Journal Highlights — Keeping You Informed
The June 2018 issue of the Journal of Physician Assistant Education (JPAE) is now available and is filled with information and suggestions to make your job as a PA educator easier. Here is a quick review of just some of the articles you will find in this issue.
1. Impact of Required Service-Learning Curriculum on Preclinical Students
With increasing research on health care disparities and emphasis on working with the underserved, many programs are incorporating some form of community-based, service project as part of their preclinical curriculum. This research article looks at student learning outcomes, both immediately and one to two years after implementing a 16-hour course to evaluate students’ self-awareness, intent toward behavioral changes, and the impact of the experience on their subsequent clinical training.
2. Perceived Discrimination, Harassment, and Abuse in Physician Assistant Education
There has been increased attention on mental health and well-being in students in health education across the United States. Underrepresented minority students often experience some form of abuse through discrimination or harassment. The authors investigate how to increase understanding of the abuses in PA education and their impact on attrition, retention, and the success of students who experience them.
3. Metacognition, Formative Assessment, and Student Perspective
Student engagement is at the heart of active learning in the classroom. Engaged students are more focused, retain more, and better understand how to address deficiencies and gaps of knowledge. This article explores techniques in the classroom through the lens of social cognitive theory to evaluate the interplay between the individual student’s behavior, the environment, and learning.
4. The Mechanism of Heartbreak
In this Exploring Medicine Through the Arts feature article, the authors describe how they incorporated the Art Institute of Chicago’s program “Discerning Eye” to explore complex topics on death and loss. This blending of art and science engaged students in difficult conversations and exposed them to unique examples of expression of grief to better prepare them for patient conversations in the future.
5. Imposter Phenomenon and Underrepresented Minorities
One of the strategic goals of PAEA in 2018 is to increase and demonstrate diversity throughout PA education. The condition known as imposter phenomenon, or the feeling of intellectual inferiority, is not only higher in underrepresented minority PA students, but also in underrepresented minority PA faculty. This article recommends strategies for a proactive approach in addressing imposter phenomenon in PA education.
And there’s more where these came from. If you want to stay informed and connected, be sure to check out these articles and many others in the newest issue of JPAE.
