Medical Education is in the process of re-surveying medical students as part of an LCME accreditation requirement. The survey is in response to findings from the LCME during the school’s most recent reaccreditation process in 2022, which Medical Education has made strides toward improving.
Students will receive a short questionnaire as required by the LCME, containing a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 13 questions. Students in their MS3 and MS4 years will be asked to provide feedback on both pre-clinical and clinical phases of training. Specific areas included in the questionnaire include:
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Space: student relaxation space on campus, study space and secure storage at hospital sites
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Clinical skills: instruction in the preclinical years, clinical skills assessment in the clerkships
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Formative feedback: amount and quality of formative feedback in preclinical years, amount and quality of formative feedback in the clerkships
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Choice of electives: availability of advising about choice of electives
In response to the LCME’s citations, Volker Hall has undergone multiple renovations to address the need for quality, up-to-date facilities. The curriculum has also seen changes meant to improve the quality of clinical skills instruction and to enhance the quality and amount of formative feedback. The current survey being administered to medical students is gauging the effectiveness of these improvement efforts.
“Our students and their experiences are barometers for the health of our program and its viability in the years to come,” notes Craig Hoesley, M.D., senior associate dean for Medical Education. “Our goal is to provide an excellent environment for our students to learn and become successful physicians. When we see opportunity for improvement, we want to do everything we can to innovate, revise where needed, and become better. This re-survey is a chance to measure how far we’ve come since the last round of feedback. Through these continued efforts, we also want to stress to our students that we’re not done. This is a process and a long-term initiative into the health of our institution.”
Since January, Medical Education has published a communications campaign around its improvement efforts. Through blurbs in the weekly student newsletter and signage on the digital screens around Volker Hall, this campaign has highlighted changes, revisions, and additions to the student learning experience that have been established in recent years. Click here to view an archive of the weekly LCME Spotlight.
The survey has already been administered to MS4 students in Prep for Residency (track 1), and it will continue to be administered to remaining students during designated periods in March and April. Medical Education would appreciate our educators and preceptors supporting this initiative by highlighting to students these changes and improvements so that they are aware of Heersink School of Medicine’s commitment to excellence as they participate in this survey.