Getting physical with medical education:Exercise based virtual anatomy review classes for medical students

The benefits of regular physical activity are well known.Yet,few studies have examined the effectiveness of integrating physical activity(PA)into curricula within a post-secondary setting.To investigate the incorporation of PA into medical curriculum,we developed a series of optional exercise-based review sessions designed to reinforce musculoskeletal(MSK)anatomy course material.These synchronous sessions were co-taught by a group fitness instructor and an anatomy instructor.The fitness instructor would lead students through both strength and yoga style exercises,while the anatomy instructor asked questions about relevant anatomical structures related to course material previously covered.After the sessions,participants were asked to evaluate the classes on their self-reported exam preparedness in improving MSK anatomy knowledge,PA levels,and mental wellbeing.Thirty participants completed surveys;a majority agreed that the classes increased understanding of MSK concepts(90.0%)and activity levels(97.7%).Many(70.0%)felt that the classes helped reduce stress.The majority of respondents(90.0%)agreed that the classes contributed to increased feelings of social connectedness.Overall,medical students saw benefit in PA based interventions to supplement MSK course concepts.Along with increasing activity levels and promoting health behaviours,integrating PA into medical curriculum may improve comprehension of learning material,alleviate stress and foster social connectivity among medical students.

Flexner's legacy and the future of medical education:Embracing challenge and opportunity

This editorial comments on the article by Alzerwi.We focus on the development course,present challenges,and future perspectives of medical education.Modern medical education is gradually undergoing significant and profound changes worldwide.The emergence of new ideas,methodologies,and techniques has created opportunities for medical education developments and brought new concerns and challenges,ultimately promoting virtuous progress in medical education reform.The sustainable development of medical education needs joint efforts and support from governments,medical colleges,hospitals,researchers,administrators,and educators.

Mindfulness training in medical education as a means to improve resilience,empathy,and mental health in the medical profession

The high rates of depression,burnout,and increased risk of suicide among medical students,residents,and physicians in comparison with other careers signal a mental health crisis within our profession.We contend that this crisis coupled with the inadequate acquisition of interpersonal skills during medical education results from the interaction between a challenging environment and the mental capital of individuals.Additionally,we posit that mindfulness-based practices are instrumental for the development of major components of mental capital,such as resilience,flexibility of mind,and learning skills,while also serving as a pathway to enhance empathy,compassion,self-awareness,conflict resolution,and relational abilities.Importantly,the evidence base supporting the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions has been increasing over the years,and a growing number of medical schools have already integrated mindfulness into their curricula.While we acknowledge that mindfulness is not a panacea for all educational and mental health problems in this field,we argue that there is currently an unprecedented opportunity to gather momentum,spread and study mindfulness-based programs in medical schools around the world as a way to address some longstanding shortcomings of the medical profession and the health and educational systems upon which it is rooted.

Virtual reality:The bridge between medical education and clinical practice

After perusing the paper by Kim et al,I discovered that this is an interesting manuscript and a successful study.Virtual reality(VR)is an emerging and promising technology employed in the domain of medical practice and medical education over the past decade.In the era of big data,VR is constantly progressing in the fields of medical education and clinical diagnosis and treatment.As a novel scientific and technological tool,VR not only overcomes multiple limitations of the traditional medical teaching mode but also reduces the reliance on personnel and equipment.VR can simulate the real clinical situation,stimulate the enthusiasm of young doctors and nurses for clinical study,and simultaneously safeguard and promote medical safety and doctor-patient harmony.Favorable outcomes have been attained in clinical teaching and diagnosis and treatment activities.While enhancing the training conditions of medical cosmetics and elevating the level of clinical practice and teaching,the risks resulting from improper clinical diagnosis and treatment have been circumvented.All of this is evident and comprehensible.

