Sample records for teaching medical microbiology

  1. [The teaching of microbiology and parasitology in undergraduate medical education and its adaptation to the European Higher Education Area].

    PubMed

    Ruiz, Vicente Ausina; Otero, Beatriz Mirelis; Pastor, Guillem Prats

    2010-10-01

    The creation of the European Higher Education Area provides a series of opportunities for far-reaching reform of medical education and changes in the way both students and teachers work. The Bologna process must be implemented before 2010 in signatory countries, which include Spain, and must allow education and academic titles to be homologated. Medical degrees must consist of 360 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits, divided into six academic years (60 credits per academic year). The Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Barcelona has already put the finishing touches to a proposal for the distribution of subjects in the new curriculum. This proposal strengthens and reassesses the teaching of microbiology and parasitology compared with current curricula, giving these subjects appropriate weight in undergraduate medical education. The teaching of medical microbiology and parasitology is included as a core subject worth 8 ECTS in the third year and two free-choice modules of 2.5 and 3 ECTS to be taken in the first semesters of the fifth and sixth years as part of the minor in "Clinical and Experimental Laboratory"(30 ECTS). The teaching of microbiology will also play an important role in the Integrated Learning in Medicine (INTEL-M) course in the third, fourth and fifth years. INTEL-M is an innovation in the syllabus based on the joint planning, organization and evaluation of a series of subjects (24.5 ECTS) that are developed in small groups of students and in the form of problem-based learning. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España S.L. All rights reserved.

  2. Learning Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases by Means of a Board Game: Can It Work?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Struwig, Magdalena C.; Beylefeld, Adriana A.; Joubert, Georgina

    2014-01-01

    Innovative teaching and learning is increasingly becoming part of medical education. We report the evaluation of a medical microbiology board game, Med Micro Fun With Facts (MMFWF), based on Trivial Pursuit™ principles. The game was developed to stimulate medical students' interest in microbiology and expose students to the subject content of an…

  3. The evolution of teaching and learning medical microbiology and infectious diseases at NUS.

    PubMed

    Taylor, M B; Chow, V T K

    2005-07-01

    Infectious diseases were rife during the early years of the Singapore Medical College, which was established in 1905. The current Department of Microbiology in the National University of Singapore (NUS) has its historical roots in the Departments of Bacteriology and Parasitology, which were established in 1925 and 1950 respectively. With the achievements since its inception, and with its present research focus on Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, it is poised to face the microbiological challenges of the 21st century. Over the decades, the structure of the medical microbiology course in NUS has modernised, culminating in the current emphasis on its practical utility in clinical practice. Coordinated by the Department of Microbiology, the Microbiology and Infectious Diseases module and the Immunology module both adopt integrated multidisciplinary approaches that aim to introduce students to the language and fundamental concepts in microbiology, infectious diseases and immunology.

  4. Creating a Student-centered Learning Environment: Implementation of Problem-based Learning to Teach Microbiology to Undergraduate Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Kandi, Venkataramana; Basireddy, Parimala Reddy

    2018-01-05

    Introduction Medical education involves training necessary to become a physician or a surgeon. This includes various levels of training like undergraduate, internship, and postgraduate training. Medical education can be quite complex, since it involves training in pre-clinical subjects (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry), the para-clinical subjects (microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, and forensic medicine), and a discrete group of clinical subjects that include general medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, ear, nose and throat specialization, paediatrics, cardiology, pulmonology, dermatology, ophthalmology, and orthopaedics, and many other clinical specializations and super specialities (cardio-thoracic surgery, neurosurgery, etc.). Training medical students involves both classroom teaching and practical applications. Classroom teaching is usually confined to didactic lectures, where the teacher unilaterally disseminates the information. This kind of teaching was recently noted to be not very effective in producing better quality medical graduates. The present study aims to introduce problem-based learning (PBL) to teach microbiology to undergraduate medical students and evaluate their perception towards such type of learning. Methods A total of 159 students were included in the study. An informed and oral consent was obtained from each participant, and the study was approved by the institutional ethical committee. All the students included in the study were grouped into 14 groups of 11-13 students. Students were carefully grouped ensuring that each group had a good mix that included different levels of achievers. Students were given a detailed introduction to the exercise before they started it. A questionnaire that consisted of 11 points was given to the students and they were asked to give feedback (strongly disagree, disagree, agree to some extent, agree, strongly agree) both on the functioning of PBL and the tutor performance during PBL

  5. [Teaching evaluation at Medical School, UNAM].

    PubMed

    Salas-Gómez, Luz Elena; Ortiz-Montalvo, Armando; Alaminos-Sager, Isabel Luisa

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to offer a synthesis of what has been done in the Teaching Evaluation Program at the Medical School of the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM). The Program involves three questionnaires of the students' opinion that evaluate professors of the basic and sociomedical areas, microbiology and parasitology laboratory and surgery. Between 1994 and 2003, 134,811 questionnaires were answered to evaluate the teaching performance of 6262 professors of pregraduate students. Although the evaluation of teaching through a single way is insufficient, the results obtained allow us to affirm that the Medical School at UNAM has a good professor staff, as well as they are useful for the design of programs dedicated to the acknowledgment of excellence and the needs for teaching education.

  6. Commentary: IDSA guidelines for improving the teaching of preclinical medical microbiology and infectious diseases.

    PubMed

    Southwick, Frederick; Katona, Peter; Kauffman, Carol; Monroe, Sara; Pirofski, Liise-anne; del Rio, Carlos; Gallis, Harry; Dismukes, William

    2010-01-01

    Preclinical microbiology and infectious diseases courses too often primarily depend on PowerPoint lectures and notes, combined with multiple-choice tests, as their primary teaching tools. This strategy sets low expectations for students, encouraging short-term memory and discouraging understanding and long-term memory. These methods also fail to stimulate active participation, collaborative learning, and two-way communication with the professor, and they do not respect the students' diverse talents and ways of learning. The Infectious Diseases Society of America Preclinical Curriculum Committee proposes a new approach that emphasizes active learning and understanding and that addresses all of these failures. It consists of five components: (1) "Just-in-time" teaching that requires students to e-mail the answers to two general questions as well as any areas of misunderstanding to the instructor several hours before each lecture, (2) peer instruction or large-group sessions consisting of student teams of four who electronically answer a conceptual question before each major section of the lecture, (3) teaching from edited textbooks and Internet sources, (4) small-group discussions that emphasize pathogenesis and differential diagnosis, and (5) essay questions that encourage and test understanding in addition to recognition. A national consensus on factual content is proposed, with the goals of reducing information overload and minimizing requirements for excessive memorization. These strategies promise to enhance learning and rekindle interest in the field of infectious diseases. Other subspecialty organizations should create similar teaching guidelines that will encourage future medical students to bring a richer understanding of clinical and basic science to the bedside.

  7. A Comprehensive Survey of Preclinical Microbiology Curricula Among US Medical Schools.

    PubMed

    Melber, Dora J; Teherani, Arianne; Schwartz, Brian S

    2016-07-15

    A strong foundational understanding of microbiology is crucial for the 21st century physician. Given recent major advances in medical microbiology, curricular changes will likely be needed. Before transforming curricula, we must first obtain a comprehensive understanding of contemporary medical student microbiology education. We disseminated a 38-question survey to microbiology course directors and curriculum deans at 142 US medical schools accredited by the Liason Committee on Medical Education. Survey questions focused on course leadership, curricular structure, course content, and educator perceptions about microbiology education locally and nationally. One hundred and four (73%) of 142 schools completed the survey. Ninety-four (90%) schools identified a course director. Of these, 48% were led by microbiologists alone, 23% co-led by a microbiologist and a clinician, 20% by a clinician alone, and 8% by a laboratory medicine physician with or without a co-director. At 55 (53%) schools, the curricula were organized in a single block or course and at 47 (45%) it was integrated into other curricula. Areas of emerging importance, such as antimicrobial stewardship, global health, infection control, and the microbiome, were addressed at 66%, 65%, 64%, and 47% of institutions, respectively. Respondents reported the following concerns: challenges integrating microbiology into other courses, reduced total teaching hours, and difficulty balancing basic and clinical science topics. Preclinical microbiology course directors report significant challenges in meeting the needs of changing curriculum structure and content. Enhanced local collaboration between microbiologists and clinicians, as well as national collaboration among relevant societies to design best practices and support research, may be strategies for future success. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e

  8. Experiments with Writing to Teach Microbiology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cannon, Robert E.

    1990-01-01

    Described are the experiences of one teacher with the teaching of writing in college level microbiology, virology, and immunology courses. Assignments, methods, evaluation, and student responses are discussed. (CW)

  9. Evaluation of an interactive, case-based review session in teaching medical microbiology.

    PubMed

    Blewett, Earl L; Kisamore, Jennifer L

    2009-08-27

    Oklahoma State University-Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) has replaced its microbiology wet laboratory with a variety of tutorials including a case-based interactive session called Microbial Jeopardy!. The question remains whether the time spent by students and faculty in the interactive case-based tutorial is worthwhile? This study was designed to address this question by analyzing both student performance data and assessing students' perceptions regarding the tutorial. Both quantitative and qualitative data were used in the current study. Part One of the study involved assessing student performance using archival records of seven case-based exam questions used in the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 OSU-CHS Medical Microbiology course. Two sample t-tests for proportions were used to test for significant differences related to tutorial usage. Part Two used both quantitative and qualitative means to assess student's perceptions of the Microbial Jeopardy! session. First, a retrospective survey was administered to students who were enrolled in Medical Microbiology in 2006 or 2007. Second, responses to open-ended items from the 2008 course evaluations were reviewed for comments regarding the Microbial Jeopardy! session. Both student performance and student perception data support continued use of the tutorials. Quantitative and qualitative data converge to suggest that students like and learn from the interactive, case-based session. The case-based tutorial appears to improve student performance on case-based exam questions. Additionally, students perceived the tutorial as helpful in preparing for exam questions and reviewing the course material. The time commitment for use of the case-based tutorial appears to be justified.

  10. Medical Microbiology: Deficits and Remedies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gabridge, Michael G.

    1974-01-01

    Microbiology is a typical medical science in which basic information can have direct application. Yet, surveys and questionnaires of recent medical school graduates indicate a serious lack of retentiion in regard to basic biological science. (Author)

  11. Evaluation of an interactive, case-based review session in teaching medical microbiology

    PubMed Central

    Blewett, Earl L; Kisamore, Jennifer L

    2009-01-01

    Background Oklahoma State University-Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) has replaced its microbiology wet laboratory with a variety of tutorials including a case-based interactive session called Microbial Jeopardy!. The question remains whether the time spent by students and faculty in the interactive case-based tutorial is worthwhile? This study was designed to address this question by analyzing both student performance data and assessing students' perceptions regarding the tutorial. Methods Both quantitative and qualitative data were used in the current study. Part One of the study involved assessing student performance using archival records of seven case-based exam questions used in the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 OSU-CHS Medical Microbiology course. Two sample t-tests for proportions were used to test for significant differences related to tutorial usage. Part Two used both quantitative and qualitative means to assess student's perceptions of the Microbial Jeopardy! session. First, a retrospective survey was administered to students who were enrolled in Medical Microbiology in 2006 or 2007. Second, responses to open-ended items from the 2008 course evaluations were reviewed for comments regarding the Microbial Jeopardy! session. Results Both student performance and student perception data support continued use of the tutorials. Quantitative and qualitative data converge to suggest that students like and learn from the interactive, case-based session. Conclusion The case-based tutorial appears to improve student performance on case-based exam questions. Additionally, students perceived the tutorial as helpful in preparing for exam questions and reviewing the course material. The time commitment for use of the case-based tutorial appears to be justified. PMID:19712473

  12. Proteomics in medical microbiology.

    PubMed

    Cash, P

    2000-04-01

    The techniques of proteomics (high resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis and protein characterisation) are widely used for microbiological research to analyse global protein synthesis as an indicator of gene expression. The rapid progress in microbial proteomics has been achieved through the wide availability of whole genome sequences for a number of bacterial groups. Beyond providing a basic understanding of microbial gene expression, proteomics has also played a role in medical areas of microbiology. Progress has been made in the use of the techniques for investigating the epidemiology and taxonomy of human microbial pathogens, the identification of novel pathogenic mechanisms and the analysis of drug resistance. In each of these areas, proteomics has provided new insights that complement genomic-based investigations. This review describes the current progress in these research fields and highlights some of the technical challenges existing for the application of proteomics in medical microbiology. The latter concern the analysis of genetically heterogeneous bacterial populations and the integration of the proteomic and genomic data for these bacteria. The characterisation of the proteomes of bacterial pathogens growing in their natural hosts remains a future challenge.

  13. A gaming approach to learning medical microbiology: students' experiences of flow.

    PubMed

    Beylefeld, Adriana A; Struwig, Magdalena C

    2007-11-01

    There is a growing awareness in medical education of general skills(1) required for lifelong learning. Such skills are best achieved when students experience positive affective states while they are learning, as put forth by the Csikszentmihalyian theory of flow. This study describes how a quiz-type board game was used in the School of Medicine of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State to address students' negativity towards medical microbiology. The study population consisted of third-year medical students who had recently completed the Infections module of the undergraduate Learning Programme for Professional Medicine. Data gathered by means of two questionnaire surveys and direct observation showed that the game impacted positively on students' perceptions of and attitudes towards medical microbiology as a subject. A high perceived probability of the game contributing to the acquisition of general skills was recorded, since the experience of positive affect during the process of informal learning went hand-in-hand with heightened team effort and spontaneous communication. This article may be of value to health educators who wish to supplement formal teaching with informal learning so as to enhance not only the recall of factual knowledge, but also the advancement of general skills.

  14. Pre-Medical Preparation in Microbiology among Applicants and Matriculants in Osteopathic Medical School in the United States

    PubMed Central

    Ramos, Raddy L.; Guercio, Erik; Martinez, Luis R.

    2017-01-01

    It is recognized that medical school curricula contain significant microbiology-related content as part of the training of future physicians who will be responsible stewards of antimicrobials. Surprisingly, osteopathic and allopathic medical schools do not require pre-medical microbiology coursework, and the extent to which medical students have completed microbiology coursework remains poorly understood. In this report, we show that fewer than 3% of applicants and matriculants to osteopathic medical school (OMS) have completed an undergraduate major or minor in microbiology, and fewer than 17% of applicants and matriculants to OMS have completed one or more microbiology-related courses. These data demonstrate limited pre-medical microbiology-related knowledge among osteopathic medical students, which may be associated with an increase in perceived stress when learning this content or during clinical rotations as well as a potential lack of interest in pursuing a career in infectious diseases. PMID:29854054

  15. Pre-Medical Preparation in Microbiology among Applicants and Matriculants in Osteopathic Medical School in the United States.

    PubMed

    Ramos, Raddy L; Guercio, Erik; Martinez, Luis R

    2017-01-01

    It is recognized that medical school curricula contain significant microbiology-related content as part of the training of future physicians who will be responsible stewards of antimicrobials. Surprisingly, osteopathic and allopathic medical schools do not require pre-medical microbiology coursework, and the extent to which medical students have completed microbiology coursework remains poorly understood. In this report, we show that fewer than 3% of applicants and matriculants to osteopathic medical school (OMS) have completed an undergraduate major or minor in microbiology, and fewer than 17% of applicants and matriculants to OMS have completed one or more microbiology-related courses. These data demonstrate limited pre-medical microbiology-related knowledge among osteopathic medical students, which may be associated with an increase in perceived stress when learning this content or during clinical rotations as well as a potential lack of interest in pursuing a career in infectious diseases.

  16. Peer teaching experience of the first year medical students from Turkey.

    PubMed

    Cansever, Zeliha; Avsar, Zeynep; Cayir, Yasemin; Acemoglu, Hamit

    2015-02-01

    To document peer teaching activity performed by first-year medical students and their views on the teaching activity. Survey. Medical Education Department, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey, in the 2012 - 2013 academic year. Volunteer students were selected for peer teaching model by an academician from the Medical Education Department. Students were taught subjects selected from classes such as biochemistry and microbiology in the same way as the academicians do. Following each class activity, the teaching student was assessed by the other students on a 5-point rating scale. Written and verbal feedback was also obtained from both teaching students and participated students. Verbal feedbacks were noted by a faculty member and similar opinions were categorized. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 20 statistical program. Eleven students took part in the program. Feedback was received from students 171 times. The mean number of students participated was 24.4 ± 14.3 in each program. Statistical analysis revealed that mean value for teaching materials, peer instructors and teaching environment were 4.62 ± 0.49, 4.63 ± 0.47 and 3.88 ± 1. 27 respectively. Peer teaching method is a pretty good way of teaching for medical students. It is a practicable technique that can be used in medical training. Taking part in this program as a lecturer, student increased students' self-confidence in the learning and teaching activities. Quite positive feedbacks were received.

  17. [Publication rates of Turkish medical specialty and doctorate theses on Medical Microbiology, Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases disciplines in international journals].

    PubMed

    Sipahi, Oğuz Reşat; Caglayan Serin, Derya; Pullukcu, Hüsnü; Tasbakan, Meltem; Köseli Ulu, Demet; Yamazhan, Tansu; Arda, Bilgin; Sipahi, Hilal; Ulusoy, Sercan

    2014-04-01

    Writing a thesis is mandatory for getting a postgraduate medical degree in Turkey. Publication of the results of the thesis in an indexed journal makes the results available to researchers, however publication rate is usually low. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to investigate the publication rate of Turkish Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Medical Microbiology specialty theses and Microbiology doctorate theses in international peer-review journals. On August 17th 2007, the thesis database of the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Turkey (YOK) where all specialization and doctorate theses are recorded obligatorily, was searched for Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology and Medical Microbiology specialty and Microbiology doctorate theses. Assuming that publication of a thesis would last at least six months, theses dated to February 2007 and after were excluded. The publication rate of those theses was found out by searching Science Citation Index-Expanded database for thesis author and supervisor between August 17-September 12, 2007. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Our search yielded a total of 834 theses dated from 1997 to 2007, however 10 of them were excluded, since they were dated to February 2007 or after. It was found that the overall publication rate was 11.4% (94/824). The publication rates for Microbiology doctorate, Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology specialty theses were 13.7% (34/249), 10.7% (33/309) and 10.2% (27/266), respectively, with no statistical significance (p> 0.05). It was determined that nine (9.6%) of the 94 published theses belonged to 1997-2001 period, whereas 85 (80.4%) were in 2002-2007 period (p< 0.05). The probable reason for this increase was thought to be related with the updated criteria of YOK carried out in 2000 for academic promotions, nevertheless the publication rate of the investigated theses in international peer

  18. Teaching microbiology to undergraduate students in the humanities and the social sciences.

    PubMed

    Oren, Aharon

    2015-10-01

    This paper summarizes my experiences teaching a 28-hour course on the bacterial world for undergraduate students in the humanities and the social sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This course was offered in the framework of a program in which students must obtain credit points for courses offered by other faculties to broaden their education. Most students had little biology in high school and had never been exposed to the basics of chemistry. Using a historical approach, highlighting the work of pioneers such as van Leeuwenhoek, Koch, Fleming, Pasteur, Winogradsky and Woese, I covered a broad area of general, medical, environmental and evolutionary microbiology. The lectures included basic concepts of organic and inorganic chemistry necessary to understand the principles of fermentations and chemoautotrophy, and basic molecular biology to explain biotechnology using transgenic microorganisms and molecular phylogeny. Teaching the basics of microbiology to intelligent students lacking any background in the natural sciences was a rewarding experience. Some students complained that, in spite of my efforts, basic concepts of chemistry remained beyond their understanding. But overall the students' evaluation showed that the course had achieved its goal. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. 76 FR 48169 - Advancing Regulatory Science for Highly Multiplexed Microbiology/Medical Countermeasure Devices...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-08

    ...] Advancing Regulatory Science for Highly Multiplexed Microbiology/ Medical Countermeasure Devices; Public... Regulatory Science for Highly Multiplexed Microbiology/Medical Countermeasure Devices.'' The purpose of the public meeting is to discuss performance evaluation of highly multiplexed microbiology/medical...

  20. Bugs and Movies: Using Film to Teach Microbiology

    PubMed Central

    Sánchez, Manuel

    2011-01-01

    A YouTube channel has been created to watch commented video fragments from famous movies or TV series that can be used to teach microbiology. Although microbes are usually depicted in terms of their roles in causing infectious disease, numerous movies reflect other scientific aspects, such as biotechnological applications or bioethical issues. PMID:23653768

  1. 76 FR 71982 - Advancing Regulatory Science for Highly Multiplexed Microbiology/Medical Countermeasure Devices...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-21

    ...] Advancing Regulatory Science for Highly Multiplexed Microbiology/ Medical Countermeasure Devices; Public... Multiplexed Microbiology/ Medical Countermeasure Devices'' that published in the Federal Register of August 8... the October 13, 2011, meeting, including the performance evaluation of highly multiplexed microbiology...

  2. Reasons for Suboptimal Learning in Medical Microbiology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Struwig, Magdalena C.; Beylefeld, Adriana A.; Joubert, Georgina

    2016-01-01

    Medical microbiology presents a challenge to undergraduate students, mostly due to its extensive content and complexity of unfamiliar terminology. In addition to a narrative review of the literature, we report findings on students' motivation for and approach to learning in the Infections module of an undergraduate medical curriculum, and their…

  3. Teaching Medical Ethics to Medical Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loewy, Erich H.

    1986-01-01

    The evolution and goals of teaching medical ethics, the nature of medical ethics, and integrating such teaching into the curriculum are examined. Because moral considerations are as much a part of medical decisions as technical considerations, teaching is best done in the context of real cases. (Author/MLW)

  4. Microbiology in Scotland and Northern England.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hottle, George A.

    This document presents a report of medical microbiological research at the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Newcastle. The article further stresses the difficulties of the scientists as they face their three-fold responsibilities of teaching, diagnostic work and research. (HS)

  5. [Medical microbiology laboratories in Dutch hospitals: essential for safe patient care].

    PubMed

    Bonten, M J M

    2008-12-06

    The Netherlands Health Care Inspectorate investigated the quality of medical microbiology laboratories in Dutch hospitals. By and large the laboratories fulfilled the requirements for appropriate care, although some processes were unsatisfactory and some were insufficiently formalised. In the Netherlands, laboratories for medical microbiology are integrated within hospitals and medical microbiologists are responsible for the diagnostic processes as well as for co-treatment of patients, infection prevention and research. This integrated model contrasts to the more industrialised model in many other countries, where such laboratories are physically distinct from hospitals with a strong focus on diagnostics. The Inspectorate also concludes that the current position of medical microbiology in Dutch hospitals is necessary for patient safety and that outsourcing of these facilities is considered unacceptable.

  6. Teaching Ethics in Medical School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ewan, Christine

    1986-01-01

    Reviews the literature regarding the teaching of ethics in medical schools. Defines medical ethics and attempts to determine the scope of medical ethics teaching. Discusses ways medical ethics could be taught and how that teaching can be assessed. Calls for increased attention into the teaching of medical ethics. (TW)

  7. Corridor consultations and the medical microbiological record: is patient safety at risk?

    PubMed Central

    Heard, S R; Roberts, C; Furrows, S J; Kelsey, M; Southgate, L

    2003-01-01

    The performance procedures of the General Medical Council are aimed at identifying seriously deficient performance in a doctor. The performance procedures require the medical record to be of a standard that enables the next doctor seeing the patient to give adequate care based on the available information. Setting standards for microbiological record keeping has proved difficult. Over one fifth of practising medical microbiologists (including virologists) in the UK (139 of 676) responded to a survey undertaken by the working group developing the performance procedures for microbiology, to identify current practice and to develop recommendations for agreement within the profession about the standards of the microbiological record. The cumulative frequency for the surveyed recording methods used indicated that at various times 65% (90 of 139) of respondents used a daybook, 62% (86 of 139) used the back of the clinical request card, 57% (79 of 139) used a computer record, and 22% (30 of 139) used an index card system to record microbiological advice, suggesting wide variability in relation to how medical microbiologists maintain clinical records. PMID:12499432

  8. Twenty-first-century medical microbiology services in the UK.

    PubMed

    Duerden, Brian

    2005-12-01

    With infection once again a high priority for the UK National Health Service (NHS), the medical microbiology and infection-control services require increased technology resources and more multidisciplinary staff. Clinical care and health protection need a coordinated network of microbiology services working to consistent standards, provided locally by NHS Trusts and supported by the regional expertise and national reference laboratories of the new Health Protection Agency. Here, I outline my thoughts on the need for these new resources and the ways in which clinical microbiology services in the UK can best meet the demands of the twenty-first century.

  9. Teaching Medical Students Clinical Anesthesia.

    PubMed

    Curry, Saundra E

    2018-05-01

    There are many reasons for evaluating our approach and improving our teaching of America's future doctors, whether they become anesthesiologists (recruitment) or participate in patient management in the perioperative period (general patient care). Teaching medical students the seminal aspects of any medical specialty is a continual challenge. Although no definitive curricula or single clinical approach has been defined, certain key features can be ascertained from clinical experience and the literature. A survey was conducted among US anesthesiology teaching programs regarding the teaching content and approaches currently used to teach US medical students clinical anesthesia. Using the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education website that lists 133 accredited anesthesiology programs, residency directors were contacted via e-mail. Based on those responses and follow-up phone calls, teaching representatives from 125 anesthesiology departments were identified and asked via e-mail to complete a survey. The survey was returned by 85 programs, yielding a response rate of 68% of individuals contacted and 63% of all departments. Ninety-one percent of the responding departments teach medical students, most in the final 2 years of medical school. Medical student exposure to clinical anesthesia occurred as elective only at 42% of the institutions, was requirement only at 16% of responding institutions, and the remainder had both elective and required courses. Anesthesiology faculty at 43% of the responding institutions reported teaching in the preclinical years of medical school, primarily in the departments of pharmacology and physiology. Forty-five percent of programs reported interdisciplinary teaching with other departments teaching classes such as gross anatomy. There is little exposure of anesthesiology faculty to medical students in other general courses. Teaching in the operating room is the primary teaching method in the clinical years. Students are

  10. Genomics and metagenomics in medical microbiology.

    PubMed

    Padmanabhan, Roshan; Mishra, Ajay Kumar; Raoult, Didier; Fournier, Pierre-Edouard

    2013-12-01

    Over the last two decades, sequencing tools have evolved from laborious time-consuming methodologies to real-time detection and deciphering of genomic DNA. Genome sequencing, especially using next generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized the landscape of microbiology and infectious disease. This deluge of sequencing data has not only enabled advances in fundamental biology but also helped improve diagnosis, typing of pathogen, virulence and antibiotic resistance detection, and development of new vaccines and culture media. In addition, NGS also enabled efficient analysis of complex human micro-floras, both commensal, and pathological, through metagenomic methods, thus helping the comprehension and management of human diseases such as obesity. This review summarizes technological advances in genomics and metagenomics relevant to the field of medical microbiology. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. A Blended Learning Experience for Teaching Microbiology

    PubMed Central

    Sancho, Pilar; Corral, Ricardo; Rivas, Teresa; González, María Jesús; Chordi, Andrés

    2006-01-01

    Objectives To create a virtual laboratory system in which experimental science students could learn required skills and competencies while overcoming such challenges as time limitations, high cost of resources, and lack of feedback often encountered in a traditional laboratory setting. Design A blended learning experience that combines traditional practices and e-learning was implemented to teach microbiological methods to pharmacy students. Virtual laboratory modules were used to acquire nonmanual skills such as visual and mental skills for data reading, calculations, interpretation of the results, deployment of an analytical protocol, and reporting results. Assesment Learning achievement was evaluated by questions about microbiology case-based problems. Students' perceptions were obtained by assessment questionnaire. Conclusion By combining different learning scenarios, the acquisition of the necessary but otherwise unreachable competences was achieved. Students achieved similar grades in the modules whose initiation was in the virtual laboratory to the grades they achieved with the modules whose complete or partial initiation took place in the laboratory. The knowledge acquired was satisfactory and the participants valued the experience. PMID:17149449

  12. American Society for Microbiology resources in support of an evidence-based approach to teaching microbiology.

    PubMed

    Merkel, Susan M

    2016-08-01

    Numerous national reports have addressed the need for changing how science courses in higher education are taught, so that students develop a deeper understanding of critical concepts and the analytical and cognitive skills needed to address future challenges. This review presents some evidence-based approaches to curriculum development and teaching. Results from discipline-based education research indicate that it is critically important for educators to formulate learning goals, provide frequent and authentic assessments and actively engage students in their learning. Professional societies can play a role in helping to put these changes into practice. To this end, the American Society for Microbiology has developed a number of educational programs and resources, which are described here to encourage the implementation of student-centered learning in microbiology education. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  13. Developing virtual patients for medical microbiology education.

    PubMed

    McCarthy, David; O'Gorman, Ciaran; Gormley, Gerry J

    2013-12-01

    The landscape of medical education is changing as students embrace the accessibility and interactivity of e-learning. Virtual patients are e-learning resources that may be used to advance microbiology education. Although the development of virtual patients has been widely considered, here we aim to provide a coherent approach for clinical educators. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. A comparative study: do "clickers" increase student engagement in multidisciplinary clinical microbiology teaching?

    PubMed

    Stevens, Niall T; McDermott, Hélène; Boland, Fiona; Pawlikowska, Teresa; Humphreys, Hilary

    2017-04-08

    Audience response devices, or "clickers", have been used in the education of future healthcare professionals for several years with varying success. They have been reported to improve the learning experience by promoting engagement and knowledge retention. In 2014, our department evaluated the use of "clickers" in a newly introduced multidisciplinary approach to teaching large groups of third year medical students clinical cases developed around a microbiology theme. Six multidisciplinary teaching sessions covering community-acquired pneumonia, tuberculosis, infective endocarditis, peritonitis, bloodstream infection with pyelonephritis and bacterial meningitis were included in the study. Three involved the use of the "clickers" and three did not. Consenting undergraduate students attended the designated classes and afterwards answered a short online quiz relating to the session. Students also answered a short questionnaire about the "clickers" to gauge their attitudes on the use of these devices. Of 310 students, 294 (94.8%) agreed to participate in the study. Interestingly, the grades of online quizzes after a session where a "clicker" was used were slightly lower. Looking only at the grades of students who engaged completely with the process (n = 19), there was no statistical difference to suggest that the devices had a positive or negative impact on knowledge retention. However, student attitudes to using the devices were positive overall. Fifty-five percent strongly agreed and 27% agreed that teaching sessions where the "clickers" were used were more engaging. Thirty-four percent strongly agreed and 36% agreed that the "clickers" made important concepts more memorable and 54% felt the device enhanced their understanding of the topic being covered. Overall, it appears that "clickers" help in improving student engagement in large classroom environments, enhance the learning experience, and are received positively by medical students but their impact on

  15. Evolution across the Curriculum: Microbiology

    PubMed Central

    Burmeister, Alita R.; Smith, James J.

    2016-01-01

    An integrated understanding of microbiology and evolutionary biology is essential for students pursuing careers in microbiology and healthcare fields. In this Perspective, we discuss the usefulness of evolutionary concepts and an overall evolutionary framework for students enrolled in microbiology courses. Further, we propose a set of learning goals for students studying microbial evolution concepts. We then describe some barriers to microbial evolution teaching and learning and encourage the continued incorporation of evidence-based teaching practices into microbiology courses at all levels. Next, we review the current status of microbial evolution assessment tools and describe some education resources available for teaching microbial evolution. Successful microbial evolution education will require that evolution be taught across the undergraduate biology curriculum, with a continued focus on applications and applied careers, while aligning with national biology education reform initiatives. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education PMID:27158306

  16. Encouraging Student Interest in Teaching Through a Medical Student Teaching Competition.

    PubMed

    DeSimone, Ariadne K; Haydek, John P; Sudduth, Christopher L; LaBarbera, Vincent; Desai, Yaanik; Reinertsen, Erik; Manning, Kimberly D

    2017-08-01

    Clinician educators have realized the value not only of assigning teaching roles to medical students but also of offering explicit training in how to teach effectively. Despite this interest in the development of medical students' teaching skills, formal teaching instruction and opportunities for practice are lacking. To encourage medical student interest in teaching, the authors developed and implemented a medical student teaching competition (MSTC) at Emory University School of Medicine during the summers of 2014, 2015, and 2016. Each year, eight student finalists were each paired with a physician "teaching coach" and given one month to prepare for the MSTC. During the competition, each finalist delivered an eight-minute presentation to a panel of seven physician and resident judges. The authors describe the development, implementation, and assessment of the MSTC. Approximately 150 medical students and faculty members attended the MSTC each year. The students in attendance felt that the MSTC made them more likely to seek out opportunities to learn how to teach effectively and to practice teaching. Additionally, some students are now more interested in learning about a career in academic medicine than they were before the MSTC. Given the need for more formal initiatives dedicated to improving the teaching skills of doctors-in-training, including medical students, innovative solutions such as the MSTC may enhance a medical school's existing curriculum and encourage student interest in teaching. The MSTC model may be generalizable to other medical schools.

  17. Artificial Urine for Teaching Urinalysis Concepts and Diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infection in the Medical Microbiology Laboratory.

    PubMed

    Khan, Latifa B; Read, Hannah M; Ritchie, Stephen R; Proft, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    Dipstick urinalysis is an informative, quick, cost-effective and non-invasive diagnostic tool that is useful in clinical practice for the diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney diseases, and diabetes. We used dipstick urinalysis as a hands-on microbiology laboratory exercise to reinforce student learning about UTIs with a particular focus on cystitis, which is a common bacterial infection. To avoid exposure to potentially contaminated human urine samples, we prepared artificial urine using easily acquired and affordable ingredients, which allowed less-experienced students to perform urinalysis without the risk of exposure to pathogenic organisms and ensured reliable availability of the urine samples. This practical class taught medical students how to use urinalysis data in conjunction with medical history to diagnose diseases from urine samples and to determine a treatment plan for clinical scenarios.

  18. 78 FR 26786 - Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2013-N-0001] Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug...: Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To...

  19. The teaching of medical ethics to medical students.

    PubMed Central

    Glick, S M

    1994-01-01

    Teaching medical ethics to medical students in a pluralistic society is a challenging task. Teachers of ethics have obligations not just to teach the subject matter but to help create an academic environment in which well motivated students have reinforcement of their inherent good qualities. Emphasis should be placed on the ethical aspects of daily medical practice and not just on the dramatic dilemmas raised by modern technology. Interdisciplinary teaching should be encouraged and teaching should span the entire duration of medical studies. Attention should be paid particularly to ethical problems faced by the students themselves, preferably at the time when the problems are most on the students' minds. A high level of academic demands, including critical examination of students' progress is recommended. Finally, personal humility on the part of teachers can help set a good example for students to follow. PMID:7861430

  20. E pluribus unum: the potential of collaborative learning to enhance Microbiology teaching in higher education.

    PubMed

    Rutherford, Stephen

    2015-12-01

    Collaborative learning, where students work together towards a shared understanding of a concept, is a well-established pedagogy, and one which has great potential for higher education (HE). Through discussion and challenging each other's ideas, learners gain a richer appreciation for a subject than with solitary study or didactic teaching methods. However, collaborative learning does require some scaffolding by the teacher in order to be successful. Collaborative learning can be augmented by the use of Web 2.0 collaborative technologies, such as wikis, blogs and social media. This article reviews some of the uses of collaborative learning strategies in Microbiology teaching in HE. Despite the great potential of collaborative learning, evidence of its use in Microbiology teaching is, to date, limited. But the potential for collaborative learning approaches to develop self-regulated, deep learners is considerable, and so collaborative learning should be considered strongly as a viable pedagogy for HE. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Computer Modeling of Microbiological Experiments in the Teaching Laboratory: Animation Techniques.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tritz, Gerald J.

    1987-01-01

    Discusses the use of computer assisted instruction in the medical education program of the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (Missouri). Describes the animation techniques used in a series of simulations for microbiology. (TW)

  2. Clarity in Teaching and Active Learning in Undergraduate Microbiology Course for Non-Majors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marbach-Ad, Gili; McGinnis, J. Randy; Pease, Rebecca; Dai, Amy H.; Schalk, Kelly A.; Benson, Spencer

    2010-01-01

    We investigated a pedagogical innovation in an undergraduate microbiology course (Microbes and Society) for non-majors and education majors. The goals of the curriculum and pedagogical transformation were to promote active learning and concentrate on clarity in teaching. This course was part of a longitudinal project (Project Nexus) which…

  3. Relations between policy for medical teaching and basic need satisfaction in teaching.

    PubMed

    Engbers, Rik; Fluit, Cornelia R M G; Bolhuis, Sanneke; Sluiter, Roderick; Stuyt, Paul M J; Laan, Roland F J M

    2015-10-01

    Policy initiatives that aim to elevate the position of medical teaching to that of medical research could influence the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs related to motivation for medical teaching. To explore relations between the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs towards medical teaching and two policy initiatives for medical teaching: (Junior) Principal Lecturer positions [(J)PL positions] and Subsidized Innovation and Research Projects in Medical Education (SIRPMEs). An online questionnaire was used to collect data about medical teaching in the setting of a university hospital. We adapted the Work-related Basic Need Satisfaction scale (Van den Broeck et al. in J Occup Organ Psychol, 83(4):981-1002, 2010), in order to measure feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in teaching. We examined the relations between (J)PL positions and SIRPMEs and the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs. A total of 767 medical teachers participated. The initiatives appear to be related to different beneficial outcomes in terms of feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in medical teaching. Either a (J)PL position is obtained by teachers who feel competent and related towards medical teaching, or obtaining a (J)PL position makes teachers feel more competent and related towards teaching, or these relations could be interacting. Also, either a SIRPME is obtained by teachers who feel competent and autonomous towards medical teaching, or obtaining a SIRPME makes teachers feel more competent and autonomous towards teaching, or these relations could be interacting. Additional research needs to scrutinize the causal or interacting relations further and to determine optimal conditions for these policy initiatives more specifically. Implications for future research are discussed.

  4. 77 FR 14272 - Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of Norovirus Serological...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR Part 866 [Docket No. FDA-2012-N-0165] Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of Norovirus... AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES 0 1. The authority citation for 21 CFR part 866 continues to read as follows...

  5. The potential of high resolution melting analysis (hrma) to streamline, facilitate and enrich routine diagnostics in medical microbiology.

    PubMed

    Ruskova, Lenka; Raclavsky, Vladislav

    2011-09-01

    Routine medical microbiology diagnostics relies on conventional cultivation followed by phenotypic techniques for identification of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. This is not only due to tradition and economy but also because it provides pure culture needed for antibiotic susceptibility testing. This review focuses on the potential of High Resolution Melting Analysis (HRMA) of double-stranded DNA for future routine medical microbiology. Search of MEDLINE database for publications showing the advantages of HRMA in routine medical microbiology for identification, strain typing and further characterization of pathogenic bacteria and fungi in particular. The results show increasing numbers of newly-developed and more tailor-made assays in this field. For microbiologists unfamiliar with technical aspects of HRMA, we also provide insight into the technique from the perspective of microbial characterization. We can anticipate that the routine availability of HRMA in medical microbiology laboratories will provide a strong stimulus to this field. This is already envisioned by the growing number of medical microbiology applications published recently. The speed, power, convenience and cost effectiveness of this technology virtually predestine that it will advance genetic characterization of microbes and streamline, facilitate and enrich diagnostics in routine medical microbiology without interfering with the proven advantages of conventional cultivation.

  6. Teaching medical ethics and law.

    PubMed

    Parker, Malcolm

    2012-03-01

    The teaching of medical ethics is not yet characterised by recognised, standard requirements for formal qualifications, training and experience; this is not surprising as the field is still relatively young and maturing. Under the broad issue of the requirements for teaching medical ethics are numerous more specific questions, one of which concerns whether medical ethics can be taught in isolation from considerations of the law, and vice versa. Ethics and law are cognate, though distinguishable, disciplines. In a practical, professional enterprise such as medicine, they cannot and should not be taught as separate subjects. One way of introducing students to the links and tensions between medical ethics and law is to consider the history of law via its natural and positive traditions. This encourages understanding of how medical practice is placed within the contexts of ethics and law in the pluralist societies in which most students will practise. Four examples of topics from medical ethics teaching are described to support this claim. Australasian medical ethics teachers have paid less attention to the role of law in their curricula than their United Kingdom counterparts. Questions like the one addressed here will help inform future deliberations concerning minimal requirements for teaching medical ethics.

  7. Relations between Policy for Medical Teaching and Basic Need Satisfaction in Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Engbers, Rik; Fluit, Cornelia R. M. G.; Bolhuis, Sanneke; Sluiter, Roderick; Stuyt, Paul M. J.; Laan, Roland F. J. M.

    2015-01-01

    Policy initiatives that aim to elevate the position of medical teaching to that of medical research could influence the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs related to motivation for medical teaching. To explore relations between the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs towards medical teaching and two policy initiatives for…

  8. Twelve Tips for teaching medical professionalism at all levels of medical education.

    PubMed

    Al-Eraky, Mohamed Mostafa

    2015-01-01

    Review of studies published in medical education journals over the last decade reveals that teaching medical professionalism is essential, yet challenging. According to a recent Best Evidence in Medical Education (BEME) guide, there is no consensus on a theoretical or practical model to integrate the teaching of professionalism into medical education. The aim of this article is to outline a practical manual for teaching professionalism at all levels of medical education. Drawing from research literature and author's experience, Twelve Tips are listed and organised in four clusters with relevance to (1) the context, (2) the teachers, (3) the curriculum, and (4) the networking. With a better understanding of the guiding educational principles for teaching medical professionalism, medical educators will be able to teach one of the most challenging constructs in medical education.

  9. Evaluation of oral microbiology lab curriculum reform.

    PubMed

    Nie, Min; Gao, Zhen Y; Wu, Xin Y; Jiang, Chen X; Du, Jia H

    2015-12-07

    According to the updated concept of oral microbiology, the School of Stomatology, Wuhan University, has carried out oral microbiology teaching reforms during the last 5 years. There was no lab curriculum before 2009 except for a theory course of oral microbiology. The school has implemented an innovative curriculum with oral medicine characteristics to strengthen understanding of knowledge, cultivate students' scientific interest and develop their potential, to cultivate the comprehensive ability of students. This study was designed to evaluate the oral microbiology lab curriculum by analyzing student performance and perceptions regarding the curriculum from 2009 to 2013. The lab curriculum adopted modalities for cooperative learning. Students collected dental plaque from each other and isolated the cariogenic bacteria with selective medium plates. Then they purified the enrichment culture medium and identified the cariogenic strains by Gram stain and biochemical tests. Both quantitative and qualitative data for 5 years were analysed in this study. Part One of the current study assessed student performance in the lab from 2009 to 2013. Part Two used qualitative means to assess students' perceptions by an open questionnaire. The 271 study students' grades on oral microbiology improved during the lab curriculum: "A" grades rose from 60.5 to 81.2 %, and "C" grades fell from 28.4 to 6.3 %. All students considered the lab curriculum to be interesting and helpful. Quantitative and qualitative data converge to suggest that the lab curriculum has strengthened students' grasp of important microbiology-related theory, cultivated their scientific interest, and developed their potential and comprehensive abilities. Our student performance and perception data support the continued use of the innovative teaching system. As an extension and complement of the theory course, the oral microbiology lab curriculum appears to improve the quality of oral medicine education and help to

  10. Wiki as a tool for microbiology teaching, learning and assessment.

    PubMed

    Sampaio-Maia, B; Maia, J S; Leitão, S; Amaral, M; Vieira-Marques, P

    2014-05-01

    Evidence suggests that cooperative learning and peer-assessment fosters students' ability to work with others and may lead to better cognitive outcomes and higher achievement. This work aimed to assess the use of an online collaborative tool for the teaching/learning and assessment of Microbiology. A total of 144 students were grouped and assigned to create wiki entries as well as to peer review wikis created by colleagues (peer-assessment process) using the Wiki module from Moodle Virtual Learning Environment (MVLE). MVLE actions log was used for tracking students' activity. The number of student's actions within wiki did not present a strong correlation with wiki scores, so it should not be used as a heavy evaluation parameter. The amount of work developed between members of the same group differed significantly, suggesting that final scores should be attributed individually. When peer-assessment process was implemented, the number of editing actions increased, suggesting that the peer-assessment strategy encourages the development of a better work. The vast majority of students execute the work in the last 10% of the period assigned for task development, which can be counter-productive for a truly collaborative work. Wiki revealed to be a useful tool for Microbiology teaching/learning and assessment, promoting collaborative work, promoting virtual mobility and facilitating the real-time monitoring of the students' work. This pedagogical project promoted also the involvement of students in their assessment process, encouraging their critical sense and quest for Excellency. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Does electronic clinical microbiology results reporting influence medical decision making: a pre- and post-interview study of medical specialists.

    PubMed

    Bruins, Marjan J; Ruijs, Gijs J H M; Wolfhagen, Maurice J H M; Bloembergen, Peter; Aarts, Jos E C M

    2011-03-30

    Clinicians view the accuracy of test results and the turnaround time as the two most important service aspects of the clinical microbiology laboratory. Because of the time needed for the culturing of infectious agents, final hardcopy culture results will often be available too late to have a significant impact on early antimicrobial therapy decisions, vital in infectious disease management. The clinical microbiologist therefore reports to the clinician clinically relevant preliminary results at any moment during the diagnostic process, mostly by telephone. Telephone reporting is error prone, however. Electronic reporting of culture results instead of reporting on paper may shorten the turnaround time and may ensure correct communication of results. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the implementation of electronic reporting of final microbiology results on medical decision making. In a pre- and post-interview study using a semi-structured design we asked medical specialists in our hospital about their use and appreciation of clinical microbiology results reporting before and after the implementation of an electronic reporting system. Electronic reporting was highly appreciated by all interviewed clinicians. Major advantages were reduction of hardcopy handling and the possibility to review results in relation to other patient data. Use and meaning of microbiology reports differ significantly between medical specialties. Most clinicians need preliminary results for therapy decisions quickly. Therefore, after the implementation of electronic reporting, telephone consultation between clinician and microbiologist remained the key means of communication. Overall, electronic reporting increased the workflow efficiency of the medical specialists, but did not have an impact on their decision-making. © 2011 Bruins et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

  12. 76 FR 14414 - Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-16

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0002] Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS... and Drug Administration (FDA). The meeting will be open to the public. Name of Committee: Microbiology...

  13. Emerging applications of fluorescence spectroscopy in medical microbiology field.

    PubMed

    Shahzad, Aamir; Köhler, Gottfried; Knapp, Martin; Gaubitzer, Erwin; Puchinger, Martin; Edetsberger, Michael

    2009-11-26

    There are many diagnostic techniques and methods available for diagnosis of medically important microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. But, almost all these techniques and methods have some limitations or inconvenience. Most of these techniques are laborious, time consuming and with chances of false positive or false negative results. It warrants the need of a diagnostic technique which can overcome these limitations and problems. At present, there is emerging trend to use Fluorescence spectroscopy as a diagnostic as well as research tool in many fields of medical sciences. Here, we will critically discuss research studies which propose that Fluorescence spectroscopy may be an excellent diagnostic as well as excellent research tool in medical microbiology field with high sensitivity and specificity.

  14. Teaching in Medical Education | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    Many postdoctoral fellows are considering an academic career at a medical school. In addition to conducting research, new faculty members must learn effective teaching methodologies. This course will focus on good teaching practices, including basic strategies for developing and organizing a course. The purpose of the "Teaching in Medical Education (TIME)" course is to increase the scientist's ability to teach in medical education. The course will provide basic knowledge in teaching methods, course planning, writing a syllabus and developing examinations.

  15. What motivates senior clinicians to teach medical students?

    PubMed Central

    Dahlstrom, Jane; Dorai-Raj, Anna; McGill, Darryl; Owen, Cathy; Tymms, Kathleen; Watson, D Ashley R

    2005-01-01

    Background This study was designed to assess the motivations of senior medical clinicians to teach medical students. This understanding could improve the recruitment and retention of important clinical teachers. Methods The study group was 101 senior medical clinicians registered on a teaching list for a medical school teaching hospital (The Canberra Hospital, ACT, Australia). Their motivations to teach medical students were assessed applying Q methodology. Results Of the 75 participants, 18 (24%) were female and 57 (76%) were male. The age distribution was as follows: 30–40 years = 16 participants (21.3%), 41–55 years = 46 participants (61.3%) and >55 years = 13 participants (17.3%). Most participants (n = 48, 64%) were staff specialists and 27 (36%) were visiting medical officers. Half of the participants were internists (n = 39, 52%), 12 (16%) were surgeons, and 24 (32%) were other sub-specialists. Of the 26 senior clinicians that did not participate, two were women; 15 were visiting medical officers and 11 were staff specialists; 16 were internists, 9 were surgeons and there was one other sub-specialist. The majority of these non-participating clinicians fell in the 41–55 year age group. The participating clinicians were moderately homogenous in their responses. Factor analysis produced 4 factors: one summarising positive motivations for teaching and three capturing impediments for teaching. The main factors influencing motivation to teach medical students were intrinsic issues such as altruism, intellectual satisfaction, personal skills and truth seeking. The reasons for not teaching included no strong involvement in course design, a heavy clinical load or feeling it was a waste of time. Conclusion This study provides some insights into factors that may be utilised in the design of teaching programs that meet teacher motivations and ultimately enhance the effectiveness of the medical teaching workforce. PMID:16022738

  16. Status of medical mycology education.

    PubMed

    Steinbach, William J; Mitchell, Thomas G; Schell, Wiley A; Espinel-Ingroff, Ana; Coico, Richard F; Walsh, Thomas J; Perfect, John R

    2003-12-01

    The number of immunocompromised patients and subsequent invasive fungal infections continues to rise. However, the education of future medical mycologists to engage this growing problem is diminishing. While there are an increasing number of publications and grants awarded in mycology, the time and detail devoted to teaching medical mycology in United States medical schools are inadequate. Here we review the history in medical mycology education and the current educational opportunities. To accurately gauge contemporary teaching we also conducted a prospective survey of microbiology and immunology departmental chairpersons in United States medical schools to determine the amount and content of contemporary education in medical mycology.

  17. Teaching medical ethics: University of Edinburgh

    PubMed Central

    Boyd, Kenneth; Currie, Colin; Thompson, Ian; Tierney, Alison J.

    1978-01-01

    The Edinburgh Medical Group Research Project is unique in Britain. Part of its function is to experiment with teaching medical ethics both inside and outside of the Medical School. The papers which follow have been written by two full-time reseach fellows working with the Project and two of the professional advisers, one nursing and one medical. Together they give a picture of the wide scope of exerimental teaching taking place in Edinburgh and present some preliminary results from these experiments. PMID:691019

  18. Intersecting Virtual Patients and Microbiology: Fostering a culture of learning.

    PubMed

    McCarthy, David; O'Gorman, Ciaran; Gormley, Gerard

    2015-10-01

    The use and integration of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) resources in medical education has attracted considerable commentary and support. "Virtual Patients" are one such resource. Whilst evidence exists supporting the benefits of these resources, there has not been specific consideration of their implications for teaching microbiology; nor attention paid to both the internal and external factors that influence learner engagement with virtual patients. The principle aims of this study are to identify factors that explicitly and implicitly influence the student's interaction with a microbiology virtual patient resource and how these interactions reflect upon the use of the resource. A mixed method quantitative (online questionnaire; n=161) and qualitative (student focus groups; N=11) study was undertaken amongst third year medical students enrolled at Queen's University Belfast in the academic year 2012-2013. The results supported prior evidence that virtual patients are a useful learning tool (mean score of 5.09 out of 7) that helped them to integrate microbiology principles with clinical experiences. How students used the virtual patients and the depth of the subsequent benefits was dependent upon their perception of the importance of the resource. This was influenced by a number of factors including how the resources were presented and positioned within the curriculum, whether they were formally examined or timetabled and the importance attributed by peers who had already completed the examinations. Integration of virtual patients into the microbiology curriculum is widely endorsed and may even be considered superior to other methods of teaching. How students use these resources is dependent upon a positive perception of their importance. Educators should be aware of the factors that shape this perception when integrating TEL resources into curricula.

  19. A new joint training programme in infectious diseases and medical microbiology.

    PubMed

    Cohen, J; Roberts, C

    2000-01-01

    The increasing overlap between the disciplines of medical microbiology and infectious diseases prompted the Joint Royal Colleges Committee on Infection and Tropical Medicine to set up a working party to examine how trainees could obtain certification in both subjects. Following widespread consultations, a scheme was developed that entails six years of training and leads to the award of CCSTs in both microbiology and infectious diseases. Both Royal Colleges and the Specialist Training Authority have approved the scheme. Joint training will be demanding and will not be suitable for everyone; it represents an alternative approach to training in the infection disciplines that will run alongside the existing monospecialty training programmes.

