Effects of Postgraduate Medical Education "Boot Camps" on Clinical Skills, Knowledge, and Confidence: A Meta-Analysis

The impact on internship of a tailored intern preparation package

INTRODUCTION

On commencing internship, new medical graduates (new interns) are often required to perform core procedural skills under differing levels of supervision. This variability of knowledge and experience with procedural skills can place patient safety at risk. Consequently, in 2012, we developed a targeted, intensive, 3-day training course for our pre-intern (PrInt) students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intern preparation package by exploring interns' self-reported knowledge, confidence, and experience in key procedural skills during the early months of internship.

METHODS

Between 2012 and 2016, 5 cohorts of PrInt students (n=223) participated in our course. In the following years 2013-2017, the same 5 cohorts, at 4-5 months into their internship, were surveyed anonymously and invited to attend focus groups. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyze data.

RESULTS

Of the 223 interns, 91 (41%) responded. Of the 91, 82 (93%) agreed that the intern preparation package provided during PrInt had been beneficial to their practice as an intern. Awareness of potential risks to patient safety was high, ranging from infection control at 89/89 (100%) to 87/90 (97%) for patient identification. Confidence in performing procedural skills varied from moderate in identifying nasogastric tube placement on X-ray (66/89; 85%), to equal least confidence in managing cardiac-related emergencies (53/90; 59%) and identifying the correct placement of peripherally inserted central catheter lines on X-ray (52/89; 58%).

MAJOR QUALITATIVE FINDINGS

The preparation package had refreshed interns' procedural skills ability and awareness of risks to patient safety. Integration into the clinical team was positive, but requests to perform procedural skills on day 1 was unexpected.

CONCLUSION

Interns reported that they had gained substantial benefit from their preparation package, and they performed practical procedures from day 1, further highlighting the need for an intensive preparation course immediately prior to entering internship.

Impact of urology simulation boot camp in improving endoscopic instrument knowledge

Objective

Education and training of surgeons has traditionally focused on the development of individual knowledge, technical skills and decision making. Knowledge about endoscopic instruments is one of the core elements of urological training. We assessed the precourse knowledge of newly appointed urology trainees and the impact of boot camp in improving their knowledge.

Methods

Newly appointed specialty trainees in urology took part in a pilot 5-day urology simulation boot camp (USBC). The aim of the USBC was to improve their confidence, procedural performance and non-technical skills, with one of the modules looking at the trainees' knowledge about common endoscopic instruments in urology. Delegates were first asked to identify and assemble the instruments, followed by one-to-one teaching about the instruments. An Objective Structured Assessment Tool was used to assess their knowledge in the identification and assembly of the cystoscope, resectoscope and optical urethrotome, before and at the end of the course.

Results

Data of two successive boot camps were collected to assess knowledge of instruments of newly appointed urology trainees. Majority of the trainees had good precourse knowledge of the cystoscopy kit, with 84% able to correctly identify the parts. Seventy-six per cent of candidates were able to identify the resectoscope equipment, but only approximately a third of trainees were able to correctly identify the urethrotome kit. The assembly of cystoscope, resectoscope and urethrotome was performed correctly in 74%, 42% and 32% at baseline and 94%, 90% and 77% postcourse, respectively. Overall performance improved significantly in the postcourse assessment (<0.001).

Conclusion

This urology boot camp has addressed gaps in trainees' core equipment knowledge and guided them to improve their knowledge with respect to identification and assembly of cystoscope, resectoscope and urethrotome.

The pediatric echocardiography Boot Camp: Four-year experience and impact on clinical performance

BACKGROUND

We previously reported on the short-term impact of an echocardiography "Boot Camp" on a single class of cardiology fellows (CF). The impact of the Boot Camp on performance throughout fellowship is unknown.

METHODS

We enrolled four classes of CFs and two classes of cardiac ICU fellows (CVs) prospectively into the Boot Camp and compared CFs to a historical cohort. Experience with echocardiography was surveyed. Outcome measures included written pre- and post-Camp exams, a performance based test (PBT), self-efficacy assessments, numbers of echocardiograms performed, and echocardiogram quality during the last 3 months of fellowship.

