in medical school. Highest mean comfort levels (1 = not at all comfortable, 5 = very comfortable) were for managing congestive heart failure (3.59) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (3.77). Mean comfort levels for various liver diseases were significantly lower (2.22-3.03, all p < 0.01). Mean self-rated knowledge (1 = no knowledge, 5 = strong knowledge) was also low (2.14-3.13). Although 98% agreed that hepatology is critical to IM training, only 42% agreed that their hepatology education during medical school was adequate. CONCLUSIONS: Recently graduated medical students are less comfortable managing liver diseases compared to other general medical conditions. Only a minority report satisfaction with hepatology education during medical school. These findings suggest that medical curricula need to be modified to better emphasize CLD.
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Gastroenterology , Liver Diseases , Students, Medical , Curriculum , Gastroenterology/education , Humans , Liver Diseases/epidemiology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
We previously created a mandatory, inpatient, hepatology resident curriculum that immediately improved comfort, knowledge, and career interest in chronic liver disease (CLD). The durability of these effects needs to be known to use this intervention to address the hepatologist shortage. Thus, we aimed to assess this curriculum's long-term outcomes on internal medicine (IM) residents' CLD comfort, knowledge, and career interest. From 2015 to 2019 at a single institution, one IM resident was always assigned to the rotation. Similar anonymous assessments were administered to incoming postgraduate year (PGY)-1 residents and graduating PGY-3 residents, including a historic control cohort that graduated in June 2015. At residency completion, the intervention cohort (n = 61) had significantly higher comfort (1, not at all comfortable/strongly disagree; 5, very comfortable/strongly agree) with both hepatology (e.g., hepatitis C, 2.5 vs. 3.3, P < 0.001) and common IM topics (e.g., heart failure, 3.6 vs. 4.8, P < 0.001) but not specialty topics lacking curricula (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease, 2.8 vs. 2.7, P = 0.54). Compared to the historic cohort (n = 27), the intervention cohort was more comfortable in several CLD topics (e.g., cirrhosis, 3.2 vs. 3.8; P = 0.005) and answered more questions correctly (65% vs. 55%; P = 0.04), but career interest was unchanged (1.9 vs. 1.8; P = 0.45). Many residents (33%) would consider a hepatology career if training were separated from gastroenterology. Conclusion: With the completion of a mandatory hepatology curriculum, residents' CLD comfort and knowledge durably improved and exceeded that of historic counterparts. Initial career interest was not sustained, perhaps due to prerequisite gastroenterology training. These findings suggest IM educational initiatives may better address hepatology workforce needs by generating comanagers than by recruiting trainees.
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Curriculum , Gastroenterology/education , Internal Medicine/education , Internship and Residency/methods , Students, Medical/psychology , Adult , Career Choice , Clinical Competence , Educational Measurement , Female , Health Workforce , Humans , Liver Diseases , MaleABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Novel methods to boost interest in scientific research careers among minority youth are largely unexplored. Social media offers a unique avenue toward influencing teen behavior and attitudes, and can therefore be utilized to stimulate interest in clinical research. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to engage high-achieving minority youth enrolled in a science pipeline program to develop a targeted social media marketing campaign for boosting interest in clinical research careers among their peers. METHODS: Students enrolled in the Training Early Achievers for Careers in Health program conducted focus groups in their communities to inform themes that best promote clinical research. They then scripted, storyboarded, and filmed a short video to share on social media with a campaign hashtag. Additionally, each student enrolled peers from their social circle to be subjects of the study. Subjects were sent a Career Orientation Survey at baseline to assess preliminary interest in clinical research careers and again after the campaign to assess how they saw the video, their perceptions of the video, and interest in clinical research careers after watching the video. Subjects who did not see the video through the online campaign were invited to watch the video via a link on the postsurvey. Interest change scores were calculated using differences in Likert-scale responses to the question "how interested are you in a career in clinical research?" An ordinal logistic regression model was used to test the association between watching a peer-shared video, perception of entertainment, and interest change score controlling for underrepresented minorities in medicine status (Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander), gender, and baseline interest in medical or clinical research careers. RESULTS: From 2014 to 2017, 325 subjects were enrolled as part of 4 distinct campaigns: #WhereScienceMeetsReality, #RedefiningResearch, #DoYourResearch, and #LifeWithoutResearch. Over half (n=180) of the subjects watched the video via the campaign, 227/295 (76.9%) found the video entertaining, and 92/325 (28.3%) demonstrated baseline interest in clinical research. The ordinal logistic regression model showed that subjects who viewed the video from a peer (odds ratio [OR] 1.56, 95% CI 1.00-2.44, P=.05) or found the video entertaining (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.01-1.82, P=.04) had greater odds of increasing interest in a clinical research career. Subjects with a higher baseline interest in medicine (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.28-1.87, P<.001) also had greater odds of increasing their interest in clinical research. CONCLUSIONS: The spread of authentic and relevant peer-created messages via social media can increase interest in clinical research careers among diverse teens. Peer-driven social media campaigns should be explored as a way to effectively recruit minority youth into scientific research careers.