  20. Reform of the Method for Evaluating the Teaching of Medical Linguistics to Medical Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Hongkui; Wang, Bo; Zhang, Longlu

    2014-01-01

    Explorating reform of the teaching evaluation method for vocational competency-based education (CBE) curricula for medical students is a very important process in following international medical education standards, intensify ing education and teaching reforms, enhancing teaching management, and improving the quality of medical education. This…

  1. Virtual microscopy-The future of teaching histology in the medical curriculum?

    PubMed

    Paulsen, Friedrich P; Eichhorn, Michael; Bräuer, Lars

    2010-12-20

    Conventional continuing education in microscopic anatomy, histopathology, hematology and microbiology has hitherto been carried out using numerous sets of sectioned tissue specimens in a microscopy laboratory. In comparison, after digitalization of the sections it would be possible to access teaching specimens via virtual microscopy and the internet at any time and place. This would make it possible to put innumerable new learning scenarios into practice. The present article elucidates the advantages of virtual microscopy in histology instruction and presents a concept of how virtual microscopy could be introduced into the teaching of microscopic anatomy in several steps. Initially, the presently existing microscopic teaching specimens would be digitalized and made available on-line without restriction. In a second step, instruction would be shifted to an emphasis on virtual microscopy, utilizing all of the advantages offered by the technique. In a third step, the microscopic contents could be networked with other anatomical, radiological and clinical content on-line, thus opening new learning perspectives for students of human and dental medicine as well as those of medically related courses of study. The advantages and disadvantages of such a concept as well as some possibly arising consequences are discussed in the following. 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  2. Weaving together peer assessment, audios and medical vignettes in teaching medical terms.

    PubMed

    Allibaih, Mohammad; Khan, Lateef M

    2015-12-06

    The current study aims at exploring the possibility of aligning peer assessment, audiovisuals, and medical case-report extracts (vignettes) in medical terminology teaching. In addition, the study wishes to highlight the effectiveness of audio materials and medical history vignettes in preventing medical students' comprehension, listening, writing, and pronunciation errors. The study also aims at reflecting the medical students' attitudes towards the teaching and learning process. The study involved 161 medical students who received an intensive medical terminology course through audio and medical history extracts. Peer assessment and formative assessment platforms were applied through fake quizzes in a pre- and post-test manner. An 18-item survey was distributed amongst students to investigate their attitudes and feedback towards the teaching and learning process. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using the SPSS software. The students did better in the posttests than on the pretests for both the quizzes of audios and medical vignettes showing a t-test of -12.09 and -13.60 respectively. Moreover, out of the 133 students, 120 students (90.22%) responded to the survey questions. The students gave positive attitudes towards the application of audios and vignettes in the teaching and learning of medical terminology and towards the learning process. The current study revealed that the teaching and learning of medical terminology have more room for the application of advanced technologies, effective assessment platforms, and active learning strategies in higher education. It also highlights that students are capable of carrying more responsibilities of assessment, feedback, and e-learning.

  3. Weaving together peer assessment, audios and medical vignettes in teaching medical terms

    PubMed Central

    Khan, Lateef M.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives The current study aims at exploring the possibility of aligning peer assessment, audiovisuals, and medical case-report extracts (vignettes) in medical terminology teaching. In addition, the study wishes to highlight the effectiveness of audio materials and medical history vignettes in preventing medical students' comprehension, listening, writing, and pronunciation errors. The study also aims at reflecting the medical students' attitudes towards the teaching and learning process. Methods The study involved 161 medical students who received an intensive medical terminology course through audio and medical history extracts. Peer assessment and formative assessment platforms were applied through fake quizzes in a pre- and post-test manner. An 18-item survey was distributed amongst students to investigate their attitudes and feedback towards the teaching and learning process. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using the SPSS software. Results The students did better in the posttests than on the pretests for both the quizzes of audios and medical vignettes showing a t-test of -12.09 and -13.60 respectively. Moreover, out of the 133 students, 120 students (90.22%) responded to the survey questions. The students gave positive attitudes towards the application of audios and vignettes in the teaching and learning of medical terminology and towards the learning process. Conclusions The current study revealed that the teaching and learning of medical terminology have more room for the application of advanced technologies, effective assessment platforms, and active learning strategies in higher education. It also highlights that students are capable of carrying more responsibilities of assessment, feedback, and e-learning. PMID:26637986

  4. Teaching, learning and assessment of medical ethics at the UK medical schools.

    PubMed

    Brooks, Lucy; Bell, Dominic

    2017-09-01

    To evaluate the UK undergraduate medical ethics curricula against the Institute of Medical Ethics (IME) recommendations; to identify barriers to teaching and assessment of medical ethics and to evaluate perceptions of ethics faculties on the preparation of tomorrow's doctors for clinical practice. Questionnaire survey of the UK medical schools enquiring about content, structure and location of ethics teaching and learning; teaching and learning processes; assessment; influences over institutional approach to ethics education; barriers to teaching and assessment; perception of student engagement and perception of student preparation for clinical practice. The lead for medical ethics at each medical school was invited to participate (n=33). Completed responses were received from 11/33 schools (33%). 73% (n=8) teach all IME recommended topics within their programme. 64% (n=7) do not include ethics in clinical placement learning objectives. The most frequently cited barrier to teaching was lack of time (64%, n=7), and to assessment was lack of time and suitability of assessments (27%, n=3). All faculty felt students were prepared for clinical practice. IME recommendations are not followed in all cases, and ethics teaching is not universally well integrated into clinical placement. Barriers to assessment lead to inadequacies in this area, and there are few consequences for failing ethics assessments. As such, tomorrow's patients will be treated by doctors who are inadequately prepared for ethical decision making in clinical practice; this needs to be addressed by ethics leads with support from medical school authorities. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  5. Medical student and medical school teaching faculty perceptions of conflict of interest.

    PubMed

    Andresen, Nicholas S; Olson, Tyler S; Krasowski, Matthew D

    2017-07-11

    Attitudes towards conflict of interest (COI) and COI policy are shaped during medical school and influence both the education of medical students and their future medical practice. Understanding the current attitudes of medical students and medical school teaching faculty may provide insight into what is taught about COI and COI policy within the 'hidden' medical curriculum. Differences between medical student and medical school teaching faculty perceptions of COI and COI policy have not been compared in detail. The authors surveyed first year medical students and medical school teaching faculty at one academic medical center. The response rate was 98.7% (150/152) for students and 34.2% (69/202) for faculty. Students were less likely than faculty to agree that lecturers should disclose COI to any learners (4.06 vs. 4.31, p = 0.01), but more likely to agree that COI disclosure decreases the presentation of biased material (3.80 vs. 3.21, p < 0.001). Student and faculty responses for all other questions were not different. Many of these responses suggest student and faculty support for stronger COI policy at academic medical centers. Students and faculty perceptions regarding COI and COI policy are largely similar, but differ in terms of the perceived effectiveness of COI disclosure. This study also suggests that medical students and medical school teaching faculty support for stronger COI policy at academic medical centers.

  6. Evaluation of a Clostridium difficile infection management policy with clinical pharmacy and medical microbiology involvement at a major Canadian teaching hospital.

    PubMed

    Yeung, S S T; Yeung, J K; Lau, T T Y; Forrester, L A; Steiner, T S; Bowie, W R; Bryce, E A

    2015-12-01

    Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) represents a spectrum of disease and is a significant concern for healthcare institutions. Our study objective was to assess whether implementation of a regional CDI management policy with Clinical Pharmacy and Medical Microbiology and Infection Control involvement would lead to an improvement in concordance in prescribing practices to an evidence-based CDI disease severity assessment and pharmacological treatment algorithm. Conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital, this two-phase quality assurance study consisted of a baseline retrospective healthcare record review of patients with CDI prior to the implementation of a regional CDI management policy followed by a prospective evaluation post-implementation. One hundred and forty-one CDI episodes in the pre-implementation group were compared to 283 episodes post-implementation. Overall treatment concordance to the CDI treatment algorithm was achieved in 48 of 141 cases (34%) pre-implementation compared with 136 of 283 cases (48·1%) post-implementation (P = 0·01). The median time to treatment with vancomycin was reduced from five days to one day (P < 0·01), with median length of hospital stay decreasing from 30 days to 21 days (P = 0·01) post-implementation. There was no difference in 30-day all-cause mortality. A comprehensive approach with appropriate stakeholder involvement in the development of clinical pathways, education to healthcare workers and prospective audit with intervention and feedback can ensure patients diagnosed with CDI are optimally managed and prescribed the most appropriate therapy based on CDI disease severity. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. [Teaching infectious diseases in the Medical Degree within the European higher education area].

    PubMed

    Gutiérrez, Félix; Masiá, Mar

    2016-01-01

    During their medical studies, students must acquire basic competencies in different areas of knowledge, one of which is infectious diseases. Training in infectious diseases is essential for general medical practice and for academic or professional expertise in many areas of medicine, both medical and surgical. The vast amount of knowledge that is continuously generated about infectious diseases requires a well-structured undergraduate medical education program and framed in a setting dominated by globalization. The incorporation of Spain to the European higher education area has forced medical schools to adapt their curriculum and to establish the content and learning objectives of all courses of study. In this paper, we discuss the implications of the integration of the Spanish university system in the European higher education area («Bologna Process») in the teaching of infectious diseases in the Degree of Medicine, and describe the learning program in infectious diseases of the University Miguel Hernández of Elche (Alicante, Spain) based on learning outcomes and competencies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

  8. [Movies as a teaching resource for infectious diseases and clinical microbiology].

    PubMed

    García-Sánchez, José Elías; Fresnadillo, María José; García-Sánchez, Enrique

    2002-10-01

    Since its inception, the cinema has constantly provided a reflection of infectious diseases because of their omnipresence in life and their importance to individuals and society. Few infectious diseases escape its eye, to the extent that the cinema constitutes an authentic treatise on these phenomena. The cinema is a very valuable educational resource, able to supplement classical teaching methods and to encourage critical thinking among students. The enormous flow of information, images, sounds, consequences, situations, and points of view that it provides should not be wasted and can be of great use, both in the spread of ideas and in training in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology.

  9. Teaching Medical Ethics in Graduate and Undergraduate Medical Education: A Systematic Review of Effectiveness.

    PubMed

    de la Garza, Santiago; Phuoc, Vania; Throneberry, Steven; Blumenthal-Barby, Jennifer; McCullough, Laurence; Coverdale, John

    2017-08-01

    One objective was to identify and review studies on teaching medical ethics to psychiatry residents. In order to gain insights from other disciplines that have published research in this area, a second objective was to identify and review studies on teaching medical ethics to residents across all other specialties of training and on teaching medical students. PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycINFO were searched for controlled trials on teaching medical ethics with quantitative outcomes. Search terms included ethics, bioethics, medical ethics, medical students, residents/registrars, teaching, education, outcomes, and controlled trials. Nine studies were found that met inclusion criteria, including five randomized controlled trails and four controlled non-randomized trials. Subjects included medical students (5 studies), surgical residents (2 studies), internal medicine house officers (1 study), and family medicine preceptors and their medical students (1 study). Teaching methods, course content, and outcome measures varied considerably across studies. Common methodological issues included a lack of concealment of allocation, a lack of blinding, and generally low numbers of subjects as learners. One randomized controlled trial which taught surgical residents using a standardized patient was judged to be especially methodologically rigorous. None of the trials incorporated psychiatry residents. Ethics educators should undertake additional rigorously controlled trials in order to secure a strong evidence base for the design of medical ethics curricula. Psychiatry ethics educators can also benefit from the findings of trials in other disciplines and in undergraduate medical education.

  10. Near-peer teaching programme for medical students.

    PubMed

    Gottlieb, Zoe; Epstein, Samantha; Richards, Jeremy

    2017-06-01

    Near-peer teaching (NPT) is increasingly recognised as an effective method for teaching and learning within medical education. We describe a student-as-teacher programme developed for fourth-year students (MS4s) helping to deliver the second-year Respiratory Pathophysiology course at our medical school. Twelve MS4s were paired with faculty members to co-teach one or two small group case-based sessions for second-year students (MS2s). Beforehand, MS4s attended an orientation session and workshop, reviewing skills and strategies for teaching effectively. Following each teaching session co-taught by MS4s, both MS4s and MS2s completed multiple-choice surveys evaluating the MS4's teaching skills and the experience overall. MS4s also wrote reflection essays describing their experiences. Faculty member co-teachers completed a 12-question feedback form for MS4s during the session. We received 114 post-session MS2 surveys, 13 post-session MS4 surveys and 13 post-session faculty staff evaluations. The majority of MS2s reported that MS4s enhanced their understanding of the material, and considered the quality of MS4 teaching to be 'good' or 'outstanding'. Nearly all of the MS4s enjoyed their experiences and believed that the programme improved their teaching skills. Time management was the most common challenge cited by both MS4s and faculty member co-teachers. These data demonstrate that NPT is valuable for both MS2s and MS4s: MS2s benefited from the social and cognitive congruence afforded by near-peer teachers, whereas MS4s used this experience to build and enhance their skills as educators. These results support the continued involvement of MS4s in this second-year course, as well as broadening the scope of and opportunities for student teaching at our medical school and beyond. Near-peer teaching is recognised as an effective method for teaching and learning within medical education. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

  11. Teaching in Medical Education | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    Many postdoctoral fellows are considering an academic career at a medical school. In addition to conducting research, new faculty members must learn effective teaching methodologies. This course will focus on good teaching practices, including basic strategies for developing and organizing a course. The purpose of the "Teaching in Medical Education (TIME)" course is to

  12. Integration of microbiology and infectious disease teaching courses in an interdisciplinary training programme (Master level) centred on the 'One world, one health' WHO concept.

    PubMed

    Eveillard, Matthieu; Ruvoen, Nathalie; Lepelletier, Didier; Fradet, Stéphanie; Couvreur, Sébastien; Krempf, Michel; Magras, Catherine

    2016-05-01

    This report describes the integration of the microbiology and infectious diseases teaching courses in an international Master's level interdisciplinary programme based on the 'One world, one health' WHO concept, and reports the students and teachers' evaluation related to their feelings of about this innovative programme. The integration was evaluated by recording the positioning of these two topics in the five teaching units constituting the programme, and by identifying their contribution in the interactions between the different teaching units. The satisfaction of students was assessed by a quantitative survey, whereas the feelings of students and teachers were assessed by interviews. The study demonstrated that microbiology and infectious diseases were widely involved in interactions between the teaching units, constituting a kind of cement for the programme. The students assigned a mean score of 3.7 to the topics dealing with microbiology and infectious diseases. According to the qualitative data, students and teachers considered that the interdisciplinary approach provided new insights but reported problems of communication, probably inherent to the multiculturalism of the class. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  13. Current status of teaching on spirituality in UK medical schools.

    PubMed

    Neely, David; Minford, Eunice J

    2008-02-01

    To investigate the current status of teaching on spirituality in medicine in UK medical schools and to establish if and how medical schools are preparing future doctors to identify patients' spiritual needs. We carried out a national questionnaire survey using a 2-part questionnaire. Section A contained questions relating to the quantity of teaching on spirituality and the topics covered. Section B contained questions relating to teaching on alternative health practices. Medical educators from each of the 32 medical schools in the UK were invited to participate. A response rate of 53% (n = 17) was achieved. A total of 59% (n = 10) of respondents stated that there is teaching on spirituality in medicine in their curricula. On extrapolation, at least 31% and a maximum of 78% of UK medical schools currently provide some form of teaching on spirituality. Of the respondents that teach spirituality, 50% (n = 5) stated that their schools include compulsory teaching on spirituality in medicine, 80% (n = 8) include optional components, and 88% stated that teaching on complementary and alternative medicine is included in the curriculum. Although 59% (n = 10) of respondent medical schools (the actual UK figure lies between 31% and 78%) currently provide some form of teaching on spirituality, there is significant room for improvement. There is little uniformity between medical schools with regard to content, form, amount or type of staff member delivering the teaching. It would be beneficial to introduce a standardised curriculum on spirituality across all UK medical schools.

  14. MedTalks: developing teaching abilities and experience in undergraduate medical students.

    PubMed

    Bandeali, Suhair; Chiang, Albert; Ramnanan, Christopher J

    2017-01-01

    According to the CanMEDS' Scholar competency, physicians are expected to facilitate the learning of colleagues, patients and other health professionals. However, most medical students are not provided with formal opportunities to gain teaching experience with objective feedback. To address this, the University's Medical Education Interest Group (MEIG) created a pilot teaching program in January 2015 entitled 'MedTalks'. Four 3-hour sessions were held at the University Faculty of Medicine, where first and second year medical students taught clinically oriented topics to undergraduate university students. Each extracurricular session included three 30-minute content lectures, and a 90-minute small group session on physical examination skills. Each medical student-teacher received formal feedback from undergraduate students and from faculty educators regarding teaching style, communication abilities, and professionalism. In addition, medical student-teachers self-evaluated their own teaching experience. Over 50 medical students from the University participated as medical student-teachers. Based on quantitative and qualitative evaluation surveys, 100% of medical students agreed that MedTalks was a useful way to develop teaching skills and 92% gained a greater confidence in individual teaching capabilities, based largely on the opportunity to gain experience (with feedback) in teaching roles. A program designed to give medical students multi-source teaching experience (lecture- and small group-based) and feedback on their teaching (from learners and Faculty observers, in addition to their own self-reflection) can improve medical student confidence and enthusiasm towards teaching. Future studies will clarify if medical student self-perceived enhancements in teaching ability can be corroborated by independent (Faculty, learner) observations of future teaching activity.

  15. Child Psychiatry: What Are We Teaching Medical Students?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dingle, Arden D.

    2010-01-01

    Objective: The author describes child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) undergraduate teaching in American and Canadian medical schools. Methods: A survey asking for information on CAP teaching, student interest in CAP, and opinions about the CAP importance was sent to the medical student psychiatry director at 142 accredited medical schools in the…

  16. Implementing Medical Teaching Policy in University Hospitals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Engbers, Rik; Fluit, Cornelia Cornelia R. M. G.; Bolhuis, Sanneke; de Visser, Marieke; Laan, Roland F. J. M.

    2017-01-01

    Within the unique and complex settings of university hospitals, it is difficult to implement policy initiatives aimed at developing careers in and improving the quality of academic medical teaching because of the competing domains of medical research and patient care. Factors that influence faculty in making use of teaching policy incentives have…

  17. MedTalks: developing teaching abilities and experience in undergraduate medical students

    PubMed Central

    Bandeali, Suhair; Chiang, Albert; Ramnanan, Christopher J.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Objectives: According to the CanMEDS’ Scholar competency, physicians are expected to facilitate the learning of colleagues, patients and other health professionals. However, most medical students are not provided with formal opportunities to gain teaching experience with objective feedback. Methods: To address this, the University’s Medical Education Interest Group (MEIG) created a pilot teaching program in January 2015 entitled ‘MedTalks’. Four 3-hour sessions were held at the University Faculty of Medicine, where first and second year medical students taught clinically oriented topics to undergraduate university students. Each extracurricular session included three 30-minute content lectures, and a 90-minute small group session on physical examination skills. Each medical student-teacher received formal feedback from undergraduate students and from faculty educators regarding teaching style, communication abilities, and professionalism. In addition, medical student-teachers self-evaluated their own teaching experience. Results: Over 50 medical students from the University participated as medical student-teachers. Based on quantitative and qualitative evaluation surveys, 100% of medical students agreed that MedTalks was a useful way to develop teaching skills and 92% gained a greater confidence in individual teaching capabilities, based largely on the opportunity to gain experience (with feedback) in teaching roles. Conclusions: A program designed to give medical students multi-source teaching experience (lecture- and small group-based) and feedback on their teaching (from learners and Faculty observers, in addition to their own self-reflection) can improve medical student confidence and enthusiasm towards teaching. Future studies will clarify if medical student self-perceived enhancements in teaching ability can be corroborated by independent (Faculty, learner) observations of future teaching activity. PMID:28178910

  18. Yeast Biofilm as a Bridge Between Medical and Environmental Microbiology Across Different Detection Techniques.

    PubMed

    Roscini, Luca; Vassiliou, Alice; Corte, Laura; Casagrande Pierantoni, Debora; Robert, Vincent; Tascini, Carlo; Mattana, Sara; Alunni Cardinali, Martina; Orfanos, Stylianos E; Fioretto, Daniele; Cardinali, Gianluigi

    2018-03-01

    Medical and environmental microbiology have two distinct, although very short, histories stemming, the first from the pioneering works of Sommelweiss, Pasteur, Lister and Koch, the second mainly from the studies of Bejerink and Winogradsky. These two branches of microbiology evolved and specialized separately producing distinct communities and evolving rather different approaches and techniques. The evidence accumulated in recent decades indicate that indeed most of the medically relevant microorganisms have a short circulation within the nosocomial environment and a larger one involving the external, i.e. non-nosocomial, and the hospital environments. This evidence suggests that the differences between approaches should yield to a convergent approach aimed at solving the increasing problem represented by infectious diseases for the increasingly less resistant human communities. Microbial biofilm is one of the major systems used by these microbes to resist the harsh conditions of the natural and anthropic environment, and the even worse ones related to medical settings. This paper presents a brief outline of the converging interest of both environmental and medical microbiology toward a better understanding of microbial biofilm and of the various innovative techniques that can be employed to characterize, in a timely and quantitative manner, these complex structures. Among these, micro-Raman along with micro-Brillouin offer high hopes of describing biofilms both at the subcellular and supercellular level, with the possibility of characterizing the various landscapes of the different biofilms. The possibility of adding a taxonomic identification of the cells comprising the biofilm is a complex aspect presenting several technical issues that will require further studies in the years to come.

  19. 70th Anniversary Collection for the Microbiology Society: Journal of Medical Microbiology.

    PubMed

    Mathee, Kalai; Silver, Lynn L; Tatke, Gorakh

    2015-12-01

    In the last 70 years, we have seen a radical change in our perception and understanding of the microbial world. During this period, we learned from Woese and Fox there exists a third kingdom called 'Archea' based on the phylogenetic studies of the 16S rRNA that revolutionized microbiology (Woese & Fox, 1977; Woese et al., 1978). Furthermore, we were forced to reckon with the fact that Koch and Pasteur's way of growing cells in test-tubes or flasks planktonically does not necessarily translate to the real-life scenario of bacterial lifestyle, where they prefer to live and function as a closely knit microbial community called biofilm. Thanks are due to Costerton, who led the crusade on the concept of biofilms and expanded its scope of inquiry, which forced scientists and clinicians worldwide to rethink how we evaluate and apply the data. Then progressively, disbelief turned into belief, and now it is universally accepted that the micro-organisms hobnob with the members of their community to communicate and coordinate their behaviour, especially in regard to growth patterns and virulence traits via signalling molecules. Just when we thought that we were losing the battle against bacteria, antimicrobials were discovered. We then witnessed the rise and fall of antibiotics and the development of antibiotic resistance. Due to space and choice limitation, we will focus on the three areas that caused this major paradigm shift (i) antimicrobial resistance (AMR), (ii) biofilm and (iii) quorum sensing (QS), and how the Journal of Medical Microbiology played a major role in advancing the shift.

  20. [Development of a microbiology data warehouse (Akita-ReNICS) for networking hospitals in a medical region].

    PubMed

    Ueki, Shigeharu; Kayaba, Hiroyuki; Tomita, Noriko; Kobayashi, Noriko; Takahashi, Tomoe; Obara, Toshikage; Takeda, Masahide; Moritoki, Yuki; Itoga, Masamichi; Ito, Wataru; Ohsaga, Atsushi; Kondoh, Katsuyuki; Chihara, Junichi

    2011-04-01

    The active involvement of hospital laboratory in surveillance is crucial to the success of nosocomial infection control. The recent dramatic increase of antimicrobial-resistant organisms and their spread into the community suggest that the infection control strategy of independent medical institutions is insufficient. To share the clinical data and surveillance in our local medical region, we developed a microbiology data warehouse for networking hospital laboratories in Akita prefecture. This system, named Akita-ReNICS, is an easy-to-use information management system designed to compare, track, and report the occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant organisms. Participating laboratories routinely transfer their coded and formatted microbiology data to ReNICS server located at Akita University Hospital from their health care system's clinical computer applications over the internet. We established the system to automate the statistical processes, so that the participants can access the server to monitor graphical data in the manner they prefer, using their own computer's browser. Furthermore, our system also provides the documents server, microbiology and antimicrobiotic database, and space for long-term storage of microbiological samples. Akita-ReNICS could be a next generation network for quality improvement of infection control.

  1. Advances Afoot in Microbiology.

    PubMed

    Patel, Robin; Karon, Brad S

    2017-07-01

    In 2016, the American Academy of Microbiology convened a colloquium to examine point-of-care (POC) microbiology testing and to evaluate its effects on clinical microbiology. Colloquium participants included representatives from clinical microbiology laboratories, industry, and the government, who together made recommendations regarding the implementation, oversight, and evaluation of POC microbiology testing. The colloquium report is timely and well written (V. Dolen et al., Changing Diagnostic Paradigms for Microbiology , 2017, https://www.asm.org/index.php/colloquium-reports/item/6421-changing-diagnostic-paradigms-for-microbiology?utm_source=Commentary&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=diagnostics). Emerging POC microbiology tests, especially nucleic acid amplification tests, have the potential to advance medical care. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  2. Anatomy teaching assistants: facilitating teaching skills for medical students through apprenticeship and mentoring.

    PubMed

    Lachman, Nirusha; Christensen, Kevin N; Pawlina, Wojciech

    2013-01-01

    Significant increase in the literature regarding "residents as teachers" highlights the importance of providing opportunities and implementing guidelines for continuing medical education and professional growth. While most medical students are enthusiastic about their future role as resident-educators, both students and residents feel uncomfortable teaching their peers due to the lack of necessary skills. However, whilst limited and perhaps only available to select individuals, opportunities for developing good teaching practice do exist and may be identified in courses that offer basic sciences. The Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic offers a teaching assistant (TA) elective experience to third- and fourth-year medical students through integrated apprenticeship and mentoring during the human structure didactic block. This article, aims to describe a curriculum for a TA elective within the framework of a basic science course through mentoring and apprenticeship. Opportunities for medical students to become TAs, process of TAs' recruitment, mentoring and facilitation of teaching and education research skills, a method for providing feedback and debriefing are described. Developing teaching practice based on apprenticeship and mentoring lends to more accountability to both TA's and course faculty by incorporating universal competencies to facilitate the TA experience.

  3. Medical microbiology training needs and trainee experience.

    PubMed

    Seale, Josephine; Elamin, Wael; Millar, Michael

    2014-02-01

    Training in microbiology is continuing to evolve. Standardisation of this process has, in part, been achieved through the development of a training curriculum by the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath). A substantial proportion of microbiology training occurs through telephone consultations. To ascertain the content of these interactions and the extent to which the necessary skills outlined by the curriculum are attainable via these consultations. Records of telephone consultations made by microbiology registrars (SpR) on the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) over a 6 month period were analysed with regard to who initiated contact and the type of advice provided. An average of 426 SpR entries per month were made on the LIMS following telephone consultations. These consultations were predominantly initiated by fellow clinicians as opposed to the SpR. The majority (79%) of advice entailed guidance as to the use of antimicrobials which resulted in an alteration of the current regimen in 54% of cases. This study represents the first attempt to quantify the telephone consultations of microbiology trainees. It is concluded that although such interactions provide a means of attaining some of the competencies outlined by the RCPath curriculum, the bias towards antimicrobial advice reflects a discrepancy between the needs of the service users and the broad skill set advocated by the current microbiology training programme. Future modifications will need to take this into account to ensure both the training of SpRs and the microbiology service is fit for purpose.

  4. Advances Afoot in Microbiology

    PubMed Central

    Karon, Brad S.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT In 2016, the American Academy of Microbiology convened a colloquium to examine point-of-care (POC) microbiology testing and to evaluate its effects on clinical microbiology. Colloquium participants included representatives from clinical microbiology laboratories, industry, and the government, who together made recommendations regarding the implementation, oversight, and evaluation of POC microbiology testing. The colloquium report is timely and well written (V. Dolen et al., Changing Diagnostic Paradigms for Microbiology, 2017, https://www.asm.org/index.php/colloquium-reports/item/6421-changing-diagnostic-paradigms-for-microbiology?utm_source=Commentary&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=diagnostics). Emerging POC microbiology tests, especially nucleic acid amplification tests, have the potential to advance medical care. PMID:28539341

  5. Evaluation of an online medical teaching forum.

    PubMed

    Ravindran, Rahul; Kashyap, Mavin; Lilis, Lydia; Vivekanantham, Sayinthen; Phoenix, Gokulan

    2014-07-01

    Social media is increasingly being used for teaching and assessment. We describe the design and implementation of a Facebook© teaching forum for medical students, and evaluate its effectiveness. A Facebook© teaching forum was set up in a London Hospital to assist with learning and assessment for undergraduate medical students. An independent online survey was used to collate their experiences. Accessibility to the forum, usefulness in stimulating peer-to-peer discussion and the use of weekly formative assessments were evaluated using a Likert scale. In total, 91 per cent (n=68/75) of students who had Facebook© joined the teaching forum. The majority of students completed the questionnaire (n=39/68, 57%). All students visited the teaching forum group at least once a week. A significant proportion attempted all 10 question sets (n=16/39, 41%). Students felt more comfortable asking questions in the forum than in ward rounds and clinics (n=22/39, 56%). The general consensus was that Facebook© could be used for educational purposes, with just 5 per cent of students (n=2/39) thinking that Facebook© should only be used socially and with 92 per cent believing that the forum helped to achieve the learning objectives of the curriculum (n=36/39). Facebook© provides a safe environment for learning and discussion amongst medical undergraduates undergoing their clinical attachments. Furthermore, through formative assessments set by a medical educator, it provides a useful revision tool for summative assessments and reinforces knowledge learned through conventional teaching methods. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. The Czech External Quality Control system in medical microbiology and parasitology.

    PubMed

    Slosárek, M; Kríz, B

    2000-11-01

    The External Quality Control (EQC) system in activities of laboratories engaged in medical microbiology and parasitology was established in the Czech Republic in 1993 when to the first laboratories which applied coded serum samples were sent for diagnosis of viral hepatitis and bacterial strains for identification. In the course of years the number of control areas increased and in 2000 there were 31 and the number of those interested in participation in EQC increased from 79 in 1993 to 434 in 2000. This year a total of 13,239 samples will be sent to laboratories. Gradually thus almost all microbiological and parasitological laboratories concerned with examination of clinical material became involved. Seven-year experience with EQC in the Czech Republic revealed that gradually the results of various examinations became more accurate, that methods became standardized and the most suitable examination sets are used.

  7. Teaching law in medical schools: first, reflect.

    PubMed

    Campbell, Amy T

    2012-01-01

    Law is now routinely included in the medical school curriculum, often incorporated into bioethics and/or practice of medicine coursework. There seems to lack, however, a systematic understanding of what works in terms of getting across an effective depth and breadth of legal knowledge for medical students - or what such would even look like. Moreover, and more critically, while some literature addresses these what, when, how, and who questions, a more fundamental question is left unanswered: why teach law in medical school? This article suggests a process to reveal a more consensual understanding of this latter question. The author highlights findings and recommendations of some of the leading literature to date related to teaching law in medical schools, and also recent U.K. projects addressing legal teaching in medical schools. Reflecting on these materials and activities, the author suggests that we take a "pause" before we argue for more or different legal topics within the medical curriculum. Before we alter the curricula for more and/or different "law," first, it is critical to have a meaningful, stakeholder-driven, consensus-seeking discussion of the goals of legal education: why do we think it matters that medical students learn about "the law"? © 2012 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

  8. DrivAbility: teaching medical aspects of driving.

    PubMed

    Gibson, Jeremy; Whiteman, Liz

    2012-06-01

    Teaching medical aspects of fitness to drive (FTD) is currently inconsistent across UK medical schools, with almost one-third of UK medical schools offering no tuition on medical aspects of FTD. It is, therefore, not surprising to find that medical students and doctors tend to lack confidence regarding the medical aspects of FTD and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) medical standards. In response to this inconsistency we developed an innovative new learning module to teach our medical students the importance of giving appropriate advice to patients about driving, the role of the DVLA regarding medical aspects of FTD, how to recognise when patients should be referred to a driving assessment centre and what adaptations are available to allow patients with physical disabilities to drive safely. As far as we are aware Derby is the first centre in the world to incorporate the practical experience of driving adapted vehicles (at a driving assessment centre) into the undergraduate medical curriculum as an aid to teaching medical aspects of FTD. This practical learning module has proven popular with the students. Driving these adapted vehicles has allowed our students to appreciate some of the practical difficulties disabled drivers experience when learning new driving techniques. However, as only 18 driving assessment centres exist within the UK, an exact replication of this learning module will be limited elsewhere. Nevertheless, we would encourage other medical schools to evaluate the local resources that could enhance the delivery of their undergraduate curricula. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

  9. Teaching disability and rehabilitation to medical students. Steering Group on Medical Education and Disability.

    PubMed

    Kahtan, S; Inman, C; Haines, A; Holland, P

    1994-09-01

    A survey of UK medical schools was undertaken to determine the teaching that was being offered on disability and rehabilitation. In general, teaching on this topic appeared fragmented and inadequate but a number of interesting innovations were identified. These included: a drama workshop run by a group whose members mainly have learning disabilities at St George's Medical School, student-directed learning at the University of Dundee and structured teaching programmes at the Universities of Leeds and Edinburgh. The General Medical Council Education Committee's 1991 discussion document on the undergraduate curriculum specifically mentions disability as an important topic. A number of schools mentioned that they were in the process of revising their curriculum as a consequence. Recommendations arising from the findings of the survey include integration of disability and rehabilitation into clinical teaching, focus of teaching on those types of disability which are common in the community, greater emphasis on functional assessment in teaching the physical examination, and the wider use of standard assessment instruments, for example for activities of daily living, cognitive impairment and locomotor disability. There is a need for improved communication between medical schools to facilitate the spread of educational activities on this topic.

  10. Child psychiatry: what are we teaching medical students?

    PubMed

    Dingle, Arden D

    2010-01-01

    The author describes child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) undergraduate teaching in American and Canadian medical schools. A survey asking for information on CAP teaching, student interest in CAP, and opinions about the CAP importance was sent to the medical student psychiatry director at 142 accredited medical schools in the United States and Canada. The results were summarized and various factors considered relevant to CAP student interest were analyzed statistically. Approximately 81% of the schools returned surveys. Most teach required CAP didactics in the preclinical and clinical years. Almost 63% of the schools have CAP clinical rotations; most are not required. Twenty-three percent of all medical students have a clinical CAP experience during their psychiatry clerkship. The majority of schools have CAP electives, and approximately 4.8% of students participate. Child and adolescent psychiatry leadership, early exposure to CAP, and CAP clinical experiences were related to student CAP interest, but these relationships were not statistically significant. The time allotted to teaching CAP in the undergraduate medical curriculum is minimal, consistent with previous survey results. Most schools require didactic instruction averaging about 12 hours and offer elective clinical opportunities. The survey findings should help direct future planning to improve CAP medical student education.

  11. ["What an ideal clinical microbiological laboratory should be"--from the position of medical technologist].

    PubMed

    Nagasawa, M

    2000-01-01

    The evolution of the microbiology laboratory is necessary for correspondence to the transfiguration of infection and contribution to clinical applications. Especially, the correspondence of emergency tests such as smear strain and antigen detection, the report added value and the infection surveillance in team medical treatment are indispensable. Also, medical technologists need to be knowledge able about techniques related to infection overall, and participation in infection diagnosis and social responsibility are indispensable.

  12. 21 CFR 866.2540 - Microbiological incubator.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Microbiological incubator. 866.2540 Section 866.2540 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2540 Microbiological...

  13. 21 CFR 866.2540 - Microbiological incubator.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Microbiological incubator. 866.2540 Section 866.2540 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2540 Microbiological...

  14. 21 CFR 866.2540 - Microbiological incubator.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Microbiological incubator. 866.2540 Section 866.2540 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2540 Microbiological...

  15. 21 CFR 866.2540 - Microbiological incubator.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Microbiological incubator. 866.2540 Section 866.2540 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2540 Microbiological...

  16. 21 CFR 866.2540 - Microbiological incubator.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Microbiological incubator. 866.2540 Section 866.2540 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2540 Microbiological...

  17. Characteristics of medical teachers using student-centered teaching methods.

    PubMed

    Kim, Kyong-Jee; Hwang, Jee-Young

    2017-09-01

    This study investigated characteristics of medical teachers who have adopted student-centered teaching methods into their teaching. A 24-item questionnaire consisted of respondent backgrounds, his or her use of student-centered teaching methods, and awareness of the school's educational objectives and curricular principles was administered of faculty members at a private medical school in Korea. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were conducted to compare faculty use of student-centered approaches across different backgrounds and awareness of curricular principles. Overall response rate was 70% (N=140/200), approximately 25% (n=34) of whom were using student-centered teaching methods. Distributions in the faculty use of student-centered teaching methods were significantly higher among basic sciences faculty (versus clinical sciences faculty), with teaching experiences of over 10 years (versus less than 10 years), and who were aware of the school's educational objectives and curricular principles. Our study indicates differences in medical faculty's practice of student-centered teaching across disciplines, teaching experiences, and their understanding of the school's educational objectives curricular principles. These findings have implications for faculty development and institutional support to better promote faculty use of student-centered teaching approaches.

  18. 76 FR 22322 - Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of Ovarian Adnexal Mass...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR Part 866 [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0026] Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of Ovarian Adnexal Mass Assessment Score Test System; Correction AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION...

  19. Statistics teaching in medical school: opinions of practising doctors.

    PubMed

    Miles, Susan; Price, Gill M; Swift, Louise; Shepstone, Lee; Leinster, Sam J

    2010-11-04

    The General Medical Council expects UK medical graduates to gain some statistical knowledge during their undergraduate education; but provides no specific guidance as to amount, content or teaching method. Published work on statistics teaching for medical undergraduates has been dominated by medical statisticians, with little input from the doctors who will actually be using this knowledge and these skills after graduation. Furthermore, doctor's statistical training needs may have changed due to advances in information technology and the increasing importance of evidence-based medicine. Thus there exists a need to investigate the views of practising medical doctors as to the statistical training required for undergraduate medical students, based on their own use of these skills in daily practice. A questionnaire was designed to investigate doctors' views about undergraduate training in statistics and the need for these skills in daily practice, with a view to informing future teaching. The questionnaire was emailed to all clinicians with a link to the University of East Anglia Medical School. Open ended questions were included to elicit doctors' opinions about both their own undergraduate training in statistics and recommendations for the training of current medical students. Content analysis was performed by two of the authors to systematically categorize and describe all the responses provided by participants. 130 doctors responded, including both hospital consultants and general practitioners. The findings indicated that most had not recognised the value of their undergraduate teaching in statistics and probability at the time, but had subsequently found the skills relevant to their career. Suggestions for improving undergraduate teaching in these areas included referring to actual research and ensuring relevance to, and integration with, clinical practice. Grounding the teaching of statistics in the context of real research studies and including examples of

  20. Medical education and informal teaching by nurses and midwives.

    PubMed

    Gilmour, Jean; Huntington, Annette; Bogossian, Fiona; Leadbitter, Bernadette; Turner, Catherine

    2014-08-31

    The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of nurses and midwives to the education of medical colleagues in the clinical context. The research design was a cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire. A subsample of 2906 respondents, from a total of 4763 nurses and midwives participating in a web-based study, had taught doctors in the 12 months prior to the survey. The questionnaire generated mainly categorical data analysed with descriptive statistics. In the group of respondents who taught doctors (n =2906), most provided informal teaching (92.9%, n=2677). Nearly a quarter (23.9%, n=695) self-rated the amount of time spent teaching as at least moderate in duration. The most common named teaching topics were documentation (74.8%, n=2005) and implementing unit procedures (74.3, n=1987), followed by medication charting (61.9%, n=1657) and choosing correct medications (55.8%, n=1493). Respondents felt their contributions were unrecognised by the doctors and students they taught (43.9%, n=1256). Educational contributions while unrecognised could be considered positively by the respondents. However, discussion of teaching responsibilities is necessary to support the development of teaching protocols and supervision responsibilities as respondents reported teaching clinical medical tasks related to medications, consent and other skills within the medical domain. Study limitations include the nature of self-reported responses which cannot be validated and data drawn from a survey concluded in 2009.

  1. Medical education and informal teaching by nurses and midwives

    PubMed Central

    Huntington, Annette; Bogossian, Fiona; Leadbitter, Bernadette; Turner, Catherine

    2014-01-01

    Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of nurses and midwives to the education of medical colleagues in the clinical context. Methods The research design was a cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire. A subsample of 2906 respondents, from a total of 4763 nurses and midwives participating in a web-based study, had taught doctors in the 12 months prior to the survey. The questionnaire generated mainly categorical data analysed with descriptive statistics. Results In the group of respondents who taught doctors (n =2906), most provided informal teaching (92.9%, n=2677). Nearly a quarter (23.9%, n=695) self-rated the amount of time spent teaching as at least moderate in duration. The most common named teaching topics were documentation (74.8%, n=2005) and implementing unit procedures (74.3, n=1987), followed by medication charting (61.9%, n=1657) and choosing correct medications (55.8%, n=1493). Respondents felt their contributions were unrecognised by the doctors and students they taught (43.9%, n=1256). Conclusions Educational contributions while unrecognised could be considered positively by the respondents. However, discussion of teaching responsibilities is necessary to support the development of teaching protocols and supervision responsibilities as respondents reported teaching clinical medical tasks related to medications, consent and other skills within the medical domain. Study limitations include the nature of self-reported responses which cannot be validated and data drawn from a survey concluded in 2009. PMID:25341227

  2. Interactive tele-education applied to a distant clinical microbiology specialization university course.

    PubMed

    Andreazzi, Denise B; Rossi, Flávia; Wen, Chao L

    2011-09-01

    The microbiology laboratory provides a strategic support for infectious disease diagnosis and also alerts the medical community about bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The microbiologists' training is a challenge in Brazil, a country with an extensive territory, a diverse population, and disparity of resource allocation. The aim of this study was to implement an interactive tele-educational course in clinical microbiology to reach distant laboratory workers and to improve their professional skills. The course scientific content was defined according to competences associated, distributed in 560 h, with laboratory practices (knowledge matrix-contextual education). The 11-module course structure comprised 70% distance learning, 22% on campus (integrated modules), and 8% monographs. The group included 7 physicians and 21 microbiologists from 20 different Brazilian cities. The time flexibility and location were the two main reasons for student participation, thus decreasing absences to the workplace, different from the traditional teaching methodologies. The group performance was measured by monthly evaluations, and 1 year postcourse, the researcher visited their workplace. There was significant improvement in microbiological practices performed before compared with after group participation. Therefore, 76.9% of laboratory practices were modified because of the knowledge acquired in the course. Students showed behavioral changes in relation to performance in infection control as well as on the dissemination of their knowledge. This specialization course using distance education did not compromise the quality. This educational methodology represents an alternative to teach clinical microbiology to laboratory workers from remote hospitals, as a nationwide continuing educational strategy.

  3. Assessing medical students' perception of effective teaching and learning in Nigerian medical school.

    PubMed

    Chinawa, Josephat M; Manyike, Pius; Chukwu, B; Eke, C B; Isreal, Odetunde Odutola; Chinawa, A T

    2015-01-01

    Medical education is always in a state of dynamic equilibrium with continuous evolution of new techniques in teaching and learning. Objective of this study is to determine medical students' perception on preferences of teaching and learning. A total of 207 medical students participated in the study. Most (73.9%) of them were males while the modal age group was 23-25 years. Majority (57.5%) of the students belong the middle socioeconomic class and 65.7% resided within the hostel. Majority of the students (48.8%) believe two hours is enough to per lecture. Among the five different teaching-learning methods investigated, use of multimedia methods was found to be most effective. There exist a statistically significant association was found only in gender with regular oral examinations (Χ2 = 4.5, df = 1, p = 0.03) and socioeconomic class with dictation of lecture notes (Χ2 = 17.9, df = 9, p = 0.03). The present day medical student will end up as a good clinician if modern techniques of teaching and communication skills of the lecturers are adopted.

  4. Undergraduate teaching on biological weapons and bioterrorism at medical schools in the UK and the Republic of Ireland: results of a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Green, Stephen T; Cladi, Lorenzo; Morris, Paul; Forde, Donall

    2013-06-20

    To determine if individual undergraduate schools of medicine in the UK and the Republic of Ireland provide any teaching to medical students about biological weapons, bioterrorism, chemical weapons and weaponised radiation, if they perceive them to be relevant issues and if they figure them in their future plans. A cross-sectional study utilising an internet-based questionnaire sent to key figures responsible for leading on the planning and delivery of undergraduate medical teaching at all schools of medicine in the UK and Ireland. All identified undergraduate schools of medicine in the UK and Ireland between August 2012 and December 2012. Numerical data and free text feedback about relevant aspects of undergraduate teaching. Of the 38 medical schools approached, 34 (28 in UK, 6 in Ireland) completed the questionnaire (89.47%). 4 (all in UK) chose not to complete it. 6/34 (17.65%) included some specific teaching on biological weapons and bioterrorism. 7/34 (20.59%) had staff with bioterrorism expertise (mainly in microbiological and syndromic aspects). 4/34 (11.76%) had plans to introduce some specific teaching on bioterrorism. Free text responses revealed that some felt that because key bodies (eg, UK's General Medical Council) did not request teaching on bioterrorism, then it should not be included, while others regarded this field of study as a postgraduate subject and not appropriate for undergraduates, or argued that the curriculum was too congested already. 4/34 (11.76%) included some specific teaching on chemical weapons, and 3/34 (8.82%) on weaponised radiation. This study provides evidence that at the present time there is little teaching at the undergraduate level in the UK and Ireland on the subjects of biological weapons and bioterrorism, chemical weapons and weaponised radiation and signals that this situation is unlikely to change unless there were to be high-level policy guidance.

  5. Generation and composition of medical wastes from private medical microbiology laboratories.

    PubMed

    Komilis, Dimitrios; Makroleivaditis, Nikolaos; Nikolakopoulou, Eftychia

    2017-03-01

    A study on the generation rate and the composition of solid medical wastes (MW) produced by private medical microbiology laboratories (PMML) was conducted in Greece. The novelty of the work is that no such information exists in the literature for this type of laboratories worldwide. Seven laboratories were selected with capacities that ranged from 8 to 88 examinees per day. The study lasted 6months and daily recording of MW weights was done over 30days during that period. The rates were correlated to the number of examinees, examinations and personnel. Results indicated that on average 35% of the total MW was hazardous (infectious) medical wastes (IFMW). The IFMW generation rates ranged from 11.5 to 32.5g examinee -1 d -1 while an average value from all 7 labs was 19.6±9.6g examinee -1 d -1 or 2.27±1.11g examination -1 d -1 . The average urban type medical waste generation rate was 44.2±32.5g examinee -1 d -1 . Using basic regression modeling, it was shown that the number of examinees and examinations can be predictors of the IFMW generation, but not of the urban type MW generation. The number of examinations was a better predictor of the MW amounts than the number of examinees. Statistical comparison of the means of the 7PMML was done with standard ANOVA techniques after checking the normality of the data and after doing the appropriate transformations. Based on the results of this work, it is approximated that 580 tonnes of infectious MW are generated annually by the PMML in Greece. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Teaching medical students how to teach: a national survey of students-as-teachers programs in U.S. medical schools.

    PubMed

    Soriano, Rainier P; Blatt, Benjamin; Coplit, Lisa; CichoskiKelly, Eileen; Kosowicz, Lynn; Newman, Linnie; Pasquale, Susan J; Pretorius, Richard; Rosen, Jonathan M; Saks, Norma S; Greenberg, Larrie

    2010-11-01

    A number of U.S. medical schools started offering formal students-as-teachers (SAT) training programs to assist medical students in their roles as future teachers. The authors report results of a national survey of such programs in the United States. In 2008, a 23-item survey was sent to 130 MD-granting U.S. schools. Responses to selective choice questions were quantitatively analyzed. Open-ended questions about benefits and barriers to SAT programs were given qualitative analyses. Ninety-nine U.S. schools responded. All used their medical students as teachers, but only 44% offered a formal SAT program. Most (95%) offered formal programs in the senior year. Common teaching strategies included small-group work, lectures, role-playing, and direct observation. Common learning content areas were small-group facilitation, feedback, adult learning principles, and clinical skills teaching. Assessment methods included evaluations from student-learners (72%) and direct observation/videotaping (59%). From the qualitative analysis, benefit themes included development of future physician-educators, enhancement of learning, and teaching assistance for faculty. Obstacles were competition with other educational demands, difficulty in faculty recruitment/retention, and difficulty in convincing others of program value. Formal SAT programs exist for 43 of 99 U.S. medical school respondents. Such programs should be instituted in all schools that use their students as teachers. National teaching competencies, best curriculum methods, and best methods to conduct skills reinforcement need to be determined. Finally, the SAT programs' impacts on patient care, on selection decisions of residency directors, and on residents' teaching effectiveness are areas for future research.

  7. The Effect of Teaching Medical Ethics on Medical Students' Moral Reasoning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Self, Donnie J; And Others

    1989-01-01

    A study of the effect of incorporating medical ethics into the medical curriculum and comparing two teaching methods (lecture and case studies) found higher moral reasoning after instruction, but neither method was significantly more effective. (Author/MSE)

  8. Medical students' perceptions of bedside teaching.

    PubMed

    Gray, David; Cozar, Octavian; Lefroy, Janet

    2017-06-01

    Bedside teaching is recognised as a valuable tool in medical education by both students and faculty members. Bedside teaching is frequently delivered by consultants; however, junior doctors are increasingly engaging in this form of clinical teaching, and their value in this respect is becoming more widely recognised. The aim of this study was to supplement work completed by previous authors who have begun to explore students' satisfaction with bedside teaching, and their perceptions of the relationship with the clinical teachers. Specifically, we aimed to identify how students perceive bedside teaching delivered by junior doctors compared with consultants. We aimed to identify how students perceived bedside teaching delivered by junior doctors compared with consultants METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to all third-year medical students at Keele University via e-mail. Responses were submitted anonymously. Forty-six students responded (37.4%), 73.3 per cent of whom said that they felt more comfortable having bedside teaching delivered by junior doctors than by consultants. Consultants were perceived as more challenging by 60 per cent of respondents. Students appeared to value feedback on their performance, trust the validity of taught information, and to value the overall educational experience equally, regardless of the clinical grade of the teacher. Student preference does not equate to the value that they place on their bedside teaching. Junior doctors are perceived as being more in touch with students and the curriculum, whereas consultants are perceived as having higher expectations and as being both stricter and more knowledgeable. The clinical teacher's approachable manner and enthusiasm for teaching are more important than clinical grade, as is the ability to deliver well-structured constructive feedback. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Enhancing active learning in microbiology through case based learning: experiences from an Indian medical school.

    PubMed

    Ciraj, A M; Vinod, P; Ramnarayan, K

    2010-01-01

    Case-based learning (CBL) is an interactive student-centered exploration of real life situations. This paper describes the use of CBL as an educational strategy for promoting active learning in microbiology. CBL was introduced in the microbiology curriculum for the second year medical students after an orientation program for faculty and students. After intervention, the average student scores in CBL topics were compared with scores obtained in lecture topics. An attempt was also made to find the effect of CBL on the academic performance. Student and faculty perception on CBL were also recorded. In a cross sectional survey conducted to assess the effectiveness of CBL, students responded that, apart from helping them acquire substantive knowledge in microbiology, CBL sessions enhanced their analytic, collaborative, and communication skills. The block examination scores in CBL topics were significantly higher than those obtained for lecture topics. Faculty rated the process to be highly effective in stimulating student interest and long term retention of microbiology knowledge. The student scores were significantly higher in the group that used CBL, compared to the group that had not used CBL as a learning strategy. Our experience indicated that CBL sessions enhanced active learning in microbiology. More frequent use of CBL sessions would not only help the student gain requisite knowledge in microbiology but also enhance their analytic and communication skills.

  10. Recruiting and Rewarding Faculty for Medical Student Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pessar, Linda F.; Levine, Ruth E.; Bernstein, Carol A.; Cabaniss, Deborah S.; Dickstein, Leah J.; Graff, Sarah V.; Hales, Deborah J.; Nadelson, Carol; Robinowitz, Carolyn B.; Scheiber, Stephen C.; Jones, Paul M.; Silberman, Edward K.

    2006-01-01

    Objective: Finding time to teach psychiatry has become increasingly difficult. Concurrently, changes in medical student education are elevating demands for teaching. Academic psychiatry is challenged by these pressures to find innovative ways to recruit, retain, and reward faculty for teaching efforts. To address this challenge, the authors…

  11. Teaching medical physics to general audiences.

    PubMed Central

    Amador, S

    1994-01-01

    By judiciously selecting topics and reading materials, one can teach a full semester course on medical physics appropriate for college students not majoring in the natural sciences. This interdisciplinary field offers an opportunity to teach a great deal of basic physics at the freshman level in the context of explaining modern medical technologies such as ultrasound imaging, laser surgery, and positron emission tomography. This article describes one such course which combines lectures, outside visitors, varied readings, and laboratories to convey a select subset of physical principles and quantitative problem-solving skills. These resources are also valuable for enriching the standard freshman physics sequence for premedical students. PMID:8075355

  12. How many microbiology consultants are needed?

    PubMed Central

    Bignardi, G E

    1993-01-01

    It is difficult to measure medical staff workload and medical staff requirements in microbiology departments. A review of 14 job descriptions for consultant microbiologists showed that the number of hospital beds and the number of specimens are more reliable workload indices than the population figure. Ratios between beds or specimens and medical staff numbers may help to identify understaffed or overstaffed microbiology departments. PMID:8254095

  13. Which peer teaching methods do medical students prefer?

    PubMed

    Jayakumar, Nithish; Srirathan, Danushan; Shah, Rishita; Jakubowska, Agnieszka; Clarke, Andrew; Annan, David; Albasha, Dekan

    2016-01-01

    The beneficial effects of peer teaching in medical education have been well-described in the literature. However, it is unclear whether students prefer to be taught by peers in small or large group settings. This study's aim was to identify differences in medical students' preferences and perceptions of small-group versus large-group peer teaching. Questionnaires were administered to medical students in Year 3 and Year 4 (first 2 years of clinical training) at one institution in the United Kingdom to identify their experiences and perceptions of small-and large-group peer teaching. For this study, small-group peer teaching was defined as a tutorial, or similar, taught by peer tutor to a group of 5 students or less. Large-group peer teaching was defined as a lecture, or similar, taught by peer tutors to a group of more than 20 students. Seventy-three students (81% response rate) completed the questionnaires (54% males; median age of 23). Nearly 55% of respondents reported prior exposure to small-group peer teaching but a larger proportion of respondents (86%) had previously attended large-group peer teaching. Of all valid responses, 49% did not have a preference of peer teaching method while 47% preferred small-group peer teaching. The majority of Year 3 students preferred small-group peer teaching to no preference (62.5% vs 37.5%, Fisher's exact test; P = 0.035) whereas most Year 4 students did not report a particular preference. Likert-scale responses showed that the majority of students held negative perceptions about large-group peer teaching, in comparison with small-group peer teaching, with respect to (1) interactivity, (2) a comfortable environment to ask questions, and (3) feedback received. Most respondents in this study did not report a preference for small-versus large-group settings when taught by peers. More Year 3 respondents were likely to prefer small-group peer teaching as opposed to Year 4 respondents.

