Background: Early exposure to medical research, specifically at the undergraduate level, contributes in building a solid medical education for students. In 2014, the Medical Research Volunteer Program (MRVP) was established at the American University of Beirut (AUB). This program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to be involved in ongoing medical research projects, on a voluntary basis. Little is known about undergraduates' outlook on medical research and the challenges they face. The aim of this study was to assess, among AUB undergraduate students, the perception, attitude, practice and barriers towards medical research, as well as to identify factors affecting them, such as background characteristics and research involvement. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out at AUB, where undergraduate students enrolled in specific chosen classes were surveyed in spring 2019 via paper based questionnaires. Close-ended questions assessed students' attitude, perception, practice and barriers towards medical research using a 5-point likert scale. Moreover, demographic characteristics and research involvement information were collected. Results: Five hundred and twenty three students were surveyed. About half of the students were premedical students (51.5%), and only 43.6% of them were aware of the medical research program at their university. The average attitude, perception, practice and barriers scores were found to be 3.58, 4.35, 3.58 and 2.60, respectively (on a scale from 1 to 5). Students found the lack of mentoring and guidance to be the main barrier in conducting medical research. Conclusion: Our findings reveal that students express interest towards medical research and recognize its importance. A medical research program at the undergraduate level is indispensable in guiding students in their future career endeavors. Therefore, research programs should be constantly monitored to assure a research-oriented environment within institutions.
Inspired by the shortcomings of traditional pedagogical approaches to post-secondary education, the Primary Investigator created from first principles a new educational initiative termed Transformative Education. Rejection of conventional teacher-student dynamics and classroom-centric learning stand at the core of this new modus operandi, which began at the American University of Beirut (AUB). In its place, the PI proposed Transformative Education to widen the breadth of learning to occur mainly outside of the classroom and to shift the locus of control into the hands of the students. The new teaching style is explored through several subsidiary initiatives, beginning first with the establishment of the Organic Chemistry Club (OCC). The OCC initially brought together students of the discipline to administer student-lead tutoring clinics but soon began to incorporate pupils of diverse majors to work on larger scale projects. The series of Organic Chemistry Competitions (OC) were the pioneering event, which utilized the Personal Response System to bring together undergraduates in an international competition. The model set forth by these series of competitions, one of local organization by the student body to host a large scale event with international participants, was proven to be generalizable to any discipline, as evidenced by the subsequent Medical Competitions. Following in line with the staple of students being at the epicenter of Transformative Education, the PI crafted the undergraduate Medical Research Volunteer Program (MRVP), a platform of experiential learning whose establishment has resulted in multiple publications and awards. Another series of events aimed at students are the Mentoring, Makhlouf Haddadin, and IgNobel Lectureships, which consistently see significant student turnout seeking career/life counseling, chemical innovation and scientific curiosities, respectively. Another initiative lies in the annual ChemCarnival. Said celebration of chemistry through visual demonstrations of extravagant experiments summarizes the entire Transformative Education drive by demonstrating both core tenants of extra-curricular involvement and student engagement. It is the opinion of the PI that the success of this new approach be taken together and not by viewing each event individually; the Gestalt of this new pedagogical approach is more than the arithmetic sum of its parts. Through experimentation with several initiatives, it is clear to see that the results demonstrate a sustained and tangible impact on the careers of students, advocating the further use and development of Transformative Education.
Introduction The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) developed the Fellowship and Residency Research Program (FRRP) to provide residents and clinical fellows with a supervised and structured research experience. The objective of this study was to explore the views of FRRP participants about the training program and how to enhance it. Methods In 2018, we conducted a qualitative study targeting residents where we invited potential participants through email and via snowball sampling. We continued the data collection until we reached data saturation with 21 participants (N = 21) and used thematic analysis to identify emerging themes. Results Thematic analysis generated four emerging themes: one related to the expectations of residents, while the remaining three themes related to how the program is working to meet those expectations, specifically: coordination, mentorship, and capacity building. For these three latter themes, we discussed the strengths and challenges related to each. In terms of coordination, few residents complained that the deadlines to submit deliverables are not evenly distributed across the years. In terms of mentorship, participants appreciated the flexibility in choosing the mentor. In terms of capacity building activities, participants found the lecture series, both real time and virtual, to be helpful. Finally, participants pointed out that the FRRP program should be mandatory. Discussion To provide residents and clinical fellows with a supervised and structured research experience, we have built on our findings to introduce several changes to our program such as ensuring the availability and commitment of faculty mentors, and providing capacity building activities to the program participants.
