Health professional academic programs require interprofessional education (IPE) to meet accreditation standards and better prepare students for collaborative patient care. The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) includes the roles and responsibilities of the health professions as a key domain of IPE curricula. A learning module focusing on this domain was developed for an interprofessional introductory course involving 12 health professions. Adaptations to this module over time aimed to enhance content and student knowledge. Students were assigned to small interprofessional teams throughout the course and completed modules aligned with the IPEC core competencies. The first module highlighted roles and responsibilities. Students submitted assignments related to their health profession asynchronously, prior to a live class session during which they explored their professions in small groups. A debriefing session with the entire class summarized student responses. Facilitators representing all included health professions moderated team discussions and contributed to the debriefing. During a 2-year period, 1,093 students completed this module. There was a statistically significant improvement from the 2024 to 2025 session regarding increased knowledge of roles and responsibilities of other health professions (P = .0254). Student evaluations indicated an overwhelmingly positive response to content related to the roles and responsibilities of other professions. This approach allowed students to enhance their knowledge of other health professions' roles in interprofessional work and compare them to their own roles and responsibilities. Enhancement of the roles and responsibilities module provided a strategic approach for interprofessional students to learn about multiple other health professions.
Teaching is an essential physician competency, yet education on how to teach is limited in medical training and often emphasizes specific skills over basic approaches. We developed a workshop to help educators understand their inherent teaching styles and explore strategies from other styles using the framework developed by Grasha and Riechmann. To maximize participant engagement, we used clips from the Harry Potter films where characters exemplify the different teaching styles. We described the strengths and weaknesses of each style and reviewed the importance of matching teaching style to context and learners' needs. Participants then discussed various teaching scenarios in small groups to deepen their understanding of their default natural teaching style and to explore less-familiar teaching styles. We evaluated the workshop using surveys with Likert scales and narrative feedback. All authors collaborated on inductive thematic analysis of written comments. We delivered this workshop at seven regional, national, and international conferences. Of 170 respondents, 99% reported understanding their natural teaching style better, and 91% indicated they would likely change their teaching approach after participating. We identified three themes in participants' feedback: making conscious choices about teaching styles, the value of a flexible approach that incorporates elements from the full range of teaching styles, and the importance of matching teaching style to learners' specific needs and the educational context. This workshop complements existing materials on specific teaching skills by providing a foundational understanding of teaching styles. Using excerpts from popular movies makes the workshop both entertaining and memorable.
The resurgence of vaccine-preventable viral diseases and the emergence of novel viruses demand that practicing physicians understand viral infections, human immunity, and the impact of immunization and vaccine hesitancy on disease outbreaks. Teaching medical students these concepts is a crucial element of foundational medical education. We used a problem-based learning (PBL) case involving a toddler who presents at a rural clinic following international travel to integrate basic and clinical science. During the assigned five curricular hours, first-year medical students were expected to analyze data and create a detailed timeline of viral infection in order to make the diagnosis of active measles, and to construct concept maps that described the pathophysiologic, immunologic, and ethical aspects of the case. Students received formative feedback on their concept maps, and content experts used multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and subsequent item analysis to assess student knowledge regarding the case educational objectives. We delivered this PBL case to 687 medical students as part of our required first-year curriculum from 2014 to 2023. Students achieved faculty standards of performance (≥70% correct responses) in 10 of 16 MCQs analyzed in this report, and 15 of 16 questions had a positive discrimination index. This PBL teaching case is timely and adaptable, with heightened relevance during the COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and recent measles outbreaks. It is effective for teaching medical students the basic science of viral infections and the ethical and public health implications of vaccine hesitancy.
Head and neck anatomy is a complex topic for students to learn and educators to teach. The current, most common pedagogical approach is student-conducted dissection. However, dissection of this region can be difficult, may be stressful, and might not optimally impart the foundational knowledge necessary to understand clinical scenarios. To address these challenges, we developed an instructor-guided, situated learning workshop using prosections of the infratemporal fossa and retromandibular region. This workshop aimed to reduce learner stress and improve their knowledge of these anatomic areas. Twenty-four first-year medical students, who were enrolled in a dissection-based anatomy course, participated in the 40-minute, instructor-facilitated workshop. Students completed a survey and a pre/postworkshop test to gauge perceived stress levels and knowledge retention. Mean values of the pre/postworshop tests were compared using a paired two-sample t test. Workshop participation significantly improved student learning of head and neck anatomic subregions. Postworkshop knowledge scores were significantly higher than preworkshop scores (mean of 8.75 [95% CI, 8.12-9.38] vs. 4.79 [95% CI, 3.68-5.90]; p < .001). Additionally, in 75% of the survey answers, the learners reported mild or no stress during the workshop (36 of 48 total replies). Our findings suggest that a prosection-centered, instructor-guided workshop is an effective and low-stress approach for teaching students complex head and neck anatomy. This workshop can serve as an alternative to, or enhancement of, student-conducted dissection of the area. Although originally designed for medical students, the approach may also benefit learners in other health professions.
