Students flex their clinical skills at the Internet Hospital
This February, Year 2 student doctors took part in an innovative Internet Hospital week, packed with interactive events and practical opportunities to put their clinical knowledge into action. We hear more about the sessions that brought the concept to life.
"Our aim was to best prepare our students for placement so they can really hit the ground running when they get out there.” says Dr Ian Ellis, Year 2 and Graduate Entry Programme Clinical Year Director. “We wanted to give them as much of an ‘entrée’ as possible of what to expect in a clinical setting.”
Dr Victoria Tippett, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at Aintree University Hospital, stepped forward to help shape the week’s sessions. “As the year 2 lead for Aintree, I usually organise the teaching for students on placement with us, which is around 100. This year, I worked to develop a programme for the whole year, which is 320 students, including providing opportunities for them to talk to and examine volunteer patients.”
So, what did the Internet Hospital entail?
Virtual history taking sessions
Students were given the chance to interact with a real-life patient and take their history in a virtual setting. The approach, first piloted on a smaller scale last year, had students working in groups of around eight, under the guidance of expert Consultant tutors Mr Ward and Dr Thompson.
Student Doctor and Graduate Entry rep Andrew Bonsu says,
Having a chance to speak to a real patient and perform my first clerk allowed me to gain confidence as to how to gather the required information from a patient.
"The CCP (Communication for Clinical Practice) sessions had provided a good foundation of how to perform adequate clerking and it showed for the whole cohort in our history taking sessions.”
Getting students as close as possible to a clinical setting
Grand Round presentation
Students took part in a ‘Grand Round’ - an opportunity for different clinicians in varied specialties and levels of experience to come together to present and discuss cases.
Dr Ian Ellis explains, “A doctor would invite basically the whole ward to discuss their ‘star case of the week’, the idea being to share how you managed the case, came to your diagnosis and what you learnt. For this week’s session, we actually used a case I had been involved in and invited students to step into my shoes, observe clinical signs and draw some conclusions."
It produced some real light bulb moments.
"Some were wondering, why didn’t the patient tell you that? To which the answer was, did you ask them?”
Student Doctor and Year 2 course rep Siona Mitra says, “I personally found the Grand Round presentation the most enjoyable part of the week as it felt like an interactive CBL (Case-based Learning) case with much more detail and interaction.”
Play, Workshop and Q&A discussion on memory loss and dementia
Students then attended a virtual performance of ‘Grandma Remember Me', a unique play that sets out ways in which the medical community can work with those affected by memory loss and their families. For many, it was the most impactful part of the week.
Student Doctor Siona Mitra says,
I found the play very thought provoking and emotional, it is unlike anything we've experienced so far and shows the family life of patients we will encounter in future placement.
For Student Doctor Andrew Bonsu it was a powerful reminder of the impact of dementia on both the sufferer and their loved ones. “Having volunteered in a hospice where I interacted at length with residents with dementia, I could relate to the use of memory cafés and the challenges dealt with caring for those with dementia. It was a brilliant production to watch and after hearing the playwright’s inspiration for the play at the live Q&A, I was pleased to have been granted the chance to view the production.”
Resources provided an insight into a hospital setting during COVID-19
Drug Round and other online resources
Students were able to get a bird’s eye view of a nurse’s drug round through a video captured on a GoPro camera at Aintree Hospital. They could test their knowledge with interactive quiz questions throughout the round. Shot during the pandemic, it also provided an insight into a hospital setting during COVID-19.
On top of this, students had access to a full suite of online resources including a series of vlogs captured by Dr Victoria Tippett, which she began last year during the first wave of the pandemic, detailing how her team adapted to the many twists and turns the spread of the virus presented. “I really wanted to connect year 2 students to the clinical community and given them an idea of what we have been experiencing while they, unfortunately, weren't able to join us on placement.”
Dr Victoria Tippett vlogging about her experience at Aintree
Overall, the week seems to have been a hit with student doctors – providing them with the closest thing possible to an actual clinical placement. Student Doctor Siona Mitra thinks it was a great idea.
Despite the challenges of COVID-19 and the current lockdown, we've been able to experience a really amazing alternative to in-person placement.
Student Doctor Andrew Bonus is grateful to everyone involved in creating the opportunity, “The pandemic may have momentarily paused face to face placements for our year, but the invaluable knowledge gained from this week far surpasses the impact of the pandemic.”