vSEMERA: pilot project assessing health profession students' experiences in an international virtual research program.
Health profession
Medical education
Scientific skills training
Virtual exchange
Journal
BMC medical education
ISSN: 1472-6920
Titre abrégé: BMC Med Educ
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101088679
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 Jun 2024
01 Jun 2024
Historique:
received:
30
01
2024
accepted:
07
05
2024
medline:
2
6
2024
pubmed:
2
6
2024
entrez:
2
6
2024
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
The "Virtual Semester for Medical Research Aachen" (vSEMERA) is an international, interdisciplinary, virtual education program developed for health profession students. The first edition (2021) was hosted by the Medical Faculty of RWTH Aachen University (Germany) in cooperation with Centro Universitário Christus (Brazil) and Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru). The primary aim of the 12-weeks program was to provide students with skills in health science research and prepare them for scientific career paths. vSEMERA was built on a virtual learning platform, the "vSEMERA-Campus", designed to foster students' learning process and social interactions. Maximum flexibility was offered through synchronous and asynchronous teaching, enabling participants to join via any device from any part of the Globe alongside their regular studies. For the program's first edition (September - November 2021), health profession students from Germany, Brazil, Peru, Spain, and Italy filled all 30 available spots. Satisfaction, quality of the program and courses offered, as well as perceived learning outcomes, were examined using questionnaires throughout and at the end of the program. The program received a rating of 4.38 out of 5 stars. While it met most expectations (4.29 out of 5), participants were unable to attend as many courses as intended (2.81 out of 5), mainly due to scheduling conflicts with the home university schedule (46%), internships (23%), and general timing issues (31%). Participants acknowledged considerable improvements in their scientific skills, English language skills, confidence in scientific project management, research career progression, and enthusiasm for a scientific career. vSEMERA represents a promising example of an online international learning and exchange program using pedagogical and technological elements of virtual collaboration and teaching. In addition to advancing future vSEMERA editions, our results may offer insights for similar projects that address the targeted integration of scientific research education into an international, digital learning environment.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
The "Virtual Semester for Medical Research Aachen" (vSEMERA) is an international, interdisciplinary, virtual education program developed for health profession students. The first edition (2021) was hosted by the Medical Faculty of RWTH Aachen University (Germany) in cooperation with Centro Universitário Christus (Brazil) and Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru). The primary aim of the 12-weeks program was to provide students with skills in health science research and prepare them for scientific career paths.
METHODS
METHODS
vSEMERA was built on a virtual learning platform, the "vSEMERA-Campus", designed to foster students' learning process and social interactions. Maximum flexibility was offered through synchronous and asynchronous teaching, enabling participants to join via any device from any part of the Globe alongside their regular studies. For the program's first edition (September - November 2021), health profession students from Germany, Brazil, Peru, Spain, and Italy filled all 30 available spots. Satisfaction, quality of the program and courses offered, as well as perceived learning outcomes, were examined using questionnaires throughout and at the end of the program.
RESULTS
RESULTS
The program received a rating of 4.38 out of 5 stars. While it met most expectations (4.29 out of 5), participants were unable to attend as many courses as intended (2.81 out of 5), mainly due to scheduling conflicts with the home university schedule (46%), internships (23%), and general timing issues (31%). Participants acknowledged considerable improvements in their scientific skills, English language skills, confidence in scientific project management, research career progression, and enthusiasm for a scientific career.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
vSEMERA represents a promising example of an online international learning and exchange program using pedagogical and technological elements of virtual collaboration and teaching. In addition to advancing future vSEMERA editions, our results may offer insights for similar projects that address the targeted integration of scientific research education into an international, digital learning environment.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38824559
doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-05528-6
pii: 10.1186/s12909-024-05528-6
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
606Informations de copyright
© 2024. The Author(s).
Références
Laidlaw A, Aiton J, Struthers J, Guild S. Developing research skills in medical students: AMEE Guide 69. Méd Teach. 2012;34(9):754–71.
doi: 10.3109/0142159X.2012.704438
NKLM 2.0 -. Nationaler Kompetenzbasierter Lernzielkatalog Medizin [Internet]. [cited 2024 Jan 30]. https://www.nklm.de/ .
Goldstein JL, Brown MS. The clinical investigator: bewitched, bothered, and bewildered–but still beloved. J Clin Investig. 1997;99(12):2803–12.
doi: 10.1172/JCI119470
Zemlo TR, Garrison HH, Partridge NC, Ley TJ. The Physician-Scientist: Career issues and challenges at the Year 2000. FASEB J. 2000;14(2):221–30.
doi: 10.1096/fasebj.14.2.221
Jain MK, Cheung VG, Utz PJ, Kobilka BK, Yamada T, Lefkowitz R. Saving the endangered physician-scientist — a plan for accelerating medical breakthroughs. N Engl J Med. 2019;381(5):399–402.
doi: 10.1056/NEJMp1904482
Carberry C, McCombe G, Tobin H, Stokes D, Last J, Bury G, et al. Curriculum initiatives to enhance research skills acquisition by medical students: a scoping review. BMC Méd Educ. 2021;21(1):312.
doi: 10.1186/s12909-021-02754-0
Salloum RH, Nazha B, Zgheib NK. Interest and involvement in Research during Medical School: a global comparison of students at high- and low-income universities. Méd Sci Educ. 2014;24(1):65–73.
