Advances in medical education and practice
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Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic has a critical impact on clinical education, and it has resulted in the widespread disruption of clinical assessment. Clinical mentors and students in all the health professions are working within the most troublesome of circumstances in the hospital-based educational settings. Medical educationists ought to concentrate on the health and the safety of the students and communities. ⋯ A key challenge for medical educators is to simulate the clinical encounters at this unprecedented time, and this emphasized the necessity of applying virtual simulation-based educational tools in clinical education. This commentary explores how COVID-19 has challenged medical education. It also has discussed the future implications and potencial challenges of incorporating simulation-based virtual learning technologies into the medical curriculum, for the future of clinical education, and students' or residents' competency evaluation.
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Social determinants of health (SDH) are responsible for significant health disparities, morbidity and mortality. It is important to acculturate trainees to identify and document SDH. This can elevate their perceptions related to the importance and relevance of SDH. Documentation can encourage trainees to see SDH as factors which medical providers should address. ⋯ Students' voluntary logging of SDH codes demonstrates they perceived these factors to be important and relevant to patient encounters. Future analyses will examine students' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practice patterns related to SDH.
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Approximately one-third of the US population lives at or near the poverty line; however, this group makes up less than 7% of the incoming medical students. In the United Kingdom, the ratio of those of the highest social stratum is 30 times greater than those of the lowest to receive admission to medical school. In an effort to address health disparities and improve patient care, the authors argue that significant barriers must be overcome for the children of the disadvantaged to gain admission to medical school. ⋯ Structural barriers to admission are reviewed. Given the multi-dimensional and cumulative nature of poverty, we conclude that absent significant and sustained intervention, medical school applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds will remain few and workforce issues affecting the care patients receive will not be resolved. The role of physicians and medical schools and advocating for necessary societal changes to alleviate this dynamic are highlighted.
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Demand for generalist health professional knowledge and skills in pediatric palliative care (PPC) is growing in response to heightened recognition of the benefits of a palliative approach across the neonatal, pediatric, adolescent and young adult lifespan. This study investigates factors that enhanced PPC workforce capability and education outcomes in metropolitan and regional areas through the integration of dedicated educator roles within specialist pediatric palliative care (SPPC) teams through a national education project. ⋯ This study contributes to a growing body of knowledge on innovative and responsive mechanisms for enhancing workforce capability in PPC and provides additional evidence to support funding of dedicated educator roles in specialist PPC services.
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Critical appraisal is an important skill for clinicians of the future which medical students often have limited opportunities to develop. This study aimed to evaluate whether a national journal club session could improve medical students' confidence with critical appraisal. ⋯ This is the first study to demonstrate that a single national journal club session can significantly improve UK medical students' confidence with the critical appraisal process. These opportunities are valued by medical students.