RESULTS

A total of 25 CFs and 7 CVs participated in the Boot Camp from July 2012-July 2015. Median experience score was 13/40 (4-23). Median self-efficacy improved from 22/147 (range 21-45) to 90/147 (range 49-133) (P=<.001), and written scores from 14/29 (8-24) to 24/29 (13-29) (P<.001). CFs who completed the Boot Camp performed more independent echocardiograms compared to controls at the end of the 1^st (37.7±12.2 vs 28.2±12.1, P=.15), 2^nd (71.3±24.4 vs 47.6±16.0, P=.044), and third year of fellowship (130.4±44.0 vs 100.0±29.3, P=.230), and on average achieved 150 total echocardiograms in the 4.8th quarter compared to the 7.8th quarter in controls, P=.053. 2D quality scores were higher and shortening fraction more often obtained in echocardiograms performed by Boot Camp CFs compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The pediatric echocardiography Boot Camp improved self-efficacy, acquisition, and retention of echocardiography skills and knowledge, and increased echocardiogram performance. Observed differences between Boot Camp and control CFs appear to wane across fellowship.

Re-boot: Simulation Elective for Medical Students as Preparation Bootcamp for Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of a simulation-based elective on medical student preparedness for obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residency.

METHODS

A two-week, simulation-based elective course for post-clerkship medical students was developed, and 10 students participated at a single academic institution in 2016 and 2017. Using standardized patients and team-based training, students practiced procedural and surgical skills, as well as the diagnosis, management, and work-up of commonly seen problems. Close coaching with a low student-faculty ratio was employed for each session, allowing for individualized feedback in real time. Prior to and after completing the elective, student knowledge was evaluated using the Preparation for Residency Knowledge Assessment tool (PrepForRes). Written course evaluations were also completed by students at the end of the course.

RESULTS

Mean scores on the PrepForRes exam increased from 63.6% to 75.3% (p=0.0136). Notably, the average post-course score improved to a passing level, and all but one student achieved a passing score on the post-course test. Course evaluations and student feedback showed high satisfaction rates with the course.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that a simulation-based elective course is an effective tool for helping medical students transition to OB/GYN residency. As medical schools work to facilitate the transition from undergraduate to graduate medical education, simulation can bridge gaps during this transition in order for students to meet entry-level residency requirements.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Boot Camp: A Preparatory Curriculum for Pediatric Residents

Introduction

Resident training has changed significantly in recent years, resulting in reduced experiences and practice. Because pediatric residents have fewer required intensive care unit (ICU) rotations, we introduced a neonatal ICU (NICU) boot camp (2014-2015) that continues today to prepare residents immediately prior to beginning an NICU rotation.

Methods

The NICU boot camp consists of three 1-hour sessions: two interactive lectures with case-based application and one hands-on, integrative learning using simulation. The sessions are designed to cover basic information to assist in daily rounding and decision making while in the NICU. After their NICU rotation, residents complete a 12-item questionnaire. Program evaluation includes direct observation during sessions, faculty debriefing, and a postprogram resident survey.

Results

Fifty-seven residents participated; questionnaire responses were available from 46 (80.70%). Combined percentages of very useful and extremely useful responses for the three sessions were 82.61%, 78.26%, and 82.60%, with 86.95% for the overall program; 80.40% agreed that repeating boot camp prior to each NICU rotation would be useful. Analysis of narrative responses revealed that participation in boot camp enhanced residents' readiness and confidence for patient care in the NICU and as stated for each educational objective.

Discussion

Program evaluation results support highly effective and sustainable implementation and achievement of educational objectives. Minor refinements continue for enhancing active learning and content materials and for increasing rigor of program evaluation. Results also suggest that our boot camp may benefit other pediatric programs and serve as a model for use in other resident specialty programs.

A Multi-Institutional Simulation Boot Camp for Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Nurse Practitioners

OBJECTIVES

Assess the effect of a simulation "boot camp" on the ability of pediatric nurse practitioners to identify and treat a low cardiac output state in postoperative patients with congenital heart disease. Additionally, assess the pediatric nurse practitioners' confidence and satisfaction with simulation training.

DESIGN

Prospective pre/post interventional pilot study.

SETTING

University simulation center.

SUBJECTS

Thirty acute care pediatric nurse practitioners from 13 academic medical centers in North America.