Hudspeth J, Curry CL, Sacks Z, Surena C. Continuing Professional Development in Low-Resource settings: Haiti as Example. Ann Glob Heal. 2015;81(2):255–9.
doi: 10.1016/j.aogh.2015.03.004
Lee J, Leibowitz J, Rezek J. The Impact of International Virtual Exchange on participation in Education abroad. J Stud Int Educ. 2022;26(2):202–21.
doi: 10.1177/10283153211052777
Bridgwood B, Woolley K, Poppleton A. A scoping review of international virtual knowledge exchanges for healthcare professionals. Educ Prim Care. 2023;34(1):7–15.
doi: 10.1080/14739879.2022.2147025
Drueke B, Mainz V, Lemos M, Wirtz MA, Boecker M. An evaluation of forced Distance Learning and Teaching under Pandemic conditions using the Technology Acceptance Model. Front Psychol. 2021;12:701347.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.701347
Schmitz SM, Schipper S, Lemos M, Alizai PH, Kokott E, Brozat JF, et al. Development of a tailor-made surgical online learning platform, ensuring surgical education in times of the COVID19 pandemic. Bmc Surg. 2021;21(1):196.
doi: 10.1186/s12893-021-01203-5
Park A, Awan OA. COVID-19 and virtual medical student education. Acad Radiol. 2022;30(4):773–5.
doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2022.04.011
Anandapadmanabhan LT, Ramani P, Ramadoss R, Panneerselvam S, Sundar S. Effect of COVID-19 on Dental Education: a review. Cureus. 2022;14(4):e24455.
Holzmann-Littig C, Zerban NL, Storm C, Ulhaas L, Pfeiffer M, Kotz A, et al. One academic year under COVID-19 conditions: two multicenter cross-sectional evaluation studies among medical students in bavarian medical schools, Germany students’ needs, difficulties, and concerns about digital teaching and learning. Bmc Med Educ. 2022;22(1):450.
doi: 10.1186/s12909-022-03480-x
Saiyad S, Virk A, Mahajan R, Singh T. Online teaching in Medical Training: establishing Good Online Teaching practices from cumulative experience. Int J Appl Basic Méd Res. 2020;10(3):149–55.
doi: 10.4103/ijabmr.IJABMR_358_20
Lehmann R, Thiessen C, Frick B, Bosse HM, Nikendei C, Hoffmann GF, et al. Improving Pediatric Basic Life Support Performance through blended Learning with web-based virtual patients: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Méd Internet Res. 2015;17(7):e162.
doi: 10.2196/jmir.4141
Commander NE, Schloer WF, Cushing ST. Virtual exchange: a promising high-impact practice for developing intercultural effectiveness across disciplines. J Virtual Exch. 2022;5:1–19.
doi: 10.21827/jve.5.37329
Collaboration C. Development of core competencies for an international training programme in intensive care medicine. Intensive Care Med. (32):1371–83.
Drain PK, Mock C, Toole D, Rosenwald A, Jehn M, Csordas T, et al. The emergence of undergraduate majors in Global Health: systematic review of programs and recommendations for future directions. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016;96(1):16–23.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0687
Bowen K, Barry M, Jowell A, Maddah D, Alami NH. Virtual exchange in Global Health: an innovative educational approach to foster socially responsible overseas collaboration. Int J Educ Technol High Educ. 2021;18(1):32.
doi: 10.1186/s41239-021-00266-x
Fung C, Maxwell N, Powell S, Benassai M, Chunga N, Corcoran J, et al. Virtual adaptation of an International Exchange Program in Medical Education. Ann Glob Heal. 2022;88(1):52.
doi: 10.5334/aogh.3663
Team RC. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing [Internet]. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing; 2021. https://www.R-project.org/ .
Wickham H. ggplot2: elegant graphics for data analysis. New York: Springer-; 2016.
doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-24277-4
Gordon M, Lumley T. forestplot: Advanced Forest Plot Using grid Graphics [Internet]. 2023. https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/forestplot/index.html .
O’Dowd R. From telecollaboration to virtual exchange: state-of-the-art and the role of UNICollaboration in moving forward. J Virtual Exch. 2018;1:1–23.
doi: 10.14705/rpnet.2018.jve.1