Differences in medical education before, during, and in the post-peak period of the COVID-19 pandemic-exploring senior medical students' attitudes.

BACKGROUND: The burden that COVID-19 has brought to the economy, healthcare systems, and education is unmatched. Public health and social measures were implemented to halt transmission. Thus, social gathering and in-person learning, core aspects of medical education, were interrupted. Studies have documented the detrimental impact students graduating during the pandemic have had on their confidence and skills. However, data comparing pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-peak students still lack. This study aimed to identify senior medical students' attitudes regarding their education and compare them according to the three previously described periods. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the survey employed was designed based on a previous questionnaire and applied to senior medical students before graduating between January 2018 and June 2022. Answers were collected using a three-point Likert scale and Yes/No questions. Associations between variables were examined using Chi-squared, Fisher's Exact tests, and ANOVA, employing logistic regression to calculate odds ratio (OR) when appropriate. RESULTS: A total of 679 responses were analyzed. Most students (59%) were women. Up to 383, 241, and 55 senior medical students answered the survey before, during, and in the post-peak period of the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. There was a staggering decrease in the percentage of students in the post-peak compared to the pre-pandemic period that considered certain factors such as being taught about the doctor-patient relationship (62% vs 75%), practicing teamwork (33% vs 54%), preclinical & clinical subjects (44% vs 63%), and being taught to conduct research (22% vs 32%) as "very useful" to their professional traineeship. There was a significant difference between pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-peak students when asked if the study curriculum accomplished the goal of training a professional with integrity (89% vs 66% vs 64%, p < 0.001), respectively. In a multivariate analysis graduating during the pandemic (OR 3.92; 95% CI, 2.58-5.94) and in the post-peak period (OR 4.24; 95% CI, 2.23-8.07) were independent factors for the appreciation that the study curriculum did not meet its objective. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic has hindered medical education. Students' appreciation of their instruction has deteriorated. Urgent interventions that halt the negative impact on training, ensure readiness for future problems and improve schooling worldwide are needed.

A pilot study to assess the impact of aboriginal and torres strait islander cultural humility webinars on australian medical school students.

BACKGROUND: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework helps higher education providers to deliver safe and well-informed cultural humility education. However, there is currently a scarcity of evidence surrounding the efficacy and impact of cultural humility education. This study will use qualitative and quantitative research methods to evaluate learning outcomes from an Indigenous health educational webinar aimed at Australian medical students. METHODS: A pilot study was conducted following a group of Australian medical students who attended an educational Indigenous health (IH) culturally responsive webinar. Recruitment was conducted via the webinar hosts' social media pages. Quantitative methods involved sending one pre- and two post-webinar questionnaires to attendees. To assess participants' retention of information, one post-webinar survey was sent out immediately after the webinar and another three months after the webinar. These questionnaires were designed to reflect pre-determined learning objectives for the webinar. Qualitative methods involved a focus group discussion to identify common themes from participant feedback. RESULTS: Twenty-six participants were included in the final quantitative analysis. Most of the participants were clinical students between 18 and 24 years old who did not identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. There was a significant increase (p = 0.007) between pre-intervention (M = 0.35, SD = 0.26) and post-webinar knowledge for the learning outcome exploring the links between health and education (M = 047, SD = 0.25). No results were obtained from the three months post-intervention questionnaire. The qualitative analysis synthesized feedback from three participants and identified presenter delivery style as an important mediator of webinar effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant increase in knowledge and understanding for the learning outcome that explored the links between health and education. We attribute this partly to the engaging and conversational delivery style of the webinar presenters. The importance of Indigenous facilitators that encourage reflective teaching should not be understated. Our results suggest that cultural humility webinars can have a positive impact on medical students' understanding of the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health landscape. This pilot study warrants further research on a larger population.

One change, different effects: the impacts of reducing clerkship length.

BACKGROUND: Medical school curricula are constantly evolving and change has potential positive and negative effects. At East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine, a broader understanding of the effects of a curriculum change (reduction in clerkship length for one transitional year) was explored. METHODS: A broad, system-wide evaluation was used to evaluate impacts on all stakeholders. Curriculum management data, including qualitative and quantitative data and short-term and follow-up perspectives of stakeholders, were used for evaluation. RESULTS: Students evaluated the change positively. Academic performance in the transitional year was similar to the prior year. Differences in students' clerkship evaluations were not statistically significant. Clerkship directors were concerned that students' clinical experience suffered and noted that implementing changes was time consuming but recognized the benefits for students. Administrators dedicated a significant amount of time to planning the transitional year; however, the additional weeks at the beginning of fourth year made the scheduling process easier. CONCLUSION: This article demonstrates an overall positive result with this tool for curriculum change but also indicates the impacts differed across stakeholders. Knowledge gained from this experience can help other schools successfully anticipate challenges and prepare for a variety of outcomes in implementing necessary curriculum change.

