Ana Paula Salgueira

Individual characteristics and student’s engagement in scientific research: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundIn light of the increasing recognition of the importance of physician scientists, and given the association between undergraduate research experiences with future scientific activity, it is important to identify and understand variables related to undergraduate students’ decision to engage in scientific research activities. The present study assessed the influence of individual characteristics, including personality traits and socio-demographic characteristics, on voluntary engagement in scientific research of undergraduate medical students.MethodsFor this study, all undergraduate students and alumni of the School of Health Sciences in Minho, Portugal were invited to participate in a survey about voluntary engagement in scientific research activities. Data were available on socio-demographic, personality and university admission variables, as part of an ongoing longitudinal study. A regression model was used to compare (1) engaged with (2) not engaged students. A classification and regression tree model was used to compare students engaged in (3) elective curricular research (4) and extra-curricular research.ResultsA total of 466 students (88%) answered the survey. A complete set of data was available for 435 students (83%).Higher scores in admission grade point average and the personality dimensions of “openness to experience” and “conscientiousness” increased chances of engagement. Higher “extraversion” scores had the opposite effect. Male undergraduate students were two times more likely than females to engage in curricular elective scientific research and were also more likely to engage in extra-curricular research activities.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that student’ grade point average and individual characteristics, like gender, openness and consciousness have a unique and statistically significant contribution to students’ involvement in undergraduate scientific research activities.

NEO-FFI: Psychometric properties of a short personality inventory in Portuguese context

The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the Portuguese adaptation of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and to compare the obtained structure to the original North American version. The methods of analysis used for cross-validation of the factorial structure were the Principal Axis Factoring (PAF) and the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). PAF reproduced the original structure of NEO-FFI and CFA revealed a satisfactory fit of single-factor models for the five dimensions. The reliability analysis showed high values of internal consistency which are congruent with previous international adaptations of the NEO-FFI. Multidimensional analysis showed significant main effects of gender and academic qualifications on personality using age as covariant. The findings suggest that the Portuguese version of the NEO-FFI is a reliable instrument to measure the five dimensions of personality.

Clarifying changes in student empathy throughout medical school: a scoping review

Despite the increasing awareness of the relevance of empathy in patient care, some findings suggest that medical schools may be contributing to the deterioration of students’ empathy. Therefore, it is important to clarify the magnitude and direction of changes in empathy during medical school. We employed a scoping review to elucidate trends in students’ empathy changes/differences throughout medical school and examine potential bias associated with research design. The literature published in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French from 2009 to 2016 was searched. Two-hundred and nine potentially relevant citations were identified. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria. Effect sizes of empathy scores variations were calculated to assess the practical significance of results. Our results demonstrate that scoped studies differed considerably in their design, measures used, sample sizes and results. Most studies (12 out of 20 studies) reported either positive or non-statistically significant changes/differences in empathy regardless of the measure used. The predominant trend in cross-sectional studies (ten out of 13 studies) was of significantly higher empathy scores in later years or of similar empathy scores across years, while most longitudinal studies presented either mixed-results or empathy declines. There was not a generalized international trend in changes in students’ empathy throughout medical school. Although statistically significant changes/differences were detected in 13 out of 20 studies, the calculated effect sizes were small in all but two studies, suggesting little practical significance. At the present moment, the literature does not offer clear conclusions relative to changes in student empathy throughout medical school.

Measuring medical students' empathy: exploring the underlying constructs of and associations between two widely used self-report instruments in five countries

Purpose Understanding medical student empathy is important to future patient care; however, the definition and development of clinical empathy remain unclear. The authors sought to examine the underlying constructs of two of the most widely used self-report instruments—Davis’s Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy version for medical students (JSE-S)—plus, the distinctions and associations between these instruments. Method Between 2007 and 2014, the authors administered the IRI and JSE-S in three separate studies in five countries, (Brazil, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, and the United Kingdom). They collected data from 3,069 undergraduate medical students and performed exploratory factor analyses, correlation analyses, and multiple linear regression analyses. Results Exploratory factor analysis yielded identical results in each country, confirming the subscale structures of each instrument. Results of correlation analyses indicated significant but weak correlations (r = 0.313) between the total IRI and JSE-S scores. All intercorrelations of IRI and JSE-S subscale scores were statistically significant but weak (range r = −0.040 to 0.306). Multiple linear regression models revealed that the IRI subscales were weak predictors of all JSE-S subscale and total scores. The IRI subscales explained between 9.0% and 15.3% of variance for JSE-S subscales and 19.5% for JSE-S total score. Conclusions The IRI and JSE-S are only weakly related, suggesting that they may measure different constructs. To better understand this distinction, more studies using both instruments and involving students at different stages in their medical education, as well as more longitudinal and qualitative studies, are needed.

