Medical Students’ First Male Urogenital Examination: Investigating the Effects of Instruction and Gender on Anxiety

Objectives: To investigate the effect that standardized instruction of the male urogenital examination had on the anxiety levels of students and to determine what influence, if any, the gender of the student had on this experience. Methods: One hundred thirty six second year medical students were asked to report their level of anxiety before and after participation in a small group teaching session on the male urogenital examination. We gathered both qualitative and quantitative information to better understand students’ anxiety surrounding this instruction. Results: Students had significantly lower state-anxiety scores following the instruction than before (F(1, 76)=102.353, p=.000, eta2=.574) and female students were more likely to have greater state-anxiety than male students (F=6.952, p=.010, eta2=.084). Ninety-nine percent of students reported that the teaching associates successfully reduced their anxiety. This decrease was attributed predominantly to the personal qualities of the teaching associates and to the format of the instruction. Conclusions: This study provides both quantitative and qualitative evidence that the use of male teaching associates to provide standardized instruction on the urogenital exam is effective at reducing students’ anxiety, particularly with regard to female students. Added standardized instruction may lead to increased confidence, skill, and future compliance with intimate physical exam screening practices

Enhanced IL-10 production in response to hepatitis C virus proteins by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from human immunodeficiency virus-monoinfected individuals

Background: Multiple immune evasion strategies by which HCV establishes chronic infection have been proposed, including manipulation of cytokine responses. Prior infection with HIV increases the likelihood of chronic HCV infection and accelerates development of HCV-related morbidity. Therefore, we investigated in vitro cytokine responses to HCV structural and non-structural proteins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from uninfected, HIV-infected, HCVinfected and HIV/HCV-coinfected individuals. Results: Intracellular flow cytometry was used to assess IL-2, IL-10, IL-12, and IFN-γ production by freshly isolated PBMC incubated for 16 hours with recombinant HCV core, non-structural protein 3 (NS3), and NS4 proteins. Anti-HCV cellular responses were assessed in HIV/HCVcoinfected individuals by 3H-thymidine proliferation assay. Exposure to HCV antigens increased IL- 10 production by PBMC, especially in uninfected and HIV-monoinfected individuals. This IL-10 response was attenuated in chronic HCV infection even with HCV/HIV-coinfection. The cells producing IL-10 in response to HCV proteins in vitro matched a PBMC subset recently shown to constitutively produce IL-10 in vivo. This subset was found at similar frequencies in uninfected, HIVinfected, HCV-infected and HIV/HCV-coinfected individuals before exposure to HCV proteins. HCV-specific T cell proliferation was detectable in only one HIV/HCV-coinfected individual who demonstrated no HCV-induced IL-10 response. Conclusion: This pattern suggests that selective induction of IL-10 in uninfected individuals and especially in HIV-monoinfected individuals plays a role in establishing chronic HCV infection and conversely, that attenuation of this response, once chronic infection is established, favours development of hepatic immunopathology

Effectiveness of a comprehensive mental skills curriculum in enhancing surgical performance: Results of a randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION: We hypothesized that the implementation of a novel mental skills curriculum (MSC) during laparoscopic simulator training would improve mental skills and performance, and decrease stress. METHODS: Sixty volunteer novices were randomized into intervention and control groups. All participants received FLS training while the intervention group also participated in the MSC. Skill transfer and retention were assessed on a live porcine model after training and 2 months later, respectively. Performance was assessed using the Test of Performance Strategies-2 (TOPS-2) for mental skills, FLS metrics for laparoscopic performance, and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6) and heart rate (HR) for stress. RESULTS: Fifty-five participants (92%) completed training and the transfer test, and 46 (77%) the retention test. There were no significant differences between groups at baseline. Compared to controls the intervention group significantly improved their mental skill use, demonstrated higher laparoscopic skill improvement during retention, and reported less stress during the transfer test. CONCLUSIONS: The MSC implemented in this study effectively enhanced participants' mental skill use, reduced cognitive stress in the operating room with a small impact on laparoscopic performance