INTERVENTIONS

We conducted an expert opinion survey to guide curriculum development. The curriculum included didactic sessions, case studies, and high-fidelity simulation, based on high-complexity cases, congenital heart disease benchmark procedures, and a mix of lesion-specific postoperative complications. To cover multiple, high-complexity cases, we implemented Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice method of teaching for selected simulation scenarios using an expert driven checklist.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Knowledge was assessed with a pre-/posttest format (maximum score, 100%). A paired-sample t test showed a statistically significant increase in the posttest scores (mean [SD], pre test, 36.8% [14.3%] vs post test, 56.0% [15.8%]; p < 0.001). Time to recognize and treat an acute deterioration was evaluated through the use of selected high-fidelity simulation. Median time improved overall "time to task" across these scenarios. There was a significant increase in the proportion of clinically time-sensitive tasks completed within 5 minutes (pre, 60% [30/50] vs post, 86% [43/50]; p = 0.003] Confidence and satisfaction were evaluated with a validated tool ("Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning"). Using a five-point Likert scale, the participants reported a high level of satisfaction (4.7 ± 0.30) and performance confidence (4.8 ± 0.31) with the simulation experience.

CONCLUSIONS

Although simulation boot camps have been used effectively for training physicians and educating critical care providers, this was a novel approach to educating pediatric nurse practitioners from multiple academic centers. The course improved overall knowledge, and the pediatric nurse practitioners reported satisfaction and confidence in the simulation experience.

What to Do About the Transition to Residency? Exploring Problems and Solutions From Three Perspectives

Transitions are both a blessing and a curse for learning and professional development. While transitions can afford valuable opportunities for growth, they can also burden learners in ways that stymie performance and development. In this Invited Commentary, the author focuses on the transition from medical school to residency-a transition that many believe has tipped too far toward burden. The commentary explores three ways of problematizing the transition to residency. The first is as a transaction problem involving a complex exchange of information among programs and people. The second is as a transfer problem in which learners must apply knowledge in new contexts. The third is a trajectory problem concerning each learner's progression through medical education. The author describes current efforts aligned with each framing of the problem and discusses potential gaps in these efforts that might be addressed through an overarching framing of transitions in medical education as transformative processes. This framing may help the medical educational community think more holistically about the problems and solutions with transitions.

Resource Usage Implementing the Surgical Resident Prep Curriculum at a Single Institution

OBJECTIVE

The Resident Prep Curriculum (RPC), published in 2014 and developed as a collaboration of the American College of Surgeons, Association of Program Directors in Surgery, and the Association for Surgical Education, was designed to improve the quality and consistency of medical student preparation for surgical residency. We aim to assess the feasibility of and resource usage for implementation of this curriculum at our institution.

DESIGN

Our institution expanded upon a pre-existing 2-week surgical preparatory course, adding modules designed to meet the goals and objectives of the RPC. We performed an evaluation of the resources required for these additions, namely time, logistics and incremental cost.

SETTING

The course took place at the Perelman School of Medicine, which is a large, academic medical center affiliated with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

RESULTS

Our course satisfied each of the six domains outlined in the RPC. In 2015, 22 students were enrolled in the course. It was run over a consecutive 4-week period in the spring of 2015, with 9 full and 9 half days. To meet the needs of the Curriculum, approximately 33 hours (38%) were spent in the classroom, 34 hours (39%) in a simulation center, and 20 hours (23%) in the anatomical laboratory. Seventy faculty-hours (from 5 disciplines) and 73 resident-hours (double-counting for cotaught modules) were required to support the course. Besides room availability, funding was required for certain aspects of the course such as cadavers, dedicated anatomy teaching, and the costs of supplies in the simulation center. There is also a cost associated with the use of the Penn Medicine Simulation Center. Taking these into account, the total cost of implementing the curriculum amounted to $30,627.10.

CONCLUSION

The implementation of the RPC was feasible but relied heavily upon faculty/resident time. As a result of the success of this initiative, our medical school seeks to expand the idea across multiple specialties.

Core trainee boot camp, a method for improving technical and non-technical skills of novice surgical trainees. A before and after study

INTRODUCTION

The transition to surgical training can be a stressful time for trainees and is most evident during national handover periods where new graduates start and senior trainees rotate to new programmes. During this time, patient mortality can increase and Hospital efficiency reduces. This influence is compounded by the impact of working time directives. Intensive, simulation rich training programmes or "Boot Camps" have been postulated as a solution. This article highlights the development of a surgical boot camp for novice surgical trainees and the impact this can have on training.

METHOD

A novel surgical boot camp was developed for all trainees within a surgical training region including nine acute NHS trusts. Participating cohort of trainees completed pre and post course questionnaires to assess technical and non-technical skills.