Differences in clerkship development between public and private Brazilian medical schools: an overview.

BACKGROUND: Around the world, it is very expensive to become a physician. Although public medical schools are less expensive than private medical schools, tuition fees are charged at public medical schools in the majority of countries. In Brazil, public medical schools, with the exception of municipal schools, are free. There has been little investigation of any differences in conditions offered by paid or free medical schools or what occurs in public and private clerkships in Brazil. We investigated the clerkship conditions offered to the students in both public and private Brazilian medical schools by gathering the opinions of clerkship coordinators and others responsible for clerkships. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive, analytical study using an electronic questionnaire was answered by clerkship coordinators to compare the clerkships of 30 public and 38 private Brazilian medical schools from all regions of the country. The questionnaires covered various aspects of the clinical environments, student supervision, faculty development, student assessments, rotation evaluations and extracurricular activities developed by students. RESULTS: We observed significant differences between public and private medical schools in several aspects investigated. Based on the opinions of the clerkship coordinators, with the exception of access to university hospitals, which was predominantly offered by public medical schools, private medical schools offer better clerkship conditions. The main differences were related to the number of positions, infrastructure, clinical learning environments, faculty development, student assessments, rotation evaluations and students' extracurricular activities. CONCLUSION: This is the first study comparing Brazilian medical clerkships in private and public medical schools and provides a general vision of these programmes. It is necessary to further investigate clerkship development in the Brazilian medical school system and to study the differences between private and public medical schools globally.

[Performance of medical schools in Mexico: results from the Examen Nacional para Aspirantes a Residencias Médicas]. / Desempeño de las escuelas de medicina en México: resultados del Examen Nacional para Aspirantes a Residencias Médicas.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the performance of medical schools (FEM) by analyzing the results of their applicants in the Examen Nacional para Aspirantes a Residencias Médicas (ENARM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five performance criteria, two official and three created on purpose, were calculated from the ENARM-2016 and -2017 official databases to assess FEM performance. RESULTS: In 2016 and 2017, applicants registered from 112 and 115 FEM, respectively. Depending on the performance criteria, the FEM in the first place obtained 5 to 20 points more than the one placed second, and 23 to 98 points more than the FEM in the last place. Approximately 25% applicants were classified as "knowledge-deficient," and about 80% of these originated from less than one third of the FEM. CONCLUSIONS: The ENARM results provide information on the performance of the FEM. Approximately one of every four applicants obtained scores lower than the approval threshold of any specialty.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluar el desempeño de las facultades y escuelas de medicina (FEM) utilizando como subrogado los resultados del Examen Nacional para Aspirantes a Residencias Médicas (ENARM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Se analizaron las bases de datos oficiales del ENARM 2016 y 2017, empleando cinco criterios de desempeño (CD) por cada FEM: dos oficiales y tres creados exprofeso. RESULTS: En 2016 y 2017 se registraron sustentantes de 112 y 115 FEM, respectivamente. Dependiendo del CD, la FEM que quedó clasificada en el primer lugar obtuvo entre 5 y 20 puntos más que la del segundo lugar, y entre 23 y 98 puntos más que la FEM ubicada en el último lugar. Aproximadamente 25% de los sustentantes fueron calificados como "deficientes en conocimientos" y aproximadamente 80% de éstos provenían de menos de un tercio de las FEM. CONCLUSIONS: El ENARM arroja información sobre el desempeño de las FEM. Aproximadamente uno de cada cuatro sustentantes obtuvo puntajes menores al aprobatorio en cualquier especialidad.

What keeps medical students healthy and well? A systematic review of observational studies on protective factors for health and well-being during medical education.

