Background Competency-based education improves the quantity and quality of healthcare professionals, though many countries are yet to transition from traditional education. This study aimed to identify competencies for medical and dental undergraduates in Ghana, and explore experiences and perceptions of implementing competency-based education in medical and dental undergraduate programmes in Ghana. Methods A two-day consensus workshop was held, alongside semi-structured interviews with medical and dental leadership in Ghana, and an online survey of medical and dental faculty and students. In the workshop, a nominal group technique was used to reach consensus on competencies. Interviews explored perceptions of competency-based education and its implementation with medical and dental leaders. The online survey was distributed across all faculty in medical and dental schools in Ghana and cascaded to students to explore perceptions of competency-based education amongst faculty and student stakeholders. Interview and survey participant characteristics are narratively summarised, with open-ended survey responses and interview transcripts undergoing content and thematic analysis respectively. Results Twenty-six leaders took part in the consensus workshop, with 18 of these interviewed. Completed surveys were received from 70 participants. A ten domain, 63-item competency framework for medical and dental graduates in Ghana was produced. Competency-based education was perceived positively by all stakeholder groups, and reported as the way forward in medical and dental education in Ghana through producing more confident and competent graduates. Challenges were raised, including ensuring stakeholder buy-in, organising regulator and institution communications, and securing physical infrastructure, digital resources and funding. The concept of harmonising curricula was positively received, having been previously attempted by several institutions in Ghana, but the same challenges affecting its development and implementation were identified. Conclusion The harmonised competency-based outcomes framework developed in this study serves as a starting point in ensuring the consistent production of high quality medical and dental graduates in Ghana. Implementation will require the regulator leading and monitoring individual institutions for compliance and providing support.
Background The General Medical Council (GMC) National Training Survey (NTS) provides comprehensive national benchmarking of postgraduate medical training in the UK and has consistently highlighted high levels of satisfaction with supervision alongside persistent challenges relating to trainee wellbeing, discrimination, and workforce pressures. While invaluable, its national scope limits detailed interrogation of region-specific training processes and the evaluation of local interventions. This study reports a two-year regional trainee attitudinal survey from the North West of England, designed to supplement national GMC findings through increased granularity and to explore changes following local initiatives. Methods A structured, anonymous survey was distributed to all postgraduate medical trainees in the North West Deanery in 2023 and repeated in 2024. The questionnaire covered demographics, teaching and learning opportunities, supervisory support, usability of the new curricula, access to study budgets, and experiences of discrimination. Responses were analysed descriptively and compared across years. Findings were interpreted alongside GMC NTS results from 2023–2025. Results Responses were received from 166 trainees in 2023 and 151 in 2024. Modest numerical improvements in satisfaction with teaching opportunities and high, stable satisfaction with supervisory support were observed, consistent with national trends. The proportion of trainees working less-than-full-time increased significantly. Although numerical reductions in reported discrimination were seen following the introduction of bystander training, these changes were not statistically significant. Persistent challenges regarding study budget sufficiency and reimbursement were observed across both survey years. Conclusions This regional survey demonstrates trends aligned with national GMC findings while providing additional, deanery-level insight into locally modifiable aspects of training. Regional trainee surveys represent a valuable adjunct to national benchmarking by enabling contextualised interpretation of national data and cautious evaluation of local interventions.
Introduction Clinical empathy involves understanding a patient’s illness experience and acting on it to provide collaborative care. Despite evidence that clinical empathy leads to improved patient outcomes and physician wellbeing, clinical empathy declines in medical students during training. The primary objective of this study was to explore medical students’ perspectives on how elements of medical education influence their clinical empathy. Methods We conducted a qualitative focus group study using adapted constructivist grounded theory methodology. Students from Ontario medical schools took part in semi-structured virtual focus groups between April 2022 and March 2023. Transcripts were coded using constant comparison and adapted into visual networks to conceptualize students’ experiences with clinical empathy training. Feedback on current curricular elements was analyzed descriptively. Results Twenty students participated in five focus groups. The resultant conceptual model illustrated that students learn empathy mostly from structured teaching in preclerkship and the ‘hidden curriculum’ in clerkship. How these experiences affect empathy depends on personal factors (inherent empathy, wellness, cognitive load), preceptor factors (modelling, specialty, behaviour toward learners, burnout) and school factors (curriculum, assessment). Students identified targets for improvement, including integrating humanistic and medical teaching, involving patients in education, promoting interdisciplinary experiences, and teaching psychologically-safe empathy practices. Conclusion Although educational interventions targeting empathy can have positive effects, they can prompt students to deprioritize empathy if implemented incorrectly. A focus on student well-being, supportive learning environments, and empathetic preceptor behaviour is necessary for students to yield optimal benefit from these interventions.