3D image system improves the learning curve and contributes to medical education of rhinoplasty

Background: Rhinoplasty is a complex surgical procedure that requires critical analysis and precise design before surgery, making it a challenging operation for both the surgical team and medical educators. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of 3D design involvement on learning curves and to establish a more effective method for rhinoplasty education.Methods: Surgeons who participated in an educational program were divided into two groups. The experimental group was involved in the 3D design before the operation, and the control group was asked to review the rhinoplasty atlas. A self-assessment questionnaire was used to evaluate the learning curve of the eight rhinoplasty procedures for each surgeon, and the overall satisfaction rate data were also collected.Results: The self-assessment scores in both groups showed an increasing trend from the first to the eighth operation. The mean scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group at the fifth operation(P=0.01). The satisfaction rate of the experimental group(91.7%) was higher than that of the control group(54.5%).Conclusion: The 3D imaging system can improve the learning curve and satisfaction rate of rhinoplasty education,proving that it is an easy and effective tool for medical education.

Analysis of the Necessity and Modalities of Imparting Death Education to Medical Students Undergoing Training in Oncology Departments

Patients with advanced-stage tumors may experience various psychological problems that can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of cancer treatment and the quality of their survival.Therefore,it is crucial for oncologists to prioritize addressing the psychological issues that patients encounter throughout the diagnosis and treatment process.As future frontline healthcare professionals,oncology medical students should receive education on end-of-life care early on in their training.This will enable them to develop a profound appreciation for the value of life,deliver improved medical services,and contribute to the humanization of medicine.Furthermore,they will be able to provide terminal patients and their families with effective professional guidance,assisting patients in finding peaceful endings with minimal pain and helping families come to terms with the inevitable realities they face.Moreover,this education can effectively enhance their sense of responsibility toward life and cultivate a positive and optimistic attitude toward their own lives.

Exploration of a Three-Stage Blended Teaching Model for the Medical Microbiology Course in the Context of Smart Education

Objective:This study explores the effectiveness of a three-stage blended teaching model in the Medical Microbiology course for Clinical Medicine students within the context of smart education.Methods:Clinical Medicine students from the 2021 and 2022 classes were studied,comparing the traditional and three-stage blended teaching models.Academic performance and survey feedback were analyzed.Results:The research group’s academic performance,including daily,final exam,and average scores,was significantly higher than the control group(P<0.05).Over 95%of students approved of the new teaching model,noting improvements in competencies.Conclusion:The three-stage blended teaching model effectively boosted student engagement,interaction,academic performance,and overall skills,showing potential for broader application in medical education.

Narrative Thinking of Healthcare Providers in Medical Cases and Its Implications for Modern Medical Education

In the realm of Chinese narrative medicine, narrative thinking holds equal significance to evidence-based thinking within clinical practice, making substantial contributions to patient safety and medical quality. Ancient Chinese medical theories advocate forging a narrative bond with patients, urging healthcare practitioners to utilize Dao Shu Jie He(道术结合 integration of Dao and techniques) and Yi Dao Yu Shu(以道驭术 guiding techniques with Dao) during diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. In this context, Dao(道) in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) corresponds to narrative thinking(叙事思维) while Shu(术) aligns with scientific thinking(科学思维) in evidence-based medicine. This study adopts “narrative Chinese medicine” within the “discourse system of Chinese narrative medicine” as its framework, centering on medical stories that exemplify the application of narrative thinking in ancient Chinese diagnosis and treatment. It delves into the narrative thinking encapsulated in Chinese medicine, such as Guan Wu Qu Xiang(观物取象 observing things and extracting information), Can He Er Xing(参合而行 final examination and decision by integrating the four diagnoses), Xing Shen Bing Zhi(形神并治 body-spirit treatment), Xin Shen Jian Li(心身兼理 mind-body balance) and Bian Zheng Lun Zhi(辨证论治 treatment based on pattern differentiation). The study endeavors to inspire contemporary medical educators and clinicians to acknowledge the value of narrative thinking in TCM and fully incorporate it into daily medical practice.