BACKGROUND: Despite the growing evidence of a negative impact of medical school on students' health and well-being, little is known about protective factors for staying healthy and well during medical education. Therefore, a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies aiming to identify such predictors was conducted. METHODS: Medline, Embase, and PsychInfo were systematically searched by using preselected MeSH terms to identify English- and German-language peer-reviewed articles (observational studies) examining predictors for medical students' health and well-being, published between January 2001 and April 2018. Two authors independently selected abstracts reporting predictors for medical students' health and well-being. Further, two authors extracted information from the identified studies, needed for methodological quality assessment of the studies, as well as for comprehensive description of identified predictors. RESULTS: From 5013 hits in the database search, six observational studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. These studies were of heterogeneous design and quality. They featured a wide variety of health and well-being related outcomes and of its predictors. Lower levels of perceived stress, as well as lower levels of neuroticism were found to predict better health-related outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Further research, by using harmonized tools for the assessment of outcomes, as well as predictors, is needed to determine what keeps students healthy and well during medical education. Identifying protective factors is an essential prerequisite for the design of evidence-based health-promoting interventions.

Reliability of Multiple Mini-Interviews and traditional interviews within and between institutions: a study of five California medical schools.

BACKGROUND: Many medical schools use admissions Multiple Mini-Interviews (MMIs) rather than traditional interviews (TIs), partly because MMIs are thought to be more reliable. Yet prior studies examined single-school samples of candidates completing either an MMI or TI (not both). Using data from five California public medical schools, the authors examined the within- and between-school reliabilities of TIs and MMIs. METHODS: The analyses included applicants interviewing at ≥1 of the five schools during 2011-2013. Three schools employed TIs (TI1, TI2, TI3) and two employed MMIs (MMI1, MMI2). Mixed linear models accounting for nesting of observations within applicants examined standardized TI and MMI scores (mean = 0, SD = 1), adjusting for applicant socio-demographics, academic metrics, year, number of interviews, and interview date. RESULTS: A total of 4993 individuals (completing 7516 interviews [TI = 4137, MMI = 3379]) interviewed at ≥1 school; 428 (14.5%) interviewed at both MMI schools and 687 (20.2%) at more than one TI school. Within schools, inter-interviewer consistency was generally qualitatively lower for TI1, TI2, and TI3 (Pearson's r 0.07, 0.13, and 0.29, and Cronbach's α, 0.40, 0.44, and 0.61, respectively) than for MMI1 and MMI 2 (Cronbach's α 0.68 and 0.60, respectively). Between schools, the adjusted intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.27 (95% CI 0.20-0.35) for TIs and 0.47 (95% CI 0.41-0.54) for MMIs. CONCLUSIONS: Within and between-school reliability was qualitatively higher for MMIs than for TIs. Nonetheless, TI reliabilities were higher than anticipated from prior literature, suggesting TIs may not need to be abandoned on reliability grounds if other factors favor their use.

Changes in medical student attendance and its impact on student educational outcomes: a systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on medical education, with many institutions shifting to online learning to ensure the safety of students and staff. However, there has been a decline in in-person attendance at medical schools across the UK and worldwide following the relaxation of social distancing rules and the reinstation of in-person teaching. Importantly, this trend has been observed prior to the pandemic. While reflected within the literature, there is currently no systematic review describing these changes. We aim to find out how medical students' attendance is changing as documented within the literature and its impact on their educational outcomes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This systematic review will follow the guidelines of the Centre of Research and Dissemination, Meta-analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. We will search the major databases of Medline via Ovid, Embase via Ovid, Scopus, Web of Science, British Education Index via EBSCOhost and ERIC via EBSCOhost.Two reviewers will independently screen each paper and extract data, with a third reviewer for dispute resolution. All studies reporting on medical students from various universities, both graduate and undergraduate and describing changes in attendance and/or students' educational outcomes will be included. Risk of bias in individual studies will be assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and confidence in cumulative evidence will be evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation-Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research approach. A narrative synthesis of the findings from all included studies will be reported. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for this systematic review of existing publicly available literature. We will subsequently aim to publish the results of this systematic review in a peer-reviewed journal.

Undergraduate radiology education in Europe in 2022: a survey from the European Society of Radiology (ESR).

