Interprofessional education (IPE) is increasingly implemented to prepare health professions students for collaborative practice. This exploratory pilot examined how medical and nursing students experienced and applied interprofessional communication and teamwork in clinical practice after a simulation based IPE session. This exploratory mixed-methods pilot study involved eight third year medical and nursing students at a Vietnamese medical university. Students completed the Students' Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised (SPICE R2) questionnaire before and after the session and submitted reflective essays 3 months later. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively using Wilcoxon signed rank tests, and essays were examined using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. SPICE-R2 scores increased across all domains from preto post-test. The total median score rose from 3.90 (interquartile range [IQR], 3.83-4.38) to 4.60 (IQR, 4.40-4.83) (p=0.01). Thematic analysis generated five themes describing movement from parallel to shared care, greater use of structured communication, clearer appreciation of roles, recognition of shared responsibility for patient safety, and persisting barriers related to hierarchy and workload. This study suggests that a simulation-based IPE session can support students' interprofessional communication and teamwork, though barriers related to hierarchy and workload persisted. Future research with larger, multi-institution samples and richer data sources is needed to understand how these skills are sustained in practice.
PURPOSE:Changing antimicrobial prescribing behavior is a key challenge in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). In postgraduate clinical education, knowledge-based teaching alone is often insufficient to achieve sustained behavior change, highlighting the need for workplace-based educational designs informed by behavioral science. METHODS:We conducted a retrospective before-after study to evaluate a pharmacist-led educational intervention designed to influence prescribing behavior of piperacillin/tazobactam (TZP) in Japan. The educational component, consisting of a pharmacist-developed video and post-test, was completed once by physicians prior to implementation, whereas a structured prescription rationale requirement was applied at each TZP prescribing event. Prescribing behavior was assessed using days of therapy (DOT) and antibiotic use density (AUD) over 6 months before and after the intervention. Educational components were treated as process indicators of engagement rather than primary outcomes. RESULTS:All full-time physicians completed the instructional video and the post-test. Following the intervention, TZP use decreased by 22.3% in DOT, with consistent reductions observed in season-matched comparisons. Similar trends were observed for AUD. CONCLUSION:Workflow-embedded reflective prompts may be useful as a workplace-based educational strategy for influencing antimicrobial prescribing behavior.
Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) and intraprofessional collaboration (IntraPC) are core competencies in interprofessional education (IPE), but resident physicians often encounter difficulties in practice. Understanding residents’ perceptions of IPE is essential for developing effective education. This scoping review aims to map and synthesize existing literature on residents’ perceptions of IPE. A systematic search was conducted on the PubMed and ScienceDirect databases. The selection process followed the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) framework. Data from eligible studies were extracted and analyzed thematically. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria from 337 identified articles. Thematic analysis revealed four interrelated main themes regarding residents' perceptions of IPE. These themes included “knowledge, skills, and attitudes,” as well as implications for medical education that highlight the urgent need for a formal, structured, and longitudinal IPE curriculum, utilizing methods such as simulation and discussion-based learning. Residents' perceptions of IPE are characterized by tension between cultural barriers and systematic drivers of collaboration. The gap between these barriers and drivers of collaboration underscores the need for residency programs to proactively integrate ongoing IPE training to prepare residents for collaborative challenges in clinical practice.
PURPOSE:This study examined whether perceived medical need for disclosure (PMND) predicts prosocial intention to disclose patient information (PI) among health professional students, and whether personal norms (PN) moderate this relationship. A particular focus was PN's dual statistical role-its direct association with PI and its moderation of the PMND-PI association. METHODS:A cross-sectional survey was administered to 210 undergraduate students at a single Korean university (116 medical, 42 nursing, 52 emergency medical services). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four scenarios (2×2: disease severity × information security environment). Four-step hierarchical regression and simple slope analyses tested the main and moderating effects. RESULTS:PMND positively predicted PI (β=0.347, p<0.001). PN exerted a significant negative direct effect on PI (β=-0.148, p<0.05) yet significantly amplified the PMND-PI relationship via a positive interaction (β=0.165, p<0.05). Simple slope analyses confirmed that the effect of PMND on PI strengthened progressively from low PN (estimate= 0.194, p=0.069) through average PN (estimate=0.380, p<0.001) to high PN (estimate= 0.567, p<0.001). CONCLUSION:PN showed a double-edged statistical role: a negative direct association with disclosure intention alongside a positive moderating association that amplified the link between perceived medical need and prosocial disclosure intention. These findings suggest that health professional education may need to go beyond merely reinforcing PN and offer training differentiated by students' levels of PN, helping them channel moral obligation through lawful procedures in clinically charged situations.