Training residents and attending physicians on effective communication strategies to manage biased patient and visitor comments is lacking. The I-RESPOND toolkit curriculum provides strategies for addressing identity-based misconduct in the clinical setting. Resident physicians and faculty in 12 departments at a single academic center participated in the workshop between June 2021 and February 2022. The workshop consisted of interactive didactics, an introduction to the I-RESPOND toolkit, and opportunities to practice communication strategies with formative feedback. Retrospective pre/postworkshop survey instruments and a follow-up survey were used to evaluate the workshop and subsequent experiences. Sixty-six (32%) of 204 participants (including residents and attendings) completed the workshop evaluations, with 15 workshops facilitated. Both groups of participants were significantly more confident in their ability to respond to identity-based misconduct after participation. The retrospective pre/postworkshop analysis of their perceived change in confidence in addressing the workshop educational objectives showed a significant increase in median confidence score from pre- to postworkshop (p < .001). On the follow-up survey, participants' mean ± SD rating (disaggregated sample, 50 participants) for the likelihood of using at least one strategy in the next 2 months was 4.2 ± 1.01 (on a 5-point scale; 1 = Very unlikely, 5 = Very likely), with 9 (32%) of 28 participants indicating they had intervened in the moment to address the behavior. This curriculum increased awareness of the impact of patient-initiated misconduct and helped inform institutional policies related to the management of disruptive discriminatory behavior from patients and visitors.
The screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) approach is an evidence-based tool that combines standardized screening for unhealthy or risky alcohol and drug use with principles of motivational interviewing to promote behavior change and connect patients with the appropriate treatment and recovery support services. There is an increased demand for health care students and providers to be trained in SBIRT. We developed a curriculum to improve medical students' attitudes toward and proficiency in administering SBIRT. The curriculum was deployed as part of the emergency department clerkship of an undergraduate medical education program at an urban, safety net academic medical center. The content and structure, developed with input from medicine, nursing, and social work educators, consists of a 1-hour didactic session, three rounds of formative OSCE encounters, and one SBIRT delivery in the emergency department. Students were evaluated on their attitudes, sense of preparedness, and practical understanding of SBIRT. Fifty-six medical students participated in the curriculum. There were significant differences between students' pre- and postcurriculum attitudes and preparedness scores (p < .001) and knowledge scores (p = .002), and in OSCE scores between the first and third standardized patient encounter (p = .03). This curriculum significantly impacted medical students' attitudes and knowledge regarding SBIRT and motivational interviewing techniques. Widespread implementation of similar curricula could equip future physicians with the skills to implement evidence-based substance use screening and intervention into their practice.
The negative effects of microaggressions on patient care, provider well-being, and medical education are well-documented. Critically evaluated programs addressing microaggressions remain largely absent in the literature. We developed the 90-minute Speak Up! Simulation Workshop for GME trainees (residents, fellows), physician attendings, other health care professionals (e.g., nurses, nurse practitioners, child life specialists) based on Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle. We utilized deidentified cases reported at our institution, emphasizing psychological safety and upstanding. Based on Kirkpatrick's Evaluation Model, we distributed pre- and postworkshop surveys to assess perceptions of psychological safety, confidence in recognizing microaggressions, comfort in upstanding, and likelihood of addressing future discrimination incidents. Five-point Likert scales and Bowker's symmetry tests were used. Eighty anonymous postworkshop surveys were collected from GME trainees (N = 151) at 14 sessions. Of the respondents, 63 (79% [95% CI 70% to 88%]) reported feeling psychologically safe. When the 80 respondents compared their comfort in addressing microaggressions before and after the workshop, a significant shift was seen in the likelihood of speaking up when witnessing a microaggression (χ2[df5] = 42, p < .01), with scores from 42 respondents (52%) increasing by at least 1 point. Significant shifts in confidence in identifying microaggressions also occurred (χ2[df5] = 43, p < .01), with 43 respondents (54%) showing increased confidence. Evaluation of our curriculum demonstrated improved understanding of microaggressions and enhanced self-efficacy in upstanding. This simulation workshop provides psychologically safe opportunities to explore the impact of microaggressions and empowers participants to respond effectively in professional settings.
