Abstract

Abstract

Introduction: This study explored motivation among a cohort of New Zealand medical students from The University of Auckland. The research questions were: 1) What motivates students to attend medical school? 2) What are the values, beliefs or cultural practices that influence students’ decisions to go to medical school? 3) How do students’ families influence their decisions to go to medical school?

Methods: Twenty medical students from The University of Auckland in Years Two and Five of a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree participated in semi-structured focus group interviews. Two cohorts of medical students were involved, Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme students (MAPAS), and non-MAPAS students. An interpretive methodology was used, and data analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings: This study found both MAPAS and non-MAPAS students have intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to attend and continue medical school. However, the non-MAPAS students had more individualised motivations to study medicine whereas the MAPAS students were more motivated by collectivism. Family and cultural customs influenced MAPAS students’ motivation to study medicine. Non-MAPAS students were influenced by positive school experiences.

Common to both cohorts was the significant influence of family. Non-MAPAS students specified family members’ professions and educational support as influencing factors. In contrast, MAPAS students identified being motivated to study medicine to improve the financial and health situations of their families.

Conclusion: All students have different motivations for attending medical school which is influenced by their culture and environment. Culture encompasses the individual and their family, inclusive of ethnicity, beliefs, values and behaviours. Family plays a crucial role in motivating and influencing students to pursue medicine.

Keywords:         Motivation, Medical Students, Culture, Indigenous, Ethnic Minority

Abstract

Introduction: The forced transition to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted medical education significantly.

Methods: In this paper, the authors compare the performance of Year 1 and 2 classes of medical students who took the same courses either online (2019-2020) or face-to-face (2018-2019), and compare their evaluation of these courses. The authors also present results of three survey questions delivered to current Year 1 medical students on the perceived advantages and disadvantages of online learning and suggestions for improvement.

Results: Performance and evaluation scores of Year 1 and 2 classes was similar irrespective of the mode of delivery of the course in question. 30 current (2019-2020) Year 1 students responded to the survey questions with a response rate of 25.4%. Some of the cited disadvantages had to do with technical, infrastructural and faculty know-how and support. But the more challenging limitations had to do with the process of learning and what facilitates it, the students’ ability to self-regulate and to motivate themselves, the negative impact of isolation, loss of socialisation and interaction with peers and faculty, and the almost total lack of hands-on experiences.

Conclusion: Rapid transition to online learning did not affect student knowledge acquisition negatively. As such, the sudden shift to online education might not be a totally negative development and can be harnessed to drive a more progressive medical education agenda. These results are particularly important considering the several disadvantages that the students cited in relation to the online delivery of the courses. 

Keywords:           Online Learning, COVID-19 Pandemic, Medical Students

Abstract

Introduction: The Coronavirus-19 pandemic has had profound effects on health professions education (HPE) posing serious challenges to the continued provision and implementation of undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing medical education (CME). Across these HPE domains, the major disruptions included the exclusion of undergraduate learners from clinical learning environments, restricted intra-, inter-institutional and overseas movement of medical professionals, termination of face-to-face learner-educator interactions, deployment of postgraduate learners into non-scope service settings, and CME postponement.

Methods: In this review we report on how in Singapore various adaptive measures were instituted across the 3 HPE domains at institutional and national level to maintain adequate resources at the frontline to meet service exigencies, promote healthcare professionals’ wellbeing and safety as well as mitigate the spread of the pandemic.

Results: We identified several strategies and contingencies developed to address these challenges. These involved the use of online learning platforms, distributed and asynchronous learning, an undergraduate Pathway Programme, and use of innovative hands-on technology like simulation. Robust, well pre-planned pandemic preparedness, effective communication, as well as provision of psychological support resources ensured maintenance of service and academic continuity, trust and resilience within HPE. However, several challenges remain, namely the timing and manner of conducting formative and summative assessments, cybersecurity, and the indispensable hands-on, in-person experiential learning for surgical training.

Conclusion: Strong leadership with vision and planning, good communication, prioritising learners’ and educators’ wellbeing and safety, and harnessing existing and emerging online learning technologies are crucial elements for effective contingencies for HPE disruption during pandemics.

Keywords:           Pandemic Preparedness, COVID-19, Curriculum Development, Online Learning and Assessment, Learner Wellbeing and Safety, Health Profession Education

Abstract

Healthcare professionals worldwide participate in continuing professional development (CPD) to remain competent in practice, and to ensure they provide high-quality care to patients. Globally, CPD systems have evolved at different rates resulting in significant variation in structure, requirements, and oversight. In some countries, CPD has moved from single profession educational designs and formal didactic methods of delivery to educational models that are innovative, dynamic, and learner-centric. In other countries, CPD is a neglected part of the healthcare education continuum. This article provides a global perspective on the evolution of CPD over the past 20 years, and identifies opportunities for the future.