BACKGROUND: Education in radiology should be an integral aspect of undergraduate medical training given the essential role of imaging in patient management. Since the introduction of the European Society of Radiology undergraduate curriculum a decade ago, radiology education has evolved. OBJECTIVES: This survey aimed to assess the current status of undergraduate radiology education in Europe. METHODS: An electronic survey on undergraduate teaching was distributed by the European Society of Radiology to delegates of the European Society of Radiology education committee and presidents of national radiological societies from April 1 to May 31, 2022. Data from the twenty questions were summarized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: There were 72 respondents from 36 countries. Radiology was taught to undergraduates in 95% (68/72), with a national or local curriculum informing radiology education in 93% (67/72). Radiology teaching was delivered by radiologists in 98% (58/59), across all years of medical school but most commonly in the fourth year of medical training (63%, 44/70), through various means including lectures, workshops, radiology department placements, online resources and simulation. Teaching hours were variable, with a minimum of 10 h reported. CONCLUSION: This survey's findings suggest an improvement over the last decade in the engagement of radiologists in the delivery of undergraduate radiology education in European countries affiliated with the European Society of Radiology.

Association of Residents' Medical School Reputation and Urology Residency Program Ranking.

INTRODUCTION: The Urology Residency Match process is a highly competitive application process that evaluates coursework performance, standardized examination scores, research productivity, quality of letter of recommendations, and participation in away rotations. With recent changes to medical school grading metrics, lack of in-person interviews, and examination scorings, less objective metrics are available to stratify applicants. We characterized the association of urology residents' medical school and urology residency program rankings. METHODS: Using publicly available resources, all urology residents from 2016 to 2022 were identified. Their medical school and urology residency rankings were determined from 2022 US News and World Reports and Doximity urology residency reputation. Ordinal logistic regression modeling was used to determine the association between medical school and residency rankings. RESULTS: A total of 2,306 successfully matched residents were identified from 2016 to 2022. There was positive association between urology program and medical school ranking (P < .001). Within each urology program tier over the last 7 years, there was no significant change over time in the proportions of urology residents by medical school rankings (P >0.05). A consistent proportion of matched residents from higher ranked medical schools matched into top ranked urology programs, while a consistent proportion of applicants from lower ranked medical schools matched into lower ranked urology programs across each application cycle from 2016 to 2022 (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: We observed that over the last 7 years trainees from higher ranked medical schools were more commonly represented in top urology programs while lower ranked urology programs were overrepresented by residents from lower ranked medical schools.

[Technology-enhanced learning in anesthesiology and emergency medicine : A new approach to medical school teaching in the wake of the pandemic]. / "Technology-enhanced learning" in Anästhesiologie und Notfallmedizin : Ein neuer Weg in der studentischen Lehre im Schatten der Pandemie.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought about unprecedented challenges to medical schools. Physical distancing as the most effective means of infection prevention renders traditional classroom teaching nearly impossible and new teaching methods are required to contain the infection risk whilst ensuring high-level education. OBJECTIVE: In order to minimize the need for classroom teaching we have created an interactive multimedia eLearning environment using the open-source learning management system "Moodle". This article describes the development of the eLearning environment and aims to establish the acceptance of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) among medical students and the evaluation of TEL as an alternative to classroom teaching. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have built a multimedia eLearning environment for fourth year medical students covering the medical school curriculum "anesthesiology and emergency medicine", which is based on the recommendations of the German Society for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (DGAI). We have chosen the open-source learning management system "Moodle" as a platform. "Moodle" is widely used by Anglo-American educational institutions to support and conduct academic and nonacademic teaching. In order to assess the students' experience, we have carried out an anonymized post-course survey consisting of multiple-choice and free-answer questions. RESULTS: Of the 157 participants 85.4% rated the course as "very good", 12.1% as "good" and 1.9% as "OK". Lower ratings were not given, 54.8% rated the course content as "very relevant", 43.3% as "relevant" and 1.9% as "neutral", 94.3% felt that more comparable online courses should be offered. The free-text answers revealed that accessibility and multimedia self-controlled learning were highly valued; however, it was felt that hands-on training cannot be replaced by eLearning. CONCLUSION: Technology Enhanced Learning was highly valued by our students and helped to reduce the need for classroom teaching; however, for teaching practical skills classroom teaching remains indispensable.

Edith Nourse Rogers: A Pioneer for Women, Military Veterans, and US Medical Education.

This year is the 80th anniversary of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. The passage of this seminal legislation - sponsored by Edith Nourse Rogers - formalized the role of women in the US military and compensated them for their service and in the event of injury or illness. Rogers was a pioneer in her own right. A trailblazer for women and a staunch advocate for military veterans' healthcare, Rogers was forged by her wartime experiences. The authors describe Rogers' contributions as a congresswoman during World War II and during her 35 years of public service in the House of Representatives. Congresswoman Rogers was foundational to the modern US healthcare system.

Forty-year Tunisian bibliometrics of general surgery theses in the four national faculties of medicine (1980-2019).

