Masego B Kebaetse1, Maikutlo Kebaetse2, Gaonyadiwe G Mokone2, Oathokwa Nkomazana3, Mpho Mogodi1, John Wright2, Rosemary Falama4, Elizabeth Park5. 1. Department of Medical Education, University of Botswana Faculty of Medicine, Gaborone, Botswana. 2. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Botswana Faculty of Medicine, Gaborone, Botswana. 3. Department of Surgery, University of Botswana Faculty of Medicine, Gaborone, Botswana. 4. Department of Internal Medicine, Kanye Seventh-Day Adventist Hospital, Kanye, Botswana. 5. Department of Internal Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Centre, New York, New York, USA.
Abstract
CONTEXT: The journey through medical school can be challenging, especially for undergraduate medical students who must deal with a demanding curriculum, coupled with the demands of transitioning into adulthood. Despite experiencing learning challenges, most students succeed with appropriate learning support. Many medical schools offer learning support programmes, particularly in the latter years, but it has been suggested that such support could be more beneficial, especially during the initial years. OBJECTIVES: This review explores learning support intervention programmes used to address learning challenges and deficits in the first year of medical school. Additionally, we propose a potential framework for supporting learning during the first year of medical school. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), ERIC (Educational Resources Information Centre), Academic Search Premier and Google Scholar using the search terms 'learning support', 'learning challenge', 'remediation', 'change', 'medical education' and 'first year'. We developed and used a review matrix to record the main elements of each article. We also coded the matrix to identify emerging themes. RESULTS: The main themes that emerged from the study were 'intervention approaches', 'area of intervention', 'intervention strategies', 'intervention dose' and 'intervention outcomes'. INTERVENTIONS: (i) used proactive-deficit, reactive-deficit and proactive-developmental approaches; (ii) addressed content knowledge, academic success skills, personal and professional skills and programme-related elements; (iii) utilised faculty staff-facilitated, peer-facilitated, support staff-facilitated, experiential placement, self-study and reduced-load strategies; (iv) varied in length from 5 weeks to 2 years, and (v) generally showed positive results. CONCLUSIONS: This review has identified the main components of learning support interventions used for Year 1 medical students. Interventions, however, are generally not grounded on empirical assessment that elucidates the nature of the challenges faced by students. Future research should provide empirical understanding of the learning challenges to be addressed.
CONTEXT: The journey through medical school can be challenging, especially for undergraduate medical students who must deal with a demanding curriculum, coupled with the demands of transitioning into adulthood. Despite experiencing learning challenges, most students succeed with appropriate learning support. Many medical schools offer learning support programmes, particularly in the latter years, but it has been suggested that such support could be more beneficial, especially during the initial years. OBJECTIVES: This review explores learning support intervention programmes used to address learning challenges and deficits in the first year of medical school. Additionally, we propose a potential framework for supporting learning during the first year of medical school. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), ERIC (Educational Resources Information Centre), Academic Search Premier and Google Scholar using the search terms 'learning support', 'learning challenge', 'remediation', 'change', 'medical education' and 'first year'. We developed and used a review matrix to record the main elements of each article. We also coded the matrix to identify emerging themes. RESULTS: The main themes that emerged from the study were 'intervention approaches', 'area of intervention', 'intervention strategies', 'intervention dose' and 'intervention outcomes'. INTERVENTIONS: (i) used proactive-deficit, reactive-deficit and proactive-developmental approaches; (ii) addressed content knowledge, academic success skills, personal and professional skills and programme-related elements; (iii) utilised faculty staff-facilitated, peer-facilitated, support staff-facilitated, experiential placement, self-study and reduced-load strategies; (iv) varied in length from 5 weeks to 2 years, and (v) generally showed positive results. CONCLUSIONS: This review has identified the main components of learning support interventions used for Year 1 medical students. Interventions, however, are generally not grounded on empirical assessment that elucidates the nature of the challenges faced by students. Future research should provide empirical understanding of the learning challenges to be addressed.
Authors: Patrícia Lacerda Bellodi; Marisa Dolhnikoff; Alfredo Luiz Jacomo; Alexander Augusto de Lima Jorge; Alexandre Archanjo Ferraro; Ana Claudia Camargo Gonçalves Germani; Ana Cristina Aoun Tannuri; Beatriz Helena Carvalho Tess; Bruno Caramelli; Denise Maria Avancini Costa Malheiros; Iolanda de Fátima Lopes Calvo Tibério; José Pinhata Otoch; Luiz Fernando Ferraz da Silva; Luiz Henrique Martins Castro; Maria Cláudia Nogueira Zerbini; Marisa Dolhnikoff; Milton de Arruda Martins; Rogério de Souza; Rossana Pulcineli Vieira Francisco Journal: Clinics (Sao Paulo) Date: 2021-03-24 Impact factor: 2.365