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Behavioral assessment of soft skill development in a highly structured pre-health biology course for undergraduates.

ABSTRACT: In this study, we assessed a highly structured, yearlong, case-based course designed for undergraduate pre-health students. We incorporated both content learning assessments and developed a novel method called Multiple Mini Exams for assessing course impact on the development of skills that professional schools often seek in pre-health students, focusing on students' abilities to collaborate with others, display bedside manners, synthesize patient case details, appropriately use scientific and medical language, and effectively attain patients' medical histories. This novel method utilized a rubric based on desired medical student skills to score videotaped behaviors and interactions of students role playing as doctors in a hypothetical patient case study scenario. Overall, our findings demonstrate that a highly structured course, incorporating weekly student performance and presentation of patient cases encompassing history taking, diagnosis, and treatment, can result in content learning, as well as improve desired skills specific for success in medical fields.

SUBMITTER: Tran J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11360546 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Behavioral assessment of soft skill development in a highly structured pre-health biology course for undergraduates.

Tran Joanne J Meller Leo L Le Vy V Tam Jasmine J Nicholas Andrea A

Journal of microbiology & biology education 20240611 2

In this study, we assessed a highly structured, yearlong, case-based course designed for undergraduate pre-health students. We incorporated both content learning assessments and developed a novel method called Multiple Mini Exams for assessing course impact on the development of skills that professional schools often seek in pre-health students, focusing on students' abilities to collaborate with others, display bedside manners, synthesize patient case details, appropriately use scientific and m ...[more]

PMID: 38860778

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Project description:PurposeRecently, some attempts have been made to integrate lung ultrasound (LUS) teaching into medical curricula. However, current education studies of LUS are extremely heterogeneous due to the lack of evidence-based guidelines on LUS education. In particular, the assessment of competencies is poorly standardized and mostly relies on non-validated scales. A new validated tool, the objective structured assessment of lung ultrasound skills (LUS-OSAUS), has the potential to overcome these limitations. Therefore, we adopted the LUS-OSAUS tool to assess the competencies of a group of LUS-trained undergraduates. Existing no prior practical applications of the LUS-OSAUS, our aim was to investigate the practical utility of this tool and its applicability in the evaluation of US-trained medical students.MethodsEight undergraduates (two males, six females) were enrolled on a voluntary basis to receive a theoretical and practical training in LUS. Once completed their training, each student performed an LUS examination on a different patient hospitalized for respiratory symptoms. The same eight patients were also scanned by a senior resident in emergency medicine for a comparison with students' results. Students and the senior resident were tested by an examiner using the LUS-OSAUS tool. We compared the scores obtained by operators in all areas of competence of the LUS-OSAUS, the total scores, and the time needed to complete the sonographic task.ResultsMedian students' score in the single items of the scale was significantly lower than the ones obtained by the senior resident (4.0 [3.3-5.0] vs. 5.0 [5.0-5.0]; p < 0.0001). Students scored significantly lower than the senior resident in each item, except for B-line identification, choice of the correct transducer, and suggested focused questions. Median total score was also lower for students compared to the senior resident (70.5 [61.0-74.8] vs. 84.0 [83.5-84.3] (p = 0.0116). Median time required to complete the examination was significantly higher for students (14.1 [12.8-16.1] vs. 4.7 [3.9-5.2] min, p = 0.0117).ConclusionsThe LUS-OSAUS tool allowed for a standardized and comprehensive assessment of student's competencies in lung ultrasound, and helped to discriminate their level of expertise from that of a more experienced operator. The scale also specifically tests the theoretical knowledge of trainees, thus making redundant the use of questionnaires designed for this purpose.

Project description:ObjectiveAssessment of the quality of the final product (QFP) is critical in simulation training, such as the clock face suture (CFS) exercise that is used to assess trainees' needle handling and suturing accuracy. Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill (OSATS) scores are the gold standard for the evaluation of trainees. The aim was to investigate variability in the use of OSATS checklists and to evaluate a semi-automatic method of suture analysis vs. OSATS scores.MethodsDetails of 287 CFSs performed by trainees during Fundamentals in Vascular Surgery examinations were collected. All were rated according to a seven item OSATS checklist, including QFP score and an overall score by one or two expert surgeons immediately after completion. Interassessor variability was assessed for the CFS that were assessed by two assessors.In order to assess intra- and interassessor variability, 50 CFS pictures were chosen randomly and submitted to three expert surgeons to rate the QFP twice and to carry out a semi-automatic image analysis of each CFS and the estimated cumulative error (CE; mm) recorded. It was hypothesised that the CE correlates to OSATS checklist items or overall score. Variables were compared for correlation with OSATS results using a linear regression. A Pearson's test was used to confirm the proposed hypothesis.ResultsMean ± standard deviation overall score for the OSATS checklist was 20.61 ± 6.33. Inter- and intra-assessor correlation were statistically significant regarding OSATS checklist items. Both correlations presented a low coefficient of determination, indicating variability. The mean CE was 16.07 ± 4.84 mm, and the correlation between the QFP and CE was statistically significant, proving that CE is an objective metric by which to assess the QFP.ConclusionOSATS score demonstrated intra- and interassessor variability, although there was a significant correlation between scores. CE is an objective metric that is not subject to assessor subjectivity or interassessor variability and is correlated with the gold standard of evaluation.

Dataset Information

Behavioral assessment of soft skill development in a highly structured pre-health biology course for undergraduates.

Publications

Behavioral assessment of soft skill development in a highly structured pre-health biology course for undergraduates.

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