Background Dental education is undergoing continuous development to align with evolving healthcare demands. Understanding students’ academic experiences, curriculum perceptions, research involvement, and career expectations is essential for improving training quality. This study aimed to assess these factors among dental students. Methods This cross-sectional descriptive study included 194 dental students from the second year to the internship level. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected through a structured, self-administered questionnaire assessing academic experiences, curriculum perceptions, research involvement, community engagement, and career expectations. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were performed, with significance set at p < .05. Results Of the participants, 56.7% were female, and 43.3% reported having considered leaving dental school. Research involvement was reported by 40.7% of students, with lack of knowledge and time constraints identified as key barriers. Time-management difficulties were the most commonly reported academic challenge (33.0%). Perceptions of the curriculum were divided, with significant differences observed across academic levels (p = .020). Differences between preclinical and clinical training were reported by 48.5% of students (p < .001). Career expectations were generally high (65.5%), although they varied significantly across academic levels (p = .001). Conclusion Dental students reported varied academic experiences, with challenges in time management, research engagement, and clinical transition. These exploratory findings highlight the need for targeted educational support and further validation.
Objective Cell biology courses in medical education often emphasize molecular detail without sufficient clinical integration, which can reduce student motivation and hinder application of knowledge. Embedding diagnostic reasoning into basic science teaching may enhance engagement and relevance. We developed short, task-based exercises in which students are actively encouraged to infer potential clinical symptoms of genetically determined diseases from cellular mechanisms. Methods Each task followed three steps: (1) introduction to a specific cellular process, (2) guided prediction of clinical manifestations resulting from dysfunction of key proteins, and (3) verification of hypotheses through published literature. Tasks were implemented into first-year medical student seminars of Medical Biology in both face-to-face and online formats. Evaluation was based on assessments by experienced teachers and a student questionnaire at the end of the course. Results Two illustrative tasks were presented: role of adhesion proteins in leukocyte extravasation, linked to leukocyte adhesion deficiency syndromes, and sarcolemma–cytoskeleton interactions, associated with various muscular dystrophies. Teachers as well as students consistently rated the tasks positively in surveys conducted. Better understanding of the connection between cellular mechanisms and clinical symptoms, greater confidence in diagnostic reasoning, and an increased ability to search and interpret scientific literature were reported. Based on the evaluation, modifications to the learning outcomes were proposed to place greater emphasis on the ability to draw conclusions from cellular processes. Conclusion Integrating short, clinically anchored exercises into cell biology teaching provides an effective means of activating student learning and fostering early diagnostic reasoning. This approach strengthens the perceived relevance of basic science, supports critical thinking, and offers a scalable model for enhancing preclinical medical curricula.
Background Healthcare brain drain challenges health systems in developing countries, and Iran loses considerable medical talent annually. Bright Talents Committee medical students are pivotal to the national health system yet exhibit high emigration propensity. This study examined the cultural, educational, and social correlates of migration intention, alongside demographic differences. Methods In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, 150 talented students (professional doctorate/postgraduate) from Iran’s Region 4 were surveyed using validated tools: Neill’s Educational Satisfaction Questionnaire, Pascarella and Terenzini’s Institutional Integration Scale, and Seeman’s Cultural Alienation Questionnaire. Migration intention was assessed via a 5-point Likert scale (Cronbach’s α=0.85). Data were analyzed (SPSS 26) using Pearson correlations, t-tests/ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. Sample size was determined a priori by power analysis (medium effect, power=0.80, α=0.05). Inclusion criteria were registration in a Region 4 Bright Talents Committee program, current student status, and written informed consent; students with over six months of prior study or work abroad were excluded. Results Migration intention was high (51.2% scoring ≥4; M=3.8/5, SD=0.9). Cultural factors were significantly associated with migration intention (r=0.367, p<0.001; unstandardized B=0.10, p=0.001; R 2 =0.14), whereas the bivariate associations for social (r=-0.166, p=0.050) and educational factors (r=-0.217, p=0.031) did not remain significant in the multivariable model (B=-0.04, p=0.409 and B=-0.01, p=0.592). Social factors differed by gender (p=0.032), cultural factors by marital status (p=0.041), and social factors and educational satisfaction by economic status (p<0.05 each). Age, GPA, and field/level of study showed no significant associations (p>0.05). Conclusion Cultural alienation was the strongest correlate of migration intentions, though the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference. The attenuation of educational and social associations in the multivariable model suggests substantial shared variance with cultural alienation. These findings highlight cultural belonging as a target for student support and retention policy, pending careful appraisal of specific interventions.