In the emergency department, emergency medicine (EM) physicians should be familiar with advanced cardiovascular devices, such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABPs), and resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) catheters. Therefore, we developed a module to help learners integrate these modalities in the acute care setting to enhance patient care. Third- and fourth-year medical students interested in EM, as well as EM interns, participated in the module during their Introduction to Critical Care in EM course. The session involved a 60-minute flipped classroom online curriculum. Students received prerecorded lectures and PDF materials before the session. Students had to pass a premodule knowledge quiz and complete a postmodule quiz using 5-point Likert scales (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) assessing the module's effectiveness. Thirty students provided overwhelmingly positive feedback, indicating that the module effectively taught the basics of advanced devices and how the devices apply to EM and critical care (each, median score 5). Participants expressed increased confidence in managing IABPs, ECMO, and REBOA (each, median score 5). Free-text comments highlighted that the material was challenging but helpful. Students' premodule median knowledge score was 2 (interquartile range [IQR] 2-3), versus a median score of 4 (IQR 4-4) postmodule (p < .001). This advanced cardiovascular device module offers a structured approach to teaching ECMO, IABP, and REBOA cardiovascular management to students interested in EM. Our module effectively addressed the educational gap and helped students achieve the learning objectives.
Pediatricians must navigate family dynamics, including addressing biases, while modeling appropriate behavior in front of a pediatric patient. We developed an adaptable anti-bias simulation workshop involving standardized participants (SP) as the biased parent of a pediatric manikin patient. The workshop was originally designed for pediatric residents, and was adapted for faculty and neonatology fellows. The 60-minute simulation workshop included 3 short, escalating cases of discriminatory behavior toward a member of the medical team. Biased behavior included overt racism and transphobia. The participants were required to develop a therapeutic alliance with the parent, de-escalate the situation, and model appropriate anti-biased behavior in front of an observant pediatric patient. After each simulation, learners debriefed with the facilitator, peers, and the SP. Program evaluation was conducted by anonymous pre- and postworkshop surveys. Thirty-four participants completed the workshops: 16 residents (80% of the residency), 13 faculty members, and 5 neonatology fellows. All participants met educational objectives during the simulation. In the preworkshop survey, 26% of participants agreed that they had the tools to respond to discriminatory behavior; after the workshop, 100% of participants agreed (P < .001). Confidence to appropriately respond to discrimination improved after the simulation. The workshop is now integrated into residency annual education. We implemented our upstander simulation workshop to train learners to address patients' families who direct discriminatory behavior toward health care team members. Strengths of the program included working with trained SPs and the inclusion of the pediatric manikin patient to reflect realistic clinical encounters.
In recent years, educators and clinicians have advocated moving away from race-based medicine toward race-conscious medicine. Yet, few studies have evaluated the impact of teaching preclerkship medical students skills to critically evaluate various frameworks for understanding the role of race in clinical decision-making. This educational innovation was designed to review various frameworks, prompt clinical evaluation, and evaluate how student perspectives were shaped by their learning. We delivered a 90-minute interactive session focused on recognizing, appraising, and considering alternatives to the framework of race-based medicine. Ninety-two first-year medical students attended this mandatory session. Student opinions on how race should be used in medicine were measured via pre- and postsession Likert-style surveys (response rates 57% and 48%). While most students initially thought race was a helpful marker of genetically associated disease risk, postsession responses shifted significantly (p = .039) toward neutrality or disagreement with this perspective. The presession survey showed varying perspectives on the use of race-based calculators and treatment guidelines. Postsession, the cohort shifted toward seeing these uses of race as more harmful than beneficial, with statistically significant perspective shifts on the use of race in estimated glomerular filtration rate calculation (p = .009), atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk calculation (p = .011), and treatment guidelines for hypertension and heart failure (p = .010). This single session presentation led to increased concern regarding the use of race-based tools and guidelines in medicine. It supports the value of clinically relevant discussions of race and medicine with preclerkship medical students.