RESULTS

25 trainees attended and completed the pre and post boot camp questionnaire. Significant improvements were seen with technical skills (p = 0.0429), overall non-technical skills (p < 0.001) including leadership (p = 0.022), communication (p = 0.010), situational awareness (p = 0.022), patient handover (p = 0.003), ward round skills (p = 0.005) and outpatient skill (p = 0.002). Trainees reported significantly increased ability to assess and manage a critically unwell patient (p = 0.001) and a trauma patient (p = 0.001). 96% of trainees have utilised the skills they learnt on Boot Camp and all trainees would recommend it as an induction programme.

CONCLUSION

Surgical Boot Camps offer a timely chance to develop technical and non-technical skills whilst enhancing a trainee's confidence and knowledge and reduce the patient safety impact of the handover period.

Defining Medical Student Patient Care Responsibilities Before Intern Year: Results of a National Survey

OBJECTIVES

Program directors have noted that first-year residents struggle with many of the patient care responsibilities they assume as they enter the US graduate medical education system. A national description of medical students' patient care experience in advance of graduation has not been published. We sought to describe the experience of US medical students during their clinical training by surveying the student representatives of each school.

METHODS

We developed a mixed-methods survey that was delivered to representatives of 82 schools via an e-mail link to an online survey.

RESULTS

Our response rate was 54% (44/82). Of those responding, 28% reported that students do not write any patient care orders at their institution and 34% reported not receiving pages related to patient care. Only 26% of institutions provide an increased patient load to students during their final year of training. Students identified many areas to improve the role of fourth-year medical students, including writing patient care orders, answering pages, increasing autonomy, defining their role better, and providing them with a longer subinternship experience.

CONCLUSIONS

Our survey suggests that students are graduating from the undergraduate medical education system and moving to the graduate medical education system in the United States without a guarantee of having answered a page related to patient care or having placed a patient care order. Further studies of students' experiences should be conducted to explore whether exposure to these skills improves first-year resident performance.

Pre-simulation orientation for medical trainees: An approach to decrease anxiety and improve confidence and performance

BACKGROUND

We assessed the effect of basic orientation to the simulation environment on anxiety, confidence, and clinical decision making.

METHODS

Twenty-four graduating medical students participated in a two-week surgery preparatory curriculum, including three simulations. Baseline anxiety was assessed pre-course. Scenarios were completed on day 2 and day 9. Prior to the first simulation, participants were randomly divided into two groups. Only one group received a pre-simulation orientation. Before the second simulation, all students received the same orientation. Learner anxiety was reported immediately preceding and following each simulation. Confidence was assessed post-simulation. Performance was evaluated by surgical faculty.

RESULTS

The oriented group experienced decreased anxiety following the first simulation (p = 0.003); the control group did not. Compared to the control group, the oriented group reported less anxiety and greater confidence and received higher performance scores following all three simulations (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-simulation orientation reduces anxiety while increasing confidence and improving performance.

Learning outcomes evaluation of a simulation-based introductory course to anaesthesia

OBJECTIVE

An increased number of errors and reduced patient safety have been reported during the incorporation of residents, as this period involves learning new skills. The objectives were to evaluate the learning outcomes of an immersive simulation boot-camp for incoming residents before starting the clinical rotations. Airway assessment, airway control with direct laryngoscopy, and epidural catheterization competencies were evaluated.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Twelve first-year anaesthesiology residents participated. A prospective study to evaluate transfer of endotracheal intubation skills learned at the simulation centre to clinical practice (primary outcome) was conducted. A checklist of 28 skills and behaviours was used to assess the first supervised intubation performed during anaesthesia induction in ASA I/II patients. Secondary outcome was self-efficacy to perform epidural catheterization. A satisfaction survey was also performed.

RESULTS

Seventy-five percent of residents completed more than 21 out of 28 skills and behaviours to assess and control the airway during their first intubation in patients. Twelve items were performed by all residents and 5 by half of them. More than 83% of participants reported a high level of self-efficacy in placing an epidural catheter. All participants would recommend the course to their colleagues.

CONCLUSIONS

A focused intensive simulation-based boot-camp addressing key competencies required to begin anaesthesia residency was well received, and led to transfer of airway management skills learned to clinical settings when performing for first time on patients, and to increased self-reported efficacy in performing epidural catheterization.

