Background: Social media is a common channel for communication, information and education. However, it is also a potential forum where lapses of professionalism may occur. In this study we aimed to elicit medical students’ perspective on social media practices and their perceived implications of social media posts. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of Semesters 1 and 9 medical students from the International Medical University (IMU). A score was created consisting of the sum of the Likert scale in the 10-item social media practices questionnaire. Categorical variables were compared using chi-square test, while continuous variables that were not normally distributed were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Out of 118 respondents (61% females), 54.2% of them recalled previous instructions regarding the use of social media and 55.1% of them were familiar with the IMU Social Media Guidelines. In general, respondents showed high level of awareness of inappropriate social medial practices, with statistically better awareness among Semester 1 students. Students who reported familiarity with IMU Social Media Guidelines were more aware of inappropriate social media practices. Most respondents were aware of the potential adverse impact of social media posts. Conclusion IMU students who participated in our survey generally had a good grasp of what constitutes inappropriate behaviour on social media and its potential future impact. Lower level of awareness of inappropriate social media practices among the Semester 9 students points to the need for periodic reminders of IMU Social Media Guidelines.
Students, Medical ; Social Media ; Professionalism ; Ethics, Medical

Background: Professionalism is a core competency of physicians, identified as one of the learning outcomes for the Doctor of Medicine program. In all the efforts geared towards supporting students develop high standards of professionalism through the 4-year course of medical education, perhaps the greatest gap is in assessment. Objectives: The study aimed to determine how attitudes towards professionalism among medical students change during clinical clerkship, which attitudes change, and if these changes are associated with certain demographic factors and specific clinical rotations. Methodology: This is a cohort study with a baseline and three consecutive measurements of attitudes towards professionalism among students in a medical school as they rotated in the different clinical departments for the first semester of AY 2018-2019. A 36-item questionnaire based on a validated instrument was used. Frequency counts, means, percentages, paired t-tests, analysis of variance, and chi-square were used to analyze the data. Results: Overall, the attitudes towards professionalism among medical students were positive at baseline and did not significantly change through three consecutive clinical rotations. The scores were highest and most stable for altruism, accountability, and excellence. No association was found between any change in attitudes and certain demographic factors including age, gender, and pre-medical course, and specific clinical rotation. Conclusion No significant change in attitudes towards professionalism was found among fourth year medical students as they rotated through three consecutive clinical rotations. While many factors should be considered, this finding should prompt a comprehensive look at how clinical clerkship experiences actually educate for professionalism.
Professionalism ; Clinical Clerkship ; Attitude

OBJECTIVES: To understand medical students' mental health, professional pride, and intention to work in the front-line during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and provide a reference for psychological intervention. METHODS: We used the depression-anxiety-stress scale and self-designed questionnaire on professional pride, intention to work in the front-line and the extent of family support. Medical students from 4 medical schools in Fujian and Hunan were investigated. Their mental health status, professional pride and first-line work willingness with different characteristics were compared, and the influential factors for professional pride and first-line work willingness were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 266 valid questionnaires were collected. During the pandemic, there were significant differences in the proportion of depressed students among different college and universities, majors and stages (<0.05), and the professional pride was significantly different (<0.001). Medical students with different mental health status showed significant differences in professional pride (<0.01). Marriage, pressure and extent of family support were the influential factors for their professional pride (<0.05). The latter two were also influential factors for their intention to work in the front-line (<0.05). CONCLUSIONS During the pandemic, students from college and nursing have relatively better mental health and higher professional pride. The professional pride is low in medical students who married, with abnormal stress or low family support. The intention to work in front-line is decreased in students with abnormal stress or low family support.
Betacoronavirus ; China ; Coronavirus Infections ; psychology ; Family ; Humans ; Intention ; Mental Health ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; psychology ; Professionalism ; Social Support ; Stress, Psychological ; Students, Medical ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of hospital ethical climate and nursing professionalism on patient safety management activity by nurses.METHODS: A cross-sectional correlation study design was used. Participants included 142 nurses from two tertiary hospitals in Seoul and Gyunggi-do, South Korea. Data were collected in April and May 2019 using self-report questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple liner regression analysis with SPSS/WIN 21.0.RESULTS: The patient safety management activity correlated positively with hospital ethical climate (r=.32, p < .001) and nursing professionalism (r=.40, p < .001). The patient safety management activity was the factor that most influenced nursing professionalism and position, explaining 21% of the variance (F=12.06, p < .001).CONCLUSION: It is necessary to provide education on professionalism. It is necessary to continuously provide job education and training to nurture competence and quality in professional nurses.
Climate ; Education ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Competency ; Nursing ; Patient Safety ; Professionalism ; Seoul ; Statistics as Topic ; Tertiary Care Centers