  14. Medical students-as-teachers: a systematic review of peer-assisted teaching during medical school

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Tzu-Chieh; Wilson, Nichola C; Singh, Primal P; Lemanu, Daniel P; Hawken, Susan J; Hill, Andrew G

    2011-01-01

    Introduction International interest in peer-teaching and peer-assisted learning (PAL) during undergraduate medical programs has grown in recent years, reflected both in literature and in practice. There, remains however, a distinct lack of objective clarity and consensus on the true effectiveness of peer-teaching and its short- and long-term impacts on learning outcomes and clinical practice. Objective To summarize and critically appraise evidence presented on peer-teaching effectiveness and its impact on objective learning outcomes of medical students. Method A literature search was conducted in four electronic databases. Titles and abstracts were screened and selection was based on strict eligibility criteria after examining full-texts. Two reviewers used a standard review and analysis framework to independently extract data from each study. Discrepancies in opinions were resolved by discussion in consultation with other reviewers. Adapted models of “Kirkpatrick’s Levels of Learning” were used to grade the impact size of study outcomes. Results From 127 potential titles, 41 were obtained as full-texts, and 19 selected after close examination and group deliberation. Fifteen studies focused on student-learner outcomes and four on student-teacher learning outcomes. Ten studies utilized randomized allocation and the majority of study participants were self-selected volunteers. Written examinations and observed clinical evaluations were common study outcome assessments. Eleven studies provided student-teachers with formal teacher training. Overall, results suggest that peer-teaching, in highly selective contexts, achieves short-term learner outcomes that are comparable with those produced by faculty-based teaching. Furthermore, peer-teaching has beneficial effects on student-teacher learning outcomes. Conclusions Peer-teaching in undergraduate medical programs is comparable to conventional teaching when utilized in selected contexts. There is evidence to suggest

  15. Are medical students accepted by patients in teaching hospitals?

    PubMed Central

    Marwan, Yousef; Al-Saddique, Muhammad; Hassan, Adnan; Karim, Jumanah; Al-Saleh, Mervat

    2012-01-01

    Background Worldwide, patients are the cornerstone of bedside teaching of medical students. In this study, the authors aimed to assess patients’ acceptability toward medical students in teaching hospitals of the Faculty of Medicine of Kuwait University. Methods Ninehundred and ninety five patients were approached in 14 teaching hospitals; 932 patients agreed to participate (refusal rate is 6.3%). A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Results In general, higher acceptance of students by patients was found when there is no direct contact between the patient and the student (e.g., reading patients’ files, presenting in outpatient clinic, observing doctors performing examination or procedures) compared to other situations (e.g., performing physical examination or procedures). Pediatrics patients showed higher acceptance of students compared to patients in other specialties, while Obstetrics/Gynecology patients showed the highest refusal of students. Gender of patients (especially females) and students appeared to affect the degree of acceptance of medical students by patients. Majority of the patients (436; 46.8%) believed that the presence of medical students in hospitals improves the quality of health care. Conclusion Patients are an important factor of bedside teaching. Clinical tutors must take advantage of patients who accept medical students. Clinical tutors and medical students should master essential communication skills to convince patients in accepting students, thus improving bedside teaching. Also, using simulation and standardization should be considered to address scenarios that most patients are unwilling to allow students to participate. PMID:22509091

  16. Twelve tips for teaching in a provincially distributed medical education program.

    PubMed

    Wong, Roger Y; Chen, Luke; Dhadwal, Gurbir; Fok, Mark C; Harder, Ken; Huynh, Hanh; Lunge, Ryan; Mackenzie, Mark; Mckinney, James; Ovalle, William; Rauniyar, Pooja; Tse, Luke; Villanyi, Diane

    2012-01-01

    As distributed undergraduate and postgraduate medical education becomes more common, the challenges with the teaching and learning process also increase. To collaboratively engage front line teachers in improving teaching in a distributed medical program. We recently conducted a contest on teaching tips in a provincially distributed medical education program and received entries from faculty and resident teachers. Tips that are helpful for teaching around clinical cases at distributed teaching sites include: ask "what if" questions to maximize clinical teaching opportunities, try the 5-min short snapper, multitask to allow direct observation, create dedicated time for feedback, there are really no stupid questions, and work with heterogeneous group of learners. Tips that are helpful for multi-site classroom teaching include: promote teacher-learner connectivity, optimize the long distance working relationship, use the reality television show model to maximize retention and captivate learners, include less teaching content if possible, tell learners what you are teaching and make it relevant and turn on the technology tap to fill the knowledge gap. Overall, the above-mentioned tips offered by front line teachers can be helpful in distributed medical education.

  17. The hidden curriculum in undergraduate medical education: qualitative study of medical students' perceptions of teaching.

    PubMed

    Lempp, Heidi; Seale, Clive

    2004-10-02

    To study medical students' views about the quality of the teaching they receive during their undergraduate training, especially in terms of the hidden curriculum. Semistructured interviews with individual students. One medical school in the United Kingdom. 36 undergraduate medical students, across all stages of their training, selected by random and quota sampling, stratified by sex and ethnicity, with the whole medical school population as a sampling frame. Medical students' experiences and perceptions of the quality of teaching received during their undergraduate training. Students reported many examples of positive role models and effective, approachable teachers, with valued characteristics perceived according to traditional gendered stereotypes. They also described a hierarchical and competitive atmosphere in the medical school, in which haphazard instruction and teaching by humiliation occur, especially during the clinical training years. Following on from the recent reforms of the manifest curriculum, the hidden curriculum now needs attention to produce the necessary fundamental changes in the culture of undergraduate medical education.

  18. Microbiology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spooner, D.

    1973-01-01

    Describes various types of training programs carried out in the study of microbiology. Indicates that the need for new energy sources and the expansion of medical schools and food industry may lead to an increasing demand for qualified microbiologists. (CC)

  19. Using movies to teach professionalism to medical students.

    PubMed

    Klemenc-Ketis, Zalika; Kersnik, Janko

    2011-08-23

    Professionalism topics are usually not covered as a separate lesson within formal curriculum, but in subtler and less officially recognized educational activities, which makes them difficult to teach and assess. Interactive methods (e.g. movies) could be efficient teaching methods but are rarely studied. The aims of this study were: 1) to test the relevance and usefulness of movies in teaching professionalism to fourth year medical students and, 2) to assess the impact of this teaching method on students' attitudes towards some professionalism topics. This was an education study with qualitative data analysis in a group of eleven fourth year medical students from the Medical School of University Maribor who attended an elective four month course on professionalism. There were 8 (66.7%) female students in the group. The mean age of the students was 21.9 ± 0.9 years. The authors used students' written reports and oral presentations as the basis for qualitative analysis using thematic codes. Students recognised the following dimensions in the movie: communication, empathy, doctors' personal interests and palliative care. It also made them think about their attitudes towards life, death and dying. The controlled environment of movies successfully enables students to explore their values, beliefs, and attitudes towards features of professionalism without feeling that their personal integrity had been threatened. Interactive teaching methods could become an indispensible aid in teaching professionalism to new generations.

  20. Teaching medical ethics in other countries.

    PubMed Central

    Wolstenholme, G

    1985-01-01

    In the past 20 years, around the world, there has been an explosion in the teaching of medical ethics. As the dust begins to settle, it would appear that such teaching is likely to have its most effective impact not during the undergraduate period but at the immediate postgraduate level and in continuing education. Whilst important contributions can be made by teachers of religion, philosophy and law, probably the essential wisdom, capable of standing a doctor in good stead throughout the developments of a lifetime's career, must largely come from those who have studied both medicine and ethics. It would be appropriate if the study of medical ethics were to lead to better international understanding among doctors. PMID:3981565

  1. European survey on principles of prudent antibiotic prescribing teaching in undergraduate students.

    PubMed

    Pulcini, C; Wencker, F; Frimodt-Møller, N; Kern, W V; Nathwani, D; Rodríguez-Baño, J; Simonsen, G S; Vlahović-Palčevski, V; Gyssens, I C

    2015-04-01

    We surveyed European medical schools regarding teaching of prudent antibiotic prescribing in the undergraduate curriculum. We performed a cross-sectional survey in 13 European countries (Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom) in 2013. Proportional sampling was used, resulting in the selection of two to four medical schools per country. A standardized questionnaire based on literature review and validated by a panel of experts was sent to lecturers in infectious diseases, medical microbiology and clinical pharmacology. In-depth interviews were conducted with four lecturers. Thirty-five of 37 medical schools were included in the study. Prudent antibiotic use principles were taught in all but one medical school, but only four of 13 countries had a national programme. Interactive teaching formats were used less frequently than passive formats. The teaching was mandatory for 53% of the courses and started before clinical training in 71%. We observed wide variations in exposure of students to important principles of prudent antibiotic use among countries and within the same country. Some major principles were poorly covered (e.g. reassessment and duration of antibiotic therapy, communication skills). Whereas 77% of the respondents fully agreed that the teaching of these principles should be prioritized, lack of time, mainly due to rigid curriculum policies, was the main reported barrier to implementation. Given the study design, these are probably optimistic results. Teaching of prudent antibiotic prescribing principles should be improved. National and European programmes for development of specific learning outcomes or competencies are urgently needed. Copyright © 2014 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Teaching Biochemistry to Medical Technology Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gomez-Silva, Benito; And Others

    1997-01-01

    Describes the biochemistry component of study to become a medical technologist in a Chilean university. Provides details of program structure, course content descriptions, and teaching strategies. (DDR)

  3. Developing the Psychologist's Credibility in Teaching First-Year Medical Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1984

    Tips are offered for psychologists who teach behavioral science to first-year medical students, based on a course offered at Creighton Medical School. It is suggested that medical students will work hard and are interested in learning topics that will be useful. It is important for the psychology instructor to teach a body of knowledge to medical…

  4. The evolution of global health teaching in undergraduate medical curricula.

    PubMed

    Rowson, Mike; Smith, Abi; Hughes, Rob; Johnson, Oliver; Maini, Arti; Martin, Sophie; Martineau, Fred; Miranda, J Jaime; Pollit, Vicki; Wake, Rae; Willott, Chris; Yudkin, John S

    2012-11-13

    Since the early 1990s there has been a burgeoning interest in global health teaching in undergraduate medical curricula. In this article we trace the evolution of this teaching and present recommendations for how the discipline might develop in future years. Undergraduate global health teaching has seen a marked growth over the past ten years, partly as a response to student demand and partly due to increasing globalization, cross-border movement of pathogens and international migration of health care workers. This teaching has many different strands and types in terms of topic focus, disciplinary background, the point in medical studies in which it is taught and whether it is compulsory or optional. We carried out a survey of medical schools across the world in an effort to analyse their teaching of global health. Results indicate that this teaching is rising in prominence, particularly through global health elective/exchange programmes and increasing teaching of subjects such as globalization and health and international comparison of health systems. Our findings indicate that global health teaching is moving away from its previous focus on tropical medicine towards issues of more global relevance. We suggest that there are three types of doctor who may wish to work in global health - the 'globalised doctor', 'humanitarian doctor' and 'policy doctor' - and that each of these three types will require different teaching in order to meet the required competencies. This teaching needs to be inserted into medical curricula in different ways, notably into core curricula, a special overseas doctor track, optional student selected components, elective programmes, optional intercalated degrees and postgraduate study. We argue that teaching of global health in undergraduate medical curricula must respond to changing understandings of the term global health. In particular it must be taught from the perspective of more disciplines than just biomedicine, in order to reflect

  5. The teaching of medical ethics.

    PubMed Central

    Sporken, P

    1975-01-01

    The following description of the situation in Maastricht in the Netherlands is unique as this is a new faculty of medicine and the opportunity has been taken to build the teaching of medical ethics into the curriculum from the start. PMID:1225974

  6. Using movies to teach professionalism to medical students

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Professionalism topics are usually not covered as a separate lesson within formal curriculum, but in subtler and less officially recognized educational activities, which makes them difficult to teach and assess. Interactive methods (e.g. movies) could be efficient teaching methods but are rarely studied. The aims of this study were: 1) to test the relevance and usefulness of movies in teaching professionalism to fourth year medical students and, 2) to assess the impact of this teaching method on students' attitudes towards some professionalism topics. Method This was an education study with qualitative data analysis in a group of eleven fourth year medical students from the Medical School of University Maribor who attended an elective four month course on professionalism. There were 8 (66.7%) female students in the group. The mean age of the students was 21.9 ± 0.9 years. The authors used students' written reports and oral presentations as the basis for qualitative analysis using thematic codes. Results Students recognised the following dimensions in the movie: communication, empathy, doctors' personal interests and palliative care. It also made them think about their attitudes towards life, death and dying. Conclusions The controlled environment of movies successfully enables students to explore their values, beliefs, and attitudes towards features of professionalism without feeling that their personal integrity had been threatened. Interactive teaching methods could become an indispensible aid in teaching professionalism to new generations. PMID:21861900

  7. Teaching and evaluation methods of medical ethics in the Saudi public medical colleges: cross-sectional questionnaire study

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Saudi Arabia is considered one of the most influential Muslim countries being as the host of the two most holy places for Muslims, namely Makkah and Madina. This was reflected in the emphasis on teaching medical ethics in a lecture-based format as a part of the subject of Islamic culture taught to medical students. Over the last few years, both teaching and evaluation of medical ethics have been changing as more Saudi academics received specialized training and qualifications in bioethics from western universities. Methods This study aims at studying the current teaching methods and evaluation tools used by the Saudi public medical schools. It is done using a self-administered online questionnaire. Results Out of the 14 medical schools that responded, the majority of the responding schools (6; 42.8%), had no ethics departments; but all schools had a curriculum dedicated to medical ethics. These curricula were mostly developed by the faculty staff (12; 85.7%). The most popular teaching method was lecturing (13; 92.8%). The most popular form of student assessment was a paper-based final examination (6; 42.8%) at the end of the course that was allocated 40% or more of the total grade of the ethics course. Six schools (42.8%) allocated 15-30% of the total grade to research. Conclusion Although there is a growing interest and commitment in teaching ethics to medical students in Saudi schools; there is lack of standardization in teaching and evaluation methods. There is a need for a national body to provide guidance for the medical schools to harmonize the teaching methods, particularly introducing more interactive and students-engaging methods on the account of passive lecturing. PMID:24020917

  8. Domestic violence teaching in UK medical schools: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Potter, Lucy C; Feder, Gene

    2017-10-06

    Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) is a leading contributor to the physical and mental ill health of women. Recent international guidance recommends that undergraduate medical curricula should include DVA. We do not know what is currently taught about DVA to medical students in the UK. Recent international guidance recommends that undergraduate medical curricula should include DVA METHOD: Teaching leads from all UK medical schools (n = 34) were invited to participate in an 18-item online survey about what DVA education is provided, their views of this provision and any feedback provided by students. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. A total of 25 out of 34 medical schools participated in the survey (74%). All respondents felt that there should be formal teaching on DVA in the medical curriculum. Eighty-four per cent of respondents reported that there was some formal teaching in their medical school, and 90% of these reported that it was mandatory. Of those who delivered some teaching, 52% reported that the provision was 0-2 hours in total. Most commonly content was delivered in year 4. DVA teaching was delivered in different modules, by different methods and delivered by a range of different providers. Seventy-five per cent of respondents reported that they felt the provision at their medical school was inadequate or not enough. Barriers to providing DVA education identified included time constraints, failure to perceive it as a medical problem and the assumption that it will be covered elsewhere. Most medical students in the UK receive a small amount of teaching on DVA towards the end of the curriculum. This is perceived as inadequate. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

  9. Undergraduate teaching on biological weapons and bioterrorism at medical schools in the UK and the Republic of Ireland: results of a cross-sectional study

    PubMed Central

    Green, Stephen T; Cladi, Lorenzo; Morris, Paul; Forde, Donall

    2013-01-01

    Objective To determine if individual undergraduate schools of medicine in the UK and the Republic of Ireland provide any teaching to medical students about biological weapons, bioterrorism, chemical weapons and weaponised radiation, if they perceive them to be relevant issues and if they figure them in their future plans. Design A cross-sectional study utilising an internet-based questionnaire sent to key figures responsible for leading on the planning and delivery of undergraduate medical teaching at all schools of medicine in the UK and Ireland. Setting All identified undergraduate schools of medicine in the UK and Ireland between August 2012 and December 2012. Outcome measures Numerical data and free text feedback about relevant aspects of undergraduate teaching. Results Of the 38 medical schools approached, 34 (28 in UK, 6 in Ireland) completed the questionnaire (89.47%). 4 (all in UK) chose not to complete it. 6/34 (17.65%) included some specific teaching on biological weapons and bioterrorism. 7/34 (20.59%) had staff with bioterrorism expertise (mainly in microbiological and syndromic aspects). 4/34 (11.76%) had plans to introduce some specific teaching on bioterrorism. Free text responses revealed that some felt that because key bodies (eg, UK's General Medical Council) did not request teaching on bioterrorism, then it should not be included, while others regarded this field of study as a postgraduate subject and not appropriate for undergraduates, or argued that the curriculum was too congested already. 4/34 (11.76%) included some specific teaching on chemical weapons, and 3/34 (8.82%) on weaponised radiation. Conclusions This study provides evidence that at the present time there is little teaching at the undergraduate level in the UK and Ireland on the subjects of biological weapons and bioterrorism, chemical weapons and weaponised radiation and signals that this situation is unlikely to change unless there were to be high-level policy guidance. PMID

  10. Teaching emergency medicine with workshops improved medical student satisfaction in emergency medicine education.

    PubMed

    Sricharoen, Pungkava; Yuksen, Chaiyaporn; Sittichanbuncha, Yuwares; Sawanyawisuth, Kittisak

    2015-01-01

    There are different teaching methods; such as traditional lectures, bedside teaching, and workshops for clinical medical clerkships. Each method has advantages and disadvantages in different situations. Emergency Medicine (EM) focuses on emergency medical conditions and deals with several emergency procedures. This study aimed to compare traditional teaching methods with teaching methods involving workshops in the EM setting for medical students. Fifth year medical students (academic year of 2010) at Ramathibodi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand participated in the study. Half of students received traditional teaching, including lectures and bedside teaching, while the other half received traditional teaching plus three workshops, namely, airway workshop, trauma workshop, and emergency medical services workshop. Student evaluations at the end of the clerkship were recorded. The evaluation form included overall satisfaction, satisfaction in overall teaching methods, and satisfaction in each teaching method. During the academic year 2010, there were 189 students who attended the EM rotation. Of those, 77 students (40.74%) were in the traditional EM curriculum, while 112 students were in the new EM curriculum. The average satisfaction score in teaching method of the new EM curriculum group was higher than the traditional EM curriculum group (4.54 versus 4.07, P-value <0.001). The top three highest average satisfaction scores in the new EM curriculum group were trauma workshop, bedside teaching, and emergency medical services workshop. The mean (standard deviation) satisfaction scores of those three teaching methods were 4.70 (0.50), 4.63 (0.58), and 4.60 (0.55), respectively. Teaching EM with workshops improved student satisfaction in EM education for medical students.

  11. The medically important aerobic actinomycetes: epidemiology and microbiology.

    PubMed Central

    McNeil, M M; Brown, J M

    1994-01-01

    The aerobic actinomycetes are soil-inhabiting microorganisms that occur worldwide. In 1888, Nocard first recognized the pathogenic potential of this group of microorganisms. Since then, several aerobic actinomycetes have been a major source of interest for the commercial drug industry and have proved to be extremely useful microorganisms for producing novel antimicrobial agents. They have also been well known as potential veterinary pathogens affecting many different animal species. The medically important aerobic actinomycetes may cause significant morbidity and mortality, in particular in highly susceptible severely immunocompromised patients, including transplant recipients and patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. However, the diagnosis of these infections may be difficult, and effective antimicrobial therapy may be complicated by antimicrobial resistance. The taxonomy of these microorganisms has been problematic. In recent revisions of their classification, new pathogenic species have been recognized. The development of additional and more reliable diagnostic tests and of a standardized method for antimicrobial susceptibility testing and the application of molecular techniques for the diagnosis and subtyping of these microorganisms are needed to better diagnose and treat infected patients and to identify effective control measures for these unusual pathogens. We review the epidemiology and microbiology of the major medically important aerobic actinomycetes. Images PMID:7923055

  12. [External quality control system in medical microbiology and parasitology in the Czech Republic].

    PubMed

    Slosárek, M; Petrás, P; Kríz, B

    2004-11-01

    The External Quality Control System (EQAS) of laboratory activities in medical microbiology and parasitology was implemented in the Czech Republic in 1993 with coded sera samples for diagnosis of viral hepatitis and bacterial strains for identification distributed to first participating laboratories. The number of sample types reached 31 in 2003 and the number of participating laboratories rised from 79 in 1993 to 421 in 2003. As many as 15.130 samples were distributed to the participating laboratories in 2003. Currently, almost all microbiology and parasitology laboratories in the Czech Republic involved in examination of clinical material participate in the EQAS. Based on the 11-year experience gained with the EQAS in the Czech Republic, the following benefits were observed: higher accuracy of results in different tests, standardisation of methods and the use of most suitable test kits.

  13. Prepared for practice? Law teaching and assessment in UK medical schools.

    PubMed

    Preston-Shoot, Michael; McKimm, Judy

    2010-11-01

    A revised core curriculum for medical ethics and law in UK medical schools has been published. The General Medical Council requires medical graduates to understand law and ethics and behave in accordance with ethical and legal principles. A parallel policy agenda emphasises accountability, the development of professionalism and patient safety. Given the renewed focus on teaching and learning law alongside medical ethics and the development of professional identity, this survey aimed to identify how medical schools are responding to the preparation of medical students for practice in the future. Questions were asked about the location, content and methods of teaching and assessment of law in undergraduate medical education. Examples of course documentation were requested to illustrate the approaches being taken. A 76% response rate was achieved. Most responding schools integrate law teaching with medical ethics, emphasising both the acquisition of knowledge and its application in a clinical context. Teaching, learning and assessment of law in clinical attachments is much less formalised than that in non-clinical education. Coverage of recommended topic areas varies, raising questions about the degree to which students can embed their knowledge and skills in actual practice. More positively, teaching does not rely on single individuals and clear descriptions were offered for problem-based and small group case-based learning. Further research is required to explore whether there are optimum ways of ensuring that legal knowledge, and skills in its use, form part of the development of professionalism among doctors in training.

  14. Implementing a Quality Management System in the Medical Microbiology Laboratory.

    PubMed

    Carey, Roberta B; Bhattacharyya, Sanjib; Kehl, Sue C; Matukas, Larissa M; Pentella, Michael A; Salfinger, Max; Schuetz, Audrey N

    2018-07-01

    This document outlines a comprehensive practical approach to a laboratory quality management system (QMS) by describing how to operationalize the management and technical requirements described in the ISO 15189 international standard. It provides a crosswalk of the ISO requirements for quality and competence for medical laboratories to the 12 quality system essentials delineated by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. The quality principles are organized under three main categories: quality infrastructure, laboratory operations, and quality assurance and continual improvement. The roles and responsibilities to establish and sustain a QMS are outlined for microbiology laboratory staff, laboratory management personnel, and the institution's leadership. Examples and forms are included to assist in the real-world implementation of this system and to allow the adaptation of the system for each laboratory's unique environment. Errors and nonconforming events are acknowledged and embraced as an opportunity to improve the quality of the laboratory, a culture shift from blaming individuals. An effective QMS encourages "systems thinking" by providing a process to think globally of the effects of any type of change. Ultimately, a successful QMS is achieved when its principles are adopted as part of daily practice throughout the total testing process continuum. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

  15. [Current panorama of the teaching of microbiology and parasitology in Spain].

    PubMed

    Cantón, Rafael; Sánchez-Romero, María Isabel; Gómez-Mampaso, Enrique

    2010-10-01

    The training program of residents in microbiology and parasitology in Spain includes clinical skills, ranging from the diagnostic approach to the patient and adequate sample collection for diagnosis of infectious diseases to antimicrobial therapy and infection control measures. Training also includes new challenges in clinical microbiology that ensure residents' participation in infection control programs of health-care associated infections, training in the resolution of public health problems, and application of new molecular microbiology methods. Specialization in clinical microbiology may be undertaken by graduates in Medicine, Biology, Biochemistry and Chemistry. The training is performed in accredited microbiology laboratories at different hospitals (n = 61) across the country through 4-year residency programs. In the last few years, there has been a major imbalance between the number of intended residents (0.17 per 100,000 inhabitants) and those graduating as specialists in clinical microbiology (0.13 per 100,000 inhabitants), with wide variations across the country. The current tendency in Europe is to strengthen the role of clinical microbiologists as key figures in the diagnosis of infectious diseases and in public health microbiology. Training programs have been hampered by the practice of sending samples for microbiological tests to external, centralized multipurpose laboratories with few clinical microbiologists and without a core curriculum. Essential elements in the training of specialists in clinical microbiology are a close relationship between the laboratory and the clinical center and collaboration with other specialists. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España S.L. All rights reserved.

  16. [Dr Guillermo Contreras Da Silva, a relevant figure in the development of Chilean microbiology].

    PubMed

    Cabello, Felipe C

    2008-02-01

    The influence of the work of Dr. Guillermo Contreras Da Silva and his colaborators on the evolution of microbiology in Chile is briefly analyzed. Dr. Contreras was trained in modern virology at Yale University with Dr. J. Melnick under the sponsorhip of the Rockefeller Foundation. During this training, he used serological methods to classify Cocksakie viruses. After his return to Chile, he studied the epidemiology of enteroviruses, including poliovirus. His laboratory, the country's first in modern virology, took an active role in Chile's first Sabin polio vaccination in 1961. Dr. Contreras and his group transformed the teaching and the character of microbiology in Chile from a descriptive medically oriented discipline into an autonomous, quantitative and experimental science. They modernized microbiology with the introduction of molecular biology and microbial genetics and fostered collaborations with allied biological sciences. Dr. Contreras was a Guggenheim Fellow, and until his retirement, was the Chief of the Viral Products Division, Bureau of Biologies, Ottawa, Canada.

  17. The effectiveness of gynaecology teaching associates in teaching pelvic examination to medical students: a randomised controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Janjua, Aisha; Smith, P; Chu, J; Raut, N; Malick, S; Gallos, I; Singh, R; Irani, S; Gupta, J K; Parle, J; Clark, T J

    2017-03-01

    To assess whether teaching female pelvic examinations using gynaecological teaching associates (GTAs); women who are trained to give instruction and feedback on gynaecological examination technique, improves the competence, confidence and communication skills of medical students compared to conventional teaching. Randomised controlled trial. Ten University of Birmingham (UoB) affiliated teaching hospitals in the UK. 492 final year medical students. GTA teaching of gynaecological examination compared with conventional pelvic manikin based teaching at the start of a five week clinical placement in obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G). Student's perception of their confidence was measured on a 10cm visual analogue scale (VAS). Domains of competence were measured by a senior clinical examiner using a standardised assessment tool which utilised 10cm VAS and by a GTA using a four point Likert scale. Assessors were blinded to the allocated teaching intervention. 407/492 (83%) students completed both the intervention and outcome assessment. Self-reported confidence was higher in students taught by GTAs compared with those taught on manikins (median score GTA 6.3; vs. conventional 5.8; p=0.03). Competence was also higher in those taught by GTAs when assessed by an examiner (median global score GTA 7.1 vs. conventional 6.0; p<0.001) and by a GTA (p<0.001). GTA teaching of female pelvic examination at the start of undergraduate medical student O&G clinical placements improves their confidence and competence compared with conventional pelvic manikin based teaching. GTAs should be introduced into undergraduate medical curricula to teach pelvic examination. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Peer teaching in medical education: twelve reasons to move from theory to practice.

    PubMed

    Ten Cate, Olle; Durning, Steven

    2007-09-01

    To provide an estimation of how often peer teaching is applied in medical education, based on reports in the literature and to summarize reasons that support the use of this form of teaching. We surveyed the 2006 medical education literature and categorised reports of peer teaching according to educational distance between students teaching and students taught, group size, and level of formality of the teaching. Subsequently, we analysed the rationales for applying peer teaching. Most reports were published abstracts in either Medical Education's annual feature 'Really Good Stuff' or the AMEE's annual conference proceedings. We identified twelve distinct reasons to apply peer teaching, including 'alleviating faculty teaching burden', 'providing role models for junior students', 'enhancing intrinsic motivation' and 'preparing physicians for their future role as educators'. Peer teaching appears to be practiced often, but many peer teaching reports do not become full length journal articles. We conclude that specifically 'near-peer teaching' appears beneficial for student teachers and learners as well as for the organisation. The analogy of the 'journeyman', as intermediate between 'apprentice' and 'master', with both learning and teaching tasks, is a valuable but yet under-recognized source of education in the medical education continuum.

  19. A study to enhance medical students' professional decision-making, using teaching interventions on common medications.

    PubMed

    Wilcock, Jane; Strivens, Janet

    2015-01-01

    Aim To create sustained improvements in medical students' critical thinking skills through short teaching interventions in pharmacology. Method The ability to make professional decisions was assessed by providing year-4 medical students at a UK medical school with a novel medical scenario (antenatal pertussis vaccination). Forty-seven students in the 2012 cohort acted as a pretest group, answering a questionnaire on this novel scenario. To improve professional decision-making skills, 48 students from the 2013 cohort were introduced to three commonly used medications, through tutor-led 40-min teaching interventions, among six small groups using a structured presentation of evidence-based medicine and ethical considerations. Student members then volunteered to peer-teach on a further three medications. After a gap of 8 weeks, this cohort (post-test group) was assessed for professional decision-making skills using the pretest questionnaire, and differences in the 2-year groups analysed. Results Students enjoyed presenting on medications to their peers but had difficulty interpreting studies and discussing ethical dimensions; this was improved by contextualising information via patient scenarios. After 8 weeks, most students did not show enhanced clinical curiosity, a desire to understand evidence, or ethical questioning when presented with a novel medical scenario compared to the previous year group who had not had the intervention. Students expressed a high degree of trust in guidelines and expert tutors and felt that responsibility for their own actions lay with these bodies. Conclusion Short teaching interventions in pharmacology did not lead to sustained improvements in their critical thinking skills in enhancing professional practice. It appears that students require earlier and more frequent exposure to these skills in their medical training.

  20. A study to enhance medical students’ professional decision-making, using teaching interventions on common medications

    PubMed Central

    Wilcock, Jane; Strivens, Janet

    2015-01-01

    Aim To create sustained improvements in medical students’ critical thinking skills through short teaching interventions in pharmacology. Method The ability to make professional decisions was assessed by providing year-4 medical students at a UK medical school with a novel medical scenario (antenatal pertussis vaccination). Forty-seven students in the 2012 cohort acted as a pretest group, answering a questionnaire on this novel scenario. To improve professional decision-making skills, 48 students from the 2013 cohort were introduced to three commonly used medications, through tutor-led 40-min teaching interventions, among six small groups using a structured presentation of evidence-based medicine and ethical considerations. Student members then volunteered to peer-teach on a further three medications. After a gap of 8 weeks, this cohort (post-test group) was assessed for professional decision-making skills using the pretest questionnaire, and differences in the 2-year groups analysed. Results Students enjoyed presenting on medications to their peers but had difficulty interpreting studies and discussing ethical dimensions; this was improved by contextualising information via patient scenarios. After 8 weeks, most students did not show enhanced clinical curiosity, a desire to understand evidence, or ethical questioning when presented with a novel medical scenario compared to the previous year group who had not had the intervention. Students expressed a high degree of trust in guidelines and expert tutors and felt that responsibility for their own actions lay with these bodies. Conclusion Short teaching interventions in pharmacology did not lead to sustained improvements in their critical thinking skills in enhancing professional practice. It appears that students require earlier and more frequent exposure to these skills in their medical training. PMID:26051556

  1. A study to enhance medical students' professional decision-making, using teaching interventions on common medications.

    PubMed

    Wilcock, Jane; Strivens, Janet

    2015-01-01

    To create sustained improvements in medical students' critical thinking skills through short teaching interventions in pharmacology. The ability to make professional decisions was assessed by providing year-4 medical students at a UK medical school with a novel medical scenario (antenatal pertussis vaccination). Forty-seven students in the 2012 cohort acted as a pretest group, answering a questionnaire on this novel scenario. To improve professional decision-making skills, 48 students from the 2013 cohort were introduced to three commonly used medications, through tutor-led 40-min teaching interventions, among six small groups using a structured presentation of evidence-based medicine and ethical considerations. Student members then volunteered to peer-teach on a further three medications. After a gap of 8 weeks, this cohort (post-test group) was assessed for professional decision-making skills using the pretest questionnaire, and differences in the 2-year groups analysed. Students enjoyed presenting on medications to their peers but had difficulty interpreting studies and discussing ethical dimensions; this was improved by contextualising information via patient scenarios. After 8 weeks, most students did not show enhanced clinical curiosity, a desire to understand evidence, or ethical questioning when presented with a novel medical scenario compared to the previous year group who had not had the intervention. Students expressed a high degree of trust in guidelines and expert tutors and felt that responsibility for their own actions lay with these bodies. Short teaching interventions in pharmacology did not lead to sustained improvements in their critical thinking skills in enhancing professional practice. It appears that students require earlier and more frequent exposure to these skills in their medical training.

  2. Improved Medical Student Perception of Ultrasound Using a Paired Anatomy Teaching Assistant and Clinician Teaching Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Jacob P.; Kendall, John L.; Royer, Danielle F.

    2018-01-01

    This study describes a new teaching model for ultrasound (US) training, and evaluates its effect on medical student attitudes toward US. First year medical students participated in hands-on US during human gross anatomy (2014 N = 183; 2015 N = 182). The sessions were facilitated by clinicians alone in 2014, and by anatomy teaching assistant…

  3. Molecular epidemiology and virulence characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization in medical laboratory staff: comparison between microbiological and non-microbiological laboratories.

    PubMed

    Xie, Xiaoying; Dai, Xinlu; Ni, Lijia; Chen, Baiji; Luo, Zhaofan; Yao, Yandan; Wu, Xiquan; Li, Hongyu; Huang, Songyin

    2018-03-12

    Medical laboratory staff are a high-risk population for colonization of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) due to direct and dense contact with the pathogens; however, there is limited information about this colonization. This study sought to determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of nasal colonization by S. aureus in medical laboratory staff in Guangzhou, southern China, and to compare the differences between microbiological laboratory (MLS) and non-microbiological laboratory (NMLS) staff. S. aureus colonization was assessed by nasal swab cultures from 434 subjects, including 130 MLSs and 304 NMLSs from 33 hospitals in Guangzhou. All S. aureus isolates underwent the antimicrobial susceptibility test, virulence gene detection and molecular typing. The overall prevalence of S. aureus carriage was 20.1% (87/434), which was higher in MLSs than in NMLSs (26.2% vs. 17.4%, P < 0.05), while the prevalence of Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was similar. Living with hospital staff was associated with S. aureus carriage. The majority of the isolates harboured various virulence genes, and those in MLSs appeared less resistant to antibiotics and more virulent than their counterparts. A total of 37 different spa types were detected; among these, t338, t437, t189 and t701 were the most frequently encountered types. T338 was the main spa type contributing to nasal colonization Methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) (13.0%), and t437-SCCmec IV was predominant in MRSA isolates (40%). These findings provide insight into the risk factors, molecular epidemiology and virulence gene profiles of S. aureus nasal carriage among the medical laboratory staff in Guangzhou.

  4. Performance of Clinical Nurse Educators in Teaching Pharmacology and Medication Management: Nursing Students' Perceptions.

    PubMed

    Ghamari Zare, Zohre; Adib-Hajbaghery, Mohsen

    2016-03-01

    Pharmacological knowledge and medication management skills of student nurses greatly depend on the clinical nurse educators' performance in this critical issue. However, the Iranian nurse educators' performance in teaching pharmacology and medication management are not adequately studied. The current study aimed to investigate the nursing students' perceptions on the status of clinical pharmaceutical and medication management education. A cross-sectional study was conducted on all 152 nursing students registered in the seventh and eighth semesters at the Qom and Naragh branches of Islamic Azad University, and Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2013 - 2014 academic year. The students' perceptions on the performance of clinical nurse educators in teaching pharmacology and medication management were assessed using a researcher made questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 31 items regarding clinical educators' performance in teaching pharmacology and medication management and two questions about students' satisfaction with their level of knowledge and skills in pharmacology and medication management. Descriptive statistics was employed and analysis of variance was performed to compare the mean of scores of teaching pharmacology and medication management in the three universities. Among a total of 152 subjects, 82.9% were female and their mean age was 22.57 ± 1.55 years. According to the students, instructors had the weakest performance in the three items of teaching pharmacology and medication management based on the students' learning needs, teaching medication management through a patient-centered method and teaching pharmacology and medication management based on the course plan. The students' satisfaction regarding their own knowledge and skill of pharmacology and medication management was at medium level. Nursing students gave a relatively low score in several aspects of their instructors' performance regarding teaching pharmacology and medication

  5. Twelve tips on teaching and learning humanism in medical education.

    PubMed

    Cohen, Libby Gordon; Sherif, Youmna Ashraf

    2014-08-01

    The teaching of humanistic values is recognized as an essential component of medical education and continuing professional development of physicians. The application of humanistic values in medical care can benefit medical students, clinicians and patients. This article presents 12 tips on fostering humanistic values in medical education. The authors reviewed the literature and present 12 practical tips that are relevant to contemporary practices. The tips can be used in teaching and sustaining humanistic values in medical education. Humanistic values can be incorporated in formal preclinical environments, the transition into clinical settings, medical curricula and clinical clerkships. Additionally, steps can be taken so that medical educators and institutions promote and sustain humanistic values.

  6. Teaching and assessing medical ethics: where are we now?

    PubMed Central

    Mattick, K; Bligh, J

    2006-01-01

    Objectives To characterise UK undergraduate medical ethics curricula and to identify opportunities and threats to teaching and learning. Design Postal questionnaire survey of UK medical schools enquiring about teaching and assessment, including future perspectives. Participants The lead for teaching and learning at each medical school was invited to complete a questionnaire. Results Completed responses were received from 22/28 schools (79%). Seventeen respondents deemed their aims for ethics teaching to be successful. Twenty felt ethics should be learnt throughout the course and 13 said ethics teaching and learning should be fully integrated horizontally. Twenty felt variety in assessment was important and three tools was the preferred number. A shortfall in ethics core competencies did not preclude graduation in 15 schools. The most successful aspects of courses were perceived to be their integrated nature and the small group teaching; weaknesses were described as a need for still greater integration and the heavily theoretical aspects of ethics. The major concerns about how ethics would be taught in the future related to staffing and staff development. Conclusions This study describes how ethics was taught and assessed in 2004. The findings show that, although ethics now has an accepted place in the curriculum, more can be done to ensure that the recommended content is taught and assessed optimally. PMID:16507668

  7. Microbiological investigations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ferguson, J. K.; Taylor, G. R.; Mieszkuc, B. J.

    1975-01-01

    The crew microbiology program was conducted to evaluate lunar contamination, to detect potentially pathogenic microoganisms, to identify medically important microorganisms recovered from ill crewmen, to aid in diagnosis and treatment, and to collect microbiological data that would aid in elucidating the response of the crew microbial autoflora to the space flight environment and in evaluating the resultant effect on the crewmember. Microbiological sampling of selected sites in the command module was initiated in support of the quarantine program. During lunar quarantine missions, microbial screening was accomplished for all support personnel to be isolated with the returning crewman. Virology support for the Apollo project consisted of characterization of the viral and mycoplasma flora of the crewmembers and performance of viral serology for crewmembers, crew contacts, and key mission personnel. Procedures and results are discussed in detail.

  8. An Option in Applied Microbiology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, William E., III

    1988-01-01

    Describes a program option for undergraduate chemical engineering students interested in biotechnology. Discusses how this program is deployed at the University of Southern Florida. Lists courses which apply to this program. Discusses the goals of teaching applied microbiology to engineering majors. (CW)

  9. Project-based learning methodology in the area of microbiology applied to undergraduate medical research.

    PubMed

    Mateo, Estibaliz; Sevillano, Elena

    2018-07-01

    In the recent years, there has been a decrease in the number of medical professionals dedicated to a research career. There is evidence that students with a research experience during their training acquire knowledge and skills that increase the probability of getting involved in research more successfully. In the Degree of Medicine (University of the Basque Country) the annual core subject 'Research Project' introduces students to research. The aim of this work was to implement a project-based learning methodology, with the students working on microbiology, and to analyse its result along time. Given an initial scenario, the students had to come up with a research idea related to medical microbiology and to carry out a research project, including writing a funding proposal, developing the experimental assays and analyzing and presenting their results to a congress organized by the University. Summative assessment was performed by both students and teachers. A satisfaction survey was carried out to gather the students' opinion. The overall results regarding to the classroom dynamics, learning results and motivation after the implementation were favourable. Students referred a greater interest about research than they had before. They would choose the project based methodology versus the traditional one.

  10. Good teaching is good teaching: A narrative review for effective medical educators.

    PubMed

    Berman, Anthony C

    2015-01-01

    Educators have tried for many years to define teaching and effective teachers. More specifically, medical educators have tried to define what characteristics are common to successful teachers in the healthcare arena. The goal of teacher educators has long been to determine what makes an effective teacher so that they could do a better job of preparing future teachers to have a positive impact on the learning of their students. Medical educators have explored what makes some of their colleagues more able than others to facilitate the development of healthcare professionals who can successfully and safely meet the needs of future patients. Although there has historically been disagreement regarding the characteristics that need be developed in order for teachers to be effective, educational theorists have consistently agreed that becoming an effective teacher is a complex task. Such discussions have been central to deciding what education at any level is really all about. By exploring the literature and reflecting upon the personal experiences encountered in his lengthy career as a teacher, and as a teacher of teachers, the author reaches the conclusions that teaching is both art and science, that "good teaching is good teaching" regardless of the learning environment or the subject to be explored, and that the characteristics making up an effective medical educator are really not much different than those making up effective educators in any other area. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

  11. The microbiology and the efficacy of antibiotic-based medical treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis in Singapore.

    PubMed

    Chin, C W D; Yeak, C L S; Wang, D Y

    2010-12-01

    Medical therapy including appropriate antibiotic treatment is advocated for the management of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), with sinus surgery reserved for treatment failures. This study investigates the microbiology of CRS and their response to culture-directed antibiotic treatment. Sinus aspirates of mucopus from 172 consecutive CRS patients, with (n=89) and without (n=83) previous antibiotic treatment, were obtained for bacterial culture at their first visit. Medical treatment which included initial empirical and subsequent culture-directed antibiotics was instituted. Endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) was performed for patients with persistent CRS and/or complications of CRS. A follow-up of 12 months was scheduled for all patients. One hundred and twenty (69.8%) patients were treated successfully by with antibiotic-based medical therapy. Thirty-eight patients (22.1%) did not respond to medical treatment and eventually underwent FESS. The incidence of CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) was higher in FESS group (n=13, 34.2%) than patients with medical treatment only (n=9, 6.7%). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen (n=43, 25%) and amongst patients with no prior antibiotic treatment, the incidence was higher in patients with CRSwNP (n=8, 53 %) than CRS without NP (CRSwoNP) (n=20, 27%). The rate of sensitivity of the cultured microbes to amoxicillin with clavulanate and cephalosporins was 78% and 70%, respectively. The microbiology of CRS in Singapore is described. Staphylococcus aureus appears to be the most common bacterial isolates in both CRS with and without nasal polyps. Medical treatment with CRS using culture-directed antibiotics is effective in the majority of patients, especially in patients without nasal polyps.

  12. Perceptions of medical school graduates and students regarding their academic preparation to teach.

    PubMed

    Henry, B W; Haworth, J G; Hering, P

    2006-09-01

    How medical students learn and develop the characteristics associated with good teaching in medicine is not well known. Information about this process can improve the academic preparation of medical students for teaching responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to determine how different experiences contributed to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of medical school graduates and students regarding medical teaching. A questionnaire was developed, addressing reliability and validity considerations, and given to first year residents and third year medical students (taught by those residents). Completed questionnaires were collected from 76 residents and 110 students (81% of the sample group). Item responses were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Most residents (n = 54; 71%) positively viewed opportunities they had to practice teaching when they were seniors. Residents rated three activities for learning to teach highest: (1) observing teachers as they teach; (2) reviewing the material to be taught; and (3) directly teaching students; representing both individual and participatory ways of learning. Residents' self ratings of teaching behaviours improved over time and this self assessment by the residents was validated by the students' responses. Comparison between residents' self ratings and students' views of typical resident teaching behaviours showed agreement on levels of competence, confidence, and motivation. The students rated characteristics of enthusiasm, organisation, and fulfilment lower (p<0.002) than residents rated themselves. The residents and students in this study viewed academic preparation for teaching responsibilities positively and showed agreement on characteristics of good teaching that may be helpful indicators in the process of developing medical teachers.

  13. Evaluation of an online program to teach microbiology to internal medicine residents.

    PubMed

    Guarner, Jeannette; Burd, Eileen M; Kraft, Colleen S; Armstrong, Wendy S; Lenorr, Kenya; Spicer, Jennifer O; Martin, Donna; del Rio, Carlos

    2015-01-01

    Microbiology rounds are an integral part of infectious disease consultation service. During microbiology rounds, we highlight microbiology principles using vignettes. We created case-based, interactive, microbiology online modules similar to the vignettes presented during microbiology rounds. Since internal medicine residents rotating on our infectious disease elective have limited time to participate in rounds and learn microbiology, our objective was to evaluate the use of the microbiology online modules by internal medicine residents. We asked residents to complete 10 of 25 online modules during their infectious disease elective. We evaluated which modules they chose and the change in their knowledge level. Forty-six internal medicine residents completed assessments given before and after accessing the modules with an average of 11/20 (range, 6 to 19) and 16/20 (range, 9 to 20) correct questions, respectively (average improvement, 5 questions; P = 0.0001). The modules accessed by more than 30 residents included those related to Clostridium difficile, anaerobes, Candida spp., Streptococcus pneumoniae, influenza, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Neisseria meningitidis. We demonstrated improved microbiology knowledge after completion of the online modules. This improvement may not be solely attributed to completing the online modules, as fellows and faculty may have provided additional microbiology education during the rotation. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  14. Can Medical Students Teach? A Near-Peer-Led Teaching Program for "Year 1" Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, T. A.; Evans, D. J. R.

    2012-01-01

    The General Medical Council states that United Kingdom graduates must function effectively as educators. There is a growing body of evidence showing that medical students can be included as teachers within a medical curriculum. Our aim was to design and implement a near-peer-led teaching program in an undergraduate medical curriculum and assess…

  15. Teaching About Climate Change in Medical Education: An Opportunity

    PubMed Central

    Maxwell, Janie; Blashki, Grant

    2016-01-01

    Climate change threatens many of the gains in development and health over the last century. However, it could also be a catalyst for a necessary societal transformation to a sustainable and healthy future. Doctors have a crucial role in climate change mitigation and health system adaptation to prepare for emergent health threats and a carbon-constrained future. This paper argues that climate change should be integrated into medical education for three reasons: first, to prepare students for clinical practice in a climate-changing world; secondly, to promote public health and eco-health literacy; and finally, to deepen existing learning and strengthen graduate attributes. This paper builds on existing literature and the authors’ experience to outline potential learning objectives, teaching methods and assessment tasks. In the wake of recent progress at the United Nations climate change conference, COP-21, it is hoped that this paper will assist universities to integrate teaching about climate change into medical education. Significance for public health There is a strong case for teaching about climate change in medical education. Anthropogenic climate change is accepted by scientists, governments and health authorities internationally. Given the dire implications for human health, climate change is of fundamental relevance to future doctors. Integrating climate change into medical education offers an opportunity for future doctors to develop skills and insights essential for clinical practice and a public health role in a climate-changing world. This echoes a broader call for improved public health literacy among medical graduates. This paper provides medical schools with a rationale and an outline for teaching on climate change. PMID:27190980

  16. Teaching About Climate Change in Medical Education: An Opportunity.

    PubMed

    Maxwell, Janie; Blashki, Grant

    2016-04-26

    Climate change threatens many of the gains in development and health over the last century. However, it could also be a catalyst for a necessary societal transformation to a sustainable and healthy future. Doctors have a crucial role in climate change mitigation and health system adaptation to prepare for emergent health threats and a carbon-constrained future. This paper argues that climate change should be integrated into medical education for three reasons: first, to prepare students for clinical practice in a climate-changing world; secondly, to promote public health and eco-health literacy; and finally, to deepen existing learning and strengthen graduate attributes. This paper builds on existing literature and the authors' experience to outline potential learning objectives, teaching methods and assessment tasks. In the wake of recent progress at the United Nations climate change conference, COP-21, it is hoped that this paper will assist universities to integrate teaching about climate change into medical education. Significance for public healthThere is a strong case for teaching about climate change in medical education. Anthropogenic climate change is accepted by scientists, governments and health authorities internationally. Given the dire implications for human health, climate change is of fundamental relevance to future doctors. Integrating climate change into medical education offers an opportunity for future doctors to develop skills and insights essential for clinical practice and a public health role in a climate-changing world. This echoes a broader call for improved public health literacy among medical graduates. This paper provides medical schools with a rationale and an outline for teaching on climate change.

  17. The case for biocentric microbiology.

    PubMed

    Aziz, Ramy Karam

    2009-08-04

    Microbiology is a relatively modern scientific discipline intended to objectively study microorganisms, including pathogens and nonpathogens. However, since its birth, this science has been negatively affected by anthropocentric convictions, including rational and irrational beliefs. Among these, for example, is the artificial separation between environmental and medical microbiology that weakens both disciplines. Anthropocentric microbiology also fails to properly answer questions concerning the evolution of microbial pathogenesis. Here, I argue that an exclusively biocentric microbiology is imperative for improving our understanding not only of the microbial world, but also of our own species, our guts, and the world around us.

  18. The Core Course in Medical Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knight, Vernon; And Others

    1978-01-01

    Principal features of Baylor's course are annually-revised lecture handouts, medically-oriented laboratory sessions with a manual written especially for the course, and clinical demonstrations of infectious disease. Improvement in student performance seems to be related to the course format, increased teaching proficiency, and allocations of hours…

  19. Preparing Fourth-Year Medical Students to Teach During Internship

    PubMed Central

    Haber, Richard J; Bardach, Naomi S; Vedanthan, Rajesh; Gillum, Leslie A; Haber, Lawrence A; Dhaliwal, Gurpreet S

    2006-01-01

    Interns are expected to teach medical students, yet there is little formal training in medical school to prepare them for this role. To enhance the teaching skills of our graduating students we initiated a 4-hour “teaching to teach” course as part of the end of the fourth-year curriculum. Course evaluations demonstrate that students strongly support this program (overall ratings 2000 to 2005: mean = 4.4 [scale 1 to 5], n = 224). When 2004 course participants were surveyed during the last month of their internship, 84%“agree” or “strongly agree” with the statement: “The teaching to teach course helped prepare me for my role as a teacher during internship” (2005: mean 4.2 [scale 1 to 5], n = 45, response rate 60%). A course preparing fourth-year students to teach during internship is both feasible and reproducible, with a minimal commitment of faculty and resident time. Participants identify it as an important addition to their education and as useful during internship. PMID:16704402

  20. Teaching Medical Students Basic Neurotransmitter Pharmacology Using Primary Research Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halliday, Amy C.; Devonshire, Ian M.; Greenfield, Susan A.; Dommett, Eleanor J.

