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Adina Kalet

Publications and source records attributed to Adina Kalet.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Working with interpreters: an interactive Web-based learning module.

OBJECTIVE: Medical students are presented with unique challenges when they care for patients with limited English proficiency. Students must learn a complex set of skills needed to care for patients across cultural and language barriers and to understand the impact of their own attitudes and beliefs about caring for these patients. We developed and piloted a multimedia interactive Web-based module aimed at teaching students effective strategies for working with interpreters and diverse patient populations, and at raising their awareness of important legal, ethical, and cultural issues. DESCRIPTION: First the learner completes a 37-multiple-choice-question (MCQ) pre-test that assesses attitudes, factual knowledge, and ability to analyze written clinical scenarios relevant to the module's content. Learners are then shown a series of professionally produced video vignettes, which reflect diverse patient populations, interpreters, and effectiveness of interpretation strategies (e.g., a Russian-speaking woman with chest pain whose daughter interprets, a medical student interpreting for a Chinese-speaking man using herbal medication, a Haitian woman told of an abnormal mammogram through a trained simultaneous interpreter). In each case, learners submit short answers to on-screen questions analyzing the effectiveness of the interpretation strategies demonstrated. Immediate feedback is given comparing student responses with those of experts. At any time during the module, the learners may view video commentary by legal, ethics, and cultural experts, or access a glossary and Web site links. Students conclude the module by again taking the MCQ test. A final screen compares their pre- and post-MCQ test responses and shows best answers, allowing them to assess their learning. The learners also complete a survey, providing personal cultural information and feedback on the module. DISCUSSION: All 160 first-year medical students completed the module and evaluated its effectiveness this year. On average, students improved by 20% on the MCQ post-test and 86% of the students were satisfied with the learning experience and acquired new knowledge. As a result of their participation in the module, students examined their own cultural and linguistic backgrounds and made the following comments: "I am interested in exploring the way my own culture and cultural biases could impact my working with patients from other cultures"; "This module has opened my eyes to the fears and concerns of immigrants who do not speak English." Therefore, this pilot of the module effectively imparted guidelines for, and raised awareness of, medical interpreting. The most common critique of the module was that as a result of technical difficulties, it was time-consuming. A more rigorous evaluation is planned for the next academic year. We are also working to enrich and enhance the module for more experienced clinicians (GME and CME). As a complementary educational tool, the Internet has the advantages of allowing students to work at their own paces, view engaging video clips, and participate in interactive learning with immediate feedback and self-assessment.

Communication Barriers↗
PubMed2002

Mentoring for a new era.

OBJECTIVE: Over the course of their education, medical students must develop an identity that involves a deep understanding of professional principles and the skills to apply these ideals. This task is so important that it cannot be left to informal means and should be cultivated by a structured system that is focused on professionalism. The overall goal of our student-mentoring program is to advance the professional development of our students during the first two years of medical school through regular group meetings with skilled, trained faculty facilitators. DESCRIPTION: We shaped the program to foster meaningful mentoring relationships among students and faculty, facilitate personal reflection, and encourage exploration of larger questions related to professional development. This program has evolved from a model of individual student-faculty pairings that resulted in uneven experiences. It is organized through a new "Master Scholars Program" (MSP), inaugurated in 2001-2002. The MSP features five theme-based societies composed of students and faculty who share interests in the theme (e.g., bioethics/human rights, health policy/public health, arts/humanities in medicine, biomedical/health sciences, medical informatics/biotechnology). Approximately once per month, eight students and two faculty members from each society meet over lunch for student-led discussions on topics related to their own professional development. In the first session, structured exercises enable students to get to know one another and brainstorm a curriculum for the year. In subsequent sessions, student pairs lead discussions on topics of interest to the group ranging from "the role of medical professionals in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks" to "balancing careers in medicine with family." A list of each group's discussion topics is posted on an electronic bulletin board to inform others. Two faculty mentors lead each group to ensure continuity and diversity over the two-year course of their meetings. A total of 57 out of 78 (73%) attended workshops to learn about the program and enhance their facilitation skills. Professional behaviors are explicitly emphasized in the materials outlining expectations of both students and faculty. Students are expected to attend, participate in and lead discussions, be constructive, respectful, and supportive, and accept/act on constructive feedback. Mentors are to facilitate the group's process, and provide feedback and guidance about the students' ideas and passions and the challenges they encounter. The faculty mentors will contribute descriptive material for the dean's letter on each student. We assessed student understanding of the definition of professionalism prior to the mentoring program and will follow up at regular intervals. Formative evaluation of the program includes surveys and focus groups with students and faculty to assess the effectiveness of the group process in accomplishing the stated goals of the program. DISCUSSION: Our medical school has committed resources, and our faculty and students have given thought, energy, and enthusiasm, to our mentoring program. This innovative new model has the potential to deepen and enrich the culture of medicine by providing a forum and skills for students to reflect on their own professional development and interact in a meaningful way with committed and skilled faculty who share similar interests.

Education, Medical, Undergraduate↗