Special Issue: The Global Cross-cultural Integration of TCM in the Mainstream Healthcare, Medical Education and the Practice of Medicine

Ioannis Solos Ph.D.,M.D.(China),L.Ac.currently serves as President and CEO at the Saint George Clinic and Research Institute,Scottsdale,AZ.,and Associate Editor for Chinese Medicine and Culture.Professor Solos has earned his Master of Medicine in Traditional Diagnosis at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,and his Medical Ph.D.in Chinese and Western Integrative Medicine at the Jinan University in Guangzhou.He practices and teaches integrative clinical medicine,Jing Fang(经方TCM formulas),martial lineage acupuncture,and his personalized style of“tendon and fascia reconditioning manipulations for bone and joint disease”.

Status Quo and Countermeasures of Humanities Quality Education in Clinical Teaching for Medical Students

In recent years,frequent conflicts between doctors and patients have attracted widespread attention from various sectors of society.The reasons for the tense doctor-patient relationship involve three major factors,namely social,medical,and patient factors.In the process of building social harmony,the people’s demand for daily health knowledge and basic medical security is increasing day by day.Among them,medical humanities quality education plays a particularly important role in building a harmonious doctor-patient relationship.Strengthening the humanities quality education of medical students and creating a harmonious doctor-patient environment can better improve the tense doctor-patient relationship and reduce the occurrence of doctor-patient conflicts,ultimately promoting social stability.This requires medical schools not only to cultivate medical students’clinical diagnosis and treatment abilities,but also to enhance their humanistic qualities,strengthen medical humanities education,and face the requirements of medical development and the task of Healthy China.It is of great significance to improve the humanities quality education program for medical students.This article aims to explore the status quo of humanities quality education in clinical teaching for medical students and propose countermeasures to address the issues.

The Integration Path and Teaching Innovation of Ideological and Political Education in Medical English Courses

This article discusses the specific path of integrating ideological and political education into Medical English courses and the innovative strategy of teaching theories,aiming to improve students’language ability and professional moral literacy.Confronted with the current challenges in education,the article proposes strategies including the ideological-political transformation of textbook content,the innovative design of teaching methods,the comprehensive expansion of extracurricular activities,and the diversified improvement of evaluation systems.In addition,the application of blended teaching,interdisciplinary integration,project-based learning,and technology-assisted teaching are elaborated in detail to realize the deep integration of knowledge transmission and value shaping,and to promote the overall and balanced development of students.

Empirical Research on the Integration of Medical and Educational Models in Cultivating Professional Abilities in Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Techniques

This study empirically analyzes the application effect of the integration of medical and educational models in cultivating professional abilities in traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation techniques.The research subjects are 100 students from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Technology major at Y school.Through questionnaire scores,practical training results,and interview data,this study explores the outcomes of this integrated approach.The findings reveal that students in the experimental group significantly outperform those in the control group in terms of practical operation skills,professional responsibility,and communication and collaboration skills.This research confirms the notable role of the medical-educational integration model in enhancing the professional skills and accomplishments of students majoring in traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation,providing a scientific basis for vocational education reform and the cultivation of rehabilitation technical talents.

Learning by Living: Empathy Learned through an Extended Medical Education Immersion Project

Introduction: Medical student training and experiences in nursing homes are often viewed as negative;however, long-term care services represent a growing aspect of our medical system that receives little attention in medical education. The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine Learning by Living Nursing Home Immersion Project accelerates students learning about older adult care and the importance of empathy. Methods: Learning by Living applies qualitative ethnographic/autobiographic research methods to answer the question: “What is it like for me to live the life of an older adult nursing home resident?” Two first year medical students (female, 25 y/o & male, 27 y/o) were “admitted” into two different nursing homes for 11 days each. The students were wheelchair reliant from their assigned diagnoses of dominant-side paralysis secondary to stroke and aspiration pneumonia;requiring standard procedures of care experienced by older adults residents with similar conditions. Data were collected in the form of journal notes for pre-fieldwork, fieldwork, and post-fieldwork and included subjective and objective reporting of observations, experiences, and resident encounters. Analyses included journal review and thematic categorization and coding through content analysis. Results: Four themes of significance intersected for the two medical students: 1) control;2) quality of life;3) communication;and 4) isolation. Being immersed in nursing home life provided the students with firsthand experiences of loss and challenges faced by nursing home residents. This aided students’ learning about empathy and communication as key components of providing health care. Conclusion: This experience imparted knowledge to the medical students’ about aging, dignity, and the importance of making meaningful connections in order to thrive. These insights provided a gateway to establish a model of patient-centered care that is comprehensive and empathic for the older adult population.

