P2458 - Gastrointestinal Bleed: A Simulation Case for Medical Students

Award: Presidential Poster Award

Swapnil Patel, DO¹, Allison Leisgang, DO², Arsh Momin, MD², Jessica Dahmus, MD², Emmanuelle Williams, MD², Prashant Nighot, PhD³, Shannon Dalessio, MA⁴, Ibrahim Yaghnam, MD¹, Brandon Rodgers, MD², Zeba Hussaini, MD², Hadie Razjouyan, MD^2
1Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hummelstown, PA; ²Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA; ³Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA; ⁴Penn State Health, Hershey, PA

Introduction: Medical simulations and standardized patients are now a mainstay of medical education, allowing students to practice challenging situations before starting clinical practice. In this study, we created a medical simulation to guide first-year medical students through a GI bleed encounter. Our objective was to evaluate the educational impact of simulation cases, particularly in the context of GI medical education.

Methods: After participating in a patient simulation case with a live standardized patient, students completed a survey assessing the impact of the case on their confidence, knowledge, and diagnostic skills. Sixteen simulation sessions, involving 2 standardized patients were overseen by 5 facilitators composed of GI attendings and fellows. The case featured a patient with abdominal discomfort and rectal bleeding, requiring students to take a history and perform a physical exam suggestive of cirrhosis. Key vital signs and lab results were presented to students throughout the case and they were eventually guided through a treatment plan.

Results: Of the 77 first-year medical students who participated in the simulation, 58 fully completed the survey. For this analysis, we included 63 subjects who completed the survey to at least 33%. Of these participants, 63% were female. Students' ability to perform a history and physical exam improved significantly from a pre-sim score of 3.23±1.06 to a post-sim score of 4.21±0.577 (P< 0.01). Similarly, their ability to develop a differential diagnosis improved significantly from 3.02±0.91 to 4.13±0.61 (P< 0.01). As seen in Figure 1, approximately 97% of students reported that the simulation enhanced their understanding of GI bleeding (rating 4-5). Additionally, 87% expressed a preference for more case-based simulation learning activities before clerkship rotations, and 83% specifically wanted more GI simulations during GI clerkship rotations.

Discussion: This simulation case proved as an effective tool to enhance medical students' abilities to understand and manage GI bleeding. The simulation allowed for the realistic practice of critical skills, such as rapid assessment, decision-making, and teamwork. The improvements observed in knowledge and confidence suggest that integrating simulation based training into the medical curriculum could improve the transition from theoretical learning to clinical practice. Future research should explore the long-term retention of skills acquired through simulation and the impact on actual clinical performance.



Disclosures:


Swapnil Patel, DO¹, Allison Leisgang, DO², Arsh Momin, MD², Jessica Dahmus, MD², Emmanuelle Williams, MD², Prashant Nighot, PhD³, Shannon Dalessio, MA⁴, Ibrahim Yaghnam, MD¹, Brandon Rodgers, MD², Zeba Hussaini, MD², Hadie Razjouyan, MD². P2458 - Gastrointestinal Bleed: A Simulation Case for Medical Students, ACG 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Philadelphia, PA: American College of Gastroenterology.