PURPOSE:Cultural diversity (CD) education in undergraduate medical training has gained increasing attention as patient populations become more diverse. This pilot study examined preliminary changes in first-year medical students' attitudes and perceptions toward CD following a single structured session informed by Dogra's (2005) perspective on CD education at a Korean medical school. METHODS:A single-group pre-post design was employed with 85 first-year medical students during the 2023-2024 academic year. A 14-item questionnaire, drawn from Panthi and his colleagues and reclassified by the authors into four domains (Domain 1: Q1-Q3; Domain 2: Q4-Q6; Domain 3: Q7-Q9; Domain 4: Q10-Q14), organized with reference to Dogra's (2005) distinction between cultural expertise and cultural sensibility, was administered immediately before and after a 3-hour structured session. Items were rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with Bonferroni correction applied for item-level comparisons (adjusted p<0.004). RESULTS:A total of 51 of 85 students (60.0%) completed both surveys and were included in the analysis. The total attitude score increased significantly from 51.77±5.47 to 57.27±6.14 (Cohen's d=0.92). Significant improvements were observed in nine items (Q1, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q10-Q14). Items related to empathy and openness (Q2), bias self-awareness (Q6), and acculturative attitudes (Q7-Q9) did not reach corrected significance. CONCLUSION:Attitudinal responsiveness varied across domains. Value-congruent and clinically oriented attitudes shifted through direct instruction, acculturative attitudes showed only surface-level trends, and bias self-awareness showed no change.
PURPOSE:This study examined the short-term effects of a 2-week clinical clerkship program in rural and underserved public hospitals on medical students' perceptions of public healthcare and their intentions to work in non-metropolitan public hospital settings. METHODS:The Public Hospital Clinical Clerkship Program (PHCCP) was implemented for fifth- and sixth-year medical students from five medical schools in South Korea during 2023 and 2024. The program included clinical observation, mentoring by public hospital physicians, and exposure to community-based healthcare services. Students completed self-administered questionnaires before and after the program assessing perceptions of public hospitals and intentions to work in rural or underserved areas. Post-program satisfaction with program structure and components was also evaluated. Pre-post changes were analyzed using paired t-tests. RESULTS:Paired pre- and post-program analyses included 24 students from the 2023 cohort and 36 students from the 2024 cohort. Students showed significantly increased intentions to work in public hospitals and rural or small-city settings after the program in both cohorts (all p<0.05). Positive changes were also observed in perceptions of public healthcare roles and support for public hospital careers. Overall satisfaction with the program was above average, particularly for mentoring, program structure, and educational value. CONCLUSION:A structured, short-term clinical clerkship in rural and underserved public hospitals can positively influence medical students' perceptions of public healthcare and their intentions to work in non-metropolitan settings. Programs such as the PHCCP may represent a feasible educational strategy to enhance exposure to public and regional healthcare within existing medical curricula.
Purpose Current South Korean resident education relies heavily on apprenticeship models rather than the systematic curricula needed for multifaceted competency development. Therefore, a rigorous needs assessment is required for effective program design, particularly to target year-specific educational differences. Methods A cross-sectional survey of all residents at a single hospital branch was conducted in December 2023. An online questionnaire reviewing residents’ perceptions of the current program, needs assessment for a proposed institutional core competency program, and evaluation of preferred educational topics was performed. Responses were analyzed utilizing Kruskal-Wallis, McNemar’s, and chi-square tests, and compared in terms of education areas and residency years. Results A survey of 117 residents revealed that while the current residency program is perceived as strong in clinical training, residents ideally desire a more comprehensive education encompassing clinical practice, research, and general competencies. There was a high willingness to participate in a new institutional core competency program, with a strong preference for online learning formats and supportive measures such as workload reduction to overcome barriers. Importantly, the analysis of preferred topics showed that educational needs evolve significantly throughout the residency, shifting from foundational clinical skills and stress management in junior years to advanced topics like research methodology, academic writing, and health systems in senior years. Conclusion These findings support that bridging the discrepancy between residents’ current clinical-focused training and their desired comprehensive education necessitates the implementation of stage-specific curricula, blended learning models, and organizational support systems for an effective, competency-based resident education.