An Intensive Continuity Clinic Immersion Experience for Interns: A Springboard to Confidence and Satisfaction With Continuity Clinic

BACKGROUND

Providing a robust continuity clinic experience is difficult due to uneven distribution of resident time. Immersion experiences early in training may improve residents' learning experiences.

OBJECTIVE

We designed and implemented a continuity immersion experience to improve internal medicine interns' satisfaction and confidence with their outpatient skills, and we evaluated the timing of the experience and its benefits for learners.

METHODS

Two cohorts of interns at 1 academic institution participated in a 3-week immersion block (during the first or second quarter of the intern year). Interns were surveyed twice about satisfaction and confidence. Analysis included independent and paired sample t tests to compare interns' responses pre- and postimmersion, and to evaluate effects over time.

RESULTS

A total of 124 interns completed the immersion, with a survey response rate of 61%. Interns' self-rated confidence on a 5-point Likert scale improved significantly compared with preimmersion in the areas of medical knowledge and confidence with their electronic health record and communication skills (P ≤ .010 for all assessments). Interns reported high satisfaction with continuity clinic following immersion (cohort 1: 4.5 ± 0.54; cohort 2: 4.3 ± 0.68; on a 5-point scale with 5 = very satisfied). Improvements in knowledge, skills, and satisfaction in cohort 1 were sustained over 3 months.

CONCLUSIONS

A 3-week immersion experience in the first 6 months of residency improved interns' confidence in ambulatory content areas and satisfaction with clinic.

The Nightmares Course: A Longitudinal, Multidisciplinary, Simulation-Based Curriculum to Train and Assess Resident Competence in Resuscitation

BACKGROUND

Postgraduate medical education programs would benefit from a robust process for training and assessment of competence in resuscitation early in residency.

OBJECTIVE

To describe and evaluate the Nightmares Course, a novel, competency-based, transitional curriculum and assessment program in resuscitation medicine at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

METHODS

First-year residents participated in the longitudinal Nightmares Course at Queen's University during the 2015-2016 academic year. An expert working group developed the entrustable professional activity and curricular design for the course. Formative feedback was provided following each simulation-based session, and we employed a summative objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) utilizing a modified Queen's Simulation Assessment Tool. A generalizability study and resident surveys were performed to evaluate the course and assessment process.

RESULTS

A total of 40 residents participated in the course, and 23 (58%) participated in the OSCE. Eight of 23 (35%) did not meet the predetermined competency threshold and required remediation. The OSCE demonstrated an acceptable phi coefficient of 0.73. The approximate costs were $240 per Nightmares session, $10,560 for the entire 44-session curriculum, and $3,900 for the summative OSCE.

CONCLUSIONS

The Nightmares Course demonstrated feasibility and acceptability, and is applicable to a broad array of postgraduate medical education programs. The entrustment-based assessment detected several residents not meeting a minimum competency threshold, and directed them to additional training.

Medical School Surgical Boot Camps: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

Many medical schools have begun to offer surgical boot camps to senior medical students. The aim of the present study is to systematically review the literature and evidence surrounding medical school surgical boot camps to direct future research into the effectiveness of boot camps.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted, searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ERIC. The review was conducted according to the PICOTS structure, with an intervention of a surgical boot camp for senior medical students entering surgical residencies.

RESULTS

The search resulted in 5351 database hits, from which we identified 10 published studies that met the inclusion criteria. Two reviews were identified that met the PICOTS criteria but were excluded from data synthesis. Boot camps increase the confidence and competence of medical students entering their surgical internships. There is no objective assessment of the effect of boot camps on the clinical performance of interns.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the success of medical school surgical boot camps, no objective data exist to show that boot camps translate into improved performance during internship.

Using the ACMGE Milestones as a Handover Tool From Medical School to Surgery Residency

OBJECTIVE

To map current medical school assessments for graduating students to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) milestones in general surgery, and to pass forward individual performance metrics on level 1 milestones to receiving residency programs.

DESIGN

The study included 20 senior medical students who were accepted into surgery internship positions. Data from medical school performance assessments from the third-year surgery clerkship, fourth-year surgery rotations, fourth-year surgery boot camp, Clinical Competency Assessment Examination, and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and 2 examinations were used to map each student's competency assessments to the General Surgery Milestones based on a scoring system created and validated by independent assessors. This Milestones Assessment was then provided to each student's receiving program director.