The objective of this work was to establish the bibliometric profile of Tunisian theses in 'general surgery' and to describe their themes, their study designs, and their writing quality. This is a retrospective descriptive bibliometric study, covering all the theses in medicine in the specialty of 'general surgery', defended in the four medical faculties of Tunisia, during the forty last years from 1980 to 2019. During the study period, 739 theses in 'general surgery' were discussed in Tunisia, with an average of 19 theses per year. The most studied research topic was emergencies (41%), followed by common surgical pathologies (26%) and digestive oncology (21.5%). Descriptive studies and case studies represented the majority of study designs with respective proportions of 56.9% and 40.6%. Only 20.7% of these theses had a scientific writing quality deemed satisfactory. The least respected elements in writing their summaries were statistical (confidence intervals and standard deviations) and documentary (keywords). Despite the plethora of themes of Tunisian theses in 'general surgery', their basic methodology and their editorial non conformity require the educational reform of the dissertations, both doctoral students and supervisors, by strengthening their skills in research methodology and scientific communication written.

Tailoring a sexual health curriculum to the sexual health challenges seen by midwifery, nursing and medical providers and students in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND:  Tanzania is a country experiencing multiple sexual health challenges, but providers receive no formal training in sexual health. AIM:  This study aimed to assess (1) what sexual health challenges are commonly seen in clinics in Tanzania, (2) which are raised by patients, (3) which are not addressed and (4) which topics to prioritise for a sexual health curriculum. SETTING:  Healthcare settings in Tanzania. METHODS:  Participants were 60 experienced and 61 student doctors, nurses and midwives working in Dar es Salaam. The authors conducted 18 focus groups stratified by profession (midwifery, nursing or medicine) and experience (practitioners vs. students). RESULTS:  Providers identified six common sexual health concerns: (1) Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and sexually transmissible infection (STI) (especially syphilis and gonorrhoea), (2) sexual violence (including intimate partner violence and female genital mutilation), (3) early and unwanted pregnancy (including early sexual debut and complications from abortion), (4) sexual dysfunctions, (5) key population concerns (e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT); sex work) and (6) non-procreative sexual behaviour (including pornography and masturbation in males and oral and anal sex practices in heterosexual couples). Across professions, few differences were observed. Homosexuality, sex work, masturbation and pornography were identified as taboo topics rarely discussed. Most participants (81%) wanted one comprehensive sexual health curriculum delivered across disciplines. CONCLUSION:  A sexual health curriculum for health students in Tanzania needs to address the most common sexual health concerns of patients. In addition to teaching sexual science and clinical care, skills training in how to address taboo topics is recommended. Students endorsed almost all sexual health topics, which suggests that a comprehensive curriculum is appropriate.

A Framework for the Virtual Medical Interview Process: Considerations for the Applicant and the Interviewer.

Background: Videoconferencing platforms are being used for the purposes of interviewing in academic medicine because of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. We present considerations applicable to interviewers and interviewees in the virtual space, with a focus on medical school and residency applicants. Methods: We reviewed the literature regarding the virtual interview process for medical school and residency by searching PubMed using the following keywords and terms: "interview," "academic medicine," "medical school application," "residency application," "virtual interviews," and "videoconferencing." Our search identified 701 results, from which we selected 36 articles for review. Results: The garnered information focuses on strategies for optimizing the virtual interview process from the standpoint of both the interviewer and the interviewee. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the virtual interview process and present recommendations. Conclusion: While the future of the interview process for medical school and residency is uncertain, virtual interviewing is a common and growing practice that will continue to be at least part of the medical interview process for years to come. Interviewers and interviewees should prepare to adapt to the evolving changes in the process.

Predictive Factor of Preresidency Publication on Career Academic Achievement in Urologists.

INTRODUCTION: Publications at any point in training can impact future academic interest and achievement. Implications of publishing scholarly work prior to residency on accomplishments during and after residency are understudied. METHODS: We obtained publication output before, during and after residency for urologists graduating between 2002 and 2008 from the 36 training programs affiliated with a top 50 urology hospital nationwide. Additional collected information included fellowship training, current appointment, total and R01 National Institutes of Health grants, and h-index. We compared urologists' preresidency scholarship with residency and career achievements. RESULTS: We retrieved data from 543 urologists, of whom 161 (29.7%) and 92 (16.9%) published 1 or more total and first author manuscripts before residency, respectively. A total of 269 (49.5%) urologists went on to pursue fellowship and 183 (33.7%) entered academic practice. Urologists with a first author publication before residency had increased odds of entering academics (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2-3.1), obtaining National Institutes of Health grants (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1-4.3) and acquiring National Institutes of Health R01 grants (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.7-9.7). Those with more first author manuscripts prior to residency were also more likely to pursue fellowship (p=0.0002), have a higher h-index (p <0.0001) and publish more during (p <0.0001) and after residency (p=0.0002). However, those with more total publications before residency were only associated with greater h-index (p=0.002) and publications in residency (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Preresidency scholarly endeavors, particularly first author publications, are associated with future scholarly achievement, which may inform both resident selection procedures and medical education curricular development.

