Foreword: Scholarly concentrations in the medical student curriculum

Impact of A Required, Longitudinal Scholarly Project in Medical School: A Content Analysis of Medical Students' Reflections

INTRODUCTION

Medical schools increasingly require students to complete scholarly projects. Scholarly project programs that are required and longitudinal require considerable resources to implement. It is necessary to understand medical students' perspectives on the impact of such programs. Students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine participate in a required, longitudinal research program (LRP) throughout all years of medical school training. Authors studied students' perceptions of this program.

METHODS

Fourth-year medical students submit a written report in which they reflect on their experience with the LRP. Qualitative analysis of students' written reflections was performed on 120 reports submitted 2012-2017. Content analysis was performed using an inductive approach in which investigators coded information and searched for emerging themes.

RESULTS

Four themes were identified. First, students described engaging in many steps of the research process, with many participating in projects from conception to completion. Second, students reported the LRP provided opportunities for leadership and independence, and many found this to be meaningful. Third, students developed appreciation for the difficulty of the research process through challenges encountered and practiced problem solving. Fourth, students acquired skills useful across multiple career paths, including critical appraisal of scientific literature, teamwork, and communication.

DISCUSSION

Through participation in a required, longitudinal research program, medical students reported gaining valuable skills in leadership, problem solving, critical thinking, and communication. Students found that the longitudinal nature of the program enabled meaningful research experiences. These educational impacts may be worth the effort of implementing and maintaining longitudinal research experiences for medical students.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-021-01319-6.

Scholarly Concentration Program Development: A Generalizable, Data-Driven Approach

PURPOSE

Scholarly concentration programs-also known as scholarly projects, pathways, tracks, or pursuits-are increasingly common in U.S. medical schools. However, systematic, data-driven program development methods have not been described.

METHOD

The authors examined scholarly concentration programs at U.S. medical schools that U.S. News & World Report ranked as top 25 for research or primary care (n = 43 institutions), coding concentrations and mission statements. Subsequently, the authors conducted a targeted needs assessment via a student-led, institution-wide survey, eliciting learners' preferences for 10 "Pathways" (i.e., concentrations) and 30 "Topics" (i.e., potential content) augmenting core curricula at their institution. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a capacity optimization algorithm characterized best institutional options for learner-focused Pathway development.

RESULTS

The authors identified scholarly concentration programs at 32 of 43 medical schools (74%), comprising 199 distinct concentrations (mean concentrations per program: 6.2, mode: 5, range: 1-16). Thematic analysis identified 10 content domains; most common were "Global/Public Health" (30 institutions; 94%) and "Clinical/Translational Research" (26 institutions; 81%). The institutional needs assessment (n = 468 medical students; response rate 60% overall, 97% among first-year students) demonstrated myriad student preferences for Pathways and Topics. EFA of Topic preferences identified eight factors, systematically related to Pathway preferences, informing content development. Capacity modeling indicated that offering six Pathways could guarantee 95% of first-year students (162/171) their first- or second-choice Pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates a generalizable, data-driven approach to scholarly concentration program development that reflects student preferences and institutional strengths, while optimizing program diversity within capacity constraints.

Scholarly Conversations in Medical Education

This supplement includes the eight research papers accepted by the 2016 Research in Medical Education Program Planning Committee. In this Commentary, the authors use "conversations in medical education" as a guiding metaphor to explore what these papers contribute to the current scholarly discourse in medical education. They organize their discussion around two domains: the topic of study and the methodological approach. The authors map the eight research papers to six "hot topics" in medical education: (1) curriculum reform, (2) duty hours restriction, (3) learner well-being, (4) innovations in teaching and assessment, (5) self-regulated learning, and (6) learning environment, and to three purposes commonly served by medical education research: (1) description, (2) justification, and (3) clarification. They discuss the range of methods employed in the papers. The authors end by encouraging educators to engage in these ongoing scholarly conversations.

Dental undergraduate students' participation in research in China: current state and directions

PURPOSE

It is not until the recent 10 years, when an increasing number of dental undergraduate students in China have gradually participated in scientific research. However, few studies have analysed the current status of this new wave. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate dental undergraduate students' participation in research and to explore possible options for refining or reforming the existing teaching and research system in dentistry.

METHODS

The authors constructed a questionnaire that was completed by a sample of students from a high-ranking dental school in China. The data were processed with SPSS software.

RESULTS

Of all the 250 questionnaires distributed, 191 were returned, 186 of which were complete and suitable for analysis. Over a half of the respondents had participated in research programmes. There were diversified motives for undergraduate participation in scientific research.

DISCUSSION

These findings have led us to speculate on the current state of undergraduate participation in scientific research and the underlying problems. This preliminary investigation yielded intriguing findings: (i) the distribution of scientific resources influences scientific production. (ii) lack of interest in science has a negative impact on the reserve of the future scientific workforce. (iii) diverse motives for participation in undergraduate research reveal lack of understanding of the essence of science.

CONCLUSIONS

It is proposed that the current education and research system in dental higher education should be systemically reformed.

Student scientific inquiry in the core curriculum

OBJECTIVE

To design and implement a required student-driven research program as a capstone experience in the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum.

DESIGN

A research proposal in the form of a competitive grant application was required for each of 65 fourth-year students in an inaugural PharmD class at Touro College of Pharmacy in New York. The focus of the proposals was on hypothesis-driven research in basic science, clinical research, health outcomes, and public health.

ASSESSMENT

Students' research proposals were graded using a standardized grading instrument. On a post-experience survey, most students rated the overall experience positively, indicating increased confidence in their research skills. About two-thirds of faculty members were satisfied with their students' performance, and the great majority thought the experience would be useful in the students' careers.

CONCLUSION

The capstone research project was a positive experience for fourth-year students.

The Quality and Safety Track: Training Future Physician Leaders

Future physician leaders will need the knowledge and skills necessary to improve systems of care. To address this need, Pritzker School of Medicine implemented a 4-year scholarly track in quality and patient safety for medical students. The Quality and Safety Track (QST) includes an intensive elective that teaches basic quality-improvement skills, an individual mentored scholarly project, and engagement in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School. The first-year elective incorporates a group project that allows students to apply basic process improvement skills. Institutional quality and safety leaders also present their work, giving students context for how these skills are used. To date, 23 students have completed the elective, and 11 chose to pursue QST throughout their medical school experience. Students who completed the elective reported improved confidence in using core quality improvement skills. QST is a feasible and innovative program to develop future health care leaders in quality and safety.