Purpose Remoteness from institutions challenges supervision in interprofessional education (IPE) in a community setting in reproductive health in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). In this setting, IPE would benefit from an instrument that supports self-reflection. The use of logbooks could provide such an instrument. This study aims to develop and validate a logbook as a self-reflection instrument. Methods The authors used an Educational Design Research (EDR) approach to develop a logbook as a self-reflection instrument for an IPE on reproductive health in a community setting in Indonesia. We evaluated the IPE program and conducted a literature review (Phase 1: analysis and exploration). Based on Phase 1, we developed a logbook referred to the Gibbs Reflective Cycle and asked experts, instructors, and students to provide feedback (Phase 2: design and construction). We conducted a pilot test and evaluated the instructors’ and students’ perceptions of using the logbook (Phase 3: evaluation and reflection). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the perceptions across disciplines. Results The logbook integrated shared decision-making into IPE competencies and enabled assessment of students’ self-reflection. Both students and instructors reported positive perceptions, with mean scores of 4.35 (standard deviation [SD]=0.41) and 4.30 (SD=0.44), respectively. No significant differences in the perceptions were found across disciplines (p=0.719 and 0.096). Conclusion The involvement of students, instructors, and experts in an iterative process in EDR developed and validated a logbook as a self-reflection instrument in reproductive health in LMIC.
Longitudinal interprofessional education (IPE) is vital for developing collaborative practice-ready health professionals, yet its implementation and impact remain underexplored. This scoping review maps the current evidence on longitudinal IPE, examining implementation models, evaluated outcomes, and key facilitators and barriers. Following the Joanna Briggs Institute and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, a systematic search of five databases from 2016 to March 2024 was conducted. Data from 45 included studies were thematically analyzed. Findings reveal that most longitudinal IPE programs are short-term and partially integrated, constrained primarily by meso-level administrative barriers such as scheduling conflicts and time constraints, rather than being truly longitudinal. Based on the interprofessional socialization framework, a significant “measurement gap” exists; evaluations predominantly focus on self-assessed interprofessional competencies and readiness for interprofessional learning, while largely overlooking interprofessional identity development and behavioral readiness for collaborative practice. Furthermore, an “interprofessional socialization paradox” suggests that longitudinal IPE must be intentionally designed to provide high-quality, repeated, and meaningful interprofessional experiences across the entire curriculum. This review also advocates the use of spiral curriculum equipped with authenticity of the learning context, particularly clinical exposure, to support dual identity development. The current longitudinal IPE landscape is fragmented, revealing a chasm between pedagogical goals and implementation reality. Progress requires a deliberate shift towards evidence-based models like spiral curricula grounded in authentic clinical contexts, supported by robust faculty development, the alignment of macro-level accreditation standards, and a research agenda focused on dual identity development and higher-level behavioral outcomes.
Purpose This study aimed to explore the training experiences and educational needs of personnel working at nationally designated infectious disease control institutions in South Korea. Specifically, it sought to identify the barriers encountered in infectious disease response, assess the perceived effectiveness of current training programs, and determine key competencies and tailored educational needs across occupational groups. Methods A qualitative study was conducted using focus group interviews with 34 participants, including healthcare and nonhealthcare personnel engaged in infectious disease control. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling. Data was collected over 5 weeks via online interviews, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Investigator triangulation and member checking were used to enhance the analytical rigor. Results The participants reported that the current training program contributed to improved confidence, role clarity, and interdepartmental collaboration. However, multiple barriers were identified, including a lack of standardized scenarios, insufficient hands-on training, unclear guidelines, and low accessibility across roles. Key educational needs included scenario-based simulations, job-specific content, advanced clinical skills, psychological support, and interorganizational collaboration. Training preferences varied by job category, underscoring the need for differentiated role-based training modules. Conclusion These findings highlight the importance of shifting from theory-based to practice-oriented education on infectious disease responses. To build sustainable preparedness systems, training programs should be scenario-driven, repetitive, and psychologically supportive. Institutional policies must ensure flexibility, equity of access, and proper incentives for participation. Future efforts should prioritize the development of standardized competency-based curricula tailored to diverse occupational roles within infectious disease response systems.
