BACKGROUND: This study describes a unique two-week simulation-based medical education (SBME) rotation for transitional year (TY) residents. During the rotation, residents are fully integrated into the simulation team, actively participating in clinically based interprofessional scenarios, procedural techniques, and mixed reality experiences. Residents also created and ran their own simulations while receiving content expert feedback. We evaluated the rotation\'s effectiveness in preparing TY graduates for their specific advanced residency track.
METHODS: A retrospective survey evaluated the experiences of 11 TY residents who participated in a unique two-week simulation rotation. The survey assessed residents\' perceptions of the program\'s value and skill development, course design, scenario relevance to future practice, and preparedness to develop future scenarios.
RESULTS: Residents (11 out of 12 residents, 92% response rate) overwhelmingly endorsed the simulation rotation (100% positive, 45.45% extremely valuable). The program demonstrably improved core clinical skills (100% reported improvement) and fostered self-efficacy for future practice. Scenario relevance was high (81.82% highly relevant). Collaboration and communication skills showed promise (72.73% positive) while highlighting a potential area for future refinement. Residents unanimously agreed on effective time allocation and the program\'s value for debriefing skills. Notably, 91% strongly supported residency-specific simulation training.
CONCLUSIONS: The two-week simulation was perceived by prior TY residents as valuable, with a majority finding the experience highly valuable across multiple survey questions. Residents overwhelmingly expressed a preference for residency-specific training, suggesting future development of specialty-tailored modules and enhanced debriefing sessions. The findings highlight the program\'s effectiveness and successful implementation into a TY residency curriculum.

UNASSIGNED: Effective communication within a medical team is crucial not only because it results in higher job satisfaction and better joint decision-making among team members, but also because, ultimately, it makes for high-quality, patient-centered care. Since the transition to the clinical phase of study poses a challenge for many medical students, the University of Lübeck introduced \"Ich im Team\" (me as team member), a German-language communication workshop for third-year medical students, in the 2020/21 winter semester.
UNASSIGNED: The workshop forms a basis for future collaboration and is meant to strengthen the interpersonal skills needed for working in teams, communicating with patients, and supporting a no-blame culture.
UNASSIGNED: This workshop, which incorporates elements of improvisational theater and coaching, was offered for the first time in 2020/21. Due to the positive evaluations, it has been a required component of the curriculum since the 2021/22 winter semester.
UNASSIGNED: The students have accepted the workshop very well, which is reflected in the excellent evaluations of it. Furthermore, a research study carried out during the first two times the workshop was conducted showed, among other things, directly positive effects on the ability to work in interprofessional teams and handle mistakes.
UNASSIGNED: The workshop offers students a solid point of entry into the clinical setting and an awareness of their own role on a given team. Covering the content in more depth and the possible inclusion of other study programs are being discussed.
UNASSIGNED: Eine effektive Kommunikation in Behandler-Teams ist von entscheidender Bedeutung, da sie nicht nur zu einer höheren Arbeitszufriedenheit der Teammitglieder und einer besseren gemeinsamen Entscheidungsfindung, sondern letztendlich zu einer qualitativ hochwertigen und patientenzentrierten Versorgung führt. Da der Übergang in den klinischen Studienabschnitt für viele Medizinstudierende eine Herausforderung darstellt, führte die Universität zu Lübeck im Wintersemester 2020/2021 einen Kommunikationsworkshop „Ich im Team“ für die Medizinstudierenden im 3. Studienjahr ein.
UNASSIGNED: Der Workshop schafft durch die Auseinandersetzung mit der eigenen Rolle im Team eine Basis für die spätere Zusammenarbeit und soll zwischenmenschliche Kompetenzen wie Teamfähigkeit, Patientenkommunikation und Fehlermanagement stärken.
UNASSIGNED: Der Workshop mit Elementen des Improvisationstheaters und Coachings wurde 2020/21 erstmalig angeboten. Aufgrund der positiven Evaluationsergebnisse ist er seit dem Wintersemester 2021/2022 verpflichtender Bestandteil des Curriculums.
UNASSIGNED: Die Studierenden haben den Workshop sehr gut angenommen, was sich in den exzellenten Evaluationsergebnissen widerspiegelt. Eine wissenschaftliche Begleitstudie während der ersten beiden Durchgänge zeigte zudem unmittelbare positive Effekte u.a. auf die interprofessionellen Teamfähigkeiten und den Umgang mit Fehlern.
UNASSIGNED: Die Workshops bieten für die Studierenden einen guten Einstieg in die Klinik und eine Sensibilisierung für ihre eigene Rolle in Teams. Eine inhaltliche Vertiefung und die Möglichkeit weitere Studiengänge zu beteiligen, werden diskutiert.