The 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization devolved abortion regulation to individual states, producing a fragmented legal environment that complicates clinical education in obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn). In this Scholarly Perspective, we develop four sequential arguments. First, post-Dobbs legal fragmentation has materially constrained the infrastructure of abortion training, including the geographic distribution of Complex Family Planning (CFP) fellowships and the reliance on interstate rotations. Second, comprehensive reproductive health training matters not only for elective abortion provision but also for the procedural and counseling skills required to manage miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and obstetric emergencies – clinical needs that exist in every state. Third, even where abortion remains legal, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s (ACGME) opt-out training requirement has not been uniformly implemented, and 46% of U.S. Ob/Gyn residency programs lack routine abortion training across all states. Fourth, a coordinated response is feasible and should focus on protected interstate training partnerships, sustained support for CFP fellowships, expansion of validated online and simulation-based curricula, and clearer enforcement of national training standards. We close by acknowledging the limits of training reform: educational adaptation can mitigate, but cannot substitute for, the policy changes required to restore equitable access to reproductive health care.
Peer learning is a collaborative approach grounded in social constructivist theory, emphasizing that knowledge is co-created through interaction. In medical education, it promotes active engagement, critical thinking, and professional identity formation. Within the author’s research group, PhD students in the field of neurosurgery and medical students working on their undergraduate medical research projects, benefit from structured peer learning by sharing expertise, discussing challenges, and providing feedback. This aligns with communities of practice theory, where learning occurs through participation in a shared domain, and with Topping’s framework highlighting peer tutoring as a reciprocal process that enhances cognitive and social development. Recent studies demonstrate that peer assisted learning improves clinical knowledge, practical skills acquisition, and learner engagement compared with traditional teaching approaches. These effects appear particularly strong in clinical and applied contexts, with evidence suggesting retention beyond the immediate learning period and improved transfer to performance. Integrating peer learning as a deliberate strategy strengthens academic outcomes and fosters lifelong learning skills. The Kirkpatrick framework can be used to evaluate the design, implementation, and outcomes of peer learning (PL) interventions. In line with these traditions, recent work in Academic Medicine has clarified mechanisms through which longitudinal near-peer learning operates—structured preparation, dynamic role-shifting during joint encounters, and post-encounter debriefing within trusted relationships—offering concrete practices that can be translated into the proposed setting.
Objective In 2024 the Surgeon General declared firearm violence a public health crisis. Suicide by firearm continues to rise despite much public health outreach. Fortunately, health professionals are uniquely positioned to educate their patients on violence prevention and firearm safety. Methods The Violence Prevention (VP) ECHO team developed a curriculum based on the most common etiologies: substance use, domestic and intimate partner violence, poor mental health, and social and environmental determinants of health. Thirty-six virtual sessions divided into 5 Series were developed between Fall 2023 and Fall 2025. Results A total of 1172 unique participants attended 5664 times from 45 US states, and 27 other countries. Most were allied health professionals (34%) followed by social workers (24%), nurses/nurse practitioners (14%) and doctors (6%). A total of 2163 no-cost continuing medical education/education units (CME/CEU) were given. Series 1 A retrospective pre-post survey evaluation showed significant improvement in all categories of knowledge and self-efficacy (p<.0001). Series 2 A linked virtual poll (N=45) assessing knowledge (etiology of firearm deaths) and self-efficacy (communication skills with patients) demonstrated significant improvement (p<.0001) between sessions 1 and session 8. Series 3 Survey results showed that participants significantly improved knowledge and self-efficacy 3-months post-series. Series 1-5 The overall response rate for the post-evaluation surveys was 45% and 2163 CME/CEU were awarded. A total of 1,733 (68%) survey respondents reported that they will use what they learned in the sessions while 57% reported that there were no barriers to using what they had learned. Conclusions The VP ECHO program can successfully train hundreds of health professionals on firearm violence prevention by improving knowledge, self-efficacy and communication skills. The capacity-building potential of Project ECHO allows for more health professionals to gain the knowledge and skills needed to curb violence in our communities.
