A case study: lessons learned from online tutorial to improve practice readiness for family medicine residents in Palestine.

BACKGROUND: Geopolitical and socioeconomic challenges limit faculty development and clinical teaching in Palestine and many other developing countries. The first, and still only, Family Medicine (FM) residency program is a four-year program based out of An-Najah University in the West Bank. Training in primary care clinics occurs in the final two years and there are many challenges to adequate supervision in the clinical setting that were exacerbated during the pandemic. To improve the readiness for practice skills of 13 Palestinian FM residents a three-month tutorial program was organized in 2020. A nongovernmental organization (NGO) that has worked to support Family Medicine development in the region engaged experienced British and American General Practitioners trained as tutors to offer online tutorials. We examined the program as a case study to understand the factors that facilitated or impaired a positive virtual learning environment in a middle/low income country. METHODS: The tutors and residents were divided into groups and met virtually between June and September 2020. Evaluations and session reports collected during the program, the text of an online chat, and responses to an online survey two years later were collected. Using thematic analysis techniques, we evaluated the value for the residents at the time and two years later and identified factors that facilitated or impaired a positive virtual learning environment. RESULTS: Themes of knowledge, skills, attitudes, cultural disconnects, and tutorial logistics emerged. The group with the most stable tutor pairing, including one Arabic-speaker familiar with the context, was the most engaged. The all-female group formed a chat group to share real-time case questions during clinical practice and focused on skills (e.g. conducting a thorough medication review) and attitudes (e.g. open to sharing and discussing uncertainties). Other groups were less cohesive. CONCLUSIONS: Transnational tutorials that focused on clinical thinking and decision-making skills were most successful when the tutorial pair was stable, offered familiarity with the language and addressed cultural differences. Intrinsic factors such as lacking the motivation to participate and extrinsic factors such as unstable internet and rolling electric cuts, and clinical structures that made applying new skills challenging were more difficult to address but must be considered.

Improving written and verbal communication skills for international medical graduates: a linguistic and medical approach.

BACKGROUND: Adapting to UK communication styles can be difficult for International Medical Graduates (IMGs). Reache Northwest provides education, training and support for internationally trained refugee and asylum seeking health professionals who are looking to return to work in the UK. AIMS: A Safe and Effective Communication Skills course was designed by a team of language teachers and clinicians to provide IMGs with an understanding of the written, verbal and summarisation skills required in the UK work environment. METHODS: A series of language exercises adapted to clinical situations was developed. These increased in complexity to the practical application of language skills in clinical settings using simulated patients. The combination of language and clinical tutors meant that feedback could be given from a language teacher's perspective, the clinical perspective and the cultural context. RESULTS: The combination of language and clinical tutors meant that analysis of communication difficulties could be made from different perspectives and detailed, specific feedback could be given to each student in these areas. CONCLUSION: Using a combined linguistic and clinical approach can provide solutions to clinical communication problems that may otherwise be missed. This strategy could be extended to cover communication areas in other contexts.