Equipping Health Professions Educators to Better Address Medical Misinformation

As part of a cooperative agreement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Federal Award Identification Number [FAIN]: NU50CK000586), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) began a strategic initiative in 2022 both to increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and to address medical misinformation and mistrust through education in health professions contexts. Specifically, the AAMC solicited proposals for integrating competency-based, interprofessional strategies to mitigate health misinformation into new or existing curricula. Five Health Professions Education Curricular Innovations subgrantees received support from the AAMC in 2022 and reflected on the implementation of their ideas in a series of meetings over several months. Subgrantees included the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, the Maine Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine, and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. This paper comprises insights from each of the teams and overarching observations regarding the challenges and opportunities involved with leveraging health professions education to address medical misinformation and improve patient health

The Efficacy of Standardized Patient Feedback in Clinical Teaching: A Mixed Methods Analysis

Introduction. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of oral feedback from standardized patients on medical students’ overall perceptions of an educational exercise. We chose a mixed-methods approach to better understand the following research questions: Does satisfaction with the standardized patient exercise differ among those students who receive oral feedback and those who do not? What is the quality of oral feedback provided by standardized patients? Procedures. In order to address the first question, a basic randomized design comparing treatment (or those receiving SP feedback) to control (those not receiving SP feedback) was conducted. To address the second question, students in the treatment group were surveyed about their impressions of the quality of the feedback provided to them by their SP. One hundred and thirty six first year medical students were divided into treatment and control groups and interviewed one standardized patient during a single 20-minute encounter. Standardized patients were trained to simulate one of two outpatient cases and provide feedback using standard training materials. Both treatment and control groups completed a rating scale and questionnaire regarding their satisfaction with the encounter and students in the treatment group responded to additional questions regarding the quality of the SP feedback. Results. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed significant differences among control and treatment groups on the seven combined dependent variables, Wilks’ =.890, F(7, 127)=2.25, p<.034, ?2=.110. Students reported that the quality of SP feedback was very strong and additional qualitative analysis revealed further evidence to support the efficacy of providing oral SP feedback in a formative pre-clinical educational activity

Bridging the Gap Between Melville and Shakespeare

In the 1940s, descendants of American author Herman Melville donated his personal copies of a seven volume Shakespeare set to the literary world. The set was heavily marked and annotated by Melville, and this marginalia provides insight to the influence Shakespeare had on his writing of Moby-Dick and other works. Many literary critics have theorized about the connection Melville had with Shakespeare, but few have looked at the marginalia itself for evidence. Our research supports that connection by thoroughly analysing the marginalia to expose direct parallels between Moby-Dick and Shakespeare\u27s works. The parallels discussed in our exhibit include: the role of divine beings as they relate to mortals, the lack of reward in virtuous behavior, and the individual\u27s inherent capacity for evil. The marginalia highlighting those topics reveals Melville\u27s often meticulous and labored writing process, as well as his tendency to lean on Shakespeare for inspiration. To expose patterns and frequencies in Melville\u27s marginalia, our exhibit features new methods of quantitative analysis and data visualization, in addition to high resolution images and commentary. These technical approaches are made possible through collaboration between English students and Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty

Unifying interdisciplinary education: designing and implementing an intern simulation educational curriculum to increase confidence in critical care from PGY1 to PGY2

Abstract Background A longitudinal, multidisciplinary critical care simulation curriculum was developed and implemented within a teaching hospital to address the need for consistent, safe, efficient, and unified critical care training within graduate medical education. Primary goals were to increase learner confidence in critical care topics and procedural skills across all specialties. Secondary goals included improving communication skills and obtaining a high level of learner satisfaction. All interns caring for adult patients within our hospital participated in three 4-h simulation-based sessions scheduled over the second half of their intern year. Pre- and postcurricular surveys evaluated self-confidence in critical care topics, procedures, and communication skills. The Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare Student Version (DASH-SV) Short Form was used to evaluate facilitator debriefing. Data were compared with Wilcoxon rank sum and signed rank test. Results Pre- and postcurricular surveys were collected from 51 of 52 interns (98% response rate) in curricular year 1 and 59 of 59 interns (100% response rate) in curricular year 2 in six programs within the hospital. Resident confidence significantly improved in all areas (p  75% of interns in both curricular years 1 and 2 expressed a desire for future educational sessions. Conclusions The implemented curriculum increased learner confidence in select critical care topics, procedures, and communication skills and demonstrated a high level of learner satisfaction. The curriculum has expanded to learners from three other teaching hospitals within our system to unify critical care education for all interns caring for adult patients