SETTING

The study was conducted at the University of Michigan Medical School, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

PARTICIPANTS

Fourth-year medical students entering into surgical internship.

RESULTS

Of 16 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) General Surgery Milestones subcompetencies, 12 were able to be evaluated with current medical school assessments. Of the 20 students, 11 met criteria for all the level 1 milestones and 9 needed improvement in at least 1 domain.

CONCLUSIONS

It was feasible to use medical school assessments to feed forward information about senior medical students on 12 of the 16 General Surgery Milestones subcompetency domains.

A Longitudinal Regional Educational Model for Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellows Emphasizing Small Group- and Simulation-based Learning

Recent trends have necessitated a renewed focus on how we deliver formal didactic and simulation experiences to pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM) fellows. To address the changing demands of training PCCM fellows, as well as the variability in the clinical training, fund of knowledge, and procedural competence of incoming fellows, we designed a PCCM curriculum that is delivered regionally in the Baltimore/Washington, DC area in the summer and winter. The educational curriculum began in 2008 as a collaboration between the Critical Care Medicine Department at the National Institutes of Health and the Pulmonary and Critical Care Section of the Department of Medicine at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and now includes 13 individual training programs in PCCM, critical care medicine, and pulmonary diseases in Baltimore and Washington, DC. Informal and formal feedback from the fellows who participated led to substantial changes to the course curriculum, allowing for continuous improvement. The educational consortium has helped build a local community of educators to share ideas, support each other's career development, and collaborate on other endeavors. In this article, we describe how we developed and deliver this curriculum and report on lessons learned.

Validation of a new ENT emergencies course for first-on-call doctors

BACKGROUND

First-on-call ENT cover is often provided by junior doctors with limited ENT experience; yet, they may have to manage life-threatening emergencies. An intensive 1-day simulation course was developed to teach required skills to junior doctors.

METHODS

A prospective, single-blinded design was used. Thirty-seven participants rated their confidence before the course, immediately following the course and after a two-month interval. Blinded assessors scored participant performance in two video-recorded simulated scenarios before and after the course.

RESULTS

Participant self-rated confidence was increased in the end-of-course survey (score of 27.5 vs 53.0; p < 0.0001), and this was maintained two to four months after the course (score of 50.5; p < 0.0001). Patient assessment and management in video-recorded emergency scenarios was significantly improved following course completion (score of 9.75 vs 18.75; p = 0.0093).

CONCLUSION

This course represents an effective method of teaching ENT emergency management to junior doctors. ENT induction programmes benefit from the incorporation of a simulation component.

Practically prepared? Pre-intern student views following an education package

BACKGROUND

Graduating medical students enter their internship with varied levels of practical experience in procedural skills. To address this problem, many medical schools have introduced intensive skill training courses immediately prior to graduation. This study examines the impact of a pre-intern (PrInt) education package, consisting of a short intensive course, followed by a one-month clinical attachment.

METHODS

In September 2014, all PrInt students (n = 53) at the Central Clinical School (Sydney, NSW, Australia) attended three days of intensive training. This included a didactic introduction, case-based scenarios, and interactive workshops. This was followed by four weeks of targeted, experiential learning during a clinical attachment (PrInt term). Immediately prior to training and following PrInt, all students were invited to complete a six-domain questionnaire containing 40 subscale closed questions to assess their knowledge, experience, and confidence in key practical skills essential for a successful internship.

RESULTS

A total of 41/53 (77%) students completed an identical questionnaire prior to PrInt, and 37/53 (70%) immediately following PrInt. Respondents reported statistically significant increases in their experience, ability, knowledge, and confidence in a number of domains. The key changes were the following: knowledge of pharmacy skills (mean improvement = 26.48, confidence interval 95% [CI 95%] = 17.29-35.66, p ≤ 0.0001) and management of procedural skills (mean = 24.46, CI 95% = 16.58-32.34, p ≤ 0.0001). Despite the positive overall increase in most domains, some subscale results remained low following the educational package; only 44% students had inserted a nasogastric tube; only 44% reported confidence in commencing patients on warfarin; and only 42% in managing a hospital emergency. Surprisingly, there was a slight decline both in confidence in communicating with members of the hospital team (10%) and in awareness of the causes of hypoglycemia (7%).

CONCLUSION

Final year students perceived substantial benefit from an educational package specifically aimed at improving their practical skills immediately prior to internship.

A Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Boot Camp improves trainee confidence

Introduction New paediatric cardiology trainees are required to rapidly assimilate knowledge and gain clinical skills to which they have limited or no exposure during residency. The Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Boot Camp (PCBC) at Boston Children's Hospital was designed to provide incoming fellows with an intensive exposure to congenital cardiac pathology and a broad overview of major areas of paediatric cardiology practice.

METHODS

The PCBC curriculum was designed by core faculty in cardiac pathology, echocardiography, electrophysiology, interventional cardiology, exercise physiology, and cardiac intensive care. Individual faculty contributed learning objectives, which were refined by fellowship directors and used to build a programme of didactics, hands-on/simulation-based activities, and self-guided learning opportunities.

RESULTS

A total of 16 incoming fellows participated in the 4-week boot camp, with no concurrent clinical responsibilities, over 2 years. On the basis of pre- and post-PCBC surveys, 80% of trainees strongly agreed that they felt more prepared for clinical responsibilities, and a similar percentage felt that PCBC should be offered to future incoming fellows. Fellows showed significant increase in their confidence in all specific knowledge and skills related to the learning objectives. Fellows rated hands-on learning experiences and simulation-based exercises most highly.

CONCLUSIONS

We describe a novel 4-week-long boot camp designed to expose incoming paediatric cardiology fellows to the broad spectrum of knowledge and skills required for the practice of paediatric cardiology. The experience increased trainee confidence and sense of preparedness to begin fellowship-related responsibilities. Given that highly interactive activities were rated most highly, boot camps in paediatric cardiology should strongly emphasise these elements.

A serious game skills competition increases voluntary usage and proficiency of a virtual reality laparoscopic simulator during first-year surgical residents' simulation curriculum

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a serious game skills competition on voluntary usage of a laparoscopic simulator among first-year surgical residents' standard simulation curriculum.

METHODS

With research ethics board approval, informed consent was obtained from first-year surgical residents enrolled in an introductory surgical simulation curriculum. The class of 2013 served as a control cohort following the standard curriculum which mandates completion of six laparoscopic simulator skill tasks. For the 2014 competition cohort, the only change introduced was the biweekly and monthly posting of a leader board of the top three and ten fastest peg transfer times. Entry surveys were administered assessing attitudes towards simulation-based training and competition. Cohorts were observed for 5 months.

RESULTS

There were 24 and 25 residents in the control and competition cohorts, respectively. The competition cohort overwhelmingly (76 %) stated that they were not motivated to deliberate practice by competition. Median total simulator usage time was 132 min (IQR = 214) in the competition cohort compared to 89 (IQR = 170) in the control cohort. The competition cohort completed their course requirements significantly earlier than the control cohort (χ ² = 6.5, p = 0.01). There was a significantly greater proportion of residents continuing to use the simulator voluntarily after completing their course requirements in the competition cohort (44 vs. 4 %; p = 0.002). Residents in the competition cohort were significantly faster at peg transfer (194 ± 66 vs. 233 ± 53 s, 95 % CI of difference = 4-74 s; p = 0.03) and significantly decreased their completion time by 33 ± 54 s (95 % CI 10-56 s; paired t test, p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

A simple serious games skills competition increased voluntary usage and performance on a laparoscopic simulator, despite a majority of participants reporting they were not motivated by competition. Future directions should endeavour to examine other serious gaming modalities to further engage trainees in simulated skills development.

Pediatric Boot Camp Series: Obtaining a Consult, Discussing Difficult News

INTRODUCTION

Transitioning from medical student to intern requires individuals to possess medical knowledge, clinical skills, and the ability to communicate with a wide variety of health care professional as well as patients and their families. New doctors may be expected to function within the health care team without having received explicit instruction in communication previously. The materials associated with this publication are intended to be used as resources for small-group education of graduating medical students entering into pediatric, family medicine, or emergency medicine residencies.

METHODS

Four pediatric cases serve as the focus points for discussion and role-play around calling consultants and discussing difficult news with families and patients. Brief didactics and detailed facilitator notes help prime learning and guide discussion. The included facilitator notes and slide sets are part of the comprehensive materials necessary to implement this 4-hour course at your own institution.

RESULTS

This curriculum has been used since 2012 with graduating medical students entering into pediatric, family medicine, and emergency medicine residencies at two institutions within the United States. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and students have reported increased confidence in their ability to communicate with families and other health care providers.

