A Survey of Internal Medicine Interns Regarding the Most Useful Topics to Include in an Internal Medicine Track of a "Get Ready for Residency Boot Camp" Course

Perceived Preparedness of Internal Medicine Interns for Residency and the Value of Transition to Residency Courses

The popularity of Transition to Residency (TTR) courses has been increasing in U.S. medical schools. Yet there is limited data on interns' perceived preparation for residency and the value of nonsurgical TTR courses and their common components. Research has shown that TTR courses increase medical knowledge, clinical skills, and an increase in confidence in participants, but still, incoming residents do not feel prepared for the start of residency. Currently, there are only a few single institution studies researching interns' perceived value of TTR courses. This quantitative study surveyed internal medicine interns at five residency programs to find their preparation for residency, their preparedness in TTR competencies, and the perceived value of common TTR components. Data show that IM interns still feel unprepared for residency. The data also indicate that individuals who engage in TTR courses feel more prepared in TTR competencies compared to those who do not participate in TTR courses. Finally, internal medicine interns found the common TTR components valuable.

Urology boot camp for medical students: Using virtual technology to enhance undergraduate education

Objectives

The study aims to describe the methodology of converting the urology boot camp for medical students into a virtual course with key take home points for a successful conversion and to present quantitative and qualitative data demonstrating the impact of the boot camp on improving delegates' knowledge and clinical acumen.

Materials and methods

The face-to-face boot camp was converted to a virtual format employing a variety of techniques including; utilizing an online platform to deliver live screened lectures, using online polling software to foster an interactive learning environment and displaying pre-recorded videos to teach practical skills. Validated Multiple Choice Questionnaires (MCQs) were used prior to and after the course. This enabled the assessment of delegates' knowledge of urology according to the national undergraduate curriculum, and paired t tests were used to quantify the level of improvement. Thematic analysis was carried out on post-course delegate feedback to identify highlights of the course and ways of improving future iterations.

Results

In total, 131 delegates took part in the pilot virtual course. Of these, 105 delegates completed the pre- and post-course MCQs. There was a statistically significant improvement in the assessment following the course (p = <0.001) with mean score increasing from 47.5% pre-course to 65.8% post-course. All delegates who attended the most recent implementation of the virtual course (n = 31) felt it improved their knowledge and confidence in urology. Twenty delegates (64.5%) felt that it prepared them for both final year medical school examinations and working as a foundation year doctor. Positive themes in feedback were identified, which included the interactive nature of the course, the quality of teaching, the level and content of information provided and the high yield, concise organization of the teaching schedule.

Conclusion

Using virtual technology and innovative educational frameworks, we have demonstrated the successful conversion of the urology boot camp for medical students to a virtual format. At a national level, with support from the British Association of Urological Surgeons, the face-to-face component of the course will continue to run in parallel with the virtual course with the aim of standardizing and improving UK undergraduate urological education. The virtual course has been implemented on an international scale, and this has already shown promising results.

Evaluation of an Internal Medicine Transition to Residency Course

OBJECTIVES

We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel Internal Medicine (IM) transition to residency (TTR) curriculum.

METHODS

We performed a paired pre-/postsurvey evaluation of graduating fourth-year medical students' perceived preparedness and medical knowledge after participating in a recently developed IM TTR course.

RESULTS

The response rate was 51% (24 of 47). There was a significant improvement in 15 of 17 perceived preparedness items and significant improvement in the medical students' performance on the 8-question medical knowledge test.

CONCLUSIONS

The IM TTR curriculum improved medical students' medical knowledge and perceived preparedness for internship on a variety of high-yield clinical topics. The curriculum may be appealing to other institutions that are developing or revamping TTR courses.