Abstract

Introduction: The demanding nature of medical and health sciences studies can cause stress among students in these disciplines affecting their wellbeing and academic performance. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) is a widely used measure of perceived stress among medical students and healthcare professionals that has not yet been validated among medical and health sciences students in Hong Kong. The aim of this study is to establish the construct validity and reliability of the PSS-10 in this context.

Methods: 267 final year medical and health sciences students were surveyed using the PSS-10. The data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis for construct validity and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and corrected item-total correlations for reliability.

Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure for PSS-10, with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.865 and 0.796, indicating good internal consistency. Corrected item-total correlations showed satisfactory correlation ranged from 0.539 to 0.748 for all items and their respective subscale. Both tests supported PSS-10 as a two-factor scale.

Conclusion: The PSS-10 is a valid measure for assessing perceived stress in Hong Kong medical and health sciences students.

Keywords:            Undergraduate Students, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Sciences, Validation, Perceived Stress

I. INTRODUCTION

One of the biggest challenges at engaging undergraduates effectively in Biology modules is large class size (Wood, 2009). Typically, the class size of an undergraduate Cell Biology module in our institution ranges from 200 to 300 students. Instructors of large class modules traditionally teach didactically by simply disseminating facts, which become outdated quickly in this growing field of science. Furthermore, using didactic instruction, it is difficult to help students develop skills such as critical-thinking expected of our university graduates.

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Why this is an issue of global relevance

India is the world’s largest exporter of doctors and healthcare workforce to other nations. More than 70,000 medical graduates from India (nearly 10% of the qualified doctors in India) are in the USA, UK, Europe, and the other nations. Therefore, the quality of medical education and the competence level of medical professionals from India acquire global relevance. Over the years, several critiques have been published on Indian Medical Education (Solanki & Kashyap, 2014).

Abstract

Introduction: English is the medium of instruction in the medical faculties in Sri Lanka, although the majority of the students who admit to the medical faculties completed their secondary school education with Sinhala as their first language. This disparity presents a potential barrier to their assimilation of knowledge in medical education.

Objective: To assess the medical students’ perception of the medium of instruction in medical education.

Method: The medical students of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, enrolled from 2013 to 2017, whose first language is Sinhala were included in the study. Perceptions about the medium of instruction in medical education were assessed through an anonymous self-administered questionnaire, which used a five-point Likert scale for responses.

Results: From the total of 837 medical students, 665 (79.5%) participants had studied the General Certificate of Education – Ordinary Level (GCE O/L) in Sinhala and 172 (20.5%) in English. Eighty-eight percent (87.8%) had obtained an “A” grade for English Language in the GCE O/L examination. Over half (53.4%) of students responded that if medical textbooks were available in Sinhala, it would have increased their understanding of medical concepts. Nearly two-thirds (61%) responded that they perceived their performance in clinical examinations would have improved if those were carried out in Sinhala.

Conclusion: The findings reveal the positive perception of students towards using their first language in medical education. Specifically, students feel that concepts of medicine would be better understood if medical textbooks were available in Sinhala and that they could have performed better if examinations were done in Sinhala, their first language.

Keywords:         Mother Tongue, Native Language, First Language, Sinhala, English, Medical Education

I. INTRODUCTION

The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER^®) is a non-profit foundation committed to improving the health of communities by enhancing the quality of health professions education. This article highlights several of FAIMER’s international efforts, with particular emphasis on the fellowship programs developed in partnership with institutions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Abstract

Introduction: Several nations around the world had to close schools, colleges, universities, and other educational institutions as they were badly affected by the spread of COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of online vs physical teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, at the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences (FAHS), University of Ruhuna (UoR) Sri Lanka.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 undergraduates. The data were collected through displayed/approved results sheets of the students of selected batches in the Department of Nursing, Department of Pharmacy, and Medical Laboratory Science (MLS). Paired sample T-test was used to compare the results of undergraduates.

Results: The examination results of 47-54 undergraduates in nursing, 28 in pharmacy, and 22 in MLS were analysed. Significant differences in Psychiatry in Nursing and Nursing Clinical Attachment were identified in the Department of Nursing (p=0.001). In the Department of Pharmacy, only Pharmaceutical Chemistry I (p=0.012) reported a significant difference. The undergraduates of MLS who underwent online theory sessions had scored more in Microbiology and Immunology (p=0.022) and Basic Genetics and Molecular Biology (p=0.000) whereas in Research Methodology and Epidemiology, the undergraduates who participated in physical lectures had scored more marks (p=0.001).

