88 - Learning Alongside Global Classmates – an Online Anatomy-based Exchange Program Improves Intercultural Skills and Preparedness in Health Professions Students

Saturday, March 25, 2023

4:30 PM – 6:30 PM US EST

Room: Capitol Ballroom DEF

Poster Board Number: 88
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Presenting Author(s)

Keiko Ihara (she/her/hers)

Medical Student
Keio University School of Medicine
Keio University School of Medicine
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Co-Author(s)

KK

Kathleen Kim

Dental Student
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
New York, New York, United States
SK

Shari Kumar

Dental Student
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
New York, New York, United States
CB

Cecilia Brassett, MB BChir MChir

Professor
Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge
Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
YK

Yae Kanai, MD PhD

Professor
Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
MS

Mandeep Gill Sagoo, EdD

Senior lecturer
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Centre for Education, King’s College London
London, England, United Kingdom
RW

Richard Wingate, PhD

Professor
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Centre for Education, King’s College London
London, England, United Kingdom
CC

Chung-Liang Chien, PhD

Professor
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University
Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)
HT

Hannes Traxler, MD PhD

Professor
Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University Vienna
Vienna, Wien, Austria
JW

Jens Waschke, MD PhD

Professor
Institute of Anatomy, Vegetative Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilians University
Munich, Bayern, Germany
AS

Anna Sigmund, PhD

Group Leader
Institute of Anatomy, Vegetative Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilians University
Munich, Bayern, Germany
TS

Takeshi Sakurai, MD PhD

Professor
Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
YY

Yukari Yamada, RN PhD

Lecturer
Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
Mina Zeroual, MD, MEd (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
JO

Jorgen Olsen, MD DMSc

Professor
Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Nordjylland, Denmark
SE

Salma El-Batti, MD PhD

Professor
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Paris
Paris, Ile-de-France, France
SV

Suvi Viranta-Kovanen, PhD

Professor
Department of Anatomy, University of Helsinki
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
KK

Kevin Keay, PhD

Professor
Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, The University of Sydney
Sydney, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
SK

Shuji Kitahara, DDS PhD

Associate Professor
Tokyo Women’s Medical University
Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Japan
Neus Martínez-Abadías, PhD (she/her/hers)

Associate Professor
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitat de Barcelona
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
ME

Maria Esther Esteban, PhD

Professor
Universitat de Barcelona
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
AP

Alfons Navarro Ponz, MD PhD

Associate Professor
Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
JH

Jill Helms, PhD

Professor
Stanford University, Stanford
Stanford, California, United States
CS

Chiarella Sforza, MD

Professor
Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan
Milan, Lombardia, Italy
NG

Nicoletta Gagliano, PhD

Professor
Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan
Milan, Lombardia, Italy
MN

Madeleine Norris, PhD MSc

Assistant Professor
Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States
AL

Ariella Lang, PhD

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Columbia University
New York, New York, United States
MJ

Michael Joseph, PhD MPH

Associate Professor
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
New York, New York, United States
LB

Leo Buehler, MD PhD

Professor
Department of Surgery, University of Fribourg
Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
MH

Mark Hardy, MD

Professor
Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University
New York, New York, United States
SP

Snehal Patel, MD JD

Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University
New York, New York, United States
PB

Paulette Bernd, PhD

Professor
Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University
New York, New York, United States
HK

Heike Kielstein, MD PhD

Professor
Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University
Halle, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany
CK

Carol Kunzel, PhD

Associate Professor
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
New York, New York, United States
AG

Alexander Green, MD MPH

Associate Professor
Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Sean C. McWatt, PhD (he/him/his)

Assistant Professor
Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University
Western University
London, Ontario, Canada
GN

Geoffroy Noel, PhD (he/him/his)

Associate Professor- Chief, Division of Anatomy
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, California, United States
AW

Anette Wu, MD MPH PhD

Associate Professor
Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University
New York, New York, United States

Abstract Body : Objective: To determine whether an online anatomy-based exchange program has an impact on the intercultural competency preparedness and skills of healthcare professional students.

Background: Intercultural competency (IC) skills are now considered essential in medical and dental education, as the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of international collaboration among healthcare providers. However, quantitative research on factors that improve IC skills has been insufficient.

Methods: Medical and dental students from 20 universities, 14 countries, and five regions (North America, the United Kingdom, Australia, Europe, and East Asia) participated in a four-month online course offered by Columbia University. The program was entirely online and included anatomy and public health lectures, discussions with global classmates, and group assignments. A questionnaire about IC skills was developed based on previous work and participants were asked to complete it before and after the course. In addition, a previously validated questionnaire was utilized to compare pre- and post-program effects on IC. Statistical analyses were performed using R version 4.0.3.

Results: In total, 305 students completed the pre-program questionnaire and 67 completed the post-program questionnaire. After the program, there were statistically significant increases in mean score on three self-graded questions: 1) preparedness to care for patients who use complementary or alternative medicines (P = 0.045), 2) skillfulness in taking patients’ social history (P = 0.001), and 3) skillfulness in assessing the patient's understanding of the cause of their illness (P = 0.044). Furthermore, there were fewer questions with statistically significant differences between regions in the post-program survey than in the pre-program survey.

Conclusion: Online anatomy-based exchange program with global classmates had significant beneficial effects on self-graded IC skills and reduced perceived disparities in IC skill preparedness among students from various countries.