Restorative practices (RPs) are part of an emerging field that examines ways to build, strengthen, and manage relationships in organizations and communities, an approach that is gaining traction in the medical field. We describe the design and implementation of a day-long training for RPs focused on community-building at an academic medical institution that can be adapted at institutions interested in establishing a core of practitioners. We developed a day-long workshop to teach community-building practices to medical and physician assistant students, residents, staff, and faculty. The workshop included lectures, interactive activities, and group discussions. Participants completed pre- and postworkshop surveys and a 3-month follow-up survey to assess their understanding and application of RPs. Quantitative data were analyzed using a two-sample t test, and qualitative data were analyzed via content analysis. The workshop had 25 attendees, with 92% and 88% response rates for pre- and postworkshop surveys, respectively. Participants reported significant improvements in their ability to define RPs, describe their applications, and design RP activities (all p < .01). Qualitative feedback highlighted benefits such as enhanced feelings of connectedness and trust. Three months later, feedback suggested that participants maintained positive perceptions of RPs and had increased confidence in applying them. The workshop effectively developed RP capacity among participants, with positive indicators of sustained confidence in acquired skills. Limitations include the lack of longitudinal training for ongoing skill development and regular practice. Future work should explore longitudinal training models, advanced RP applications, and long-term follow-up to assess efficacy.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is an acquired life-threatening condition defined by systemic coagulation imbalance. Due to the high mortality associated with this condition, it is paramount that providers quickly recognize key clinical signs and laboratory value changes. This simulation was designed for pediatric residents, fellows, or other providers who treat patients at risk for DIC. The case was a 6-year-old boy with newly diagnosed leukemia admitted to the oncology service for induction chemotherapy who presents with a nosebleed, then develops profuse, multisite bleeding consistent with a diagnosis of DIC. The goals for the team were to treat the epistaxis, verbalize DIC as the diagnosis, and address hemodynamic instability due to DIC. Directly following completion of the scenario, a debriefing session was facilitated using the PEARLS (Promoting Excellence and Reflective Learning) method. A pre- and postsimulation survey was completed that consisted of participant self-assessment of their ability to achieve each of the three educational objectives, where they rated their confidence in managing epistaxis, recognizing DIC, and achieving hemodynamic stability on a 3-point scale (1 = almost there, 2 = proficient, 3 = mastery). Of the 91 simulation participants, which included pediatric and pharmacy residents, 89 completed the survey. The median competency score significantly increased by 0.49 points (99% CI, 0.37 to 0.61) from pre- to postsimulation (p < .001). This simulation serves as a learning tool for teaching the clinical and laboratory presentation of DIC, guiding management of epistaxis, and addressing hemodynamic instability.
Standardized patient (SP) simulations are an important component of interprofessional education, fostering collaboration among students. The standardized patient team experience (SPTE) was developed for medical, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and physical therapy students to simulate care planning for a patient poststroke. Admission or discharge scenarios of same case are used depending on professions participating, enhancing role-specific learning. Twelve SPTE sessions occurred over two academic years (August 2022-June 2024). Participants included students from each profession who had completed stroke management curriculum. Student teams developed interprofessional admission or discharge plans during 90-minute structured SP encounters. Facilitated debriefing emphasized communication, role delineation, and collaborative decision-making. Postsession surveys assessed students' attitudes toward interprofessional teams, perceived achievement of learning objectives, and satisfaction. Facilitator surveys assessed perceptions of their training's effectiveness and recommendations for improvements. Surveys were collected from 905 participants and fully completed by 736 students. Responses indicated positive attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration. Overall, 91% of students reported satisfaction with the SPTE. Satisfaction varied by profession but not by case scenario. Facilitator survey respondents expressed confidence in leading SPTE sessions but recommended improvements to training, particularly in structured feedback delivery. The SPTE fosters appreciation of interprofessional collaboration in patient care. While most students reported satisfaction, variability by profession suggests tailored experiences may optimize engagement. Future iterations will refine facilitator training and explore team composition's influence on student experience. We hope these detailed SPTE instructions enable other institutions to incorporate a similar activity in their programs.