Conclusion: Practical/interactive session-based course units and clinical appointments had a higher impact on the mode of teaching than many theoretical course units. The results might serve as a primer for the creation of an action plan to support the academics and clinical/practical components of undergraduates.

Keywords:           Undergraduates, Online Teaching, Physical Teaching, Examination Results, COVID-19

Abstract

Although the flipped classroom approach has been theorised to encourage active learning, recorded lectures were used as flipped learning activities in the majority of the flipped learning studies, which many still consider to be passive knowledge input. To further promote active learning, the first four modules in a pathology course at University of Otago Wellington were flipped and delivered to fourth year medical students with redesigned active learning activities based on constructive theory of learning. The innovative active learning tasks were delivered via “kuraCloud” (an online-learning platform) and included short video clips, labeling exercises, written questions with immediate feedback, multiple-choice questions with explanatory text and links provided for further information. Students were required to complete all the activities prior to a face-to-face tutorial. A mixed methods design was used in which student engagement was assessed using both survey instruments and focus groups. Results showed that students did not engage with the new flipped learning activities designed to improve active learning, they preferred the passive learning approach with exam- or clinical practice- based core knowledge summarized and delivered to them directly. Three themes emerged: 1. Students considered the time invested in the active learning activities was inefficient. 2. The flipped course challenged students’ sense of predictability. 3. The knowledge construction process was valued as application rather than learning. This might be attributed to time-poor medical students judging the value of the learning task based on the relevance to their immediate learning goal: pass the exam, the new flipped learning activities imposing a heavy cognitive load that impairs the knowledge construction process and the less predictable structure of the flipped learning environment compared to the familiar traditional lectures. 

Keywords: Passive Learning; Active Learning; the Flipped Classroom; Course Structure; Cognitive Load

Abstract

Medical education in Indonesia has undergone a long journey. It began with the establishment of medical training for native youth in a military hospital in Jakarta during the Dutch colonial period in 1849. Since then, the number of medical schools has increased according to socio-political needs. Currently, there are 83 medical schools, public and private, which generate approximately 8000 graduates per year. The explosion in the number of medical schools challenged quality of medical education. Indeed, several curriculum changes and improvements applied to elevate the quality. Undergraduate program was initially implementing Dutch curriculum, but was then changed into American curriculum. The improvement continued by implementing the first and the second national curriculum. Since 2005 a national level competency-based curriculum (CBC) was carried out for undergraduate programs, while for postgraduate clinical training the CBC began later on. Moreover, Medical Internship Program and the National Competency-based Examination were introduced following the CBC. Nevertheless, some problems with advancement of medical schools were identified, including lack of staff and facilities, existing learning cultures and limitation of experts. Accordingly, many efforts have been made, including enactment of law on medical education and national accreditation. In the future, support from international organizations in terms of financial, consultation, faculty development and accreditation should be optimized. In addition, collaboration with medical education community elsewhere would be beneficial to overcome the challenges and promote the quality of medical education.

Keywords:            Medical Schools, Curriculum Changes, Medical Education, Indonesia

Abstract

Background: The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) opened in 2005 with a social accountability mandate to contribute to improving the health of the people and communities of Northern Ontario. NOSM recruits students from Northern Ontario or similar backgrounds and provides Distributed Community Engaged Learning in over 90 clinical and community settings located in the region, a vast underserved rural part of Canada. This paper presents outcomes for graduates of NOSM’s undergraduate and postgraduate medical education programs with emphasis on NOSM’s social accountability mandate.

Methods: NOSM and the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research (CRaNHR) used mixed methods that include administrative data from NOSM and external sources, as well as surveys and interviews of students, graduates and other informants.

Results: 92% of all NOSM students come from Northern Ontario with substantial inclusion of Aboriginal (7%) and Francophone (22%) students. 62% of NOSM graduates have chosen family practice (predominantly rural) training. 94% of the doctors who completed undergraduate and postgraduate education with NOSM are practising in Northern Ontario. The socio-economic impact of NOSM included: new economic activity, more than double the School’s budget; enhanced retention and recruitment for the universities and hospitals/health services; and a sense of empowerment among community participants attributable in large part to NOSM.

