Evaluating Implementation of Recognition-Based Incentive program (RBIP) During Service Learning Curriculum

Background Common Threads (CT), a student organization, produces crocheted sleeping mats for people experiencing homelessness. Due to the extensive labor of the initiative, CT was motivated to encourage engagement of medical student volunteers beyond the curriculum-required minimum hours through a recognition-based incentive program (RBIP). Methods Students were presented with the opportunity by CT to receive the recognition title of “Community Change Partner”. In the Service Learning curriculum at WSUSOM, students are required to complete clinical and outreach service hours. CT offers students the opportunity to complete outreach hours by making sleeping mats out of recycled material. To receive the title, students had to obtain 375 points. Points were awarded based on relative time commitment and value. The RBIP was evaluated by comparing the number of completed mats, monthly volunteer hours, number of recognition certificates awarded, and volunteers engaging in work outside of events in the three months before and after implementation. Results Prior to the RBIP, CT supported 30.3 monthly volunteer hours, completed 2 mats, and had no engagement outside of events in three months. After the initiation of the RBIP, CT supported 43.6 monthly volunteer hours, completed 10 mats, had 11 people engage in work outside of events, and awarded 7 recognition certificates in three months. Conclusion After RBIP implementation, there was an increase in all evaluated areas, suggesting that the program successfully improved student engagement. Implementing recognition-based incentives is a powerful tool that organizations should use to improve impact and reach of initiatives serving Detroit’s vulnerable populations

Professional Development of Medical Students Transitioning from Preclinical to Clinical Training ​

Background: Personal and professional development (PPD) is a competency domain for graduated U.S. medical students. Current research shows that PPD is lowest at transitional periods, such as the transition from preclinical to clinical training. Methods: To assess professional development at a large, allopathic medical school, a survey with seven statements regarding professional development was formed. The statements encompassed domains of mentorship, communication skills, professionalism, team work, and innovation and asked students to rank each statement from 1-5 (1 - highly deficient, 5 - highly proficient). The online, anonymous survey was emailed to all second year medical students at Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM) (n=303) over a 2-month time period after completion of a Service Learning course that fostered professional development and taught about the social determinants of health. Results: 114 (37.6%) students responded to the survey. Overall, students reported feeling most proficient in working with people from different backgrounds (average = 3.91) and least proficient in seeking advice from advisors and mentors (3.27). On average, students felt proficient or highly proficient in all categories. Conclusion: Overall, students felt their professional skills improved after the Service Learning course, and in general felt most proficient in team-based competencies. These preliminary results indicate a need for empowering students to seek advice from mentors. Guidance is especially crucial when students are facing transition periods. There is also room for improvement in teaching students to navigate difficult conversations with empathy and courage. It is also important to continue monitoring professional development over the course of clinical rotations to prevent declines in competencies

Longitudinal Professional Identity Development Amongst Medical Students

Abstract Title: Longitudinal Professional Identity Development Amongst Medical Students Background: Professional development is a core competency for medical student education. A standardized model for assessment of student longitudinal professional identity development will allow medical schools to better implement interventions. Methods: To assess professional development at a large, Midwest, allopathic medical school, a survey with seven statements regarding professional development was created. The statements encompassed domains of mentorship, communication skills, professionalism, and innovation and asked students to rank each statement from 1-5 (1 - highly deficient, 5 - highly proficient). The online, anonymous survey was emailed to all students (n = 1154) over a 2 month time period. Results: 319 (27.6%) surveys were completed. Responses between year 1-2 and year 3-4 showed a unanimous increase in average proficiency across all 7 statements. Year 3-4 had a significant increase in overall proficiency (p Conclusion: Although professional identity development follows an overall upward trend, year 3 is a vulnerable period for professional identity development. While increased accessibility to advising is needed in all four years, it is even more necessary in year 3. The power of the study is limited by the number of responses

Best Practices in Patient Education: Medical Students’ Perceptions and Implementations

Effective patient education can help achieve better clinical outcomes, especially when a patient is managing a chronic illness. Despite patient education being an important skill in the professional formation of physicians, little is known about medical students’ perceptions and implementations of such strategies. After completing a chronic illness educational module, second-year medical students were asked to rate the importance of specific patient education strategies and to assess their use of said strategies in the module’s project assignment. Results indicated students utilized different patient education strategies from those they initially identified as most effective