Objective
To assess the effect the Pre-clerkship Residency Exploration Program (PREP) had on student career interest and improving understanding of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR).
Design
During a 2-week program, students were exposed to a PMR elective, workshop, career presentation, and panel discussion with PMR residents. Interest and understanding were assessed using pre- and postprogram questionnaires.
Setting
PREP was held at a Canadian medical school during the summer between the second and third years of undergraduate medical training.
Participants
Second-year medical student participants (N=40) (26 women and 14 men, aged 20 to >30 y) were randomly selected from 74 applicants at a Canadian medical school.
Interventions
Of the 40 program participants, 20 participated in a PMR elective and specialty-specific workshop. The full cohort of 40 participants participated in the PMR career presentation and PMR resident panel discussion.
Main Outcome Measure
Primary outcome measure was an increase in understanding of the PMR specialty.
Results
Understanding of the roles and responsibilities of physiatrists increased significantly, with larger trends in those with greater exposure time. After PREP, comfort level in common PMR procedures also significantly increased. Higher exposure time was correlated with an increased top 3 career selection. Student interest in PMR did not significantly change after the program.
Conclusion
Although no statistically significant effects were found from the 2-week PREP in this population in terms of career choice, benefits were found in the participants comfort with PMR procedures and understanding the roles and responsibilities of physiatrists. A brief exposure as part of a 2-week summer elective is beneficial for career decision planning and may be feasible to implement in medical curricula.
A preliminary evaluation to review the scope and quality of evidence surrounding transdermal buprenorphine use in the pediatric setting for non-surgical pain was conducted. Our review revealed limited data available on the use of transdermal buprenorphine in pediatric patients. Most studies surrounding this subject involve accidental ingestion of buprenorphine and its use in the treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome. While indicated for use only in adult populations, small studies have shown encouraging results in reducing pain in children with few, if any, adverse effects. This is reassuring from a clinical perspective, as we hope to highlight the available evidence and invite researchers to expand future studies. Through this review, we have identified significant gaps in the literature surrounding the safety and use of buprenorphine in the pediatric population. To our knowledge, there are no major studies investigating this subject, and it is our hope that future studies will explore the use of transdermal buprenorphine as an alternative pain management technique in pediatrics. The intent of our scoping review is to highlight the lack of research in this area; therefore, future studies may be conducted to support its use in North America.
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