    2010-01-01

    Teaching pharmacology to medical students has long been seen as a challenge, and one to which a number of innovative approaches have been taken. In this article, we describe and evaluate the use of primary research articles in teaching second-year medical students both in terms of the information learned and the use of the papers themselves. We…

  1. Muddy puddles - the microbiology of puddles located outside tertiary university teaching hospitals.

    PubMed

    Furukawa, M; McCaughan, J; Stirling, J; Millar, B C; Bell, J; Goldsmith, C E; Reid, A; Misawa, N; Moore, J E

    2018-04-01

    In the British Isles, the frequency of rain results in the formation of puddles on footpaths and roads in/around hospitals. No data are available demonstrating the microbiological composition of such puddles and therefore a study was undertaken to examine the microbiology of puddles in the grounds of two tertiary university-teaching hospitals (18 sites) and compared with control puddles from non-hospital rural environments (eight sites), estimating (i) total viable count; (ii) identification of organisms in puddles; (iii) enumeration of Escherichia coli: (iv) detection of Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase producing organisms and (v) direct antimicrobial susceptibility testing. A mean count of 2·3 × 10 3  CFU per ml and 1·0 × 10 9  CFU per ml was obtained for hospital and non-hospital puddles respectively. Isolates (n = 77; 54 hospital and 23 non-hospital) were isolated comprising of 23 species among 17 genera (hospital sites), where the majority (10/16; 62·5%) of genera identified were Gram-negative approximately, a fifth (20·6%) were shared by hospital and non-hospital rural samples. Escherichia coli was detected in half of the hospital puddles and under-half (37·5%) of the rural puddles extended spectrum β-lactamase organisms were not detected in any samples examined. Rainwater puddles from the hospital and non-hospital environments contain a diverse range of bacteria, which are capable of causing infections. This study demonstrated the presence of a wide diversity of bacterial taxa associated with rainwater puddles around hospitals, many of which are capable of causing human disease. Of clinical significance is the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from a hospital puddle, particularly for patients with cystic fibrosis. The presence of potentially disease-causing bacteria in puddles in and around hospitals identifies a new potential environmental reservoir of bacteria. Furthermore work is now needed to define their potential of entering or

  2. [Medical specialty choice: what impact of teaching? Results of a survey of two medical schools].

    PubMed

    Gaucher, Sonia; Thabut, Dominique

    2013-04-01

    Determinants of career choice are numerous. The impact of teaching has not yet been reported. The objectives were to assess determinants of career choice among DCEM 4 (sixth year) medical students at Paris Descartes University and Pierre-et-Marie-Curie University; and to determine the impact of teaching on career choice. Prospective study based on an online survey, after the 2011 National Grading Examination, among 865 DCEM 4 students. Collection of socio-demographic data, commonly reported determinants of medical specialty choice, and the impact of the teaching on this choice. Two hundred and seven (24%) students (67% female) answered the survey. During their medical studies, students changed their mind on their career choice an average of 3 times (range 0-10). Nearly 60% of them made their final choice during the fifth year. Choices varied significantly between the beginning and end of the studies (P<0.0001), with interest in surgical and pediatric careers falling significantly (P<0.0001 and p=0.0003 respectively). At the time of expressing the final choice, surgical careers were mainly chosen by male students (19.8% of males vs. 9.9% of females, P=0.04), whereas medical careers were chosen equally by males and females (37.7% vs. 35.5%, P=0.75). The main determinant was interest in the specialty (96% of students), followed by perceived quality of life (56% of students). Teaching was a determinant for 74% of students, of whom 88% were influenced by the teaching they received during their clinical training. In 42% of cases, the teacher did not belong to the university corpus. In 10% of cases, students were discouraged from their choice by a teacher (a university professor in 50%). Our results highlight the impact of both teaching and the teacher on medical students' career choice. If career choice is now compelled in France by the "careers law", teaching is more than ever an effective way of interesting students in specialties which might appear less attractive. At

  3. Microbiology Education in Nursing Practice.

    PubMed

    Durrant, Robert J; Doig, Alexa K; Buxton, Rebecca L; Fenn, JoAnn P

    2017-01-01

    Nurses must have sufficient education and training in microbiology to perform many roles within clinical nursing practice (e.g., administering antibiotics, collecting specimens, preparing specimens for transport and delivery, educating patients and families, communicating results to the healthcare team, and developing care plans based on results of microbiology studies and patient immunological status). It is unclear whether the current microbiology courses required of nursing students in the United States focus on the topics that are most relevant to nursing practice. To gauge the relevance of current microbiology education to nursing practice, we created a confidential, web-based survey that asked nurses about their past microbiology education, the types of microbiology specimens they collect, their duties that require knowledge of microbiology, and how frequently they encounter infectious diseases in practice. We used the survey responses to develop data-driven recommendations for educators who teach microbiology to pre-nursing and nursing students. Two hundred ninety-six Registered Nurses (RNs) completed the survey. The topics they deemed most relevant to current practice were infection control, hospital-acquired infections, disease transmission, and collection and handling of patient specimens. Topics deemed least relevant were the Gram stain procedure and microscope use. In addition, RNs expressed little interest in molecular testing methods. This may reflect a gap in their understanding of the uses of these tests, which could be bridged in a microbiology course. We now have data in support of anecdotal evidence that nurses are most engaged when learning about microbiology topics that have the greatest impact on patient care. Information from this survey will be used to shift the focus of microbiology courses at our university to topics more relevant to nursing practice. Further, these findings may also support an effort to evolve national recommendations for

  4. Microbiology Education in Nursing Practice†

    PubMed Central

    Durrant, Robert J.; Doig, Alexa K.; Buxton, Rebecca L.; Fenn, JoAnn P.

    2017-01-01

    Nurses must have sufficient education and training in microbiology to perform many roles within clinical nursing practice (e.g., administering antibiotics, collecting specimens, preparing specimens for transport and delivery, educating patients and families, communicating results to the healthcare team, and developing care plans based on results of microbiology studies and patient immunological status). It is unclear whether the current microbiology courses required of nursing students in the United States focus on the topics that are most relevant to nursing practice. To gauge the relevance of current microbiology education to nursing practice, we created a confidential, web-based survey that asked nurses about their past microbiology education, the types of microbiology specimens they collect, their duties that require knowledge of microbiology, and how frequently they encounter infectious diseases in practice. We used the survey responses to develop data-driven recommendations for educators who teach microbiology to pre-nursing and nursing students. Two hundred ninety-six Registered Nurses (RNs) completed the survey. The topics they deemed most relevant to current practice were infection control, hospital-acquired infections, disease transmission, and collection and handling of patient specimens. Topics deemed least relevant were the Gram stain procedure and microscope use. In addition, RNs expressed little interest in molecular testing methods. This may reflect a gap in their understanding of the uses of these tests, which could be bridged in a microbiology course. We now have data in support of anecdotal evidence that nurses are most engaged when learning about microbiology topics that have the greatest impact on patient care. Information from this survey will be used to shift the focus of microbiology courses at our university to topics more relevant to nursing practice. Further, these findings may also support an effort to evolve national recommendations for

  5. Teaching medical information retrieval and application courses in Chinese universities: a case study.

    PubMed

    Clark, Adam W; Li, Hong-Mei

    2010-12-01

    An important aspect of Chinese academic health science libraries is their involvement in teaching medical information retrieval courses as part of the medical curriculum. Health science librarians in China have a more formal teaching role than is generally found in Western countries, including many full-time teaching positions. This article provides a case study of Kunming Medical University Library, where courses are provided as credit units at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The teaching practices of Chinese health science libraries are compared with teaching experiences reported in Western countries. It is noted that Chinese government's educational policy is similar to that of the United States in promoting the role of the library in teaching subjects as part of the medical curriculum. In China, this has lead to the development of teaching departments within health science libraries and the appointment of full and part-time teacher librarians. © 2010 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2010 Health Libraries Group.

  6. Lectures on Inhumanity: Teaching Medical Ethics in German Medical Schools Under Nazism.

    PubMed

    Bruns, Florian; Chelouche, Tessa

    2017-04-18

    Nazi medicine and its atrocities have been explored in depth over the past few decades, but scholars have started to examine medical ethics under Nazism only in recent years. Given the medical crimes and immoral conduct of physicians during the Third Reich, it is often assumed that Nazi medical authorities spurned ethics. However, in 1939, Germany introduced mandatory lectures on ethics as part of the medical curriculum. Course catalogs and archival sources show that lectures on ethics were an integral part of the medical curriculum in Germany between 1939 and 1945. Nazi officials established lecturer positions for the new subject area, named Medical Law and Professional Studies, at every medical school. The appointed lecturers were mostly early members of the Nazi Party and imparted Nazi political and moral values in their teaching. These values included the unequal worth of human beings, the moral imperative of preserving a pure Aryan people, the authoritarian role of the physician, the individual's obligation to stay healthy, and the priority of public health over individual-patient care. This article shows that there existed not only a Nazi version of medical ethics but also a systematic teaching of such ethics to students in Nazi Germany. The findings illustrate that, from a historical point of view, the notion of "eternal values" that are inherent to the medical profession is questionable. Rather, the prevailing medical ethos can be strongly determined by politics and the zeitgeist and therefore has to be repeatedly negotiated.

  7. Performance of Clinical Nurse Educators in Teaching Pharmacology and Medication Management: Nursing Students’ Perceptions

    PubMed Central

    Ghamari Zare, Zohre; Adib-Hajbaghery, Mohsen

    2016-01-01

    Background Pharmacological knowledge and medication management skills of student nurses greatly depend on the clinical nurse educators’ performance in this critical issue. However, the Iranian nurse educators’ performance in teaching pharmacology and medication management are not adequately studied. Objectives The current study aimed to investigate the nursing students’ perceptions on the status of clinical pharmaceutical and medication management education. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on all 152 nursing students registered in the seventh and eighth semesters at the Qom and Naragh branches of Islamic Azad University, and Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2013 - 2014 academic year. The students’ perceptions on the performance of clinical nurse educators in teaching pharmacology and medication management were assessed using a researcher made questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 31 items regarding clinical educators’ performance in teaching pharmacology and medication management and two questions about students’ satisfaction with their level of knowledge and skills in pharmacology and medication management. Descriptive statistics was employed and analysis of variance was performed to compare the mean of scores of teaching pharmacology and medication management in the three universities. Results Among a total of 152 subjects, 82.9% were female and their mean age was 22.57 ± 1.55 years. According to the students, instructors had the weakest performance in the three items of teaching pharmacology and medication management based on the students’ learning needs, teaching medication management through a patient-centered method and teaching pharmacology and medication management based on the course plan. The students’ satisfaction regarding their own knowledge and skill of pharmacology and medication management was at medium level. Conclusions Nursing students gave a relatively low score in several aspects of

  8. Evaluation of an Online Program To Teach Microbiology to Internal Medicine Residents

    PubMed Central

    Burd, Eileen M.; Kraft, Colleen S.; Armstrong, Wendy S.; Lenorr, Kenya; Spicer, Jennifer O.; Martin, Donna; del Rio, Carlos

    2014-01-01

    Microbiology rounds are an integral part of infectious disease consultation service. During microbiology rounds, we highlight microbiology principles using vignettes. We created case-based, interactive, microbiology online modules similar to the vignettes presented during microbiology rounds. Since internal medicine residents rotating on our infectious disease elective have limited time to participate in rounds and learn microbiology, our objective was to evaluate the use of the microbiology online modules by internal medicine residents. We asked residents to complete 10 of 25 online modules during their infectious disease elective. We evaluated which modules they chose and the change in their knowledge level. Forty-six internal medicine residents completed assessments given before and after accessing the modules with an average of 11/20 (range, 6 to 19) and 16/20 (range, 9 to 20) correct questions, respectively (average improvement, 5 questions; P = 0.0001). The modules accessed by more than 30 residents included those related to Clostridium difficile, anaerobes, Candida spp., Streptococcus pneumoniae, influenza, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Neisseria meningitidis. We demonstrated improved microbiology knowledge after completion of the online modules. This improvement may not be solely attributed to completing the online modules, as fellows and faculty may have provided additional microbiology education during the rotation. PMID:25392364

  9. Teaching first-year medical students physiology: does the human patient simulator allow for more effective teaching?

    PubMed

    Tan, G M; Ti, L K; Suresh, S; Ho, B S; Lee, T L

    2002-05-01

    Although the Human Patient Simulator (HPS) is an effective teaching tool in many medical fields, literature supporting its use in the teaching of physiology to medical students is lacking. This study investigated the effectiveness of HPS-based teaching of cardiovascular physiology to first-year medical students. Two hundred and ten first-year medical students were scheduled to our HPS laboratory with the purpose of demonstrating "physiology in action". Students were divided into groups of 19-25 each, and attended a lecture followed by a HPS session. Using a theatre-type simulator complete with mannequin, anaesthesia machine and monitors (METI, Sarasota FL), the scenarios of hypovolaemia, sepsis, and cardiac failure were run to demonstrate the physiological changes that occur with changes in preload, afterload, and cardiac contractility. Each student was given a true/false test before, and again after the HPS session, followed by a survey of their learning experience. There was marked improvement in test scores after the HPS session (82.1% vs. 64.6%, P < 0.001). Most of the students felt that HPS was a better teaching tool (94.5%) and raised more questions (76.5%) than lectures. They wanted more topics to be taught this way (96%), as they could apply and re-enforce textbook knowledge, and visualise real-time changes. However, they felt that their experience could have been enhanced with more time and smaller groups. HPS is an excellent teaching tool as it stimulates student curiosity and makes knowledge acquisition and understanding easier. It is highly desirable to be incorporated into the teaching of physiology.

  10. Teaching professionalism to first year medical students using video clips.

    PubMed

    Shevell, Allison Haley; Thomas, Aliki; Fuks, Abraham

    2015-01-01

    Medical schools are confronted with the challenge of teaching professionalism during medical training. The aim of this study was to examine medical students' perceptions of using video clips as a beneficial teaching tool to learn professionalism and other aspects of physicianship. As part of the longitudinal Physician Apprenticeship course at McGill University, first year medical students viewed video clips from the television series ER. The study used qualitative description and thematic analysis to interpret responses to questionnaires, which explored the educational merits of this exercise. Completed questionnaires were submitted by 112 students from 21 small groups. A major theme concerned the students' perceptions of the utility of video clips as a teaching tool, and consisted of comments organized into 10 categories: "authenticity and believability", "thought provoking", "skills and approaches", "setting", "medium", "level of training", "mentorship", "experiential learning", "effectiveness" and "relevance to practice". Another major theme reflected the qualities of physicianship portrayed in video clips, and included seven categories: "patient-centeredness", "communication", "physician-patient relationship", "professionalism", "ethical behavior", "interprofessional practice" and "mentorship". This study demonstrated that students perceived the value of using video clips from a television series as a means of teaching professionalism and other aspects of physicianship.

  11. Teaching IR to Medical Students: A Call to Action.

    PubMed

    Lee, Aoife M; Lee, Michael J

    2018-02-01

    Interventional radiology (IR) has grown rapidly over the last 20 years and is now an essential component of modern medicine. Despite IR's increasing penetration and reputation in healthcare systems, IR is poorly taught, if taught at all, in most medical schools. Medical students are the referrers of tomorrow and potential IR recruits and deserve to be taught IR by expert IRs. The lack of formal IR teaching curricula in many medical schools needs to be addressed urgently for the continued development and dissemination of, particularly acute, IR services throughout Europe. We call on IRs to take up the baton to teach IR to the next generation of doctors.

  12. Teaching of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics in UK medical schools: current status in 2009.

    PubMed

    O'Shaughnessy, Lelia; Haq, Inam; Maxwell, Simon; Llewelyn, Martin

    2010-07-01

    Junior doctors feel poorly prepared by their training in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics and commonly make prescribing errors. Since 1993 the General Medical Council's guidance on undergraduate medical education 'Tomorrow's Doctors' has emphasized the integration of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics teaching within the medical curriculum. With the publication of a new version of Tomorrow's Doctors in 2009, medical schools will be further revising their Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics teaching. Although we know what the recommendations for undergraduate teaching of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics teaching are, there are no published data describing what is currently happening in UK medical schools. This paper describes the course structures, volume and range of teaching and assessment of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics in the UK in 2009. Our data provide a foundation for schools looking to revise the Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Teaching in the light of Tomorrow's Doctors 2009. To describe the current structure, delivery and assessment of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (CPT) teaching in UK medical schools. An online questionnaire was distributed to the person with overall responsibility for CPT teaching at all UK medical schools in June 2009. Thirty of the 32 UK medical schools responded. 60% of schools have a CPT course although in 72% this was an integrated vertical theme. At 70% of schools pharmacologists have overall responsibility for CPT teaching (clinical 67%, non-clinical 33%); at 20% teaching is run by a non-specialist clinician and at 7% by a pharmacist. Teaching is commonly delivered by NHS clinicians (87%) and clinical pharmacists (80%) using lectures (90%) but additionally 50% of schools use e-Learning and 63% have a student formulary. CPT is assessed throughout the curriculum at many schools through written, practical examinations and course work. 90% of schools have specific CPT content in their

  13. Changing concepts of neuroanatomy teaching in medical education.

    PubMed

    Hazelton, Lara

    2011-10-01

    Anatomy teaching is often described as foundational in the education of physicians, but in recent years there has been increasing pressure on teachers of neuroanatomy to justify its place in the curriculum. This article examines theoretical assumptions that have traditionally influenced the neuroanatomy curriculum and explains how evolution of thought in the field of medical education has led to a shift in how the pedagogy of neuroanatomy is conceptualized. The widespread adoption of competency-based education, the emphasis on outcome-based objectives, patient- and learner-centered approaches, and a renewed interest in humanistic aspects of medical education have all contributed to a changing educational milieu. These changes have led to a number of curricular innovations. However, questions remain as to what should be taught to medical learners, and how best to teach it.

  14. The value of case-based teaching vignettes in clinical microbiology rounds.

    PubMed

    Spicer, Jennifer O; Kraft, Colleen S; Burd, Eileen M; Armstrong, Wendy S; Guarner, Jeannette

    2014-03-01

    To describe the implementation and evaluation of a case-based microbiology curriculum during daily microbiology rounds. Vignettes consist of short cases with images and questions that facilitate discussion among microbiologists, pathologists, infectious disease physicians, and trainees (residents and fellows). We performed a survey to assess the value of these vignettes to trainees. Motivation to come to rounds on time increased from 60% to 100%. Trainees attending rounds after implementation of the vignettes perceived the value of microbiology rounds to be significantly higher compared with those who attended rounds before implementation (P = .04). Pathology residents found that vignettes were helpful for retaining knowledge (8.3 of 10 points). The vignettes have enhanced the value of microbiology rounds by serving as a formalized curriculum exposing trainees from multiple specialties to various microbiology topics. Emphasis on interdisciplinary interactions between clinical and laboratory personnel was highlighted with this case-based curriculum.

  15. Why teaching empathy is important for the medical degree.

    PubMed

    Díez-Goñi, N; Rodríguez-Díez, M C

    Empathy is a basic skill in the exercise of medicine and increases patient and physician satisfaction and improves clinical results. However, the teaching of empathy is poorly covered in the teaching plans. A number of studies have observed a reduction in empathy during the final training courses. The reasons for this decline include, the students' excessive academic workload, the prioritisation of acquiring medical expertise over humanistic knowledge, the patient load in hospitals and health centres and the physicians' need to distance themselves from their patients. Nevertheless, intervention studies through simulation with standardised patients have shown an increase in empathy in students, which can be evaluated through the Jefferson scales: JSE-S and JSPPPE. The teaching of empathy to medical students is an important commitment in the curricular programs of medical schools. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (SEMI). All rights reserved.

  16. 21 CFR 866.2350 - Microbiological assay culture medium.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Microbiological assay culture medium. 866.2350 Section 866.2350 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2350...

  17. 21 CFR 866.2350 - Microbiological assay culture medium.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Microbiological assay culture medium. 866.2350 Section 866.2350 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2350...

  18. 21 CFR 866.2350 - Microbiological assay culture medium.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Microbiological assay culture medium. 866.2350 Section 866.2350 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2350...

  19. 21 CFR 866.2350 - Microbiological assay culture medium.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Microbiological assay culture medium. 866.2350 Section 866.2350 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2350...

  20. 21 CFR 866.2350 - Microbiological assay culture medium.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Microbiological assay culture medium. 866.2350 Section 866.2350 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices § 866.2350...

  1. Team-Based Learning in a Pipeline Course in Medical Microbiology for Under-Represented Student Populations in Medicine Improves Learning of Microbiology Concepts.

    PubMed

    Behling, K C; Murphy, M M; Mitchell-Williams, J; Rogers-McQuade, H; Lopez, O J

    2016-12-01

    As part of an undergraduate pipeline program at our institution for students from underrepresented minorities in medicine backgrounds, we created an intensive four-week medical microbiology course. Team-based learning (TBL) was implemented in this course to enhance student learning of course content. Three different student cohorts participated in the study, and there were no significant differences in their prior academic achievement based on their undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and pre-course examination scores. Teaching techniques included engaged lectures using an audience response system, TBL, and guided self-directed learning. We hypothesized that more active learning exercises, irrespective of the amount of lecture time, would help students master course content. In year 2 as compared with year 1, TBL exercises were decreased from six to three with a concomitant increase in lecture time, while in year 3, TBL exercises were increased from three to six while maintaining the same amount of lecture time as in year 2. As we hypothesized, there was significant ( p < 0.01) improvement in performance on the post-course examination in years 1 and 3 compared with year 2, when only three TBL exercises were used. In contrast to the students' perceptions that more lecture time enhances learning of course content, our findings suggest that active learning strategies, such as TBL, are more effective than engaged lectures in improving student understanding of course content, as measured by post-course examination performance. Introduction of TBL in pipeline program courses may help achieve better student learning outcomes.

  2. Medical academia clinical experiences of Ward Round Teaching curriculum.

    PubMed

    Haghani, Fariba; Arabshahi, Seyed Kamran Soltani; Bigdeli, Shoaleh; Alavi, Mousa; Omid, Athar

    2014-01-01

    Medical students spend most of their time in hospital wards and it is necessary to study clinical educational opportunities. This study was aimed to explore faculty members' experience on Ward Round Teaching content. This qualitative study was conducted by purposive sampling with the maximum variation of major clinical departments faculty members in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (n = 9). Data gathering was based on deep and semi-structured interviews. Data gathering continued till data saturation. Data was analyzed through the Collaizzi method and validated. Strategies to ensure trustworthiness of data (credibility, dependability, conformability, transferability) were employed (Guba and Lincoln). Basic codes extracted from the analyzed data were categorized into two main themes and related subthemes, including (1) tangible teachings (analytic intelligence, technical intelligence, legal duties) and (2) implied teachings (professionalism, professional discipline, professional difficulties). Ward round teaching is a valuable opportunity for learners to learn not only patient care aspects but also ethical values. By appropriate planning, opportunities can be used to teach capabilities that are expected of general practitioners.

  3. Medical academia clinical experiences of Ward Round Teaching curriculum

    PubMed Central

    Haghani, Fariba; Arabshahi, Seyed Kamran Soltani; Bigdeli, Shoaleh; Alavi, Mousa; Omid, Athar

    2014-01-01

    Background: Medical students spend most of their time in hospital wards and it is necessary to study clinical educational opportunities. This study was aimed to explore faculty members’ experience on Ward Round Teaching content. Methods and Materials: This qualitative study was conducted by purposive sampling with the maximum variation of major clinical departments faculty members in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (n = 9). Data gathering was based on deep and semi-structured interviews. Data gathering continued till data saturation. Data was analyzed through the Collaizzi method and validated. Strategies to ensure trustworthiness of data (credibility, dependability, conformability, transferability) were employed (Guba and Lincoln). Results: Basic codes extracted from the analyzed data were categorized into two main themes and related subthemes, including (1) tangible teachings (analytic intelligence, technical intelligence, legal duties) and (2) implied teachings (professionalism, professional discipline, professional difficulties). Conclusion: Ward round teaching is a valuable opportunity for learners to learn not only patient care aspects but also ethical values. By appropriate planning, opportunities can be used to teach capabilities that are expected of general practitioners. PMID:24627858

  4. Microbiology and Crew Medical Events on the International Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oubre, Cherie M.; Charvat, Jacqueline M.; Kadwa, Biniafer; Taiym, Wafa; Ott, C. Mark; Pierson, Duane; Baalen, Mary Van

    2014-01-01

    The closed environment of the International Space Station (ISS) creates an ideal environment for microbial growth. Previous studies have identified the ubiquitous nature of microorganisms throughout the space station environment. To ensure safety of the crew, microbial monitoring of air and surface within ISS began in December 2000 and continues to be monitored on a quarterly basis. Water monitoring began in 2009 when the potable water dispenser was installed on ISS. However, it is unknown if high microbial counts are associated with inflight medical events. The microbial counts are determined for the air, surface, and water samples collected during flight operations and samples are returned to the Microbiology laboratory at the Johnson Space Center for identification. Instances of microbial counts above the established microbial limit requirements were noted and compared inflight medical events (any non-injury event such as illness, rashes, etc.) that were reported during the same calendar-quarter. Data were analyzed using repeated measures logistic regression for the forty-one US astronauts flew on ISS between 2000 and 2012. In that time frame, instances of microbial counts being above established limits were found for 10 times for air samples, 22 times for surface samples and twice for water. Seventy-eight inflight medical events were reported among the astronauts. A three times greater risk of a medical event was found when microbial samples were found to be high (OR = 3.01; p =.007). Engineering controls, crew training, and strict microbial limits have been established to mitigate the crew medical events and environmental risks. Due to the timing issues of sampling and the samples return to earth, identification of particular microorganisms causing a particular inflight medical event is difficult. Further analyses are underway.

  5. Edging into the future: education in microbiology and beyond.

    PubMed

    Fahnert, Beatrix

    2016-04-01

    State-of-the-art papers from around the globe addressing current topics in education were published in the FEMS Microbiology Letters virtual Thematic Issue 'Education' in November 2015 (http://femsle.oxfordjournals.org/content/thematic-issue-education), which was innovative and well received by microbiologists and other educators. Its unique content is reviewed here to facilitate broader access and further discussions in the professional community. Best practice in supporting school teaching and exposing students to concepts from other disciplines is presented in context of inspiring the next generations, where also historical microbiology can be drawn upon. Technology-enhanced education is discussed including its applications (e.g. lecture podcasts for flipped learning, learning from experts via videoconference). Authentic learning is covered with examples of research-led teaching, water and showerhead biofilm analyses and participation in the International Genetically Engineered Machines competition. Enhancing employability is focussed on, including supporting personal development and work-readiness in general and for the changing nature of the microbiology profession. International mobility develops international awareness but challenges teachers. Teaching training, teaching excellence and dissemination of best practice are reviewed. Times of challenge and change in the Higher Education landscape motivate us to improve educational approaches and frameworks, so that we are prepared for new topics to emerge as current topics in education. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. Infrared and NIR Raman spectroscopy in medical microbiology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naumann, Dieter

    1998-04-01

    FTIR and FT-NIR Raman spectra of intact microbial cells are highly specific, fingerprint-like signatures which can be used to (i) discriminate between diverse microbial species and strains, (ii) detect in situ intracellular components or structures such as inclusion bodies, storage materials or endospores, (iii) detect and quantify metabolically released CO2 in response to various different substrate, and (iv) characterize growth-dependent phenomena and cell-drug interactions. The characteristic information is extracted from the spectral contours by applying resolution enhancement techniques, difference spectroscopy, and pattern recognition methods such as factor-, cluster-, linear discriminant analysis, and artificial neural networks. Particularly interesting applications arise by means of a light microscope coupled to the spectrometer. FTIR spectra of micro-colonies containing less than 103 cells can be obtained from colony replica by a stamping technique that transfers micro-colonies growing on culture plates to a special IR-sample holder. Using a computer controlled x, y- stage together with mapping and video techniques, the fundamental tasks of microbiological analysis, namely detection, enumeration, and differentiation of micro- organisms can be integrated in one single apparatus. FTIR and NIR-FT-Raman spectroscopy can also be used in tandem to characterize medically important microorganisms. Currently novel methodologies are tested to take advantage of the complementary information of IR and Raman spectra. Representative examples on medically important microorganisms will be given that highlight the new possibilities of vibrational spectroscopies.

  7. Psychiatrists' Role in Teaching Human Sexuality to Other Medical Specialties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunn, Marian E.; Abulu, John

    2010-01-01

    Objectives: This article addresses the potential role for psychiatrists in teaching sexuality to other medical disciplines. Methods: The authors searched PsycNet and PubMed/MEDLINE for pertinent articles and studies from the period between 1990 and 2009 using the terms human sexuality; teaching human sexuality; teaching methods; education and…

  8. The Hospitalist Huddle: a 1-year experience of teaching Hospital Medicine utilizing the concept of peer teaching in medical education.

    PubMed

    Elhassan, Mohammed

    2017-01-01

    The relatively new specialty of Hospital Medicine in the USA is one of the fastest growing fields in internal medicine. Academic hospitalists are largely involved in the medical education of postgraduate residents and medical students. Little is known about the effectiveness of peer-to-peer teaching in internal medicine residency training programs and how the medical residents perceive its educational value in learning Hospital Medicine. The Hospitalist Huddle is a weekly educational activity newly established by our Hospitalist Division to facilitate the concept of peer-to-peer teaching. It requires medical residents to teach and educate their peers about the clinical topics related to Hospital Medicine. Faculty hospitalists serve as facilitators during the teaching sessions. A survey disseminated at the end of the first year of its implementation examined the residents' perception of the educational value of this new teaching activity. Most residents reported that they see the Huddle as a useful educational forum which may improve their skills in teaching, create a better educational and learning environment during their inpatient rotation, and improve their understanding of Hospital Medicine. Most residents also prefer that their peers, rather than faculty hospitalists, run the activity and do the teaching. The survey results support the notion that teaching and learning with flat hierarchies can be an appealing educational method to medical residents to help them understand Hospital Medicine during their medical wards rotation. Some areas need to be improved and others need to be continued and emphasized in order to make this novel educational activity grow and flourish in terms of its educational value and residents' satisfaction.

  9. Using Ultrasound to Teach Medical Students Cardiac Physiology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Floyd E., III; Wilson, L. Britt; Hoppmann, Richard A.

    2015-01-01

    Ultrasound is being incorporated more into undergraduate medical education. Studies have shown that medical students have positive perceptions about the value of ultrasound in teaching courses like anatomy and physiology. The purpose of the present study was to provide objective evidence of whether ultrasound helps students learn cardiac…

  10. Medical students' perceptions of their ethics teaching

    PubMed Central

    Johnston, Carolyn; Haughton, Peter

    2007-01-01

    The teaching of ethics in UK medical schools has recently been reviewed, from the perspective of the teachers themselves. A questionnaire survey of medical undergraduates at King's College London School of Medicine provides useful insight into the students' perception of ethics education, what they consider to be the value of learning ethics and law, and how engaged they feel with the subject. PMID:17601871

  11. Teaching colloquial Australian English to medical students from non-English speaking backgrounds.

    PubMed

    Chur-Hansen, A; Barrett, R J

    1996-11-01

    Lack of fluency in the language of instruction can form a barrier to medical education. There has been an effort within Australian universities to teach English to students from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB), but little systematic attention has been given to the teaching of informal or colloquial English. This paper provides evidence that colloquial language is a pervasive and important aspect of doctor-patient communication. It describes a teaching project for NESB medical students which aimed to introduce them to colloquial English, and to provide them with a contextual approach to learning this form of language. Forty-four first year medical students enrolled at the University of Adelaide were required to gather examples of colloquial language by interviewing a native English speaker. Ninety-four examples of colloquial sayings were recorded. These were compiled in the form of a handbook which served as a student resource. Student evaluation of this exercise was positive. The benefits of an interactive method of teaching local and setting-specific language are discussed, and the implications of this approach for clinical teaching and for medical practice are explored.

  12. Observations on Microbiology Laboratory Instruction for Allied Health Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benathen, Isaiah A.

    1993-01-01

    The purposes of this paper are (1) to demonstrate that medical microbiology laboratory exercises should be presented with a focus on medical applications, not just traditional microbiology and (2) that exercises devoted to differential diagnostic decision making can be used to enhance the problem solving of students. (PR)

  13. The role for peer-assisted ultrasound teaching in medical school.

    PubMed

    Dickerson, Jonathan; Paul, Katie; Vila, Pierre; Whiticar, Rebecca

    2017-06-01

    Bedside ultrasonography has an increasing role in medicine yet medical students have limited exposure. Although countless hours are devoted to plain radiograph and electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation, ultrasound is frequently glossed over. Yet this imaging modality could enhance students' understanding of anatomy, physiology and pathology, and may increase their integration into hospital teams. We aimed to investigate whether a peer-assisted ultrasound course has a place within the undergraduate medical curriculum. We describe the implementation of a course and discuss its acceptability and utility in student education. Bedside ultrasonography has an increasing role in medicine yet medical students have limited exposure METHODS: Following consultation with the medical school, an improved ultrasonography course was developed with expert guidance from an ultrasonographer and with new equipment. Sessions involved peer-tutors teaching ultrasonography techniques to medical students during emergency medicine placements. Tutees completed questionnaires to assess the quality and perceived benefits of the course and of learning ultrasonography. Both quantitative and thematic analyses of the responses were conducted by the authors. Over a period of 8 months, 105 medical students received teaching across four sessions. A total of 103 students (98%) returned questionnaires on their evaluation of the course and tutors, and on their confidence in using ultrasound. Ninety-eight per cent felt that the teaching was well delivered, 100 per cent felt that their knowledge of ultrasound had improved and 100 per cent would recommend the course. The peer-assisted ultrasound course described here enabled the majority of students to feel confident gaining elementary ultrasound views, and performing abdominal aneurysm screening and trauma assessments: techniques that they could hopefully put to use during their placements. The peer-assisted model has an acceptable role in teaching

  14. Provision of medical student teaching in UK general practices: a cross-sectional questionnaire study

    PubMed Central

    Harding, Alex; Rosenthal, Joe; Al-Seaidy, Marwa; Gray, Denis Pereira; McKinley, Robert K

    2015-01-01

    Background Health care is increasingly provided in general practice. To meet this demand, the English Department of Health recommends that 50% of all medical students should train for general practice after qualification. Currently 19% of medical students express general practice as their first career choice. Undergraduate exposure to general practice positively influences future career choice. Appropriate undergraduate exposure to general practice is therefore highly relevant to workforce planning Aim This study seeks to quantify current exposure of medical students to general practice and compare it with past provision and also with postgraduate provision. Design and setting A cross-sectional questionnaire in the UK. Method A questionnaire regarding provision of undergraduate teaching was sent to the general practice teaching leads in all UK medical schools. Information was gathered on the amount of undergraduate teaching, how this was supported financially, and whether there was an integrated department of general practice. The data were then compared with results from previous studies of teaching provision. The provision of postgraduate teaching in general practice was also examined. Results General practice teaching for medical students increased from <1.0% of clinical teaching in 1968 to 13.0% by 2008; since then, the percentage has plateaued. The total amount of general practice teaching per student has fallen by 2 weeks since 2002. Medical schools providing financial data delivered 14.6% of the clinical curriculum and received 7.1% of clinical teaching funding. The number of departments of general practice has halved since 2002. Provision of postgraduate teaching has tripled since 2000. Conclusion Current levels of undergraduate teaching in general practice are too low to fulfil future workforce requirements and may be falling. Financial support for current teaching is disproportionately low and the mechanism counterproductive. Central intervention may be

  15. Physics teaching in the medical schools of Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Jiann-wien; Hsu, Roy

    2012-02-01

    We describe and analyze the statistics of general physics and laboratory courses in the medical schools of Taiwan. We explore the development of the general physics curriculum for medical students of Taiwan. Also, an approach to designing a general physics course in combination with its application to medical sciences is proposed. We hope this preliminary study can provide a useful reference for physics colleagues in the medical schools of Taiwan to revolutionize the dynamics of teaching physics to the medical students of Taiwan. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Frontline learning of medical teaching: "you pick up as you go through work and practice".

    PubMed

    Hartford, W; Nimmon, L; Stenfors, T

    2017-09-19

    Few medical teachers have received formal teaching education. Along with individual and organizational barriers to participation in teacher training programs, increasing numbers and altered distribution of physicians away from major teaching centers have increased the difficulty of attendance. Furthermore, it is not known if traditional faculty development formats are the optimal learning options given findings from existing studies document both positive and negative outcomes. There is a gap in research that explores how medical teachers learn to teach and also limited research regarding how medical teachers actually teach. The purpose of this study was to provide insight into how physicians describe their teaching of trainees, and the nature of their teaching development and improvement to inform faculty development programs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 physicians, with a broad range of teaching experience, purposefully selected from five disciplines: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Surgery, and Family Medicine. A qualitative, inductive approach was used to analyse the data. Teaching was described as being centered on the needs of individual trainees, but was dependent on patient presentation and environmental context. For this group of physicians learning to teach was perceived as a dynamic and evolving process influenced by multiple life experiences. The physicians had not learnt to teach through formal education and then put that learning into practice, but had learnt to teach and improve their teaching through their trial and errors teaching. Life experiences unconnected with the medical environment contributed to their knowledge of teaching along with limited formal learning to teach experiences. Teaching practice was influenced by peers and trainees, feedback, and observation. The findings suggest these medical teachers learn to teach along a continuum largely through their teaching practice. The findings suggested that the

  17. Teaching crucial skills: An electrocardiogram teaching module for medical students.

    PubMed

    Chudgar, Saumil M; Engle, Deborah L; Grochowski, Colleen O'Connor; Gagliardi, Jane P

    2016-01-01

    Medical student performance in electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation at our institution could be improved. Varied resources exist to teach students this essential skill. We created an ECG teaching module (ECGTM) of 75 cases representing 15 diagnoses to improve medical students' performance and confidence in ECG interpretation. Students underwent pre- and post-clerkship testing to assess ECG interpretation skills and confidence and also end-of-clinical-year testing in ECG and laboratory interpretation. Performance was compared for the years before and during ECGTM availability. Eighty-four percent of students (total n=101) reported using the ECGTM; 98% of those who used it reported it was useful. Students' performance and confidence were higher on the post-test. Students with access to the ECGTM (n=101) performed significantly better than students from the previous year (n=90) on the end-of-year ECG test. The continuous availability of an ECGTM was associated with improved confidence and ability in ECG interpretation. The ECGTM may be another available tool to help students as they learn to read ECGs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Teaching of biochemistry in medical school: A well-trodden pathway?

    PubMed

    Mathews, Michael B; Stagnaro-Green, Alex

    2008-11-01

    Biochemistry and molecular biology occupy a unique place in the medical school curriculum. They are frequently studied prior to medical school and are fundamental to the teaching of biomedical sciences in undergraduate medical education. These two circumstances, and the trend toward increased integration among the disciplines, have led to reconsideration of biochemistry instruction in many medical schools. We conducted a survey to explore the evolving trends in biochemistry education. A broad diversity was evident in parameters including course content, faculty, governance, prerequisites, and teaching methods. Notably, sharp differences were apparent between freestanding biochemistry courses and those in which biochemistry is integrated with other subjects. Furthermore, the data imply a likely trend toward increased integration of biochemistry with other disciplines in the medical school curriculum. Copyright © 2008 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  19. Dimensions and psychology of peer teaching in medical education.

    PubMed

    Ten Cate, Olle; Durning, Steven

    2007-09-01

    Peer teaching, an educational arrangement in which one student teaches one or more fellow students, is applied in several forms in medical education. A number of authors have linked peer teaching to theories of education and psychology. Yet no comprehensive overview of what theory can offer to understand dynamics of peer teaching has been previously provided. A framework is designed to categorize forms of peer teaching, distinguishing three dimensions: distance in stage of education, formality of the educational setting and size of the group taught. Theories are categorized in two dimensions: theories that explain benefits of peer teaching from a cognitive versus a social-psychological perspective, and theories that explain benefits for peer learners versus peer teachers. Both dimensional frameworks help to clarify why and in what conditions peer teaching may help students to learn.

  20. Resident training in microbiology.

    PubMed

    Haller, Barbara L

    2007-06-01

    To meet the challenges of diagnosis and management of infectious diseases, clinical pathology residents must receive comprehensive training in microbiology, learn to think critically, develop problem-solving skills, and take active roles as laboratory consultants. Residents well trained in clinical microbiology become capable laboratory professionals, developing cost-effective testing strategies, decreasing risk for medical errors, and improving patient care. Newer methods for diagnosing infectious disease, such as real-time polymerase chain reaction, microarrays for pathogen detection, and rapid assays for antigen or antibody detection, have become standard. Knowledge of infectious disease principles, drug therapeutic options, and drug resistance is also important. Suggestions for training and for assessing resident competency in clinical microbiology are presented.

  1. Tomorrow's educators … today? Implementing near-peer teaching for medical students.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Adam J; Nelson, Sophie V; Linn, Andrew M J; Raw, Lynne E; Kildea, Hugh B; Tonkin, Anne L

    2013-01-01

    The University of Adelaide offers a six-year undergraduate medical degree with a focus on small group learning. Senior medical students had previously received limited formal training in education skills, and were identified as an underutilised teaching resource. To devise a programme in which senior students are exposed to the various facets of university teaching responsibilities and to evaluate its impact on both the tutors and the students. A six week rotation in medical education for final year medical students was designed and implemented in 2010 to involve them in the development, delivery and assessment of the 1st and 2nd year medical programme as near-peer tutors (NPTs). Two years after the rotation's implementation, voluntary evaluation of both the junior students and NPTs was undertaken through a mixed methods approach of survey and focus group. Junior students (n=358) revealed the NPTs provided non-threatening learning environments, provided helpful feedback and acted as role models. Additionally, the NPTs (n=24) reported they had consolidated prior knowledge, developed their teaching skills and expressed a desire to be more involved in teaching in the future. The implementation of NPTs in the teaching of junior medical students appears to benefit both students and their near-peer colleagues. Involvement of NPTs in all facets of medical education through this rotation stands to not only foster potential interest in an academic pathway but also equip them with a variety of transferable skills which they can draw on as future educators in their profession.

  2. Medical Student Perceptions of Radiology Use in Anatomy Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Kevin P.; Crush, Lee; O'Malley, Eoin; Daly, Fergus E.; Twomey, Maria; O'Tuathaigh, Colm M. P.; Maher, Michael M.; Cryan, John F.; O'Connor, Owen J.

    2015-01-01

    The use of radiology in the teaching of anatomy to medical students is gaining in popularity; however, there is wide variation in how and when radiology is introduced into the curriculum. The authors sought to investigate students' perceptions regarding methods used to depict and teach anatomy and effects of integrated radiology instruction on…

  3. Mary's Story: A Curriculum for Teaching Medical Terminology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park. Inst. for the Study of Adult Literacy.

    This packet of materials for a class on medical terminology consists of a collection of stories with highlighted vocabulary, teacher's guide, and student's guide. The materials teach medical terms in a series of stories about a woman named Mary Consola. Each story begins with a list of word parts that will be learned; after the story, new word…

  4. Developing medical students as teachers: an anatomy-based student-as-teacher program with emphasis on core teaching competencies.

    PubMed

    Andrew Jay, Erie; Starkman, Sidney J; Pawlina, Wojciech; Lachman, Nirusha

    2013-01-01

    Teaching is an increasingly recognized responsibility of the resident physician. Residents, however, often assume teaching responsibilities without adequate preparation. Consequently, many medical schools have implemented student-as-teacher (SAT) programs that provide near-peer teaching opportunities to senior medical students. Near-peer teaching is widely regarded as an effective teaching modality; however, whether near-peer teaching experiences in medical school prepare students for the teaching demands of residency is less understood. We explored whether the anatomy-based SAT program through the Human Structure didactic block at Mayo Medical School addressed the core teaching competencies of a medical educator and prepared its participants for further teaching roles in their medical careers. A web-based survey was sent to all teaching assistants in the anatomy-based SAT program over the past five years (2007-2011). Survey questions were constructed based on previously published competencies in seven teaching domains--course development, course organization, teaching execution, student coaching, student assessment, teacher evaluation, and scholarship. Results of the survey indicate that participants in the anatomy-based SAT program achieved core competencies of a medical educator and felt prepared for the teaching demands of residency. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

  5. A review of microbiology service learning.

    PubMed

    Webb, Ginny

    2017-02-01

    Service learning is a teaching method that incorporates community engagement into the curriculum of a course. Service learning is becoming increasingly popular on college campuses and across disciplines. Studies have shown many benefits to service learning for the students and the community they serve. Service learning has been incorporated into science courses, including microbiology. This review will address the benefits to service learning and provide an overview of the various types of service-learning projects that have been completed in microbiology courses. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. [Development of sanitary microbiology researches at the A. N. Marzeyev Institute for Hygiene and Medical Ecology, Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine (Kiev)].

    PubMed

    Serdiuk, A M; Surmasheva, E V; Korchak, G I

    2011-01-01

    The paper describes the main stages of development of sanitary bacteriological studies at the leading hygiene research institute of Ukraine--the A. N Marzeyev Institute for Hygiene and Medical Ecology. These researches have made a substantial contribution to the formation and development of hygiene science in the former Soviet Union. The current and promising areas in sanitary microbiology in Ukraine are considered.

  7. When learners become teachers: a review of peer teaching in medical student education.

    PubMed

    Benè, Kristen L; Bergus, George

    2014-01-01

    Peer teaching engages students as teachers and is widely used in K-12 education, many universities, and increasingly in medical schools. It draws on the social and cognitive congruence between learner and teacher and can be attractive to medical schools faced with a growing number of learners but a static faculty size. Peer teachers can give lectures on assigned topics, lead problem-based learning sessions, and provide one on one support to classmates in the form of tutoring. We undertook a narrative review of research on peer teachers in medical school, specifically investigating how medical students are impacted by being peer teachers and how having a peer teacher impacts learners. Studies have shown that peer teaching has a primarily positive impact on both the peer teacher and the learners. In the setting of problem-based learning courses or clinical skills instruction, medical students' performance on tests of knowledge or skills is similar whether they have faculty instructors or peer teachers. There is also strong evidence that being a peer teacher enhances the learning of the peer teacher relative to the content being taught. It is common for peer teachers to lack confidence in their abilities to successfully teach, and they appreciate receiving training related to their teaching role. We find evidence from several different educational settings that peer teaching benefits both the peer teachers and the learners. This suggests that peer teaching is a valuable methodology for medical schools to engage learners as teachers.

  8. The benefits of 3D modelling and animation in medical teaching.

    PubMed

    Vernon, Tim; Peckham, Daniel

    2002-12-01

    Three-dimensional models created using materials such as wax, bronze and ivory, have been used in the teaching of medicine for many centuries. Today, computer technology allows medical illustrators to create virtual three-dimensional medical models. This paper considers the benefits of using still and animated output from computer-generated models in the teaching of medicine, and examines how three-dimensional models are made.

  9. An Observational Case Study of Near-peer Teaching in Medical and Pharmacy Experiential Training.

    PubMed

    Sharif-Chan, Bayan; Tankala, Dipti; Leong, Christine; Austin, Zubin; Battistella, Marisa

    2016-09-25

    Objective. To compare peer teaching in a medical and a pharmacy clinical teaching unit and to provide suggestions for future research in pharmacy near-peer teaching. Methods. This exploratory observational study used principles of ethnographic methodology for data collection and analysis. Observations were collected in a large downtown teaching hospital. An average of 4-6 hours per day were spent observing a team of medical trainees from the Faculty (School) of Medicine in the general internal medicine (unit for two weeks, followed by a team of pharmacy trainees in an ambulatory hemodialysis (HD) unit for two weeks. Data was collected through field notes and informal interviews that were audiotaped and subsequently transcribed. Data was interpreted by the observer and reviewed weekly by two impartial pharmacists. Results. Five major themes emerged: (1) influence of peer teaching hierarchy; (2) educational distance between peer learners and teachers; (3) effect of the clinical teaching unit size on peer learning; (4) trainees' perception of their teaching role in the clinical teaching unit; and (5) influence of daily schedule and workload on peer teaching. As opposed to pharmacy, a hierarchy and pyramidal structure of peer teaching was observed in medical experiential training. There appeared to be no effect of educational distance on near peer teaching; however, perception of teaching role and influence of daily schedule affected near-peer teaching. Conclusion. Through initial comparisons of medical and pharmacy clinical teaching units, this study provides a reflection of elements that may be necessary to successfully implement near-peer teaching in pharmacy experiential training. Future studies in this area should assess learning outcomes and participant satisfaction, preceptor workload, and impact on patient care.

  10. An Observational Case Study of Near-peer Teaching in Medical and Pharmacy Experiential Training

    PubMed Central

    Sharif-Chan, Bayan; Tankala, Dipti; Leong, Christine; Austin, Zubin

    2016-01-01

    Objective. To compare peer teaching in a medical and a pharmacy clinical teaching unit and to provide suggestions for future research in pharmacy near-peer teaching. Methods. This exploratory observational study used principles of ethnographic methodology for data collection and analysis. Observations were collected in a large downtown teaching hospital. An average of 4-6 hours per day were spent observing a team of medical trainees from the Faculty (School) of Medicine in the general internal medicine (unit for two weeks, followed by a team of pharmacy trainees in an ambulatory hemodialysis (HD) unit for two weeks. Data was collected through field notes and informal interviews that were audiotaped and subsequently transcribed. Data was interpreted by the observer and reviewed weekly by two impartial pharmacists. Results. Five major themes emerged: (1) influence of peer teaching hierarchy; (2) educational distance between peer learners and teachers; (3) effect of the clinical teaching unit size on peer learning; (4) trainees’ perception of their teaching role in the clinical teaching unit; and (5) influence of daily schedule and workload on peer teaching. As opposed to pharmacy, a hierarchy and pyramidal structure of peer teaching was observed in medical experiential training. There appeared to be no effect of educational distance on near peer teaching; however, perception of teaching role and influence of daily schedule affected near-peer teaching. Conclusion. Through initial comparisons of medical and pharmacy clinical teaching units, this study provides a reflection of elements that may be necessary to successfully implement near-peer teaching in pharmacy experiential training. Future studies in this area should assess learning outcomes and participant satisfaction, preceptor workload, and impact on patient care. PMID:27756922

  11. [Trial to stimulate learning motivation of medical students in the dissection practice "teaching assistant system"].

    PubMed

    Kawashiro, Yukiko; Kadota, Tomoko; Matsuno, Yoshiharu; Miyaso, Hidenobu; Komiyama, Masatoshi; Mori, Chisato

    2008-06-01

    At the Medical School of Chiba University, educational dissection tours have been conducted for intra- and extramural students in other programs, such as students of nursing. In the 2006 school year there were more than 1,500 students. As presented in a previous report, we tested an educational program in which our medical students teach other students parts of splanchnology, neurology, and myology to promote student understanding of human physiology through their own teaching. Since this system, termed the "teaching assistant system," was fairly laborious for many medical students, we attempted to improve it by decreasing the students' load and reducing the frequency of teaching from several times to once during the one-term dissection practice. We assessed the improved method with questionnaires for medical students who had studied at the school in 2006 and 2007 (n = 206) before and after teaching other students. The response rate for the questionnaires was 91.3% (n = 188). The results were as follows. (1) Most medical students (69.7%) realized that the task of teaching had stimulating effects on their own learning motivation. (2) According to most of their evaluations (80.4%), the duties of teaching involved in the previous assistant system were laborious. In contrast, the ratio of medical students who considered teaching to be laborious decreased by about half (55.3%) in the present improved system. (3) Most students (79.8%) were satisfied with the teaching assistant system. We concluded that the improved teaching assistant system was effective for the dissection practice.

  12. BiOutils: an interface to connect university laboratories with microbiology classes in schools.

    PubMed

    Caine, Massimo; Zuchuat, Sandrine; Weber, Aurélia; Ducret, Verena; Linder, Patrick; Perron, Karl

    2015-10-01

    The contribution of microbiology to the scientific advances of modern experimental biology has very often made the difference. Despite this, its role as an independent discipline has slowly started to fade away. This situation has been worsening due to (i) a marginal role of microbiology in academic curricula and (ii) a low or misplaced interest by the public at large towards this field of study. In order to counter this phenomenon, microbiology researchers and passionate scientists have made several efforts to engage and inform the broad public and academic policymakers about the importance of microbiology as an independent discipline. One of the approaches used in this direction is to support the teaching of microbiology in schools. BiOutils, a science communication platform based within a microbiology lab, has been committed to this goal since its creation in 2007. In this article, we describe how the platform is able to work in synergy with school teachers, providing engaging activities that can be performed in schools' classrooms. Our aim is to provide a perspective on how every microbiology lab with little costs and efforts can support the teaching of a discipline that will remain independent thanks to the fascination that they will be able to transmit. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved.

  13. What Is the Efficacy of Teaching Psychotherapy to Psychiatry Residents and Medical Students?

    PubMed

    Truong, Anh; Wu, Peter; Diez-Barroso, Ramon; Coverdale, John

    2015-10-01

    Because there are no formal reviews, the authors set out to identify and evaluate studies on teaching psychotherapy to psychiatry residents and medical students. PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO were searched for papers with outcomes on teaching psychotherapy. Search terms included psychotherapy, teaching, residents, medical students, supportive, psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, learning, training, skills, competency, and mentalization. Nine studies were found that met inclusion criteria. There were seven studies of psychiatry residents and two of medical students. Only two of the research designs had comparison groups, and these were both randomized controlled trials, while seven of the other designs were pretest and posttest. Teaching methods, course content, and outcome measures varied widely across studies. Common methodological problems included a lack of control, low numbers of subjects as learners, and a lack of validity of the outcome measures. Only one of the studies was judged to be methodologically rigorous. These findings establish a priority for undertaking additional rigorously designed studies in evaluating the teaching of psychotherapy to psychiatry residents and medical students.

  14. Teaching paediatric basic life support in medical schools using peer teaching or video demonstration: A prospective randomised trial.

