Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Empathy Changes In Medical Students During Medical Education, Sahar Panjwani, Jiyun Lim, Matthew Hidalgo, Michael Machiorlatti, Minerva Angelica Romero Arenas

Research Colloquium

Introduction: Reduction in empathy has been explored in medical students (MS). Questions remain on whether significant changes in empathy occur during MS education.

Objective: Focusing on studies using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy medical student version (JSE-S), the authors aimed to quantify and assess reported changes across reviewed literature.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed using PRISMA guidelines. Criteria for inclusion were articles 1) written in English, 2) pertained to human subjects, and 3) written in the previous ten years (2009-2019). Exclusion criteria were those that 1) did not assess MS, 2) did not utilize the JSE-S, 3) …

Steps On Establishing A Faculty Development Curriculum For Health Science Educators In A New Medical School, Beatriz Tapia, Karina Madrigal, Robert Nelson

Research Colloquium

Purpose: New Medical Schools need health science educators, to teach throughout the medical education continuum from basic science to clinical years. The need to establish a defined faculty development curriculum for health science educators will aid in standardizing best teaching practices and build a potential master teacher to move the curriculum toward active learning and innovation. The UTRGV SoM is a distributed campus, to achieve increase outreach we will offer synchronous and asynchronous online faculty development during the pandemic. This poster will share our progress to date.

Methods: A pilot, faculty development program, was established from faculty needs assessment data, …

Establishing A Mentoring Program For Health Science Educators In A New Medical School, Karina Madrigal, Beatriz Tapia, Robert Nelson

Research Colloquium

Purpose: New Medical Schools need mentoring programs to enhance the personal and professional development of mentees and mentors. The need to establish a mentoring support mechanism is critical. This poster will share our progress to date.

Methods: A pilot mentoring program was established for junior faculty. These faculty members were paired with an associate professor or professor to serve as mentors for career development and engage in a focused scholarly project over a nine-month period.

Typically, the junior faculty is within the first three years of appointment and hold the rank of assistant professor. Each mentee will have 10% protected …

The Reality Of Virtual Undergraduate Medical Education: Hands-On Learning In A Hands-Free World, Layla Nejad, Paola Ibarra, Aleena Flores, Robert Nelson Jr.

Research Colloquium

Background & Purpose: In the wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, medical education has been forced to rely on virtual experiences including skills workshops, patient interactions, and oral exams. The virtual reality (VR) technology that currently exists has the potential to enhance undergraduate medical learning by improving information retention, clinical skills, and communication; however, most undergraduate medical education (UME) curricula lack its integration and use. Introducing VR to the UTRGV School of Medicine (SOM) could incorporate all existing learning styles and update the virtual world where medical students live and learn, leading to more versatile future-physicians.

Methods: We have explored …

Well-Being And Resilience: A Survey Of Physician Needs During Covid-19, Delta, And Omicron, Melinda M. Wilding

Research Colloquium

Background: Physician moral distress during COVID-19, Delta, and Omicron has resulted in a decrease in self-care and a reduction in empathy for patients. Determining physician well-being and resilience assists clinicians in maintaining pliancy during times of uncertainty.

Methods: An IRB quantitative survey aims to illustrate levels of moral distress, self-care tactics, and physician fortitude during the three waves of the pandemic from 2020-2022. The questionnaire elicits responses regarding how physicians have pivoted to remain healthy during the pandemic, what measures physicians have engaged in maintaining empathy and ethics towards patients, and what physicians need in the future to retain self-care. …

E-Cigarette Or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury (Evali) In A Hispanic Male During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Juan C. Naranjo, Muhammad Jamal, Aramide Tijani, Fatimah Bello

Research Colloquium

Background: Electronic cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury established the relationship between vaping products and lung injury. Overlapping clinical manifestations may mimic those of other respiratory conditions including COVID-19. Multiple radiographic findings including diffuse, bilateral, ground-glass infiltrates with lower-lobe predominance, eosinophilic pneumonia, and diffuse alveolar damage have been described. It is important to consider this as an alternative diagnosis, particularly in patients with respiratory symptoms and a history of vaping in the last 90 days due to increased risk of COVID-19 infection and worse outcomes.