Analysis on Humanistic Education of Medical Students

Medical students are the major force of future medical scientific research and clinical work, and itis of great necessity for medical students to have humanistic education, which is also an inevitable way of improving medical students＇ clinical practice quality. Social progress demands that medical students should not only have excellent professional skills, but also be able to think about problems from medical,social, moral and ethics perspectives, establishing the people-oriented patient-centered noble medical ethics, having a good ability to communicate with people.

Situation and Development Path of Humanistic Education in Medical Colleges and Universities in China

Humanistic education,as the“internal structure”of medical education,attempts to cultivate medical students’humanistic knowledge,ability,and comprehensive quality as well as makes adjustments with the evolvement of medical education.The global medical education reform has undergone three stages:expert medicine,clinical practice medicine,and public service medicine.Public service medicine,which took place in the 21st century,is a system-based and competency-oriented education,highlighting the construction of a health service system with medical and educational cooperation as well as the cultivation of medical students’comprehensive quality.China’s medical education started late and has a weak foundation with many twists and turns.Through the rapid development of reform and opening-up,China has narrowed the gap with international medical education and established a perfect medical curriculum system.China has successively promulgated a number of documents,such as the“Outline of Reform and Development of Medical Education in China”and the“Opinions on Strengthening the Collaboration between Health Departments and Education Departments to Implement the Doctor of Excellence Education Training Program 2.0,”with the goal of cultivating high-quality excellent medical talents.Medical students in colleges and universities are senior talents in medical training,health care services,and medical research.Their humanistic quality is not only related to the growth of medical talents,but also the quality of medical services.This paper analyzes and discusses the problems encountered in improving humanistic education and looks forward to providing reasonable as well as effective solutions to the difficulties faced by humanistic education in the new era through comparative research.

Current Situation and Improvement Strategies of Teaching Engagement by Teachers in Higher Medical Colleges Under the Background of“New Medical Education”

The“New Medical Education”is a new requirement for the development of medical education in the new era.As a key and core element of the construction of the“New Medical Education,”the engagement in teaching work of university teachers is a key issue that determines the level of teaching development of university teachers and affects the quality of talent cultivation in universities.Using the literature review method,this study analyzed 39 relevant literatures retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI)from 1997 to 2023.The concept,connotation,current situation,influencing factors,and improvement strategies of teaching engagement by university teachers were reviewed and summarized.The results showed that the issue of teaching engagement by university teachers has not received high attention in the field of higher education,especially in higher medical education,which has not yet been reported.Although the overall number of literature is not large,some of the conclusions have important implications for the next research on the influencing factors and mechanisms of double-qualified teacher engagement in higher medical colleges.

A longitudinal surgical systems strengthening research program for medical students:the exploration of a model for global health education