Introduction Participation in research enables medical students to develop critical appraisal, communication, problem-solving, and analytical skills. As research engagement is increasingly important for medical education and progression into postgraduate training pathways, this study aimed to assess medical students’ perceptions of research, identify perceived barriers to participation, and compare attitudes across student cohorts. Methods Medical students at University College Cork were invited to complete an online questionnaire via the Qualtrics platform. The survey included multiple-choice, open-text, and Likert-scale questions assessing the perceived importance of research and barriers to participation. Data were processed and analysed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS, respectively. Frequency analyses and chi-squared tests were conducted to examine differences between student cohorts. Results A total of 114 students participated, including 60.5% from the EU and 39.5% from outside the EU. Overall, 82.4% of respondents considered research important to their medical education, including 82.6% of EU students and 82.2% of non-EU students. Additionally, 81.4% considered research important for their future careers. The most commonly reported barriers to research participation were limited time (77.2%) and limited research knowledge (75.3%). No significant differences were observed between EU and non-EU students in perceptions of research importance. Conclusions This study highlights the perceived importance of research by medical students, whilst identifying significant barriers such as limited research knowledge and insufficient mentorship hindering their participation. Concerted efforts to address these challenges may foster greater student engagement in research, ultimately benefiting their academic development and career progression.
Objective Active learning strategies including small-group methods have gained prominence in medical education, yet their effectiveness in anatomy education somehow remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of snowball technique (ST)- a progressive small-group discussion method-compared to traditional lecture-based learning (LBL) in head and neck anatomy education among medical students. Methods This pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental study, which included a control group comparison, was conducted over two academic years. A total of 333 undergraduate medical students were assigned to one of two groups using convenience sampling with non-random allocation by existing class sections: the ST group (n = 165) and the LBL group (n = 168). Both groups followed the same course plan, learning objectives, and had the same instructor. Valid and reliable questionnaires were used to collect data on student demographics, satisfaction, and knowledge. Data were analyzed with SPSS software version 22. Results Students in the ST group (40.62 ± 3.46) reported significantly higher satisfaction than those in the LBL group (29.27 ± 3.39) (P = .001; Cohen’s d = 2.89, 95% CI: 2.58–3.20). A paired t-test comparing pre-test and post-test scores revealed significant improvements in both groups, with the ST group demonstrating more pronounced gains (ST within-group d = 2.87, 95% CI: 2.56–3.18; LBL within-group d = 2.45, 95% CI: 2.16–2.74). After three training courses, the final knowledge scores were significantly higher for the ST method compared to the LBL method (P = 0.014; d = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.05–0.49). Conclusion ST significantly enhanced medical students’ satisfaction and knowledge of head and neck anatomy, and they can be effectively used to teach practical courses alongside traditional lectures. Based on the positive outcomes across three sessions, we recommend implementing ST for 3-5 sessions per anatomy course per academic term.
