The accreditation process (AccP) is both an opportunity and a burden for medical schools—which one it becomes depends on how medical schools recognize and utilize the AccP. In other words, if a medical school recognizes the AccP only as a formal procedure or as a means for continuing medical education, it will be a burden for the medical school. However, if a medical school recognizes the real and positive value of the AccP, it can be both an opportunity and a tool for developing medical education. The educational value of the AccP is to improve the quality, equity, and efficiency of medical education, along with increasing the options of choice. In order for the AccP to contribute to the development of medical education, accrediting agencies and medical schools must first be recognized as part of an “educational alliance” working together towards common goals. Secondly, clear guidelines on the accreditation standards should be periodically reviewed and shared. Finally, a formative evaluation using self-evaluation as a system that can utilize the AccP as an opportunity to develop medical education must be introduced. This type of evaluation system could be developed through collaboration among medical schools, academic societies for medical education, and the accrediting authority.
Medical humanities education (MHE) is as essential as basic medical sciences and clinical medicine education. Despite the importance of MHE, MHE curriculum development (CD) has proven to be challenging. This critical review examines the MHE CD at one medical school. The critical review methodology was developed based on Kern’s six step CD model to systematically examine the CD of “Doctoring and Medical Humanities (DMH)” at the Yonsei University College of Medicine. Five review questions were developed related to (1) necessity, (2) direction and purpose, (3) design, (4) operation, and (5) evaluation of CD based on Kern’s model. The review showed that the process of DMH CD mapped to components of Kerns model. The DMH curriculum content selected was closely related to medical practice and aimed to combine the acquisition of understanding and skills by designing a student-participatory curriculum based on clinical cases. Assessment methods that emphasized students’ reflections were actively introduced in the evaluation section. Since the regular committee for DMH continued the work of the special ad hoc committees for DMH CD, the CD was effectively completed. However, the planning and evaluation functions and responsibilities of the DMH committee need to be strengthened. Despite the apparent limitations, the fact that students showed a high satisfaction rate and preferred small group discussions based on clinical cases has significant implications in the instructional design of MHE, where changes in self-awareness and attitude are more important than the acquisition of information. It is necessary to systematically review and study students’ reflection results produced by the changed assessment methods and to develop assessment indicators for MHE that reflect the achievements of the MHE competencies of students.
For decades medical educators have continually emphasized medical professionalism, which is reflective response to the challenges of a rapidly changing medical environment. This study aimed to review the experience of implementing medical professionalism education at Yonsei University College of Medicine (YUCM). YUCM introduced a new curriculum in 2004 designed by Curriculum Development Project 2004 (CDP2004), a project that was launched in 2001. CDP2004 reorganized lectures as organ-based integrated lectures, introduced an introductory course for clinical medicine and medical humanities courses for premedical and medical students. Problem-based learning (PBL), elective courses, and self-study sessions in the afternoon were implemented in order to equip students with a self-directed learning attitude as medical professionals. Professors were asked by the CDP2004 curriculum to spend more time on student education and to adopt new teaching methods. Experiences of the CDP2004 curriculum reveals 1) difficulty of motivating professors to be PBL tutors 2) students’ dissatisfaction with the medical humanities course (major critique was that the course was impractical and unrealistic), and 3) students’ optimistic understanding about their future role as medical professionals in influencing and helping people in spite of their perception of the general medical environment not as promising. To foster professionalism, the following are necessary in our experiences: 1) faculty development of medical humanities and medical professionalism, 2) establishment of an environment throughout the whole institution to support medical professionalism education and to integrate the concept into praxis, 3) emphasis on the fact that medical professionalism education is not contradictory to biophysical medical education.
This study aimed to examine the influence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on areas of Korean medical students’ lives, assess concerns, and investigate the strategies they used to cope with stress due to the pandemic. An online survey with a total of 53 items on the impact of COVID-19, concerns, and coping strategies was sent to medical students, and responses were collected from April 27, 2021 to May 30, 2021. In total, 1,329 students were included in the study. Analysis was performed using the chi-square test, independent-sample t-test, and one-way analysis of variance, and the post-hoc Scheffé test or Games-Howell test was performed for multiple comparisons. The main negative impacts of the pandemic were on hobbies/leisure activities and mental health, and medical students expressed the highest levels of concern regarding restriction of movement, returning to everyday life, and risk of infection for family and friends. Female students more strongly agreed that COVID-19 had increased their depressed mood and anxiety (p<0.001 and p=0.003, respectively). Furthermore, the negative impacts of the pandemic on different areas of life significantly affected current levels of depressed mood and anxiety. To cope with pandemic-related stress, students used several strategies such as talking with family or friends (91.5%), sleeping (83.1%), exercising (72.8%), using social networking services (60.8%), drinking alcohol (37.8%), and practicing meditation/mindfulness (24.4%); the effectiveness of these strategies ranged from 3.45 to 4.19 on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1–5). The study findings suggest that COVID-19 has influenced the mental health of medical students and raised concerns in many areas of their lives. Students used various strategies to cope with the pandemic-related stress; since the effectiveness of frequently used approaches varied, it is essential to guide medical students to develop effective coping strategies.
The tripartite mission of ‘academic medicine’ is education, research, and patient care. Academic medical centers (AMCs) are carrying out the mission and ultimately aiming to improve the health of people and communities. Globally, AMCs are facing a tremendous financial risk stemming from the changes in health insurance reimbursement plans and a shortage of human resources. Innovative AMCs in the United States are trying to transform their physician-centered, and siloed structure into a patient-centered, and integrated structure. They are also building integrated systems with primary healthcare groups to provide continuous patient care from primary to tertiary levels and making strategic networks based on value-based payment and the patient-centered model. These changes have been proven to improve outcomes of patient care and increase fiscal revenues, which are both crucial in supporting education and research. To address the shortage of human resources, programs are being built to develop newly appointed faculty for the future. AMCs have different approaches to bringing changes into their organizations; however, there is a common emphasis on ‘a patient-centered approach,’ which helps them set more explicit organizational values and make strategic decisions based on their values. Korean AMCs are facing similar challenges to AMCs in the United States in spite of many differences between the countries’ healthcare systems. The innovative efforts of AMCs in the United States to address the challenges will be helpful, well-worked examples for Korean AMCs with similar challenges.
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