Military medicine
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Leadership development is a cornerstone aspect of military medical education. Operation Bushmaster, a medical field practicum (MFP) conducted by the USU, tests fourth-year medical students' clinical skills and leadership acumen in an operational environment. No studies have examined students' perceptions of their own leadership development during this MFP. Therefore, this study explored leadership development from the students' perspectives. ⋯ This study provided an introspective vantage from military medical students pertaining to their own leadership development, as participants described how the challenging environment of a military MFP challenged them to hone and develop their leadership skills. As a result, the participants gained a greater appreciation of continued leadership development and realization of their future roles and responsibilities within the military health care system.
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Simulation is a key aspect of the military unique curriculum at the Uniformed Services University (USU). The Department of Military and Emergency Medicine conducts rigorous high-fidelity simulations for military medical students during each year of their medical school training: Patient Experience (first year), Advanced Combat Medical Experience (second year), Operation Gunpowder (third year), and Operation Bushmaster (fourth year). There is currently a gap in the professional literature regarding students' progression through each of these simulations. This study, therefore, explores the experiences of military medical students at USU in order to understand how they learn and develop as they progress through these high-fidelity simulations. ⋯ Each of the four high-fidelity simulations impacted the students in unique ways as they were incrementally challenged to practice and build upon their knowledge, skills, and abilities related to combat casualty care, teamwork, and leadership in the operational environment. As they completed each of the simulations, their skills improved, confidence grew, and professional identity solidified. Therefore, completing these rigorous simulations progressively over the course of 4 years of medical school appears to be a vital process and foundation for the deployment readiness of early-career military physicians.
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The role of the military medical officer is complex, as it encapsulates officer, physician, and leader. Professional identity formation is therefore essential for military medical students and junior military physicians to successfully execute the responsibilities of the military medical officer in their future careers. Because little is known regarding best practices for professional identity formation training for military physicians, this study explored the ways in which medical students conceptualized the complex roles of the military medical officer during a medical field practicum. ⋯ This study provided an in-depth understanding of the participants' conceptualization of the military medical officer. The participants described how the medical field practicum provided them with opportunities to experience first-hand and therefore better understand the roles of the military medical officer while leading a health care team in an operational environment. As a result, high-fidelity medical field practicums like Operation Bushmaster appear to be an effective tool for facilitating professional identity formation.
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Operation Bushmaster is a high-fidelity military medical field practicum for fourth-year medical students at the Uniformed Services University. During Operation Bushmaster, students treat live-actor and mannequin-based simulated patients in wartime scenarios throughout the five-day practicum. This study explored the impact of participating in Operation Bushmaster on students' decision-making in a high-stress, operational environment, a crucial aspect of their future role as military medical officers. ⋯ Participating in Operation Bushmaster significantly improved the control group participants' medical decision-making under stress. The results of this study confirm the effectiveness of high-fidelity simulation-based education for teaching decision-making skills to military medical students.
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Formative feedback is critical for trainees' growth and development. However, there is a gap in the professional literature regarding the ways in which formative feedback affects student performance during simulation. This grounded theory study addresses this gap by exploring the ways in which medical students received and integrated ongoing formative feedback throughout a multiday, high-fidelity military medical simulation, Operation Bushmaster. ⋯ This grounded theory study provided a framework for determining how medical students integrated formative feedback during a high-fidelity, multiday medical simulation. Medical educators can use this framework to intentionally guide their formative feedback in order to maximize student learning during simulation.