More Than Their Test Scores: Redefining Success with Multiple Mini-Interviews.

INTRODUCTION: Medical schools are shifting to a holistic approach for admissions. As non-cognitive abilities become more valued in the medical field and admissions become more competitive, multiple mini-interviews (MMI) are becoming increasingly common in selection criteria. The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship among admissions criteria to create a predictive model of acceptance to medical school. This article also aims to examine, among matriculated students, the relationship between MMI and traditional academic success, and the relationship between MMI scores and clinical competence and academic accolades. METHODS: This longitudinal study followed a cohort of students from the MMI process through the first two pre-clinical years at a medical school in the southeastern USA. Multiple logistic regression with backward elimination variable selection was used to examine the relationship between admission criteria and acceptance. A multivariate multinomial ordered probit model was used to assess the relationship between MMI and traditional academic success among matriculated students. Simple linear regression models were used to assess relationships between MMI and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) scores and honors nomination. RESULTS: MMI are among eight significant predictors of acceptance. Among matriculated students, there were weak negative associations between MMI and traditional academic success; however, all but one relationship was statistically non-significant. There was not a significant association between MMI and OSCE scores or academic accolades. CONCLUSIONS: While MMI can identify students with non-cognitive skills needed to be a good physician, continued assessment needs to be incorporated in their education.

Intellectual stimulation in family medicine: an international qualitative study of student perceptions.

BACKGROUND: Globally, medical schools struggle to ensure there is a sufficient number of graduates choosing family medicine as a career to meet societal needs. While factors impacting career choice are complex, one possible disincentive to choosing family medicine is the perception that it is less intellectually stimulating than specialty care. AIM: The study sought to elicit student views on intellectual stimulation in family medicine, and their understanding of academic family medicine. DESIGN & SETTING: This is a qualitative focus group study of volunteer students from the University of Calgary, Canada, and Newcastle University, UK. METHOD: Six focus groups were conducted with 51 participants. The data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Students associated intellectual stimulation in family medicine with clinical practice. Intellectual stimulation was related to problem solving and the challenge of having to know a little about everything, along with clinical uncertainty and the need to be vigilant to avoid missing diagnoses. Student awareness of academic family medicine was limited, and students identified it with teaching rather than research. CONCLUSION: Promoting intellectual stimulation in family medicine requires educators to highlight the breadth and variety of knowledge required in family medicine, as well as the need to manage clinical uncertainty and to be vigilant to avoid missing diagnoses. Exposure to academic family medicine could enhance students' understanding and appreciation of the role of research in family medicine.

Hands-on Cooking in Medical Schools: Diffusion of a Prevention Education Innovation.

Educating physicians early and often on how to have conversations with patients about diet to prevent and treat chronic disease is imperative, yet under realized. Some innovative medical schools have begun implementing hands-on cooking (HOC) programs to fill this gap, but how these programs are promoted is unknown. This study assessed the prevalence and innovation characteristics of HOC programs offered to medical students in the USA. Content analysis of webpages was conducted using a Diffusion of Innovation (e.g., relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability) framework. Themes of relative advantage included increasing students' confidence, improvements in medical and interprofessional education, and translating into a benefit to patients through improved care. Compatibility codes showed only a quarter of webpages referred to the program as "evidence-based." Complexity codes showed most (86%) webpages clearly described the course. About half the webpages described the program as an elective, suggesting trialability of this innovation. Many (43%) of the programs referenced use of a standardized "culinary medicine" curriculum, contributing to the observability of this innovation. Within the sample of schools, 35% provided HOC programs for their students. These findings suggest HOC programs have a strong foothold in healthcare education and provide a framework from which future studies might examine what effects innovative, successful HOC programs have on curriculum development, student experience, and, ultimately, patient outcomes.