A  national strategy to engage medical students in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery medical education: the LearnENT ambassador program

AbstractBackgroundIn the realm of medical education, student-led ambassador programs represent an innovative approach to increase awareness about medical education resources. LearnENT is an internationally recognized otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) smartphone app and website designed for medical trainees to learn about OHNS. However, upon the initial launch of the app, there was a  lack of medical student awareness and engagement.ApproachIn this article, we highlight the process and lessons learned from developing an ambassador program to increase the national presence and uptake of LearnENT. Medical students from across Canada were recruited and trained to promote the app at their respective institutions.EvaluationAmbassadors hosted events and spearheaded initiatives around the country with the goal of showcasing LearnENT. Furthermore, ambassadors were engaged in scholarly initiatives such as creating educational content for LearnENT and giving presentations at national conferences.ReflectionsCritical factors in the success of a  student-led ambassador program include ensuring widespread dissemination of the program, establishing clear expectations for ambassadors, equipping ambassadors with standardized promotional material, and promoting collaboration to collectively work towards addressing challenges. When creating a n ational student-led group such as an ambassador program, outreach to senior stakeholders can be an effective way to involve students at diff...
Source: Perspectives on Medical Education - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: research