Kathryn N. Huggett

Reflections from an interprofessional education experience: evidence for the core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice.

The Core Competencies for Collaborative Practice identify the skills needed by every health care provider to be successful in implementing interprofessional practice. Health professions students need to build skills for interprofessional practice as emerging professionals. Reflection is a core skill needed for successful interprofessional practices. This study identifies themes from an interprofessional education research project and discusses their congruency with the Competencies.

The design and utility of institutional teaching awards: a literature review.

Background: Institutional teaching awards have been used widely in higher education since the 1970s. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review of the literature on such awards has not been published since 1997. Aim: We conducted a literature review to learn as much as possible about the design (e.g., formats, selection processes) and utility (e.g., impact on individuals and institutions) of teaching awards in order to provide information for use in designing, implementing, or evaluating award programs. Methods: We searched electronic databases for English-language publications on awards for exemplary teaching. Targeted publications included descriptions and/or investigations of award programs, their impact, and theoretical or conceptual models for awards programs. Screening was conducted by dual review; a third reviewer was assigned for disagreements. Data were analyzed qualitatively. Results were summarized descriptively. Results: We identified 1302 publications for initial relevancy screening by title and abstract. We identified an additional 23 publications in a follow-up search. The full text of 126 publications was reviewed for further relevance. A total of 62 publications were identified as relevant, and of these 43 met our criteria for inclusion. Of the 43, 19 described the design features of 24 awards; 20 reports discussed award utility. Nomination and selection processes and benefits (e.g., plaques) varied as did perceived impact on individuals and institutions. Conclusion: Limited evidence exists regarding design and utility of teaching awards. Awards are perceived as having potential for positive impact, including promotions, but may also have unintended negative consequences. Future research should investigate the impact of awards on personal and professional development, and how promotion and tenure committees perceive awards.

A Regional Perspective on the Attitudes of Fourth-Year Medical Students Toward the Field of General Surgery

BACKGROUND Despite the stabilization of match rates, negative perceptions toward general surgery are still rife among medical students. The aim of this study was to describe the attitudes of fourth-year medical students towards general surgery at a regional level. METHOD All fourth-year medical students in the state of Nebraska were invited to complete an online survey about their perceptions of the field of general surgery and the factors that influenced their residency choice. RESULTS Of the 145 respondents, 10% were interested in general surgery; this result is slightly higher than the national average. The main reasons cited by those who are choosing general surgery were personal factors; the perceived adverse external factors did not influence their career choice. In contrast, students who chose nonsurgical careers did so because of external factors, such as poor lifestyle and perceptions of an unfriendly environment. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggested regional variations in the level of interest toward general surgery and that interest in the field among medical students in Nebraska may be higher than what has been reported nationally. Students who chose general surgery did so for personal reasons, which were independent of external factors. Recruitment efforts into the field should be focused on those students who choose non-general surgery careers and on rectifying the negative influences that steered them away from the field.

Twelve tips for conducting collaborative research in medical education

Background: Developing and ensuring successful collaborative research in medical education is no small task, but the rewards to researchers can be great. Collaborative research in medical education offers significant opportunities for investigators who wish to pool limited resources and expand professional networks. Despite this, collaboration often occurs without advance planning for the logistical aspects of collaborative work. Aims and Methods: These 12 tips, derived from developing and presenting a session on strategies for effective collaboration conducted at a national meeting, will assist readers who are planning to collaborate or are already engaged in collaborative scholarship. The tips are organized into items to consider in three phases of collaboration: planning, implementation, and dissemination of outcomes. Results and Conclusions: From selecting a topic to recognizing when the collaboration should end, the tips underscore the importance of good communication, and clear expectations for participants.

Investigation of Students’ Attitudes about Patients with Substance Use Disorders before and after Completing an Online Curricular Module

Substance use disorders are often missed when patients present for medical care. The purpose of this report is to describe the pilot implementation of a curriculum module designed to influence medical student beliefs and attitudes toward patients with substance use disorders. Third-year medical students rotating through the two-month Ambulatory Primary Care clerkship (N = 99) were contacted by email and directed to a brief survey addressing students’ personal views regarding patients with substance use disorders. After the survey was submitted, students were directed to the Drexel University College of Medicine Doc.com online module about substance use. After one week, students received another email asking them to complete the same survey. Results from the pre- and postmodule surveys were compared using paired samples t-tests. Statistically significant changes were detected in 5 of13 items. The results of this study indicate that the one-hour, online Doc.com module can effectively influence medical student beliefs and attitudes toward patients with substance use disorders.

Audition Electives: Do Audition Electives Improve Competitiveness in the National Residency Matching Program?

Every year in the U.S., fourth-year medical students participate in audition electives with the expectation that the experience will increase their competitiveness in the match. Although many students devote considerable time and money to pursue these elective rotations, the process is not well documented or understood. The purpose of the study reported here was to identify the perspectives and beliefs held by medical students, residency program directors, and Careers in Medicine Liaisons about the significance of audition electives via online surveys. Despite the unpredictability of audition elective experiences, some students believe they are necessary and are willing to devote considerable resources for the opportunity. Further research is needed to examine audition elective outcomes at the individual student level and characterize program director feedback by specialty area.

Flipping the Classroom

In this chapter, we discuss a new movement among educators that goes beyond simply enhancing lectures. Here the lecture is replaced entirely with new types of learning, while preserving the efficiencies of the large group format. In this model, the aim is to maximize the availability of faculty expertise and feedback, take advantage of group learning, and ensure that learning is reinforced through application rather than memorization. This chapter details how to prepare, implement and troubleshoot a “flipped” classroom through a variety of customizable strategies.