    PubMed

    Stephan, Frederik; Groetschel, Hanjo; Büscher, Anja K; Serdar, Deniz; Groes, Kjell A; Büscher, Rainer

    2018-05-13

    The outcome of children with an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is still poor, but bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation can increase survival and minimise severe neurological sequelae. While teaching basic life support is standardised in emergency medicine classes, paediatric basic life support (PBLS) in neonates and toddlers is under-represented in paediatric curricula during university education. The appropriate mixture of E-learning and peer teaching lessons remains controversial in teaching paediatric basic skills. However, an increasing number of medical schools and paediatric classes switch their curricula to much cheaper and less tutor-dependent E-learning modules. We hypothesise that a peer teaching lesson is superior to a PBLS video demonstration with co-extensive contents and improves knowledge, skills and adherence to resuscitation guidelines. Eighty-eight medical students were randomly assigned to a video PBLS lesson (n = 44) or a peer teaching group (n = 44). An objective structured clinical examination was performed immediately after the class and at the end of the semester. Students taught by a peer teacher performed significantly better immediately after the initial course and at the end of the semester when compared to the video-trained group (P = 0.008 and P = 0.003, respectively). In addition, a borderline regression analysis also revealed a better resuscitation performance of students instructed in the peer teaching group. In our setting, peer teaching is superior and more sustainable than a co-extensive video demonstration alone when teaching PBLS to medical students. However, additional studies with combinations of different teaching methods are necessary to evaluate long-term outcomes. © 2018 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

  15. Teaching school children basic life support improves teaching and basic life support skills of medical students: A randomised, controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Beck, Stefanie; Meier-Klages, Vivian; Michaelis, Maria; Sehner, Susanne; Harendza, Sigrid; Zöllner, Christian; Kubitz, Jens Christian

    2016-11-01

    The "kids save lives" joint-statement highlights the effectiveness of training all school children worldwide in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to improve survival after cardiac arrest. The personnel requirement to implement this statement is high. Until now, no randomised controlled trial investigated if medical students benefit from their engagement in the BLS-education of school children regarding their later roles as physicians. The objective of the present study is to evaluate if medical students improve their teaching behaviour and CPR-skills by teaching school children in basic life support. The study is a randomised, single blind, controlled trial carried out with medical students during their final year. In total, 80 participants were allocated alternately to either the intervention or the control group. The intervention group participated in a CPR-instructor-course consisting of a 4h-preparatory seminar and a teaching-session in BLS for school children. The primary endpoints were effectiveness of teaching in an objective teaching examination and pass-rates in a simulated BLS-scenario. The 28 students who completed the CPR-instructor-course had significantly higher scores for effective teaching in five of eight dimensions and passed the BLS-assessment significantly more often than the 25 students of the control group (Odds Ratio (OR): 10.0; 95%-CI: 1.9-54.0; p=0.007). Active teaching of BLS improves teaching behaviour and resuscitation skills of students. Teaching school children in BLS may prepare medical students for their future role as a clinical teacher and support the implementation of the "kids save lives" statement on training all school children worldwide in BLS at the same time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Teaching of Biochemistry in Medical School: A Well-Trodden Pathway?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mathews, Michael B.; Stagnaro-Green, Alex

    2008-01-01

    Biochemistry and molecular biology occupy a unique place in the medical school curriculum. They are frequently studied prior to medical school and are fundamental to the teaching of biomedical sciences in undergraduate medical education. These two circumstances, and the trend toward increased integration among the disciplines, have led to…

  17. Teaching communications skills to medical students: Introducing the fine art of medical practice.

    PubMed

    Choudhary, Anjali; Gupta, Vineeta

    2015-08-01

    Like many other people based professions, communications skills are essential to medical practice also. Traditional medical teaching in India does not address communication skills which are most essential in dealing with patients. Communication skills can be taught to medical students to increase clinical competence. To teach basic communication and counseling skills to fourth-year undergraduate students to increase their clinical competence. A total of 48, fourth-year MBBS students participated in the study. They were given training in basic communication and counseling skills and taught the patient interview technique according to Calgary-Cambridge guide format. Improvement in communication was assessed by change in pre- and post-training multiple choice questions, clinical patient examination, and Standardized Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (SPSQ) scores. About 88% of the students in the sample were convinced of the importance of learning communication skills for effective practice. Almost 90% students were communicating better after training, as tested by improved SPSQ. As judged by Communication Skill Attitude Scale, student's positive attitude toward learning communication skill indicated that there is a necessity of communication skill training during undergraduate years. The ability to communicate effectively is a core competency for medical practitioners. Inculcating habits of good communications skill during formative years will help the medical students and future practitioners. Regular courses on effective communication should be included in the medical school curriculum.

  18. Using professional interpreters in undergraduate medical consultation skills teaching

    PubMed Central

    Bansal, Aarti; Swann, Jennifer; Smithson, William Henry

    2014-01-01

    The ability to work with interpreters is a core skill for UK medical graduates. At the University of Sheffield Medical School, this teaching was identified as a gap in the curriculum. Teaching was developed to use professional interpreters in role-play, based on evidence that professional interpreters improve health outcomes for patients with limited English proficiency. Other principles guiding the development of the teaching were an experiential learning format, integration to the core consultation skills curriculum, and sustainable delivery. The session was aligned with existing consultation skills teaching to retain the small-group experiential format and general practitioner (GP) tutor. Core curricular time was found through conversion of an existing consultation skills session. Language pairs of professional interpreters worked with each small group, with one playing patient and the other playing interpreter. These professional interpreters attended training in the scenarios so that they could learn to act as patient and family interpreter. GP tutors attended training sessions to help them facilitate the session. This enhanced the sustainability of the session by providing a cohort of tutors able to pass on their expertise to new staff through the existing shadowing process. Tutors felt that the involvement of professional interpreters improved student engagement. Student evaluation of the teaching suggests that the learning objectives were achieved. Faculty evaluation by GP tutors suggests that they perceived the teaching to be worthwhile and that the training they received had helped improve their own clinical practice in consulting through interpreters. We offer the following recommendations to others who may be interested in developing teaching on interpreted consultations within their core curriculum: 1) consider recruiting professional interpreters as a teaching resource; 2) align the teaching to existing consultation skills sessions to aid integration

  19. Medical student teaching in the private sector - An overlooked opportunity?

    PubMed

    Galletly, Cherrie A; Turnbull, Carol; Goldney, Robert

    2016-04-01

    One in four psychiatric beds in Australia are located in the private sector, and more than half of Australian psychiatrists undertake private work. However, nearly all medical student teaching in psychiatry takes place in public hospitals. This paper explores the learning opportunities in the private sector. We report the South Australian experience; medical students have been taught in Ramsay Health Care (SA) Mental Health facilities for more than 23 years. Our experience demonstrates that clinical teaching in private hospitals is sustainable and well accepted by students, patients and clinicians. The private sector has the capacity to make a much greater contribution to medical student training in psychiatry. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2016.

  20. Conditions for excellence in teaching in medical education: The Frankfurt Model to ensure quality in teaching and learning.

    PubMed

    Giesler, Marianne; Karsten, Gudrun; Ochsendorf, Falk; Breckwoldt, Jan

    2017-01-01

    Background: There is general consensus that the organizational and administrative aspects of academic study programs exert an important influence on teaching and learning. Despite this, no comprehensive framework currently exists to describe the conditions that affect the quality of teaching and learning in medical education. The aim of this paper is to systematically and comprehensively identify these factors to offer academic administrators and decision makers interested in improving teaching a theory-based and, to an extent, empirically founded framework on the basis of which improvements in teaching quality can be identified and implemented. Method: Primarily, the issue was addressed by combining a theory-driven deductive approach with an experience based, "best evidence" one during the course of two workshops held by the GMA Committee on Personnel and Organizational Development in Academic Teaching (POiL) in Munich (2013) and Frankfurt (2014). Two models describing the conditions relevant to teaching and learning (Euler/Hahn and Rindermann) were critically appraised and synthesized into a new third model. Practical examples of teaching strategies that promote or hinder learning were compiled and added to the categories of this model and, to the extent possible, supported with empirical evidence. Based on this, a checklist with recommendations for optimizing general academic conditions was formulated. Results: The Frankfurt Model of conditions to ensure Quality in Teaching and Learning covers six categories: organizational structure/medical school culture, regulatory frameworks, curricular requirements, time constraints, material and personnel resources, and qualification of teaching staff. These categories have been supplemented by the interests, motives and abilities of the actual teachers and students in this particular setting. The categories of this model provide the structure for a checklist in which recommendations for optimizing teaching are given

  1. See one, do one, teach one: advanced technology in medical education.

    PubMed

    Vozenilek, John; Huff, J Stephen; Reznek, Martin; Gordon, James A

    2004-11-01

    The concept of "learning by doing" has become less acceptable, particularly when invasive procedures and high-risk care are required. Restrictions on medical educators have prompted them to seek alternative methods to teach medical knowledge and gain procedural experience. Fortunately, the last decade has seen an explosion of the number of tools available to enhance medical education: web-based education, virtual reality, and high fidelity patient simulation. This paper presents some of the consensus statements in regard to these tools agreed upon by members of the Educational Technology Section of the 2004 AEM Consensus Conference for Informatics and Technology in Emergency Department Health Care, held in Orlando, Florida. Web-based teaching: 1) Every ED should have access to medical educational materials via the Internet, computer-based training, and other effective education methods for point-of-service information, continuing medical education, and training. 2) Real-time automated tools should be integrated into Emergency Department Information Systems [EDIS] for contemporaneous education. Virtual reality [VR]: 1) Emergency physicians and emergency medicine societies should become more involved in VR development and assessment. 2) Nationally accepted protocols for the proper assessment of VR applications should be adopted and large multi-center groups should be formed to perform these studies. High-fidelity simulation: Emergency medicine residency programs should consider the use of high-fidelity patient simulators to enhance the teaching and evaluation of core competencies among trainees. Across specialties, patient simulation, virtual reality, and the Web will soon enable medical students and residents to... see one, simulate many, do one competently, and teach everyone.

  2. Recent advances in diagnostic microbiology.

    PubMed

    Bravo, Lulette Tricia C; Procop, Gary W

    2009-07-01

    The past decade has seen a surge in the development of a variety of molecular diagnostics designed to rapidly identify or characterize medically important microorganisms. We briefly review important advances in molecular microbiology, and then discuss specific assays that have been implemented in clinical microbiology laboratories throughout the country. We also discuss emerging methods and technologies that will soon be more widely used for the prompt and accurate detection of the agents of infectious diseases.

  3. 21 CFR 866.2900 - Microbiological specimen collection and transport device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Microbiological specimen collection and transport device. 866.2900 Section 866.2900 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices...

  4. 21 CFR 866.2900 - Microbiological specimen collection and transport device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Microbiological specimen collection and transport device. 866.2900 Section 866.2900 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices...

  5. 21 CFR 866.2900 - Microbiological specimen collection and transport device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Microbiological specimen collection and transport device. 866.2900 Section 866.2900 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices...

  6. 21 CFR 866.2900 - Microbiological specimen collection and transport device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Microbiological specimen collection and transport device. 866.2900 Section 866.2900 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices...

  7. 21 CFR 866.2900 - Microbiological specimen collection and transport device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Microbiological specimen collection and transport device. 866.2900 Section 866.2900 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Microbiology Devices...

  8. Teaching public health in UK medical schools: 'things have improved: teaching no longer feels like an expensive hobby'.

    PubMed

    Lyon, Anna K; Hothersall, Eleanor J; Gillam, Steve

    2016-09-01

    Recent policy initiatives in the UK have underlined the importance of public health education for healthcare professionals. We aimed to describe teaching inputs to medical undergraduate curricula, to identify perceived challenges in the delivery of public health teaching and make recommendations that may overcome them. We undertook a cross-sectional survey; questionnaires were sent electronically to 32 teaching leads in academic departments of public health in UK medical schools and followed up by telephone interviews. We obtained a 75% response rate; 13 public health teaching leads were interviewed. We found much variability between schools in teaching methods, curricular content and resources used. Concerns regarding the long-term sustainability of teaching focus on: staffing levels and availability, funding and the prioritization of research over teaching. We give examples of integration of public health with clinical teaching, innovative projects in public health and ways of enabling students to witness public health in action. There is a need to increase the supply of well-trained and motivated teachers and combine the best traditional teaching methods with more innovative approaches. Suggestions are made as to how undergraduate public health teaching can be strengthened. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Who Will Teach? A Fundamental Challenge to Medical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woolliscroft, James O.

    1995-01-01

    Medical school faculty members' broad understanding of their domains has atrophied as specialization has increased. Medical students need teachers who can integrate the specific areas of a subject with overarching themes. Expanding the values of the university to once again include the scholarship of integration and teaching would provide the best…

  10. Patient attitudes towards medical students at Damascus University teaching hospitals

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The cooperation of patients and their consent to involve medical students in their care is vital to clinical education, but large numbers of students and lack of experience as well as loss of privacy may evoke negative attitudes of patients, which may sometimes adversely affect the clinical teaching environment. This study aimed to explore the attitudes of patients towards medical students at Damascus University hospitals, and to explore the determinants of those attitudes thus discussing possible implications applicable to clinical teaching. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at three teaching hospitals affiliated to the Faculty of Medicine at Damascus University. Four hundred patients were interviewed between March and April 2011 by a trained sociologist using a structured questionnaire. Results Of the patients interviewed, 67.8% approved the presence of medical students during the medical consultation and 58.2% of them felt comfortable with the presence of students, especially among patients with better socio-economic characteristics. 81.5% of the patients agreed to be examined by students in the presence of the supervisor, while 40.2% gave agreement even in the absence of the supervisor. Privacy was the most important factor in the patients' reticence towards examination by the students, whilst the relative safety and comfort if a supervisor was available determined patients' agreement. Conclusions The study concluded overall positive attitudes to the medical students' involvement in medical education. However, it is essential that students and clinical supervisors understand and adhere to professional and ethical conduct when involving patients in medical education. PMID:22439893

  11. Patient attitudes towards medical students at Damascus University teaching hospitals.

    PubMed

    Sayed-Hassan, Rima M; Bashour, Hyam N; Koudsi, Abir Y

    2012-03-22

    The cooperation of patients and their consent to involve medical students in their care is vital to clinical education, but large numbers of students and lack of experience as well as loss of privacy may evoke negative attitudes of patients, which may sometimes adversely affect the clinical teaching environment. This study aimed to explore the attitudes of patients towards medical students at Damascus University hospitals, and to explore the determinants of those attitudes thus discussing possible implications applicable to clinical teaching. This cross-sectional study was conducted at three teaching hospitals affiliated to the Faculty of Medicine at Damascus University. Four hundred patients were interviewed between March and April 2011 by a trained sociologist using a structured questionnaire. Of the patients interviewed, 67.8% approved the presence of medical students during the medical consultation and 58.2% of them felt comfortable with the presence of students, especially among patients with better socio-economic characteristics. 81.5% of the patients agreed to be examined by students in the presence of the supervisor, while 40.2% gave agreement even in the absence of the supervisor. Privacy was the most important factor in the patients' reticence towards examination by the students, whilst the relative safety and comfort if a supervisor was available determined patients' agreement. The study concluded overall positive attitudes to the medical students' involvement in medical education. However, it is essential that students and clinical supervisors understand and adhere to professional and ethical conduct when involving patients in medical education.

  12. Effectiveness of integrated teaching module in pharmacology among medical undergraduates.

    PubMed

    Yadav, Preeti P; Chaudhary, Mayur; Patel, Jayshree; Shah, Aashal; Kantharia, N D

    2016-01-01

    Over the years with advancement of science and technology, each subject has become highly specialized. Teaching of medical students has still remained separate in various departments with no scope of integration in majority of medical institutes in India. Study was planned to have an experience of integration in institute and sensitize faculty for integrated teaching-learning (TL) method. To prepare and test effectiveness of integrated teaching module for 2(nd) year MBBS student in pharmacology and to sensitize and motivate faculties toward advantages of implementing integrated module. Education intervention project implemented 2(nd) year MBBS students of Government Medical College and New Civil Hospital, Surat. Students of second MBBS were divided into two groups. One group was exposed to integrated teaching sessions and another to traditional method. Both the groups were assessed by pre- and post-test questionnaire, feedback and focus group discussions were conducted to know their experience about process. A total of 165 students of the 2(nd) year MBBS were exposed to the integrated teaching module for two topics in two groups. One group was taught by traditional teaching, and another group was exposed to the integrated TL session. Both the groups have shown a significant improvement in posttest scores but increase in mean score was more in integrated group. During analysis of feedback forms, it was noted that students preferred integrated TL methods since they help in better understanding. Faculty feedback shows consensus over the adaptation of integrated TL methods. Integrated TL sessions were well-appreciated by students and faculties. To improve the critical reasoning skills and self-directed learning of students, integrated TL is highly recommended for must know areas of curriculum.

  13. How Important is Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Teaching in the Medical Curriculum? An Empirical Approach towards Students' Views

    PubMed Central

    Schulz, Stefan; Woestmann, Barbara; Huenges, Bert; Schweikardt, Christoph; Schäfer, Thorsten

    2012-01-01

    Objectives: It was investigated how students judge the teaching of medical ethics and the history of medicine at the start and during their studies, and the influence which subject-specific teaching of the history, theory and ethics of medicine (GTE) - or the lack thereof - has on the judgement of these subjects. Methods: From a total of 533 students who were in their first and 5th semester of the Bochum Model curriculum (GTE teaching from the first semester onwards) or followed the traditional curriculum (GTE teaching in the 5th/6th semester), questionnaires were requested in the winter semester 2005/06 and in the summer semester 2006. They were asked both before and after the 1st and 5th (model curriculum) or 6th semester (traditional curriculum). We asked students to judge the importance of teaching medical ethics and the history of medicine, the significance of these subjects for physicians and about teachability and testability (Likert scale from -2 (do not agree at all) to +2 (agree completely)). Results: 331 questionnaire pairs were included in the study. There were no significant differences between the students of the two curricula at the start of the 1st semester. The views on medical ethics and the history of medicine, in contrast, were significantly different at the start of undergraduate studies: The importance of medical ethics for the individual and the physician was considered very high but their teachability and testability were rated considerably worse. For the history of medicine, the results were exactly opposite. GTE teaching led to a more positive assessment of items previously ranked less favourably in both curricula. A lack of teaching led to a drop in the assessment of both subjects which had previously been rated well. Conclusion: Consistent with the literature, our results support the hypothesis that the teaching of GTE has a positive impact on the views towards the history and ethics of medicine, with a lack of teaching having a negative

  14. How important is medical ethics and history of medicine teaching in the medical curriculum? An empirical approach towards students' views.

    PubMed

    Schulz, Stefan; Woestmann, Barbara; Huenges, Bert; Schweikardt, Christoph; Schäfer, Thorsten

    2012-01-01

    It was investigated how students judge the teaching of medical ethics and the history of medicine at the start and during their studies, and the influence which subject-specific teaching of the history, theory and ethics of medicine (GTE)--or the lack thereof--has on the judgement of these subjects. From a total of 533 students who were in their first and 5th semester of the Bochum Model curriculum (GTE teaching from the first semester onwards) or followed the traditional curriculum (GTE teaching in the 5th/6th semester), questionnaires were requested in the winter semester 2005/06 and in the summer semester 2006. They were asked both before and after the 1st and 5th (model curriculum) or 6th semester (traditional curriculum). We asked students to judge the importance of teaching medical ethics and the history of medicine, the significance of these subjects for physicians and about teachability and testability (Likert scale from -2 (do not agree at all) to +2 (agree completely)). 331 questionnaire pairs were included in the study. There were no significant differences between the students of the two curricula at the start of the 1st semester. The views on medical ethics and the history of medicine, in contrast, were significantly different at the start of undergraduate studies: The importance of medical ethics for the individual and the physician was considered very high but their teachability and testability were rated considerably worse. For the history of medicine, the results were exactly opposite. GTE teaching led to a more positive assessment of items previously ranked less favourably in both curricula. A lack of teaching led to a drop in the assessment of both subjects which had previously been rated well. Consistent with the literature, our results support the hypothesis that the teaching of GTE has a positive impact on the views towards the history and ethics of medicine, with a lack of teaching having a negative impact. Therefore the teaching of GTE

  15. Recent publications in medical microbiology and immunology: a retrospective.

    PubMed

    Doerr, H W; Cinatl, J

    2012-02-01

    A look back is done to some clinical and basic research activities recently published in medical microbiology and immunology. The review covers clinical experiences and in vitro experiments to understand the emergency, pathogenicity, epidemic spread, and vaccine-based prevention of avian and swine-origin flu. Some new developments and concepts in diagnosis, (molecular) epidemiology, and therapy of AIDS, viral hepatitis C, and herpesvirus-associated diseases are outlined. Regulation of immune system has been discussed in a special issue 2010 including some aspects of CNS affections (measles). Mycobacterial infection and its prevention by modern recombinant vaccines have reached new interest, as well as new concepts of vaccination and prophylaxis against several other bacteria. Adaptation to host niches enables immune escape (example brucella) and determines virulence (example N. meningitidis). Chlamydia pneumoniae, previously considered to trigger atherosclerosis, is hypothetically associated to Alzheimer disease, while CMV, another putative trigger of atherosclerosis, gains evidence of oncomodulation in CNS tumor diseases. In terms of globalization, exotic virus infections are increasingly imported from southern countries.

  16. A new method for teaching physical examination to junior medical students.

    PubMed

    Sayma, Meelad; Williams, Hywel Rhys

    2016-01-01

    Teaching effective physical examination is a key component in the education of medical students. Preclinical medical students often have insufficient clinical knowledge to apply to physical examination recall, which may hinder their learning when taught through certain understanding-based models. This pilot project aimed to develop a method to teach physical examination to preclinical medical students using "core clinical cases", overcoming the need for "rote" learning. This project was developed utilizing three cycles of planning, action, and reflection. Thematic analysis of feedback was used to improve this model, and ensure it met student expectations. A model core clinical case developed in this project is described, with gout as the basis for a "foot and ankle" examination. Key limitations and difficulties encountered on implementation of this pilot are discussed for future users, including the difficulty encountered in "content overload". This approach aims to teach junior medical students physical examination through understanding, using a simulated patient environment. Robust research is now required to demonstrate efficacy and repeatability in the physical examination of other systems.

  17. Teaching mindfulness in medical school: where are we now and where are we going?

    PubMed

    Dobkin, Patricia L; Hutchinson, Tom A

    2013-08-01

    Mindfulness has the potential to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout in that the doctor who is self-aware is more likely to engage in self-care activities and to manage stress better. Moreover, well doctors are better equipped to foster wellness in their patients. Teaching mindfulness in medical school is gaining momentum; we examined the literature and related websites to determine the extent to which this work is carried out with medical students and residents. A literature search revealed that 14 medical schools teach mindfulness to medical and dental students and residents. A wide range of formats are used in teaching mindfulness. These include simple lectures, 1-day workshops and 8-10-week programmes in mindfulness-based stress reduction. Two medical schools stand out because they have integrated mindfulness into their curricula: the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (USA) and Monash Medical School (Australia). Studies show that students who follow these programmes experience decreased psychological distress and an improved quality of life. Although the evidence points to the usefulness of teaching mindful practices, various issues remain to be considered. When is it best to teach mindfulness in the trajectory of a doctor's career? What format works best, when and for whom? How can what is learned be maintained over time? Should mindfulness training be integrated into the medical school core curriculum? © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Perceptions of a medical microbiology service: a survey of laboratory users.

    PubMed Central

    Morgan, M S

    1995-01-01

    AIM--To ascertain the perception of laboratory users regarding the quality of the medical microbiology services in a district general hospital. METHODS--Detailed questionnaires were circulated to all clinicians in the locality, with headings covering the quality of medical advice provided, the availability of information on specimen collection, format of request forms, specimen transport arrangements, turnaround times, the quality and need for interpretative advice, and the overall impression of the quality of the services provided. RESULTS--Two hundred and thirty five replies were received, giving a response rate of 69%. Transportation of specimens and communication of reports were identified as priority areas for improvement. The overall quality of the service was perceived as satisfactory, although areas were identified where substantial improvements could be made, some at little or no cost to the laboratory. CONCLUSIONS--The survey focused clinicians' attention on the service, raised the profile of the laboratory, and resulted in improved communications and a better understanding of customer needs. Overall, the exercise was felt to be extremely useful, and worthwhile repeating to gauge the effect of the changes instituted as a result. PMID:8537489

  19. Utilization of case presentations in medical microbiology to enhance relevance of basic science for medical students.

    PubMed

    Chamberlain, Neal R; Stuart, Melissa K; Singh, Vineet K; Sargentini, Neil J

    2012-01-01

    Small-group case presentation exercises (CPs) were created to increase course relevance for medical students taking Medical Microbiology (MM) and Infectious Diseases (ID) METHODS: Each student received a unique paper case and had 10 minutes to review patient history, physical exam data, and laboratory data. Students then had three minutes to orally present their case and defend why they ruled in or out each of the answer choices provided, followed by an additional three minutes to answer questions. Exam scores differed significantly between students who received the traditional lecture-laboratory curriculum (Group I) and students who participated in the CPs (Group II). In MM, median unit exam and final exam scores for Group I students were 84.4% and 77.8%, compared to 86.0% and 82.2% for Group II students (P<0.018; P<0.001; Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test). Median unit and final ID exam scores for Group I students were 84.0% and 80.0%, compared to 88.0% and 86.7% for Group II students (P<0.001; P<0.001). Students felt that the CPs improved their critical thinking and presentation skills and helped to prepare them as future physicians.

  20. Personal digital assistants herald new approaches to teaching and evaluation in medical education.

    PubMed

    Bertling, Chad J; Simpson, Deborah E; Hayes, Avery M; Torre, Dario; Brown, Diane L; Schubot, David B

    2003-01-01

    Since its arrival in 1994, the personal digital assistant (PDA) has made significant inroads in the handheld industry, with 50% of physicians anticipated as users by 2005 due to its functionality as a point-of-care medical informatics tool. However, its use in medical education is less well documented. Since 1998, PDAs have been used at Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) as both a teaching and an evaluation tool for medical student and resident education. This article highlights the use of the PDA in medical education and describes current applications for monitoring clinical experiences of students/residents, and teaching resources for hypertension, cardiac auscultation, and community health. MCW's experiences with the PDA as a real time teaching and data collection tool serves as a model for other medical schools and for our students who are educated in the importance of self-monitoring one's clinical experiences and the need for continuous improvement as future physicians.

  1. Developing medical educators – a mixed method evaluation of a teaching education program

    PubMed Central

    Roos, Marco; Kadmon, Martina; Kirschfink, Michael; Koch, Eginhard; Jünger, Jana; Strittmatter-Haubold, Veronika; Steiner, Thorsten

    2014-01-01

    Background It is well accepted that medical faculty teaching staff require an understanding of educational theory and pedagogical methods for effective medical teaching. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 5-day teaching education program. Methods An open prospective interventional study using quantitative and qualitative instruments was performed, covering all four levels of the Kirkpatrick model: Evaluation of 1) ‘Reaction’ on a professional and emotional level using standardized questionnaires; 2) ‘Learning’ applying a multiple choice test; 3) ‘Behavior’ by self-, peer-, and expert assessment of teaching sessions with semistructured interviews; and 4) ‘Results’ from student evaluations. Results Our data indicate the success of the educational intervention at all observed levels. 1) Reaction: The participants showed a high acceptance of the instructional content. 2) Learning: There was a significant increase in knowledge (P<0.001) as deduced from a pre-post multiple-choice questionnaire, which was retained at 6 months (P<0.001). 3) Behavior: Peer-, self-, and expert-assessment indicated a transfer of learning into teaching performance. Semistructured interviews reflected a higher level of professionalism in medical teaching by the participants. 4) Results: Teaching performance ratings improved in students’ evaluations. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the success of a 5-day education program in embedding knowledge and skills to improve performance of medical educators. This multimethodological approach, using both qualitative and quantitative measures, may serve as a model to evaluate effectiveness of comparable interventions in other settings. PMID:24679671

  2. Exposure to child and adolescent psychiatry for medical students: are there optimal "teaching perspectives"?

    PubMed

    Hunt, Jeffrey; Barrett, Rowland; Grapentine, W Lex; Liguori, Gina; Trivedi, Harsh K

    2008-01-01

    The ability to develop quality medical student exposures in child and adolescent psychiatry is critical to the professional development of these future physicians and to the growth of recruitment efforts into the field. This study identifies teaching perspectives among child and adolescent psychiatry faculty to determine whether there are optimal perspectives that positively influence medical student satisfaction. Eighty-eight third- and fourth-year students at an allopathic U.S. medical school assessed teacher performance over a 1-year period using a standard internal teacher evaluation. Three experienced faculty members teaching the medical student seminars each completed a Teaching Perspective Inventory. The authors compared the different teaching perspectives with student satisfaction scores on the standard teacher evaluation instrument. All teachers had two dominant perspectives and one recessive perspective. Each teacher had a predominant developmental perspective but they differed in other dominant and recessive perspectives. The transmission perspective was associated with significantly less favorable scores on the standard teacher evaluation compared to the apprenticeship and nurturing perspective. The authors discuss the value of teaching perspective identification among child and adolescent psychiatry faculty for medical student education.

  3. Tutor-led teaching of procedural skills in the skills lab: Complexity, relevance and teaching competence from the medical teacher, tutor and student perspective.

    PubMed

    Lauter, Jan; Branchereau, Sylvie; Herzog, Wolfgang; Bugaj, Till Johannes; Nikendei, Christoph

    2017-05-01

    In current medical curricula, the transfer of procedural skills has received increasing attention. Skills lab learning and tutor-led teaching have become an inherent part of all medical curricula at German medical faculties. In 2011, the initial basis for the classification of clinical skills in medical school was created by the German Association for Medical Education (GMA) Committee's consensus statement on procedural skills. As a recommendation for medical curricula, the National Competency-based Catalogue of Learning Objectives (NKLM, 2015) lists procedural skills according to their curriculum integration and competency level. However, classification in regard to the perceived complexity, relevance, or teaching competency is still lacking. The present study aimed to investigate procedural skills taught at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg in regard to their complexity, relevance, and required teaching skills. To achieve this aim (1) the specific procedural skills in terms of complexity, that is, the degree of difficulty, and (2) the perceived relevance of taught procedural skills for studying and subsequent medical profession as well as (3) the personal preparation and required teaching skills were assessed in medical teachers, tutors and students. During the winter semester 2014/2015, the evaluations of all medical teachers, student tutors, and medical students in the skills lab teaching departments of internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, gynecology, and otorhinolaryngology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg were assessed via a quantitative cross-sectional questionnaire survey using 7-point Likert scales. The questionnaire comprised four item sets concerning 1) demographic details, 2) procedural skill complexity, 3) practical relevance, and 4) required preparation and teaching skills. Descriptive, quantitative analysis was used for questionnaire data. The survey included the data from 17 of 20 physicians (return rate: 85 %), 10 of 10 student tutors

  4. Teaching and Learning of Medical Biochemistry According to Clinical Realities: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jabaut, Joshua M.; Dudum, Ramzi; Margulies, Samantha L.; Mehta, Akshita; Han, Zhiyong

    2016-01-01

    To foster medical students to become physicians who will be lifelong independent learners and critical thinkers with healthy skepticism and provide high-quality patient care guided by the best evidence, teaching of evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become an important component of medical education. Currently, the teaching and learning of…

  5. Assessing and Managing Caregiver Stress: Development of a Teaching Tool for Medical Residents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Famakinwa, Abisola; Fabiny, Anne

    2008-01-01

    Forty medical residents from major teaching hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts, participated in small group teaching sessions about caregiver stress. A teaching tool was developed that included a teaching handout, interactive cases, standard instruments for assessing caregiver stress, peer-reviewed articles about caregiving, and a list of…

  6. Teaching and Assessing Communication Skills in Medical Undergraduate Training.

    PubMed

    Modi, Jyoti Nath; Anshu, -; Chhatwal, Jugesh; Gupta, Piyush; Singh, Tejinder

    2016-06-08

    Good communication skills are essential for an optimal doctor-patient relationship, and also contribute to improved health outcomes. Although the need for training in communication skills is stated as a requirement in the 1997 Graduate Medical Education Regulations of the Medical Council of India, formal training in these skills has been fragmentary and non-uniform in most Indian curricula. The Vision 2015 document of the Medical Council of India reaffirms the need to include training in communication skills in the MBBS curriculum. Training in communication skills needs approaches which are different from that of teaching other clinical subjects. It is also a challenge to ensure that students not only imbibe the nuances of communication and interpersonal skills, but adhere to them throughout their careers. This article addresses the possible ways of standardizing teaching and assessment of communication skills and integrating them into the existing curriculum.

  7. Evaluation of medical students of teacher-based and student-based teaching methods in Infectious diseases course.

    PubMed

    Ghasemzadeh, I; Aghamolaei, T; Hosseini-Parandar, F

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: In recent years, medical education has changed dramatically and many medical schools in the world have been trying for expand modern training methods. Purpose of the research is to appraise the medical students of teacher-based and student-based teaching methods in Infectious diseases course, in the Medical School of Hormozgan Medical Sciences University. Methods: In this interventional study, a total of 52 medical scholars that used Section in this Infectious diseases course were included. About 50% of this course was presented by a teacher-based teaching method (lecture) and 50% by a student-based teaching method (problem-based learning). The satisfaction of students regarding these methods was assessed by a questionnaire and a test was used to measure their learning. information are examined with using SPSS 19 and paired t-test. Results: The satisfaction of students of student-based teaching method (problem-based learning) was more positive than their satisfaction of teacher-based teaching method (lecture).The mean score of students in teacher-based teaching method was 12.03 (SD=4.08) and in the student-based teaching method it was 15.50 (SD=4.26) and where is a considerable variation among them (p<0.001). Conclusion: The use of the student-based teaching method (problem-based learning) in comparison with the teacher-based teaching method (lecture) to present the Infectious diseases course led to the student satisfaction and provided additional learning opportunities.

  8. The pharmacological activity of medical herbs after microbiological decontamination by irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Owczarczyk, H. B.; Migdał, W.; K ȩdzia, B.

    2000-03-01

    In the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology research on microbiological decontamination of medicinal herbs by irradiation has been carried out since 1996. It was shown that using ionizing radiation (a dose of 10 kGy) can obtain satisfactory results of microbiological decontamination of these products. The content of essential biologically active substances such as essential oils, flavonoids, glycosides, anthocyans, antra-compounds, poliphenoloacids, triterpene saponins, oleanosides and plants mucus did not change significantly after irradiation. Pharmacological activity of medicinal herbs has been found satisfactory after microbiological decontamination by irradiation.

  9. Teaching pathology via online digital microscopy: positive learning outcomes for rurally based medical students.

    PubMed

    Sivamalai, Sundram; Murthy, Shashidhar Venkatesh; Gupta, Tarun Sen; Woolley, Torres

    2011-02-01

    Technology has revolutionised teaching. Teaching pathology via digital microscopy (DM) is needed to overcome increasing student numbers, a shortage of pathology academics in regional medical schools, and difficulties with teaching students on rural clinical placement. To identify whether an online DM approach, combining digital pathology software, Web-based slides and classroom management software, delivers effective, practical pathology teaching sessions to medical students located both on campus and on rural placement. An online survey collected feedback from fourth and fifth year undergraduate James Cook University medical students on the importance of 16 listed benefits and challenges of using online DM to teach pathology, via a structured five-point Likert survey. Fifty-three students returned the survey (response rate = 33%). Benefits of online DM to teach pathology rated as 'very important' or 'extremely important' by over 50% of students included: higher quality images; faster learning; more convenient; better technology; everyone sees the same image; greater accessibility; helpful annotations on slides; cost savings; and more opportunity for self-paced learning out-of-hours and for collaborative learning in class. Challenges of online DM rated as 'very important' or 'extremely important' by over 50% of students included: Internet availability in more remote locations and potential problems using online technology during class. Nearly all medical students welcomed learning pathology via online digital technology. DM should improve the quantity, quality, cost and accessibility of pathology teaching by regional medical schools, and has significant implications for the growing emphasis in Australia for decentralised medical education and rural clinical placements. © 2011 The Authors. Australian Journal of Rural Health © National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

  10. The Swiss Society of Microbiology: Small Bugs, Big Questions and Cool Answers.

    PubMed

    Greub, Gilbert; Holliger, Christof; Sanglard, Dominique; Schrenzel, Jacques; Thiel, Volker; Viollier, Patrick

    2016-12-21

    The Swiss Society for Microbiology (SSM) represents around 700 scientists working in the fields of medical (human and veterinary), microbial biotechnology as well as fundamental, environmental, and food microbiology. Five sections: Clinical Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology, Mycology, Prokaryotic Biology, and Virology reflects the main interests of the membership.

  11. Teaching of ophthalmology in undergraduate curricula: a survey of Australasian and Asian medical schools.

    PubMed

    Fan, Jennifer C; Sherwin, Trevor; McGhee, Charles N J

    2007-01-01

    Despite established international guidelines on preferred teaching components for ophthalmology in undergraduate curricula, with increasingly less specialty-based undergraduate teaching within curricula, teaching of core ophthalmology knowledge and skills may become marginalized. This survey aims to evaluate the current state of undergraduate ophthalmology teaching in Australasia and proximate Asian medical schools. A questionnaire was developed to determine the content and extent of ophthalmology teaching in the undergraduate medical curriculum. The questionnaire was sent to 25 medical schools throughout Australasia and Asia. Nineteen of the 25 questionnaires were returned (76% response rate). Ophthalmology teaching programmes ranged from 2 to 20 days: five (26%) medical schools having one ophthalmology attachment; six schools (32%) two attachments; and the remainder three or more. Only seven of the schools taught all 13 ophthalmology topics recommended in current curriculum guidelines. Ocular examination (100%), lens and cataract (95%) and ocular manifestations of systemic disease (95%) were the most commonly taught topics, with intraocular tumours only covered by 10 schools (53%). Students in 14 schools (74%) attended ophthalmology operating theatre, but only two schools (11%) offered attendance at optometry clinics. Ten schools (53%) required a pass in ophthalmology to complete the academic year. Ophthalmology may increasingly be a small, or even absent, component of undergraduate medical curricula. Despite established international ophthalmology curriculum guidelines, this survey highlights significant lack of uniformity in their implementation.

  12. Using ultrasound to teach medical students cardiac physiology.

    PubMed

    Bell, Floyd E; Wilson, L Britt; Hoppmann, Richard A

    2015-12-01

    Ultrasound is being incorporated more into undergraduate medical education. Studies have shown that medical students have positive perceptions about the value of ultrasound in teaching courses like anatomy and physiology. The purpose of the present study was to provide objective evidence of whether ultrasound helps students learn cardiac physiology. In this study, 20 medical students took a pretest to assess their background knowledge of cardiac physiology. Next, they acquired ultrasound video loops of the heart. Faculty members taught them nonelectrical aspects of cardiac physiology using those loops. Finally, students took a posttest to evaluate for improvements in their knowledge. Students also completed an anonymous questionnaire about their experience. The mean pretest score was 4.8 of 9 (53.3%). The mean posttest score was 7.35 of 9 (81.7%). The mean difference was significant at P < 0.0001. Student feedback was very positive about the ultrasound laboratory. Ninety-five percent of the students agreed or strongly agreed that the ultrasound laboratory was a valuable teaching tool and that it improved their understanding of cardiac physiology. All students agreed or strongly agreed the laboratory was helpful from a visual learning standpoint. A hands-on ultrasound laboratory can indeed help medical students learn the nonelectrical components of cardiac physiology. Copyright © 2015 The American Physiological Society.

  13. Use of standardized patients to teach medical students about living organ donation.

    PubMed

    Bramstedt, Katrina A; Moolla, Ariff; Rehfield, Patricia L

    2012-03-01

    Educators routinely use standardized patients to teach medical students a variety of clinical concepts. Standardized patients have also been used to teach students about medical ethics and deceased organ donation. Not reported before, however, is the use of standardized patients to educate medical students about the ethical issues in living organ donation. It seems important to fill this gap because in the United States, roughly 45% of organ donors are living donors, and these patients will visit physicians throughout their lifespan, not just with the occurrence of donation. This article reports an experience teaching concepts in living donation and transplant ethics to second-year osteopathic medicine students using a standardized patient and supplementary instructional materials (eg, film, panel discussion, reading list). Specifically, a transplant ethics module was created that included an actor portraying a living donor candidate who had a number of case variables pertaining to medical and psychosocial matters. Instructional themes included informed consent, altruism, patient selection criteria, organ vending, and post-donation support systems.

  14. A systematic review of best practices in teaching ophthalmology to medical students.

    PubMed

    Succar, Tony; Grigg, John; Beaver, Hilary A; Lee, Andrew G

    2016-01-01

    Ophthalmic medical student education is a cornerstone to improving eye health care globally. We review the current state of the literature, listing barriers to potential best practices for undergraduate ophthalmology teaching and learning within medical curricula. We describe recent advances and pedagogical approaches in ophthalmic education and propose specific recommendations for further improvements and research. Future research should concentrate on developing teaching and learning innovations that may result in a more time- and resource-effective models for interactive and integrated learning. As well as demonstrating that a competency-based approach results not just in better eye health, but also improvements in patient care, education, and medical care in general. By optimizing teaching available through improved evidence-based education, the ultimate goal is to increase medical students' knowledge and produce graduates who are highly trained in eye examination skills, resulting in improved patient eye care through timely diagnosis, referrals, and treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Application of medical cases in general genetics teaching in universities.

    PubMed

    He, Zhumei; Bie, Linsai; Li, Wei

    2018-01-20

    General genetics is a core course in life sciences, medicine, agriculture and other related fields. As one of the most fast-developing disciplines of life sciences in the 21th century, the influence of the genetics knowledge on daily life is expanding, especially on human health and reproduction. In order to make it easier for students to understand the profound principles of genetics and to better apply the theories to daily life, we have introduced appropriate medical cases in general genetics teaching and further extended them combined with theoretical basis of genetics. This approach will be beneficial to enhance students' abilities of genetic analysis and promote their enthusiasm to learn and master practical skills. In this paper, we enumerate medical cases related to the modern genetics teaching system to provide a reference for genetics teaching in general and normal universities.

  16. [Teaching courses on aspects of medical history taking and communication skills in Germany: a survey among students of 12 medical faculties].

    PubMed

    Schildmann, Jan; Kampmann, Margareta; Schwantes, Ulrich

    2004-06-01

    Good communication between patients and doctors has positive effects on health and the patients' quality of life. Communication skills can be trained. In many countries communication skills training is an important part of medical education and continuing medical education. In this study German medical students were questioned about current communication training. Questionnaires were sent to 28 Medical Schools in Germany and distributed in General Practice courses. Using Likert scales students were asked to rate both existing teaching courses on communication skills and their ability to communicate. 377 students of 12 Medical Schools participated in this study. Two Medical Schools offer teaching courses on communication skills as part of their regular curriculum. On a scale ranging from 1 (no such courses available) to 7 (courses fully available) students assessed the practical teaching of communication skills to be 3 (median). In addition, on a scale ranging from 1 to 7 students rated their general communication skills as 3 (median) and their ability of taking a sexual history and breaking bad news as 4 (median). Although these results are not representative, they give a general idea of communication skills teaching in Germany. During their clinical education students should be especially trained for difficult situations in the patient-doctor encounter. The international experience of other Medical Schools should be taken into account when implementing communication skills training as part of medical education.

  17. Teaching Medical Ethics in its Contexts: Penn State College of Medicine.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barnard, David; Clouser, K. Danner

    1989-01-01

    The medical school's ethics program evolved through cooperation with the humanities department. Key aspects of the program include the teaching of medical ethics in the context of other issues of value and meaning in medicine, and involvement of humanities faculty in the medical center. (Author/MSE)

  18. Nursing faculty teaching a module in clinical skills to medical students: a Lebanese experience.

    PubMed

    Abdallah, Bahia; Irani, Jihad; Sailian, Silva Dakessian; Gebran, Vicky George; Rizk, Ursula

    2014-01-01

    Nursing faculty teaching medical students a module in clinical skills is a relatively new trend. Collaboration in education among medical and nursing professions can improve students' performance in clinical skills and consequently positively impact the quality of care delivery. In 2011, the Faculty of Medicine in collaboration with the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Balamand, Beirut, Lebanon, launched a module in clinical skills as part of clinical skills teaching to first-year medical students. The module is prepared and delivered by nursing faculty in a laboratory setting. It consists of informative lectures as well as hands-on clinical practice. The clinical competencies taught are hand-washing, medication administration, intravenous initiation and removal, and nasogastric tube insertion and removal. Around sixty-five medical students attend this module every year. A Likert scale-based questionnaire is used to evaluate their experience. Medical students agree that the module provides adequate opportunities to enhance clinical skills and knowledge and favor cross-professional education between nursing and medical disciplines. Most of the respondents report that this experience prepares them better for clinical rotations while increasing their confidence and decreasing anxiety level. Medical students highly appreciate the nursing faculties' expertise and perceive them as knowledgeable and resourceful. Nursing faculty participating in medical students' skills teaching is well perceived, has a positive impact, and shows nurses are proficient teachers to medical students. Cross professional education is an attractive model when it comes to teaching clinical skills in medical school.

  19. Teledermatology as an educational tool for teaching dermatology to residents and medical students.

    PubMed

    Boyers, Lindsay N; Schultz, Amanda; Baceviciene, Rasa; Blaney, Susan; Marvi, Natasha; Dellavalle, Robert P; Dunnick, Cory A

    2015-04-01

    Although teledermatology (TD) is regarded as a tool to improve patient access to specialty healthcare, little has been done to evaluate its role in medical education. We describe the TD program at the Denver (CO) Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and evaluate its use as an educational tool for teaching dermatology to dermatology residents and medical students. Dermatology residents manage TD consultations and review all cases with a faculty preceptor; medical students participate as observers when possible. This study assessed dermatology resident (n=14) and medical student (n=16) perceptions of TD and its usefulness in teaching six core clinical competencies. Both residents (79%) and medical students (88%) "strongly agree" or "agree" that TD is an important educational tool. In general, medical students were slightly more satisfied than residents across all of the core competencies assessed except for patient care. Medical students and residents were most satisfied with the competencies of practice-based learning and improvement and medical knowledge, whereas they were least satisfied with those of interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism. Overall, TD is valued as a teaching tool for dermatology in the areas of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based practice.

  20. Teledermatology as an Educational Tool for Teaching Dermatology to Residents and Medical Students

    PubMed Central

    Boyers, Lindsay N.; Schultz, Amanda; Baceviciene, Rasa; Blaney, Susan; Marvi, Natasha; Dellavalle, Robert P.

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Although teledermatology (TD) is regarded as a tool to improve patient access to specialty healthcare, little has been done to evaluate its role in medical education. We describe the TD program at the Denver (CO) Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and evaluate its use as an educational tool for teaching dermatology to dermatology residents and medical students. Dermatology residents manage TD consultations and review all cases with a faculty preceptor; medical students participate as observers when possible. This study assessed dermatology resident (n=14) and medical student (n=16) perceptions of TD and its usefulness in teaching six core clinical competencies. Both residents (79%) and medical students (88%) “strongly agree” or “agree” that TD is an important educational tool. In general, medical students were slightly more satisfied than residents across all of the core competencies assessed except for patient care. Medical students and residents were most satisfied with the competencies of practice-based learning and improvement and medical knowledge, whereas they were least satisfied with those of interpersonal and communication skills and professionalism. Overall, TD is valued as a teaching tool for dermatology in the areas of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based practice. PMID:25635528

  1. Measuring the effectiveness of pharmacology teaching in undergraduate medical students.

    PubMed

    Urrutia-Aguilar, Maria Esther; Martinez-Gonzalez, Adrian; Rodriguez, Rodolfo

    2012-03-01

    Information overload and recent curricular changes are viewed as important contributory factors to insufficient pharmacological education of medical students. This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of pharmacology teaching in our medical school. The study subjects were 455 second-year medical students, class of 2010, and 26 pharmacology teachers at the National University of Mexico Medical School. To assess pharmacological knowledge, students were required to take 3 multiple-choice exams (70 questions each) as part of their evaluation in the pharmacology course. A 30-item questionnaire was used to explore the students' opinion on teaching. Pharmacology professors evaluated themselves using a similar questionnaire. Students and teachers rated each statement on a 5-point Likert scale. The groups' exam scores ranged from 54.5% to 90.0% of correct responses, with a mean score of 77.3%. Only 73 (16%) of 455 students obtained an exam score of 90% and higher. Students' evaluations of faculty and professor self-ratings were very high (90% and 96.2%, of the maximal response, respectively). Student and professor ratings were not correlated with exam scores (r = 0.291). Our study shows that knowledge on pharmacology is incomplete in a large proportion of second-year medical students and indicates that there is an urgent need to review undergraduate training in pharmacology. The lack of relationship between the subjective ratings of teacher effectiveness and objective exam scores suggests the use of more demanding measures to assess the effectiveness of teaching.

  2. Head and Neck Anatomy: Effect of Focussed Near-Peer Teaching on Anatomical Confidence in Undergraduate Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Morris, Simon; Osborne, Max Sallis; Bowyer, Duncan

    2018-05-11

    To assess the effect of near-peer head and neck anatomy teaching on undergraduates and to quantify the benefit from a focussed teaching course. Near-peer teaching involves colleagues within close seniority and age proximity teaching one another on a specified topic. Small group teaching sessions were delivered to medical students on 3 key areas of ENT anatomy. Participants were given a precourse and postcourse questionnaire to determine the benefit attained from the course. An undergraduate anatomy course taking place at the University of Birmingham Medical School. A total of 30 medical students: 15 preclinical (years 1-2) and 15 clinical (years 3-5) medical students participated from a single institution. A total of 71% of students expressed inadequate teaching of head and neck anatomy in undergraduate curriculum. All students (n = 30) expressed benefit from the course, however the patterns of learning differed: preclinical students showed a significant improvement in both their ability to name anatomical structures and their application (p < 0.05). Near-peer learning provides benefit to all medical undergraduates in the context of teaching anatomy which may make it a valuable teaching tool for the future of medical education. Copyright © 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Medical Students Teaching Medical Students Surgical Skills: The Benefits of Peer-Assisted Learning.

    PubMed

    Bennett, Samuel Robert; Morris, Simon Rhys; Mirza, Salman

    2018-04-10

    Teaching surgical skills is a labor intensive process, requiring a high tutor to student ratio for optimal success, and teaching for undergraduate students by consultant surgeons is not always feasible. A surgical skills course was developed, with the aim of assessing the effectiveness of undergraduate surgical peer-assisted learning. Five surgical skills courses were conducted looking at eight domains in surgery, led by foundation year doctors and senior medical students, with a tutor to student ratio of 1:4. Precourse and postcourse questionnaires (Likert scales 0-10) were completed. Mean scores were compared precourse and postcourse. Surgical skills courses took place within clinical skills rooms in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (UK). Seventy students (59 medical, 2 dental, and 9 physician associate students) from a range of academic institutions across the UK completed the course. There was an overall increase in mean scores across all eight domains. Mean improvement score precourse and postcourse in WHO surgical safety checklist (+3.94), scrubbing (+2.99), gowning/gloving (+3.34), knot tying (+5.53), interrupted sutures (+5.89), continuous sutures (+6.53), vertical mattress sutures (+6.46), and local anesthesia (+3.73). Peer-assisted learning is an effective and feasible method for teaching surgical skills in a controlled environment, subsequently improving confidence among healthcare undergraduates. Such teaching may provide the basis for feasibly mass-producing surgical skills courses for healthcare students. Copyright © 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Feasibility and Outcomes of Oncology Teaching for 5th Year Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Al Suwayri, Saad Mohammed

    2018-02-01

    This study explored medical students' opinions of undergraduate oncology teaching, aiming to define optimal strategies for nonspecialist oncology teaching. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Al Imam Muhammed Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Between August 2014 and June 2015, 124 medical students completing the oncology course in the fifth year at the College of Medicine, Al Imam Muhammed Ibn Saud Islamic University, were given a 47-item questionnaire. One hundred and five students completed the questionnaire. Students reported that the oncology teaching fitted well with the course and that they gained knowledge and clinical skills, including understanding of how to break bad news. There was no consensus regarding whether physicians had an ongoing responsibility of care if patients were unable to embrace the treatment offered and whether pain was adequately controlled in patients with cancer. There was good understanding of the ethics of analgesia use and the need to involve patients in the decision-making process. There was a wide spread of opinion when asked if the physician should "decide for themselves how much information to give." Forty-four percent of students stated that they would attend an oncology summer school. This study shows the undergraduate oncology course to be effective in teaching knowledge, ethics, and skills and to be well received by fifth year medical students. Inclusion of appropriate teaching in medical school curricula may be the most effective way to ensure all clinicians acquire appropriate training in oncology.

  5. [Needs assessment for developing teaching competencies of medical educators].

