Blended Learning Format for Pediatrics Clinical Rotation, Student Perspective

Introduction. Traditional medical educational models are shifting to incorporate learning technologies and online educational activities. Combining online and blended learning with the more traditional face-to-face clinical instruction appears to provide opportunity to engage leaners at remote clinical training sites. Objective. The purpose of this research study is to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of the blended-learning format for 3rd year medical students who participated in the pediatric blended learning supplement by investigating post-exercise survey responses, end-of-rotation examination (COMAT) scores and final course grades. Methods. Of the 264 third year students who completed the four-week clerkship in the 2014/15 academic year, 78 (29.5%) participated in the blended learning supplement and 186 (70.5%) participated in the traditional face-to-face course. Students in the study group were provided opportunity to complete a post-exercise survey regarding their experience with the blended learning format. The survey instrument included items specifically related to the online components of the course: 38 Likert-type items arranged in 10 sections with opportunity to provide open-ended comments for each section, as well as a 15-item adjective checklist. In addition, end-of-rotation examination (COMAT) scores and final course grades were compared between groups. Results. Overall students valued the blended learning experience. Of the 78 students in the study group, 53 completed the post-exercise survey (67.9% response rate). Of respondents, 88% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “This was a practical learning experience,” and 85% agreed or strongly agreed with “The integration of eLearning and face-to-face learning helped me learn pediatrics.” Of respondents, 50% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “I prefer this hybrid learning format to traditional face-to-face clinical rotations,” and 73% reported “The amount of work required for this course was appropriate.” Overall, 85% reported “I was satisfied with the overall learning experience.” A large number of comments (7/19 regarding “course format,” 8/19 regarding “overall experience,” and 3/14 regarding “open comments”) addressed desire to increase the amount of clinical exposure and face-to-face time with patients. Using a two-tailed t-test for analysis, no statistical differences were seen between control (traditional) and sample (blended learning) groups with regard to COMAT scores (p=0.321). Using a test for independence (using a chi squared distribution), final grades between groups were significantly different (p=0.015). Compared to the control group, more students in the blended learning group received a final grade of Honors. Conclusion. Results of this study support the use of blended learning in a clinical training environment. Students valued the blended learning approach, and while their end-of-rotation examination scores were not improved, they may have benefited from the blended learning supplement by receiving higher course grades. As more medical educators utilize blended learning, it is important to investigate the best balance between learning with technology and learning in a face-to-face setting. Online activities may enhance but should never fully replace face-to-face learning with real patients

A best evidence medical education (BEME) systematic review on the feasibility, reliability and validity of the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in undergraduate medical studies

Tese de doutoramento, Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde (Educação e Comunicação em Ciências da Saúde), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Medicina, 201

University of South Alabama College of Medicine Annual Report for 2020-2021

The 2020-21 annual report for the University of South Alabama College of Medicine catalogues the accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students relating to teaching, research, other scholarship and community service. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic continuing its prevalence, the accomplishments are significant.https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/com_report/1005/thumbnail.jp

HSLIC Annual Report FY2017-18

https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hslic-annual-reports/1041/thumbnail.jp

Virginia Commonwealth University Professional Bulletin

Professional programs bulletin for Virginia Commonwealth University for the academic year 2018-2019. It includes information on academic regulations, degree requirements, course offerings, faculty, academic calendar, and tuition and expenses for graduate programs

Decline in Pediatric Shelf Examination Performance During COVID-19

Background Medical student education has been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Medical students were removed from clinical settings, and the censuses in pediatric hospitals decreased. While there have been studies starting to evaluate these effects on medical students training in surgical subspecialties, the literature in pediatrics is limited. Objective This study analyzed third-year medical students’ National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Clinical Science Pediatrics Shelf Exam scores at the conclusion of their core pediatric clerkship. We compared the exam scores before COVID-19 pandemic to those during the pandemic. We hypothesized that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic would have a negative impact on NBME shelf exam scores and that shelf exam failure rates would increase. Methods Institutional Review Board approval was obtained prior to initiation of this study. We conducted a retrospective review of medical student pediatric shelf exam scores from June 2017 to December 2020 from one large, single institution. We adjusted scores for block schedule timing and standardized them based on national norms published for the year prior. We compared two groups: those who completed their pediatric clerkship experiences before pandemic (predominantly in-person learning) vs. those who completed it during the pandemic (predominantly virtual learning). Groups were compared using chi-square and analysis-of-variance testing. Results We included 991 medical students, 772 before COVID-19 and 219 during COVID-19. Of these, 19 of 772 (2.5%) students failed the exam prior to COVID-19 compared to 19 of 219 (8.7%) during COVID-19 (p < 0.001). Students who completed their pediatric clerkship during COVID-19 were 3.77 times more likely to fail their end-of-clerkship NBME shelf exam (p < 0.001). Conclusions Students who completed their core pediatric clerkship in a predominantly virtual platform during the COVID-19 pandemic were significantly more likely to fail their end-of-clerkship NBME shelf exam. Increased failure rates may suggest issues with acquisition and retainment of pediatric medical knowledge throughout the clerkship, creating knowledge gaps in the foundation of their pediatric experience. Long-term effects of virtual learning platforms will need to be studied further