Background Interprofessional communication between midwives and physicians is essential for the successful management of obstetrical cases, including emergencies. The Situation-Background-Assessment- Recommendation (SBAR) tool is an established communication model that facilitates communication among medical teams. Aim This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate midwifery students’ attitudes toward interprofessional communication and determine whether a course on the SBAR communication tool could enhance their self-assessed competence. Methods We conducted a course for midwifery students in their final year of study, focusing on training interprofessional communication. The course included a lecture on SBAR, followed by a role-play exercise simulating communication between a midwife and a physician in obstetrical emergencies. Students were assessed using an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). They were invited to complete a two-part questionnaire before and after the intervention, evaluating their attitudes toward interprofessional communication and the use of SBAR in their clinical routine. Findings The assessed midwifery students (n=20) demonstrated positive attitudes towards the application of SBAR. The students rated their knowledge of SBAR as one grade higher after completing the course. After the intervention, 95% of the participants stated that they intended to use SBAR in the future. The role-play was evaluated as important for their learning approach on SBAR by the students. The major barriers to interprofessional communication identified by the questionnaire included a lack of clarification of responsibilities, work overload, and different views on medical assessments within the interprofessional team. The quality of interprofessional communication was evaluated by the midwifery students as balanced and positive, but they noted a lower application of SBAR by physicians from the students’ perspective. Conclusion We conclude that SBAR is important for midwifery students in interprofessional communication with physicians. SBAR training for midwifery students may improve their interprofessional communication skills. A role-play on SBAR may improve the learning success.
Background ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI and launched November 30, 2022, with potential to transform healthcare education and research. However, integration into academic settings raises concerns about integrity and ethics. This study assessed prevalence and factors influencing ChatGPT use during the research process among undergraduate health students in Tanzania. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate health students in Tanzania mainland universities. Multi-stage sampling recruited participants who completed an online structured questionnaire. Data were collected using the validated Technology Acceptance Model Edited to assess ChatGPT Adoption (TAME-ChatGPT). Descriptive statistics summarized characteristics, while Independent sample t-tests and one-way ANOVA compared mean attitude scores. Poisson regression with robust standard errors assessed factors associated with ChatGPT use, with significance at p < 0.05. Results Of the 422 students invited, 400 (95%) responded; 247 (61.8%) were male, with a mean age of 24.82 ± 2.13 years. The prevalence of ChatGPT use during the research process was 63.0%, with students primarily using it for idea generation (57.1%), information summarization (52.8%), and writing assistance (29.4%). Among users, perceived ease of use (4.01 ± 0.79) and perceived usefulness (3.56 ± 0.71) recorded the highest TAME-ChatGPT construct scores. In multivariable Poisson regression, ChatGPT use was significantly more likely among students from private universities (aRR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.057–1.433, p = 0.008), those at institutions acknowledging ChatGPT use (aRR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.094–1.646, p = 0.005), and those unsure of their institution’s stance (aRR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.051–1.709, p = 0.018), compared to students at non-acknowledging institutions. Students with more than five peers per supervisor were also more likely to use ChatGPT (aRR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.029–1.404, p = 0.020). Conclusion ChatGPT use is prevalent among Tanzanian undergraduate health students during the research process, driven primarily by institutional context and supervisory dynamics. Institutions and national education authorities should establish clear, evidence-based guidelines to ensure the ethical and effective integration of AI tools in academic research.
Introduction Effective communication is a core competency in medical practice, supporting patient relationships, treatment adherence, and clinical outcomes. Developing both skills and confidence is a central goal of medical education. Self-assessment, guided reflection, and exemplar-based feedback are promising strategies to enhance competence and self-regulation. Yet, evidence on medical students’ accuracy in self-evaluating communication remains limited. This study examined calibration of self-assessed communication performance, potential gender differences, impact of feedback strategies, and changes over time. Method We analyzed data from 78 students in a larger study who completed self-evaluation of their communication with a virtual patient. Participants engaged with eight video-based clinical vignettes targeting two communication competencies: providing clear, relevant information and responding to patient emotions. For each vignette, students recorded an initial response, reviewed exemplar feedback, completed a self-evaluation (with or without reflection prompts), and re-recorded their response. Communication behaviors were scored using an AI-based system validated against expert ratings. Mixed-effects regression models tested linear and quadratic effects of actual performance on self-assessed behaviors. Gender, experimental condition, and time (T1 vs. T2) were included as moderators to examine differences and changes in calibration. Results Students consistently overestimated their performance at low actual ability levels (intercept significantly greater than zero: t(154) = 13.48, p < .001, d = 1.53) and underestimated at higher levels (slope significantly less than one: t(148) = −9.99, p < .001, d = −1.13). The quadratic term did not improve model fit. No significant gender differences or improvements in calibration over time or feedback condition were observed. Conclusion Medical students show systematic miscalibration in self-assessed communication, even when engaging in structured self-evaluation and exemplar-based reflection. These findings highlight the importance of instructional strategies that actively promote comparison with high-quality exemplars and guided reflection. Integrating these approaches may reduce miscalibration, strengthen communication skills, and better prepare students for the interpersonal demands of clinical practice.