DISCUSSION

This publication is the second part of a two-part curriculum but may be used independently of the first part. Although the cases are based on pediatrics, the content regarding communication is universal to many medical specialties.

A Brief Boot Camp for 4th-Year Medical Students Entering into Pediatric and Family Medicine Residencies

The transition from medical student to intern is a challenging process characterized by a steep learning curve. Focused courses targeting skills necessary for success as a resident have increased self-perceived preparedness, confidence, and medical knowledge. Our aim was to create a brief educational intervention for 4th-year medical students entering pediatric, family practice, and medicine/pediatric residencies to target skills necessary for an internship.

The curriculum used a combination of didactic presentations, small group discussions, role-playing, facilitated debriefing, and simulation-based education. Participants completed an objective structured clinical exam requiring synthesis and application of multiple boot camp elements before and after the elective. Participants completed anonymous surveys assessing self-perceived preparedness for an internship, overall and in regards to specific skills, before the elective and after the course. Participants were asked to provide feedback about the course.

Using checklists to assess performance, students showed an improvement in performing infant lumbar punctures (47.2% vs 77.0%; p < 0.01, 95% CI for the difference 0.2, 0.4%) and providing signout (2.5 vs. 3.9 (5-point scale) p < 0.01, 95% CI for the difference 0.6, 2.3). They did not show an improvement in communication with a parent. Participants demonstrated an increase in self-reported preparedness for all targeted skills, except for obtaining consults and interprofessional communication. There was no increase in reported overall preparedness. All participants agreed with the statements, “The facilitators presented the material in an effective manner,” “I took away ideas I plan to implement in internship,” and “I think all students should participate in a similar experience.” When asked to assess the usefulness of individual modules, all except order writing received a mean Likert score > 4.

A focused boot camp addressing key knowledge and skills required for pediatric-related residencies was well received and led to improved performance of targeted skills and increased self-reported preparedness in many targeted domains.

A suggested emergency medicine boot camp curriculum for medical students based on the mapping of Core Entrustable Professional Activities to Emergency Medicine Level 1 milestones

BACKGROUND

An increasing number of students rank Emergency Medicine (EM) as a top specialty choice, requiring medical schools to provide adequate exposure to EM. The Core Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for Entering Residency by the Association of American Medical Colleges combined with the Milestone Project for EM residency training has attempted to standardize the undergraduate and graduate medical education goals. However, it remains unclear as to how the EPAs correlate to the milestones, and who owns the process of ensuring that an entering EM resident has competency at a certain minimum level. Recent trends establishing specialty-specific boot camps prepare students for residency and address the variability of skills of students coming from different medical schools.

OBJECTIVE

Our project's goal was therefore to perform a needs assessment to inform the design of an EM boot camp curriculum. Toward this goal, we 1) mapped the core EPAs for graduating medical students to the EM residency Level 1 milestones in order to identify the possible gaps/needs and 2) conducted a pilot procedure workshop that was designed to address some of the identified gaps/needs in procedural skills.

METHODS

In order to inform the curriculum of an EM boot camp, we used a systematic approach to 1) identify gaps between the EPAs and EM milestones (Level 1) and 2) determine what essential and supplemental competencies/skills an incoming EM resident should ideally possess. We then piloted a 1-day, three-station advanced ABCs procedure workshop based on the identified needs. A pre-workshop test and survey assessed knowledge, preparedness, confidence, and perceived competence. A post-workshop survey evaluated the program, and a posttest combined with psychomotor skills test using three simulation cases assessed students' skills.

RESULTS

Students (n=9) reported increased confidence in the following procedures: intubation (1.5-2.1), thoracostomy (1.1-1.9), and central venous catheterization (1.3-2) (a three-point Likert-type scale, with 1= not yet confident/able to perform with supervision to 3= confident/able to perform without supervision). Psychomotor skills testing showed on average, 26% of students required verbal prompting with performance errors, 48% with minor performance errors, and 26% worked independently without performance errors. All participants reported: 1) increased knowledge and confidence in covered topics and 2) overall satisfaction with simulation experience.

CONCLUSION

Mapping the Core EPAs for Entering Residency to the EM milestones at Level 1 identifies educational gaps for graduating medical students seeking a career in EM. Educators designing EM boot camps for medical students should consider these identified gaps, procedures, and clinical conditions during the development of a core standardized curriculum.