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Sendra-Portero F, Lorenzo-Álvarez R, Rudolphi-Solero T, Ruiz-Gómez MJ. The Second Life Metaverse and Its Usefulness in Medical Education After a Quarter of a Century. J Med Internet Res 2024; 26:e59005. [PMID: 39106480 DOI: 10.2196/59005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The immersive virtual world platform Second Life (SL) was conceived 25 years ago, when Philip Rosedale founded Linden Lab in 1999 with the intention of developing computing hardware that would allow people to immerse themselves in a virtual world. This initial effort was transformed 4 years later into SL, a universally accessible virtual world centered on the user, with commercial transactions and even its own virtual currency, which fully connects with the concept of the metaverse, recently repopularized after the statements of the chief executive officer of Meta (formerly Facebook) in October 2021. SL is considered the best known virtual environment among higher education professionals. This paper aimed to review medical education in the SL metaverse; its evolution; and its possibilities, limitations, and future perspectives, focusing especially on medical education experiences during undergraduate, residency, and continuing medical education. The concept of the metaverse and virtual worlds was described, making special reference to SL and its conceptual philosophy, historical evolution, and technical aspects and capabilities for higher education. A narrative review of the existing literature was performed, including at the same time a point of view from our teaching team after an uninterrupted practical experience of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in the last 13 years with >4000 users and >10 publications on the subject. From an educational point of view, SL has the advantages of being available 24/7 and creating in the student the important feeling of "being there" and of copresence. This, together with the reproduction of the 3D world, real-time interaction, and the quality of voice communication, makes the immersive experiences unique, generating engagement and a fluid interrelation of students with each other and with their teachers. Various groups of researchers in medical education have developed experiences during these years, which have shown that courses, seminars, workshops and conferences, problem-based learning experiences, evaluations, teamwork, gamification, medical simulation, and virtual objective structured clinical examinations can be successfully carried out. Acceptance from students and faculty is generally positive, recognizing its usefulness for undergraduate medical education and continuing medical education. In the 25 years since its conception, SL has proven to be a virtual platform that connects with the concept of the metaverse, an interconnected, open, and globally accessible system that all humans can access to socialize or share products for free or using a virtual currency. SL remains active and technologically improved since its creation. It is necessary to continue carrying out educational experiences, outlining the organization, objectives, and content and measuring the actual educational impact to make SL a tool of more universal use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Sendra-Portero
- Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Rocío Lorenzo-Álvarez
- Department of Emergency and Intensive Care, Hospital de la Axarquía, Vélez-Málaga, Spain
| | - Teodoro Rudolphi-Solero
- Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Miguel José Ruiz-Gómez
- Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
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Sheng M, Ritchie B, Ramaiya N, Mohamed I. Rewinding the Clock: Preparing the Next Generation of Radiology Residents for Oral Boards. Acad Radiol 2024:S1076-6332(24)00374-X. [PMID: 38944631 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2024.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
The replacement of the ABR in-person oral examination with the DR certifying examination affected approximately 15,000 radiologists, spanning from 2013 to 2027. This decision was motivated by better aligning with the timing of other American Board of Medical Specialty (ABMS) members, more closely reflecting real-world practice of radiology and narrowing training geared towards the trainee's subspecialty preference. However, in retrospect, this change may have subtracted from the quality and value of diagnostic radiology training as a whole with the de-emphasis on competence in general radiology, communication skills, and cognitive reasoning. In this paper, the authors lay out a blueprint necessary in order to rewind the clock of how diagnostic radiology programs can prepare their trainees for the new DR oral examination. Such a change will require substantial redactions affecting all designations, including radiology faculty, education teams, departmental leadership, academic institutions, ACGME, and ABR. The authors believe that implementing these modifications will not only effectively equip radiology candidates for the new DR oral examination but will also augment the significance of radiologists as indispensable members of multidisciplinary teams. The authors also outline the challenges that could emerge from these changes and speculate on the anticipated role of AI in future oral board examinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Sheng
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
| | - Brandon Ritchie
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - Nikhil Ramaiya
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - Inas Mohamed
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
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Zhang R, Xu X, Luo X, Huang P. "Building bridges"-communication education for residents in radiology: a scoping review. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2024; 24:662. [PMID: 38877548 PMCID: PMC11179299 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05660-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Good communication is an important professional attribute for radiologists. However, explorations of communication education and their outcomes in radiology residents are sparse. This scoping review aims to evaluate the existing literature on communication education for radiology residents, identify gaps in current practices, and suggest directions for future studies. METHODS A scoping review following the six-step approach of Arksey and O'Malley was undertaken. We searched through PubMed, Embase, ERIC, and Web of Science databases, focusing on communication education in radiology residents. RESULTS Sixteen of the 3096 identified articles were included in the analysis. Most studies (13/16) originated from the United States. The studies varied in study design, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches. The sample sizes of most studies were small to moderate, with more than half of the studies had fewer than 30 participants. The identified studies predominantly focused on communication with patients and healthcare professionals. The need for communication education, the efficacy of specific communication education programs, and the capability of some assessment tools for evaluating residents' communication skills were investigated. CONCLUSIONS This scoping review reveals the gap between the need for communication education and the lack of comprehensive education programs in radiology residents globally. Future studies should develop tailored interventions and use reliable assessment tools, engaging more participants with extended follow-up periods, and expand the scope of communication training to include all relevant stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiting Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, 88# Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Xiaopei Xu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, 88# Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao Luo