    PubMed

    Si, Jihyun

    2015-09-01

    This study conducted a needs assessment for developing teaching competencies of medical educators by assessing their perceived ability to perform teaching competencies as well as their perceived importance of these competencies. Additionally, this study examined whether there were any differences in needs assessments scores among three faculty groups. Hundred and eighteen professors from Dong-A University College of Medicine were surveyed, and the data from 44 professors who answered all the questions were analyzed using IBM SPSS 21. The needs assessment tool measured participants' perceived ability to perform teaching competencies and perceived importance of these competencies. The Borich formula was used to calculate needs assessment scores. The most urgent needs for faculty development were identified for the teaching competencies of "diagnosis and reflection," followed by "test and feedback," and "facilitation." Additionally, two, out of 51, items with the highest needs assessment scores were "developing a thorough course syllabus" and "introducing students to the course syllabus on the first day of class." The assistant professor group scored significantly higher on educational needs related to "facilitation," "affection and concern for students," and "respect for diversity" competencies than the professor group. Furthermore, the educational needs scores for all the teaching competencies except "diagnosis and reflection," "global mindset," and "instructional management" were higher for the assistant professor group than the other two faculty groups. Thus, the educational needs assessment scores obtained in this study can be used as criteria for designing and developing faculty development programs for medical educators.

  6. Competency assessment of microbiology medical laboratory technologists in Ontario, Canada.

    PubMed

    Desjardins, Marc; Fleming, Christine Ann

    2014-08-01

    Accreditation in Ontario, Canada, requires that licensed clinical laboratories participate in external quality assessment (also known as proficiency testing) and perform competency evaluation of their staff. To assess the extent of ongoing competency assessment practices, the Quality Management Program--Laboratory Services (QMP-LS) Microbiology Committee surveyed all 112 licensed Ontario microbiology laboratories. The questionnaire consisted of a total of 21 questions that included yes/no, multiple-choice, and short-answer formats. Participants were asked to provide information about existing programs, the frequency of testing, what areas are evaluated, and how results are communicated to the staff. Of the 111 responding laboratories, 6 indicated they did not have a formal evaluation program since they perform only limited bacteriology testing. Of the remaining 105 respondents, 87% perform evaluations at least annually or every 2 years, and 61% include any test or task performed, whereas 16% and 10% focus only on problem areas and high-volume complex tasks, respectively. The most common methods of evaluation were review of external quality assessment (EQA) challenges, direct observation, and worksheet review. With the exception of one participant, all communicate results to staff, and most take remedial action to correct the deficiencies. Although most accredited laboratories have a program to assess the ongoing competency of their staff, the methods used are not standardized or consistently applied, indicating that there is room for improvement. The survey successfully highlighted potential areas for improvement and allowed the QMP-LS Microbiology Committee to provide guidance to Ontario laboratories for establishing or improving existing microbiology-specific competency assessment programs. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  7. A new method for teaching physical examination to junior medical students

    PubMed Central

    Sayma, Meelad; Williams, Hywel Rhys

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Teaching effective physical examination is a key component in the education of medical students. Preclinical medical students often have insufficient clinical knowledge to apply to physical examination recall, which may hinder their learning when taught through certain understanding-based models. This pilot project aimed to develop a method to teach physical examination to preclinical medical students using “core clinical cases”, overcoming the need for “rote” learning. Methods This project was developed utilizing three cycles of planning, action, and reflection. Thematic analysis of feedback was used to improve this model, and ensure it met student expectations. Results and discussion A model core clinical case developed in this project is described, with gout as the basis for a “foot and ankle” examination. Key limitations and difficulties encountered on implementation of this pilot are discussed for future users, including the difficulty encountered in “content overload”. Conclusion This approach aims to teach junior medical students physical examination through understanding, using a simulated patient environment. Robust research is now required to demonstrate efficacy and repeatability in the physical examination of other systems. PMID:26937208

  8. Peer-assisted learning--beyond teaching: How can medical students contribute to the undergraduate curriculum?

    PubMed

    Furmedge, Daniel S; Iwata, Kazuya; Gill, Deborah

    2014-09-01

    Peer-assisted learning (PAL) has become increasingly popular over recent years with many medical schools now formally incorporating peer-teaching programs into the curriculum. PAL has a sound evidence base with benefit to both peer-teacher and peer-learner. Aside from in teaching delivery, empowering students to develop education in its broadest sense has been much less extensively documented. Five case studies with supportive evaluation evidence illustrate the success of a broad range of peer-led projects in the undergraduate medical curriculum, particularly where these have been embedded into formal teaching practices. These case studies identify five domains of teaching and support of learning where PAL works well: teaching and learning, resource development, peer-assessment, education research and evaluation and mentoring and support. Each case offers ways of engaging students in each domain. Medical students can contribute significantly to the design and delivery of the undergraduate medical program above and beyond the simple delivery of peer-assisted "teaching". In particular, they are in a prime position to develop resources and conduct research and evaluation within the program. Their participation in all stages enables them to feel involved in course development and education of their peers and ultimately leads to an increase in student satisfaction.

  9. Teaching psychological processes and psychotherapy to medical students.

    PubMed

    Selzer, Rob; Ellen, Steven; Adler, Robert

    2015-02-01

    Psychiatrists are in a key position to teach medical students about psychotherapy. Whilst at first it may appear a formidable task, it need not be so. It should however, have applicability to the bulk of students, who will not go on to psychiatry training. We outline some potentially useful strategies to help clinicians teach aspects of psychotherapy to students: making it easy and relevant, illustrating the broad applications of psychological concepts, introducing cultural references, as well as appreciating that assessment can drive learning. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2014.

  10. The "medication interest model": an integrative clinical interviewing approach for improving medication adherence-part 2: implications for teaching and research.

    PubMed

    Shea, Shawn Christopher

    2009-01-01

    Over the past several decades, exciting advances have been made in the art and science of teaching clinical interviewing, which are supported by an ever-growing evidence base documenting their effectiveness. In this second article in a 2-part series, the training and research implications of an innovative approach to improving medication adherence based on these educational advances--the medication interest model (MIM)--are described. The objective is to provide an "insider's view" of how to creatively teach the MIM to case managers, as well as design state-of-the-art courses and research platforms dedicated to improving medication adherence through improved clinical interviewing skills in both nursing and medical student education. The teaching and research design concepts are applicable to all primary care settings as well as specialty areas from endocrinology and cardiology to psychiatry. Evidence-based advances in the teaching of clinical interviewing skills such as response-mode research, facilic supervision, microtraining, and macrotraining lend a distinctive quality and integrative power to the MIM. The model delineates several new platforms for training and research regarding the enhancement of medication adherence including an approach for collecting individual interviewing techniques into manageable "learning modules" amenable to competency evaluation and potential certification.

  11. Peer teaching in paediatrics - medical students as learners and teachers on a paediatric course.

    PubMed

    Schauseil-Zipf, Ulrike; Karay, Yassin; Ehrlich, Roland; Knoop, Kai; Michalk, Dietrich

    2010-01-01

    Peer assisted learning is known as an effective educational strategy in medical teaching. We established a peer assisted teaching program by student tutors with a focus on clinical competencies for students during their practical training on paediatric wards. It was the purpose of this study to investigate the effects of a clinical skills training by tutors, residents and consultants on students evaluations of the teaching quality and the effects of a peer teaching program on self assessed clinical competencies by the students. Medical student peers in their 6(th) year were trained by an intensive instruction program for teaching clinical skills by paediatric consultants, doctors and psychologists. 109 students in their 5(th) year (study group) participated in a peer assisted teaching program for training clinical skills in paediatrics. The skills training by student peer teachers were supervised by paediatric doctors. 45 students (control group) participated in a conventional paediatric skills training by paediatric doctors and consultants. Students from both groups, which were consecutively investigated, completed a questionnaire with an evaluation of the satisfaction with their practical training and a self assessment of their practical competencies. The paediatric skills training with student peer teachers received significantly better ratings than the conventional skills training by paediatric doctors concerning both the quality of the practical training and the support by the teaching medical staff. Self assessed learning success in practical skills was higher rated in the peer teaching program than in the conventional training. The peer assisted teaching program of paediatric skills training was rated higher by the students regarding their satisfaction with the teaching quality and their self assessment of the acquired skills. Clinical skills training by student peer teachers have to be supervised by paediatric doctors. Paediatric doctors seem to be more

  12. Teaching and learning of medical biochemistry according to clinical realities: A case study.

    PubMed

    Jabaut, Joshua M; Dudum, Ramzi; Margulies, Samantha L; Mehta, Akshita; Han, Zhiyong

    2016-01-01

    To foster medical students to become physicians who will be lifelong independent learners and critical thinkers with healthy skepticism and provide high-quality patient care guided by the best evidence, teaching of evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become an important component of medical education. Currently, the teaching and learning of biochemistry in medical schools incorporates its medical relevance and applications. However, to our knowledge there have been no reports on integrating EBM with teaching and learning medical biochemistry. Here, we present a case study to illustrate the significance of this approach. This case study was based on a biochemistry/nutrition question in a popular board review book about whether a homeless alcoholic man is at risk of developing a deficiency of vitamin E. The possible answers and explanation provided in the book raised a question about the correct answer, which provided us with an opportunity to adapt the philosophy and certain basic EBM principles to find evidence for the clinical applicability of a commonly taught biochemistry topic. The outcome of this case study not only taught us how to conduct an EBM exercise to answer a specific patient question, but also provided us with an opportunity for in-depth teaching and learning of the medical relevance of a specific biochemistry topic based on the best clinical evidence obtained from a systematic research of medical literature. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  13. Twelve tips for teaching child development and disability to medical students.

    PubMed

    McDonald, Jenny

    2018-02-01

    Child development is a marker of well-being in childhood and recognition of developmental delay allows timely investigation and intervention for children with developmental disabilities. Despite this, child development and disabilities are not given emphasis in the medical curriculum. This under representation of teaching combined with the stigma associated with disabilities contributes to the sub-optimal health care of people with disabilities. As well as, addressing the stigma of disability a medical undergraduate curriculum should include: the key concepts of child development; the clinical presentation of the most common developmental disabilities; developmental history taking and the infant neurodevelopmental examination. The following twelve tips provide practical advice about how to teach this knowledge and these skills during medical training.

  14. [Current teaching, learning and examination methods in medical education and potential applications in rehabilitative issues].

    PubMed

    Schwarzkopf, S R; Morfeld, M; Gülich, M; Lay, W; Horn, K; Mau, W

    2007-04-01

    With introduction of the new Federal Medical Licensing Regulations (Approbationsordnung) in Germany, integrated teaching in "Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine, Naturopathic Treatment" (Querschnittsbereich Q12) has become obligatory for the first time. Furthermore, the new Regulations require the medical faculties in Germany to realize an innovative didactic orientation in teaching. This paper provides an overview of recent applications of teaching techniques and examination methods in medical education with special consideration of the new integrated course Q12 and further teaching methods related to rehabilitative issues. Problem-oriented learning (POL), problem-based learning (PBL), bedside teaching, eLearning, and the examination methods Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and Triple Jump are in the focus. This overview is intended as the basis for subsequent publications of the Commission for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training of the German Society of Rehabilitation Science (DGRW), which will present examples of innovative teaching material.

  15. A structured teaching curriculum for medical students improves their performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners shelf examination in surgery.

    PubMed

    Wirth, Keith; Malone, Bethany; Turner, Christopher; Schulze, Robert; Widmann, Warren; Sanni, Aliu

    2015-04-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a resident-driven, student taught educational curriculum on the medical students' performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners surgery subject examination (NBME). On daily morning rounds, medical students or the chief resident delivered preassigned brief presentations on 1 or 2 of the 30 common surgical topics selected for the curriculum. An initial assessment of student knowledge and an end-rotation in-house examination (multiple choice question examination) were conducted. The mean scores on the NBME examination were compared between students in teams using this teaching curriculum and those without it. A total of 57 third-year medical students participated in the study. The mean score on the in-house postclerkship multiple choice question examination was increased by 23.5% (P < .05). The mean NBME scores were significantly higher in the students who underwent the teaching curriculum when compared with their peers who were not exposed to the teaching curriculum (78 vs 72, P < .05). The implementation of a resident-driven structured teaching curriculum improved performance of medical students on the NBME examination. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. [Infection control team (ICT) in cooperation with microbiology laboratories].

    PubMed

    Okazaki, Mitsuhiro

    2012-10-01

    Infection control as a medical safety measure is an important issue in all medical facilities. In order to tackle this measure, cooperation between the infection control team (ICT) and microbiological laboratory is indispensable. Multiple drug-resistant bacteria have shifted from Gram-positive bacteria to Gram-negative bacilli within the last ten years. There are also a variety of bacilli, complicating the examination method and test results further. Therefore, cooperation between the ICT and microbiological laboratory has become important to understand examination results and to use them. In order to maintain functional cooperation, explanatory and communicative ability between the microbiological laboratory and ICT is required every day. Such positive information exchange will develop into efficient and functional ICT activity.

  17. Outbreak!: Teaching Clinical and Diagnostic Microbiology Methodologies with an Interactive Online Game

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, Sherri; Smith, Geoffrey Battle

    2004-01-01

    Outbreak! is an online, interactive educational game that helps students and teachers learn and evaluate clinical microbiology skills. When the game was used in introductory microbiology laboratories, qualitative evaluation by students showed very positive responses and increased learning. Outbreak! allows students to design diagnostic tests and…

  18. Using game format to teach psychopharmacology to medical students.

    PubMed

    Shiroma, Paulo R; Massa, Alfredo A; Alarcon, Renato D

    2011-01-01

    Most psychiatric programs provide lectures on basic principles of psychopharmacology. Yet, this traditional approach has been criticized due to excessive information and passive transfer of expert knowledge. An alternative teaching method is the use of "academic games." To investigate medical students' acquisition of knowledge on psychopharmacology, and their perception of a game playing approach compared to traditional lectures. Two senior residents designed, implemented, and executed a randomized pretest-posttest study to teach psychopharmacology, using an academic game and a lecture format, to third-year medical students during a 6-week Psychiatry clerkship. Both didactic interventions were delivered concurrently for five consecutive weeks covering five psychopharmacology modules: antidepressants I (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and atypical antidepressants), antidepressants II (monoamine oxidase inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants), mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and anti-anxiety agents/sedatives/hypnotics. The game follows similar rules of the famous TV show, "Jeopardy" using a power point grid and a multiple choice question format. Forty-three medical students participated (29 assigned to the game approach, 14 to the traditional lecture approach). None of the demographic variables (age, gender, years after graduation, Graduate Point Averages, and United States Medical Licensing Examination 1) were significantly associated with the pre/posttest score difference between groups. Both groups improved their knowledge on psychotropic drugs [(game group t = 10.86, p < 0.001); control t = 4.82, p < 0.001)] throughout the 6-week Psychiatry rotation. Students in the game group had a better perception of this educational method as measured by perceived enjoyment, increased knowledge of psychopharmacology, and stimulating interest in the subject compared to those in the lecture group (p < 0.05). Teaching psychopharmacology in medical students by using

  19. Utilization of case presentations in medical microbiology to enhance relevance of basic science for medical students

    PubMed Central

    Chamberlain, Neal R.; Stuart, Melissa K.; Singh, Vineet K.; Sargentini, Neil J.

    2012-01-01

    Background Small-group case presentation exercises (CPs) were created to increase course relevance for medical students taking Medical Microbiology (MM) and Infectious Diseases (ID) Methods Each student received a unique paper case and had 10 minutes to review patient history, physical exam data, and laboratory data. Students then had three minutes to orally present their case and defend why they ruled in or out each of the answer choices provided, followed by an additional three minutes to answer questions. Results Exam scores differed significantly between students who received the traditional lecture-laboratory curriculum (Group I) and students who participated in the CPs (Group II). In MM, median unit exam and final exam scores for Group I students were 84.4% and 77.8%, compared to 86.0% and 82.2% for Group II students (P<0.018; P<0.001; Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test). Median unit and final ID exam scores for Group I students were 84.0% and 80.0%, compared to 88.0% and 86.7% for Group II students (P<0.001; P<0.001). Conclusion Students felt that the CPs improved their critical thinking and presentation skills and helped to prepare them as future physicians. PMID:22435014

  20. Perceptions of first-year medical students towards learning anatomy using cadaveric specimens through peer teaching.

    PubMed

    Agius, Andee; Calleja, Neville; Camenzuli, Christian; Sultana, Roberta; Pullicino, Richard; Zammit, Christian; Calleja Agius, Jean; Pomara, Cristoforo

    2017-11-07

    During the last decade, global interest in the multiple benefits of formal peer teaching has increased. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of first-year medical students towards the use of peer teaching to learn anatomy using cadaveric specimens. A descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective survey was carried out. Data were collected using an online questionnaire which was administered to all medical students who were in their second year of their medical school curriculum and who had participated in sessions taught by their peers during their first year. Peer teaching was perceived as an effective method of learning anatomy by more than half of the participants. Analysis of mean responses revealed that the peer teachers created a positive, non-intimidating learning environment. Overall, participants gave positive feedback on their peer teachers. Six categories emerged from the responses given by participants as to why they would or would not recommend peer teaching. Ways of improvement as suggested by the respondents were also reported. Variables found to be significantly associated with the perceived benefits of the peer teaching program included sex differences, educational level and recommendations for peer teaching. This study brings to light the merits and demerits of peer teaching as viewed through the eyes of the peer learners. Peer teaching provides a sound platform for teaching and learning anatomy. Further discussions at higher levels are encouraged in order to explore the feasibility of introducing formal peer teaching in the medical curriculum. Anat Sci Educ. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

  1. Teaching pediatric communication skills to medical students

    PubMed Central

    Frost, Katherine A; Metcalf, Elizabeth P; Brooks, Rachel; Kinnersley, Paul; Greenwood, Stephen R; Powell, Colin VE

    2015-01-01

    Background Delivering effective clinical pediatric communication skills training to undergraduate medical students is a distinct and important challenge. Pediatric-specific communication skills teaching is complex and under-researched. We report on the development of a scenario-based pediatric clinical communication skills program as well as students’ assessment of this module. Methods We designed a pediatric clinical communication skills program and delivered it five times during one academic year via small-group teaching. Students were asked to score the workshop in eight domains (learning objectives, complexity, interest, competencies, confidence, tutors, feedback, and discussion) using 5-point Likert scales, along with free text comments that were grouped and analyzed thematically, identifying both the strengths of the workshop and changes suggested to improve future delivery. Results Two hundred and twenty-one of 275 (80%) student feedback forms were returned. Ninety-six percent of students’ comments were positive or very positive, highlighting themes such as the timing of teaching, relevance, group sizes, and the use of actors, tutors, and clinical scenarios. Conclusion Scenario-based teaching of clinical communication skills is positively received by students. Studies need to demonstrate an impact on practice, performance, development, and sustainability of communications training. PMID:25653569

  2. Teaching pediatric communication skills to medical students.

    PubMed

    Frost, Katherine A; Metcalf, Elizabeth P; Brooks, Rachel; Kinnersley, Paul; Greenwood, Stephen R; Powell, Colin Ve

    2015-01-01

    Delivering effective clinical pediatric communication skills training to undergraduate medical students is a distinct and important challenge. Pediatric-specific communication skills teaching is complex and under-researched. We report on the development of a scenario-based pediatric clinical communication skills program as well as students' assessment of this module. We designed a pediatric clinical communication skills program and delivered it five times during one academic year via small-group teaching. Students were asked to score the workshop in eight domains (learning objectives, complexity, interest, competencies, confidence, tutors, feedback, and discussion) using 5-point Likert scales, along with free text comments that were grouped and analyzed thematically, identifying both the strengths of the workshop and changes suggested to improve future delivery. Two hundred and twenty-one of 275 (80%) student feedback forms were returned. Ninety-six percent of students' comments were positive or very positive, highlighting themes such as the timing of teaching, relevance, group sizes, and the use of actors, tutors, and clinical scenarios. Scenario-based teaching of clinical communication skills is positively received by students. Studies need to demonstrate an impact on practice, performance, development, and sustainability of communications training.

  3. CLIMB (the Cloud Infrastructure for Microbial Bioinformatics): an online resource for the medical microbiology community

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Andy; Southgate, Joel; Poplawski, Radoslaw; Bull, Matthew J.; Richardson, Emily; Ismail, Matthew; Thompson, Simon Elwood-; Kitchen, Christine; Guest, Martyn; Bakke, Marius

    2016-01-01

    The increasing availability and decreasing cost of high-throughput sequencing has transformed academic medical microbiology, delivering an explosion in available genomes while also driving advances in bioinformatics. However, many microbiologists are unable to exploit the resulting large genomics datasets because they do not have access to relevant computational resources and to an appropriate bioinformatics infrastructure. Here, we present the Cloud Infrastructure for Microbial Bioinformatics (CLIMB) facility, a shared computing infrastructure that has been designed from the ground up to provide an environment where microbiologists can share and reuse methods and data. PMID:28785418

  4. CLIMB (the Cloud Infrastructure for Microbial Bioinformatics): an online resource for the medical microbiology community.

    PubMed

    Connor, Thomas R; Loman, Nicholas J; Thompson, Simon; Smith, Andy; Southgate, Joel; Poplawski, Radoslaw; Bull, Matthew J; Richardson, Emily; Ismail, Matthew; Thompson, Simon Elwood-; Kitchen, Christine; Guest, Martyn; Bakke, Marius; Sheppard, Samuel K; Pallen, Mark J

    2016-09-01

    The increasing availability and decreasing cost of high-throughput sequencing has transformed academic medical microbiology, delivering an explosion in available genomes while also driving advances in bioinformatics. However, many microbiologists are unable to exploit the resulting large genomics datasets because they do not have access to relevant computational resources and to an appropriate bioinformatics infrastructure. Here, we present the Cloud Infrastructure for Microbial Bioinformatics (CLIMB) facility, a shared computing infrastructure that has been designed from the ground up to provide an environment where microbiologists can share and reuse methods and data.

  5. The effects of supplemental online learning aids on student performance and student engagement in Medical Microbiology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murray, Kimberly

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of online learning aids on student performance and engagement. The thirty-five participants of the current study were students enrolled in two sections of a junior level Medical Microbiology laboratory. The experimental section was required to spend ten minutes each week on an online learning aid. The online program, StudyMate(TM), was used to present text and images in the form of flash cards, multiple choice questions, matching, and crossword puzzles. Both groups completed the Index of Learning Style survey, an initial engagement survey at the start of the course, and a final engagement survey at the end of the course. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the groups at the start of the course or after the course was completed for learning style, science grade point average, overall grade point average, initial engagement or final engagement. A moderate correlation was found between microbiology course and laboratory grades and a reflective learning style.

  6. How Do Precepting Physicians Select Patients for Teaching Medical Students in the Ambulatory Primary Care Setting?

    PubMed Central

    Simon, Steven R; Davis, Darlene; Peters, Antoinette S; Skeff, Kelley M; Fletcher, Robert H

    2003-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To study how clinical preceptors select patients for medical student teaching in ambulatory care and to explore key factors they consider in the selection process. DESIGN Qualitative analysis of transcribed interviews. SETTING Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. PARTICIPANTS Nineteen physicians (14 general internists and 5 general pediatricians) who serve as clinical preceptors. MEASUREMENTS Responses to in-depth open-ended interview regarding selection of patients for participation in medical student teaching. MAIN RESULTS Preceptors consider the competing needs of the patient, the student, and the practice the most important factors in selecting patients for medical student teaching. Three dominant themes emerged: time and efficiency, educational value, and the influence of teaching on the doctor-patient relationship. These physicians consciously attempt to select patients whose participation in medical student teaching maximizes the efficiency of the clinical practice and optimizes the students' educational experiences, while minimizing any potential for harming the relationship between preceptor and patient. CONCLUSIONS These findings may help validate the frustration preceptors frequently feel in their efforts to teach in the outpatient setting. Becoming more cognizant of the competing interests—the needs of the patient, the student, and the practice—may help physicians to select patients to enhance the educational experience without compromising efficiency or the doctor-patient relationship. For educators, this study suggests an opportunity for faculty development programs to assist the clinical preceptor both in selecting patients for medical student teaching and in finding ways to maximize the efficiency and educational quality of the outpatient teaching environment. PMID:12950482

  7. [Application of mind map in teaching of medical parasitology].

    PubMed

    Zhou, Hong-Chang; Shao, Sheng-Wen; Xu, Bo-Ying

    2012-12-30

    To improve the teaching quality of medical parasitology, mind map, a simple and effective learning method, was introduced. The mind map of each chapter was drawn by teacher and distributed to students before the class. It was helpful for teacher to straighten out the teaching idea, and for students to grasp the important learning points, perfect the class notes and improve learning efficiency. The divergent characteristics of mind map can also help to develop the students' innovation ability.

  8. Consolidated clinical microbiology laboratories.

    PubMed

    Sautter, Robert L; Thomson, Richard B

    2015-05-01

    The manner in which medical care is reimbursed in the United States has resulted in significant consolidation in the U.S. health care system. One of the consequences of this has been the development of centralized clinical microbiology laboratories that provide services to patients receiving care in multiple off-site, often remote, locations. Microbiology specimens are unique among clinical specimens in that optimal analysis may require the maintenance of viable organisms. Centralized laboratories may be located hours from patient care settings, and transport conditions need to be such that organism viability can be maintained under a variety of transport conditions. Further, since the provision of rapid results has been shown to enhance patient care, effective and timely means for generating and then reporting the results of clinical microbiology analyses must be in place. In addition, today, increasing numbers of patients are found to have infection caused by pathogens that were either very uncommon in the past or even completely unrecognized. As a result, infectious disease specialists, in particular, are more dependent than ever on access to high-quality diagnostic information from clinical microbiology laboratories. In this point-counterpoint discussion, Robert Sautter, who directs a Charlotte, NC, clinical microbiology laboratory that provides services for a 40-hospital system spread over 3 states in the southeastern United States explains how an integrated clinical microbiology laboratory service has been established in a multihospital system. Richard (Tom) Thomson of the NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, IL, discusses some of the problems and pitfalls associated with large-scale laboratory consolidation. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  9. Condensing embryology teaching for medical students: can it be taught in 2 hours?

    PubMed

    Kazzazi, Fawz; Bartlett, Jonathan

    2017-01-01

    Embryology forms a valuable part of the medical school curriculum. However, medical students traditionally struggle with revising embryology and appreciating its relevance. Condensing the teaching content, implementing peer-teaching methods, and increasing clinical focus in curricula have been suggested as methods to improve student engagement. Medical students at two universities were taught a condensed version of the embryological curriculum in 2 hours by final-year medical students. Students' confidence with the topics covered in the embryological curricula was assessed using anonymized precourse and postcourse questionnaires. Students were asked to further evaluate the quality, delivery, and content of the teaching in the postcourse questionnaire and were given the opportunity to provide written comments. All questions consisted of a statement stem and a five-point Likert scale. Students scored significantly higher levels of confidence with embryology after implementation of the course. They found the talk to be effectively delivered, clear, and relevant to their examinations. We have demonstrated that it is possible to design and produce an embryology teaching program that covers an undergraduate embryology curriculum in a chronological systems-based manner in 2 hours with successful results.

  10. Condensing embryology teaching for medical students: can it be taught in 2 hours?

    PubMed Central

    Kazzazi, Fawz; Bartlett, Jonathan

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Embryology forms a valuable part of the medical school curriculum. However, medical students traditionally struggle with revising embryology and appreciating its relevance. Condensing the teaching content, implementing peer-teaching methods, and increasing clinical focus in curricula have been suggested as methods to improve student engagement. Methods Medical students at two universities were taught a condensed version of the embryological curriculum in 2 hours by final-year medical students. Students’ confidence with the topics covered in the embryological curricula was assessed using anonymized precourse and postcourse questionnaires. Students were asked to further evaluate the quality, delivery, and content of the teaching in the postcourse questionnaire and were given the opportunity to provide written comments. All questions consisted of a statement stem and a five-point Likert scale. Results Students scored significantly higher levels of confidence with embryology after implementation of the course. They found the talk to be effectively delivered, clear, and relevant to their examinations. Conclusion We have demonstrated that it is possible to design and produce an embryology teaching program that covers an undergraduate embryology curriculum in a chronological systems-based manner in 2 hours with successful results. PMID:29270044

  11. Medical ethics contributes to clinical management: teaching medical students to engage patients as moral agents

    PubMed Central

    Caldicott, Catherine V; Danis, Marion

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVES In order to teach medical students to engage more fully with patients, we offer ethics education as a tool to assist in the management of patient health issues. METHODS We propose that many dilemmas in clinical medicine would benefit by having the doctor embark on an iterative reasoning process with the patient. Such a process acknowledges and engages the patient as a moral agent. We recommend employing Kant’s ethic of respect and a more inclusive definition of patient autonomy drawn from philosophy and clinical medicine, rather than simply presenting dichotomous choices to patients, which represents a common, but often suboptimal, means of approaching both medical and moral concerns. DISCUSSION We describe how more nuanced teaching about the ethics of the doctor–patient relationship might fit into the medical curriculum and offer practical suggestions for implementing a more respectful, morally engaged relationship with patients that should assist them to achieve meaningful health goals. PMID:19250356

  12. Vertical Integration in Teaching And Learning (VITAL): an approach to medical education in general practice.

    PubMed

    Dick, Marie-Louise B; King, David B; Mitchell, Geoffrey K; Kelly, Glynn D; Buckley, John F; Garside, Susan J

    2007-07-16

    There is increasing demand to provide clinical and teaching experiences in the general practice setting. Vertical integration in teaching and learning, whereby teaching and learning roles are shared across all learner stages, has the potential to decrease time demands and stress on general practitioners, to provide teaching skills and experience to GP registrars, and to improve the learning experience for medical students, and may also help meet the increased demand for teaching in general practice. We consider potential advantages and barriers to vertical integration of teaching in general practice, and provide results of focus group discussions with general practice principals and registrars about vertical integration. We recommend further research into the feasibility of using vertical integration to enhance the capacity to teach medical students in general practice.

  13. Teaching clinical pharmacology and therapeutics with an emphasis on the therapeutic reasoning of undergraduate medical students

    PubMed Central

    Richir, Milan C.; Tichelaar, Jelle; Geijteman, Eric C. T.

    2008-01-01

    Background The rational prescribing of drugs is an essential skill of medical doctors. Clinical pharmacologists play an important role in the development of these skills by teaching clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CP&T) to undergraduate medical students. Although the approaches to teaching CP&T have undergone many changes over the last decennia, it is essential that the actual teaching of CP&T continues to be a major part of the undergraduate medical curriculum. Objectives The learning objectives of CP&T teaching in terms of developing the therapeutic competencies of undergraduate medical students are described, with an emphasis on therapeutic decision-making. On the basis of current theories of cognitive psychology and medical education, context-learning is presented as an effective approach by which to achieve therapeutic competencies. An example of a CP&T curriculum is presented. PMID:18228012

  14. Applying athletic principles to medical rounds to improve teaching and patient care.

    PubMed

    Southwick, Frederick; Lewis, Michelle; Treloar, Dina; Cherabuddi, Kartikeya; Radhakrishnan, Nila; Leverence, Robert; Han, Xiaoxia; Cottler, Linda

    2014-07-01

    Teaching hospital multidisciplinary work rounds are often inefficient, delaying the completion of patient care tasks and detracting from teaching. Participants often act as working groups rather than interdependent teams. Athletic principles were used to train multidisciplinary rounding teams to adopt the systems used by manufacturing to improve the efficiency and quality of patient care, as well as teamwork and didactic teaching. Experimental groups of general medical rounding teams-faculty member, house staff, medical students, bedside nurses, pharmacists, and a case manager-were introduced to individual job descriptions (playbooks), key customer-supplier relation ships, and efficient communication protocols, accompanied by weekly feed back (game films). A two-phase pilot 11-month prospective trial (February to July 2009 and September 2011 to January 2012) compared the experimental and control rounding teams on the basis of length of stay, 30-day readmission rates, and physician, student, and patient satisfaction. These interventions resulted in a 30% reduction in 30-day readmissions and, in the 2011-2012 phase, an 18% shorter length of stay. Anonymous surveys documented greater satisfaction of faculty, residents, and medical students, and student ratings of teaching were markedly improved. Patient satisfaction did not change. The new rounding system has the potential to reduce waste and improve the quality of patient care while improving caregiver satisfaction and medical student teaching. Adaptive leadership skills will be required to overcome resistance to change. The use of athletic analogies can improve teamwork and facilitate the adoption of a systems approach to the delivery of patient care.

  15. Defining the structure of undergraduate medical leadership and management teaching and assessment in the UK.

    PubMed

    Stringfellow, Thomas D; Rohrer, Rebecca M; Loewenthal, Lola; Gorrard-Smith, Connor; Sheriff, Ibrahim H N; Armit, Kirsten; Lees, Peter D; Spurgeon, Peter C

    2014-10-10

    Abstract Medical leadership and management (MLM) skills are essential in preventing failings of healthcare; it is unknown how these attitudes can be developed during undergraduate medical education. This paper aims to quantify interest in MLM and recommends preferred methods of teaching and assessment at UK medical schools. Two questionnaires were developed, one sent to all UK medical school faculties, to assess executed and planned curriculum changes, and the other sent to medical students nationally to assess their preferences for teaching and assessment. Forty-eight percent of UK medical schools and 260 individual student responses were recorded. Student responses represented 60% of UK medical schools. 65% of schools valued or highly valued the importance of teaching MLM topics, compared with 93.2% of students. Students' favoured teaching methods were seminars or lectures (89.4%) and audit and quality improvement (QI) projects (77.8%). Medical schools preferred portfolio entries (55%) and presentations (35%) as assessment methods, whilst simulation exercises (76%) and audit reports (61%) were preferred by students. Preferred methods encompass experiential learning or simulation and a greater emphasis should be placed on encouraging student audit and QI projects. The curriculum changes necessary could be achieved via further integration into future editions of Tomorrow's Doctors.

  16. Can near-peer medical students effectively teach a new curriculum in physical examination?

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Students in German medical schools frequently complain that the subject ‘clinical examination’ is not taught in a satisfying manner due to time constraints and lack of personnel resources. While the effectiveness and efficiency of practice-oriented teaching in small groups using near-peer teaching has been shown, it is rarely used in German medical schools. We investigated whether adding a new near-peer teaching course developed with student input plus patient examination under supervision in small groups improves basic clinical examination skills in third year medical students compared to a traditional clinical examination course alone. Methods Third year medical students registered for the mandatory curricular clinical examination course at the medical faculty of the Technische Universität München were invited to participate in a randomised trial with blinded outcome assessment. Students were randomised to the control group participating in the established curricular physical examination course or to the intervention group, which received additional near-peer teaching for the same content. The learning success was verified by a voluntary objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Results A total of 84 students were randomised and 53 (63%) participated in the final OSCE. Students in the control group scored a median of 57% (25th percentile 47%, 75th percentile 61%) of the maximum possible total points of the OSCE compared to 77% (73%, 80%; p < 0.001) for students in the intervention group. Only two students in the intervention group received a lower score than the best student in the control group. Conclusion Adding a near-peer teaching course to the routine course significantly improved the clinical examination skills of medical students in an efficient manner in the context of a resource-constrained setting. PMID:24325639

  17. The recording of student performance in the microbiology laboratory as a training, tutorial, and motivational tool.

    PubMed

    Lipson, Steven M; Gair, Marina

    2011-01-01

    The laboratory component of a microbiology course consists of exercises which mandate a level of proficiency and manual dexterity equal to and often beyond that recognized among other biology courses. Bacterial growth, maintenance, identification (e.g., Gram stain, biochemical tests, genomics), as well as the continuous need to maintain laboratory safety and sterile technique, are only a few skills/responsibilities critical to the discipline of microbiology. Performance of the Gram stain remains one of the most basic and pivotal skills that must be mastered in the microbiology laboratory. However, a number of students continually have difficulty executing the Gram stain and preparative procedures associated with the test. In order to address this issue, we incorporated real-time digital recording as a supplemental teaching aid in the microbiology laboratory. Our use of the digital movie camera in the teaching setting served to enhance interest, motivate students, and in general, improve student performance.

  18. Topic Outlines in Microbiology: An Instructor's Guide for Junior and Community Colleges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC.

    This resource guide presents subject matter organized in outline form for four topical areas: introductory microbiology; medical microbiology; microbial genetics; and microbial physiology. The first two units comprise the two most frequently taught microbiology courses in community and junior colleges. The outlines for microbial genetics and…

  19. Effective clinical education: strategies for teaching medical students and residents in the office.

    PubMed

    Cayley, William E

    2011-08-01

    Educating medical students and residents in the office presents the challenges of providing quality medical care, maintaining efficiency, and incorporating meaningful education for learners. Numerous teaching strategies to address these challenges have been described in the medical educational literature, but only a few teaching strategies have been evaluated for their impact on education and office practice. Literature on the impact of office-based teaching strategies on educational outcomes and on office efficiency was selected from a Pub Med search, from review of references in retrieved articles, and from the author's personal files. Two teaching strategies, "one-minute preceptor" (OMP) and "SNAPPS," have been shown to improve educational processes and outcomes. Two additional strategies, "Aunt Minnie" pattern recognition and "activated demonstration," show promise but have not been fully evaluated. None of these strategies has been shown to improve office efficiency. OMP and SNAPPS are strategies that can be used in office precepting to improve educational processes and outcomes, while pattern recognition and activated demonstration show promise but need further assessment. Additional areas of research also are suggested.

  20. Clinical and Microbiological Characteristics of Heteroresistant and Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus from Bloodstream Infections in a Brazilian Teaching Hospital

    PubMed Central

    da Costa, Thaina Miranda; Morgado, Priscylla Guimarães Migueres; Cavalcante, Fernanda Sampaio; Damasco, Andreia Paredes; Nouér, Simone Aranha; dos Santos, Kátia Regina Netto

    2016-01-01

    This study analyzed clinical and microbiological characteristics of heteroresistant (hVISA) and vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) from bloodstream infections (BSI) in a Brazilian teaching hospital, between 2011 and 2013. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of antimicrobials were determined by broth microdilution method and SCCmec was detected by PCR. Isolates with a vancomycin MIC ≥ 2mg/L were cultured on BHI agar with 3, 4 or 6 mg/L (BHIa3, BHIa4 or BHIa6) of vancomycin and BHIa4 with casein (BHIa4ca). Macromethod Etest® and Etest® Glicopeptides Resistance Detection were also used. VISA and hVISA isolates were confirmed by the population analysis profile then typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing. Medical data from the patients were obtained from their medical records. Among 110 consecutive isolates, 31 (28%) were MRSA and carried the SCCmec type II (15 isolates) or IV (16 isolates). Vancomycin MIC50 and MIC90 were 1 and 2 mg/L, respectively. MRSA isolates had increased non-susceptibility to daptomycin (p = 0.0003). Six (5%) isolates were VISA, four of which were MRSA, three SCCmec type II/USA100/ST5 and one type IV/USA800/ST3192. One MRSA SCCmec II isolate grew on agar BHIa3, BHIa4 and BHIa4ca, and it was confirmed as hVISA. Among the six VISA isolates, five (83%) grew on BHIa3 and three (50%) on BHI4ca. Four of the six VISA isolates and the one hVISA isolate were from patients who had undergone dialysis. Thus, a possible dissemination of the SCCmec II/USA100/ST5 lineage may have occurred in the hospital comprising the VISA, hVISA and daptomycin non-susceptible S. aureus Brazilian isolates from health care associated bloodstream infections. PMID:27575698

  1. Clinical and Microbiological Characteristics of Heteroresistant and Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus from Bloodstream Infections in a Brazilian Teaching Hospital.

    PubMed

    da Costa, Thaina Miranda; Morgado, Priscylla Guimarães Migueres; Cavalcante, Fernanda Sampaio; Damasco, Andreia Paredes; Nouér, Simone Aranha; Dos Santos, Kátia Regina Netto

    2016-01-01

    This study analyzed clinical and microbiological characteristics of heteroresistant (hVISA) and vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) from bloodstream infections (BSI) in a Brazilian teaching hospital, between 2011 and 2013. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of antimicrobials were determined by broth microdilution method and SCCmec was detected by PCR. Isolates with a vancomycin MIC ≥ 2mg/L were cultured on BHI agar with 3, 4 or 6 mg/L (BHIa3, BHIa4 or BHIa6) of vancomycin and BHIa4 with casein (BHIa4ca). Macromethod Etest® and Etest® Glicopeptides Resistance Detection were also used. VISA and hVISA isolates were confirmed by the population analysis profile then typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing. Medical data from the patients were obtained from their medical records. Among 110 consecutive isolates, 31 (28%) were MRSA and carried the SCCmec type II (15 isolates) or IV (16 isolates). Vancomycin MIC50 and MIC90 were 1 and 2 mg/L, respectively. MRSA isolates had increased non-susceptibility to daptomycin (p = 0.0003). Six (5%) isolates were VISA, four of which were MRSA, three SCCmec type II/USA100/ST5 and one type IV/USA800/ST3192. One MRSA SCCmec II isolate grew on agar BHIa3, BHIa4 and BHIa4ca, and it was confirmed as hVISA. Among the six VISA isolates, five (83%) grew on BHIa3 and three (50%) on BHI4ca. Four of the six VISA isolates and the one hVISA isolate were from patients who had undergone dialysis. Thus, a possible dissemination of the SCCmec II/USA100/ST5 lineage may have occurred in the hospital comprising the VISA, hVISA and daptomycin non-susceptible S. aureus Brazilian isolates from health care associated bloodstream infections.

  2. Teaching medical humanities in the digital world: affordances of technology-enhanced learning.

    PubMed

    Kemp, Sandra Joy; Day, Giskin

    2014-12-01

    Medical humanities courses are typically taught in face-to-face teaching environments, but now medical humanities educators, alongside educators from other disciplines, are facing shifts in higher education towards online (and sometimes open) courses. For the medical humanities educator, there is limited guidance regarding how technology-enhanced learning design can support the learning outcomes associated with medical humanities. This article aims to provide useful direction for such educators on how digital technologies can be used through learner-focused pedagogies. Specific examples are provided as to how the affordances of Web 2.0 and other tools can be realised in innovative ways to help achieve skills development within the medical humanities. The guidance, alongside the practical suggestions for implementation, can provide important conceptual background for medical humanities educators who wish to embrace technology-enhanced learning, and reconceptualise or redesign medical humanities for an online or blended teaching environment. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  3. How Educators Conceptualize and Teach Reflective Practice: A Survey of North American Pediatric Medical Educators.

    PubMed

    Butani, Lavjay; Bannister, Susan L; Rubin, Allison; Forbes, Karen L

    2017-04-01

    The objectives of this study were to explore pediatric undergraduate medical educators' understanding of reflective practice, the barriers they face in teaching this, the curricular activities they use, and the value they assign to reflective practice. Nine survey questions were sent to members of the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics, an international pediatric undergraduate medical educator group. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Open-ended responses were analyzed qualitatively through an iterative process to establish themes representing understanding of reflective practice and barriers in teaching this. Respondents representing 56% of all North American schools answered at least 1 survey question. Qualitative analysis of understanding of reflection revealed 11 themes spanning all components of reflective practice, albeit with a narrow view on triggers for reflection and a lower emphasis on understanding the why of things and on perspective-taking. The most frequent barriers in teaching this were the lack of skilled educators and limited time. Most respondents valued reflective skills but few reported confidence in their ability to teach reflection. Several curricular activities were used to teach reflection, the most common being narrative writing. Pediatric undergraduate medical educators value reflection and endorse its teaching. However, many do not have a complete understanding of the construct and few report confidence in teaching this. Implementing longitudinal curricula in reflective practice may require a culture change; opportunities exist for faculty development about the meaning and value of reflective practice and how best to teach this. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Ultrasound-based teaching of cardiac anatomy and physiology to undergraduate medical students.

    PubMed

    Hammoudi, Nadjib; Arangalage, Dimitri; Boubrit, Lila; Renaud, Marie Christine; Isnard, Richard; Collet, Jean-Philippe; Cohen, Ariel; Duguet, Alexandre

    2013-10-01

    Ultrasonography is a non-invasive imaging modality that offers the opportunity to teach living cardiac anatomy and physiology. The objectives of this study were to assess the feasibility of integrating an ultrasound-based course into the conventional undergraduate medical teaching programme and to analyse student and teacher feedback. An ultrasound-based teaching course was implemented and proposed to all second-year medical students (n=348) at the end of the academic year, after all the conventional modules at our faculty. After a brief theoretical and practical demonstration, students were allowed to take the probe and use the ultrasound machine. Students and teachers were asked to complete a survey and were given the opportunity to provide open feedback. Two months were required to implement the entire module; 330 (95%) students (divided into 39 groups) and 37 teachers participated in the course. Student feedback was very positive: 98% of students agreed that the course was useful; 85% and 74% considered that their understanding of cardiac anatomy and physiology, respectively, was improved. The majority of the teachers (97%) felt that the students were interested, 81% agreed that the course was appropriate for second-year medical students and 84% were willing to participate to future sessions. Cardiac anatomy and physiology teaching using ultrasound is feasible for undergraduate medical students and enhances their motivation to improve their knowledge. Student and teacher feedback on the course was very positive. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  5. Principles of Pedagogy in Teaching in a Diverse Medical School: The University of Capetown South Africa Medical School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rothenberg, Julia Johnson; Holland, Errol

    This paper describes a 2-month project developed by the Sage Colleges (New York) and the University of Capetown Medical School in South Africa to help the medical faculty at the Capetown Medical School teach its newly diverse student body. The program is intended to improve student retention and it emphasizes the need for faculty to assure…

  6. Competency Assessment of Microbiology Medical Laboratory Technologists in Ontario, Canada

    PubMed Central

    Fleming, Christine Ann

    2014-01-01

    Accreditation in Ontario, Canada, requires that licensed clinical laboratories participate in external quality assessment (also known as proficiency testing) and perform competency evaluation of their staff. To assess the extent of ongoing competency assessment practices, the Quality Management Program—Laboratory Services (QMP-LS) Microbiology Committee surveyed all 112 licensed Ontario microbiology laboratories. The questionnaire consisted of a total of 21 questions that included yes/no, multiple-choice, and short-answer formats. Participants were asked to provide information about existing programs, the frequency of testing, what areas are evaluated, and how results are communicated to the staff. Of the 111 responding laboratories, 6 indicated they did not have a formal evaluation program since they perform only limited bacteriology testing. Of the remaining 105 respondents, 87% perform evaluations at least annually or every 2 years, and 61% include any test or task performed, whereas 16% and 10% focus only on problem areas and high-volume complex tasks, respectively. The most common methods of evaluation were review of external quality assessment (EQA) challenges, direct observation, and worksheet review. With the exception of one participant, all communicate results to staff, and most take remedial action to correct the deficiencies. Although most accredited laboratories have a program to assess the ongoing competency of their staff, the methods used are not standardized or consistently applied, indicating that there is room for improvement. The survey successfully highlighted potential areas for improvement and allowed the QMP-LS Microbiology Committee to provide guidance to Ontario laboratories for establishing or improving existing microbiology-specific competency assessment programs. PMID:24899030

  7. Frequency of hospital acquired pneumonia and its microbiological etiology in medical intensive care unit.

    PubMed

    Imran, Muhammad; Amjad, Alina; Haidri, Fakhir Raza

    2016-01-01

    The objectives were to assess the frequency of hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) in patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) and to determine the frequencies of different etiological organisms in these patients. This was descriptive cross sectional study, which was carried out in medical ICU of Shifa International Hospital Islamabad from January 2013 to January 2014. A total of 1866 patients were admitted in the department of medicine including medical ICU. They were evaluated for HAP and the causative organisms were cultured from these patients. Identification was carried out by standard biochemical profile of the organisms. The total number of patients admitted in medical ICU for any reason were 346. HAP was diagnosed in 88 patients (25.4%). The average age of patients admitted in Medical ICU with HAP was 48 years with the range of 16 to 82 years. 56 were male and 32 females. 42 patients (47.7%) died in medical ICU with HAP. Microbiological analysis showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa were 27 (30.6%), Acinetobacter spp. were 12 (13.6%), Candida albicans were 12 (13.6%), Klebsiellapneumoniae were 9 (10.2%), Streptococcus spp. were 9 (10.2%), Escherichia coli were 5 (5.6%), Stenotrophomonas spp. were 4(4.5%), Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) were 4 (4.5%) others organisms 6 (6.8%). The frequency of HAP in Medical ICU of our hospital is 88 out of 346 (25.4%). The commonest organism identified was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (30.6%) followed by Acinetobacter and Candida albican (13.6% each).

  8. Development, Validation, and Application of the Microbiology Concept Inventory †

    PubMed Central

    Paustian, Timothy D.; Briggs, Amy G.; Brennan, Robert E.; Boury, Nancy; Buchner, John; Harris, Shannon; Horak, Rachel E. A.; Hughes, Lee E.; Katz-Amburn, D. Sue; Massimelli, Maria J.; McDonald, Ann H.; Primm, Todd P.; Smith, Ann C.; Stevens, Ann M.; Yung, Sunny B.

    2017-01-01

    If we are to teach effectively, tools are needed to measure student learning. A widely used method for quickly measuring student understanding of core concepts in a discipline is the concept inventory (CI). Using the American Society for Microbiology Curriculum Guidelines (ASMCG) for microbiology, faculty from 11 academic institutions created and validated a new microbiology concept inventory (MCI). The MCI was developed in three phases. In phase one, learning outcomes and fundamental statements from the ASMCG were used to create T/F questions coupled with open responses. In phase two, the 743 responses to MCI 1.0 were examined to find the most common misconceptions, which were used to create distractors for multiple-choice questions. MCI 2.0 was then administered to 1,043 students. The responses of these students were used to create MCI 3.0, a 23-question CI that measures students’ understanding of all 27 fundamental statements. MCI 3.0 was found to be reliable, with a Cronbach’s alpha score of 0.705 and Ferguson’s delta of 0.97. Test item analysis demonstrated good validity and discriminatory power as judged by item difficulty, item discrimination, and point-biserial correlation coefficient. Comparison of pre- and posttest scores showed that microbiology students at 10 institutions showed an increase in understanding of concepts after instruction, except for questions probing metabolism (average normalized learning gain was 0.15). The MCI will enable quantitative analysis of student learning gains in understanding microbiology, help to identify misconceptions, and point toward areas where efforts should be made to develop teaching approaches to overcome them. PMID:29854042

  9. Developing Medical Students as Teachers: An Anatomy-Based Student-as-Teacher Program with Emphasis on Core Teaching Competencies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jay, Erie Andrew; Starkman, Sidney J.; Pawlina, Wojciech; Lachman, Nirusha

    2013-01-01

    Teaching is an increasingly recognized responsibility of the resident physician. Residents, however, often assume teaching responsibilities without adequate preparation. Consequently, many medical schools have implemented student-as-teacher (SAT) programs that provide near-peer teaching opportunities to senior medical students. Near-peer teaching…

  10. 21 CFR 801.125 - Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis. 801.125 Section 801.125 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION... Directions for Use § 801.125 Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis. A...

  11. 21 CFR 801.125 - Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis. 801.125 Section 801.125 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION... Directions for Use § 801.125 Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis. A...

  12. 21 CFR 801.125 - Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis. 801.125 Section 801.125 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION... Directions for Use § 801.125 Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis. A...

  13. 21 CFR 801.125 - Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis. 801.125 Section 801.125 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION... Directions for Use § 801.125 Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis. A...

  14. 21 CFR 801.125 - Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis. 801.125 Section 801.125 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION... Directions for Use § 801.125 Medical devices for use in teaching, law enforcement, research, and analysis. A...

  15. Experience of psychiatry teaching at medical school influences Croatian medical students' attitudes towards choosing psychiatry as a career.

    PubMed

    Kuzman, Martina Rojnic; Lovrec, Petra; Smoljan, Mia; Kuzman, Tomislav; Farooq, Kitty; Lydall, Greg; Malik, Amit; Bhugra, Dinesh

    2013-06-01

    Reports indicate that the number of students interested in choosing psychiatry as their future profession is constantly decreasing in the last decades. Our aim was to determine the proportion of medical students intending to pursue a career in psychiatry and to define undergraduate education-related factors influencing that choice. We report the preliminary findings of a cross sectional quantitative survey of final year Croatian medical students as part of the International Survey Of Student Career Choice In Psychiatry (ISOSCCIP). We surveyed medical students attending their final year at Zagreb School of Medicine in the academic year 2009/2010, using a structured questionnaire examining demographics, students' preferences on future career choice and their evaluations of undergraduate psychiatry teaching. The overall student evaluation of the compulsory psychiatry curriculum was "average". Significantly higher ratings were reported by students who felt more involved in the teaching of the subject. The possibility of psychiatry as a career choice correlated significantly with better evaluation grades of psychiatry lectures. Furthermore, poor evaluation grades predicted a higher likelihood that medical students completely ruled out choosing a career in psychiatry. This is the first survey of this kind in Croatia. Student ratings of medical school psychiatric education and perceived involvement in teaching appears to influence the likelihood of a stated career in psychiatry. Addressing these issues may increase the number of students motivated to pursue psychiatry as their future career choice.

