A Night Float System in Nephrology Fellowship: A Mixed Methods Evaluation.

Background: Johns Hopkins was an early adopter of an in-house nephrology fellowship night float to improve work-life balance. Our study aimed to elucidate attitudes to guide fellowship structuring.

Methods: We performed a mixed-methods study surveying Johns Hopkins fellows, alumni, and faculty and conducting one focus group of current fellows.

Beyond words: What can help first year medical students practice effective empathic communication?

Objective: To gain insight into first year medical students' experiences of practicing empathic communication and how patients that train students perceive such communication, in order to inform early communication skills training.

Methods: Our study consisted of four focus groups, two of year one students who completed a first semester clinical skills course, one of standardized patients, and one of volunteer outpatients. Focus group transcripts were independently coded and iteratively reviewed to identify major themes.