Awake fiberoptic intubation (AFOI) is a critical skill for anesthesia providers but infrequent exposure complicates learning from clinical exposure alone. This workshop teaches anesthesia residents upper airway anesthesia techniques and sedation strategies using low-cost, ultrasound-compatible, novel ballistic-gel phantom task trainers for superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) and transtracheal blocks. We developed a 3-hour workshop consisting of slide sets, breakout sessions, and task trainers for anesthesiologists to teach second- and third-year clinical anesthesiology residents. We created novel ballistic-gel phantom trainers using 3-dimensional printing and silicone molds. We assessed residents' prior experience, satisfaction, and changes in knowledge and self-efficacy from pre- to postworkshop and from postworkshop to 1-year follow-up, using anonymous paper surveys. Twenty-five (40%) of 63 residents submitted surveys across 2024-2025. Knowledge scores (maximum 5 points) improved from a mean (SD) of 2.8 (1.3) to 4.0 (0.8), P < .001; mean increase of 1.1 [95% CI, 0.6 to 1.7]). Self-efficacy for counseling patients (P = .003), designing an appropriate sedation strategy (P = .006), performing SLN blocks (P < .001), and performing transtracheal nerve blocks (P < .001) all improved postworkshop. Thematic analysis showed residents considered the gel phantoms realistic and useful for learning anatomy and landmarks for these nerve blocks. Residents were highly satisfied with the workshop, rating it 4.9 (0.3) out of 5 points. Incorporating gel phantoms is effective at improving anesthesia residents' knowledge and self-efficacy with sedation strategies and upper airway anesthesia techniques for AFOI, including both landmark and ultrasound-guided nerve block techniques.
Eat, Sleep, Console (ESC) is an effective approach for evaluating and managing neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). The current standard, Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring System, requires waking neonates to assess NOWS and prioritizes pharmacotherapy treatment. However, ESC focuses on infants' abilities to function and cope with opioid withdrawal, prioritizes nonpharmacologic interventions, and emphasizes the crucial role of the parent-infant relationship. We created and delivered ESC training for perinatal and neonatal staff and clinicians across an urban academic health center. We utilized the knowledge-to-action framework to guide project design and implementation. The training program consisted of 30- to 60-minute didactic sessions for neonatal and perinatal clinicians and staff on labor and delivery and neonatal intensive care units, an ESC algorithm for care, and pre- and posttraining surveys. We trained 254 participants (nurses, OB/GYN, and family medicine attending physicians and residents, neonatal advanced practice clinicians, midwives, social workers) through virtual educational sessions. Eighty-eight participants completed pre- or posttraining surveys, and 11 completed both surveys. Posttraining results demonstrated statistically significant improvement in self-rated preparedness to use nonpharmacologic interventions (mean score 3.91 vs. 4.64, pre- vs. posttraining paired surveys on 5-point scale [1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree]; p = .03;). Pre/posttraining unpaired survey results indicated high levels of preparedness implementing ESC concepts. ESC education enhanced preparedness of birthing staff and clinicians to implement the nonpharmacologic ESC tool for management of NOWS. Coordinated, multidisciplinary education and collaboration support the successful implementation of ESC in clinical settings.
Despite the extensive amount of literature available on bruising and child abuse, there are few open access teaching materials on this topic. An interactive module on abusive bruising and cutaneous mimics was created as part of a comprehensive child maltreatment curriculum. The module was evaluated in four formats: pilot presentation to a large audience of pediatric practitioners at a CME conference; presentation to an audience of family medicine residents; individual, self-paced completion by a large cohort of medical students; and presentation by a family medicine resident to a group of colleagues, to evaluate the accessibility of presentation by a non-child abuse pediatrician. In all formats, the module took 45-60 minutes to complete. Module effectiveness was evaluated with pre- and postmodule assessments. The CME conference audience (n = 137) provided favorable feedback about the content; four of 51 anonymous comments focused on areas for growth, which were used to improve the content. Among in-person resident (n = 18) and asynchronous medical student (n = 300) participants, increases in confidence were negligible but knowledge scores notably increased from pre- to postmodule, changing from a median of 25% to 100% and median of 50% to 100%, respectively. In evaluating accessibility, the presenting resident commented on increased engagement, ability to gauge the audience's understanding, and ease of use of the script and technical guide. This interactive, versatile module on abusive bruising and cutaneous mimics was well-received and effective at increasing short-term knowledge among medical student and physician audiences.
Climate change is the greatest threat to global health, yet there are few foundational climate resources available for integration into medical school curricula. We describe an interactive session for equipping medical students with practical and empowering foundational climate-health competencies. We developed a 2-hour interactive lecture+ preceded by 30 minutes of required prep work. Knowledge was assessed using two-question quizzes. A postsession survey evaluated session effectiveness and self-assessed attitudes and preparedness. A total of 375 students participated; 164 completed all assessment and evaluation measures. The average knowledge quiz score after required prep was 80%. Of all students, 82% reported that more than half of the session's climate change mitigative strategies were new to them. Ratings of preparedness for five tasks linked to learning objectives significantly improved in all classes (p < .001), with 8%-58% of students before the session and 89%-100% of students after the session reporting being fairly/completely prepared. Qualitative responses also supported achievement of learning objectives. Rates of satisfaction with the required prep and lecture+ were 79% and 89%, respectively. Cited strengths included overall quality and the use of cases to highlight health care environmental impacts and opportunities for mitigation. This resource fills an urgent need for an integrable session for medical schools hoping to achieve action-oriented, foundational climate-health competencies. Key characteristics of this work include the diversity of the development team, ease and flexibility of session implementation, a focus on empowerment, and strong assessment and evaluation data supporting achievement of learning objectives.
