(Not Only) for Medical Students: Get involved in Medical Education Research & ScholarshipMedical students have a front row seat at programs designed to train them as successful doctors, for the health of the patients and communities they will serve. Medical programs – ecosystems of educational experiences – have been developed based on medical education theories and insights, as well as considerations of time and resources, but also previous students’ feedback. This obvious “pole-position” to get involved in medical education research while improving one’s own education is a gateway to obtaining valuable insight into teaching and learning, and how educational ecosystems work. BTW … Did I mention that the professional development of medical students has expanded to include the role of educator? There you go. In August 2021, I had the pleasure and honor to present to the AMEE2021 Student Task Force on getting involved in medical education research and scholarship. While developing the presentation, it became so clear, again, that this is a crucial topic for all of us, students and faculty alike – and that’s why we should collaborate! Finding and applying evidence, critically reflecting on one’s craft (teaching or practicing), and collecting and disseminating data of intentional change drives the field, in order to improve medical education.
Furthermore, as reviewed by Bonnie Dickinson, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Mercer University School of Medicine and IAMSE President-Elect at AMEE2021, educational scholarship can be a “material, product, or resource developed for a specific educational purpose that has been successfully peer reviewed and subsequently made public.” Dissemination is a crucial step and can include many forms, from orally presenting at a conference or publishing a journal article or textbook, to FOAMED (Free Open Access Medical Education). I’d like to introduce frameworks and concepts of educational research and scholarship to plant a seed and get something started: 1. The Educational Ecosystem is your Laboratory: Boyer’s Model of Scholarship and Glassick’s Criteria First, Ernest Boyer, one of the most prominent leaders in the history of American higher education, advocated for the need for a broader definition of scholarship to include educational scholarship. He subsequently described faculty scholarship as four separate yet overlapping functions:
Subsequent surveys of journal editors, scholarly press directors, and granting agencies established six standards of excellence in scholarship, also termed “Glassick’s Criteria”: (1) establish clear goals; (2) be adequately prepared; (3) use appropriate methods; (4) achieve significant results; (5) communicate effectively, and then (6) reflectively critique the work. These are also currently used for peer reviews. 2. Domains to Draw from for Medical Education Research: Where to Look for an Opportunity Medical education research subjects reflect contemporary trends in the education of successful physicians as well as the health care needs of our society. However, we found that the foundational knowledge, skills, and theoretical frameworks of domains usually related to health professions education programs provide pointers and standard approaches and terrains related to medical education research:
Leadership and Management may not lend themselves very obviously to medical education research; however, the educational ecosystem first and the healthcare systems later include vision and missions, values and drivers, and are regulated through policies and strategies to establish and obtain standards. As a student, go and join societies, committees, and task forces, allowing to experience leadership and get in involved in driving change through research. Research Methods used in medical education can be divided roughly into two areas, quantitative and qualitative approaches. Depending on the nature of the research question, both methods aim to provide insights using different processes, either through deductive, statistical data analysis in the case of quantitative approaches, or through inductive analysis from interviews, observations, or descriptions. A mixed-method research framework uses a blend of the two and provides introspection into, e.g., human behavior and answers questions involving quantifiable research variables. Read more about qualitative methods here. Finally, Evaluation and Assessment encompass important processes in medical education and healthcare practice in general. These two items examine and measure everything and anything at any scale in healthcare – from your first medical school exam performance to validation of OSCES, performance record comparisons, and quality improvement aimed to transform healthcare. As a healthcare professional, you will be involved in Evaluation and Assessment in your career. 