Case presentation: A 25-year-old male with a history of polysubstance abuse and frequent E-cigarette …

Appropriateness Of Inpatient Transthoracic Echocardiography In A Community Hospital With A New Cardiology Fellowship Program, Christian D. Avalos, Y. Wady Aude

Research Colloquium

Background: The 2011 Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for echocardiography was developed to guide in the rational use of high quality cardiovascular imaging. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) orders with seemingly inappropriate indications were repeatedly identified at our hospital. Our goals were to identify the percentage of inappropriate TTEs, find a correlation between ordering physicians and appropriateness of TTEs, and reduce the inappropriate use of TTEs in the inpatient setting.

Methods: After implementing a required free-text indication for TTE orders, the indications of 100 random TTEs were retrospectively categorized as appropriate, inappropriate, and uncertain based on the AUC. TTEs for cardiac evaluation prior …

Proactively Preventing Medical Errors: A Student-Led Approach To Patient Safety In Pre-Clinical Curriculum, Sahar Panjwani, Daniel Nwosuocha, Nelson D. Gonzalez, Ayleen Godreau

Research Symposium

Introduction: Preventable medical errors are currently the third leading cause of death in the United States following heart disease and cancer (1). This study was designed to assess the change in knowledge from earlier education of medical students during pre-clinical years.

Methods: Patient safety trainings have been conducted for two years for interested first and second-year medical students and responses are assessed through a pre-test, immediate post-test, 3-month post-test, and 6-month post-test. The survey assesses student knowledge on aspects of patient safety and has Likert scale questions assessing if the training influenced students’ desire to learn about patient safety. …

How Risk Perceptions And Level Of Trust Of Information Influence Individuals’ Health Services Usage, Wan-Lin Chang

Research Symposium

Background: When facing health-related issues, decision-making is not an easy thing. Some people look for advice from health care professionals, and some people trust their family members' and friends’ experiences more. Previous studies in health communication have suggested differences across various demographic groups in information seeking access and skills, including variables related to the knowledge gap assumption and individuals' risk perceptions.

Methods: Multiple linear regression and logistic regression are used to examine how individuals’ health risk perceptions influence their health service usage by analyzing the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5 Cycle 4. HINTS conducts national surveys to monitor …

Expanding Health Professional Education In The Rio Grande Valley During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sabrina R. Orta, Samantha G. Alvarado, Shuchita Jhaveri

Research Symposium

Purpose: The COVID-19 Pandemic has prompted innovation in health professional education, such that learners are able to recognize and mitigate healthcare disparities in the outcomes of vulnerable populations. The objective of our project was to increase education on preventing, preparing for, and responding to COVID-19 and other locally prevalent infectious diseases that disproportionately affect RGV communities.

Description: This project had 3 goals: (1) provide learners with virtual patient-interaction simulations (2) provide interactive training modules on the identification, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases affecting South TX and strategies to increase child vaccinations, and (3) provide learners an opportunity to coordinate …

The Fortify Resilience Initiative, Nausheen Jamal, Deepu George, Maria Hernandez, Evan Garcia, Myrna Ruiz, Salvador Arellano Iii

Research Symposium

Purpose: The Fortify Resilience Initiative focuses on building and sustaining a culture of wellbeing for Residents and Fellows (R/Fs) at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine’s (SOM) Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency and fellowship programs. In order to address the multitude of threats to physician wellness and to mitigate the silent, but pernicious effects of burnout on these physician learners serving in the RGV, this Initiative from the Office of GME will strengthen existing wellbeing pathways while expanding additional solutions that will work to sustain wellbeing. Utilizing a combination of prevention, promotion, and intervention strategies …

Interdisciplinary Integrated Primary And Behavioral Healthcare (I2pbh) Initiative, John Ronnau, Deepu George, Maria Hernandez, Evan Garcia, Myrna Ruiz

Research Symposium

Purpose: The Interdisciplinary Integrated Primary and Behavioral Healthcare (I²PBH) initiative will train University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) mental health graduates to deliver high quality, evidence-based Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) services in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) – a high-need, high-demand, medically underserved Hispanic region along the US-Mexico border. Specifically, the I²PBH initiative will train 24 UTRGV mental health graduates annually to deliver high-quality Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) clinical services through the evidence based Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model. With a training emphasis on basic/advanced theory and clinical skills in the PCBH model, students …

Covid-19'S Impact On Medical Students' Wellbeing And Residency Choices, Jessy Feng, Sabrina Orta, Lori Berry

Research Symposium

Background: COVID-19 has impacted medical education in many ways including altering in-person rotations, limiting research opportunities, and introducing additional financial strain for medical students. With these unprecedented changes, we were interested in examining the impact of COVID-19 on medical students’ well-being and choices surrounding their upcoming resident medical education.

