A standardized patient-oriented approach to teaching clinical toxicology

Effects of a teaching mode combining SimBaby with standardized patients on medical students' attitudes toward communication skills

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of a teaching mode combining SimBaby with standardized patients (SP) on medical students' attitudes toward communication skills (CS).

METHODS

Forty 8-year medical program students majoring in clinical medicine were randomly divided into the SimBaby group (n = 20) and the SP + SimBaby group (n = 20). The Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) was used to evaluate medical students' attitudes toward CS learning.

RESULTS

In the SimBaby and SP + SimBaby groups, there were no statistically significant differences in the Positive Attitude Subscale (PAS) and Negative Attitude Subscale (NAS) scores between males and females (p > 0.05). Compared to the SimBaby group, the SP + SimBaby group showed statistically significant differences in PAS, NAS, and the two dimensions of importance in medical context and learning (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between groups in the dimensions of excusing and overconfidence (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Compared with SimBaby alone, the SP + SimBaby teaching mode can improve medical students' attitude toward CS learning, suggesting that the organic integration of multiple simulation-based medical teaching methods plays an important role in the acquisition of CS.

SimBaby Plus Standardized Patient Teaching Model in the Teaching of Cases of Acute and Severe Bronchopneumonia in Infancy

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of SimBaby plus standardized patient (SP) teaching model in the simulation teaching of acute and severe bronchopneumonia in infancy.

METHODS

A total of 40 students majoring in clinical medicine were assigned to either group A (SimBaby group, n = 20) or group B (SP + SimBaby group, n = 20). Medical students' expertise and their ability to apply the expertise on acute and severe bronchopneumonia in infancy were assessed using a scoring method, and the impact of the teaching model of SimBaby plus SP on medical students' comprehensive clinical capacity was assessed using a questionnaire.

RESULTS

The SimBaby plus SP teaching model resulted in medical students' improvement in mastery and application of the knowledge on diagnostic accuracy, airway management, endotracheal intubation, and cardiac massage, enhancement of learning interest, learning initiative, and enthusiasm, as well as abilities in assessment of information, meta-analysis, linguistic organization and expression, communication, and clinical thinking.

CONCLUSIONS

The SimBaby plus SP teaching model provided students with a real simulation-based teaching case of "interrogation-physical examination-operating practices" achieving satisfactory teaching outcome and also provided a reference case example for clinical teaching of other pediatric diseases.

A three-year study of the impact of instructor attitude, enthusiasm, and teaching style on student learning in a medicinal chemistry course

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of instructor attitude, enthusiasm, and teaching style on learning for distance and campus pharmacy students.

METHODS

Over a 3-year period, distance and campus students enrolled in the spring semester of a medicinal chemistry course were asked to complete a survey instrument with questions related to instructor attitude, enthusiasm, and teaching style, as well as items to measure student intrinsic motivation and vitality.

RESULTS

More positive responses were observed among distance students and older students. Gender did not impact student perspectives on 25 of the 26 survey questions. Student-related items were significantly correlated with instructor-related items. Also, student-related items and second-year cumulative grade point average were predictive of students' final course grades. Instructor enthusiasm demonstrated the highest correlation with student intrinsic motivation and vitality.

CONCLUSION

While this study addresses the importance of content mastery and instructional methodologies, it focuses on issues related to instructor attitude, instructor enthusiasm, and teaching style, which all play a critical role in the learning process. Thus, instructors have a responsibility to evaluate, reevaluate, and analyze the above factors to address any related issues that impact the learning process, including their influence on professional students' intrinsic motivation and vitality, and ability to meet educational outcomes.

Lethal injection as a component of a therapeutics toxicology module

OBJECTIVE

To create and implement a required module that addresses both the clinical and ethical issues surrounding the use of lethal injection as a means of capital punishment.

DESIGN

As a component of a pharmacotherapeutics module in toxicology, pharmacy students were introduced to ethical and clinical considerations and controversies with the use of drugs as a means of capital punishment. Basic information was provided on the history of capital punishment and the origins of lethal injection. Pharmacotherapeutic limitations and challenges were presented in the context of clinical and ethical dilemmas.

ASSESSMENT

Instructed material was assessed using block course examinations that had both objective and subjective components. Students were asked to synthesize information by both purposing a lethal injection reversal protocol and by acting as consults in the fictional design of more effective lethal injection protocols. Students provided formative and summative evaluations of the instruction through regular student liaison meetings and summative course evaluations.

CONCLUSION

Lethal injection as a means of capital punishment in the United States is a controversial and ethically challenging topic on which pharmacists may be consulted and therefore should be knowledgeable about. Students positively evaluated this lethal injection module, which covered multiple clinical and ethical issues.