For genetic counselors to effectively meet the needs of an ever‐diversifying multicultural patient population, it is vital that their genetic counseling programs (GCPs) equip future genetic counselors to recognize the impact of a patient's ethnocultural background on clinical interactions (Towards a culturally competent system of care: A monograph on effective services for minority children who are severely emotionally disturbed (p. 28). CASSP Technical Assistance Center, Georgetown University Child Development Center, 1989). Concerns about genetic counseling cultural competency training (CCT) including content and delivery have been brought up by GCP students who identify as racial and ethnic minorities (Journal of Genetic Counseling, 29, 303–314). Though GCPs must meet the Accreditation Council of Genetic Counselors' (ACGC) accreditation criteria, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the focus, type, and methods of delivery that GCPs have chosen to incorporate into their CCT, as ACGC does not dictate the exact focus, delivery, or format of training curricula. This quantitative study aimed to (1) characterize the current focus, type, and delivery of ethnocultural competency training in GCPs as perceived by second‐year genetic counseling students and recent graduates and (2) highlight their perception of its impact on their levels of preparedness and comfort when interacting with ethnoculturally diverse patients. One hundred and one survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi‐square analyses, two‐sample Wilcoxon rank‐sum, and Fisher's exact tests. The results reveal significant variability in the format, type, and delivery of CCT provided by GCPs. Participants perceive that CCT focusing on specific traditions, medical considerations, and systemic healthcare disparities (taught to 74%, 61%, and 94% of students, respectively) related to ethnoculturally diverse patients was more likely to increase their self‐reported levels of preparedness and comfort for clinical interactions than training focused on racial or ethnic stereotypes and generalizations (taught to 88% of students). Although 94% of participants perceived their CCT as helpful, 61% reported they received an insufficient amount. In light of these results, we provide suggestions for the improvement of ethnocultural CCT and highlight future opportunities for more intentional and fruitful CCT in GCPs.
Background The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) developed the Fellowship and Residency Research Program (FRRP) to provide residents and clinical fellows with a supervised and structured research experience. Objective To explore the views of FRRP participants about the training program and how to enhance it. Methods We conducted a qualitative study targeting residents in one of the post-graduate training programs at AUBMC. We invited potential participants through email and via snowball sampling. We continued the data collection until we reached data saturation. We used a thematic analysis to identify emerging themes. Results Four themes emerged from the content analysis: expectations of residents, coordination, mentorship, and capacity building. Residents expected the FRRP to provide them with capacity building activities in conducting research since they perceived themselves as novice researchers. In terms of coordination, few residents complained that the deadlines to submit the deliverables are not evenly distributed across the years, so they suggested moving the deadlines earlier to give more time to address any challenges. In terms of mentorship, participants appreciated the flexibility in choosing the mentor and the ability to choose their own research question in agreement with their mentor, however, they thought that there were few faculty members who conducted research and some lacked commitment due to either being busy or travelling, resulting in the slowing of their progress. In terms of capacity building activities, the participants found the lecture series, both real time and virtual, to be helpful and they were satisfied with the topics of the lectures. Finally, participants pointed out that the FRRP program is very supportive and most of them thought it should be mandatory. Conclusion In order to provide residents and clinical fellows with a supervised and structured research experience, we have built on our findings to introduce several changes to our program such as ensuring the availability and commitment of faculty mentors, providing capacity building activities to the program participants and revising the program educational offerings to better cover the ABCs of research using mostly interactive and hands on sessions.
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