A Medical Education Podcast Pilot to Teach Clerkship Students About Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of three gastroenterology-focused podcast episodes on clerkship student learning during the internal medicine rotation. Methods: We produced a pilot series of three medical education podcast episodes to teach medical students about gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding: Non-Variceal Upper GI Bleed; Variceal Upper GI Bleed; and Lower GI Bleed. We chose these topics because they are likely to be encountered on an internal medicine service. Episodes ranged from 15 to 18 minutes and featured an interview with an attending gastroenterologist. The discussion focused on the presentation, workup, diagnosis, and management of GI bleeds. We conducted a study to analyze the potential impact of this pilot series. Episodes were distributed to six second-year students starting their internal medicine rotation in October 2019. To elicit feedback, we administered a 9- item survey that included Likert scale questions and two free-form questions about the content, efficacy, and duration of the episodes. Responses were collected using Qualtrics, a web-based survey tool. Results: Survey response rate was 100% (6/6). All respondents listened to at least two of the three episodes and were satisfied with the quality of the podcast as a learning resource. All students strongly agreed or agreed that the podcasts helped build a foundational approach and increased confidence during their rotation. Most students thought the episodes were appropriate for their level of knowledge (83% marked “strongly agree” or “agree”) and 100% of students would recommend the podcast to other students. The majority of students (83%) thought the episode duration was appropriate. Free-form feedback included comments praising the podcast’s clinical relevance and focus on frameworks. (Frameworks in this context refer to a pedagogical tool that broadly conceptualizes a problem and offers a stepwise approach to finding solutions.) Respondents identified potential areas of improvement including sound quality and the addition of associated diagrams or outlines. Conclusions: Medical students found this pilot series of GI podcast episodes to be a helpful resource. Educational podcasts can serve as an easily accessible resource with high-yield teaching for medical students as they transition from the classroom to the hospital setting. Podcasts may help create a foundation of knowledge and build clinical confidence. Next steps include incorporating feedback and expanding the clinical content covered.