Study habits and academic achievement among medical students: A comparison between male and female subjects

Abstract

Purpose: Study habits of medical students contribute to better understanding learner achievement and success. This study examines the relationship between study habits, including gender and nonacademic factors that affect learning, to investigate their relationship with performance outcomes.

Methods: This study was conducted in March 2015 at the College of Medicine and Applied Medical Science at Taif University. A survey was administered, measuring study habits such as study time, study partners, source of study, breaks, study interruptions, difficulty concentrating, study activity, and delayed study. Comparisons were examined by high and low grade point average (GPA) and by gender.

Results: A total of 257 students completed the questionnaire (59% high GPA and 41% low GPA; 50% males and 50% females). Results indicated significant differences for time of study, study materials, study interruptions, study enjoyment between students of high and low GPAs. Gender differences were found for study time, study methods, study breaks, student activity, and delayed study time.

Conclusions: This study found that study habits differ by gender and also have significant impact on performance outcomes of learners. Given that students’ academic success is an important outcome for medical schools, these findings call for implementing these results to enhance curricular changes and promote better learning outcomes.     

The impact of WhatsApp use on academic achievement among Saudi medical students

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between WhatsApp on academic performance among Saudi medical school students at the University of AlBaha and the University of Dammam.

Methods: A total of 160 students (79 students from AlBaha medical school and 81 students from Dammam medical school) with smartphones were surveyed on their use of social media services and their academic performance (October–December 2015). A Likert scale consisting of 14 items was used to measure the use of WhatsApp and its relationship with academic achievement. Factor analysis of the self-report data of the social media addiction items was conducted. Pearson’s correlations were examined to determine the relationship of WhatsApp use with academic achievement and symptoms of addiction.

Results: Nearly 99% of participants reported using WhatsApp (over 53% use for academic activities). There was no significant association between GPA and students who use WhatsApp. However, the time spent on WhatsApp usage was directly proportional to the symptoms of addiction.

Conclusions: WhatsApp usage showed no relationship with the academic performance among Saudi medical students in both the universities. However, the usage of WhatsApp could be cautioned to minimize the social media addiction on various aspects of life.     

Medical student beliefs: spirituality's relationship to health and place in the medical school curriculum

The relationship between spirituality and health is receiving increased attention; consequently medical schools have begun asking how and in what manner these issues should be addressed in medical education. Unfortunately, student beliefs concerning spirituality and health have not been adequately assessed. This study examined medical student beliefs regarding the relationship between spirituality and health and the level of instruction spirituality should receive in the curriculum. Questionnaire results from 254 medical students indicated that religiousness and spirituality are important, with spirituality more important than religiousness. Spiritual practices were seen as more helpful for acute and mental health conditions than for chronic or terminal conditions and believed to be more helpful for coping with a health condition than healing tissue. Students believed that patients could benefit from spiritual practices more than they could for their own health conditions. Most students endorsed a lecture or one- to two-week seminar with instruction in the first or second year of medical school. Student spirituality was the only predictor of required level of instruction in the medical school curriculum.     

Work engagement in medical students: An exploratory analysis of the relationship between engagement,burnout, perceived stress,lifestyle factors,and medical student attitudes

Abstract

There is a need to expand the current focus of burnout in medical trainees so that we can understand not only trainee distress but also trainee well-being. Work engagement as measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-15 (UWES-15) is a positive construct that is conceptually related to burnout and is a component of the Job Demands-Resources Model (JD-R). We sought to explore the relationship of work engagement to burnout, perceived stress, lifestyle factors, and medical student attitudes to testing whether work engagement could serve as a positive construct to study medical student well-being. We surveyed 287 1st and 2nd-year medical students at a large academic medical center in the United States. Our survey consisted of demographic measures, UWES-15, Burnout Measure short version, Perceived Stress Scale-4, lifestyle factors, and medical student attitudes. Statistical analysis revealed work engagement is negatively correlated with burnout and perceived stress. Work engagement and its subscales are correlated to exercise, sleep, drugs and alcohol use, maintaining relationships, and financial stress. Work engagement is negatively correlated with thoughts of dropping out and questioning the decision to enter medical school. Work engagement can be a useful measure to assess medical student well-being and identify areas for intervention.     