Ambulatory care is central to modern healthcare, yet undergraduate clinical education often remains hospital-centered. In outpatient settings, brief visits, irregular workflows, and variable preceptor supervision can make learning uneven. Much guidance on outpatient teaching focuses on what individual preceptors can do during clinic sessions. This article instead describes practical strategies for clerkship directors and medical educators who organize learning across multiple sites and preceptors. The strategies address core design decisions, including site expectations, preceptor support, student roles, workflow, observation, feedback, continuity, and monitoring. Together, they provide an evidence-informed approach to building a feasible and educationally effective ambulatory care clerkship.
Background:Despite the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements for education on health equity, many graduate medical education (GME) programs lack structured learning in this area. Health inequities persist in clinical practice, emphasizing the importance of incorporating training in health equity concepts. Objective:This study aimed to design and pilot a longitudinal health equity curriculum for pediatric fellows to improve their knowledge, beliefs, and comfort with equity-related concepts. Methods:A two-phase pilot study was conducted. Phase I was from October 2024-March 2025 within a two-year pediatric hospital medicine (PHM) fellowship. Of six total PHM fellows, five were eligible and participated. Curriculum development followed Kern's six-step model. A needs assessment informed session topics. Four, sixty-minute interactive, in-person sessions were held. Phase II curriculum sessions were delivered to a separate replication cohort of pediatric fellows in November and December 2025. Anonymous pre-post-session surveys were administered to assess changes in knowledge, beliefs, and comfort. Demographic data was not collected during phase I to maintain anonymity but was collected from the larger phase II cohort. Results were compared using pre-post-session data, using descriptive statistics. Survey tools were internally developed and not externally validated. Results:During phase I, five fellows were eligible to participate, with 4-5 fellows per session (80-100% participation). All phase I participants (100%) completed both pre- and post-surveys. Self-reported knowledge, beliefs, and comfort improved across all sessions. In phase II, similar patterns of improvement were observed and participants shifted away from neutral or disagree responses, with marked improvements in knowledge, belief, and comfort domains. Conclusion:A longitudinal health equity curriculum was piloted within a PHM fellowship and then replicated in a larger cohort, with measurable improvements in understanding of health equity concepts. These findings support the integration of longitudinal health equity education into GME programs to better equip physicians to advance health equity in clinical practice.
Introduction A persistent skills gap separates the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in medicine from clinicians’ ability to critically evaluate, adopt, and govern them. Existing AI-in-healthcare education is typically delivered through passive, lecture-based formats that do not require learners to apply frameworks to real clinical or institutional problems. Methods We designed and piloted a 10-week, interactive AI in Healthcare curriculum using a Socratic teaching method: each concept is taught, followed by a targeted question the learner must answer before advancing; every task submission receives detailed individualized correction. The curriculum requires each learner to develop an original AI project addressing a real clinical or educational problem, culminating in a published GitHub repository documenting a structured readiness-objectives-adoption-data (R.O.A.D.) analysis, algorithm selection, an ethics and governance framework, and a validation plan. Results Pilot delivery of the curriculum’s foundational module demonstrated feasibility of the interactive correction model, with measurable improvement across four graded learner tasks, including increased precision in formulating measurable, evidence-based project objectives following targeted instructor correction. Discussion This curriculum offers a generalizable, no-cost model for closing the AI evaluation skills gap in healthcare education, combining interactive correction with a mandatory, learner-defined capstone project. We discuss plans for formal assessment validation and full-cohort implementation.
