Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Changing states: Crossing the boundaries between academic and workplace settings for international students in medical

Ms Jennifer LindleyDr Juanita Fernando

The 6th Jakarta Meeting on Medical EducationDecember 6- 8, 2013

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Background Monash MBBS program provides an option for an elective research

year for students at an honours level

To date 8 cohorts of international students have undertaken this one year program in Australia

Experiences of students undertaking study in overseas settings is well documented

International students undertaking the research year cross transnational boundaries and also move from academic settings into research workplaces

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Aim

To explore the perspectives of international students undertaking a research year in an Australian undergraduate medicine program

To identify key elements that contribute to the ability of international students to successfully complete a research intensive year of study

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Methodology Only international students undertaking a research project year were

included

Qualitative data was collected using focus group discussions

Data was collected from 5 cohorts comprising a total of 80 students

Students were asked to reflect upon their needs to successfully complete the research year

Students were asked to use Maslow’s hierarchy as a framework to ‘rank’ their self-identified needs

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Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

McLeod, S. A. (2007). Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

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Data

DataResults

ProjectSupervisor

KnowledgeResearch skills

Technical/Practical skills

Writing skills Presentation skills

Communication skills

Luck

Family Time

Space Skills

Motivation

Computer / Internet / Software Data Coffee

/ Sweets Ethics Approval

Specific knowledge & skillsCritical friends

Relevant academic literature

Thesis (completion)More coffee/cakes

Fundamental needs

Highest order needs

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Analysis

DataResults

ProjectSupervisor

KnowledgeResearch skills

Technical/Practical skills

Writing skills Presentation skills

Communication skills

Luck

Family Time

Space Skills

Motivation

Computer / Internet / Software Data Coffee

/ Sweets Ethics Approval

Specific knowledge & skillsCritical friends

Relevant academic literature

Thesis (completion)More coffee/cakes

Belonging

Self -Actualization

Physiological

Self esteem

Safety

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Analysis

Academic environment

Clinical environment

HOME LOCATION

Clinical environment

Researchenvironment

Academic environment

OVERSEAS LOCATION

MEDIATED BY NEEDS

MEDIATED BY NEEDS

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Discussion Students were able to identify a range of personal and professional

needs that they deemed significant for a research year.

Needs correlated to the chronological process of undertaking the research year

Research environments have specific ways of working that differ to academic and clinical settings

Access to a suitable project and a quality supervisor were seen as a key need for success

For international students, needs associated with belonging appear to be the most fundamental

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Conclusion International students can articulate a range of needs that support

successful outcomes for research based study/learning which are mediated by a hierarchy of needs

These needs can be categorised as addressing changes across two broad domains:

– Transition across transnational boundaries into a different academic setting

– Moving into a research workplace environment

Needs for undertaking a research based year of study are different to those required for conventional academic study

International students face a more complex process to accommodate these challenges

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Thank you

Questions?