The Southern Medical Journal (SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists.
SMJ // Article
Original Article
Impact of a Fellow-Led Educational Presentation on HIV Health on Medical Trainees’ Self-Reported Knowledge of HIV Care and Subspecialty Interest
Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of delivering a fellow-led educational presentation on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) health to medical trainees as a strategy of interprofessional education and recruitment in HIV medicine and infectious diseases.Methods: Between July 2024 and April 2025, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Infectious Diseases fellows designed and delivered in-person presentations on HIV health to medical trainees, including third-year medical students and second-year categorical Internal Medicine residents. Pre- and post-presentation, the trainees completed an eight-question survey, which was developed in accordance with recommendations from the Association for Medical Education in Europe. Using a 5-point Likert scale, seven survey questions measured self-reported knowledge of HIV care; one measured subspecialty interest in HIV medicine and/or infectious diseases. After converting participants' Likert scale responses to continuous variables on a 1-to-5 numeric scale, the pre- and post-presentation survey responses of trainees and trainee subgroups (medical students, residents) were compared using Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Survey responses also were stratified by trainee type using a two-way mixed effects analysis of variance.
Results: In total, 121 trainees (86 medical students, 35 residents) attended the presentation and completed the surveys. On each content-based survey question, the trainees' self-reported knowledge of HIV care increased postpresentation (P < 0.001). Trainees' subspecialty interest also increased postpresentation (P < 0.001). Within the trainee subgroups, knowledge and interest increased on each survey question postpresentation (P ? 0.003), and the change in interest was similar between the medical students and residents. Compared with the residents, medical students reported greater knowledge of the population groups disproportionately affected by HIV (P < 0.001), HIV acquisition (P = 0.009), and the HIV care continuum (P = 0.002).
Conclusions: Among medical trainees at a single-site medical center in the southeastern United States, delivering a fellow-led educational presentation on HIV health was associated with increased self-reported knowledge of HIV care and subspecialty interest. This intervention may promote interprofessional education and recruitment.
Posted in: Infectious Disease0 Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) And Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection0
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