Inadequacies of musculoskeletal medicine curriculum for undergraduate medical students: a cross-sectional study

Rapid Design of a Student-Centred App for Musculoskeletal Clinical Skills: An Example of a Theoretically Informed Approach to Developing Apps for Learning

Background and need for innovation

The process to design mobile apps for learning are infrequently reported and focus more on evaluation than process. This lack of clear process for health professional education mobile apps may explain the lack of quality mobile apps to support medical student learning.

Goal of innovation

The goal of this project was to develop a student informed ready for production wireframe model of a minimally viable mobile app to support learning of musculoskeletal (MSK) clinical skills.

Steps taken for development and implementation of innovation

The Information Systems Research (ISR) framework and Design Thinking were combined for the mobile app design. The process followed the cycles and modes of the combined framework to; systematically review available apps, use a focus group to identify attributes of the app valued by students, define the initial plan for the mobile app, develop an app prototype, and test and refine it with students.

Outcomes of innovation

The student focus group data had five themes: 1) interactive usability, 2) environment, 3) clear and concise layout, 4) anatomy and pathology, 5) cultural safety and 'red flags'. The prototyping of the app went through three cycles of student review and improvement to produce a final design ready for app development.

Critical reflection on our process

We used a student-centred approach guided by design frameworks to design a minimally viable product mobile app to support learning of MSK clinical skills in ten weeks with a small team. The framework supported nonlinear, iterative, rapid prototyping. Student data converged and diverged with the MSK teaching methods literature. Of note our students requested cultural safety learning in the app design, suggesting mobile apps could support cultural safety learning.

Orthopedics and Traumatology Skill Matrix for Musculoskeletal System Approach by Medical Graduates

Objective  This study aimed to build a matrix of orthopedics and traumatology skills focusing on the musculoskeletal system for graduates of a medical course in Brazil. Methods  The study used the e-Delphi methodology to retrieve opinions anonymously. The first proposal included 42 items determined at a bibliographical review and their epidemiological relevance. This proposal was available via Google Forms, and we sent it using the instant messaging application WhatsApp. We grouped the panel of 26 specialists into three categories: Orthopedics and Traumatology professors, Primary Care doctors, and Emergency Physicians. We reached a consensus after three rounds, with at least 75% agreement between the items initially presented. We also considered the following four indicators: prerequisite, essential, desirable, and advanced skills. Results  We created a matrix with 34 musculoskeletal system-related skills, including diagnostic and management actions for all age groups. Conclusion  We devised a skill matrix in Orthopedics and Traumatology for medical graduation for complete or partial use according to the institutional curriculum.

The Current State of Undergraduate Trauma and Orthopedics Training in Saudi Arabia: A Survey-Based Study of Sixth-Year Medical Students' and Interns' Learning Experience and Subjective Clinical Competence

Background and objective Students frequently complain about the lack of practical skill learning and the poor quality of the medical school curriculum. In light of this, the purpose of this study was to assess the learning experience and subjective clinical competence of final-year medical students and interns in the field of orthopedics in Saudi Arabia (SA). Methods A cross-sectional observational descriptive study utilizing an electronically validated survey was conducted, which included the following six main sections: introduction, demographics, self-assessment of competency regarding certain orthopedic skills, clinical experience in orthopedics, orthopedics curriculum assessment, and choice of future career specialty. Results The total number of participants was 794. Among them, 33% (n=160) and 37.1% (180) had attended no "trauma meetings" or "operating room (OR)" sessions respectively, and only 21.9% (n=106) had attended more than five clinics. Subjective competence in history taking was highest (mean: 8.925 ±1.299) among students who had received more than four weeks of orthopedic rotation and attended more than six clinics. The students who had completed more than four weeks of orthopedic rotation and more than six bedside sessions scored the highest in terms of subjective competence in handling orthopedic patients in primary care settings (mean: 8.014 ±1.931). Conclusion The survey indicates that the amount of orthopedic training provided by institutions varies, with some students receiving less training than recommended. However, longer rotations lead to greater perceived orthopedic competence. Students and interns with more exposure to orthopedics through curriculum and elective rotations demonstrated a greater interest in pursuing orthopedics as a future career.

Musculoskeletal education in undergraduate medical curricula-A systematic review

Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases encompass a vast spectrum of up to 200 conditions that are increasingly prevalent, with significant associated disability and socioeconomic burden. Their impact is pervasive, with musculoskeletal conditions being the second leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide, in addition to the 9th most common cause of disability-adjusted life years. It is therefore imperative that all graduating medical physicians are competent in their management, and that the quality of undergraduate musculoskeletal education is commensurate with patient and societal needs. A systematic literature review was conducted between April 1, 2021 and June 1, 2021 assessing the quality of undergraduate musculoskeletal education in medical schools. Educational interventions in musculoskeletal medicine were also included. Quality assessment appraisal of the studies was done using a Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. One thousand and thirty-three titles were screened, and 44 studies were included in the final analysis. Our analysis of these studies showed that the quality of undergraduate musculoskeletal education, as determined by the cognitive mastery and clinical confidence of undergraduate medical students remains inadequate. Multiple educational interventions were assessed with mixed results. Despite the prevalence, and burden associated with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, the musculoskeletal education of undergraduate medical students remains inadequate. Urgent international collaboration is required to devise teaching strategies and curriculum initiatives that are globally and reproducibly applicable and effective. Further research into educational interventions and teaching strategies is also required.