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Medical school curricula have evolved from 2010 to 2020. Numerous pressures and influences affect medical school curricula, including those from external sources, academic medical institutions, clinical teaching faculty, and undergraduate medical students. Using data from the AAMC Curriculum Inventory and the LCME Annual Medical School Questionnaire Part II, the nature of curriculum change is illuminated. Most medical schools are undertaking curriculum change, both in small cycles of continuous quality improvement and through significant change to curricular structure and content. Four topic areas are explored: cost consciousness, guns and firearms, nutrition, and opioids and addiction medicine. The authors examine how these topic areas are taught and assessed, where in the curriculum they are located, and how much time is dedicated to them in relation to the curriculum as a whole. When examining instructional methods overall, notable findings include (1) the decrease of lecture, although lecture remains the most used instructional method, (2) the increase of collaborative instructional methods, (3) the decrease of laboratory, and (4) the prevalence of clinical instructional methods in academic levels 3 and 4. Regarding assessment methods overall, notable findings include (1) the recent change of the USMLE Step 1 examination to a pass/fail reporting system, (2) a modest increase in narrative assessment, (3) the decline of practical labs, and (4) the predominance of institutionally developed written/computer-based examinations and participation. Among instructional and assessment methods, the most used methods tend to cluster by academic level. It is critical that faculty development evolves alongside curricula. Continued diversity in the use of instructional and assessment methods is necessary to adequately prepare tomorrow's physicians. Future research into the life cycle of a curriculum, as well optional curriculum content, is warranted.
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Curriculum/trends , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/methods , Faculty, Medical/standards , Schools, Medical/history , Academic Medical Centers/organization & administration , Addiction Medicine/education , Addiction Medicine/statistics & numerical data , Analgesics, Opioid , Canada/epidemiology , Costs and Cost Analysis/economics , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/trends , Educational Measurement/methods , Firearms , History, 21st Century , Humans , Nutritional Sciences/education , Nutritional Sciences/statistics & numerical data , Schools, Medical/trends , Students, Medical/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The national burden of chronic liver disease is steadily increasing and is only expected to worsen with the ongoing obesity and opioid epidemics fueling growth in the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and a resurgence of new hepatitis C infections. Our letter highlights the disparity between the rising prevalence of chronic liver disease and the proportion of medical students who receive exposure to patients with liver disease as part of their medical education. A more comprehensive survey of clerkship directors is needed to further corroborate this data, which may lead to reforms in medical school curricula to better address the expanding burden of chronic liver disease.
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WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: The use of generic oral contraceptives (OCPs) can improve adherence and reduce healthcare costs, yet scepticism of generic drugs remains a barrier to generic OCP discussion and prescription. An educational web module was developed to reduce generic scepticism related to OCPs, improve knowledge of generic drugs and increase physician willingness to discuss and prescribe generic OCPs. METHODS: A needs assessment was completed using in-person focus groups at American College of Physicians (ACP) Annual Meeting and a survey targeting baseline generic scepticism. Insights gained were used to build an educational web module detailing barriers and benefits of generic OCP prescription. The module was disseminated via email to an ACP research panel who completed our baseline survey. Post-module evaluation measured learner reaction, knowledge and intention to change behaviour along with generic scepticism. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The module had a response rate of 56% (n = 208/369). Individuals defined as generic sceptics at baseline were significantly less likely to complete our module compared to non-sceptics (responders 9.6% vs non-responders 16.8%, P = 0.04). The majority (85%, n = 17/20) of baseline sceptics were converted to non-sceptics (P < 0.01) following completion of the module. Compared to non-sceptics, post-module generic sceptics reported less willingness to discuss (sceptic 33.3% vs non-sceptic 71.5%, P < 0.01), but not less willingness to prescribe generic OCPs (sceptic 53.3% vs non-sceptic 67.9%, P = 0.25). Non-white physicians and international medical graduates (IMG) were more likely to be generic sceptics at baseline (non-white 86.9% vs white 69.9%, P = 0.01, IMG 13.0% vs USMG 5.0% vs unknown 18.2%, P = 0.03) but were also more likely to report intention to prescribe generic OCPs as a result of the module (non-white 78.7% vs white 57.3%, P < 0.01, IMG 76.1% vs USMG 50.3% vs unknown 77.3%, P = 0.03). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: A brief educational web module can be used to promote prescribing of generic OCPs and reduce generic scepticism.