Promoting resiliency for interprofessional faculty and senior medical students: Outcomes of a workshop using mind-body medicine and interactive reflective writing

Background: Health care professions faculty/practitioners/students are at risk for stress and burnout, impacting well-being, and optimal patient care.

Aims: We conducted a unique intervention: an interprofessional, experiential, skills-based workshop (IESW) combining two approaches: mind-body medicine skills and interactive reflective writing (RW) fostering self-awareness, self-discovery, reflection, and meaning-making, potentially preventing/attenuating burnout and promoting resiliency.

Methods: Medical and nursing faculty and senior medical students (N?=?16) participated in a 2-hour workshop and completed (1) Professional Quality of Life measure (ProQOL) and (2) a questionnaire evaluating understanding of professional burnout and resiliency and perceived being prepared to apply workshop techniques. Thematic analyses of anonymized RWs exploring meaningful clinical or teaching experiences were conducted.

Results: Participants reported better understanding of professional burnout/resiliency and felt better prepared to use meditation and RW as coping tools. RW themes identified experiencing/grappling with a spectrum of emotions (positive and negative) as well as challenge and triumph within clinical and teaching experiences as professionally meaningful.

Conclusions: Positive outcomes were obtained within a synergistic resiliency skills building exercise. Successful implementation of this IESW provides good rationale for studying impact of this intervention over a longer period of time, especially in populations with high rates of stress and burnout.     

The Scottish doctor--learning outcomes for the medical undergraduate in Scotland: a foundation for competent and reflective practitioners

This paper describes a set of learning outcomes that clearly define the abilities of medical graduates from any of the five Scottish medical schools. The outcomes are divided into 12 domains that fit into one of three essential elements for the competent and reflective medical practitioner.     

Planning and implementing an undergraduate medical curriculum: the lessons learned

In 1995 Dundee medical school introduced an integrated, systems-based spiral curriculum with a number of innovative features. The medical school has now had eight years' experience of the curriculum. This paper describes the changes that have taken place in the curriculum over the eight years. Evidence from internal and external reviews and student examination data are used to identify the lessons learned from implementing the curriculum. The Dundee experience, the approaches to the curriculum described and the conclusions reached are relevant to all with an interest in medical education.     

Clinical diagnostic reasoning and the curriculum: a medical student's perspective

This short opinion essay provides views of a senior medical student from Pakistan; regarding what he thinks should be the focus of a comprehensive medical curriculum. He correlates his ideas with the new curricular theme problem-based learning, introduced at his university in recent years.     

Making sense of ethics and law in the medical curriculum

The moment a patient comes into the treatment room, the medical professional is placed in both an ethical and a legal context. The task for medical teachers is to equip students for this clinical reality in a way that makes sense both to the learners and to the variety of medical educators in the school, all of whom will have their own interpretations of the nature of this subject area. Ethics and law in the medical curriculum (Dowie and Martin 2011), aims to provide an understanding of how ethics and law can be incorporated into the curriculum in a structured, coherent, and logical manner. It is essential that we begin with a vision of the primary purpose of our course, and clarify the overall domain of learning to which it relates. Rather than presenting students with a miscellany of ethico-legal topics, their learning can be reinforced by constructing a frame around the key emphases in law and ethics. A professional ethics frame is proposed, highlighting the everyday, theory-based, habits, intentions, consequences and society elements of this approach. The course also has to be mediated within the wider curriculum, and this benefits from a coherent and communicated course scheme that is directly meaningful within the educational setting of the medical school. Finally, within the Guide, examples of humanistic schemes are presented that centre on aspects of boundary in patient care, themed around body, person and community of practice.     