3. Varied and Applicable: Products of Medical Education Research To keep up with the advances of medical science and the healthcare models of an ever-changing society, teaching methods and interventions as well as knowledge resources (with or without the use of technology) are constantly developed and improved. You may very well develop a new app allowing your patients to seamlessly record data important for your care – or you may write a curriculum on eliciting social determinants of health from a vulnerable patient population. From syllabus over video recording to study aid or worksheet template – these important developments and their effectiveness can be the subject of medical education research if made public beyond the home institution, i.e., through conference presentations or journal publications. However, while peer-reviewed publications are undoubtedly the current gold standard for sharing scholarly work, medical education is also about enriching the field, introducing innovations, and invigorating discussions with communities of practice. Thus, modes of online dissemination such as academic blogging or podcasting are outstanding complementary options to disseminate academic information and generate discussion with a growing following and larger reach. 4. Steps in Medical Education Research Steps in medical education research are similar to any general research approach. The major characteristics of medical education research, however, are the variety of scientific fields to draw from, the underlying theories, and the research methods and designs used to answer your research question. Also, you need to clear Ethics Board approval – termed IRB in the U.S. – early to be able to start collecting data. In addition, I always recommend developing a project plan with real-life dates and a timeline with milestones, so that the research undertaking fits in with your busy life. This is, where your mentor comes in. 5. … and finally: Find a Mentor There are usually faculty at medical schools who take on student mentorship. As recommended by the AAMC Research primer, begin looking for a mentor about 6 months in advance of the anticipated start of the research project. Your mentor can match your project with your life and support you every step of the way, from fine-tuning your research goals to helping to identify the best options for dissemination, or suggestions for funds for conference travel. You may also try reaching out to researchers with similar goals at a different institution. On a global scale, there are resources and options available for you, such as your own institution’s Office of Student Affairs or the Student Research Office, but also professional societies such as AMEE or IAMSE. Now it’s up to you to get excited about a great research project. Perhaps you’d like to start a video series to educate your patients about, e.g., nutrition, and display it in a doctor’s office, or team up with a research group and enjoy the collaboration. Set goals, establish a timeline, and plan out the steps. On a different scale, you will also apply transferable skills, such as collaborating, managing data, planning milestones in your research, and even maneuvering setbacks to success. So, team up with a mentor, launch the project – and grow! Let me know how it goes! [email protected] References
1. Soriano, R. P., Blatt, B., Coplit, L., Cichoski, Kelly, E., Kosowicz, L., Newman, L., ... & Greenberg, L. (2010). Teaching medical students how to teach: a national survey of students-as-teachers programs in US medical schools. Academic Medicine, 85(11), 1725-1731. 2. Erlich DR, Shaughnessy AF. Student-teacher education programme (STEP) by step: transforming medical students into competent, confident teachers. Med Teach. 2014;36(4):322-332. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2014.887835 2. 3. Marton GE, McCullough B, Ramnanan CJ. A review of teaching skills development programmes for medical students. Med Educ. 2015;49(2):149-160. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12571 3. 4. Sherbino J, Frank JR, Snell L. Defining the key roles and competencies of the clinician-educator of the 21st century: a national mixed-methods study. Acad Med. 2014;89(5):783-789. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000000217 4. 5. Harden RM, Laidlaw JM. Essential Skills for a Medical Teacher: An Introduction to Teaching and Learning in Medicine. Elsevier; 2020. 6. Atluru, A., Wadhwani, A., Maurer, K., Kochar, A., London, D., Kane, E., & Spear, K. (2015). Research in medical education. A primer for medical students. URL: https://www. aamc. org/system/files/c/2/429856-mededresearchprimer. pdf. 7. Van Melle, E., Lockyer, J., Curran, V., Lieff, S., St Onge, C., & Goldszmidt, M. (2014). Toward a common understanding: supporting and promoting education scholarship for medical school faculty. Medical education, 48(12), 1190-1200. 8. Cleland, J. A., Jamieson, S., Kusurkar, R. A., Ramani, S., Wilkinson, T. J., & van Schalkwyk, S. (2021). Redefining scholarship for health professions education: AMEE Guide No. 142. Medical Teacher, 1-15. 9. Ringsted, C., Hodges, B., & Scherpbier, A. (2011). ‘The research compass’: An introduction to research in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 56. Medical teacher, 33(9), 695-709. 10. Boyer, E. L. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate. Princeton University Press, 3175 Princeton Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. 11. Glassick, C. E. (2000). Boyer's expanded definitions of scholarship, the standards for assessing scholarship, and the elusiveness of the scholarship of teaching. Academic Medicine, 75(9), 877-880. 12. Tekian, A., & Artino Jr, A. R. (2013). AM last page: master’s degree in health professions education programs. Academic Medicine, 88(9), 1399.
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