  16. Survey of current status of intensive care teaching in English-speaking medical schools.

    PubMed

    Shen, Judith; Joynt, Gavin M; Critchley, Lester A H; Tan, Ian K S; Lee, Anna

    2003-01-01

    To identify a consensus of opinion regarding the content of an intensive care core syllabus for undergraduate medical students and factors that may limit its teaching. Cross-sectional postal survey containing 35 items ranging from department structure to curriculum content and factors that limit the teaching of intensive care. English-speaking medical schools (n = 210) listed in the 1986 World Health Organization Directory. Of 122 (58%) returned questionnaires, a 45% return was achieved from the United States and 86% from non-U.S. countries. Most respondents (84%) considered teaching undergraduate intensive care to be essential; however, teaching intensive care was compulsory in only 31% of schools. Many schools (43%) reported recent changes to their intensive care curriculum. Most respondents (60%) thought that intensive care specialists should teach and that each student required a median (interquartile range) of 20 (10-80) hrs of teacher contact time. Resuscitation skills were taught in 98% of schools. In comparison, 63% of schools had no intensive care syllabus. More than 90% of respondents thought that the intensive care syllabus should include the following: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, assessment and management of the acutely ill patient; management of respiratory, circulatory, and multiple organ system failure (including systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis); management of the unconscious patient; early postoperative care; and communication skills and ethics as they relate to end-of-life issues. Factors that limited intensive care teaching were lack of staff, funding, and time dedicated to teaching and excessive clinical workload. Student performance in intensive care was assessed by 66% of schools, but only 28% used a written or oral examination. By surveying a wide range of medical schools internationally, we have been able to define an undergraduate intensive care syllabus that could be delivered in 20 hrs or 1 wk of dedicated teaching

  17. Puzzle based teaching versus traditional instruction in electrocardiogram interpretation for medical students--a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Rubinstein, Jack; Dhoble, Abhijeet; Ferenchick, Gary

    2009-01-13

    Most medical professionals are expected to possess basic electrocardiogram (EKG) interpretation skills. But, published data suggests that residents' and physicians' EKG interpretation skills are suboptimal. Learning styles differ among medical students; individualization of teaching methods has been shown to be viable and may result in improved learning. Puzzles have been shown to facilitate learning in a relaxed environment. The objective of this study was to assess efficacy of teaching puzzle in EKG interpretation skills among medical students. This is a reader blinded crossover trial. Third year medical students from College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University participated in this study. Two groups (n = 9) received two traditional EKG interpretation skills lectures followed by a standardized exam and two extra sessions with the teaching puzzle and a different exam. Two other groups (n = 6) received identical courses and exams with the puzzle session first followed by the traditional teaching. EKG interpretation scores on final test were used as main outcome measure. The average score after only traditional teaching was 4.07 +/- 2.08 while after only the puzzle session was 4.04 +/- 2.36 (p = 0.97). The average improvement after the traditional session was followed up with a puzzle session was 2.53 +/- 1.94 while the average improvement after the puzzle session was followed with the traditional session was 2.08 +/- 1.73 (p = 0.67). The final EKG exam score for this cohort (n = 15) was 84.1 compared to 86.6 (p = 0.22) for a comparable sample of medical students (n = 15) at a different campus. Teaching EKG interpretation with puzzles is comparable to traditional teaching and may be particularly useful for certain subgroups of students. Puzzle session are more interactive and relaxing, and warrant further investigations on larger scale.

  18. LEARNING STYLE OF MEDICAL STUDENTS AND ITS CORRELATION WITH PREFERRED TEACHING METHODOLOGIES AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.

    PubMed

    Bhalli, Muhammad Asif; Khan, Ishtiaq Ali; Sattar, Abdul

    2015-01-01

    Researchers have categorized the learning styles in many ways. Kolb proposed a classification of learner's styles as convergers, divergers, assimilators and accommodators. Honey and Mumford simplified learning styles as activists, reflectors, theorists and pragmatists. Neil Fleming's VARK model (Visual, Auditory, Read/write and Kinesthetic) is also popular. This study was carried out to determine the frequency of learning styles (Honey and Mumford) of medical students and its correlation with preferred teaching methodologies and academic achievements. A total of 77 medical students of 4th year MBBS were selected through non-probability convenient sampling for this study. Honey and Mumford's learning style questionnaire, and a 2nd questionnaire to know their preference for different teaching methodologies were distributed to the students. Learning styles were identified and correlated with preferred teaching methodologies and academic achievements by Chi-square test. Mean age of the medical students was 22.75 ± 1.05 years. Twenty one (27.3%) participants were males and 56 (72.7%) females. By learning styles, 7 (9.1%) medical students were activists, 36 (46.8%) reflectors, 13 (16.9%) theorists and 21 (27.3%) were pragmatists. Out of 77 students, 22 preferred interactive lectures; 16, small group discussion; 20 problem based learning, 10 preferred demonstration on models. Only 01 students preferred one-way lecture as the best teaching methodology. No significant correlation was found between learning styles and preferred teaching methodologies and learning styles and academic scores. Most of the medical students had reflector (46.8%) and pragmatist (27.3%) learning styles. Majority preferred interactive lectures (28.57%) and problem based learning (25.98%) as teaching methodologies. Aligning our instructional strategies with learning styles of the medical students will improve learning and academic performance.

  19. Involving junior doctors in medical article publishing: is it an effective method of teaching?

    PubMed

    Oyibo, Samson O

    2017-01-01

    Having peer-reviewed articles published in medical journals is important for career progression in many medical specialties. Despite this, only a minority of junior doctors have the skills in the area of medical article publishing. The aim of this study was to assess junior doctors' views concerning being involved in medical article publishing and whether they perceive involvement as an effective method of teaching. A cross-sectional survey was administered to a convenience sample of doctors who had been involved in medical article publishing. Questions concerned training and involvement in publishing as junior doctors, effects on education and training, is it an effective method of teaching and should publishing be part of their education and training program. Questions used the 5-point Likert scale. Of the 39 doctors, 37 (94.9%) doctors responded. Only one-third of respondents agreed that they had adequate training or involvement in medical article publishing during their undergraduate medical training. Many (78.4%) agreed that it was difficult to get published as a junior doctor. Publishing as a junior doctor improved knowledge about publishing, understanding of the topic and interest in the field of study for 92, 92 and 73% of respondents, respectively. Many (89%) agreed that publishing made them eager to publish more. Most (76%) agreed that it was likely to encourage interest in a postgraduate career in that field of study. A majority (92%) felt that involvement in medical article publishing is an effective method of teaching and it should be a part of the junior doctors' education and training program. Junior doctors feel that involvement in medical article publishing contributes to learning and education and is an effective method of teaching. This supports the need to incorporate such training into the junior doctors' education and training program.

  20. Pedagogical effectiveness of innovative teaching methods initiated at the Department of Physiology, Government Medical College, Chandigarh.

    PubMed

    Nageswari, K Sri; Malhotra, Anita S; Kapoor, Nandini; Kaur, Gurjit

    2004-12-01

    Modern teaching trends in medical education exhibit a paradigm shift from the conventional classroom teaching methods adopted in the past to nonconventional teaching aids so as to encourage interactive forms of learning in medical students through active participation and integrative reasoning where the relationship of the teacher and the taught has undergone tremendous transformation. Some of the nonconventional teaching methods adopted at our department are learning through active participation by the students through computer-assisted learning (CD-ROMs), Web-based learning (undergraduate projects), virtual laboratories, seminars, audiovisual aids (video-based demonstrations), and "physioquiz."

  1. Medical Students' Learning from Patient-Led Teaching: Experiential versus Biomedical Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henriksen, Ann-Helen; Ringsted, Charlotte

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore how medical students perceive the experience of learning from patient instructors (patients with rheumatism who teach health professionals and students) in the context of coupled faculty-led and patient-led teaching session. This was an explorative study with a qualitative approach based on focus group…

  2. Case-based Learning in Microbiology: Observations from a North West Indian Medical College.

    PubMed

    Singhal, Anita

    2017-12-01

    Microbiology is usually taught by conventional lectures, and its retention and application is observed to be poor among medical graduates/practitioners. Introduction of case-based learning (CBL) in microbiology for second-year professional MBBS students. Students were divided into two groups of fifty each. Four clinical cases were used for CBL. One group had two CBL sessions whereas the other had didactic lectures (DLs) and then the groups were crossed over. Case scenario handouts were given to students a week before the session, and smaller groups were formed for discussions and presentations in CBL sessions. Posttest, in multiple choice questions format, was conducted in two phases: First, immediately after the completion of the four CBL and DL sessions, and second, 6 weeks after the first posttest. Student and faculty feedback was taken about CBL sessions. Hundred MBBS students of the fourth semester voluntarily participated in the CBL study. The CBL scores were significantly higher than DL session scores ( P = 0.015). This difference was more marked in scoring done after 6 weeks of session completion ( P < 0.001). Student reported satisfaction in being taught by CBL method in 5-point Likert scale feedback form. Faculty feedback was positive for CBL. CBL helped in retention of knowledge and its application better than DL in our observation. More sessions on commonly encountered case scenarios will be useful for students in recalling basic science knowledge in their later years as practitioners.

  3. [The first attempt of introducing of teaching of medical disciplines in religious academies and seminaries].

    PubMed

    Oleinikova, V S

    2016-01-01

    The article is devoted to the first attempt of introduction of teaching of medical disciplines in religious academies and seminaries. The cause of appearance of "medicine class» in religious schools served miserable condition of peasants related to factually total impossibility to receive medical care. The Russian orthodox church acted as an initiator of introduction of teaching of medicine in religious schools. In 1802, Alexander I by his Ukaz introduced teaching of medical disciplines into programs of religious schools. The Emperor Ukaz was developed by such well-known statesmen as secretary of state D.P. Toroschinskii, director of medical board A.I. Vasiliev, metropolitan Novgorodskii and Sankt-Peterburgskii Amvrosii and other members of Holy Synod. The course of medicine taught in religious schools was presented by anatomy, physiology, therapy, botanics, pharmacology, emergency medical care. However, in many religious schools the clauses of Ukaz were not implemented because of lacking of teachers. And in the middle of1808 the emperor Ukaz was abrogated.

  4. Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of the Assayed Quality Control Material for Clinical Microbiology Assays. Final order.

    PubMed

    2017-07-27

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, Agency, or we) is classifying the assayed quality control material for clinical microbiology assays into class II (special controls). The special controls that will apply to the device are identified in this order and will be part of the codified language for the assayed quality control material for clinical microbiology assays' classification. The Agency is classifying the device into class II (special controls) to provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device.

  5. The "Near-Peer" Approach to Teaching Musculoskeletal Physical Examination Skills Benefits Residents and Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Rosenberg, Casandra J; Nanos, Katherine N; Newcomer, Karen L

    2017-03-01

    The musculoskeletal physical examination (MSK PE) is an essential part of medical student training, and it is best taught in a hands-on, longitudinal fashion. A barrier to this approach is faculty instructor availability. "Near-peer" teaching refers to physicians-in-training teaching their junior colleagues. It is unknown whether near-peer teaching is effective in teaching this important physical examination skill. To investigate attitudes of medical students and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) residents regarding near-peer teaching in an MSK PE curriculum. Qualitative, anonymous paper and online surveys. Tertiary academic center with a medical school and PM&R training program. Ninety-nine second- and third-year medical students and 13 PM&R residents in their third or fourth postgraduate year. Attitudes of second- and third-year medical students were measured immediately after their MSK PE course. Resident attitudes were measured in a single cross-sectional sample. Student attitudes were assessed via a questionnaire with 5-point Likert scales and a free-text comment section. The resident questionnaire included a combination of multiple-choice questions, rankings, free-text responses, and Likert scales. All 99 students completed the questionnaire. The majority of students (n = 79 [80%]) reported that resident involvement as hands-on instructors of examination skills was "very useful," and 87 (88%) indicated that resident-led small discussion groups were "very helpful" or "somewhat helpful." Fifty-seven of 99 students (58%) reported that the resident-facilitated course was "much better" than courses without resident involvement. Twelve of 13 eligible residents completed the survey, and of those, 8 found teaching "very helpful" to their MSK knowledge, and 11 became "somewhat" or "much more confident" in clinical examination skills. Our study supports educational benefits to medical students and resident instructors in our MSK PE program. We recommend

  6. Teaching medical ethics to undergraduate students in post-apartheid South Africa, 2003 2006.

    PubMed

    Moodley, Keymanthri

    2007-11-01

    The apartheid ideology in South Africa had a pervasive influence on all levels of education including medical undergraduate training. The role of the health sector in human rights abuses during the apartheid era was highlighted in 1997 during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings. The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) subsequently realised the importance of medical ethics education and encouraged the introduction of such teaching in all medical schools in the country. Curricular reform at the University of Stellenbosch in 1999 presented an unparalleled opportunity to formally introduce ethics teaching to undergraduate students. This paper outlines the introduction of a medical ethics programme at the Faculty of Health Sciences from 2003 to 2006, with special emphasis on the challenges encountered. It remains one of the most comprehensive undergraduate medical ethics programmes in South Africa. However, there is scope for expanding the curricular time allocated to medical ethics. Integrating the curriculum both horizontally and vertically is imperative. Implementing a core curriculum for all medical schools in South Africa would significantly enhance the goals of medical education in the country.

  7. Development and implementation of a longitudinal students as teachers program: participant satisfaction and implications for medical student teaching and learning.

    PubMed

    Yeung, Celine; Friesen, Farah; Farr, Sarah; Law, Marcus; Albert, Lori

    2017-01-31

    Teaching is a key component of medical practice, but medical students receive little formal training to develop their teaching skills. A longitudinal Students as Teachers (SAT) program was created at the University of Toronto to provide medical students with opportunities to acquire an understanding of educational pedagogy and practice teaching early in their medical training. This program was 7-months in duration and consisted of monthly educational modules, practical teaching sessions, feedback, and reflective exercises. A mixed methods study design was used to evaluate initial outcomes of the SAT program by obtaining the perspectives of 18 second-year medical students. Participants filled out questionnaires at the beginning and end of the 7-month program to indicate their skill level and confidence in teaching. Differences between pre- and post-intervention scores were further explored in a group interview of 5 participants. Participants expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the SAT program structure and found the educational modules and practical teaching sessions to be particularly beneficial to their learning. Over the course of the program, there were significant increases in students' confidence in teaching, and self-perceived teaching capacity and communication skills. Furthermore, participants discussed improvements in their effectiveness as learners. Teaching is a skill that requires ongoing practice. Our results suggest that a longitudinal program consisting of theoretical modules, practical teaching sessions, feedback, and reflective exercises for medical students may improve teaching and communication skills, and equip them with improved learning strategies. This program also provides students with insight into the experience of teaching while holding other academic and clinical responsibilities.

  8. Teachers' conceptions of learning and teaching in student-centred medical curricula: the impact of context and personal characteristics.

    PubMed

    Jacobs, Johanna C G; van Luijk, Scheltus J; van der Vleuten, Cees P M; Kusurkar, Rashmi A; Croiset, Gerda; Scheele, Fedde

    2016-09-21

    Gibbs and Coffey (2004) have reported that teaching practices are influenced by teachers' conceptions of learning and teaching. In our previous research we found significant differences between teachers' conceptions in two medical schools with student-centred education. Medical school was the most important predictor, next to discipline, gender and teaching experience. Our research questions for the current study are (1) which specific elements of medical school explain the effect of medical school on teachers' conceptions of learning and teaching? How? and (2) which contextual and personal characteristics are related to conceptions of learning and teaching? How? Individual interviews were conducted with 13 teachers of the undergraduate curricula in two medical schools. Previously their conceptions of learning and teaching were assessed with the COLT questionnaire. We investigated the meanings they attached to context and personal characteristics, in relation to their conceptions of learning and teaching. We used a template analysis. Large individual differences existed between teachers. Characteristics mentioned at the medical school and curriculum level were 'curriculum tradition', 'support by educational department' and 'management and finances'. Other contextual characteristics were 'leadership style' at all levels but especially of department chairs, 'affordances and support', 'support and relatedness', and 'students' characteristics'. Personal characteristics were 'agency', 'experience with PBL (as a student or a teacher)','personal development', 'motivation and work engagement'and 'high content expertise'. Several context and personal characteristics associated with teachers' conceptions were identified, enabling a broader view on faculty development with attention for these characteristics, next to teaching skills.

  9. 77 FR 16126 - Microbiology Devices; Reclassification of Nucleic Acid-Based Systems for Mycobacterium tuberculosis

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-19

    .... FDA-2012-N-0159] Microbiology Devices; Reclassification of Nucleic Acid-Based Systems for... convened a meeting of the Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee (Microbiology Devices Panel) on June 29, 2011 (Ref. 2). Although not a formal reclassification meeting, panel...

  10. Medical imaging education in biomedical engineering curriculum: courseware development and application through a hybrid teaching model.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Weizhao; Li, Xiping; Chen, Hairong; Manns, Fabrice

    2012-01-01

    Medical Imaging is a key training component in Biomedical Engineering programs. Medical imaging education is interdisciplinary training, involving physics, mathematics, chemistry, electrical engineering, computer engineering, and applications in biology and medicine. Seeking an efficient teaching method for instructors and an effective learning environment for students has long been a goal for medical imaging education. By the support of NSF grants, we developed the medical imaging teaching software (MITS) and associated dynamic assessment tracking system (DATS). The MITS/DATS system has been applied to junior and senior medical imaging classes through a hybrid teaching model. The results show that student's learning gain improved, particularly in concept understanding and simulation project completion. The results also indicate disparities in subjective perception between junior and senior classes. Three institutions are collaborating to expand the courseware system and plan to apply it to different class settings.

  11. How much is too much assessment? Insight into assessment-driven student learning gains in large-scale undergraduate microbiology courses.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jack T H; Schembri, Mark A; Hall, Roy A

    2013-01-01

    Designing and implementing assessment tasks in large-scale undergraduate science courses is a labor-intensive process subject to increasing scrutiny from students and quality assurance authorities alike. Recent pedagogical research has provided conceptual frameworks for teaching introductory undergraduate microbiology, but has yet to define best-practice assessment guidelines. This study assessed the applicability of Biggs' theory of constructive alignment in designing consistent learning objectives, activities, and assessment items that aligned with the American Society for Microbiology's concept-based microbiology curriculum in MICR2000, an introductory microbiology course offered at the University of Queensland, Australia. By improving the internal consistency in assessment criteria and increasing the number of assessment items explicitly aligned to the course learning objectives, the teaching team was able to efficiently provide adequate feedback on numerous assessment tasks throughout the semester, which contributed to improved student performance and learning gains. When comparing the constructively aligned 2011 offering of MICR2000 with its 2010 counterpart, students obtained higher marks in both coursework assignments and examinations as the semester progressed. Students also valued the additional feedback provided, as student rankings for course feedback provision increased in 2011 and assessment and feedback was identified as a key strength of MICR2000. By designing MICR2000 using constructive alignment and iterative assessment tasks that followed a common set of learning outcomes, the teaching team was able to effectively deliver detailed and timely feedback in a large introductory microbiology course. This study serves as a case study for how constructive alignment can be integrated into modern teaching practices for large-scale courses.

  12. Sterilization validation for medical devices at IRASM microbiological laboratory—Practical approaches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trandafir, Laura; Alexandru, Mioara; Constantin, Mihai; Ioniţă, Anca; Zorilă, Florina; Moise, Valentin

    2012-09-01

    EN ISO 11137 established regulations for setting or substantiating the dose for achieving the desired sterility assurance level. The validation studies can be designed in particular for different types of products. Each product needs distinct protocols for bioburden determination and sterility testing. The Microbiological Laboratory from Irradiation Processing Center (IRASM) deals with different types of products, mainly for the VDmax25 method. When it comes to microbiological evaluation the most challenging was cotton gauze. A special situation for establishing the sterilization validation method appears in cases of cotton packed in large quantities. The VDmax25 method cannot be applied for items with average bioburden more than 1000 CFU/pack, irrespective of the weight of the package. This is a method limitation and implies increased costs for the manufacturer when choosing other methods. For microbiological tests, culture condition should be selected in both cases of the bioburden and sterility testing. Details about choosing criteria are given.

  13. Core Competencies for Medical Teachers (KLM)--A Position Paper of the GMA Committee on Personal and Organizational Development in Teaching.

    PubMed

    Görlitz, Anja; Ebert, Thomas; Bauer, Daniel; Grasl, Matthäus; Hofer, Matthias; Lammerding-Köppel, Maria; Fabry, Götz

    2015-01-01

    Recent developments in medical education have created increasing challenges for medical teachers which is why the majority of German medical schools already offer educational and instructional skills trainings for their teaching staff. However, to date no framework for educational core competencies for medical teachers exists that might serve as guidance for the qualification of the teaching faculty. Against the background of the discussion about competency based medical education and based upon the international literature, the GMA Committee for Faculty and Organizational Development in Teaching developed a model of core teaching competencies for medical teachers. This framework is designed not only to provide guidance with regard to individual qualification profiles but also to support further advancement of the content, training formats and evaluation of faculty development initiatives and thus, to establish uniform quality criteria for such initiatives in German-speaking medical schools. The model comprises a framework of six competency fields, subdivided into competency components and learning objectives. Additional examples of their use in medical teaching scenarios illustrate and clarify each specific teaching competency. The model has been designed for routine application in medical schools and is thought to be complemented consecutively by additional competencies for teachers with special duties and responsibilities in a future step.

  14. Role modelling in medical education: the importance of teaching skills.

    PubMed

    Burgess, Annette; Oates, Kim; Goulston, Kerry

    2016-04-01

    By observation of role models, and participation in activities, students develop their attitudes, values and professional competencies. Literature suggests that clinical skills and knowledge, personality, and teaching skills are three main areas that students consider central to the identification of positive role models. The aim of this study was to explore junior medical students' opinions of the ideal attributes of a good role model in clinical tutors. The study was conducted with one cohort (n = 301) of students who had completed year 1 of the medical programme in 2013. All students were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding the ideal attributes of a good role model in a clinical tutor. The questionnaire consisted of seven closed items and one open-ended question. The response rate to the questionnaire was 265/301 (88%). Although students found all three key areas important in a good role model, students emphasised the importance of excellence in teaching skills. Specifically, students see good role models as being able to provide a constructive learning environment, a good understanding of the curriculum and an ability to cater to the learning needs of all students. Students see good role models as being able to provide a constructive learning environment While acknowledging the importance of a patient-centred approach, as well as clinical knowledge and skills, our findings reinforce the importance of the actual teaching abilities of role models within medical education. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Teaching Confidentiality through Comics at One Spanish Medical School.

    PubMed

    Lalanda, Mónica; Altisent, Rogelio; Delgado-Marroquín, Maria Teresa

    2018-02-01

    At the University of Zaragoza in Spain we developed an innovative way to teach the concept of confidentiality to medical students, which we tested by comparing the use of customized comics with more traditional methods. We proved that using comics is more attractive to students than lectures and class discussions, that it increases class participation and students' self-awareness of learning, and that it maintains the same academic results. We share our experience visually in a two-page comic. © 2018 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

  16. [(Inter)national and regional health goals in academic social-medical education conception for teaching medical students at the Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen].

    PubMed

    Simoes, E; Hildenbrand, S; Rieger, M A

    2012-07-01

    Social medicine deals with the specific interactions between medicine and society within a constantly changing social environment. The Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine, University Hospital Tuebingen, focuses on this relationship within the academic teaching of the Medical Faculty. Many of the issues thus directly affect the national health objectives and especially the health targets of the state of Baden-Württemberg, summarised in the Health Strategy Baden-Wuerttemberg. In addition to the recommendations of the German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention (DGSMP) for the social medicine curriculum and the specific definition of the content by the Tuebingen medical faculty, national and regional health-care goals are also taken into account in the teaching conception. Classes are increasingly offered as training courses in small groups (seminars, group work with practical training), instead of classic lectures. These teaching methods allow the students to take part more actively in social medicine issues and to think and act within a comprehensive understanding of health management based on societal goals and the needs of a good health system. The concept is supported by the curriculum design element "log-book skills" of the Medical Faculty of Tuebingen. Feedback elements for teachers and students shape the further development of the concept. In dealing with real system data, practical experience on site and case vignettes, the students experience the links between societal influences, political objectives and medical action as well as the importance of accessibility of medical services for equity in health chances. The fact that advice and expertise play a crucial role in accessibility is a component to which too little attention is paid and calls for emphasis in the teaching concept. This teaching approach will deepen the understanding of the influence of psychosocial context factors and the conditions of the structural framework on the medical

  17. Burns teaching in UK medical schools: Is it enough?

    PubMed

    Zinchenko, Ruslan; Perry, Fiona M; Dheansa, Baljit S

    2016-02-01

    Burns are frequently seen and managed in non-specialist settings. The crowding of the UK medical undergraduate curriculum may have resulted in the reduction of teaching on burns. To determine the burns education experience and the level of competence among UK final year medical students in assessing and acutely managing patients with burns. An online questionnaire was circulated among UK final year medical students. There was a total of 348 respondents. The majority of the respondents (70%) have not received any specific teaching on how to manage patients with burns. Nearly two-thirds of the students (66%) have never seen a patient being managed for burns throughout their training. Over 90% of respondents stated that they would not feel confident in initially managing a burn in the emergency department. The majority of the respondents (57%) have not heard of the criteria for referring a burns patient for further specialist management. There was almost universal agreement about the importance of knowing how to manage a burn initially. There seems to be a lack of consistent undergraduate training in burns management and final year students lack the experience and knowledge to initially manage burns. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  18. Cultural competence in medical education: A questionnaire study of Danish medical teachers' perceptions of and preparedness to teach cultural competence.

    PubMed

    Sorensen, Janne; Jervelund, Signe Smith; Norredam, Marie; Kristiansen, Maria; Krasnik, Allan

    2017-03-01

    The cultural competence training of healthcare professionals is a key element in ensuring the quality of both the access and delivery of healthcare to increasingly ethnically diverse populations. The aim of this study is to investigate Danish medical teachers' opinions about cultural competence, their willingness to receive training and preparedness to teach cultural competence topics. The survey was sent to medical teachers, clinical teachers and external lecturers who teach in the medical programme at the University of Copenhagen. A total of 1400 medical teachers received the survey, and 199 responded. The response rate is 14%. Data were analysed through descriptive calculations, and answers to open-ended questions were coded using content analysis. Results showed that 82.4% of the informants agreed or strongly agreed that the medical education programme should include training on cultural issues, and 60.3% agreed or strongly agreed that students should be assessed on their cultural competence skills. Regarding preparedness to teach a diverse classroom, 88.4% felt somewhat or very prepared to engage and motivate all students. About 70% were interested in receiving training on cultural competence. Generally, there is interest in and acknowledgement of the importance of cultural competence in Danish medical education among teachers at the University of Copenhagen. This creates an opportunity to implement cultural competence in the medical curriculum, training of teachers and strengthening the diversity sensitivity of the organisation. However, support for this programme by management and the allocation of an appropriate level of resources is a prerequisite to the success of the programme.

  19. Undergraduate allergy teaching in a UK medical school: comparison of the described and delivered curriculum.

    PubMed

    Shehata, Yasser; Ross, Michael; Sheikh, Aziz

    2007-02-01

    Concerns have been raised about the adequacy of allergy teaching in UK undergraduate medical curricula. Our previous work, which involved undertaking a systematic analysis of the documented curricular learning objectives relating to allergy teaching in a UK medical school, found references to allergy teaching in each of the five years of study but also identified some apparent omissions in allergy teaching. These may represent actual gaps in relation to allergy training, or alternatively may reflect dissonance between the described and delivered curricula. To compare the described and delivered undergraduate curricula on allergy and allergy-related topics in a UK medical school. We identified and e-mailed the individuals responsible for each of the 43 modules in the five-year undergraduate medical programme at the University of Edinburgh, enquiring about the delivery of allergy-related teaching within their modules. We then compared these responses with the results of the previous study mapping allergy-related teaching across the undergraduate curriculum. Fifty-one individuals were identified as being responsible for leading the 43 modules in the curriculum. Forty-nine (96%) of these module organisers responded to our enquiry; these individuals represented 41 of the 43 modules (95%). Module organisers reported that allergy-related teaching and learning was delivered in 14 modules (33%), was absent in 13 (30%) modules, and may occur to varying degrees within a further 10 (23%) modules. Module organisers' responses about the delivered curriculum on allergy were consistent with the findings from documented learning objectives in 21 (49%) modules. They also reported allergy teaching and learning in modules which had not been identified by examination of the learning objectives; however, there were still important gaps in the allergy-related curriculum. Information gathered from teaching staff confirms that specific teaching and learning on allergic disorders is

  20. Provision of undergraduate otorhinolaryngology teaching within General Medical Council approved UK medical schools: what is current practice?

    PubMed

    Khan, M M; Saeed, S R

    2012-04-01

    Despite longstanding concern, provision of undergraduate ENT teaching has not improved in response to the aims of the UK General Medical Council's initiative Tomorrow's Doctors. Previous studies have demonstrated poor representation of ENT within the undergraduate curriculum. We aimed to identify current practice in order to establish undergraduate ENT experience across UK medical schools, a timely endeavour in light of the General Medical Council's new 2011-2013 education strategy. Questionnaires were sent to ENT consultants, medical school deans and students. All schools with a clinical curriculum were anonymously represented. Our outcome measures were the provision of mandatory or optional ENT placements, and their duration and content. A compulsory ENT placement was available to over half (53 per cent) of the students. Ten of the 26 participating schools did not offer an ENT attachment. The mean mandatory placement was 8 days. Overall, 38 per cent of students reported a satisfactory compulsory ENT placement. Most ENT consultants questioned considered that newly qualified doctors were not proficient in managing common ENT problems that did not require specialist referral. Little improvement in the provision of undergraduate ENT teaching was demonstrated. An increase in the proportion of students undertaking ENT training is necessary. Time and curriculum constraints on medical schools mean that optimisation of available resources is required.

  1. Blogging in Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology: Assessment of 'Blogosphere' Content.

    PubMed

    Birgand, Gabriel; Troughton, Rachael; Moore, Luke S P; Charani, Esmita; Rawson, Timothy M; Castro-Sánchez, Enrique; Holmes, Alison H

    2017-07-01

    OBJECTIVE To analyze influential infectious diseases, antimicrobial stewardship, infection control, or medical microbiology blogs and bloggers SETTING World wide web DESIGN We conducted a systematic search for blogs in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines in September 2015. METHODS A snowball sampling approach was applied to identify blogs using various search engines. Blogs were eligible if they (1) focused on infectious diseases, antimicrobial stewardship, infection control, or medical microbiology; (2) were intended for health professionals; and (3) were written in English and (4) were updated regularly. We mapped blog and blogger characteristics and used an innovative tool to assess the architecture and content of the included blogs. The motivations and perceptions of bloggers and readers were also assessed. RESULTS A total of 88 blogs were identified. Moreover, 28 blogs (32%) focused on infectious diseases, 46 (52%) focused on medical microbiology, and 14 (16%) focused on infection control or antimicrobial stewardship. Bloggers were mainly male with medical doctorates and/or PhDs; 32 bloggers (36%) posted at least weekly; and 51 (58%) had a research purpose. The aims were considered clear for 23 blogs (26%), and the field covered was considered broad for 25 blogs (28%). Presentation was considered good for 22 blogs (25%), 51 blogs (58%) were easy to read, and 46 blogs (52%) included expert interpretation. Among the top 10 blogs, 3 focused on infectious diseases, 6 focused on medical microbiology, and 2 focused on infection control (2 were equally ranked). The bloggers we questioned were motivated to share their independent expertise and opinions. Readers appreciated the concise messages on scientific topics and practical updates. CONCLUSIONS This study describes high-level blogs in the fields of infectious diseases, infection control, and medical microbiology. Our findings suggest ways in which bloggers should build/orientate blogs for readers, and we have

  2. How do medical schools use measurement systems to track faculty activity and productivity in teaching?

    PubMed

    Mallon, William T; Jones, Robert F

    2002-02-01

    The authors describe their findings from a study that (1) identified 41 medical schools or medical school departments that used metric systems to quantify faculty activity and productivity in teaching and (2) analyzed the purposes and progress of those systems. Among the reasons articulated for developing these systems, the most common was to identify a "rational" method for distributing funds to departments. More generally, institutions wanted to emphasize the importance of the school's educational mission. The schools varied in the types of information they tracked, ranging from a selective focus on medical school education to a comprehensive assessment of teaching activity and educational administration, committee work, and advising. Schools were almost evenly split between those that used a relative-value-unit method of tracking activity and those that used a contact-hour method. This study also identified six challenges that the institutions encountered with these metric systems: (1) the lack of a culture of data in management; (2) skepticism of faculty and chairs; (3) the misguided search for one perfect metric; (4) the expectation that a metric system will erase ambiguity regarding faculty teaching contributions; (5) the lack of, and difficulty with developing, measures of quality; and (6) the tendency to become overly complex. Because of the concern about the teaching mission at medical schools, the number of institutions developing educational metric systems will likely increase in the coming years. By documenting and accounting financially for teaching, medical schools can ensure that the educational mission is valued and appropriately supported.

  3. Towards effective outcomes in teaching, learning and assessment of law in medical education.

    PubMed

    Preston-Shoot, Michael; McKimm, Judy

    2011-04-01

    Law is slowly emerging as a core subject area in medical education, alongside content on the ethical responsibilities of doctors to protect and promote patient health and well-being. Curriculum statements have begun to advise on core content and methods for organising teaching and assessment. However, no comprehensive overview of approaches to the delivery of this law curriculum has been undertaken. This paper reports an assessment of the nature and strength of the published evidence base for the teaching, learning and assessment of law in medical education. It also provides a thematic content overview from the best available literature on the teaching of law to medical students and on the assessment of their legal knowledge and skills. A systematic review of the evidence base was completed. Detailed scrutiny resulted in the inclusion of 31 empirical sources and 11 conceptual papers. The quality of the included material was assessed. Significant gaps exist in the evidence base. Empirical studies of the teaching of law are characterised by insufficient sample sizes and a focus on individual study programmes. They rely on measures of student satisfaction and on evaluating short-term outcomes rather than assessing whether knowledge is retained and whether learning impacts on patient outcomes. Studies reveal a lack of coordination between pre- or non-clinical and clinical medico-legal education. Although evidence on the development of students' knowledge is available, much learning is distant from the practice in which its application would be tested. Law learning in clinical placements appears to be opportunistic rather than structured. The place of law in the curriculum remains uncertain and should be more clearly identified. A more robust knowledge base is needed to realise the aspirations behind curriculum statements on law and to enable medical students to develop sufficient legal literacy to manage challenging practice encounters. Further research is needed into

  4. Teaching a Hypothesis-driven Physical Diagnosis Curriculum to Pulmonary Fellows Improves Performance of First-Year Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Staitieh, Bashar S; Saghafi, Ramin; Kempker, Jordan A; Schulman, David A

    2016-04-01

    Hypothesis-driven physical examination emphasizes the role of bedside examination in the refinement of differential diagnoses and improves diagnostic acumen. This approach has not yet been investigated as a tool to improve the ability of higher-level trainees to teach medical students. To assess the effect of teaching hypothesis-driven physical diagnosis to pulmonary fellows on their ability to improve the pulmonary examination skills of first-year medical students. Fellows and students were assessed on teaching and diagnostic skills by self-rating on a Likert scale. One group of fellows received the hypothesis-driven teaching curriculum (the "intervention" group) and another received instruction on head-to-toe examination. Both groups subsequently taught physical diagnosis to a group of first-year medical students. An oral examination was administered to all students after completion of the course. Fellows were comfortable teaching physical diagnosis to students. Students in both groups reported a lack of comfort with the pulmonary examination at the beginning of the course and improvement in their comfort by the end. Students trained by intervention group fellows outperformed students trained by control group fellows in the interpretation of physical findings (P < 0.05). Teaching hypothesis-driven physical examination to higher-level trainees who teach medical students improves the ability of students to interpret physical findings. This benefit should be confirmed using validated testing tools.

  5. [The directional axes in the reform of medical teaching. A strategic proposal].

    PubMed

    Martins e Silva, J

    1993-10-01

    The circumstances preceding the future revision of the medical curriculum are analysed, main internal and external stimuli are described, and sources of resistance to changes in medical training require new educational philosophy, privileging oriented training during undergraduation, as a preliminary phase of medical education. The definition and accompaniment of the general and specific objectives, the strategy and programme used, the design and adequacy of the available support, and the related engagement of all political, academic and socially responsible persons and institutions, are fundamental factors for successful change. The education and training of polyvalent medical doctors requires methodological modifications, namely the definition of a core curriculum, made dynamic through the teaching of interdependent subjects and earlier contact with common clinical problems. Learning through interconnected basic and clinical matters will benefit the technical and psychosocial education of future doctors. The education resulting from a renewal in undergraduate medical education will be mostly determined by organizational and institutional frameworks, teaching methods and the evaluation process used, as well as by teacher commitment, pedagogic and scientific capacities. Professional competence should be the end product of efficient training. Otherwise, undergraduate medical education would not prepare the professional development of the young doctors, thus diminishing the quality of medical training in the future.

  6. Benefits of Teaching Medical Students How to Communicate with Patients Having Serious Illness

    PubMed Central

    Ellman, Matthew S.; Fortin, Auguste H.

    2012-01-01

    Innovative approaches are needed to teach medical students effective and compassionate communication with seriously ill patients. We describe two such educational experiences in the Yale Medical School curriculum for third-year medical students: 1) Communicating Difficult News Workshop and 2) Ward-Based End-of-Life Care Assignment. These two programs address educational needs to teach important clinical communication and assessment skills to medical students that previously were not consistently or explicitly addressed in the curriculum. The two learning programs share a number of educational approaches driven by the learning objectives, the students’ development, and clinical realities. Common educational features include: experiential learning, the Biopsychosocial Model, patient-centered communication, integration into clinical clerkships, structured skill-based learning, self-reflection, and self-care. These shared features ― as well as some differences ― are explored in this paper in order to illustrate key issues in designing and implementing medical student education in these areas. PMID:22737055

  7. Positive impact of integrating histology and physiology teaching at a medical school in China.

    PubMed

    Sherer, Renslow; Wan, Yu; Dong, Hongmei; Cooper, Brian; Morgan, Ivy; Peng, Biwen; Liu, Jun; Wang, Lin; Xu, David

    2014-12-01

    To modernize its stagnant, traditional curriculum and pedagogy, the Medical School of Wuhan University in China adopted (with modifications) the University of Chicago's medical curriculum model. The reform effort in basic sciences was integrating histology and physiology into one course, increasing the two subjects' connection to clinical medicine, and applying new pedagogies and assessment methods. This study assessed the results of the reform by comparing the attitudes and academic achievements of students in the reform curriculum (n = 41) and their traditional curriculum peers (n = 182). An attitude survey was conducted to obtain students' views of their respective histology and physiology instruction. Survey items covered lectures, laboratory teaching, case analyses and small-group case discussions, assessment of students, and overall quality of the courses and instruction. A knowledge test consisting of questions from three sources was given to measure students' mastery of topics that they had learned. Results showed that reform curriculum students were rather satisfied with their course and new teaching methods in most cases. When these students' attitudes were compared with those of their traditional curriculum peers, several significant differences favoring the reform were identified regarding physiology teaching. No other significant difference was found for physiology or histology teaching. Reform curriculum students outperformed their peers on four of five subcategories of the knowledge test questions. These findings support the benefits of integration and state-of-the-art teaching methods. Our study may offer lessons to medical schools in China and other countries whose medical education is in need of change. Copyright © 2014 The American Physiological Society.

  8. Puzzle based teaching versus traditional instruction in electrocardiogram interpretation for medical students – a pilot study

    PubMed Central

    Rubinstein, Jack; Dhoble, Abhijeet; Ferenchick, Gary

    2009-01-01

    Background Most medical professionals are expected to possess basic electrocardiogram (EKG) interpretation skills. But, published data suggests that residents' and physicians' EKG interpretation skills are suboptimal. Learning styles differ among medical students; individualization of teaching methods has been shown to be viable and may result in improved learning. Puzzles have been shown to facilitate learning in a relaxed environment. The objective of this study was to assess efficacy of teaching puzzle in EKG interpretation skills among medical students. Methods This is a reader blinded crossover trial. Third year medical students from College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University participated in this study. Two groups (n = 9) received two traditional EKG interpretation skills lectures followed by a standardized exam and two extra sessions with the teaching puzzle and a different exam. Two other groups (n = 6) received identical courses and exams with the puzzle session first followed by the traditional teaching. EKG interpretation scores on final test were used as main outcome measure. Results The average score after only traditional teaching was 4.07 ± 2.08 while after only the puzzle session was 4.04 ± 2.36 (p = 0.97). The average improvement after the traditional session was followed up with a puzzle session was 2.53 ± 1.94 while the average improvement after the puzzle session was followed with the traditional session was 2.08 ± 1.73 (p = 0.67). The final EKG exam score for this cohort (n = 15) was 84.1 compared to 86.6 (p = 0.22) for a comparable sample of medical students (n = 15) at a different campus. Conclusion Teaching EKG interpretation with puzzles is comparable to traditional teaching and may be particularly useful for certain subgroups of students. Puzzle session are more interactive and relaxing, and warrant further investigations on larger scale. PMID:19144134

  9. Giving feedback in medical teaching: a case of lung function laboratory/spirometry.

    PubMed

    Meo, Sultan Ayoub

    2013-01-01

    Feedback in medical teaching is an important part of medical education, it encourages and enhances the learners' knowledge, skills and professional performance at various stages of their schooling. A constructive feedback enhances the awareness of strength and areas for improvement. An adequate, meaningful and fruitful feedback needs motivation, emphasis, objectivity, expertise, and active participation in the session. Before giving feedback, the instructor should be well prepared and must have practice on the task. The instructor should utilize all means such as good oral presentation, eye contact, visual cues, utilize body language to actively involve the learners in a session, all these activities enhance the knowledge, skill and attitude of the learners. The aim of this commentary is to highlight the basic issues in giving an appropriate feedback in medical teaching with special emphasis on a lung function laboratory / Spirometry.

  10. Experiential Teaching Increases Medication Calculation Accuracy Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students.

    PubMed

    Hurley, Teresa V

    Safe medication administration is an international goal. Calculation errors cause patient harm despite education. The research purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of an experiential teaching strategy to reduce errors in a sample of 78 baccalaureate nursing students at a Northeastern college. A pretest-posttest design with random assignment into equal-sized groups was used. The experiential strategy was more effective than the traditional method (t = -0.312, df = 37, p = .004, 95% CI) with a reduction in calculation errors. Evaluations of error type and teaching strategies are indicated to facilitate course and program changes.

  11. The state of radiologic teaching practice in preclinical medical education: survey of American medical, osteopathic, and podiatric schools.

    PubMed

    Rubin, Zachary; Blackham, Kristine

    2015-04-01

    This study describes the state of preclinical radiology curricula in North American allopathic, osteopathic, and podiatric medical schools. An online survey of teaching methods, radiology topics, and future plans was developed. The Associations of American Medical Colleges, Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, and Colleges of Podiatric Medicine listing for all US, Canadian, and Puerto Rican schools was used for contact information for directors of anatomy and/or radiology courses. Letters were sent via e-mail to 198 schools, with a link to the anonymous survey. Of 198 schools, 98 completed the survey (48%). Radiology curricula were integrated with other topics (91%), and taught by anatomists (42%) and radiologists (43%). The majority of time was spent on the topic of anatomy correlation (35%). Time spent teaching general radiology topics in the curriculum, such as physics (3%), modality differences (6%), radiation safety (2%), and contrast use (2%) was limited. Most schools had plans to implement an innovative teaching method in the near future (62%). The major challenges included limits on: time in the curriculum (73%); resources (32%); and radiology faculty participation (30%). A total of 82% reported that their curriculum did not model the suggestions made by the Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology. This survey describes the current state of preclinical radiology teaching: curricula were nonstandard, integrated into other courses, and predominantly used for anatomy correlation. Other important contextual principles of the practice of radiology were seldom taught. Copyright © 2015 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Medical students' professional identity development from being actors in an objective structured teaching exercise.

    PubMed

    De Grasset, Jehanne; Audetat, Marie-Claude; Bajwa, Nadia; Jastrow, Nicole; Richard-Lepouriel, Hélène; Nendaz, Mathieu; Junod Perron, Noelle

    2018-04-22

    Medical students develop professional identity through structured activities and impromptu interactions in various settings. We explored if contributing to an Objective Structured Teaching Exercise (OSTE) influenced students' professional identity development. University clinical faculty members participated in a faculty development program on clinical supervision. Medical students who participated in OSTEs as simulated residents were interviewed in focus groups about what they learnt from the experience and how the experience influenced their vision of learning and teaching. Transcripts were analyzed using the Goldie's personality and social structure perspective model. Twenty-five medical students out of 32 students involved in OSTEs participated. On an institutional level, students developed a feeling of belonging to the institution. At an interactional level, students realized they could influence the teaching interaction by actively seeking or giving feedback. On the personal level, students realized that errors could become sources of learning and felt better prepared to receive faculty feedback. Taking part in OSTEs as a simulated resident has a positive impact on students' vision regarding the institution as a learning environment and their own role by actively seeking or giving feedback. OSTEs support their professional identity development regarding learning and teaching while sustaining faculty development.

  13. The Use of Multiple Tools for Teaching Medical Biochemistry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Se, Alexandre B.; Passos, Renato M.; Ono, Andre H.; Hermes-Lima, Marcelo

    2008-01-01

    In this work, we describe the use of several strategies employing the philosophies of active learning and problem-based learning (PBL) that may be used to improve the teaching of metabolic biochemistry to medical and nutritional undergraduate students. The main activities are as follows: 1) a seminar/poster system in a mini-congress format (using…

  14. Teaching medical ethics to undergraduate students in post‐apartheid South Africa, 2003–2006

    PubMed Central

    Moodley, Keymanthri

    2007-01-01

    The apartheid ideology in South Africa had a pervasive influence on all levels of education including medical undergraduate training. The role of the health sector in human rights abuses during the apartheid era was highlighted in 1997 during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings. The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) subsequently realised the importance of medical ethics education and encouraged the introduction of such teaching in all medical schools in the country. Curricular reform at the University of Stellenbosch in 1999 presented an unparalleled opportunity to formally introduce ethics teaching to undergraduate students. This paper outlines the introduction of a medical ethics programme at the Faculty of Health Sciences from 2003 to 2006, with special emphasis on the challenges encountered. It remains one of the most comprehensive undergraduate medical ethics programmes in South Africa. However, there is scope for expanding the curricular time allocated to medical ethics. Integrating the curriculum both horizontally and vertically is imperative. Implementing a core curriculum for all medical schools in South Africa would significantly enhance the goals of medical education in the country. PMID:17971474

  15. Visiting Holocaust-Related Sites with Medical Students as an Aid in Teaching Medical Ethics.

    PubMed

    González-López, Esteban; Ríos-Cortés, Rosa

    2016-05-01

    During the Nazi period numerous doctors and nurses played a nefarious role. In Germany they were responsible for the sterilization and killing of disabled persons. Furthermore, the Nazi doctors used concentration camp inmates as guinea pigs in medical experiments for military or racial purposes. A study of the collaboration of doctors with National Socialism exemplifies behavior that must be avoided. Combining medical teaching with lessons from the Holocaust could be a way to transmit Medical Ethics to doctors, nurses and students. The authors describe a study tour with medical students to Poland, to the largest Nazi extermination camp, Auschwitz, and to the city of Krakow. The tour is the final component of a formal course entitled: "The Holocaust, a Reflection from Medicine" at the Autónoma University of Madrid, Spain. Visiting sites related to the Holocaust, the killing centers and the sites where medical experiments were conducted has a singular meaning for medical students. Tolerance, non-discrimination, and the value of human life can be both learnt and taught at the very place where such values were utterly absent.

  16. Improved medical student perception of ultrasound using a paired anatomy teaching assistant and clinician teaching model.

    PubMed

    Smith, Jacob P; Kendall, John L; Royer, Danielle F

    2018-03-01

    This study describes a new teaching model for ultrasound (US) training, and evaluates its effect on medical student attitudes toward US. First year medical students participated in hands-on US during human gross anatomy (2014 N = 183; 2015 N = 182). The sessions were facilitated by clinicians alone in 2014, and by anatomy teaching assistant (TA)-clinician pairs in 2015. Both cohorts completed course evaluations which included five US-related items on a four-point scale; cohort responses were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests with significance threshold set at 0.05. The 2015 survey also evaluated the TAs (three items, five-point scale). With the adoption of the TA-clinician teaching model, student ratings increased significantly for four out of five US-items: "US advanced my ability to learn anatomy" increased from 2.91 ± 0.77 to 3.35 ± 0.68 (P < 0.0001), "Incorporating US increased my interest in anatomy" from 3.05 ± 0.84 to 3.50 ± 0.71 (P < 0.0001), "US is relevant to my current educational needs" from 3.36 ± 0.63 to 3.54 ± 0.53 (P = 0.015), and "US training should start in Phase I" from 3.36 ± 0.71 to 3.56 ± 0.59 (P = 0.010). Moreover, more than 84% of students reported that TAs enhanced their understanding of anatomy (mean 4.18 ± 0.86), were a valuable part of US training (mean 4.23 ± 0.89), and deemed the TAs proficient in US (mean 4.24 ± 0.86). By using an anatomy TA-clinician teaching team, this study demonstrated significant improvements in student perceptions of the impact of US on anatomy education and the relevancy of US training to the early stages of medical education. Anat Sci Educ 11: 175-184. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

  17. Can Japanese students embrace learner-centered methods for teaching medical interviewing skills? Focus groups.

    PubMed

    Saiki, Takuya; Mukohara, Kei; Otani, Takashi; Ban, Nobutaro

    2011-01-01

    Students' perceptions of learner-centered methods for teaching medical interviewing skills have not been fully explored. To explore Japanese students' perceptions of learner-centered methods for teaching medical interviewing skills such as role play with student-created scenarios, peer-assisted video reviews, and student-led small group debriefing. We conducted three focus groups with a total of 15 students who participated in the learner-centered seminars on medical interviewing skills at the Nagoya University School of Medicine. The transcripts were analyzed by two authors independently. Keywords and concepts were identified and a thematic framework was developed. Overall, students valued the experience of writing their own scenarios for role play, but some questioned their realism. Many students commented that peer-assisted video reviews provided them with more objective perspectives on their performance. However, some students expressed concerns about competitiveness during the video reviews. While students appreciated teachers' minimum involvement in the group debriefing, some criticized that teachers did not explain the objectives of the seminar clearly. Many students had difficulties in exchanging constructive feedback. We were able to gain new insights into positive and negative perceptions of students about learner-centered methods for teaching medical interviewing skills at one medical school in Japan.

  18. Junior doctors and undergraduate teaching: the influence of gender on the provision of medical education.

    PubMed

    Prichard, David; Collins, Niamh; Boohan, Mairead; Wall, Catherine

    2011-04-01

    International experience has demonstrated that the medical profession is becoming less dominated by men. This "feminization of medicine" has been a topic of much debate in the medical literature. As the gender ratio in the profession changes, it is likely that a greater proportion of undergraduate education will be provided by women. Whether this shift away from the male-dominated provision of medical education will have an effect on undergraduate education is unknown. The aim of this research was to clarify whether there are differences between the attitudes and practices of male and female junior doctors regarding the practice of undergraduate teaching. A survey methodology among a cohort of nonconsultant hospital doctors in a major Irish teaching hospital was utilized. The overall response rate was 93%. The cohort held a positive attitude toward teaching undergraduates, and the majority were actively engaged in this activity. Doctors of both genders expressed a willingness to undertake teacher training. There were no significant differences between the genders regarding the self-reported quantity of teaching provided to undergraduates. Male doctors perceived themselves as more confident educators when compared to female doctors, but this is likely to reflect cohort demographics in which a greater proportion of male doctors were more senior. This study demonstrates that male and female doctors have similar attitudes toward, and practices in, voluntary undergraduate teaching. As a result, any gender shift in medicine is unlikely to result in a significant change in junior doctors' attitudes toward undergraduate medical education.

  19. [The venture financing of scientifically-innovative projects: teaching experience in medical high school].

    PubMed

    Grachev, S V; Gorodnova, E A

    2008-01-01

    The authors presented an original material, devoted to first experience of teaching of theoretical bases of venture financing of scientifically-innovative projects in medical high school. The results and conclusions were based on data of the questionnaire performed by the authors. More than 90% of young scientist physicians recognized actuality of this problem for realization of their research work results into practice. Thus, experience of teaching of theoretical bases of venture financing of scientifically-innovative projects in medical high school proves reasonability of further development and inclusion the module "The venture financing of scientifically-innovative projects in biomedicine" in the training plan.

  20. Bringing good teaching cases "to life": a simulator-based medical education service.

    PubMed

    Gordon, James A; Oriol, Nancy E; Cooper, Jeffrey B

    2004-01-01

    Realistic medical simulation has expanded worldwide over the last decade. Such technology is playing an increasing role in medical education not merely because simulator sessions are enjoyable, but because they can provide an enhanced environment for experiential learning and reflective thought. High-fidelity patient simulators allow students of all levels to "practice" medicine without risk, providing a natural framework for the integration of basic and clinical science in a safe environment. Often described as "flight simulation for doctors," the rationale, utility, and range of medical simulations have been described elsewhere, yet the challenges of integrating this technology into the medical school curriculum have received little attention. The authors report how Harvard Medical School established an on-campus simulator program for students in 2001, building on the work of the Center for Medical Simulation in Boston. As an overarching structure for the process, faculty and residents developed a simulator-based "medical education service"-like any other medical teaching service, but designed exclusively to help students learn on the simulator alongside a clinician-mentor, on demand. Initial evaluations among both preclinical and clinical students suggest that simulation is highly accepted and increasingly demanded. For some learners, simulation may allow complex information to be understood and retained more efficiently than can occur with traditional methods. Moreover, the process outlined here suggests that simulation can be integrated into existing curricula of almost any medical school or teaching hospital in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

  1. Teaching a Hypothesis-driven Physical Diagnosis Curriculum to Pulmonary Fellows Improves Performance of First-Year Medical Students

    PubMed Central

    Saghafi, Ramin; Kempker, Jordan A.; Schulman, David A.

