Southern medical journal
-
Southern medical journal · Dec 2021
A Virtual Wellness and Learning Communities Program for Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the high risk for burnout and mental illness in medical students. Because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, our medical school transitioned to an all-virtual learning environment from March to June 2020, which raised concerns among student leaders and administrators, as reduced interpersonal attachments have known associations with decreased mental health. In an effort to facilitate student well-being during the pandemic, the Virtual Wellness and Learning Communities (VWLC) program was established. VWLC consisted of hour-long events that offered students the opportunity to engage with their peers online. ⋯ The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened medical student well-being and sense of community. VWLC programming may be an effective strategy for promoting medical student wellness and community while social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. To our knowledge, this is the first virtual wellness program for promotion of medical student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic to be described in the literature.
-
Southern medical journal · Dec 2021
Medical Education and the Ethics of Self-Care: A Survey of Medical Students Regarding Professional Challenges and Expectations for Living Healthy Lifestyles.
Little is known about medical students' attitudes regarding the healthy lifestyle habits they are taught to recommend to patients and whether they believe they have a professional responsibility to live a healthy lifestyle. Understanding students' attitudes and practices regarding healthy lifestyles may provide insights into the personal and professional challenges that students face as they navigate the ethical tension between obligations to care for others (altruism) and for themselves (self-care). ⋯ Most medical students support the professional responsibility to live a healthy lifestyle and believe doing so increases their effectiveness in counseling patients about healthy lifestyle habits. The medical school workload may limit some students' ability to live healthy lifestyles, however. Medical students need educational opportunities in ethics and professionalism to discuss challenges and expectations for living healthy lifestyles, with an eye toward practical approaches to living the life of a medical student that are professionally responsible and personally realistic.
-
To determine whether scores obtained from Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) or the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) instruments administered following a concussion can be used to predict recovery time. ⋯ Scores obtained from PHQ-9 and GAD-7 screening tools appear to be predictive of an individual's recovery and may help identify those subjects who may benefit from early psychological interventions.
-
Southern medical journal · Dec 2021
Association of Obesity on Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients with Cerebral Palsy.
Among hospitalized adults with cerebral palsy (CP), it is unknown whether obesity is associated with clinical and resource utilization outcomes. We sought to identify the association of obesity on clinical and resource utilization outcomes in this population. ⋯ Obesity was associated with reduced mortality among adult patients in the hospital who had CP. This finding is consistent with the obesity paradox that has been observed repeatedly in patients with other chronic diseases. Further studies investigating hospitalized patients with CP are needed to corroborate these findings.
-
Southern medical journal · Dec 2021
A High-Value Care Curriculum Using Individual and Group Structured Reflection.
One-third of all healthcare dollars are wasted, primarily in the form of clinician-ordered unnecessary diagnostic tests and treatments. Medical education has likely played a central role in the creation and perpetuation of this problem. We aimed to create a curriculum for medical students to promote their contribution to high-value care conversations in the clinical environment. ⋯ When provided appropriate resources, medical students are able to identify relevant examples of low-value care, downstream solutions, and barriers to implementation through a structured reflection curriculum comprising written narratives and in-person debate.