Project description:Lifestyle medicine (LM) is an emerging specialty that is gaining momentum and support from around the world. The American Medical Association passed a resolution to support incorporating LM curricula in medical schools in 2017. Since then, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Undergraduate Medical Education Task Force has created a framework for incorporating LM into medical school curricula. This article provides competencies for medical school LM curriculum implementation and illustrates how they relate to the Association of American Medical College's Core Entrustable Professional Activities and the LM Certification Competencies from the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. Finally, standards are presented for how medical schools may receive certification for integrating LM into their curriculum and how medical students can work toward becoming board certified in LM through an educational pathway.
Project description:BackgroundDental technologies have increasingly been implemented in orthodontic practice to offer better experiences for orthodontists and patients, however, there is no scientific evidence yet whether which technologies should be implemented into the postgraduate programs.ObjectivesTo investigate perceptions of orthodontic residents toward the confidence and importance of dental technologies, as well as to determine their necessity in postgraduate programs.Materials and methodsThe online questionnaire was designed to collect data from residents from all accredited orthodontic postgraduate programs in Thailand. The questionnaire consisted of four sections, which were (1) demographic data, (2) self-perceived importance of orthodontic technologies, (3) self-perceived confidence toward orthodontic technologies, and (4) the necessity of orthodontic technologies in postgraduate programs. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, and a chi-square test.ResultsIntraoral scanner was found to be an orthodontic technology with the highest scores for both self-perceived importance (4.37 ± 0.59) and confidence (4.23 ± 0.75), followed by cone-beam computed tomography, digital treatment planning software, and lab-produced aligners. These orthodontic technologies were also considered as mandatory in orthodontic postgraduate programs. CAD/CAM technologies appeared to be least important, and their training may be arranged as short course training. There was no significant influence of training locations on the necessity of all orthodontic technologies (P > 0.05), except CBCT. Self-perceived importance and confidence in all technologies were found to have significant positive correlations (P < 0.05), except teledentistry and in-office aligners.ConclusionOrthodontic technologies were perceived as important in clinical workflow. Intraoral Scanners, CBCT, digital treatment planning software, lab-produced aligners, and digital modeling software appeared to be necessary for clinical practice and should be considered for orthodontic postgraduate programs, while other technologies may be arranged as short course training. Further research should investigate how to arrange and organize training sessions in orthodontic postgraduate programs.
Project description:IntroductionDespite increasing awareness of media exposure to children and adolescents and the known value of media education for physicians, residency programs lack formal media education.MethodsWe designed an interactive curriculum for pediatric residents to teach health effects of media as well as screening and counseling strategies. Instructional methods were based on constructivism, experiential learning, and situated learning theories. Participants independently reflected on a media viewing, then participated in two facilitator-led 1-hour workshops of two to three residents. Facilitators received speaker notes based on American Academy of Pediatrics media guidelines. Changes in knowledge, reported skills, and attitudes were assessed by pre- and posttests.ResultsTwenty-one residents completed the curriculum from September 2021 through April 2022. Knowledge improved after the curriculum as the median score increased from 3 to 5 out of 6, although 4 months later it was insignificant. Reported skills in screening did not significantly change. Residents strongly agreed that media use was an important health issue, with medians of 9 or 10 out of 10 on all tests. Attitudes regarding residency preparedness and confidence in screening and counseling significantly improved from pretest medians of 6 and 6 out of 10, respectively, to posttest medians of 8 and 9 to 4-month posttest medians of 6 and 8.DiscussionA media curriculum for pediatric residents resulted in improved knowledge and attitudes. Enhanced attitudes demonstrated sustainability. All participants found the curriculum relevant and engaging and felt it should be continued.
Project description:PurposeCommunity-based dental education (CBDE) diverges from traditional dental school training methods by integrating dental students into primary care community settings. This immersive approach enables students to refine their clinical and hands-on skills while serving the oral health needs of underserved populations. This study aimed to identify ways in which Australian dental schools are currently implementing CBDE and compared to current evidence.Materials and methodsThis study utilized a 24-item, self-completion survey, adapted from existing questionnaires, which was sent to the CBDE coordinators in the nine eligible dental programs in Australia between mid-January 2023 and mid-April 2023. The survey consisted of multiple-choice, binary, and open-ended questions, including information on the level of student involvement, types of external clinics used, length of rotations, student supervision and assessment, pre-rotation preparation, and post-rotation evaluation, as well as challenges faced in implementing programs.ResultsSix of the nine invited coordinators responded, resulting in a 66.7% response rate. All participants confirmed that their schools had a community-based teaching program. All six respondents reported that participation in external clinics is required for graduation. Implementation of CBDE appears to be influenced by (1) level of student involvement, (2) the types of clinics utilised, (3) allocation and length of rotation, (4) student supervision and assessment, (5) pre-rotation preparation, and (6) post-rotation evaluation. Six (n = 6) institutions reported requiring a post-rotation reflection from students and all respondents reported seeking feedback from clinical supervisors at external sites. Emerging themes from open-ended questions highlight challenges in coordinating external rosters, securing funding, supervising students at external sites, and ensuring diverse types of student exposure during external rotations.ConclusionThis study provided insights into the implementation of CBDE in Australian dental schools. Results outlined in this research offer valuable insights for dental schools aiming to enhance their programs and improve student learning outcomes.