Discussion: There are signs that NOSM is successful in graduating doctors who have the skills and the commitment to practice in rural/remote communities and that NOSM is having a largely positive socio-economic impact on Northern Ontario.

Keywords: Social Accountability; Community Engagement; Distributed Medical Education

Abstract

Healthcare professionals worldwide participate in continuing professional development (CPD) to remain competent in practice, and to ensure they provide high-quality care to patients. Globally, CPD systems have evolved at different rates resulting in significant variation in structure, requirements, and oversight. In some countries, CPD has moved from single profession educational designs and formal didactic methods of delivery to educational models that are innovative, dynamic, and learner-centric. In other countries, CPD is a neglected part of the healthcare education continuum. This article provides a global perspective on the evolution of CPD over the past 20 years, and identifies opportunities for the future.

I. INTRODUCTION

One of the biggest challenges at engaging undergraduates effectively in Biology modules is large class size (Wood, 2009). Typically, the class size of an undergraduate Cell Biology module in our institution ranges from 200 to 300 students. Instructors of large class modules traditionally teach didactically by simply disseminating facts, which become outdated quickly in this growing field of science. Furthermore, using didactic instruction, it is difficult to help students develop skills such as critical-thinking expected of our university graduates.

Abstract

Introduction: The demanding nature of medical and health sciences studies can cause stress among students in these disciplines affecting their wellbeing and academic performance. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) is a widely used measure of perceived stress among medical students and healthcare professionals that has not yet been validated among medical and health sciences students in Hong Kong. The aim of this study is to establish the construct validity and reliability of the PSS-10 in this context.

Methods: 267 final year medical and health sciences students were surveyed using the PSS-10. The data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis for construct validity and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and corrected item-total correlations for reliability.

Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure for PSS-10, with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.865 and 0.796, indicating good internal consistency. Corrected item-total correlations showed satisfactory correlation ranged from 0.539 to 0.748 for all items and their respective subscale. Both tests supported PSS-10 as a two-factor scale.

Conclusion: The PSS-10 is a valid measure for assessing perceived stress in Hong Kong medical and health sciences students.

Keywords:            Undergraduate Students, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Sciences, Validation, Perceived Stress

I. INTRODUCTION

Many countries enforce limits on the number of hours that medical residents work. For example, in the United States, regulations about duty hours were instituted by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education as early as in 2003, reinforcing those limits in 2011 and again in 2017 (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, 2017). These reforms triggered discussion in medical education literature about their wide-ranging effects on resident education, resident wellness, and patient care (Bolster & Rourke, 2015).

In Japan, restrictions on working hours will be implemented for physicians in April 2024 (Shibuya & Unno, 2019). Because of its rapidly shifting demographics to being a super-aged society with a low birth rate, Japan is now facing issues with residents’ learning and working that other countries will need to confront in the near future as their populations shift as well (as of late 2020). Here we report on the history and current situation of postgraduate medical education in Japan, which are highly relevant to re-evaluating postgraduate training in other countries.

Abstract

It has been a pleasure for us to act as guest editors for this themed issue on the Implications of Culture in the Education and Practice of Healthcare Professionals. We thank the TAPS Editorial team, our reviewers, and authors for all their hard work and patience and we hope you enjoy this varied issue with articles from around the region, and the world.

Abstract

Background: Smartphones are used worldwide. Consequently, it does seem to be having an impact on health-related problems if overused. However, it is uncertain whether it is associated with sleep problems or poor learning.

Objective: To determine the association between smartphone overuse and sleep problems in medical students as primary outcome and poor learning as secondary outcome.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 89 students having their own smartphones, at Hatyai Medical Education Centre, Thailand. The habits of using smartphone were obtained. Smartphone overuse during bedtime was defined as using longer than 1 hour according to Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS). The primary outcome was napping in a classroom that was defined as a problem if it happened more than 20% of the time attending class. Sleep problems using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were obtained by self-assessment. Learning outcome measured by grade point average was the secondary outcome. Multivariable analysis was performed for the association between smartphone overuse and sleep problems.

Results: Of all students, 77.5% had sleep problems and 43.6% had napped in the classroom No personal characteristics, daily life behaviours, and physical environments were associated with sleep problems. 70.8% of all students found to over use smartphones during bedtime. The Facebook website was the most popular. Smartphone overuse was significantly associated with poor sleep quality (odds ratio= 3.46) and napping in the classroom (odds ratio=4.09) but not grade point average.

Conclusion: Smartphone overuse during bedtime in medical students is associated with sleep problems but not learning achievement.

Keywords:            Napping in Classroom, Sleep Problems, Smartphone Overuse