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Presentation Description
Mohammed A. Alqarni1
Ahmad Gazawni2, Bayan Kharsan3 and Mohammed ALzamzami4
1 College of Medicine, Sulaiman Al Rajhi University. Saudi Arabia. 2 Ministery of health, Saudi Arabia.
3 Al- Noor Specialist Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
4 King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmad Gazawni2, Bayan Kharsan3 and Mohammed ALzamzami4
1 College of Medicine, Sulaiman Al Rajhi University. Saudi Arabia. 2 Ministery of health, Saudi Arabia.
3 Al- Noor Specialist Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
4 King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Background:
Medical education in Saudi Arabia is undergoing a significant transformation, shifting towards Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME), enforcing the engagement of schools, faculty and students in community service as part of social responsibility. However, service learning needs to be more utilized and assessing student development during activities poses challenges. Embedding service learning within medical education offers a unique opportunity to develop skills and competencies that are often less emphasized in conventional curricula. This study identified core competencies and evaluation methods for medical service learning.
Medical education in Saudi Arabia is undergoing a significant transformation, shifting towards Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME), enforcing the engagement of schools, faculty and students in community service as part of social responsibility. However, service learning needs to be more utilized and assessing student development during activities poses challenges. Embedding service learning within medical education offers a unique opportunity to develop skills and competencies that are often less emphasized in conventional curricula. This study identified core competencies and evaluation methods for medical service learning.
Summary of work:
A focus group of medical educators and clinicians discussed competencies best suited for service learning. A literature review of service learning and competency frameworks supplemented the discussion. Six core competencies were identified: clinical reasoning, technical skills, communication, professionalism, teamwork, and situational awareness. Rubrics assessed competencies through reflections, observations and supervisor evaluations.
A focus group of medical educators and clinicians discussed competencies best suited for service learning. A literature review of service learning and competency frameworks supplemented the discussion. Six core competencies were identified: clinical reasoning, technical skills, communication, professionalism, teamwork, and situational awareness. Rubrics assessed competencies through reflections, observations and supervisor evaluations.
Results and Discussion:
A national health volunteer program engaged 1000 medical volunteers to apply competencies. The mini-CEX and portfolio reflection were the assessment methods to capture student progress. The authors are working on evaluating the experience, and preliminary results are under review—growth in communication, professionalism, and empathy were captured. Clinical reasoning skills developed more variably and required program adjustment. Ongoing data collection will further refine the assessment tools. Conclusion: Consensus amongst medical educators enabled a competency-based assessment model for service learning targeting underemphasized skills—competencies shaped learning activities and assessments, showing promise for better learners' preparedness. It equips students with essential skills, fosters empathy and social responsibility, and prepares them to be well- rounded and compassionate healthcare professionals. Service learning bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world healthcare practice.
A national health volunteer program engaged 1000 medical volunteers to apply competencies. The mini-CEX and portfolio reflection were the assessment methods to capture student progress. The authors are working on evaluating the experience, and preliminary results are under review—growth in communication, professionalism, and empathy were captured. Clinical reasoning skills developed more variably and required program adjustment. Ongoing data collection will further refine the assessment tools. Conclusion: Consensus amongst medical educators enabled a competency-based assessment model for service learning targeting underemphasized skills—competencies shaped learning activities and assessments, showing promise for better learners' preparedness. It equips students with essential skills, fosters empathy and social responsibility, and prepares them to be well- rounded and compassionate healthcare professionals. Service learning bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world healthcare practice.
Take-home messages/implications for further research or practice:
Implications include integrating service learning earlier in training and researching long-term impacts on competency attainment. The following steps include validating rubrics and examining competency progression over time.
References (maximum three)
Stewart, T. and Wubbena, Z.C., 2015. A systematic review of service-learning in medical education: 1998–2012. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 27(2), pp.115-122.
Hunt, J.B., Bonham, C. and Jones, L., 2011. Understanding the goals of service learning and community-based medical education: a systematic review. Academic Medicine, 86(2), pp.246- 251.
Touchie, C. and ten Cate, O., 2016. The promise, perils, problems and progress of competency‐based medical education. Medical education, 50(1), pp.93-100.