Attitude, ethics, and communication are key attributes in the doctor-patient relationship and to strengthen these qualities, the National Medical Commission, the body that regulates medical education and medical professionals in India introduced a course called Attitudes, Ethics and Communication (AETCOM) in the undergraduate medical curriculum.…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports 24 IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Programs that help develop university-based biomedical research capacity in states that historically receive low levels of extramural grant support. To assess the effectiveness of the Arkansas INBRE in meeting its biomedical research…

This study was a part of a longitudinal study investigating the relationships between medical student wellness, self-efficacy, and performance. Eighty-two eligible students were asked to complete online surveys during their second (M2) and third (M3) years. Performance outcomes included scores on various summative assessments during the M.D.…

Facilitating the learning of physiology by allied health majors who lack foundational coursework in biology and chemistry presents unique pedagogical challenges. By focusing on the strengths of this group of learners (team skills, interest in applied physiology), a new mechanism for conveying the primary interconnection and synergism of the body's…

Learning outcomes are an essential element in curriculum development because they describe what students should be able to do by the end of a course or program and they provide a roadmap for designing assessments. This article describes the development of competency-based learning outcomes for a one-semester undergraduate introductory human…

The COVID-19 pandemic not only affected education at its peak, it continues to affect learning in its aftermath. High schools were forced to transition to remote learning, throwing students and educators alike into a new reality. Recovering from the pandemic has forced the need for innovative ways to engage students. Some successful attempts at…

Clinical practice has benefited from new methodologies such as realistic simulation (RS). RS involves recreating lifelike scenarios to more accurately reflect real clinical practice, enhancing learners' skills and decision-making within controlled environments, and experiencing remarkable growth in medical education. However, RS requires…

Rates of obesity continue to rise in the United States and across the globe. Obesity is a risk factor for developing insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. For clinicians, other health care providers, and educators, providing patients with accurate and meaningful information about obesity, including lifestyle (diet and…

Diving into the realm of game-based learning, the "CARBGAME" (CARd & Board GAmes in Medical Education) is an innovative series of games that reimagines the way medical students learn complex but essential chapters. In the pilot study, there was a highly significant improvement in the academic performance of students in the chapter…

Questioning is an important activity in teaching. In medical colleges, on-stage quiz competitions are appreciated by students as well as faculty as they are an engaging way to connect with the discipline. We organized the Physiology Quiz Competition to assess the concepts of functional mechanisms of various organ systems. It was an academic tool…

Given the recently proposed three-filament theory of muscle contraction, we present a low-cost physical sarcomere model aimed at illustrating the role of titin in the production of active force in skeletal muscle. With inexpensive materials, it is possible to illustrate actin-myosin cross-bridge interactions between the thick and thin filaments…

Use of digital flashcards promotes active recall, spaced repetition, and self-assessment academic principles. This work explores the association and dose-dependent effect of this study method and locomotor (LP) and cardiovascular physiology (CP) grades. A single-faculty cohort study of medical LP and CP students was conducted, and 155 and 676…

Medical education is undergoing various transformations to promote a more personalized and contextual way of learning. In light of this, the innovative "Self-directed, Problem-oriented, Lifelong learning, Integrated Clinical case Exercise" (SPLICE) modules were designed, implemented, and evaluated for medical students in the first…

The current student body will, by and large, seek online resources to supplement their learning. However, resources that are freely available online vary in accuracy and quality, and the vast majority rely on passive learning. Therefore, there is a need for interactive physiology teaching resources that facilitate application of knowledge, that…

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) aims to increase diversity in research and health-related careers. The SURP provides underrepresented minority (URM) and disadvantaged students with research, mentoring, and networking experiences; real-life surgical observations; and simulated…