Preserving third year medical students' empathy and enhancing self-reflection using small group "virtual hangout" technology

Abstract Background: Medical student professionalism education is challenging in scope, purpose, and delivery, particularly in the clinical years when students in large universities are dispersed across multiple clinical sites. We initiated a faculty-facilitated, peer small group course for our thir...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical teacher 2015-06, Vol.37 (6), p.566-571
Main Authors: Duke, Pamela, Grosseman, Suely, Novack, Dennis H., Rosenzweig, Steven
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
College students
Curriculum
Education, Distance - methods
Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods
Electronic Learning
Empathy
Humans
Internet
Learning Management Systems
Management Systems
Medical students
Medicine
Narratives
Peer Group
Professionalism
Reflective practice
Reflective Teaching
Resilience, Psychological
Social Networking
Social networks
Stress, Psychological - prevention & control
Stress, Psychological - therapy
Student attitudes
Students, Medical - psychology
Universities
User-Computer Interface
Virtual communities
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Summary:Abstract Background: Medical student professionalism education is challenging in scope, purpose, and delivery, particularly in the clinical years when students in large universities are dispersed across multiple clinical sites. We initiated a faculty-facilitated, peer small group course for our third year students, creating virtual classrooms using social networking and online learning management system technologies. The course emphasized narrative self-reflection, group inquiry, and peer support. Methods: We conducted this study to analyze the effects of a professionalism course on third year medical students' empathy and self-reflection (two elements of professionalism) and their perceptions about the course. Students completed the Groningen Reflection Ability Scale (GRAS) and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) before and after the course and provided anonymous online feedback. Results: The results of the JSE before and after the course demonstrated preservation of empathy rather than its decline. In addition, there was a statistically significant increase in GRAS scores (p 
ISSN:0142-159X
1466-187X
DOI:10.3109/0142159X.2014.956057