The Impact of Mentoring on Life Science Undergraduate Mentors

Universities are increasingly encouraging their undergraduates to become mentors to others, yet relatively little research has been done to empirically understand the impact of this work on the mentors themselves. Therefore, the overall goals of this work were: (1) To evaluate the types of studies that have been conducted on the impacts of serving as an undergraduate mentor; (2) To examine the methodological rigor of recent studies and make recommendations for improvement; and (3) To asses if serving as an undergraduate mentor impacted the critical thinking of the mentors, using a valid and reliable instrument, the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). Upon searching the undergraduate mentoring literature published from 2013 through 2016, remarkably only about 6% (27 out of 454) examined the impact of mentoring on the undergraduate mentors themselves. Of these 27 papers, 7% contained only quantitative data, 22% utilized some degree of mixed methods, and about 71% were purely qualitative, primarily mentor self-reported descriptions of their experience. Therefore, I recommend more mentoring research be conducted that incorporates rigorous methods, including the use of more mixed methods and quantitative data collection, utilizing valid and reliable instruments. Subsequently, I used a quantitative instrument, the CCTST, as a pre/post assessment to examine the impact serving as a mentor had on the critical thinking abilities of mentors who were undergraduate life science majors when compared to similar non-mentor, life science majors. Prior to serving as a mentor, the mentors and non-mentors showed no significant difference in critical thinking ability (p = 0.118). However, after mentoring, mentors demonstrated significantly greater overall critical thinking ability than their non-mentor counterparts (p = 0.001). Additionally, in the subscales of analysis, inference, and numeracy, mentors showed significant improvements over non-mentors (p \u3c 0.001 for each), suggesting that mentoring, at least in this specific program for this population, does affect critical thinking ability. Overall, the limited research of the impacts of mentoring on undergraduate mentors that is available is encouraging. However, mentoring programs vary widely and more empirical evidence is needed to better understand these impacts and to maximize the benefits for both the mentors and the mentees. Advisors: Julie Thomas and Cory Forbe

How Do Former Undergraduate Mentors Evaluate Their Mentoring Experience 3-Years Post-Mentoring: A Phenomenological Study

This phenomenological study involves a unique, longitudinal assessment of the lived experiences of former undergraduate mentors (n=7) in light of their current experiences (i.e., career or advanced schooling). The objective of a phenomenological study is to engage in in-depth probing of a representative number of participants. Specifically, we followed up with graduates of the Nebraska STEM 4U (NE STEM 4U) intervention 3 years post-program, with the overall goal of describing the mentors’ experiences using the lens of their current experiences. This type of longitudinal perspective of mentoring is greatly lacking in the current literature. At the time of the interviews, all graduates were either in a STEM career or STEM-based graduate/professional program. Three major themes emerged: Career, inspiration, and challenges. Each of these themes was further broken down into sub-themes to describe the essence of the mentoring phenomenon for these individuals. This information may be beneficial for any programs that engage undergraduate students in mentoring

Evaluation of Resident Satisfaction in the Current Era: A Local Perspective on a National Issue

Background: Mitigating resident burnout is a high priority for medical centers. Monitoring residents’ overall perceptions of their training environments could be a reliable indicator of potential future burnout. Furthermore, recent national studies suggest procedural specialties have a higher burnout rate and lower satisfaction than non-procedural specialties. In the current study, we utilized institutional data from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) resident survey to better understand trends related to our residency program learning environments over time (2012-2018) and by specialty grouping (procedural versus non-procedural). Methods: Annual ACGME survey results from 2012 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed to determine trends in resident satisfaction. Specifically, satisfaction was defined as a “very positive” or “positive” response on the survey. Programs with an average of four or more residents were included. The programs were categorized into procedural versus non-procedural specialties and differential trends between the two groups were analyzed. Results: A total of 17 residency programs were included in this study (nine procedural and eight non-procedural), with a combined average satisfaction score (“very positive” plus “positive”) over all years of 89%, which is slightly better than the annual national means (87-88%). Using this combined average score, residents in procedural residency programs rated their satisfaction higher (93%) when compared to non-procedural specialties (87%). Further analysis demonstrated that procedural specialties had higher combined satisfaction scores every year of the study except for 2018. Conversely, residents in non-procedural specialties had a higher “positive” rating when compared to procedural specialties (range of 28.5-44% versus 15-33%, respectively). Conclusion: The results of our study demonstrate that the overall satisfaction scores for our academic center are comparable to or better than the national patterns, with a favorable trend towards the procedural specialties

Do I add value? A mixed methods study comparing medical students’ experiences with patient documentation