UNASSIGNED: The care of women and their families around childbirth requires effective interprofessional collaboration of the midwifery and medical profession. Given the academisation of midwifery, early interaction between students of midwifery and medicine is both necessary and feasible. As there is a lack of comprehensive data on interprofessional education (IPE) for midwifery and medical students at higher education institutions in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH region), the aim was to identify existing IPE activities, and their curricular determination.
UNASSIGNED: The exploratory study was conducted in the DACH region over three months (Dec. 2022-Feb. 2023). Higher education institutions offering midwifery science and/or medicine were invited to participate in a web-based survey. The questionnaire focused on the structure and curricular implementation of IPE courses, on cooperation, financial support and more.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 58 out of 96 invited institutions (60%) participated in the survey, of which 34 (59%) offered IPE. Eighteen institutions (19%) offered 32 IPE courses for midwifery and medical students through cooperation within faculty (n=8) and between faculties (n=10). Notably, most of these IPE courses (60%) were integrated into the required curriculum of both study programmes. Most IPE courses were offered without financial support (71%).
UNASSIGNED: The current status quo highlighted the existence of numerous IPE offers for midwifery and medical students in the DACH region that warrant further curricular integration of proven and well-established best practice examples to further enhance these initiatives.
UNASSIGNED: Die Versorgung von Frauen und ihren Familien rund um die Geburt erfordert eine intensive Zusammenarbeit von Hebammen und Ärzt*innen. Die Akademisierung des Hebammenberufs hat die Möglichkeit geschaffen, dass Studierende der Hebammenwissenschaft und der Medizin bereits während des Studiums in Kontakt kommen können. Da es bisher für Deutschland, Österreich und die Schweiz (DACH-Region) keine umfassende Datenlage zum Stand interprofessionellen Lernens (IPL) für Medizin- und Hebammenwissenschaftsstudierende gibt, war das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie, die Erfassung ebendieser Aktivitäten und deren curricularer Verankerung.
UNASSIGNED: Die explorative Studie wurde in der DACH-Region über einen Zeitraum von drei Monaten (Dez. 2022-Feb. 2023) durchgeführt. Hochschulen, die die Studiengänge Hebammenwissenschaft und/oder Medizin anbieten, wurden eingeladen an der Online-Befragung teilzunehmen. Der Fragebogen fokussierte die Struktur, curriculare Verankerung, zugrundeliegende Kooperationen, Finanzierung und weitere Aspekte der interprofessionellen Lehr-Lern-Angebote.
UNASSIGNED: Insgesamt beteiligten sich 58 von 96 eingeladenen Hochschulen (60%) an der Umfrage, von denen 34 (59%) angaben, IPL anzubieten. Auf 18 dieser Hochschulen (19%) verteilten sich 32 interprofessionelle Kursangebote, die für Hebammenwissenschafts- und Medizinstudierende gestaltet waren, entweder durch Kooperationen innerhalb der Fakultät (n=8) oder zwischen Fakultäten (n=10). Der Großteil der Angebote war in beiden Studiengängen im Pflichtcurriculum verankert (60%). Die meisten Kurse wurden nicht finanziell unterstützt (71%).
UNASSIGNED: Die Bestandsaufnahme verdeutlicht eine Vielzahl von interprofessionellen Lehr-Lernangeboten für Hebammenwissenschafts- und Medizinstudierende in der DACH-Region. Die Betrachtung von Best-Practice-Beispielen kann dabei helfen, die Initiativen in der gesamten Region weiterzuentwickeln und flächendeckend curricular zu verankern.