Background:In response to the staggering global burden of conditions requiring emergency and essential surgery,the development of international surgical system strengthening(SSS)is fundamental to achieving universal,timely,quality,and affordable surgical care.Opportunity exists in identifying optimal collaborative processes that both promote global surgery research and SSS,and include medical students.This study explores an education model to engage students in academic global surgery and SSS via institutional support for longitudinal research.Objectives:We set out to design a program to align global health education and longitudinal health systems research by creating an education model to engage medical students in academic global surgery and SSS.Program design and implementation:In 2015,medical schools in the United States and Colombia initiated a collaborative partnership for academic global surgery research and SSS.This included development of two longitudinal academic tracks in global health medical education and academic global surgery,which we differentiated by level of institutional resourcing.Herein is a retrospective evaluation of the first two years of this program by using commonly recognized academic output metrics.Main achievements:In the first two years of the program,there were 76 total applicants to the two longitudinal tracks.Six of the 16(37.5%)accepted students selected global surgery faculty as mentors(Acute Care Surgery faculty participating in SSS with Colombia).These global surgery students subsequently spent 24 total working weeks abroad over the two-year period participating in culminating research experiences in SSS.As a quantitative measure of the program’s success,the students collectively produced a total of twenty scholarly pieces in the form of accepted posters,abstracts,podium presentations,and manuscripts in partnership with Colombian research mentors.Policy implications:The establishment of scholarly global health education and research tracks has afforded our medical students an active role in international SSS through participation in academic global surgery research.We propose that these complementary programs can serve as a model for disseminated education and training of the future global systems-aware surgeon workforce with bidirectional growth in south and north regions with traditionally under-resourced SSS training programs.

Medical students’perceptions about the added educational value of student-run HIV/AIDS educational campaigns in the Dominican Republic

Objective:This purpose of this report was to examine the perceptions of medical students about the strengths,limitations,and recommendations for improvement of the first known student-run HIV/AIDS educational campaigns in the Dominican Republic(DR),as they relate to the added value applied to their educational training.Methods:A retrospective review was conducted on evaluation reports completed by five medical students who coordinated the implementation of three annual HIV/AIDS educational campaigns in five DR communities,between 2012 and 2014.Thematic analysis was used to identify emerging themes related to perceived strengths,limitations,and recommendations for improvement and develop an acronym related to program strengths as value added to medical education.Results:Students highlighted that program strengths were the use of social media technology to facilitate communication and culture-based creativity to capture the attention of target audiences;and limitations were inadequate financial support and HIV-related cultural stigma,due to lack of disease knowledge and awareness or perceived contrasts between the federal system and faith-based community.Recommendations for program improvement,such as comprehensive event preparation and knowing the target audience,were described as key to maximizing the delivery of health messages.Conclusions:Our results highlighted that medical students gained expertise in the effective use of social media technology,culture-based creativity,and team synergy to disseminate HIV/AIDS health information across five DR communities.Students participated in these extracurricular community health campaigns,strengthening skills in communication,health advocacy,and leadership for their medical training.They served as human resources for health and can pave the way as future clinicians and indispensable health educators in local and national health collaborations.

Analysis of Professional Quality Cultivation Strategies for Infant and Child Care Service Talents from the Perspective of Collaboration of Medical Care,Parenting,and Education,and Integration of Industry and Education

The collaboration of medical care,parenting,and education aims to integrate nursing,midwifery,infant and child care services,and management with speech and hearing rehabilitation technology,among other elements related to the infant care industry chain.This integration targets pediatrics talent training in nine infant care positions,including nursing,infant health care and management,and child rehabilitation,to ensure that the capabilities and quality of professional talents can meet the health care needs of infants and young children.This article briefly explains the background of the“collaboration of medical care,parenting,and education,and integration of industry and education.”It analyzes the necessity of cultivating infant and child care service talents based on the perspective of“collaboration of medical care,parenting,and education,and integration of industry and education.”Based on this perspective,we conducted an in-depth study of the cultivation of professional qualities of infant and child care service talents.

Medical simulation-based education improves medicos' clinical skills

Clinical skill is an essential part of clinical medicine and plays quite an important role in bridging medicos and physicians. Due to the realities in China, traditional medical education is facing many challenges. There are few opportunities for students to practice their clinical skills and their dexterities are generally at a low level. Medical simulation-based education is a new teaching modality and helps to improve medicos＇ clinical skills to a large degree. Medical simulation-based education has many significant advantages and will be further developed and applied.