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, 88# Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, China
| | - Peiyu Huang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, 88# Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, China
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Rudolphi-Solero T, Lorenzo-Álvarez R, Domínguez-Pinos D, Ruiz-Gómez MJ, Sendra-Portero F. An Interuniversity Competition for Medical Students to Learn Radiology in the Second Life Metaverse. J Am Coll Radiol 2023:S1546-1440(23)00842-6. [PMID: 37922968 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2023.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate an interuniversity competition online to learn radiology held in a 3-D virtual world, the Second Life metaverse, by analyzing the results of the game and students' perceptions. METHODS Medical students voluntarily participated in teams of four, for 6 weeks, successively covering radiologic anatomy and radiologic semiology of the chest, abdomen, and musculoskeletal. Each week, participants had 4.5 days to study self-learning presentations and 2.5 days to complete an individual multiple-choice test and a team task, the results of which determined the game's ranking. Participants were asked to complete a cognitive-load test, a perception questionnaire, and a postexposure knowledge test. RESULTS The competition was repeated for 2 years (editions), in 2020 and 2021. Seventy-five of 102 teams (73.5%) registered completed the game; 76% of them included third-year students. The average percentage of correct answers in the individual tests and team tasks was 74.2 ± 15.1 and 71.6 ± 14.7 respectively, without significant differences between both competitions. In general, the experience was valued positively (scores >8 on a 10-point scale). A lower perception score was found in 2021 among students from universities other than the organizing university, showing a positive correlation with the in-game score. CONCLUSIONS An interuniversity competition in the Second Life metaverse for undergraduate learning radiology is feasible and reproducible. Participating medical students considered it interesting and useful and also identified this activity during the 2 years of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic as a playful learning and social interaction experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodoro Rudolphi-Solero
- Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain. https://twitter.com/TeoRudSol
| | - Rocío Lorenzo-Álvarez
- Critical Care and Emergency Service, Hospital de la Axarquía, Velez-Malaga, Spain. https://twitter.com/estrellitadluz
| | - Dolores Domínguez-Pinos
- Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Miguel José Ruiz-Gómez
- Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Francisco Sendra-Portero
- Director, Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain.
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Jebram L, Prediger S, Oubaid V, Harendza S. Matching of advanced undergraduate medical students' competence profiles with the required competence profiles of their specialty of choice for postgraduate training. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2023; 23:647. [PMID: 37679688 PMCID: PMC10485971 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04632-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Matching between undergraduate students and their chosen specialty has implications for their personal job satisfaction and performance as well as societies' needs regarding health care quality. Knowledge regarding student-specialty fit can help improve students' decisions and detect potential deficiencies in specific competences. In this study, we compare self-assessed competence profiles of medical students close to graduation with the competence profiles of their specialty of choice for postgraduate training. METHODS Self-assessed competence profiles were collected with the modified requirement-tracking (R-Track) questionnaire from 197 final-year medical students close to graduation in 2022. To determine student-specialty fit, difference scores between students' self-assessed competences and physicians' requirements for specific specialties were calculated across the R-Track's six competence areas "Motivation", "Personality traits", "Social interactive competences", "Mental abilities", "Psychomotor & multitasking abilities", and "Sensory abilities", which were assessed on a 5-point Likert scale (1: "very low" to 5: "very high"). Mean difference scores across competence areas were calculated and compared between specialties with multivariate analysis of variance. Student-specialty fit was also calculated independent of students' choices. RESULTS The competence area "Motivation" scored highest for both students and physicians across specialties. However, students' scores were lower than physicians' requirements for "Motivation" as well as "Personality traits" across all specialties. Difference scores for "Social interactive competences" were either close to zero or showed higher scores for students. A similar competence pattern for internal medicine, general medicine, paediatrics, and gynaecology was identified with higher than required student scores for "Mental abilities", "Psychomotor & multitasking abilities", and "Sensory abilities". All other specialties showed higher physicians' requirements for at least one of these competence areas. Independent of students' specialty choice, we found the highest difference score in favour of student scores for general medicine (0.31) and the lowest difference score for internal medicine (-0.02). CONCLUSIONS Students' competence profiles overall show better fit with person-oriented specialties. "Mental abilities", "Psychomotor & multitasking abilities", and "Sensory abilities" show higher requirement scores for more technique-oriented specialties. Students interested in such specialties could focus more on basic skill development in undergraduate training or will develop specific skills during residency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Jebram
- III. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Prediger
- III. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Sigrid Harendza
- III. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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