BACKGROUND: The global shortage of nurses is a pressing issue affecting healthcare quality and patient outcomes. Nurse turnover is driven by work-related stress, and job dissatisfaction is persistent. In Saudi Arabia, many diploma-prepared nurses need more bridging programs to convert their diplomas into bachelor\'s degrees. Educational and organizational issues can limit the provision of quality nursing care. Differences in educational preparation influence nurses\' interpretations of patient safety and their roles within healthcare systems. Addressing the need for more policies and regulations regarding nurse turnover and the retention of diploma-prepared nurses is crucial. Thus, a comprehensive exploration of barriers and incentives for diploma-prepared nurses to complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) can lead to transformative institutional strategies, such as tuition compensation and clinical-academic collaborations. This study aims to fill this gap by understanding the current challenges, future trends, and solutions from stakeholders\' perspectives and developing tailored career pathways for diploma-prepared Nurses from the stakeholders\' perspective. Thus, it contributes to policy development and improved healthcare delivery and fosters a promising future for healthcare.
METHODS: This qualitative study employed a thematic analysis and grounded theory methodology as we delved into stakeholders\' perspectives to generate a substantive framework for overcoming obstacles and cultivating tailored career pathways for diploma-prepared nurses. A purposive sampling technique was used to choose participants, ensuring their rich, relevant, and diverse information based on their expertise, experience, and ability to provide valuable insights. Data were collected using one-on-one semi-structured questions for in-depth interviews.
RESULTS: Our findings revealed key concepts that were evident in the data. These concepts formed three main themes and several subthemes essential to understanding the current status of, challenges faced by, and career pathways for diploma-prepared nurses. The three main themes have emerged, and core categories have emerged under each theme accordingly. The results generated a practical framework, offering tangible solutions to overcome challenges and develop career pathways for diploma-prepared nurses.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings significantly affect policy development and healthcare delivery improvement. This suggests the need for policies that support diploma-prepared nurses in completing their BSN and the development of tailored career pathways that align with their educational background and career goals and the Kingdom\'s 2030 Vision.

BACKGROUND: Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) education has grown significantly over the past two decades. Like most curricular items, POCUS education is siloed within individual graduate medical education (GME) programs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a shared GME POCUS curriculum between five GME programs at a single institution.
METHODS: Post-graduate-year-1 (PGY-1) residents from emergency medicine (EM), family medicine (FM), internal medicine (IM), combined internal medicine-pediatrics (IM-Peds) and combined emergency medicine-pediatrics (EM-Peds) residency programs were enrolled in a core POCUS curriculum. The curriculum included eleven asynchronous online learning modules and ten hands-on training sessions proctored by sonographers and faculty physicians with POCUS expertise. Data was gathered about the curriculum\'s effectiveness including participation, pre- and post-curricular surveys, pre- and post-knowledge assessments, and an objective skills assessment.
RESULTS: Of the 85 residents enrolled, 61 (72%) participated in the curriculum. Engagement varied between programs, with attendance at hands-on sessions varying the most (EM 100%, EM-Peds 100%, FM 40%, IM 22%, Med-Peds 11%). Pre- and post-knowledge assessment scores improved for all components of the curriculum. Participants felt significantly more confident with image acquisition, anatomy recognition, interpreting images and incorporating POCUS findings into clinical practice (p < 0.001) after completing the curriculum.
CONCLUSIONS: In this shared GME POCUS curriculum, we found significant improvement in POCUS knowledge, attitudes, and psychomotor skills. This shared approach may be a viable way for other institutions to provide POCUS education broadly to their GME programs.