Depression in medical students: insights from a longitudinal study

BackgroundFactors associated with depression of medical students are poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of depression in medical students, its change during the course, if depression persists for affected students, what are the factors associated with depression and how these factors change over time.MethodsA prospective, longitudinal observational study was conducted at the Medical School of the University of Minho, Portugal, between academic years 2009–2010 to 2012–2013. We included students who maintained their participation by annually completing a questionnaire including Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Anxiety and burnout were assessed using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory and Maslach Burnout Inventory. Surveys on socio-demographic variables were applied to evaluate potential predictors, personal and academic characteristics and perceived difficulties. ANOVA with multiple comparisons were used to compare means of BDI score. The medical students were organized into subgroups by K-means cluster analyses. ANOVA mixed-design repeated measurement was performed to assess a possible interaction between variables associated with depression.ResultsThe response rate was 84, 92, 88 and 81% for academic years 2009–2010, 2010–2011,2011-2012 and 2012/2013, respectively. Two hundred thirty-eight medical students were evaluated longitudinally. For depression the prevalence ranged from 21.5 to 12.7% (academic years 2009/2010 and 2012/2013). BDI scores decreased during medical school. 19.7% of students recorded sustained high BDI over time. These students had high levels of trait-anxiety and choose medicine for anticipated income and prestige, reported more relationship issues, cynicism, and decreased satisfaction with social activities. Students with high BDI scores at initial evaluation with low levels of trait-anxiety and a primary interest in medicine as a career tended to improve their mood and reported reduced burnout, low perceived learning problems and increased satisfaction with social activities at last evaluation. No difference was detected between men and women in the median BDI score over time.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that personal factors (anxiety traits, medicine choice factors, relationship patterns and academic burnout) are relevant for persistence of high levels of BDI during medical training. Medical schools need to identity students who experience depression and support then, as early as possible, particularly when depression has been present over time.

Experiencia de la transición a la fase clínica de los estudiantes de medicina que ingresan con posesión de otro grado: un estudio de caso

Introducao. Internacionalmente tem-se assistido a extensao da oferta formativa de cursos de Medicina de menor duracao a candidatos detentores de um grau academico superior previo. Este estudo de caso procura compreender a experiencia dos estudantes licenciados nestes cursos, a fim de identificar fatores que condicionem a sua formacao durante o inicio da aprendizagem clinica em contexto hospitalar. Sujeitos e metodos. Os participantes sao estudantes licenciados do curso de medicina da Universidade do Minho em Portugal (n=5) que atravessam a transicao entre a fase pre-clinica e a fase clinica do curso. No final da primeira unidade curricular clinica realizou-se un grupo de discussao. Os transcritos foram analisados segunso os principios de Grounded-Theory. Resultados. Os participantes relataram facilidade no contacto com os pacientes e utilizacao de competencias de estudo durante a aprendizagem. Apontaram como dificultades principais o primeiro contacto com a morte e a doenca no meio hospitalar, a quantidade de conhecimentos a adquirir na antes de iniciarem a formacao clinica e a transferencia dos mesmos para a pratica clinica. Conclusoes. Este estudo de caso revelou que as principais dificuldades dos estudantes licenciados se relacionavam com lidar com pacientes e com a mobilizacao para a pratica da grande quantidade de conteudo aprendido na fase pre-clinica. Estas dificuldades poderao ser minoradas pelas inclusao de maior contacto com pacientes e com a pratica clinica na fase pre-clinica.

A experiência de transição para a fase clínica de alunos de medicina detentores de grau prévio : um estudo de caso

Introducao. Internacionalmente tem-se assistido a extensao da oferta formativa de cursos de Medicina de menor duracao a candidatos detentores de um grau academico superior previo. Este estudo de caso procura compreender a experiencia dos estudantes licenciados nestes cursos, a fim de identificar fatores que condicionem a sua formacao durante o inicio da aprendizagem clinica em contexto hospitalar. Sujeitos e metodos. Os participantes sao estudantes licenciados do curso de medicina da Universidade do Minho em Portugal (n=5) que atravessam a transicao entre a fase pre-clinica e a fase clinica do curso. No final da primeira unidade curricular clinica realizou-se un grupo de discussao. Os transcritos foram analisados segunso os principios de Grounded-Theory. Resultados. Os participantes relataram facilidade no contacto com os pacientes e utilizacao de competencias de estudo durante a aprendizagem. Apontaram como dificultades principais o primeiro contacto com a morte e a doenca no meio hospitalar, a quantidade de conhecimentos a adquirir na antes de iniciarem a formacao clinica e a transferencia dos mesmos para a pratica clinica. Conclusoes. Este estudo de caso revelou que as principais dificuldades dos estudantes licenciados se relacionavam com lidar com pacientes e com a mobilizacao para a pratica da grande quantidade de conteudo aprendido na fase pre-clinica. Estas dificuldades poderao ser minoradas pelas inclusao de maior contacto com pacientes e com a pratica clinica na fase pre-clinica.

The experience of graduate entry students in the transition to the clinical phase: a case study

Introducao. Internacionalmente tem-se assistido a extensao da oferta formativa de cursos de Medicina de menor duracao a candidatos detentores de um grau academico superior previo. Este estudo de caso procura compreender a experiencia dos estudantes licenciados nestes cursos, a fim de identificar fatores que condicionem a sua formacao durante o inicio da aprendizagem clinica em contexto hospitalar. Sujeitos e metodos. Os participantes sao estudantes licenciados do curso de medicina da Universidade do Minho em Portugal (n=5) que atravessam a transicao entre a fase pre-clinica e a fase clinica do curso. No final da primeira unidade curricular clinica realizou-se un grupo de discussao. Os transcritos foram analisados segunso os principios de Grounded-Theory. Resultados. Os participantes relataram facilidade no contacto com os pacientes e utilizacao de competencias de estudo durante a aprendizagem. Apontaram como dificultades principais o primeiro contacto com a morte e a doenca no meio hospitalar, a quantidade de conhecimentos a adquirir na antes de iniciarem a formacao clinica e a transferencia dos mesmos para a pratica clinica. Conclusoes. Este estudo de caso revelou que as principais dificuldades dos estudantes licenciados se relacionavam com lidar com pacientes e com a mobilizacao para a pratica da grande quantidade de conteudo aprendido na fase pre-clinica. Estas dificuldades poderao ser minoradas pelas inclusao de maior contacto com pacientes e com a pratica clinica na fase pre-clinica.