Balancing belonging with uniqueness, particularly in diverse group settings like medicine, remains a challenge that can threaten inclusion. Storytelling can be a powerful way to cultivate inclusion. However, many individuals lack frameworks, language, or confidence to share their stories in ways that feel both authentic and professionally appropriate in the workplace. We addressed this gap by teaching participants how to apply an adaptation to the evidence-based SPIKES (Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Emotions, and Strategize or Summarize) model of communication to their own stories to facilitate an increased sense of uniqueness and belonging. We developed an interactive 60-minute workshop geared toward learners, faculty, and educational administrators that included didactics, reflection exercises, and storytelling using an adapted SPIKES model of communication. To assess the workshop's impact, we administered a postworkshop evaluation. We analyzed Likert-scale questions using descriptive statistics and conducted content analysis of open-ended prompts. The workshop was presented three times at Stanford Medicine in-person conferences. Of the 75 participants, 64 completed a postworkshop survey, resulting in an 85% response rate. Overall, 94% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the workshop achieved its educational objectives, and 92% felt it was a valuable use of their time. Key themes in participants' intended behavior changes included sharing personal stories to foster a sense of belonging, embracing vulnerability by connecting with others, and using the SPIKES model of communication in everyday conversations. This workshop was effective in applying an adapted SPIKES model of communication to authentic storytelling to cultivate belonging.
The ACGME requires progressive monitoring of pediatric trainees' clinical reasoning. Creation of summary statements is a core clinical reasoning skill because it requires learners to prioritize patient information and express their problem representation. There is scarce formal training on the formulation of summary statements for pediatricians. We developed a workshop that provides training in developing summary statements, with the goal of increased knowledge, confidence, and skills in creating summary statements. The 1-hour workshop consisted of a didactic session and skills practice for creation and evaluation of summary statements. The workshop was assessed for improvement in confidence and knowledge through a pre/post workshop survey and for skills using a previously published rubric. Twenty-four first-year pediatric trainees participated in the session. There was a 33% relative improvement in trainees' confidence in developing and assessing summary statements (p < .001, 95% CI, 0.0-1.0 for development; p < .001, 95% CI, 1.0-2.0 for assessment). There was a 26% increase in knowledge of components of a summary statement (p < .05). There was a statistically significant improvement in summary statement score before the workshop to immediately after: 4.40 (SD = 1.47) versus 5.60 (SD = 1.34), respectively (p < .05). Our novel workshop demonstrated improvement in confidence in developing and assessing summary statements, improved knowledge of recommended components of a summary statement, and resulted in a statistically significant improvement in the quality of summary statements. This clinical reasoning workshop improved confidence and objectively assessed crucial clinical reasoning skills.
Medical and dental students experience higher-than-average prevalence of depression, anxiety, burnout, and suicidal ideation compared to the age-matched general population. Early interventions for these students can prevent escalation to more acute mental health crises and suicide. Studies show that medical students first seek support from their peers. Our curriculum teaches students how to support both themselves and their peers prior to an acute mental health crisis. The authors designed, implemented, and evaluated a 90-minute peer-to-peer mental health training that aimed to equip first-year medical and dental students with skills and resources to intervene on behalf of a peer experiencing mental health distress. The workshop consisted of a peer-led didactic session, dyad role-play sessions, and a guided reflection. Resources included a slide deck, student handouts detailing the dyad role-plays, and pre/postsession surveys. One hundred sixty-four first-year students from Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine completed the required training. Comparisons of survey responses by paired t tests indicated statistically significant increases in mean scores for eight items assessing learner confidence, and an increased sum score of six items assessing learner knowledge (mean of 5.6 postsession vs. 5.4 presession; p = .04). Our results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of peer-led mental health training to increase first-year medical and dental students' related knowledge and confidence in identifying and responding to peers experiencing emotional distress. The resources developed for this training can be adapted to provide foundational mental health training at other medical and dental institutions.