The concept and practicability of a core curriculum in basic medical education

The core curriculum is defined as that which is common rather than essential. It is considered at different levels: institutional, national and global. As its size is inversely proportional to variability in healthcare needs, the core becomes smaller as the geographical unit becomes larger. A rationale for identifying the core is established at all three levels. The risk of stereotypy among curricula and dampening of innovation can be avoided if a significant part of the curriculum is elective, and if schools are free to determine how the core should be achieved. Focusing exclusively on the minimum discourages excellence. Many of the potential disadvantages of a core curriculum can be avoided if the core is combined with options. The core should emphasize higher-order cognitive and process skills and should be reviewed intermittently in the light of trends in healthcare and education. It should be developed in consultation with curriculum implementers using a competency-based approach. In developing international standards, societal relevance of the curriculum should not be sacrificed at the altar of standardization. The scientific bases of medicine, process skills and desirable practices in educating the basic doctor are fertile areas in which to look for international standards.     

The relationship between second-year medical students' OSCE scores and USMLE Step 1 scores

The relationship between objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) and standardized tests is not well known. We linked second-year medical students' physical diagnosis OSCE scores from 1998, 1999 and 2000 (n = 355) with demographic information, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 scores. The correlation coefficient for the total OSCE score with USMLE Step 1 score was 0.41 (p < 0.001). Two of 7 skills areas-diagnosis and identification of abnormality-were significant multivariate correlates of USMLE Step 1 score. OSCE station scores accounted for approximately 22% of the variability in USMLE Step 1 scores. A second-year OSCE in physical diagnosis is correlated with scores on the USMLE Step 1 exam, with skills that foreshadow the clinical clerkships most predictive of USMLE scores. This correlation suggests predictive validity of this OSCE and supports the use of OSCEs early in medical school.     

Integrated curriculum and the change process in undergraduate medical education

Abstract

Introduction: This study is aimed at explaining the change process followed for the implementation of the new curriculum at Avalon University School of Medicine and its evaluation.

Background: Self-evaluation at Avalon University School of Medicine identified the need for a change in the curriculum. The main reasons for the change are isolated disciplines and overcrowded curriculum leading to less self-study time for students. The new curriculum is aimed to have an integrated curriculum and to avoid redundancies. The new curriculum is designed, implemented, and evaluation of the same is in place.

Evaluation methods and materials: After implementation, quantitative (results from exams) and semi-quantitative (self-administered questionnaire) evaluation methods are being used to evaluate the new curriculum. Feedback is also taken by having discussions with teachers and students to find out what they like and where modifications are needed. In this article, we are presenting the results of course evaluations (semi-quantitative methods) for two courses. The course evaluations were taken from the sample class size of 30 students.

Results and discussion: The course evaluations demonstrated an improvement. The main reason for the improvement is due to collaborative efforts of the faculty members from different disciplines in teaching, assessments, and providing feedback to the students.

Conclusions: The well-approached change process is required for the successful implementation of the new curriculum. The idea of ownership among all stakeholders is required for a well-managed change process.     

Providing context for a medical school basic science curriculum: The importance of the humanities

Introduction: To increase students’ understanding of what it means to be a physician and engage in the everyday practice of medicine, a humanities program was implemented into the preclinical curriculum of the medical school curriculum. The purpose of our study was to determine how medical students’ views of being a doctor evolved after participating in a required humanities course.

Methods: Medical students completing a 16-clock hour humanities course from 10 courses were asked to respond to an open-ended reflection question regarding changes, if any, of their views of being a doctor. The constant comparative method was used for coding; triangulation and a variety of techniques were used to provide evidence of validity of the analysis.

Results: A majority of first- and second-year medical students (rr?=?70%) replied, resulting in 100 pages of text. A meta-theme of Contextualizing the Purpose of Medicine and three subthemes: the importance of Treating Patients Rather than a Disease, Understanding Observation Skills are Important, and Recognizing that Doctors are Fallible emerged from the data.

Conclusions: Results suggest that requiring humanities as part of the required preclinical curriculum can have a positive influence on medical students and act as a bridge to contextualize the purpose of medicine.