Healthcare Systems Science (HSS) is an important part of medical education because it helps physicians understand how healthcare systems work and how to improve them. However, it is not commonly included in graduate medical training. This manuscript describes the creation and use of a radiation oncology (RO) HSS curriculum that was built with medical school faculty and adapted to the needs of residents in our residency program. The curriculum included sixteen sessions over ten months and covered six domains: person centered care, population centered care, team-based care, high value care, leadership, and health policy economics and technology. Each session included a short lecture and a case discussion on topics such as financial toxicity, telemedicine, workflow improvement, burnout, health equity, and billing. The curriculum was used successfully with regular participation from residents and faculty, showing that it can fit into an existing residency schedule. Residents completed pre- and post-intervention surveys assessing understanding, consideration, confidence, and satisfaction related to HSS domains using 5-point Likert-scale items. Among residents with paired survey data, scores for understanding of HSS, incorporation of HSS into care planning, confidence applying HSS principles, and satisfaction with HSS integration all improved following curriculum completion. This experience shows that adding HSS to RO residency training is practical and useful, and it may also be a helpful model for other residency programs.
Background Poor financial literacy and financial behaviors negatively affect the wellness and professional duties of residents and fellow physicians. Major financial missteps can create significant personal stress, leading to worsening wellness and burnout. There are currently no available comprehensive financial literacy curricula for residents and fellows for educators to use to address this gap. Methods We created and assessed the educational impact of a comprehensive 4-module curriculum that covers fundamental personal finance topics which are universally applicable to all physicians regardless of their medical and surgical specialty. We delivered the entire curriculum 6 times between November 2023 and December 2024 to anesthesia residents, internal medicine residents, and critical care fellows. We assessed their self-reported baseline financial behaviors and their knowledge and self-efficacy with core financial topics using pretest and posttest surveys. Results For the 4 modules respectively, 66 (25%), 39 (15%), 44 (17%), and 35 (13%) of 260 possible trainees completed surveys. Self-efficacy significantly increased for creating a financial plan (p<0.001), investing (p<0.001), designing a debt payoff strategy (p=0.005), selecting an asset allocation (p<0.001), selecting optimal asset locations (p<0.001), and selecting appropriate health (p<0.001)/life (p<0.001)/disability (p<0.001) insurance plans. Resident knowledge significantly increased from pretest to posttest for all 4 modules: Financial Plan & Basics of Investing (p<0.001), Budgeting & Debt Management (p=0.010), Retirement Accounts & Asset Allocation (p<0.001), and Insurance (p<0.001). Mean trainee satisfaction with the overall curriculum on a 5-point scale (1-low, 5-high) was 4.2 (standard deviation 0.8). Conclusions We identified poor baseline financial literacy and behaviors in our resident and fellow physicians. This prioritized curriculum effectively adapted to the needs of multiple different training programs and was highly desired by trainees. This curriculum increased their knowledge and self-efficacy with several key topics in personal finance.
Purpose To implement and evaluate a faculty mentorship skill development curriculum within a radiation oncology department at a single academic medical center. Methods A three-part faculty development curriculum consisting of three 45-minute facilitated workshops was implemented for physician faculty mentors. The curriculum was designed to support mentors in navigating mentoring relationships, aligning expectations, and fostering mentee independence. Content was informed by evidence-based mentorship frameworks and adult learning principles, including models developed by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research, social cognitive theory, and principles of psychological safety and self-efficacy. Faculty participants representing a range of academic ranks and mentoring experience levels participated voluntarily. Pre- and post-curriculum self-assessment surveys evaluated participant understanding and implementation of mentorship skills, as well as perceptions of common mentorship challenges, using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze responses. Results Curriculum content progressed from foundational mentorship concepts, including mentor roles, mentoring networks, and stages of mentoring relationships, to communication strategies, expectation alignment, and promotion of mentee independence. Educational methods included brief didactic instruction, case-based discussion, guided reflection, and peer-to-peer learning. Survey data demonstrated improvement in participant self-assessment scores across all evaluated mentorship domains, including mentoring across differences, supporting mentee goal achievement, confidence as a mentor, providing constructive feedback, awareness of mentorship challenges, setting clear expectations, and understanding core mentorship competencies. Participants also reported reduced perceived challenges related to mentorship, with the largest improvements observed in setting boundaries, mentoring across differences, and addressing sensitive topics. Conclusions This faculty mentorship development curriculum was feasible to implement and demonstrated favorable early improvements in self-reported mentorship knowledge, confidence, and perceived ability to navigate common mentorship challenges. Further longitudinal evaluation is needed to assess sustained implementation of mentorship skills and longer-term impact on mentoring relationships.