This study is a narrative review introducing global trends in patient safety education within medical schools and exploring the status of Korean education. Core competences for patient safety include patient centeredness, teamwork, evidence- and information-based practice, quality improvement, addressing medical errors, managing human factors and system complexity, and patient safety knowledge and responsibility. According to a Korean report addressing the role of doctors, patient safety was described as a subcategory of clinical care. Doctors' roles in patient safety included taking precautions, educating patients about the side effects of drugs, and implementing rapid treatment and appropriate follow-up when patient safety is compromised. The Korean Association of Medical Colleges suggested patient safety competence as one of eight essential human and society-centered learning outcomes. They included appropriate attitude and knowledge, human factors, a systematic approach, teamwork skills, engaging with patients and carers, and dealing with common errors. Four Korean medical schools reported integration of a patient safety course in their preclinical curriculum. Studies have shown that students experience difficulty in reporting medical errors because of hierarchical culture. It seems that patient safety is considered in a narrow sense and its education is limited in Korea. Patient safety is not a topic for dealing with only adverse events, but a science to prevent and detect early system failure. Patient safety emphasizes patient perspectives, so it has a different paradigm of medical ethics and professionalism, which have doctor-centered perspectives. Medical educators in Korea should understand patient safety concepts to implement patient safety curriculum. Further research should be done on communication in hierarchical culture and patient safety education during clerkship.
Caregivers ; Curriculum ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Education ; Education, Medical, Undergraduate ; Ethics, Medical ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Learning ; Medical Errors ; Mental Competency ; Patient Safety ; Professionalism ; Quality Improvement ; Schools, Medical ; Students, Medical

There are several dimensions of academic burnout experienced by medical and health science college students. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of academic relationships on academic burnout. Data was collected from 476 Eulji University students using an online survey over 4 days in April of 2018. Of the 264 respondents, 111 studied medicine (42.0%), 105 studied nursing (39.8%), and 48 studied clinical pathology (18.1%). The questionnaire was composed of the following sections: demographics (four questions), general life characteristics (seven questions), academic enthusiasm (eight questions), academic relationships (15 questions), and academic burnout sub-dimensions (partially revised Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey Scale) (11 questions). T-tests and one-way analysis of variance were performed to illustrate the differences among the three departments. The effects of academic relationships and academic enthusiasm on academic burnout were analyzed using linear regression. Comparing the three departments, academic burnout was not found to be statistically significant (p=0.296). However, medical students' academic enthusiasm was significantly lower (p<0.001) and academic relationships were significantly higher (p<0.001) than nursing and clinical pathology students. The difference in academic burnout among the three departments was not significant. However, medical students have stronger academic relationships, while nursing and clinical pathology students were more focused on academics. Relationships and academic enthusiasm contribute to reducing academic burnout. Therefore, strategies need to be developed to deal with academic burnout considering relationship factors.
Demography ; Education, Premedical ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Nursing ; Pathology, Clinical ; Professionalism ; Students, Medical ; Students, Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The Korean Medical Association (KMA) operates two organizations dedicated to healthcare policy research: the Research Institute for Healthcare Policy, which was launched in 2002, and the KMA Policy Special Committee, which was launched in 2017 as an administrative subunit of the board of representatives. Some members of the KMA have criticized the coexistence of two organizations for policy development. They argue that it would be preferable to unify these organizations, pointing out that having duplicate organizations for policy development wastes financial resources, disperses professionals, and produces different opinions on policies, which could be a source of confusion in the policy activities of the KMA. The author was a director in charge of policy at the KMA in 2002, when the Research Institute for Healthcare Policy was founded, and has also been an active member of the KMA Policy Special Committee since its launch in 2017. Having been involved in both policy development organizations, the author suggests that unifying these two organizations would not be desirable for the medical profession. The Research Institute for Healthcare Policy and the KMA Policy Special Committee are similar in that they deal with healthcare policy, but their approaches are quite distinct. The former organization must thoroughly research healthcare policy from a theoretical perspective, while the latter approaches healthcare policy by advocating for the interests of the members of the KMA. For instance, if the two organizations simultaneously research the possibility of a global budget payment system, the Research Institute for Healthcare Policy should address both its advantages and disadvantages, while the KMA Policy Special Committee would instead organize a policy initiative opposing a global budget payment system by focusing on its disadvantage of restricting the autonomy of healthcare providers. However, if the former organization provides a theoretical base and the latter organization coordinates policy advocacy in the interest of members of the KMA, the two organizations will make a major contribution to improving the medical environment in a complementary manner. In 2018, the two organizations jointly held a workshop with the theme of “shared growth”in Cheonan, demonstrating their ongoing efforts to collaborate. The author suggests that instead of becoming enmeshed in controversies about whether it should continue to exist as a separate organization, the KMA Policy Special Committee should instead focus on becoming the KMA's center for healthcare policy advocacy as soon as possible.
Academies and Institutes ; Budgets ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Health Personnel ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Policy Making ; Professionalism