Project description:The integration of internationalization within higher education has gained attention in both international and local programs, which allows the enrichment of the institutional quality. Previous literature reveals multidimensional considerations to determine the level of internationalization, considered as pre-existing performance indicators, including: (1) ‘Curriculum and academic offerings’; (2) ‘Collaboration and partnership’; (3) ‘Student and academic staff mobility’; (4) ‘Institutional policy’; (5) ‘Resources’; (6) ‘Campus life’; and (7) ‘Performance review and accountability’. This study aimed to investigate the impact of performance indicators of internationalization on academic performance and extracurricular activities among dental students. A validated online self-administered questionnaire was distributed to dental undergraduates. The data from 93 students (response rate: 96.86%) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and simple linear regressions. The findings demonstrated that all performance indicators appeared to have significant impact on self-perceived participations of extracurricular activities (p < 0.05), while only ‘Collaboration and partnership’ (p = 0.016), ‘Student and academic staff mobility’ (p = 0.009), ‘Institutional policy’ (p = 0.008), and ‘Campus life’ (p = 0.005) significantly affected actual participations. None of them appeared to be significant predictors for actual and self-perceived academic performance (p > 0.05). The statistical model constructed in this research can be utilized as a conceptual framework in the future establishment of internationalization among dental schools.
Project description:Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of simulation-based education (SBE) across all trainee levels in various medical fields. These benefits include allowing trainees greater autonomy and the opportunity to learn from mistakes in bioethical and procedural scenarios without compromising patient safety. While much progress has been made, there is little research on the implementation of SBE in pain medicine. This study investigated the effects of interventional pain SBE on 37 pain medicine fellows at the Brigham and Women's Hospital Pain Medicine Fellowship. The study found that fellows' performance, knowledge, and comfort were enhanced by the implementation of this curriculum.
Project description:Background:New education programs are developing to improve global health awareness. Dental students have demonstrated interest in international settings but are largely unaware of global health topics. The Timothy A. DeRouen Center for Global Oral Health of the University of Washington (UW) and Harvard School of Dental Medicine expanded a competency-based global health curriculum (Global Health Starter Kit) by integrating it within the UW School of Dentistry (UW SOD) existing elective course "Global Oral Health" to undergraduates, pre-, and doctorate students from the UW SOD and Public Health. The study objective was to evaluate the curriculum effectiveness by assessing 1) Knowledge and Attitudes (survey), and 2) Didactic coursework (global trends, global goals, primary care, social determinants and risks, and ethics and sustainability). Methods:Eligibility included enrolled students with both pre- and post-assessments. Descriptive statistics were conducted to present demographic data. Significant changes on survey and didactic evaluations were analyzed with paired t-tests (p < 0.05). Findings:The population (N = 15) represented 88% of the class. All Knowledge categories had a significant increase (p < 0.05), except in the topic of tropical diseases. At baseline, Attitudes categories had high scores and did not significantly increase by the end of the course. Even though all Didactic categories improved, only Social Determinants and Risks showed a significant increase (p < 0.01). Conclusion:Competency-based global health learning can be implemented in the dental curriculum. While the study shows promising results, efforts to identify areas for improvement as well as considerations of the institution's culture need to be assessed and addressed for each teaching cycle.
Project description:Background There is an increasing body of evidence demonstrating the impacts of climate change on health. Physicians recognize the significance but feel unprepared to address it. Despite a call to action from prominent medical organizations, climate change and health (CCH) education has remained sparse. Objective To describe the development and feasibility of a formal climate change curriculum tailored to pediatric residency programs and to assess residents' pre-intervention knowledge and self-reported comfort with this topic. Methods We created a longitudinal, single-institution CCH curriculum for pediatric and combined internal medicine-pediatrics residents. Implementation and evaluation began in May 2023 and is ongoing. Several educational strategies are utilized, and assessment tools include knowledge- and attitudes-based assessments, case-based exercises, reflective writing, grading rubrics, and patient encounter assessments. Feasibility was tracked. Results Sixty-one residents were eligible for participation at the beginning of the study. Pre-intervention knowledge-based assessments were completed by 14 of the 61 residents (23.0%), and attitude-based questions were completed by 12 residents (19.7%). Baseline knowledge assessment showed varied proficiency in CCH topics, and attitudes data showed that while most respondents felt CCH education was important (11 of 12, 91.7%), no respondents felt "very comfortable" discussing these topics with patients. In the first year of the curriculum, after residents applied knowledge in a small-group, case-based exercise, most groups were graded as "not yet competent" in all categories utilizing a rubric. Conclusions This study demonstrates that a CCH curriculum can be feasibly designed and implemented.
Project description:Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP's) represent a valuable tool for gathering knowledge and summarising the latest trends in medicine and dentistry. Blended education has been found, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, to increase the level of education and stimulate effective learning for postgraduate healthcare professionals. Interprofessional education is critical for preparing students to enter the health workforce, where teamwork and collaboration are important competencies. This article outlines the key points of the Blended Intensive Programme's implementation in dental education organised by Wroclaw Medical University in Poland. BIP involved professors from 12 universities or research institutions from Europe and South America and 28 participants from 8 countries. The course was taught remotely and in person. In addition, it included a visit to the university and practical classes with artificial simulation and practice in dentistry. A structured questionnaire enabled measuring the evaluation of students' perception of the COVID-19 education before and after the pandemic. The European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students (ERASMUS) was fundamental to carrying out the BIP with the participation of several countries, allowing the exchange of knowledge, assessing the impact of the pandemic on dental universities, and strengthening international collaborations and the future project of research, education and clinical assistance. We conclude that hybrid teaching programmes broaden the learning spectrum in dental studies by allowing transnational and interdisciplinary approaches that make students aware of the importance of their work within the framework of the general health approach, as this differs from country to country.