We have developed a peer-teaching program for student assistants involved in medical education. The offer comprises (1) an inventory of potentially relevant courses offered by other institutions at our university and (2) our own peer-teaching curriculum on pedagogy and teaching methodology. We describe a pilot scheme to implement the curriculum.

OBJECTIVE: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) affect individuals undergoing increased stress, for example, dental professionals. No study to date has compared dental students and faculty in TMD manifestation. This cross-sectional study compared prevalence, risk factors, and impact on daily activities of self-reported TMD signs/symptoms between dental students and faculty at a predoctoral dental school, and between preclinical (first- to second-year) and clinical (third- to fourth-year) students.
METHODS: A REDCap survey was sent to dental students and faculty, assessing TMD signs/symptoms (TMD Symptom Questionnaire), pain intensity (Chronic Graded Pain Scale), jaw function (Jaw Function Limitation Scale), parafunctions (Oral Behavioral Checklist), previous TMD treatments, anxiety/depression symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), and sleep quality (RU-SATED Scale). Outcomes were compared between groups using chi-square and t-tests, adjusting for covariates with analyses of covariance (ANCOVA).
RESULTS: Data derived from N = 145 participants (N = 108 students, N = 37 faculty). Dental students reported significantly higher prevalence (90.1% vs. 75.7%, p = 0.020) and greater number of TMD signs/symptoms (5.3 ± 3.5 vs. 3.0 ± 2.7, p < 0.001) compared to faculty. Students reported significantly more parafunctional activities (p = 0.000), jaw-strain episodes (prolonged mouth opening, p = 0.007), higher stress level (p = 0.008), and lower sleep quality (p = 0.002) than faculty. Difference in number of TMD signs/symptoms was maintained after adjusting for stress, sleep quality, and parafunctional/jaw-strain activities. Clinical students utilized significantly more often evidence-based TMD treatment compared to preclinical students.
CONCLUSIONS: High prevalence of self-reported TMD was observed among dental students and faculty, with students reporting higher prevalence and impairment despite working in the same environment. Findings underscore the importance of education on preventive measures early in dental training to address contributing factors and TMD management.

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is steadily growing in use in prehospital emergency medicine. While currently used primarily by emergency physicians, POCUS could also be employed by paramedics to support diagnosis and decision-making. Yet to date, no paramedicine-targeted POCUS curricula exist in Germany. Furthermore, given time and resource constraints in paramedic training, it is unclear whether paramedics could feasibly learn POCUS for prehospital deployment. Hence, this study outlines the development and implementation of a comprehensive POCUS curriculum for paramedics. Through this curriculum, we investigate whether paramedics can attain proficiency in POCUS comparable to other user groups.
METHODS: In this prospective observational study, we first developed a blended learning-based POCUS curriculum specifically for paramedics, focusing on basic principles, the RUSH-Protocol and ultrasound guided procedures. Participants underwent digital tests to measure their theoretical competence before (T1) and after the digital preparation phase (T2), as well as at the end of the on-site phase (T3). At time point T3, we additionally measured practical competence using healthy subjects and simulators. We compared the theoretical competence and the practical competence on a simulator with those of physicians and medical students who had also completed ultrasound training. Furthermore, we carried out self-assessment evaluations, as well as evaluations of motivation and curriculum satisfaction.
RESULTS: The paramedic study group comprised n = 72 participants. In the theoretical test, the group showed significant improvement between T1 and T2 (p < 0.001) and between T2 and T3 (p < 0.001). In the practical test on healthy subjects at T3, the group achieved high results (87.0% ± 5.6). In the practical test on a simulator at T3, paramedics (83.8% ± 6.6) achieved a lower result than physicians (p < 0.001), but a comparable result to medical students (p = 0.18). The results of the study group\'s theoretical tests (82.9% ± 9.2) at time point T3 were comparable to that of physicians (p = 0.18) and better than that of medical students (p < 0.01). The motivation and attitude of paramedics towards the prehospital use of POCUS as well as their self-assessment significantly improved from T1 to T3 (p < 0.001). The overall assessment of the curriculum was positive (92.1 ± 8.5).
CONCLUSIONS: With our tailored curriculum, German paramedics were able to develop skills in POCUS comparable to those of other POCUS learners. Integration of POCUS into paramedics\' training curricula offers opportunities and should be further studied.

