GIM faculty are taking an innovative approach to preparing medical students for the increasing role of digital communication in healthcare, with an aim to positively impacting both medical education and patient outcomes.A recent study titled "Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Virtual MedTwitter Curriculum for Medical Students" has been published in Medical Science Educator. The curriculum was designed by Dr. John Alan Gambril with the assistance of General Internal Medicine associate professor, Christopher Chiu, MD.
The curriculum integrates social media skills into medical education, which gives medical students the resources to use social media for professional development. The study developed and implemented a 10-hour, virtual, self-paced curriculum introducing medical students to MedTwitter. Results showed increases in students' perception of MedTwitter as a valuable resource and their comfort with using it.
This curriculum has the potential to benefit both medical education and patient care. Trainees learn to communicate medical information in concise formats, a skill that could be useful for patient education and interdisciplinary collaboration. The curriculum also allows students to observe real-time discussions about medical research and practices, which may contribute to improved patient care. Understanding social media platforms like MedTwitter may help future doctors consider new ways to engage with patients, potentially promoting health literacy and patient empowerment.
In addition, by familiarizing students with MedTwitter, the curriculum provides access to a network of medical professionals and resources, potentially enabling learning beyond traditional classroom settings. This access also enables students to gain experience with professional networking on social media, which could lead to mentorship opportunities and career development.
John Alan Gambril, MD, the primary author, was a General Internal Medicine resident at the time of writing and has since graduated. He designed the curriculum with the assistance of Dr. Chiu, who served as the faculty mentor for the project. The study was a collaborative effort, with contributions from Research Scientist Jing Pen and Biostatistician Jianing Ma with the OSUCOM Center for Biostatistics, who provided statistical expertise, and Joanne Baltazar Vakil, PhD, with the OSUCOM Office of Curriculum and Scholarship, who assisted with survey design.