Advances in Medical Education and Practice (Jul 2024)

Key Learnings and Perspectives of a Newly Implemented Sex-and Gender-Based Medicine Modular Course Integrated into the First-Year Medical School Curriculum: A Mixed-Method Survey

  • Bragazzi NL,
  • Khabbache H,
  • Ouazizi K,
  • Ait Ali D,
  • El Ghouat H,
  • El Alami L,
  • Atwan H,
  • Tuma R,
  • Dickman N,
  • Farah R,
  • Khamisy-Farah R

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 15
pp. 685 – 693

Abstract

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Nicola Luigi Bragazzi,1– 4 Hicham Khabbache,5 Khalid Ouazizi,6 Driss Ait Ali,6 Hanane El Ghouat,6 Laila El Alami,6 Hisham Atwan,7 Ruba Tuma,8– 10 Nomy Dickman,10 Raymond Farah,10,11 Rola Khamisy-Farah9,10 1Human Nutrition Unit (HNU), Department of Food and Drugs University of Parma, Parma, Italy; 2Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada; 3Postgraduate School of Public Health, Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; 4United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair, Health Anthropology Biosphere and Healing Systems, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; 5Director of the UNESCO Chair “Lifelong Learning Observatory” (UNESCO/UMSBA), Fez, Morocco; 6Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences Fès-Saïss, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco; 7Department of Internal Medicine, Kaplan Medical Centre, Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel; 8Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Galilee Medical Center, Nahariya, Galilee, Israel; 9Clalit Health Services, Akko, Israel; 10Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel; 11Department of Internal Medicine B, Ziv Medical Center, Safed, IsraelCorrespondence: Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Human Nutrition Unit (HNU), Department of Food and Drugs University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, Parma, 43125, Italy, Tel +39 0521 903121, Email [email protected]: Sex and Gender-Based Medicine (SGBM) addresses the influence of sex and gender on health and healthcare, emphasizing personalized care. Integrating SGBM into medical education is challenging. This study examines the implementation of an SGBM course in an Israeli university during the first year of the medical school.Methods: The course integrated lectures, group work, online gender studies resources, workshops, teacher training, and essential literature. The curriculum spanned pre-clinical and clinical aspects, featuring seven 90-minute sessions. Surveys assessed course structure, content, and lecturers using a 5-point Likert scale and qualitative feedback. Quantitative analysis involved descriptive statistics, and thematic analysis was used for qualitative data.Results: Of the 84 students surveyed, 35 (41.7%) responded to the first part, and 30 (35.7%) to the second. The SGBM course received high satisfaction with an average score of 3.63, surpassing other first-year courses (average 3.21). Students appreciated the supportive academic atmosphere (mean score 4.20) and diverse teaching methods (mean score 4.03), while the development of feminist thinking was less appreciated (average score 3.49). Lecturers received high ratings (average score 4.33). Qualitative feedback highlighted the value of group work, the significance of the subject matter, and the helpfulness of supplementary videos. Students requested more content on contemporary issues like gender transition and patient perspectives. The feminist medicine aspect was contentious, with students seeking better gender balance and scientific evidence.Conclusion: Introducing SGBM into the first-year curriculum yielded positive results with high student satisfaction for content and lecturers. An expanded course module is planned, to be assessed at the end of the next academic year.Keywords: sex- and gender-based medicine, medical education, medical training, curriculum integration

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