Dataset Information

Expectations of Polish undergraduate medical students for medical humanities classes: a survey-based pilot study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Medical schools teach Medical Humanities (MH) to provide students with knowledge about the human experience related to health, illness, disease, medicine, and healthcare. Due to the previously observed negative opinions about MH courses, we examined the expectations of medical students in Poland toward humanities subjects.

Methods

We conducted a voluntary, anonymous electronic survey in one medical school (single-center study) and collected data from 166 medical students. The results were analyzed by comparing continuous and categorical variables between groups (gender, year of study, previous participation in MH classes).

Results

The students expected to learn how to communicate with patients and their families, especially about difficult topics. They also expected the classes to be active, stress-free, and without passing grades. The preferred MH teacher was a physician, although choosing a psychologist or other qualified person as an MH teacher was also popular. Previous participants in MH courses were more likely to expect such a course to be compulsory than those who had yet to attend it.

Conclusion

Considering the students' expectations when designing MH classes could increase students' satisfaction with MH courses.

SUBMITTER: Makowska M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10585903 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Expectations of Polish undergraduate medical students for medical humanities classes: a survey-based pilot study.

Makowska Marta M Dec-Pietrowska Joanna J Szczepek Agnieszka J AJ

BMC medical education 20231018 1

<h4>Background</h4>Medical schools teach Medical Humanities (MH) to provide students with knowledge about the human experience related to health, illness, disease, medicine, and healthcare. Due to the previously observed negative opinions about MH courses, we examined the expectations of medical students in Poland toward humanities subjects.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted a voluntary, anonymous electronic survey in one medical school (single-center study) and collected data from 166 medical student ...[more]

PMID: 37853376

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Project description:BackgroundMedical humanities can contribute positively to clinical practice and medical education. Therefore, in many countries, medical schools have been progressively incorporating medical humanities into their curriculum. In Italy, only a few medical schools offer a variety of medical humanities courses, often as elective. What induces Italian medical students to take a medical humanities course has not yet been explored. The aim of this study is to fill this gap by investigating whether academic performance, sociodemographic and psychological variables may influence student motivation.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study in a medical school and collected data from 260 medical students, from the 3rd to the 6th year of the degree course. The students who chose to take a course in Medical Humanities were compared with those who chose not to take such a course, analysing numeric variables (age, grade point average, psychometric scores) and categorical variables (gender, nationality, educational level, living conditions). Motivations were investigated by open-ended questions and categorized prior to analyses.ResultsThe two subgroups showed no significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics, except for age, which was lower for the students who chose to take a medical humanities course (p < 0.001). Among the psychometric scores, only the anxiety score differed significantly between the groups, being lower for the students who chose a medical humanities course (p < 0.05). Regarding academic performance, the number of examinations passed was similar between the groups, while the average grade was lower for the students taking the course (p < 0.01). Interest in the humanities and their educational potential were the main reasons for choosing to take a course in medical humanities (76.2%). Concurrent commitments and lack of time were the major obstacles to this choice (39%).ConclusionsAge, anxiety levels and academic performance seem to be inversely associated with the choice to take a medical humanities course. Considering the workload due to curricular activities when planning elective courses could increase student participation.

Project description:BackgroundPhysicians often report low levels of confidence in diagnosing and treating female sexual dysfunction (FSD), which may stem from inadequate education and exposure to the topic.AimThe study sought to determine the extent to which FSD is covered in undergraduate medical education and evaluate student comfort with the topic and familiarity with treatments.MethodsWe created a novel, 50-question survey to be administered online to any current U.S. medical student. Obstetrician-gynecologist clerkship directors at 146 U.S. medical schools were contacted and asked to invite any current student at their school to participate. A link to the electronic REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) survey was distributed to eligible students via the clerkship directors. The survey collected data regarding (1) coverage of FSD and male sexual dysfunction (MSD) in preclinical and clinical curricula, (2) student self-ratings of comfort in hypothetical scenarios in which a patient exhibits symptoms of FSD or MSD, and (3) student familiarity with treatments for FSD and MSD.OutcomesOutcomes included the proportion of students reporting that their school covered FSD/MSD in its preclinical/clinical curriculum, the mean comfort ratings for each of the FSD and MSD scenarios, and the proportion of students indicating knowledge of various FSD and MSD treatments.ResultsA smaller proportion of students (N = 236) reported receiving instruction in FSD (58.5%) compared with MSD (78.4%) in their preclinical curriculum (P < .001). Students' average self-ratings of comfort in the sexual dysfunction scenarios were significantly lower for patients with symptoms of FSD compared with MSD (P < .001). Students had higher average self-ratings of confidence in FSD scenarios if their intended specialty was obstetrician-gynecologist (P = .003), if their school included FSD in its clinical curriculum (P = .01), and if they had ever participated in the care of a patient with FSD (P = .006).Clinical implicationsThere are important gaps in the coverage of FSD in undergraduate medical education that may be mitigated through improvements to curriculum and increased exposure to patients with FSD.Strengths and limitationsThis is the first study, to our knowledge, to directly survey medical students regarding their educational experience and comfort with FSD. Our study was limited by a small sample size, the use of a novel and nonvalidated questionnaire, and the potential for bias given our sampling method.ConclusionMedical schools must work toward improving instruction in FSD for their students to address these disparities and improve students' comfort with the topic.

Dataset Information

Expectations of Polish undergraduate medical students for medical humanities classes: a survey-based pilot study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Expectations of Polish undergraduate medical students for medical humanities classes: a survey-based pilot study.

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