Purpose Despite growing recognition of the critical importance of physician leadership in delivering safe healthcare, especially in light of the 2023 medical crisis and professional resistance in Korea, existing studies on leadership education have focused predominantly on countries with long-established leadership curricula. This study aims to assess the curricular content of Korean medical schools to provide a quantitative and qualitative baseline of medical leadership training in the undergraduate curriculum. Methods We conducted a content analysis of undergraduate medical curricula from 19 Korean medical schools using the Medical Leadership Competency Framework (MLCF) as a guiding framework. Survey questionnaires were distributed to designated faculty at each institution, and 270 courses were analyzed, yielding 504 leadership-related codes that were categorized thematically across the five MLCF domains and by academic year. Results Our analysis revealed that 228 codes (45.2%) fell within “Demonstrating personal qualities” and 75 codes (14.8%) within “Setting direction,” with predominant emphasis on medical ethics and law. Training in systems-based practice, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and team-based approaches was relatively limited. Substantial institutional variation existed, with only eight of 19 schools offering curricula covering all five MLCF domains. Most leadership content was delivered through isolated, single-semester courses rather than longitudinally integrated programs. Conclusion While Korean medical schools recognize certain leadership competencies, there is a need for more comprehensive and consistent integration of leadership development, particularly in teamwork and systems-based practice. We recommend longitudinal integration of leadership education across pre-clinical and clinical years to address evolving competencies at different training stages.
Purpose This study employed latent class analysis (LCA) to classify medical students based on their pre-admission characteristics and examine differences in academic performance, mental health, and post-graduation career paths. Methods A total of 314 medical students who matriculated from 2015–2018 at a Korean medical school participated for this study. LCA was performed with their gender, region of origin, admission type, and gap years (i.e., a period for retaking the college entrance examination) as classification variables. Mental health was assessed using BDI-II (Beck Depression Inventory-II), SSI-Beck (Scale for Suicidal Ideation-Beck), and K-Scale (Korean Internet Addiction Scale). Academic outcomes and career paths were compared across latent classes through analysis of variance and regression analyses. Results Three distinct latent classes were identified in the total sample (n=314): the rolling admission–regional talent group (25.0% of the total sample), the regular admission–male retaker group (57.3%), and the non-local female group (17.7%). The regular admission-male retaker group showed significantly higher internet over- dependency levels (p<0.001), lower academic performance (p<0.001), and higher grade repetition rates (p<0.05) than the others. The rolling admission-regional talent group had the highest proportion of students working at their alma mater-affiliated hospitals (p<0.05). Conclusion The research findings could present practical implications to the medical school systems because this research analyzed the mental health status, academic performance, and career paths based on the admission types of medical school students. Furthermore, the results imply that a specific policy and/or a student support system should be required for medical students’ achievement and their successful transition to career.
PURPOSE:Professional identity (PI) formation occurs over time through immersive social-digital and in-person-interactions. While digital social interactions may support the PI formation of medical students, their influence remains underexplored. This study aimed to describe the patterns and intensity of social media use and analyze its association with PI. METHODS:This quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted at a private medical school in Jakarta, Indonesia. All undergraduate medical students were invited to participate in this study. Data were collected using the Social Networking Activity Intensity Scale (SNAIS) and the MacLeod Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9) questionnaire. Data were analyzed descriptively and statistically. RESULTS:A total of 451 students participated in this study. Participants reported moderate overall social media use intensity (mean SNAIS=2.96±0.51), with higher use for entertainment than social interaction. The mean MCPIS-9 score was 3.76±0.44. Content engagement, measured using a content engagement index (CEI) reflecting the intensity of engagement with educational and informational content across selected social media activities, was generally low and driven mainly by browsing behaviors (CEI=0.51±0.64). Weak but significant correlations were observed between CEI and MCPIS-9 (ρ=0.139, p=0.003) and between SNAIS and MCPIS-9 (r=0.102, p=0.030). One-way analysis of variance revealed significant differences in MCPIS-9 scores by duration of use for WhatsApp and X, but not for other platforms. CONCLUSION:Participants mainly used social media for entertainment purposes. Social media use intensity and content engagement showed weak but significant associations with PI.
