Evaluating the Association of a Core EPA-Oriented Patient Handover Curriculum on Medical Students' Self-reported Frequency of Observation and Skill Acquisition.

Introduction: "Giving or receiving a patient handover to transition patient care responsibility" is one of the thirteen Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs) for Entering Residency. However, implementing a patient handover curriculum in undergraduate medical education (UME) remains challenging. Educational leaders in the multi-institutional Core EPA8 pilot workgroup developed a longitudinal patient handover UME curriculum that was implemented at two pilot institutions.

The Use of Virtual Standardized Patients for Practice in High Value Care.

Introduction: This study examined the influence of high value care (HVC)-focused virtual standardized patients (VSPs) on learner attitudes toward cost-conscious care (CCC), performance on subsequent standardized patient (SP) encounters, and the correlation of VSP performance with educational outcomes.

Method: After didactic sessions on HVC, third-year medical students participated in a randomized crossover design of simulation modalities consisting of 4 VSPs and 3 SPs. Surveys of attitudes toward CCC were administered before didactics and after the first simulation method.

Implementing Rubric-Based Peer Review for Video Microlecture Design in Health Professions Education.

Efficient and effective instructional materials designed for asynchronous learning are increasingly important in health professions curricula. Video microlectures are an effective instructional method, but many faculty lack training in applying best-practice multimedia principles to development of their own recorded microlectures. Here we report a rubric designed for use in a peer-review process to evaluate and improve microlectures.

Virtual Standardized Patient Simulation: Case Development and Pilot Application to High-Value Care.

Introduction: High-value care (HVC) suggests that good history taking and physical examination should lead to risk stratification that drives the use or withholding of diagnostic testing. This study describes the development of a series of virtual standardized patient (VSP) cases and provides preliminary evidence that supports their ability to provide experiential learning in HVC.

Methods: This pilot study used VSPs, or natural language processing-based patient avatars, within the USC Standard Patient platform.

Patient Safety Morning Report: Innovation in Teaching Core Patient Safety Principles to Third-Year Medical Students.

Introduction: Patient safety (PS) is one of the most important priorities in modern healthcare systems. Unfortunately, PS education is limited in many medical school curricula. Our objective was to implement an innovative curriculum to introduce third-year medical students on their pediatric clerkship to PS concepts and domains, and to provide a safe environment to discuss lapses in PS that they identified while caring for patients.

Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection in Ambulatory Primary Care Pediatrics: Are We Using Antibiotics Appropriately?

Objectives: Antimicrobial stewardship programs target antimicrobial use within the inpatient care setting. However, most antimicrobials are prescribed at ambulatory sites. We aim to determine the appropriateness of the diagnosis and treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) in children within the outpatient setting at our institution, and to evaluate the cost of antibiotic treatment in our patient cohort.

An Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA)-Based Framework to Prepare Fourth-Year Medical Students for Internal Medicine Careers.

The purpose of the fourth year of medical school remains controversial. Competing demands during this transitional phase cause confusion for students and educators. In 2014, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) released 13 Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency (CEPAERs).

Cryptococcemia in an HIV-negative patient with decompensated liver cirrhosis.

Background: Cryptococcal infections have been mostly associated with immunocompromised individuals, 80-90% of whom have been HIV-positive patients. Increasingly, cryptococcal infections are being reported in cirrhotic patients who are HIV-negative. The underlying immunologic defects in cirrhotic patients seem to play an important role in predisposing them to cryptococcosis and affecting their morbidity and mortality.

Course Offerings in the Fourth Year of Medical School: How U.S. Medical Schools Are Preparing Students for Internship.

The fourth year of medical school remains controversial, despite efforts to reform it. A committee from the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine and the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine examined transitions from medical school to internship with the goal of better academic advising for students. In 2013 and 2014, the committee examined published literature and the Web sites of 136 Liaison Committee on Medical Education-accredited schools for information on current course offerings for the fourth year of medical school.

A National Assessment on Patient Safety Curricula in Undergraduate Medical Education: Results From the 2012 Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine Survey.

Objectives: Patient safety is a cornerstone of quality patient care, and educating medical students about patient safety is of growing importance. This investigation was a follow-up to a 2006 study to assess the current status of patient safety curricula within undergraduate medical education in North America with the additional goals of identifying areas for improvement and barriers to implementation.

Methods: Thirteen items regarding patient safety were part of the 2012 Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine annual survey.

What Are We Telling Our Students? A National Survey of Clerkship Directors' Advice for Students Applying to Internal Medicine Residency.

Background: Little is known about the advice fourth-year medical students receive from their advisors as they prepare to apply for residency training.

Objective: We collected information on recommendations given to medical students preparing to apply to internal medicine residencies regarding fourth-year schedules and application strategies.

Methods: Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine conducted its annual member survey in June 2013.

