Global Longitudinal Pathway: has medical education curriculum influenced medical students' skills and attitudes toward culturally diverse populations?

Autor: Zanetti ML; Office of Education Affairs, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655-0002, USA. Mary.Zanetti@umassmed.edu, Godkin MA, Twomey JP, Pugnaire MP
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Teaching and learning in medicine [Teach Learn Med] 2011 Jul-Sep; Vol. 23 (3), pp. 223-30.
DOI: 10.1080/10401334.2011.586913
Abstrakt: Background: The Pathway represents a longitudinal program for medical students, consisting of both domestic and international experiences with poor populations. A previous study reported no significant attitudinal changes toward the medically indigent between Pathway and non-Pathway students.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate and differentiate the skills and attitudes of Pathway and non-Pathway students in working with culturally diverse populations by conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses.
Methods: Selected items from a cultural assessment were analyzed using independent t-tests and a proportional analysis using approximation of the binomial distribution. In addition, a qualitative assessment of non-Pathway and Pathway students was conducted.
Results: A statistically significant difference was found at the end of Years 2, 3, and 4 regarding student confidence ratings, and qualitative results had similar findings.
Conclusions: Clear and distinct differences between the two studied groups were found indicating the root of this increased confidence may have developed due to exposure to the Pathway program.
Databáze: MEDLINE