Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
BMC Med Educ. 2022 Jan 3;22(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s12909-021-03037-4.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic Imperial College School of Medicine developed a structured volunteering programme involving 398 medical students, across eight teaching hospitals. This case study aims to explore the relationship between the processes, context, participant experiences and impacts of the programme so that lessons can be learned for future emergencies and service-learning programmes.
Using an illuminative approach to evaluation we invited all volunteers and supervisors to complete a mixed-methods survey. This explored differences in experience across demographics and contextual factors, correlations between aspects of induction, supervision and overall experience, and reviewed the impacts of the programme. Quantitative responses were statistically analysed and qualitative reflections were thematically coded to triangulate and explain quantitative findings. Follow up interviews were carried out to check back findings and co-create conclusions.
We received responses from 61 students and 17 supervisors. Student participants described predominantly altruistic motivations and transformational changes to their professional identity driven by feeling included, having responsibility, and engaging in authentic workplace-based learning afforded by freedom from the assessed curriculum. They reported new perspectives on their future professional role within the multidisciplinary team and the value of workplace-based learning. They reported increases in wellbeing and self-esteem related to feeling included and valued, and positively contributing to service provision at a time of need. Significantly higher overall satisfaction was associated with a personalised induction, active supervision, earlier stage of training, and male gender. Gender-related differences were not explained through our data but have been reported elsewhere and warrant further study. The duration, intensity and type of role that volunteers performed was similar across demographics and did not appear to modulate their overall experience.
Whilst acknowledging the uniqueness of emergency volunteering and the survey response rate of 15% of volunteers, we suggest the features of a successful service-learning programme include: a learner-centred induction, regular contact with engaged and appreciative supervisors, and roles where students feel valued. Programmes in similar settings may find that service learning is most impactful earlier in medical students' training and that students with altruistic motivations and meaningful work may flourish without formal outcomes and assessments.
由于 COVID-19 大流行，帝国理工学院医学院开发了一个涉及 8 所教学医院的 398 名医学生的结构化志愿服务计划。本案例研究旨在探讨该计划的过程、背景、参与者体验和影响之间的关系，以便为未来的紧急情况和服务学习计划吸取教训。
我们采用了一种启发式评估方法，邀请所有志愿者和主管完成一项混合方法调查。该调查探讨了不同人口统计学和背景因素下经验的差异、入职、监督和整体经验之间的相关性，并审查了该计划的影响。定量反应进行了统计分析，定性反思进行了主题编码，以三角和解释定量发现。进行了后续访谈以检查发现结果并共同创建结论。
我们收到了 61 名学生和 17 名主管的回复。学生参与者主要描述了利他主义动机和对他们的职业身份的变革性变化，这是由感觉被包容、承担责任以及通过从评估课程中获得自由而进行的真实的基于工作场所的学习驱动的。他们报告了在多学科团队中未来职业角色的新视角和基于工作场所的学习的价值。他们报告说，在需要的时候，他们的幸福感和自尊心有所提高，因为他们感到被包容和重视，并为服务提供做出了积极贡献。总体满意度显著提高与个性化入职、积极监督、培训早期阶段和男性性别相关。与数据无关的性别差异已在其他地方报告，并需要进一步研究。志愿者执行的角色的持续时间、强度和类型在人口统计学上相似，似乎不会调节他们的整体体验。
尽管承认紧急情况下志愿服务的独特性和志愿者 15%的调查回复率，但我们认为成功的服务学习计划的特点包括：以学习者为中心的入职、与参与和欣赏的主管保持定期联系，以及让学生感到有价值的角色。类似环境下的计划可能会发现，服务学习在医学生培训的早期阶段最具影响力，并且具有利他主义动机和有意义工作的学生可能会在没有正式成果和评估的情况下蓬勃发展。