The effect of resident duty-hours restrictions on internal medicine clerkship experiences: surveys of medical students and clerkship directors.

Unlabelled: PHENOMENON: Medical students receive much of their inpatient teaching from residents who now experience restructured teaching services to accommodate the 2011 duty-hour regulations (DHR). The effect of DHR on medical student educational experiences is unknown. We examined medical students' and clerkship directors' perceptions of the effects of the 2011 DHR on internal medicine clerkship students' experiences with teaching, feedback and evaluation, and patient care.

What skills should new internal medicine interns have in july? A national survey of internal medicine residency program directors.

Problem: The transition from medical student to intern may cause stress and burnout in new interns and the delivery of suboptimal patient care. Despite a formal set of subinternship curriculum guidelines, program directors have expressed concern regarding the skill set of new interns and the lack of standardization in that skill set among interns from different medical schools. To address these issues, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's Next Accreditation System focuses on the development of a competency-based education continuum spanning undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education.

Last chance to observe: assessing residency preparedness following the 4th-year subinternship.

Background: The subinternship is an integral part of the 4th year of medical school. There is little description of innovations aimed at assessing the preparedness and confidence of graduating students as they move on the next step in their training.

Description: An innovation including an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) at the conclusion of the subinternship was designed.

Medical informatics in the internal medicine clerkship: Results of a national survey.

Background: Medical Informatics (MI) is increasingly a critical aspect of medical education and patient care.

Aims: This study assessed the status of MI training, perception of needs and barriers for the implementation of MI curricula and utilization of information technology (IT) in patient care and medical education.

Method: The MI questionnaire was a part of the 2006 Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine survey of 110 institutional members.

Discharge planning curricula in internal medicine residency programs: a national survey.

Background: Transition of patient care from an inpatient to outpatient setting is a critical aspect of patient care. The objectives of this study were to describe the content and evaluation of the discharge planning curricula (DPC) in internal medicine (IM) residency programs and identify program directors' perceptions of discharge planning education.

Method: A 24-item questionnaire was sent to 387 IM program directors during April 2005.

The transformation of an EBM curriculum: a 10-year experience.

Background: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is an essential tool for students across the medical education continuum. Incorporation of EBM skills into core competencies by national educational organizations denotes their vital role.

Aim: The main purpose is to describe the transformation of an EBM curriculum in an Internal Medicine clerkship and the educational principles that influenced changes over ten years.

The subinternship curriculum in internal medicine: a national survey of clerkship directors.

Background: The 4th-year internal medicine subinternship (subI), with its strong emphasis on experience-based learning and increased patient responsibilities, is an important component of undergraduate medical education. Discussions have begun amongst educational leaders on the importance of standardizing curriculum and evaluation tools utilized during the subinternship.

Purpose: The objective of this survey was to describe the current state of educational practices regarding the subI curriculum, use of Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) curricular guidelines, evaluation methodologies, and subintern call frequency and duty hours.

Change in residents' perceptions of teaching: following a one day "Residents as Teachers" (RasT) workshop.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the perceptions and attitudes of resident physicians toward teaching before and after participation in a mandatory "Residents as Teachers" (RasT) workshop in four domains: (1) setting goals and expectations, (2) use of clinical microskills in teaching, (3) evaluation and feedback, and (4) enthusiasm and preparedness toward teaching.

Methods: Pre- and postintervention questionnaires were utilized. Data were analyzed for all respondents.

Retention of EBM competencies.

This longitudinal follow-up study surveyed the attitudes toward, and skills in, evidence-based medicine (EBM) of medical school graduates who had participated in a formal EBM curriculum during their third-year Internal Medicine (IM) clerkship. The objective was to measure whether competencies were retained over time and to identify the long- term impact on the graduates' attitudes toward, and proficiency in, EBM after graduation. Questionnaire results showed that a group of medical school graduates retained EBM skills and a positive attitude about the importance of applying EBM principles in patient care one to three years after completing an EBM course.

Impact of an evidence-based medicine curriculum on medical students' attitudes and skills.

Purpose: This evaluation study sought to assess the impact of an evidence-based medicine (EBM) course on students' self-perception of EBM skills, determine their use of EBM skills, and measure their performance in applying EBM skills in a simulated case scenario.

Methods: Pre- and post-surveys and skills tests were developed to measure students' attitudes toward and proficiency in EBM skills. Third-year students completed the voluntary survey and skills test at the beginning and completion of a twelve-week clerkship in internal medicine (IM) co-taught by medical and library faculty.

Evidence-based medicine in internal medicine clerkships: a national survey.

Background: Although evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become widely accepted, the extent of its implementation during clinical clerkships is not well described. This study was done to characterize the implementation of formal EBM curricula in internal medicine clerkships.

Methods: In 1999, the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine surveyed its membership from 123 medical schools.