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated and compared the perspectives on emergency medicine (EM) professionalism competencies of medical students and EM residents. In addition, how they learned their EM professionalism was also investigated to develop the base of an educational program of professionalism in the field of EM. METHODS: Medical students in four medical colleges/schools and EM residents were recruited for the questionnaire. Regarding the importance and educational need for EM professionalism, 23 items for medical students and 59 items for EM residents were asked. The items were rated on a five point Likert scale. The perspectives of the two groups were compared. The learning methods for professionalism were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 198 medical students and 109 EM residents responded to the questionnaire. The residents responded with mean of 3.0 or more on all items, agreeing on the importance and educational need. On the other hand, the mean scale was less than 4.0 in communication and cooperation with society and social accountability. The students responded with a mean scale of 4.0 or more on all items and agreed on the importance and educational need. Of the 23 common items, there were differences between the two groups in 17 items, showing a higher mean value in the students. The most common methods of learning EM professionalism was bedside teaching during the clinical clerkship for students, and patient handover or board round for residents. CONCLUSION: EM residents tended to place more importance on medical care than social communication, cooperation, and ethical items. The most common learning method of EM professionalism was clinical practice-associated activities. The results of this study could help to develop a systematic and realistic educational program of EM professionalism in EM clerkship and resident training.
Clinical Clerkship ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medicine ; Hand ; Humans ; Learning ; Methods ; Patient Handoff ; Professionalism ; Social Responsibility ; Students, Medical

PURPOSE: This study investigated medical students' attitudes toward academic misconduct that occurs in the learning environment during the pre-clinical and clinical periods. METHODS: Third-year medical students from seven medical schools were invited to participate in this study. A total of 337 of the 557 (60.5%) students completed an inventory assessing their attitudes toward academic misconduct. The inventory covered seven factors: scientific misconduct (eight items), irresponsibility in class (six items), disrespectful behavior in patient care (five items), dishonesty in clerkship tasks (four items), free riding on group assignments (four items), irresponsibility during clerkship (two items), and cheating on examinations (one item). RESULTS: Medical students showed a strict attitude toward academic misconduct such as cheating on examinations and disrespectful behavior in patient care, but they showed a less rigorous attitude toward dishonesty in clerkship tasks and irresponsibility in class. There was no difference in students' attitudes toward unprofessional behaviors by gender. The graduate medical school students showed a stricter attitude toward some factors of academic misconduct than the medical college students. This difference was significant for irresponsibility in class, disrespectful behavior in patient care, and free riding on group assignments. CONCLUSION: This study indicates a critical vulnerability in medical students' professionalism toward academic integrity and responsibility. Further study evidence is needed to confirm whether this professionalism lapse is confined only to this population or is pervasive in other medical schools as well.
Ethics ; Humans ; Learning ; Patient Care ; Professional Misconduct ; Professionalism ; Schools, Medical ; Scientific Misconduct ; Students, Medical

BACKGROUND: The role of family medicine specializing in primary care is important. This study examined medical students' perception of family medicine and their career choice, and provides policy and educational implications for family medicine.METHODS: The study used data collected from the 111 medical students from Keimyung University. The questionnaire comprised items pertaining to respondents' demographic information, career plan, and perceptions about family medicine.RESULTS: The most common mode of learning about family medicine was class or clinical practice (68.5%). Further, 73 students (65.8%) reported an intention to select family medicine as their major. These students were most likely to be employed (34 persons). Among the 111 students, 3 (2.8%) choose family medicine as their preferred major. Before receiving clinical practice experience, the most common reason for not choosing family medicine was “does not fit into the reality in Korea” (32.1%). After clinical practice, “lack of professionalism” (44.6%) was the most commonly cited reason.CONCLUSION: Medical students' perception about family medicine was strongly influenced by their experiences during class and clinical practice. Students also reported the need to improve professionalism in family medicine. Building public relations could help improve medical students' awareness about family medicine, and it is also necessary to improve social awareness of family medicine through the support of government such as th family doctor system.
Career Choice ; Humans ; Intention ; Learning ; Primary Health Care ; Professionalism ; Public Relations ; Students, Medical ; Surveys and Questionnaires