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Contraceptives, Oral/economics , Drugs, Generic/economics , Physicians, Primary Care/economics , Physicians, Primary Care/education , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/economics , Adult , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Internet , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
We created Sleep for Inpatients: Empowering Staff to Act (SIESTA), which combines electronic "nudges" to forgo nocturnal vitals and medications with interprofessional education on improving patient sleep. In one "SIESTAenhanced unit," nurses received coaching and integrated SIESTA into daily huddles; a standard unit did not. Six months pre- and post-SIESTA, sleep-friendly orders rose in both units (foregoing vital signs: SIESTA unit, 4% to 34%; standard, 3% to 22%, P < .001 both; sleeppromoting VTE prophylaxis: SIESTA, 15% to 42%; standard, 12% to 28%, P < .001 both). In the SIESTAenhanced unit, nighttime room entries dropped by 44% (-6.3 disruptions/room, P < .001), and patients were more likely to report no disruptions for nighttime vital signs (70% vs 41%, P = .05) or medications (84% vs 57%, P = .031) than those in the standard unit. The standard unit was not changed. Although sleep-friendly orders were adopted in both units, a unit-based nursing empowerment approach was associated with fewer nighttime room entries and improved patient experience.
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Inpatients/psychology , Nursing Staff, Hospital/statistics & numerical data , Sleep Deprivation/prevention & control , Sleep/physiology , Female , Focus Groups , Hospitals , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is limited literature about physician handoffs between the intensive care unit (ICU) and the ward, and best practices have not been described. These patients are uniquely vulnerable given their medical complexity, diagnostic uncertainty and reduced monitoring intensity. We aimed to characterise the structure, perceptions and processes of ICU-ward handoffs across three teaching hospitals using multimodal methods: by identifying the handoff components involved in communication failures and describing common processes of patient transfer. METHODS: We conducted a study at three academic medical centres using two methods to characterise the structure, perceptions and processes of ICU-ward transfers: (1) an anonymous resident survey characterising handoff communication during ICU-ward transfer, and (2) comparison of process maps to identify similarities and differences between ICU-ward transfer processes across the three hospitals. RESULTS: Of the 295 internal medicine residents approached, 175 (59%) completed the survey. 87% of the respondents recalled at least one adverse event related to communication failure during ICU-ward transfer. 95% agreed that a well-structured handoff template would improve ICU-ward transfer. Rehabilitation needs, intravenous access/hardware and risk assessments for readmission to the ICU were the most frequently omitted or incorrectly communicated components of handoff notes. More than 60% of the respondents reported that notes omitted or miscommunicated pending results, active subspecialty consultants, nutrition and intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and healthcare decision-maker information at least twice per month. Despite variable process across the three sites, all process maps demonstrated flaws and potential for harm in critical steps of the ICU-ward transition. CONCLUSION: In this multisite study, despite significant process variation across sites, almost all resident physicians recalled an adverse event related to the ICU-ward handoff. Future work is needed to determine best practices for ICU-ward handoffs at academic medical centres.
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Academic Medical Centers , Intensive Care Units , Patient Handoff/organization & administration , Cross-Sectional Studies , Health Care Surveys , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , United StatesABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To assess current approaches to teaching the physical exam to preclerkship students at U.S. medical schools. METHOD: The Directors of Clinical Skills Courses developed a 49-question survey addressing the approach, pedagogical methods, and assessment methods of preclerkship physical exam curricula. The survey was administered to all 141 Liaison Committee on Medical Education-accredited U.S. medical schools in October 2015. Results were aggregated across schools, and survey weights were used to adjust for response rate and school size. RESULTS: One hundred six medical schools (75%) responded. Seventy-nine percent of schools (84) began teaching the physical exam within the first two months of medical school. Fifty-six percent of schools (59) employed both a "head-to-toe" comprehensive approach and a clinical reasoning approach. Twenty-three percent (24) taught a portion of the physical exam interprofessionally. Videos, online modules, and simulators were used widely, and 39% of schools (41) used bedside ultrasonography. Schools reported a median of 4 formative assessments and 3 summative assessments, with 16% of schools (17) using criterion-based standard-setting methods for physical exam assessments. Results did not vary significantly by school size. CONCLUSIONS: There was wide variation in how medical schools taught the physical exam to preclerkship students. Common pedagogical approaches included early initiation of physical exam instruction, use of technology, and methods that support clinical reasoning and competency-based medical education. Approaches used by a minority of schools included interprofessional education, ultrasound, and criterion-based standard-setting methods for assessments. Opportunities abound for research into the optimal methods for teaching the physical exam.