Purpose Diagnostic errors contribute to patient safety risks, often arising from cognitive failures in clinical reasoning. Preceptorship is thought to improve residents’ clinical reasoning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a preceptorship program on clinical reasoning among pediatric residents. Methods This randomized controlled trial was conducted from March 2025 to May 2025 at Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia. All pediatric residents were randomly allocated into two groups. The intervention group received a scheduled preceptorship program, while the control group continued with standard supervision. After 8 weeks, clinical reasoning skills were assessed using the Script Concordance Test (SCT). Data were analyzed using comparation test. End-of-program questionnaires were also reported. Results Total 41 residents completed the study. Baseline characteristics did not differ between groups (p>0.05). Mean overall SCT scores ranged from 55% to 90% of the maximum possible score. Among 14 topics, hematology & oncology was the only topic that showed a significant difference in SCT scores between the intervention group (median, 14.28; interquartile range [IQR], 12.78–15.08) and the control group (median, 12.75; IQR, 11.49–13.63). Participants reported that preceptorship made learning more structured and interactive but noted barriers including busy preceptor schedules and lack of standardized teaching materials. Conclusion The preceptorship program resulted in a significant improvement in only one topic, which may reflect suboptimal implementation of the intervention. Despite this, participants reported positive perceptions, indicating good acceptability. More intensive and consistent preceptorship may be required to achieve measurable improvements in clinical reasoning.
Purpose This study aims to determine the mediating role of trust in the physician in the effect of the physician’s open communication on patients’ adherence to treatment. Methods This cross-sectional study included 594 patients who applied to a public hospital in Turkey for healthcare services. Participants completed scales for physicians’ open communication, trust in physicians, and treatment adherence. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and structural equation modeling. SPSS and AMOS programs were used to analyze the research data. Results Open communication of physicians was significantly associated with trust in physicians (r=0.752, p<0.01) and treatment adherence (r=0.612, p<0.01). Trust in physicians and treatment adherence were also significantly associated (r=0.671, p<0.01). Structural Equation Model and bootstrap analysis showed that trust in physicians fully mediated the relationship between open communication and treatment adherence (β=0.529; 95% confidence interval, 0.390–0.712). Conclusion This study found that open communication and trust increased patient adherence to treatment and confirmed that trust fully mediated adherence to treatment. Physicians’ open communication with patients increases patients’ trust in their physicians, thereby improving their treatment adherence. These findings demonstrate the importance of both physicians and medical students gaining competence beyond their technical competence to communicate effectively and build trust. In medical education, students should be given importance in acquiring behavioral skills.
Purpose This developmental study explored the conceptual feasibility and applicability of a metaverse-based clinical assessment platform as a complementary tool to conventional objective structured clinical examinations in undergraduate medical education. Methods A targeted literature review and expert consensus process were conducted to identify domains of clinical competence in which metaverse technologies could provide added value. Based on these findings, prototype virtual patient simulations were developed within a metaverse environment. Large language models (LLMs) were integrated to support dynamic, interactive history-taking simulations, and pilot modules for physical examination were also created. Results Integration of LLMs into virtual patient scenarios enabled realistic, context-sensitive medical interviews, facilitating interactive dialogue between examinees and simulated patients. In contrast, physical examination modules faced technical limitations, particularly in replicating procedures requiring tactile or haptic feedback, such as palpation and percussion. Nevertheless, the metaverse environment enabled delivery of consistent and reproducible scenarios, supporting objective assessment of communication and diagnostic reasoning skills. Conclusion Metaverse-based simulations augmented by LLMs offer a promising approach to scalable and standardized clinical assessment, particularly within cognitive and interpersonal competency domains. Although current technological constraints limit the fidelity of physical examination simulations, rapid advancements in immersive and haptic technologies may help overcome these barriers in the near future. Further research is needed to evaluate the educational efficacy, validity, and feasibility of deploying such platforms in summative, high-stakes assessment contexts.
Purpose This study aimed to explore various educator-led reflective practice methods implemented in pharmacy education, along with their outcomes and impacts on students. Methods A PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) systematic review method was used, and articles from the year 2003 to 2024 were obtained from three databases, namely PubMed, SCOPUS, and ERIC with keywords defined according to the study objective. Results A total of 298 articles were identified from the databases with a total of 25 included for review. Studies generally showed moderate quality, with an average MERSQI (Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument) score of 10.56. The literatures revealed that reflective practice has significantly increased during the past few decades, employing various methods, including written, non-written, and digital approaches. Reflective practice gave impact to several outcomes such as improvement in students’ academic performance, critical thinking skills, clinical reasoning and decision-making abilities, metacognitive skills, deep-information processing skills, professional attitude, self-awareness, as well as collaborative skills. Conclusion Reflective practice in pharmacy education has evolved, integrating diverse methods that yield significant benefits in learning and teaching process. Although positive outcomes were seen in the studies, methodological limitations suggest a need for more rigorous research. Structured and efficient educator-led reflective practice in pharmacy education is crucial for preparing students to meet the growing demands in healthcare system.
