Accepted Type
Oral
Code
OG1-2-3
Acceptance Declaration
Accept
Additional Information
I declare I have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this program.
Was this work accepted for CCME 2020?
no
Category
General Call (Workshop, Oral Presentation, Poster Presentation)
Type
Oral
Sub Type
Education Research
Will the presenter be a:
Student
Affiliation
Considered for Poster
yes
Title
The Impact of a Pre-Clerkship Self-Learning Module (SLM) to Improve Student Knowledge and Interest in Rural Medicine and Rural Health
Length of Presentation
Background/Purpose
21.4% of Canada's population resides in rural communities, while only 9.4% of physicians practice in these areas. Numerous attempts to address this discrepancy exist, including mandatory medical undergraduate rural rotations. However, current standardized training methods designed to prepare students for different clinical and cultural interactions are extremely limited. In response, we developed and implemented a novel online pre-departure SLM for first-year medical students. The goal of this study is to evaluate the SLM's impact on students' interest and self-assessed knowledge of rural medicine.
Methods
Survey questions were developed in consultation with rural medicine education experts. Measurement consisted of rating scales (1-5) and comment boxes. Pre and Post-SLM surveys were distributed to students. Surveys assessed students' rural background, knowledge, and interest in rural medicine as well as their opinions on the importance of the SLM.
Results
31 of the 136 students identified as having lived in a rural area (control group). Post-SLM items related to rural medicine interest and self-assessed knowledge, showed an increase in all categories, including interest in pursuing a career in rural medicine for students who had lived in rural areas (M=3.4; M= 3.5) and those who did not (M= 2.8; M= 3.0). Comments were generally positive.
Conclusion
In showing the feasibility of developing a rural education SLM, we have successfully implemented a virtual standardized training program. This SLM can be expanded to other Canadian medical schools to help prepare medical students for rural medicine experiences and ultimately increase interest in rural medicine and related career opportunities.
Keyword 1
Rural Medicine
Keyword 2
Self-Learning Module
Keyword 3
Medical Education
Level of Training
Undergraduate
Abstract Themes
Teaching and learning
Teaching and Learning
- Clinical Context
- Distance Learning
- E-Learning/Technology
- Feedback
Additional Theme (First choice)
Distributed Medical Education
Additional Theme (Second Choice)
Undergraduate
Additional Theme (Third Choice)
Authors
Presenter
Celina DeBiasio
Term 1
Yes
Term 2
Yes
Term 3
Yes
Term 4
Yes
Term 5
Yes
