scholarly journals Implementation of a study skills program for entering at-risk medical students

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia J. Miller
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Study Skills ◽  
At Risk Students ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
First Year ◽  
The Past ◽  
Didactic Lecture

While the first year of medical school is challenging for all students, there may be specific issues for students from rural areas, economically disadvantaged backgrounds, ethnic minorities, or nontraditional age groups. A Summer Prematriculation Program (SPP) was created to prepare entering at-risk students for the demands of medical school. For the past 2 yr, an emphasis was placed on the development of appropriate study plans and skills. On presurveys, students predicted an increase in their number of study hours per lecture hour, from 7.6 h in undergraduate coursework to 9.1 h in medical school coursework ( n = 35). These study plans were infeasible given the rigorous didactic lecture schedule in medical school. Interventions were made through lectures on study plans and modeling of appropriate study habits using engaging lectures in the SPP physiology course. At the end of the program, a postsurvey was given, and students reported a reduction in the planned hours of study to a more realistic 3.9 h of study time per hour of lecture. Furthermore, students planned to decrease their use of textbooks while increasing their use of concept mapping, videos, and peer teaching. The majority of students completing the SPP program with a study skills emphasis performed well in the Medical Physiology course, with 4 students honoring in the course, 27 students passing, and 2 students remediating the course after an initial failure. These results indicate that at-risk medical students may have inappropriate study plans that can be improved through participation in a program that emphasizes study skills development.

scholarly journals A study skills course for First-Year Medical Students: Experience of a Private Medical School in Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sobia Ali ◽  
Afifa Tabassum ◽  
Muhammad Suleman Sadiq Hashmi ◽  
Nighat Huda
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Study Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
National Hospital ◽  
Study Skill ◽  
Study Skills Course ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Before And After ◽  
First Year Medical Students

Objectives: To share the experience of study skill module development and implementation for first year MBBS students at Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College (LNH&MC). To compare the change in students’ self- assessment of their knowledge of study skills before and after the course. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted from November 2019 to April 2020. A structured study skills course was offered to 100 first year MBBS students of Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College, Karachi. Steps involved in the development included identification of outcomes, instructional objectives, content and instructional strategies. Students were given two questionnaires. In the first questionnaire, students rated their interest in implementing the learning techniques learnt. In the second questionnaire, students rated their level of knowledge of effective study skills before and after the course. Analysis included computing percentages for students’ preferred study skill technique. Change in knowledge was assessed by comparing retrospective pre-post self-rating using Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test (two-tailed). Results: Analysis of survey forms showed that more than 50% of the students were willing to implement active listening techniques, metacognitive note taking and writing reflections in their future study practice.There was also a statistically significant change in students’ self-rating of their knowledge about study skills (pre-test median 3, post-test median 4, p0.00). Conclusion: This study provides an insight of structured study skills course development and implementation in early medical college studies that could help them in combating academic stress. In addition, students’ response about their preferred technique and their feedback comparison concluded their positive attitude towards the course. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.2772 How to cite this:Ali S, Tabassum A, Hashmi MSS, Huda N. A study skills course for First-Year Medical Students: Experience of a Private Medical School in Pakistan. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):65-70. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.2772 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

scholarly journals Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) medical students – an examination of their journey and experiences as medical students in limbo

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Gillezeau ◽  
Wil Lieberman-Cribbin ◽  
Kristin Bevilacqua ◽  
Julio Ramos ◽  
Naomi Alpert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
First Year ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Medical Specialties ◽  
Residency Programs ◽  
Deferred Action ◽  
The Status ◽  
Depth Interviews

Abstract Background Although the value of DACA medical students has been hypothesized, no data are available on their contribution to US healthcare. While the exact number of DACA recipients in medical school is unknown, DACA medical students are projected to represent an increasing proportion of physicians in the future. The current literature on DACA students has not analyzed the experiences of these students. Methods A mixed-methods study on the career intentions and experiences of DACA medical students was performed utilizing survey data and in-depth interviews. The academic performance of a convenience sample of DACA medical students was compared to that of matriculated medical students from corresponding medical schools, national averages, and first-year residents according to specialty. Results Thirty-three DACA medical students completed the survey and five participated in a qualitative interview. The average undergraduate GPA (SD) of the DACA medical student sample was 3.7 (0.3), the same as the national GPA of 2017–2018 matriculated medical students. The most common intended residency programs were Internal Medicine (27.2%), Emergency Medicine (15.2%), and Family Medicine (9.1%). In interviews, DACA students discussed their motivation for pursuing medicine, barriers and facilitators that they faced in attending medical school, their experiences as medical students, and their future plans. Conclusions The intent of this sample to pursue medical specialties in which there is a growing need further exemplifies the unique value of these students. It is vital to protect the status of DACA recipients and realize the contributions that DACA physicians provide to US healthcare.

scholarly journals Student engagement and higher order skill proficiency: a comparison of traditional didactic and renewed integrated active learning curricula

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 685-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari K. Hopper ◽  
Daniela A. Brake
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Poor Correlation ◽  
First Year ◽  
Cohort Groups ◽  
The Impact