BACKGROUND: Simulation and video-based assessment (VBA) offer residents the opportunity to develop operative skills while ensuring patient safety. This study aims to determine whether simulation training can predict residents\' operative performance, focusing on the gastrojejunal (GJ) anastomosis during robotic pancreatoduodenectomy.
METHODS: Twenty-seven general surgery residents completed simulated robotic GJ drills and subsequently performed GJs in the operating room (OR). Both simulated and intraoperative performances were video recorded and retrospectively assessed by two blinded graders using the Objective Structural Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) scale, time to completion, and occurrence of errors. Intraoperative GJ OSATS scores were compared in cases with and without Clinically Relevant Delayed Gastric Emptying (CRDGE). Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman\'s rho, Chi-square, and Kruskal-Wallis tests.
RESULTS: For simulated GJs, the median OSATS score was 29 (IQR 27-33), time to completion was 30 min (IQR 27-35), and 11 cases had at least one error. Intraoperative GJs had a median OSATS of 30 (IQR 27-31), time to completion of 41 min (IQR 36-51), and errors occurred in nine cases. The OSATS score on the simulated GJs demonstrated a significant positive correlation to the OSATS score on the operative GJs (r = 0.74; p < 0.001) and less time to completion (r =  - 0.68; p < 0.001). A shorter simulated GJ completion time significantly correlated with a higher intraoperative OSATS score (r =  - 0.52; p < 0.01). Residents with at least one error in the simulated GJs had lower OSATS scores and higher times intraoperatively. Those cases with CRDGE had significantly lower intraoperative OSATS scores than those without CRDGE.
CONCLUSIONS: Performance on a simulated robotic GJ environment is a robust predictor of OR GJ performance, demonstrating predictive validity. VBA of residents\' operative GJ performance is associated with the presentation of CRDGE. Simulation-based training may be crucial to optimizing surgical outcomes before operating on patients.

UNASSIGNED: Cancer rates are rising in low- and middle-income countries. While point-of-care ultrasound is now available globally and could serve to mitigate against this rise, its use in diagnosing cancers is inconsistent in lower-resourced healthcare contexts. This proof-of-concept study investigates the feasibility of an ultrasound training concept in a low-resource setting. It evaluates whether this educational concept led to improved knowledge and application of ultrasound diagnostics, cancer screening and staging and patient care.
UNASSIGNED: The curriculum was developed through expert exchange and is based on the World Health Organisation\'s Manual of Diagnostic Ultrasound. It consisted of two didactic components: an on-site training phase across 5 days for a total of 24 hours, and a digital follow-up phase involving the meeting of a bi-weekly tumor board online. The learning objectives of the on-site training were normal imaging and recognition of common pathologies of the abdominal organs, vessels, lymph nodes, female breasts and lungs. The virtual tumour boards met to discuss cases and ultrasound findings, thus aiding continuing professional development after the training sessions had concluded. The face-to-face course component was accompanied by tests given before and after training as well as an evaluation sheet (Likert-scale with 1 = \'completely/very good\' and 7 \'not at all/very poor\').
UNASSIGNED: Of 20 participants from a rural hospital in Tanzania, a total of 16 were included in the analysis (clinical officers n = 6; medical officers n = 10). A significant increase in knowledge (p < 0.01) was measured both in the subjective self-assessment and in the theoretical competence tests. In multivariate linear regression, the status \'medical officers yes\' (β = 5.4; p = 0.04) had a significant influence on theory test results at T2. During the 24 virtual tumour board meetings, 28 cases were discussed and a continuous improvement in image acquisition quality was observed.
UNASSIGNED: The ultrasound education concept comes with a sustainable increase in clinical competence and improved oncological ultrasound screening locally. There is potential for the transfer of the concept to other locations, which can be explored in the future.