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Clinical Clerkship/methods , Clinical Competence , Competency-Based Education/organization & administration , Curriculum , Education, Medical/organization & administration , Physical Examination/methods , Teaching , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Schools, Medical/statistics & numerical data , Students, Medical/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires , United States , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) has created a core subinternship curriculum, the traditional experiential subinternship may not expose students to all topics. Furthermore, academic institutions often use multiple clinical training sites for the student clerkship experience. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to sustain a Web-based learning community across geographically disparate sites via enterprise microblogging to increase subintern exposure to the CDIM curriculum. METHODS: Internal medicine subinterns used Yammer, a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-secure enterprise microblogging platform, to post questions, images, and index conversations for searching. The subinterns were asked to submit 4 posts and participate in 4 discussions during their rotation. Faculty reinforced key points, answered questions, and monitored HIPAA compliance. RESULTS: In total, 56 medical students rotated on an internal medicine subinternship from July 2014 to June 2016. Of them, 84% returned the postrotation survey. Over the first 3 months, 100% of CDIM curriculum topics were covered. Compared with the pilot year, the scale-up year demonstrated a significant increase in the number of students with >10 posts (scale-up year 49% vs pilot year 19%; P=.03) and perceived educational experience (58% scale-up year vs 14% pilot year; P=.006). Few students (6%) noted privacy concerns, but fewer students in the scale-up year found Yammer to be a safe learning environment. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementing the subinternship clinical experience with an enterprise microblogging platform increased subinternship exposure to required curricular topics and was well received. Future work should address concerns about safe learning environment.
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PROBLEM: Formal education in requesting consultations is inconsistent in medical education. To address this gap, the authors developed the Consultation Observed Simulated Clinical Experience (COSCE), a simulation-based curriculum for interns using Kessler and colleagues' 5Cs of Consultation model to teach and assess consultation communication skills. APPROACH: In June 2016, 127 interns entering 12 University of Chicago Medicine residency programs participated in the COSCE pilot. The COSCE featured an online training module on the 5Cs and an in-person simulated consultation. Using specialty-specific patient cases, interns requested telephone consultations from faculty, who evaluated their performance using validated checklists. Interns were surveyed on their preparedness to request consultations before and after the module and after the simulation. Subspecialty fellows serving as consultants were surveyed regarding consultation quality before and after the COSCE. OUTCOMES: After completing the online module, 84% of interns (103/122) were prepared to request consultations compared with 52% (63/122) at baseline (P < .01). After the COSCE, 96% (122/127) were prepared to request consultations (P < .01). Neither preparedness nor simulation performance differed by prior experience or training. Over 90% (115/127) indicated they would recommend the COSCE for future interns. More consultants described residents as prepared to request consultations after the COSCE (54%; 21/39) than before (27%; 11/41, P = .01). NEXT STEPS: The COSCE was well received and effective for preparing entering interns with varying experience and training to request consultations. Future work will emphasize consultation communication specific to training environments and evaluate skills via direct observation of clinical performance.
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Curriculum , Educational Measurement/methods , Internship and Residency/methods , Simulation Training/methods , Adult , Clinical Competence , Communication , Feedback , Female , Humans , Male , Referral and ConsultationABSTRACT
PURPOSE: A structured didactic radiation oncology clerkship curriculum for medical students is in use at multiple academic medical centers. Objective evidence supporting this educational approach over the traditional clerkship model is lacking. This study evaluated the curriculum efficacy using an objective knowledge assessment. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Medical students received the Radiation Oncology Education Collaborative Study Group (ROECSG) curriculum consisting of 3 lectures (Overview of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Biology/Physics, and Practical Aspects of Simulation/Radiation Emergencies) and a radiation oncology treatment-planning workshop. A standardized 20-item multiple choice question (MCQ) knowledge assessment was completed pre- and post-curriculum and approximately 6 months after receiving the curriculum. RESULTS: One hundred forty-six students at 22 academic medical centers completed the ROECSG curriculum from July to November 2016. One hundred nine students completed pre- and post-clerkship MCQ knowledge assessments (response rate 74.7%). Twenty-four students reported a prior rotation at a ROECSG institution and were excluded from analysis. Mean assessment scores increased from pre- to post-curriculum (63.9% vs 80.2%, P < .01). Mean MCQ knowledge subdomain assessment scores all improved post-curriculum (t test, P values < .01). Post-scores for students rotating de novo at ROECSG institutions (n = 30) were higher compared with pre-scores for students with ≥1 prior rotations at non-ROECSG institutions (n = 55) (77.3% vs 68.8%, P = .01), with an effect size of 0.8. Students who completed rotations at ROECSG institutions continued to demonstrate a trend toward improved performance on the objective knowledge assessment at approximately 6 months after curriculum exposure (70.5% vs 65.6%, P = .11). CONCLUSIONS: Objective evaluation of a structured didactic curriculum for the radiation oncology clerkship at early and late time points demonstrated significant improvement in radiation oncology knowledge. Students who completed clerkships at ROECSG institutions performed objectively better than students who completed clerkships at non-ROECSG institutions. These results support including a structured didactic curriculum as a standard component of the radiation oncology clerkship.