Tailoring the objective structured clinical examination to fit the Year one medical student.

learning. The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine introduced a novel mock trauma resuscitation curriculum designated Prologue as a means of stimulating student interest in the basic sciences through real-world relevance. Why the idea was necessary Medical students typically begin their clinical clerkships in the second half of medical school and struggle to apply their basic sciences knowledge in unfamiliar clinical scenarios. Our novel, clinically based curriculum for medical students helps to bridge the gap between the basic sciences and clinical medicine early in medical school training. What was done The Prologue curriculum consists of 4 3-hour sessions. Each session includes a 15–30minute patient re-enactment scenario, relevant lecture presentations, and a 45–60-minute, openforum discussion period. The scenarios revolve around the hospital course of a mock motorcycle crash victim. The mock trauma patient is an actor, prepared by a make-up artist to demonstrate injuries such as fractures, ecchymoses and bleeding lacerations. In sessions 1 and 2, a trauma resuscitation is reenacted by emergency medicine faculty and staff, which includes real-time evaluation and procedural interventions. As procedures are performed, faculty members narrate their use of techniques and anatomic landmarks, while using actual equipment (e.g. chest tube, central venous catheter, laryngoscope, endotracheal tube, bedside ultrasonography). In session 3, the patient undergoes further evaluation and treatment in an intensive care unit setting. In session 4, psychosocial and long-term care issues are addressed. Following each re-enactment, the faculty members give lecture presentations to discuss the basic principles involved in such topics as the assessment of the airway, breathing and circulation, vital signs, shock, pneumothorax, radiological evaluation of the injured patient, traumatic head injury, procedural sedation, pain management, rhabdomyolysis, compartment syndrome, physical therapy, substance abuse, and costs in medicine. Correlations are made with anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, neuroscience and behavioural science. Each session concludes with a question-and-answer period, allowing for an interchange between faculty and students. The re-enactment script and lecture slides are available on the medical school website for subsequent student review. Evaluation of results and impact The Prologue block has been incorporated in the Year 1 medical school curriculum since 2002 and continues to be popular among the students. In 2005, evaluations were uniformly superior compared with those for other Year 1 courses. Mean scores (using a Likert scale of 1 1⁄4 poor to 5 1⁄4 excellent) were as follows (overall mean scores for the entire year in parentheses): lecturer ability to teach at appropriate student level 4.95 (overall mean 4.52, standard deviation [SD] 0.76); use of audiovisuals 4.92 (overall mean 4.38, SD 0.76), and overall effectiveness of lecture 4.90 (overall mean 4.46, SD 0.76). Since its inception, the Prologue team has won the UCSF School of Medicine’s Best Lecture Series Award.

A faculty development blog: curated and convenient

learning after simulation-based education. A wellequipped simulation laboratory was created as a protected space for learning in our institution, and it was important to train faculty members to use all available resources and techniques. A faculty development programme was planned, implemented and evaluated in order to provide faculty members with experiences in the use of simulation, feedback and debriefing, optimising existing practices and introducing new ones. The success of the faculty development programme is linked intrinsically to the faculty members’ motivation to participate in it. What was tried? This is a prospective, experimental study, aiming to improve teachers’ development in simulation techniques, feedback and debriefing. A structured questionnaire was given to 11 paediatric faculty members and to 72 undergraduate medical students to determine the skills needed in the paediatrics module. A list of skills were identified and described and organised into nine simulated themes/stations. The faculty development programme in simulation took place in three sequential steps, with no interval between them: (i) a theoretical and practical course with demonstration of simulation techniques, feedback and debriefing; (ii) preparation of simulation practices; and (iii) implementation of simulated practical stations for 16 undergraduate medical students during the paediatrics clerkship. Step 3 occurred within the paediatrics module, where simulation replaced direct practice with patients. Upon completion of the programme, teachers evaluated the faculty development programme using a Likert-Scale structured questionnaire. Questionnaires were also given to students after each simulation station and at the end of the simulation series of nine stations. We evaluated the satisfaction of faculty members in relation to faculty development and the satisfaction of students regarding the number of simulations experienced. All teachers ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that the organisational structure, the intended time and instructional strategies used in simulation training were adequate. In their opinion, knowledge and skills were increased, enriching their professional training. In this overall assessment of faculty development, using a scale of 1–10, the average score given by teachers was 9.27 (SD = 0.90). All of the students (16) were satisfied with the number of simulations and had increased confidence in the care of paediatric patients, and agreed that the time spent on the simulation activities rather than direct patient care was useful. What lessons were learned? The involvement of 100% of the teachers in the faculty development programme, with the immediate implementation of simulation activities, feedback and debriefing within the curriculum, suggests that the faculty development programme in simulation met the learning needs and contributed to the motivation of faculty members. Four new simulated stations were planned and created in the paediatric module due to the success of the experience. A qualitative research study is currently in progress in order to provide better understanding of these results.

Educating Tomorrow’s Teaching Practitioners

Creighton University is a Jesuit university, rooted in the Catholic tradition, located in Omaha, Nebraska. It is a complex institution, with a broad range of professional education programs that brings together on one campus nine different undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. Despite the complexity, there is a rich tradition of faculty collaboration and interprofessional engagement. This is particularly true within the health professions programs. In 2005, associate deans for education from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy and Health Professions, along with the Director of Medical Education Development and Assessment from the School of Medicine, convened to explore the possibility of a collaborative faculty development opportunity.