Background Clinical documentation is an essential skill for practicing physicians, yet many medical students are not prepared for the documentation demands required during residency.1,2 Recent CMS rule changes now allow medical students’ notes to be used for billing.3 Previous studies have shown positive perceptions of medical students whose notes were used in an outpatient setting.4 We utilized Constructivist Learning Theory to frame our work, where students construct their knowledge as faculty and residents facilitate the process.5 Objectives To explore if using student documentation for billing impacts student perceptions and experiences during the pediatric clerkship. Methods Pediatric clerkship students were randomly assigned to one of two inpatient hospitalist teams: Control group students (n=28), whose daily notes were not addended or used for billing purposes, and Study group students (n=42) who wrote notes that were used for billing. After study group students signed the notes, they were addended and cosigned by a resident and subsequently a faculty member who submitted the note for billing. There was no specific feedback structure or documentation curriculum provided to either study arm. We utilized a sequential mixed methods approach (quant+qual), with a survey that included fixed response and open-ended questions, as well as an opportunity to participate in a focus group. Differences in Likert-type questions between groups were assessed with Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests. Open-ended survey responses and focus groups were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, with consensus among 3 researchers and respondent validation. Results Study group students found their experience more valuable, rated the usefulness of feedback from residents higher, and spent more time reviewing edits to their notes than their peers in the control group (p=\u3c0.05).In focus groups and open-ended survey responses, themes from the study group included feeling more useful to the team and receiving more one-on-one feedback. They also reported that there was feedback inherent in reviewing supervisors’ edits to their notes. Control group students reported they focused their time on tasks other than note writing. Both groups reported that the practice of writing notes helped organize their thoughts and plans. Discussion In this exploratory study, use of student notes for billing was associated with feelings of value and enhanced feedback compared to students whose notes were not used. These findings support the use of medical student notes for documentation as a worthwhile educational practice and highlight the need for further study to define curricular interventions that foster development of this essential professional skill.https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/chri_forum/1007/thumbnail.jp

To addend or not to addend? Exploring pediatric residents\u27 perceptions of using medical students’ notes for documentation, a mixed methods approach

Background Clinical documentation is an essential skill for practicing physicians, yet many medical students are not prepared for documentation required during residency.1,2 CMS rule changes now allow medical students’ notes to be used for billing.3 Residents are often the primary authors of notes and provide medical student supervision and instruction. However, little is known about how the use of medical student notes in patient documentation would impact residents. We utilized Constructivist Learning Theory to frame our work, where students construct their knowledge as residents and subsequently faculty facilitate the process.4 Objectives To evaluate how utilizing clerkship medical student notes for billing in the inpatient setting impacts resident learners. Methods Pediatric clerkship students were randomly assigned to one of two inpatient hospitalist teams: Control group students wrote daily notes that were not addended or used for billing purposes; and Study group students wrote notes that were used for billing. After study group students signed the notes, they were addended and cosigned by a resident and a faculty member who submitted the note for billing. There was no structured feedback or documentation curriculum provided to either study arm. We utilized a sequential mixed methods approach (quant + QUAL); junior and senior residents were given a survey with Likert-type items related to their satisfaction with the process, and an opportunity to participate in focus groups. Sixteen residents who supervised the control group and twenty residents who supervised the study group completed the survey, with responses analyzed using Wilcoxon Rank Sums tests. Focus groups were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, with consensus among three researchers and respondent validation of participants. Results In surveys, residents supervising both groups reported similar satisfaction scores with medical student documentation. There was a trend towards increased time spent providing feedback on notes among the study group, but this did not reach statistical significance. In focus groups, emergent themes included the educational value for students and residents, positive impacts on student experience, minimal negative impacts on patient care, and possible impacts on team workflow. Discussion Medical students\u27 notes are being increasingly used for EMR/billing; therefore, it is important to understand upstream effects on other learners. Recently published qualitative research has explored the resident perspective, but did not use a control group, and had varying results from our own with regard to workflow.5 If use of student notes for billing is to become common practice, more study is needed to understand the impacts on resident learners. 1. Englander R, et al(2016) Toward defining the foundation of the MD degree: Core entrustable professional activities for entering residency. Academic Medicine. 91(10):1352-1358. 2. Power D, Byerley J, Steiner B. (2018) Policy change from the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provides an opportunity to improve medical student education and recruit community preceptors. Academic Medicine, 3. Department of Health & Human Services. CMS Manual System Publication100-04 Medicare claims processing: 4. Bruner, J.S. (1961). The act of discovery. Harvard Educational Review, 31: 21-32. 5. Safdar K, Dombrosky EM, Kimberly C, et al. The One Note System: Implementation and Initial Perceptions of Student Documentation in the Electronic Health Records Under the New Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Guidelines. Cureus. 2020;12(8):e9702. Published 2020 Aug 12. doi:10.7759/cureus.9702https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/chri_forum/1012/thumbnail.jp