Methods: An online questionnaire was written and distributed via Qualtrics to 4th year medical students across Texas from May to December 2020. The inclusion criteria were MD or DO U.S. medical students planning to apply to residency in the 2020-2021 cycle.

Results: A majority of participants (78.05%) identified as a minority …

Primary Care Behavioral Health Partnerships Advancing & Transforming Health Sciences (Pcbh Paths), Kristan Diaz-Rios, Deepu George, Maria Hernandez, Evan Garcia, Myrna Ruiz, Salvador Arellano Iii

Research Symposium

Purpose: Primary Care Behavioral Health Partnerships Advancing & Transforming Health Sciences (PCBH PATHS) is a workforce development pipeline project aimed at permanently augmenting UTRGV’s institutional capacity to address shortage of an Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) competent workforce locally, regionally and nationally. Our initiative, aligned with UTRGV strategic priorities and key initiatives, will integrate basic(model specific strategy and operational elements), mid-level (role identity and profession specific behavioral competencies specific to each health profession), and advanced (behavioral medicine clinical skills) applications of the evidence based PCBH model of delivery. A PCBH focused delivery system (clinical and educational), in which primary care providers …

Qi In Resident Leadership Workshop, Heidi Y. Pareja, Chelsea H. Chang, Daniel Aragon, Deepu George

Research Symposium

Background: Many residency programs provide some type of leadership training for chief residents. As these emerging leaders transition into their role, it is imperative to provide them with skills and knowledge to help them develop their leadership style. UTRGV’s department of Graduate Medical Education (GME) organized their first “Resident Leader Workshop” for all rising Chiefs and GME Resident Leadership Council (RLC) members. Using a pre and post survey, participants provided feedback on the effectiveness of knowledge and skills presented during the workshop.

Methods: All residency and fellowship rising Chiefs and GME RLC members were invited. The workshop took place …

Patient Safety Workshop: A Graduate Medical Education Interprofessional Simulation Half-Day, Ans Albustamy, Roque Mifuji, Michelle Lopez, Teresa Villagomez, Chelsea Chang

Research Symposium

Introduction: As per the National Academy of Medicine, patient safety is considered indistinguishable from the delivery of quality health care, and is referred to as the foundation upon which all other aspects of quality care are built. Throughout the years, graduate medical education (GME) across the world has evolved to ensure the training of future medical professionals includes exposure to many of the elements that compose patient safety, such as implementing root cause analysis, systems thinking, and disclosing adverse events. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is the sponsoring institution for 19 GME programs across different specialties. As part …

Medical Students Preventing Medical Errors: A Student-Led Approach To Patient Safety In Preclinical Curriculum, Daniel Habenicht, Niti Dharwadkar, Aishwarya Gatiganti, Sahar Panjwani, Daniel Nwoschua, Lauren Muenchow, Jose Campo Maldonado

Research Symposium

Introduction: Preventable medical errors are currently the third leading cause of death in the United States following heart disease and cancer (1). Early exposure to patient safety knowledge may lead to students to deliver safer care in their clerkship and residency years. This study was designed to assess the change in knowledge from earlier exposure and education during pre-clinical years and its impact on interest and knowledge about patient safety.

Methods: For the past four years, a patient safety training has been conducted for interested first and second-year medical students and responses are assessed through a pre-test, immediate …

Performance On Health Equity Module Suggests Continued Need For Educational Content, Alessandra Jimenez, Jodi Abbott

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Purpose- This study investigates the performance of practicing physicians and medical trainees on learning health equity material. The population was tested on basic terminology and concepts of health equity in a module called “Basics of Health Equity.”

Design- The American Medical Association published an e-learning module available to a diverse population that took the quiz for continuing medical education credit. The population includes physicians and medical professional from all states and territories in the United States. From this population, one sample included all identifiable practicing physician’s quiz data, 499. A second sample included undergraduate medical students and resident physicians, 1573. …

Building My Professional Identity, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley. College Of Health Professions Student Success Team

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.