Abstract
Introduction
Teaching is an important competency in graduate medical education (GME). Many residency programs have implemented curricula to develop residents’ teaching skills and observed structured teaching experiences (OSTEs) have been used to assess these skills. There is an increasing focus on building teaching skills earlier in the medical education continuum, however, there is limited literature on assessing medical students’ teaching skills. The authors developed an OSTE for medical students enrolled in a students-as-teachers course to address this gap and provide formative feedback on teaching skills.
Materials and Methods
OSTEs were conducted for fourth-year medical students (M4s) enrolled in a Students as Teachers Advanced Elective at a US medical school. An M4 observed a first-year medical student (M1) during a simulated encounter with a standardized patient. The M4 gave feedback and a chalk talk. A physician observer assessed the M4’s teaching using the modified Stanford Faculty Development Program (SFDP) questionnaire. The M1s and M4s also completed the SFDP. The M4 completed pre- and post-OSTE self-efficacy surveys (score range 6-30) and a post-OSTE acceptability survey.
Results
All (30/30) M4s completed the OSTE. The SFDP identified common teaching strengths and areas for growth. ANOVA tests demonstrated significant differences between the mean (SD) scores from physician assessors, M1s, and M4s [4.56 (0.63) vs. 4.87 (0.35) vs. 4.08 (0.74), p<0.001]. There was a statistically significant difference in mean (SD) self-efficacy scores pre- and post-OSTE [18.72 (3.39) vs. 23.83 (3.26), p<0.001]. All M4s (30/30) somewhat or strongly agreed with all three OSTE acceptability questions.
Lessons Learned
The authors successfully conducted an OSTE in an M4 advanced elective. The OSTE was highly acceptable to participants, and M4s demonstrated improved teaching self-efficacy. Further research should explore the validity of the OSTE to measure medical students’ teaching skills and the long-term impact of developing teaching skills in medical school.
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Data Availability
Deidentified data is available from the authors on request.
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Acknowledgements
This case used in the OSTE was originally written and developed by Hannah G. Kay, MD and Jill Braddock-Watson, MA-CCC-SLP. The authors wish to thank Jill Braddock-Watson and the Center for Experiential Learning and Assessment (CELA) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for assistance with case simulation design and implementation.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This study was deemed to be exempt by the Vanderbilt IRB (##210874).
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Mahoney, M.R., Gayoso, M.E., Belsky, N.A. et al. Observed Structured Teaching Experiences (OSTEs) in a Students as Teachers Course. Med.Sci.Educ. 34, 13–18 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-023-01952-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-023-01952-3