Life Science Undergraduate Mentors in NE STEM 4U Significantly Outperform Their Peers in Critical Thinking Skills

The development of critical thinking skills in recent college graduates is keenly requested by employers year after year. Moreover, improving these skills can help students to better question and analyze data. Consequently, we aimed to implement a training program that would add to the critical thinking skills of undergraduate students: Nebraska Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math 4U (NE STEM 4U). In this program, undergraduates provide outreach, mentoring, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to K–8 students. To determine the impacts of serving as an undergraduate mentor in this program on critical thinking, we compared undergraduate mentors (intervention group) with nonmentor STEM majors (nonintervention, matched group) using the valid and reliable California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) as a pre/post measurement. Importantly, before the intervention, both NE STEM 4U mentors and nonmentor undergraduates scored similarly overall on the CCTST. However, the posttest, carried out one academic year later, indicated significant gains in critical thinking by the NE STEM 4U mentors compared with the nonmentors. Specifically, the math-related skills of analysis, inference, and numeracy improved significantly in mentors compared with nonmentors

The Rumsfeld Paradigm: Knowns and Unknowns in Characterizing Habitats Used by the Endangered Sharp-tailed Snake, Contia tenuis, in Southwestern British Columbia

The Sharp-tailed Snake, Contia tenuis, has a small and highly fragmented range in British Columbia, where it is considered endangered. Known sites are few in number and generally small in spatial extent; numbers of snakes apparently are correspondingly low. Furthermore, most known sites for the species are on private lands in areas that are fairly heavily developed or being developed. Thus, the species is under serious threat of habitat alteration or loss. Although land stewardship has been a valuable conservation tool in this case, we also need to identify the key habitat requirements of Sharp-tailed Snakes to identify potential new sites, modify former or potential ones, or even create new ones. In this study, we compared sites known to harbour Sharp-tailed Snakes with those that seemed subjectively similar and therefore potentially suitable. We also compared these known and potential sites with randomly chosen nearby locations. Variability of most measured features was high, both within and among site/location categories. Nonetheless, we found significant differences between known and potential sites and between those locations and random ones. Overall, locations known to be used by snakes had a more southerly aspect, more rock cover, shallower soil and litter, and less shrub cover than other sites. This study was constrained by the small number of known sites for Sharp-tailed Snakes in southwestern British Columbia, making our conclusions suggestive rather than definitive. Future work should incorporate additional variables. It also might be useful to undertake comparative habitat studies elsewhere in the range of the Sharp-tailed Snake where it is more common

Fostering Curiosity, Inquiry, and Scientific Thinking in Elementary School Students: Impact of the NE STEM 4U Intervention

In this qualitative study, we assessed the impact of the NE STEM 4U intervention on elementary school youth in terms of excitement, curiosity, and STEM concepts. The NE STEM 4U intervention incorporates a problem-based learning theoretical framework in an after-school time, weekly or twice-weekly intervention. We assessed student performance over two academic years of participation in the intervention using the Dimensions of Success observational tool. Ultimately, we link this mentor-led program with increases in curiosity, inquiry, and STEM concept gains. Taken together, these findings support after-school interventions in STEM areas as key encouraging excitement in youth and motivation to pursue a career in a STEM content area

NE STEM 4U: an out-of-school time academic program to improve achievement of socioeconomically disadvantaged youth in STEM areas

Background The Nebraska Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 4U (NE STEM 4U) program was initiated at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) in 2013. NE STEM 4U is a student-run, faculty-led program facilitating problem-based learning (PBL) sessions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for socioeconomically disadvantaged kindergarten through grade 8 (K-8) students. PBL sessions are provided throughout the academic year in a twice-weekly, after-school, informal education program. The instructional material provided after school builds upon the curricula of the school day. Importantly, this program is a partnership between faculty members and administrators in higher education at UNO with community partners of Omaha including Collective for Youth, Beyond School Bells, and Omaha Public Schools. We focus on engaging K-8 youth in after-school immersion experiences in STEM fields using undergraduate students as mentors and facilitators using a model of problem-based learning. Results This program fosters an educational pipeline for students with hands-on experience in problem-solving and critical thinking. The partnerships among the community provide the foundation for success for students across the K-16 pipeline. Conclusions Herein, we describe the model of this program as documented by demonstrated successes to date in an effort to guide others in developing such a model in their city or region. We also provide models for implementation of assessment instruments