A large, multicampus, public medical school underwent curricular renewal, emphasizing a student-centered approach with 50% of all course contact time devoted to active learning. Determining the impact of active learning on student engagement and higher order skill (HOS) proficiency was the primary aim of this study. Following Institutional Review Board approval, two cohort groups of first-year medical students were enrolled. The first cohort ( n = 54) included students before curriculum reform in the legacy curriculum (LC). The second cohort ( n = 73) included students completing studies in the renewed curriculum (RC). Near the end of the first year of medical school, both cohorts completed a validated survey of student engagement, and a proctored problem-based assessment of HOS proficiency [Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+)]. Results indicated RC students perceived greater levels of engagement than LC (39.5+5.8 vs. 33.3+5.6), and greater reliance on HOS, including analysis, synthesis, and application. However, there were no significant differences between cohorts in proficiency of HOS when assessed by the CLA+ (LC = 1,878 ± 161 vs. RC = 1,900 ± 157). Additionally, poor correlation between engagement and HOS for both LC and RC indicated more engaged students do not necessarily possess greater HOS proficiency. Ceiling effect may explain results as medical students enter medical school as highly skilled learners with potentially little room for improvement. It will be informative to continue to track engagement and HOS of both cohort groups as they continue their medical studies.

scholarly journals First year medical students’ perceptions of the impact of wearing scrubs on professional identity: a narrative analysis in the United Arab Emirates

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e039357
Author(s):  
Sara Sorrell ◽  
Halah Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
First Year ◽  
Written Narratives ◽  
First Year Medical Students ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesMedical school serves as a critical developmental period for future physicians, during which students begin to form a professional identity. Just as personal appearance, particularly clothing, is an important external expression of one’s personal identity, ‘uniforms’ in healthcare, including white coats and scrubs, symbolise status and a group identity. There are, however, limited studies on the impact of physician attire on medical students’ formation of professional identity. Accordingly, through qualitative analysis of written narratives, we sought to analyse medical students’ experiences of wearing professional physician attire, namely scrubs, and how the uniform impacted their confidence level, performance and behaviours, as well as their identity as future physicians.DesignQualitative analysis of medical student’s written narratives.SettingKhalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences (KU CMHS) is a new medical school in the United Arab Emirates, with an inaugural class of 30 students admitted in August 2019. It is the only medical school in the city of Abu Dhabi, and the only school in the country that follows a postgraduate medical curriculum.ParticipantsAll first year medical students at KU CMHS were purposively sampled.MethodsStudents completed a voluntary online anonymous questionnaire. We employed a social identity approach to data analysis. Thematic content analysis was conducted on their narratives to identify themes.ResultsWe identified three major themes, namely (1) emotions, (2) logistics and (3) interpersonal relationships.ConclusionsMedical students form early perceptions regarding physician attire and its impact on their professional identity. Engaging in conversations regarding professional attire with educators or mentors could provide an important opportunity for students to discuss and explore professional identity early in training.

scholarly journals Does level of training Influence the ability to detect hepatosplenomegaly in children with leukemia?

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. e146-e150
Author(s):  
Donna L Johnston ◽  
Janelle Cyr
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Physical Examination ◽  
First Year ◽  
Training Level ◽  
Pediatric Residents ◽  
The Past ◽  
Ultrasound Findings ◽  
Level Of Training ◽  
Better Than

Background: Children with leukemia often have hepatosplenomegaly present. This can be diagnosed with physical examination and confirmed with ultrasound. We sought to determine if level of training influenced the ability to detect hepatosplenomegaly. Methods: All children diagnosed with leukemia during the past 5 years were reviewed. The training level of the examiner, the documentation of hepatosplenomegaly, and the ultrasound findings were collected and analyzed. Results: There were 245 examinations of the spleen and 254 of the liver. Splenomegaly was correctly diagnosed by medical students 54% of the time, by residents 81%, and by staff 79% of the time. First year residents diagnosed it correctly 68% of the time, R2s 64%, R3s 76% and R4s 86% of the time. Hepatomegaly was correctly diagnosed by medical students 44% of the time, by residents 73% and by staff 68% of the time. First year residents diagnosed it correctly 77% of the time, R2s 54%, R3s 81% and R4s 75% of the time. Conclusions: Pediatric residents had the best ability to detect hepatosplenomegaly, and were better than staff and medical students, although this was not statistically significant.

Rural “at-risk” students – Directions for policy and intervention

1989 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doris Helge
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Community Education ◽  
At Risk Students ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
School Partnerships ◽  
Treatment Services ◽  
Primary Disability ◽  
Relationship Of

This article includes excerpts from case studies of at-risk students. It discusses the high prevalence of at-risk students in rural areas, the relationship of this phenomena to rural cultures, and basic conditions associated with being “at-risk.” Necessary policy and social changes are described and how these can be achieved within the context of a given rural community. School and community preventive and treatment services are detailed. The article discusses the need to address the “secondary” disability (the emotional overlay) of an at-risk handicapped student to facilitate effective intervention with the “primary” disability. The article concludes with a description of the need for systemic change including an emphasis on self-esteem education, appropriate pre-service and inservice, community-business-school partnerships, family involvement, and community education.

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