Towards an Open Medical School without Checkerboards during the COVID-19 Pandemic: How to Flexibly Self-Manage General Surgery Practices in Hospitals?

Abstract

Background: Can we create a technological solution to flexibly self-manage undergraduate General Surgery practices within hospitals? Before the pandemic, the management of clerkships was starting to depend less on checkerboards. This study aims to explore undergraduates’ perceptions of doing rotations in teaching hospitals using different teaching styles and elicit their views regarding the options of managing practices to design a mobile app that substitutes for checkerboards. Methods: In this sequential exploratory mixed methods study, 38 semi-structured interviews at a teaching hospital were conducted. The data was used to survey 124 students doing their rotations in four teaching hospitals during the first wave of COVID-19. Results: 21 themes highlighted concerns related to the practices, the teacher involvement in the students’ education, and the students’ adaptation to clinical culture. The students reported positive perceptions concerning self-managing and organizing practices via a mobile application. However, problems emerged regarding transparency, the lack of feedback, and the need for new tools. Regarding the teaching styles, the facilitator and personal models were perceived as optimal, but the personal style had no effect on using or not using a tool. Conclusions: A mobile-learning application designed like an educational opportunities’ manager tool can probably promote self-directed learning, flexible teaching, and bidirectional assessments. However, teachers who employ a personal teaching style may not need either checkerboards or a tool. This solution supports teaching at hospitals in pandemic times without checkerboards.

E-Learning as a Factor Optimizing the Amount of Work Time Devoted to Preparing an Exam for Medical Program Students during the COVID-19 Epidemic Situation

“…Online tests including a broad interface of questions and automatic verification of answers are now available, as well as self-study tests with explanations and decision-making labyrinths which encourage creative thinking [ 20 , 21 , 22 ]. The authors of papers [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ] have published very interesting recent examples of the usage of technological innovation in medicine. In paper [ 23 ] by Guiter et al, the authors present the development of remote online collaborative medical school pathology and explain how students across several international sites, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, could control the digital slides and offer their own diagnoses, followed by group discussions.…”

“…In paper [ 23 ] by Guiter et al, the authors present the development of remote online collaborative medical school pathology and explain how students across several international sites, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, could control the digital slides and offer their own diagnoses, followed by group discussions. In publication [ 24 ] by Guadalajara et al, the authors demonstrate whether it is possible to create a technological solution to flexibly self-manage undergraduate general surgery practices within hospitals. In this interesting research study, it was proven that the usage of innovative educational technology could be efficient.…”

“…The authors also show some limitations for teachers who employ a personal teaching style, which may not need either checkerboards or a tool. Presented solution [ 24 ] supports teaching at hospitals in a pandemic without checkerboards. In paper [ 25 ], by Bianchi et al, the authors concentrated on an evaluation of the effectiveness of digital technologies during anatomy learning in nursing school.…”

Challenges and Innovations Brought about by the COVID-19 Pandemic Regarding Medical and Pharmacy Education Especially in Africa and Implications for the Future

“…We have also seen advances in e-learning approaches among a number of countries, including higher-income countries, to devise different teaching approaches. These include mobile applications for practical sessions, addressing concerns with e-exams, and universities combining to offer virtual microscopy and Zoom videoconferencing to teach pathology [ 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 ]. The situation in these countries, as well as Saudi Arabia ( Box 1 ), can be different to experiences in Jordan and other LMICs with appreciably fewer resources to instigate e-learning and other approaches [ 50 , 88 , 89 , 90 ], as well as across Africa ( Table 1 ).…”

The Electronic Mental Wellness Tool as a Self-Administered Brief Screening Instrument for Mental Disorders in the General Spanish Population during the Post-COVID-19 Era

“…It has led to both a higher prevalence of mental health and substance use symptoms and disorders globally, and recurrences or worsening of symptoms among people with mental disorders [ 22 ]. Studies involving patients have shown higher levels of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances in these individuals during strict lockdown measures in many countries that have flexibly managed hospital practices during pandemic times [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ], including Spain [ 27 , 28 ]. Therefore, in this “post-COVID-19 era”, it is necessary to properly assess and address the extent of this mental health collateral damage and the usage of mobile health (mHealth) tools to cover the reported mental health services gap.…”