    2016-01-01

    Rationale: Hypothesis-driven physical examination emphasizes the role of bedside examination in the refinement of differential diagnoses and improves diagnostic acumen. This approach has not yet been investigated as a tool to improve the ability of higher-level trainees to teach medical students. Objectives: To assess the effect of teaching hypothesis-driven physical diagnosis to pulmonary fellows on their ability to improve the pulmonary examination skills of first-year medical students. Methods: Fellows and students were assessed on teaching and diagnostic skills by self-rating on a Likert scale. One group of fellows received the hypothesis-driven teaching curriculum (the “intervention” group) and another received instruction on head-to-toe examination. Both groups subsequently taught physical diagnosis to a group of first-year medical students. An oral examination was administered to all students after completion of the course. Measurements and Main Results: Fellows were comfortable teaching physical diagnosis to students. Students in both groups reported a lack of comfort with the pulmonary examination at the beginning of the course and improvement in their comfort by the end. Students trained by intervention group fellows outperformed students trained by control group fellows in the interpretation of physical findings (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Teaching hypothesis-driven physical examination to higher-level trainees who teach medical students improves the ability of students to interpret physical findings. This benefit should be confirmed using validated testing tools. PMID:26730644

  2. Impact of a Resident-as-Teacher Workshop on Teaching Behavior of Interns and Learning Outcomes of Medical Students

    PubMed Central

    Hill, Andrew G.; Srinivasa, Sanket; Hawken, Susan J.; Barrow, Mark; Farrell, Susan E.; Hattie, John; Yu, Tzu-Chieh

    2012-01-01

    Background Residents and interns are recognized as important clinical teachers and mentors. Resident-as-teacher training programs are known to improve resident attitudes and perceptions toward teaching, as well as their theoretical knowledge, skills, and teaching behavior. The effect of resident-as-teacher programs on learning outcomes of medical students, however, remains unknown. An intervention cohort study was conducted to prospectively investigate the effects of a teacher-training workshop on teaching behavior of participating interns and on the clerkship learning outcomes of instructed fourth-year medical students. Methods The House Officer-as-Teacher Training Workshop was implemented in November 2009 over 1.5 days and attended by all 34 interns from one teaching hospital. Subsequently, between February and August 2010, 124 fourth-year medical students rated the observable teaching behavior of interns during 6-week general surgery clerkships at this intervention hospital as well as at 2 comparable hospitals serving as control sites. Ratings were collected using an anonymous 15-item Intern Clinical Teaching Effectiveness Instrument. Student achievement of clerkship learning outcomes during this period was evaluated using a validated and centralized objective structured clinical examination. Results Medical students completed 101 intern clinical teaching effectiveness instruments. Intern teaching behavior at the intervention hospital was found to be significantly more positive, compared with observed behavior at the control hospitals. Objective structured clinical examination results, however, did not demonstrate any significant intersite differences in student achievement of general surgery clerkship learning outcomes. Conclusions The House Officer-as-Teacher Training Workshop noticeably improved teaching behavior of surgical interns during general surgery clerkships. This improvement did not, however, translate into improved achievement of clerkship learning

  3. Evaluation of the medical records system in an upcoming teaching hospital-a project for improvisation.

    PubMed

    Kumar, B Deepak; Kumari, C M Vinaya; Sharada, M S; Mangala, M S

    2012-08-01

    The medical records system of an upcoming teaching hospital in a developing nation was evaluated for its accessibility, completeness, physician satisfaction, presence of any lacunae, suggestion of necessary steps for improvisation and to emphasize the importance of Medical records system in education and research work. The salient aspects of the medical records department were evaluated based on a questionnaire which was evaluated by a team of 40 participants-30 doctors, 5 personnel from Medical Records Department and 5 from staff of Hospital administration. Most of the physicians (65%) were partly satisfied with the existing medical record system. 92.5% were of the opinion that upgradation of the present system is necessary. The need of the hour in the present teaching hospital is the implementation of a hospital-wide patient registration and medical records re-engineering process in the form of electronic medical records system and regular review by the audit commission.

  4. The teaching of drug development to medical students: collaboration between the pharmaceutical industry and medical school

    PubMed Central

    Stanley, A G; Jackson, D; Barnett, D B

    2005-01-01

    Collaboration between the medical school at Leicester and a local pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, led to the design and implementation of an optional third year special science skills module teaching medical students about drug discovery and development. The module includes didactic teaching about the complexities of the drug discovery process leading to development of candidate drugs for clinical investigation as well as practical experience of the processes involved in drug evaluation preclinically and clinically. It highlights the major ethical and regulatory issues concerned with the production and testing of novel therapies in industry and the NHS. In addition it helps to reinforce other areas of the medical school curriculum, particularly the understanding of clinical study design and critical appraisal. The module is assessed on the basis of a written dissertation and the critical appraisal of a drug advertisement. This paper describes the objectives of the module and its content. In addition we outline the results of an initial student evaluation of the module and an assessment of its impact on student knowledge and the opinion of the pharmaceutical industry partner. This module has proven to be popular with medical students, who acquire a greater understanding of the work required for drug development and therefore reflect more favourably on the role of pharmaceutical companies in the UK. PMID:15801942

  5. Medical Humanities Teaching in North American Allopathic and Osteopathic Medical Schools.

    PubMed

    Klugman, Craig M

    2017-11-07

    Although the AAMC requires annual reporting of medical humanities teaching, most literature is based on single-school case reports and studies using information reported on schools' websites. This study sought to discover what medical humanities is offered in North American allopathic and osteopathic undergraduate medical schools. An 18-question, semi-structured survey was distributed to all 146 (as of June 2016) member schools of the American Association of Medical Colleges and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. The survey sought information on required and elective humanities content, hours of humanities instruction, types of disciplines, participation rates, and humanities administrative structure. The survey was completed by 134 schools (145 AAMC; 31 AACOM). 70.8% of schools offered required and 80.6% offered electives in humanities. Global health and writing were the most common disciplines. Schools required 43.9 mean (MD 45.4; DO 37.1) and 30 (MD 29; DO 37.5) median hours in humanities. In the first two years, most humanities are integrated into other course work; most electives are offered as stand-alone classes. 50.0% of schools report only 0-25% of students participating in humanities electives. Presence of a certificate, concentration or arts journal increased likelihood of humanities content but decreased mean hours. Schools with a medical humanities MA had a higher number of required humanities hours. Medical humanities content in undergraduate curriculum is lower than is indicated in the AAMC annual report. Schools with a formal structure have a greater humanities presence in the curriculum and are taken by more students.

  6. Teaching doctors to treat doctors: medical student peer counselling.

    PubMed

    Spiro, J H; Roenneburg, M; Maly, B J

    1980-01-01

    Physicians' emotional problems need to be recognized and treated. Intervention and prevention in this problem area have been attempted at the Medical College of Wisconsin through a programme of peer counselling designed to teach student physicians how to recognize and treat emotional difficulties faced by their peers. During the 18 months that the programme has been in operation, 20 peer counsellors reported a total 1,185 hours spent in counselling their peers, lending credence to the speculation that doctors will turn to their peers for help if, in medical school, there is acceptance of fallibility and responsiveness on the part of peers.

  7. Program planning for the community teaching hospital medical library.

    PubMed Central

    McCorkel, J; Cook, V

    1985-01-01

    To respond to the increasing demand for information from medical educators and clinicians and to persuade administrators to purchase the newly available microcomputer library systems, medical librarians in community teaching hospitals may find it useful to engage in intermediate term (for example, five-year) program planning. To increase the probability that the plan which emerges will be implemented, the planning process should fit the organizational nexus. Planning involves needs assessment, prioritized program elements, a written plan, and facilities planning (if applicable), which lead to program implementation. Components of a model program plan are presented. PMID:4027443

  8. Who will pay for medical education in our teaching hospitals?

    PubMed

    Relman, A S

    1984-10-05

    Although most medical educators believe that education, research, and patient care are inseparable and essential to their academic mission, the educational component of this triad has never been given adequate, earmarked support. To fund educational programs, medical centers first relied on research grants and later on third-party payments intended for patient care. However, research money has long since ceased to be available for other purposes and recent federal cost containment measures have started to reduce payments for patient care. Teaching hospitals are threatened with loss of support not only for education, but for their capital improvements and care of the poor. Many institutions are now hoping to generate new income through business deals with for-profit health care corporations, but this effort probably will also fail and may compromise professional traditions. Teaching hospitals serve the public interest and will have to depend, at least in part, on public subsidy of their unavoidable extra costs.

  9. Perceptions of Prospective Biology Teachers on Scientific Argumentation in Microbiology Inquiry Lab Activities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roviati, E.; Widodo, A.; Purwianingsih, W.; Riandi, R.

    2017-09-01

    Inquiry laboratory activity and scientific argumentation in science education should be promoted and explicitly experienced by prospective biology teacher students in classes, including in microbiology courses. The goal of this study is to get information about perceptions of prospective biology teachers on scientific argumentation in microbiology inquiry lab activities. This study reported the result of a survey research to prospective biology teachers about how their perception about microbiology lab classes and their perception about inquiry and argumentation in microbiology lab activities should be. The participants of this study were 100 students of biology education department from an institute in Cirebon, West Java taking microbiology lecture during the fifth semester. The data were collected using questionnaire to explore the perceptions and knowledge of prospective biology teachers about microbiology, inquiry lab activities and argumentation. The result showed that students thought that the difficulties of microbiology as a subject were the lack of references and the way lecturer teaching. The students’ perception was that argumentation and inquiry should be implemented in microbiology courses and lab activities. Based on the data from questionnaire, It showed that prospective biology teacher students had very little knowledge about scientific argumentation and its implementation in science education. When the participants made arguments based on the problems given, they showed low quality of arguments.

  10. Effect of teaching and checklist implementation on accuracy of medication history recording at hospital admission.

    PubMed

    Lea, Marianne; Barstad, Ingeborg; Mathiesen, Liv; Mowe, Morten; Molden, Espen

    2016-02-01

    Medication discrepancies at hospital admission is an extensive problem and knowledge is limited regarding improvement strategies. To investigate the effect of teaching and checklist implementation on accuracy of medication history recording during hospitalization. Patients admitted to an internal medicine ward were prospectively included in two consecutive periods. Between the periods, non-mandatory teaching lessons were provided and a checklist assisting medication history recording implemented. Discrepancies between the recorded medications at admission and the patient's actual drug use, as revealed by pharmacist-conducted medication reconciliation, were compared between the periods. The primary endpoint was difference between the periods in proportion of patients with minimum one discrepancy. Difference in median number of discrepancies was included as a secondary endpoint. 56 and 119 patients were included in period 1 (P1) and period 2 (P2), respectively. There was no significant difference in proportion of patients with minimum one discrepancy in P2 (68.9 %) versus P1 (76.8 %, p = 0.36), but a tendency of lower median number of discrepancies was observed in P2 than P1, i.e. 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.087). More powerful strategies than non-mandatory teaching activities and checklist implementation are required to achieve sufficient improvements in medication history recording during hospitalization.

  11. A nationwide, resident-led teaching programme for medical students in Singapore: SingHealth Student Internship Programme Bootcamp.

    PubMed

    Ting, Daniel Sw; Lee, Jill Cs; Loo, Benny Kg; Baisa, Katherine; Koo, Wen Hsin; Cook, Sandy; Lim, Boon Leng

    2016-05-01

    This study aimed to describe the planning, development and evaluation of the success of the first nationwide, resident-led, large-group teaching programme for medical students - the Singapore Health Services Student Internship Programme (SIP) Bootcamp. This was an initial feasibility study evaluating a half-day teaching boot camp initiated, developed and conducted by the resident educators. A three-month preparation period was required to set up an education subcommittee, liaise with medical student leaders, recruit resident educators, meet all the stakeholders and conduct the boot camp. During the SIP Bootcamp, resident educators conducted clinical case presentations using a question-and-answer format. Audience participation was strongly encouraged. A 15-item questionnaire was distributed to assess the participants' learning experience and the resident educators' teaching performance using a five-point Likert scale. Overall, 94.8% (n = 110) of the 116 respondents agreed that the teaching sessions were of high quality and content was relevant to their training. The resident educators appeared well-informed (96.6%, n = 112) and enthusiastic about their respective topics (98.3%, n = 114). However, a few students (9.5%, n = 11) felt that the audio-visual aids and handouts could be improved to better aid their learning process. This teaching boot camp for medical students was the first of its kind in Singapore and feedback from medical students showed that it was well-received. Further research using different teaching methods, including small-group discussions and surgical practical sessions by resident educators from different specialties, would be of great value to students. Copyright: © Singapore Medical Association.

  12. Integrating professionalism teaching into undergraduate medical education in the UK setting.

    PubMed

    Goldie, John

    2008-06-01

    This paper examines how professionalism teaching might be integrated into undergraduate medical education in the United Kingdom setting. It advocates adopting an outcome-based approach to curriculum planning, using the Scottish Deans' Medical Curriculum Group's (SDMCG) outcomes as a starting point. In discussing the curricular content, potential learning methods and strategies, theoretical considerations are explored. Student selection, assessment and strategies for optimising the educational environment are also considered.

  13. Teaching psychiatry in a new medical school: a multimedia approach.

    PubMed

    Baskett, S J

    1978-12-01

    As a developing department in a new medical school, we were able to improve our curriculum by using a multimedia approach to teaching psychiatry. We relied heavily on a programmed self-instructional text with videotaped clinical examples (PLS), learning objectives, formal classroom presentations, small group discussions, self-assessment exercises, an affective approach to the patient-doctor relationship using role-playing and videotaped patient vignettes, and finally live patient interviews. We believe we have been able to present the widely agreed upon content in the basic science years, using a wide variety of teaching materials and technics which maintain the interest of most students.

  14. [Digital learning and teaching in medical education : Already there or still at the beginning?

    PubMed

    Kuhn, Sebastian; Frankenhauser, Susanne; Tolks, Daniel

    2018-02-01

    The current choice of digital teaching and learning formats in medicine is very heterogeneous. In addition to the widely used classical static formats, social communication tools, audio/video-based media, interactive formats, and electronic testing systems enrich the learning environment.For medical students, the private use of digital media is not necessarily linked to their meaningful use in the study. Many gain their experience of digital learning in the sense of "assessment drives learning", especially by taking online exams in a passive, consuming role. About half of all medical students can be referred to as "e-examinees" whose handling of digital learning is primarily focused on online exam preparation. Essentially, they do not actively influence their digital environment. Only a quarter can be identified as a "digital all-rounder", who compiles their individual learning portfolio from the broad range of digital media.At present, the use of digital media is not yet an integral and comprehensive component of the teaching framework of medical studies in Germany, but is rather used in the sense of a punctual teaching enrichment. Current trends in digital teaching and learning offerings are mobile, interactive, and personalized platforms as well as increasing the relevance of learning platforms. Furthermore, didactical concepts targeting the changed learning habits of the students are more successful regarding the acceptance and learning outcomes. In addition, digitalization is currently gaining importance as a component in the medical school curricula.

  15. Implementation of a Service-learning Module in Medical Microbiology and Cell Biology Classes at an Undergraduate Liberal Arts University.

    PubMed

    Larios-Sanz, Maia; Simmons, Alexandra D; Bagnall, Ruth Ann; Rosell, Rosemarie C

    2011-01-01

    Here we discuss the implementation of a service-learning module in two upper-division biology classes, Medical Microbiology and Cell Biology. This exciting hands-on learning experience provided our students with an opportunity to extend their learning of in-class topics to a real-life scenario. Students were required to volunteer their time (a minimum of 10 hours in a semester) at an under-served clinic in Houston, Texas. As they interacted with the personnel at the clinic, they were asked to identify the most prevalent disease (infectious for Medical Microbiology, and cellular-based for Cell) seen at the clinic and, working in groups, come up with educational material in the form of a display or brochure to be distributed to patients. The material was meant to educate patients about the disease in general terms, as well as how to recognize (symptoms), prevent and treat it. Students were required to keep a reflective journal in the form of a blog throughout the semester, and present their final materials to the class orally. Students were surveyed about their opinion of the experience at the end of the semester. The vast majority of student participants felt that the project was a positive experience and that it helped them develop additional skills beyond what they learn in the classroom and understand how lecture topics relate to every day life.

  16. Medicine and the Holocaust: a visit to the Nazi death camps as a means of teaching medical ethics in the Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps.

    PubMed

    Oberman, Anthony S; Brosh-Nissimov, Tal; Ash, Nachman

    2010-12-01

    A novel method of teaching military medical ethics, medical ethics and military ethics in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) Medical Corps, essential topics for all military medical personnel, is discussed. Very little time is devoted to medical ethics in medical curricula, and even less to military medical ethics. Ninety-five per cent of American students in eight medical schools had less than 1 h of military medical ethics teaching and few knew the basic tenets of the Geneva Convention. Medical ethics differs from military medical ethics: the former deals with the relationship between medical professional and patient, while in the latter military physicians have to balance between military necessity and their traditional priorities to their patients. The underlying principles, however, are the same in both: the right to life, autonomy, dignity and utility. The IDF maintains high moral and ethical standards. This stems from the preciousness of human life in Jewish history, tradition and religious law. Emphasis is placed on these qualities within the Israeli education system; the IDF teaches and enforces moral and ethical standards in all of its training programmes and units. One such programme is 'Witnesses in Uniform' in which the IDF takes groups of officers to visit Holocaust memorial sites and Nazi death camps. During these visits daily discussions touch on intricate medical and military ethical issues, and contemporary ethical dilemmas relevant to IDF officers during active missions.

  17. Teaching Medical Students to Communicate With Empathy and Clarity Using Improvisation.

    PubMed

    Kaplan-Liss, Evonne; Lantz-Gefroh, Valeri; Bass, Elizabeth; Killebrew, Deirdre; Ponzio, Nicholas M; Savi, Christine; O'Connell, Christine

    2018-03-01

    Medical educators widely accept that health care providers need strong communication skills. The authors sought to develop a course incorporating improvisation to teach health professions students communication skills and build empathy. Teaching health care professionals to communicate more effectively with patients, the public, and each other is a goal of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. The authors designed an interprofessional elective for medical, nursing, and dental students that differed in several respects from traditional communication training. The Communicating Science elective, which was offered by the Alda Center from 2012 to 2016, used verbal and nonverbal exercises, role-playing, and storytelling, including improvisation exercises, to teach students to communicate with empathy and clarity. In course evaluations completed by 76 students in 2012 and 2013, 100% said they would recommend the course to fellow students, saw the relevance of the course content to their careers, and desired more of the course content in their school's curriculum. As a result of this positive feedback, from 2014 to 2016, 10 hours of instruction pairing empathy and communication training was embedded in the preclinical curriculum at the Stony Brook University School of Medicine. This course could be an effective model, and one that other institutions could employ, for improving communication skills and empathy in the next generation of health care professionals. Next steps include advocating for communication skills training to be embedded throughout the curriculum of a four-year medical school program.

  18. Resources Used to Teach the Physical Exam to Preclerkship Medical Students: Results of a National Survey.

    PubMed

    Uchida, Toshiko; Achike, Francis I; Blood, Angela D; Boyle, Mary; Farnan, Jeanne M; Gowda, Deepthiman; Hojsak, Joanne; Ovitsh, Robin K; Park, Yoon Soo; Silvestri, Ronald

    2018-05-01

    To examine resources used in teaching the physical exam to preclerkship students at U.S. medical schools. The Directors of Clinical Skills Courses developed a 49-question survey addressing resources and pedagogical methods employed in preclerkship physical exam curricula. The survey was sent to all 141 Liaison Committee on Medical Education-accredited medical schools in October 2015. Results were averaged across schools, and data were weighted by class size. Results from 106 medical schools (75% response rate) identified a median of 59 hours devoted to teaching the physical exam. Thirty-eight percent of time spent teaching the physical exam involved the use of standardized patients, 30% used peer-to-peer practice, and 25% involved examining actual patients. Approximately half of practice time with actual patients was observed by faculty. At 48% of schools (51), less than 15% of practice time was with actual patients, and at 20% of schools (21) faculty never observed students practicing with actual patients. Forty-eight percent of schools (51) did not provide compensation for their outpatient clinical preceptors. There is wide variation in the resources used to teach the physical examination to preclerkship medical students. At some schools, the amount of faculty observation of students examining actual patients may not be enough for students to achieve competency. A significant percentage of faculty teaching the physical exam remain uncompensated for their effort. Improving faculty compensation and increasing use of senior students as teachers might allow for greater observation and feedback and improved physical exam skills among students.

  19. What they think of us: A study of teaching medical specialists’ attitude towards psychiatry in India

    PubMed Central

    Patra, Suravi; Patro, Binod Kumar

    2017-01-01

    Context: Attitudes of teaching medical specialists are important in shaping medical students’ attitudes toward psychiatry. Data on attitudes of teaching medical specialists of India toward psychiatry are limited. Aims: The aim was to study the attitude of teaching medical specialists of an academic medical center in East India toward psychiatry. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Materials and Methods: We administered attitude toward psychiatry-30 (ATP 30) scale to teaching medical specialists of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, based on convenience sampling. Of 104 specialists contacted, 88 returned the completed questionnaire. Statistical Analysis: We carried out descriptive statistical analysis and expressed results in mean and standard deviation. We analyzed the association of demographic characteristics, specialization, and duration of professional experience with total ATP scores using Chi-square test. We used subgroup analysis to compare mean ATP scores in different demographic and professional groups. We used independent t-test and ANOVA for between group comparisons. Results: The response rate was 84.62% with a mean ATP score of 88.60. Female gender and having a family member with mental illness was significantly associated with favorable ATP. Notable findings were that 97% of participants were favorable toward patients with psychiatric illness, 90% felt psychiatric interventions as effective whereas 87% found psychiatry unappealing and 52% said that they would not have liked to be a psychiatrist. Conclusions: While favorable attitudes toward patients with psychiatric illness and psychiatric interventions may mean better patient care; unfavorable attitudes toward psychiatry as a career choice may adversely affect postgraduate recruitment rates. PMID:28529368

  20. Perspective: moving students beyond an organ-based approach when teaching medical interviewing and physical examination skills.

    PubMed

    Alexander, Erik K

    2008-10-01

    Medical interviewing and physical examination skills are core pillars of clinical medicine. Though nearly all U.S. medical students participate in preclinical courses designed to teach these skills, medical school faculty often comment that students' abilities remain limited on entering their clinical clerkships. The reason for this contention is not clear.The author briefly describes the current preclinical curricula at most medical schools that are designed to teach patient interviewing and examination. An organ-based curriculum is commonly employed, although the limitations of such an approach readily become apparent. For example, many hospitalized patients do not suffer from single-organ illnesses, but rather from infections or metabolic derangements, which cause numerous abnormalities to several body systems. Furthermore, clinical reasoning skills are rarely taught in such preclinical courses, though these abilities form the foundation for effective doctoring. These findings suggest an opportunity for content development surrounding patient interviewing and examination. The author proposes an educational approach that depicts how the confluence of both content knowledge skills and clinical reasoning skills can work synergistically to enhance preclinical teaching of the medical interview and physical examination.

  1. Can gynaecology teaching associates provide high quality effective training for medical students in the United Kingdom? Comparative study

    PubMed Central

    Pickard, Sally; Baraitser, Paula; Rymer, Janice; Piper, Johanna

    2003-01-01

    Objectives To train laywomen to become professional patients in order to teach medical students speculum and bimanual examination, to assess their effectiveness in this role, and to incorporate this method of teaching into the undergraduate curriculum of a medical school in the United Kingdom. Design Comparative study. Setting Guy's, King's, and St Thomas's School of Medicine, London. Participants 44 medical students trained by gynaecology teaching associates; 48 control students. Main outcome measure Skills in pelvic examination. Results Six laywomen were recruited and all successfully graduated to become gynaecology teaching associates. At assessment 1, in the third week of the reproductive and sexual health block, the mean score achieved by students trained by gynaecology teaching associates was 155, compared with 104 for control group students (difference in mean scores 51 (95% confidence interval 41 to 61), P < 0.001). Similar results were obtained at assessment 2, at the end of the attachment—the mean score for trained students was 148, compared with a mean score of 114 for control group students (difference in mean scores 34 (21 to 46), P < 0.001). Conclusions Laywomen can be trained to teach pelvic examination to medical students in the United Kingdom. Students who receive this training have better skills than students who receive the traditional training alone. PMID:14670887

  2. Why should the faculty adopt reciprocal teaching as part of the medical curriculum?

    PubMed

    Khan, Muhammad Jaffar; Fatima, Sadia; Akhtar, Mehnaz; Owais, Muhammad

    2016-01-01

    Understanding the text is crucial to achieve depth in understanding of complex concepts for students at all levels of education for whom English is not their first language. Reciprocal teaching is an instructional activity that stimulate learning through a dialogue between teachers and students regarding segments of text. The process of summarizing, question-generating, clarifying and predicting allows the gaps to be recognised and filled by the student, who is in control of the learning process and able to analyse and reflect upon the reading material. Whereas reciprocal teaching has been applied at school and college level, little is known about its effectiveness in medical education. Incorporating reciprocal teaching in early years of medical education such as reading the literature and summarizing the flow of information in the study of integrated body systems could be an area to explore. Feasibility exercises and systematic validation studies are required to confirm authors' assertion.

  3. Role of microbiological culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of actinomyces in medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ).

    PubMed

    Panya, Sappasith; Fliefel, Riham; Probst, Florian; Tröltzsch, Matthias; Ehrenfeld, Michael; Schubert, Sören; Otto, Sven

    2017-03-01

    We hypothesized that local infection plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). Recent developments in molecular methods have revolutionized new approaches for the rapid detection of microorganisms including those difficult to culture. The aim of our study is to identify the bacterial profiles in MRONJ by microbiological culture and polymerase chain reactions (PCR). A retrospective analysis was performed on MRONJ patients from 2008 to 2014. The bacterial profile from MRONJ bone samples was determined using microbiological culture and PCR. Ninety five patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria with mean age of 69.85 ± 8.71 years. A female predilection was detected. The mandible was more commonly affected than maxilla. Tooth extraction was the frequent triggering factor. Breast cancer was the primary cause for administration and intravenous bisphosphonates were the most commonly administrated antiresorptive drugs. The majority of patients were classified as stage 2. Posterior teeth were most commonly affected. Based on bone culture results, the most common microorganism were both actinomyces and mixed flora. PCR confirmed the presence of actinomyces in 55 patients. Our data suggest that PCR might be an innovative method for detection of microorganisms difficult to culture using traditional microbiological techniques. Copyright © 2017 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Effectiveness of teaching evidence-based medicine to undergraduate medical students: a BEME systematic review.

    PubMed

    Ahmadi, Seyed-Foad; Baradaran, Hamid R; Ahmadi, Emad

    2015-01-01

    Despite the widespread teaching of evidence-based medicine (EBM) to medical students, the relevant literature has not been synthesized appropriately as to its value and effectiveness. To systematically review the literature regarding the impact of teaching EBM to medical students on their EBM knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviors. MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of science, ERIC, CINAHL and Current Controlled Trials up to May 2011 were searched; backward and forward reference checking of included and relevant studies was also carried out. Two investigators independently extracted data and assessed the quality of the studies. 10,111 potential studies were initially found, of which 27 were included in the review. Six studies examined the effect of clinically integrated methods, of which five had a low quality and the other one used no validated assessment tool. Twelve studies evaluated the effects of seminars, workshops and short courses, of which 11 had a low quality and the other one lacked a validated assessment tool. Six studies examined e-learning, of which five having a high or acceptable quality reported e-learning to be as effective as traditional teaching in improving knowledge, attitudes and skills. One robust study found problem-based learning less effective compared to usual teaching. Two studies with high or moderate quality linked multicomponent interventions to improved knowledge and attitudes. No included study assessed the long-term effects of the teaching of EBM. Our findings indicated that some EBM teaching strategies have the potential to improve knowledge, attitudes and skills in undergraduate medical students, but the evidenced base does not demonstrate superiority of one method. There is no evidence demonstrating transfer to clinical practice.

  5. Associations between teaching effectiveness and participant self-reflection in continuing medical education.

    PubMed

    Ratelle, John T; Bonnes, Sara L; Wang, Amy T; Mahapatra, Saswati; Schleck, Cathy D; Mandrekar, Jayawant N; Mauck, Karen F; Beckman, Thomas J; Wittich, Christopher M

    2017-07-01

    Effective medical educators can engage learners through self-reflection. However, little is known about the relationships between teaching effectiveness and self-reflection in continuing medical education (CME). We aimed to determine associations between presenter teaching effectiveness and participant self-reflection in conference-based CME. This cross-sectional study evaluated presenters and participants at a national CME course. Participants provided CME teaching effectiveness (CMETE) ratings and self-reflection scores for each presentation. Overall CMETE and CME self-reflection scores (five-point Likert scale with one as strongly disagree and five as strongly agree) were averaged for each presentation. Correlations were measured among self-reflection, CMETE, and presentation characteristics. In total, 624 participants returned 430 evaluations (response, 68.9%) for the 38 presentations. Correlation between CMETE and self-reflection was medium (Pearson correlation, 0.3-0.5) or large (0.5-1.0) for most presentations (n = 33, 86.9%). Higher mean (SD) CME reflection scores were associated with clinical cases (3.66 [0.12] vs. 3.48 [0.14]; p = 0.003) and audience response (3.66 [0.12] vs. 3.51 [0.14]; p = 0.005). To our knowledge, this is the first study to show a relationship between teaching effectiveness and participant self-reflection in conference-based CME. Presenters should consider using clinical cases and audience response systems to increase teaching effectiveness and promote self-reflection among CME learners.

  6. Medical ethics on film: towards a reconstruction of the teaching of healthcare professionals

    PubMed Central

    Volandes, Angelo

    2007-01-01

    The clinical vignette remains the standard means by which medical ethics are taught to students in the healthcare professions. Although written or verbal vignettes are useful as a pedagogic tool for teaching ethics and introducing students to real cases, they are limited, since students must imagine the clinical scenario. Medical ethics are almost universally taught during the early years of training, when students are unfamiliar with the clinical reality in which ethics issues arise. Film vignettes fill in that imaginative leap. By providing vivid details with images, film vignettes offer rich and textured details of cases, including the patient's perspective and the clinical reality. Film vignettes provide a detailed ethnography that allows for a more complete discussion of the ethical issues. Film can serve as an additional tool for teaching medical ethics to members of the healthcare professions. PMID:17971475

  7. Medical ethics on film: towards a reconstruction of the teaching of healthcare professionals.

    PubMed

    Volandes, Angelo

    2007-11-01

    The clinical vignette remains the standard means by which medical ethics are taught to students in the healthcare professions. Although written or verbal vignettes are useful as a pedagogic tool for teaching ethics and introducing students to real cases, they are limited, since students must imagine the clinical scenario. Medical ethics are almost universally taught during the early years of training, when students are unfamiliar with the clinical reality in which ethics issues arise. Film vignettes fill in that imaginative leap. By providing vivid details with images, film vignettes offer rich and textured details of cases, including the patient's perspective and the clinical reality. Film vignettes provide a detailed ethnography that allows for a more complete discussion of the ethical issues. Film can serve as an additional tool for teaching medical ethics to members of the healthcare professions.

  8. Combining interdisciplinary and International Medical Graduate perspectives to teach clinical and ethical communication using multimedia.

    PubMed

    Woodward-Kron, Robyn; Flynn, Eleanor; Delany, Clare

    2011-01-01

    In Australia, international medical graduates (IMGs) play a crucial role in addressing workforce shortages in healthcare. Their ability to deliver safe and effective healthcare in an unfamiliar cultural setting is intrinsically tied to effective communication. Hospital-based medical clinical educators, who play an important role in providing communication training to IMGs, would benefit from practical resources and an understanding of the relevant pedagogies to address these issues in their teaching. This paper examines the nature of an interdisciplinary collaboration to develop multimedia resources for teaching clinical and ethical communication to IMGs. We describe the processes and dynamics of the collaboration, and outline the methodologies from applied linguistics, medical education, and health ethics that we drew upon. The multimedia consist of three video clips of challenging communication scenarios as well as experienced IMGs talking about communication and ethics. The multimedia are supported by teaching guidelines that address relevant disciplinary concerns of the three areas of collaboration. In the paper's discussion we point out the pre-conditions that facilitated the interdisciplinary collaboration. We propose that such collaborative approaches between the disciplines and participants can provide new perspectives to address the multifaceted challenges of clinical teaching and practice.

  9. The Effort and Reward of Teaching Medical Psychology in Germany: an Online Survey.

    PubMed

    Kendel, Friederike; Rockenbauch, Katrin; Deubner, Rolf; Philipp, Swetlana; Fabry, Götz

    2016-01-01

    Background: The increasing significance of university teaching also leads to higher demands for academic teachers. Against this background this study inquires how teachers in the field of medical pychology experience and evaluate their various activities and how their efforts on the one hand and gratifications on the other hand relate to each other (as conceptualized by the effort-reward-imbalance, ERI). Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 2012 among the academic staff of departments of medical psychology in Germany. The questionnaire was answered by 188 participants (return rate: 39.2%), of whom 62% were women. Work stress was measured according to Siegrist's effort-reward-imbalance (ERI) model. Further questions referred to the distribution of academic activities and meaningfulness. Results: Among all participants, 67.3% were satisfied with the portion of their workload devoted to teaching, while 63% wanted more time for research. The ERI-coefficient was on average M=0.76 (SD=0.45), thus indicating a shift towards reward. There were no associations with gender, age, or fixed-term work contracts. Meaningfulness was associated negatively with the ERI (r=-.21, p=.012), and positively with overcommitment (r=.52, p<.001) and the desire for less administrative tasks (r=.24, p=.017). Conclusions: Teaching medical psychology is evaluated as positive and meaningful by a majority of respondents. In general, the rewarding aspects seem to outweigh the stressful factors. Thus, teaching might be a protective factor with regard to coping with work related burden.

  10. Quality in the molecular microbiology laboratory.

    PubMed

    Wallace, Paul S; MacKay, William G

    2013-01-01

    In the clinical microbiology laboratory advances in nucleic acid detection, quantification, and sequence analysis have led to considerable improvements in the diagnosis, management, and monitoring of infectious diseases. Molecular diagnostic methods are routinely used to make clinical decisions based on when and how to treat a patient as well as monitor the effectiveness of a therapeutic regime and identify any potential drug resistant strains that may impact on the long term patient treatment program. Therefore, confidence in the reliability of the result provided by the laboratory service to the clinician is essential for patient treatment. Hence, suitable quality assurance and quality control measures are important to ensure that the laboratory methods and service meet the necessary regulatory requirements both at the national and international level. In essence, the modern clinical microbiology laboratory ensures the appropriateness of its services through a quality management system that monitors all aspects of the laboratory service pre- and post-analytical-from patient sample receipt to reporting of results, from checking and upholding staff competency within the laboratory to identifying areas for quality improvements within the service offered. For most European based clinical microbiology laboratories this means following the common International Standard Organization (ISO9001) framework and ISO15189 which sets out the quality management requirements for the medical laboratory (BS EN ISO 15189 (2003) Medical laboratories-particular requirements for quality and competence. British Standards Institute, Bristol, UK). In the United States clinical laboratories performing human diagnostic tests are regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) following the requirements within the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments document 1988 (CLIA-88). This chapter focuses on the key quality assurance and quality control requirements within the

  11. Research on cultivating medical students' self-learning ability using teaching system integrated with learning analysis technology.

    PubMed

    Luo, Hong; Wu, Cheng; He, Qian; Wang, Shi-Yong; Ma, Xiu-Qiang; Wang, Ri; Li, Bing; He, Jia

    2015-01-01

    Along with the advancement of information technology and the era of big data education, using learning process data to provide strategic decision-making in cultivating and improving medical students' self-learning ability has become a trend in educational research. Educator Abuwen Toffler said once, the illiterates in the future may not be the people not able to read and write, but not capable to know how to learn. Serving as educational institutions cultivating medical students' learning ability, colleges and universities should not only instruct specific professional knowledge and skills, but also develop medical students' self-learning ability. In this research, we built a teaching system which can help to restore medical students' self-learning processes and analyze their learning outcomes and behaviors. To evaluate the effectiveness of the system in supporting medical students' self-learning, an experiment was conducted in 116 medical students from two grades. The results indicated that problems in self-learning process through this system was consistent with problems raised from traditional classroom teaching. Moreover, the experimental group (using this system) acted better than control group (using traditional classroom teaching) to some extent. Thus, this system can not only help medical students to develop their self-learning ability, but also enhances the ability of teachers to target medical students' questions quickly, improving the efficiency of answering questions in class.

  12. How Much Is Too Much Assessment? Insight into Assessment-Driven Student Learning Gains in Large-Scale Undergraduate Microbiology Courses

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Jack T. H.; Schembri, Mark A.; Hall, Roy A.

    2013-01-01

    Designing and implementing assessment tasks in large-scale undergraduate science courses is a labor-intensive process subject to increasing scrutiny from students and quality assurance authorities alike. Recent pedagogical research has provided conceptual frameworks for teaching introductory undergraduate microbiology, but has yet to define best-practice assessment guidelines. This study assessed the applicability of Biggs’ theory of constructive alignment in designing consistent learning objectives, activities, and assessment items that aligned with the American Society for Microbiology’s concept-based microbiology curriculum in MICR2000, an introductory microbiology course offered at the University of Queensland, Australia. By improving the internal consistency in assessment criteria and increasing the number of assessment items explicitly aligned to the course learning objectives, the teaching team was able to efficiently provide adequate feedback on numerous assessment tasks throughout the semester, which contributed to improved student performance and learning gains. When comparing the constructively aligned 2011 offering of MICR2000 with its 2010 counterpart, students obtained higher marks in both coursework assignments and examinations as the semester progressed. Students also valued the additional feedback provided, as student rankings for course feedback provision increased in 2011 and assessment and feedback was identified as a key strength of MICR2000. By designing MICR2000 using constructive alignment and iterative assessment tasks that followed a common set of learning outcomes, the teaching team was able to effectively deliver detailed and timely feedback in a large introductory microbiology course. This study serves as a case study for how constructive alignment can be integrated into modern teaching practices for large-scale courses. PMID:23858350

  13. [Applying a teaching programme in community-based medical education].

    PubMed

    Al-Faisal, W

    2006-01-01

    A community-based medical education programme at Damascus University was applied in a local setting from 2 to 12 July 2004 to assess the advantages and disadvantages. Three families and 10 medical students participated. The programme included teaching objectives, health education and approaches to application and evaluation. The design of the programme was appropriate for the community setting, but it needed a longer period to run and for contact between the students and the community. The students agreed with the structure of the programme and the role of the tutor and community, but were concerned about difficulties in implementation. Community members were enthusiastic about the programme.

  14. Teaching child and adolescent psychiatry to undergraduate medical students - A survey in German-speaking countries.

    PubMed

    Frank, Reiner; Frank, Florian

    2010-07-24

    To conduct a survey about teaching child and adolescent psychiatry to undergraduate medical students in German-speaking countries. A questionnaire was sent to the 33 academic departments of child and adolescent psychiatry in Germany, Austria, and the German-speaking part of Switzerland. All departments responded. For teaching knowledge, the methods most commonly reported were lectures and case presentations. The most important skills to be taught were thought to be how to assess psychopathology in children and how to assess families. For elective courses, the departments reported using a wide range of teaching methods, many with active involvement of the students. An average of 34 hours per semester is currently allocated by the departments for teaching child and adolescent psychiatry to medical students. Required courses are often taught in cooperation with adult psychiatry and pediatrics. Achievement of educational objectives is usually assessed with written exams or multiple-choice tests. Only a minority of the departments test the achievement of skills. Two ways of improving education in child and adolescent psychiatry are the introduction of elective courses for students interested in the field and participation of child and adolescent psychiatrists in required courses and in longitudinal courses so as to reach all students. Cooperation within and across medical schools can enable departments of child and adolescent psychiatry, despite limited resources, to become more visible and this specialty to become more attractive to medical students. Compared to the findings in earlier surveys, this survey indicates a trend towards increased involvement of academic departments of child and adolescent psychiatry in training medical students.

  15. The views of medical education stakeholders on guidelines for cultural diversity teaching.

    PubMed

    Dogra, Nisha

    2007-03-01

    The General Medical Council set out the framework within which it expects medical education to develop. Educational guidelines have been developed across the world but their development is less clear in the UK. There has been little work regarding views about educational guidelines. The research objective was to establish the views of medical education stakeholders towards specific guidelines for teaching in cultural diversity to medical students. Sixty-one individuals were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. Thematic analysis was undertaken after the interviews were transcribed verbatim. In total, 51 respondents felt that guidelines would be useful; 17 of these explicitly stipulated that these would only be useful if they were not prescriptive and if they were applied flexibly and were practical. Four respondents, including two policy-makers holding senior positions with medical educational bodies, felt that new guidelines would not be useful, as they already existed in some form. Five respondents were unsure if guidelines would be helpful or not. Guidelines were considered to be potentially useful for several reasons including to: help clarify what should be taught regarding cultural diversity and how it should be taught, provide justification for teaching the subject, help those unfamiliar with the subject, support those assigned with responsibility for developing such teaching, provide course and curriculum designers with reassurance, increase the credibility of the subject, set standards that serve as a benchmark against which schools can compare themselves with one another and highlight good practice. The reservations expressed suggest that the guidelines need to be developed using a range of stakeholders and have some degree of consensus to ensure that they will be used. The literature relating to attitudes towards clinical practice guidelines has much to contribute to the development of educational guidelines.

  16. Pedagogy and Purpose: Moral Imagination and the Teaching of Medical Ethics.

    PubMed

    Hart, Curtis W

    2016-04-01

    This essay is an exploration of the development of moral imagination as an important outcome in the teaching of medial ethics. It is contextualized within the growth of professionalism and pays attention to the formation of character of physicians in their formal training and in the first phase of their careers. Issues around formation as it is understood historically in the vocation of the clergy are also considered. Finally, there is discussion of the place rites of passage as they figure in the lives of those who teach medical ethics.

  17. Teaching with comics: a course for fourth-year medical students.

    PubMed

    Green, Michael J

    2013-12-01

    Though graphic narratives (or comics) now permeate popular culture, address every conceivable topic including illness and dying, and are used in educational settings from grade school through university, they have not typically been integrated into the medical school curriculum. This paper describes a popular and innovative course on comics and medicine for 4th-year medical students. In this course, students learn to critically read book length comics as well as create their own stories using the comics format. The rationale for the course, its general content and format, and methods for teaching are described. Finally, the author offers some reflections on why this medium resonates so powerfully with medical student learners.

  18. Internal audit in a microbiology laboratory.

    PubMed Central

    Mifsud, A J; Shafi, M S

    1995-01-01

    AIM--To set up a programme of internal laboratory audit in a medical microbiology laboratory. METHODS--A model of laboratory based process audit is described. Laboratory activities were examined in turn by specimen type. Standards were set using laboratory standard operating procedures; practice was observed using a purpose designed questionnaire and the data were analysed by computer; performance was assessed at laboratory audit meetings; and the audit circle was closed by re-auditing topics after an interval. RESULTS--Improvements in performance scores (objective measures) and in staff morale (subjective impression) were observed. CONCLUSIONS--This model of process audit could be applied, with amendments to take local practice into account, in any microbiology laboratory. PMID:7665701

  19. Integrating psychology and obstetrics for medical students: shared labour ward teaching.

    PubMed

    Chalmers, B E; McIntyre, J A

    1993-01-01

    Two studies relating to the inclusion of psycho-social issues in the training of obstetricians are reported here. The first reports on the extent to which currently practising obstetricians have received training in these aspects. The second explored the value of an innovative teaching approach combining psychological and obstetric training for medical students in the labour ward. A postal survey with responses from 220 obstetricians and paediatricians revealed that little information on psychological aspects of obstetric practice had been included in their undergraduate or postgraduate training or obtained from voluntary continuing education programmes. Experience was the primary source of training in these subjects. The second study explored the impact of joint psychological and obstetric teaching ward rounds for medical students. Students attending these integrated sessions reported being better prepared for the psycho-social aspects of obstetrics and showed a greater awareness of cross-cultural differences in needs of women during birth.

  20. Medical Students' Professional Development as Educators Revealed Through Reflections on Their Teaching Following a Students-as-Teachers Course.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Michelle H; Blatt, Benjamin C; Greenberg, Larrie W

    2017-01-01

    Phenomenon: Teaching is an important part of the tri-partite mission of every medical center. Although teaching often is given lower priority and recognition as opposed to patient care and/or research, this activity for many physicians in academic medicine ranks second to their patient care responsibilities. Medical teacher training has traditionally been aimed at faculty and residents through faculty development initiatives, continuing education for physicians at professional conferences, formalized degree or certificate programs in education, and residents as teachers programs. More recently medical schools have developed medical-students-as-teachers programs, often offered as 4th-year electives, to introduce learners to the theory of teaching and learning with appropriate application in the clinical setting. Data on learner outcomes and students' perceptions and experiences in these programs consist mostly of their satisfaction after completing such a program. In this article we explore 4th-year medical student trainees' experiences and emerging self-concepts as educators during a teaching elective. The purpose of this project was to explore students' reflections on their experiences in a 4th-year medical students-as-teachers course in their own words through their written self-assessment narratives. We used qualitative content analysis to examine 96 trainees' self-reported, written reflective narratives of how they translated their students-as-teachers course experience into application by applying newly learned educational theories, instructional strategies, and feedback skills while teaching novice peers physical diagnosis skills. Narratives revealed candid self-assessments and detailed descriptions of their experiences and what they valued most from the course. Content analysis revealed nine key themes: using teaching strategies for adult learning, preparing for class, modeling professionalism, incorporating clinical correlations, exceeding course

  1. Using video-taped examples of standardized patient to teach medical students taking informed consent.

    PubMed

    Habibi Khorasani, Shirin; Ebrahimi, Sedigheh

    2015-04-01

    Medical student should be trained in medical ethics and one of the most essential issues in this field is taking informed consents. In this research, we compared the effect of effectiveness of teaching methods on students' ability intaking informed consent from patients. This semi-experimental study was carried out on fifty eight subjects from the 4th-year students  of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences who attended in medical ethics coursebefore their 'clinical clerkship'training.Method of sampling was census and students were randomly allocated into two groups of control group(n=28) was trained in traditional lecture-based class and the case groupnamed as A1(n=22) were taught by video-taped examples of standardized patient.Then A1 group attended in traditional lecture-based classes named as A2. The groups were evaluated in terms the ability of recognition of ethical issuesthrough the scenario based ethical examination before and after each training. Scenarios were related to the topics ofinformed consent. Data were analyzed by SPSS 14 software using descriptive statistics and anovatest.P-Value less than 0.05 was considered as significant. The mean scores results of A2, A1and B groupwere found to be7.21 , 5.91 and 5.73 out of 8,respectively. Comparison between the groups demonstrated that the ability of taking informed consent was significantly higher in A2 group (p<0.001), followed by A1group (p<0.05),while was the leastin the B group (p=0.875). According to this research, lecture-based teaching is still of great value in teaching medical ethics, but when combined with standardized patient, the outcome will be much better.it should be considered that mixed methodsof teaching should be used together for better result.

  2. Using modern teaching strategies to teach upper abdominal sonography to medical students.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Wei-Chun; Lin, Xi-Zhang; Chen, Chiung-Yu

    2013-07-01

    Upper abdominal sonography can help physicians to confirm the diagnosis of various hepatobiliary diseases. Teaching sonography skills to medical students is important because it may enhance their level of knowledge and overall development during their gastroenterology section rotation. Sonographic imaging is abstract and students can be easily confused when scanning the abdominal structures from different sites and directions. We used several modern teaching strategies to facilitate the learning of sonography skills. The year five medical students beginning a gastroenterology section rotation for their first-year clerkship were taught abdominal sonography skills. Abstract sonographic images were related to concrete objects and the surrounding structures were further indicated. Each of the images was given a specific name and was sorted according to the scanning site. A mnemonics system was designed to help students to memorize the names of these images. A badge was created to recognize the achievement of being able to complete a basic upper abdominal sonography. Students were free (i.e., not obligated) to request a demonstration opportunity to show their skills within 2 weeks after receiving tutelage. We recorded the number of students who received training and were able to successfully complete the task; these individuals then received a badge to be pinned onto their white coats. Sixty-three of 68 students (92.6%) requested evaluation and all of them passed. We have greatly simplified the process of learning about upper abdominal sonography by using andragogy to enhance learning, mnemonics to help memory, and a pin-badge reward system to stimulate incentives. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  3. Critical Appraisal of Microbiology Guidelines Endorsed by two Professional Organisations: Société Française De Microbiologie (SFM) and American Society of Microbiology (ASM).

    PubMed

    Fonfrède, Michèle; Couaillac, Jean Paul; Augereau, Christine; Lepargneur, Jean Pierre; Watine, Joseph

    2012-07-01

    Medical practice guidelines (GLs) being tools that are mainly designed to evaluate medical professionals, it sounds logical, and fair, that professionals should in turn evaluate GLs. Microbiology being a medical discipline, we used the AGREE instrument, i.e. an established evaluation tool for GLs, in order to evaluate the quality of two major microbiology guidelines, i.e. the SFM GLs and the ASM GLs). Both guidelines remain sub-optimal in their levels of quality, and obtain scores that are not very different from the average scores obtained by many other guidelines in various medical disciplines. We therefore believe that both guidelines need to be modified before they can be recommended without provisos. A higher degree of multi-disciplinary work, including a more formal implication of methodologists, as well as of infectious disease clinicians, and of economists, might perhaps enable future editions of these guidelines to reach higher levels of quality.

  4. The outcomes and acceptability of near-peer teaching among medical students in clinical skills.

    PubMed

    Khaw, Carole; Raw, Lynne

    2016-06-12

    To determine the outcomes and acceptability of final-year students tutoring in Clinical Skills to Years 1-2 students in a 4-week Medical Education elective. A paper-based survey with 14 questions requiring responses on a Likert-like scale and 2 questions with free-text responses was used to investigate Year 6 student-tutor (n=45) and Years 1-2 tutee (n=348) perceptions of near-peer teaching in Clinical Skills. The independent t-test compared mean responses from student-tutors and tutees, and thematic analysis of free-text responses was conducted. Tutee perceptions were significantly higher than student-tutor self-perceptions in small-group teaching and facilitation skills (p=0.000), teaching history-taking skills (p=0.046) and teaching physical examination skills (p=0.000). Perceptions in aspects of 'Confidence in tutoring' were not significantly different for student-tutors and tutees, with both having lowest perceptions for identifying and providing remediation for underperforming tutees. Student-tutors rated all areas of personal and professional development highly. Main themes emerging from analysis of student comments were the benefits to student-tutors, benefits to tutees and areas needing improvement, with outcomes of this near-peer teaching relating well to cognitive and social theories in the literature. Both student tutors and their tutees perceived near-peer teaching in Clinical Skills to be acceptable and beneficial with particular implications for Medical Education.

  5. Educating doctors in the clinical workplace: unraveling the process of teaching and learning in the medical resident as teacher.

    PubMed

    Busari, J O; Arnold, Aer

    2009-01-01

    In recent years, higher medical education has witnessed major changes in the structure and content of postgraduate medical training. Seven professional competencies have been described that address the medical doctors' ability to effectively communicate and transfer medical information, interact effectively and professionally, and demonstrate a good grasp of clinical knowledge and skills. Proficiency in didactic skills, however, is an important competency that has not received prominent attention. In the clinical setting, attending-physicians and medical residents are responsible for teaching. Consequently, several medical institutions have proposed the need for teacher training programs to improve the teaching skills of attending doctors and medical residents. The supporters of these programs believe that through teaching, medical doctors improve their individual professional and clinical problem-solving abilities. Hence, it is logical to assume that didactic skills' training would contribute to the professional development of doctors. In this paper, we re-examine the underlying theory of the didactic proficiency, how it relates to the clinical setting, and why it may be beneficial for the professional training of medical residents.

  6. Effect of a Physical Examination Teaching Program on the Behavior of Medical Residents

    PubMed Central

    McMahon, Graham T; Marina, Ovidiu; Kritek, Patricia A; Katz, Joel T

    2005-01-01

    Context The reliance on physical examination as a diagnostic aid is in decline. Objective To determine whether an educational program can increase the use of physical examination by medical residents. Design and Participants A series of educational workshops were provided to 47 second- and third-year medical residents at a large academic teaching hospital. Measurements Interns and students reported the frequency and depth of clinical examination performance on morning rounds by their residents before and up to six months after the workshops. Behavior before and after the workshops was compared using a mixed model. Results A total of 374 reports were returned (77% response). After adjusting for the type of service and observer, there was a statistically significant 23% increase (P=.02) in the performance of physical examination among residents who attended the course. Residents significantly increased the fraction of patients they examined on rounds (absolute increase 11%, P=.002) but did not increase the depth of their examination. The change was greatest on general medical teams, among whom the performance of physical examination had been least frequent. Teaching and feedback events on medicine teams by residents to their interns (2.8 and 1.1 events per 2 weeks, respectively) and medical students (5.9 and 2.8 events per 2 weeks, respectively) remained infrequent. Conclusions A skills improvement program can significantly increase the frequency of physical examination, but teaching and feedback events remain sporadic and infrequent. PMID:16050879

  7. An interactive problem-solving approach to teach traumatology for medical students.

    PubMed

    Abu-Zidan, Fikri M; Elzubeir, Margaret A

    2010-08-13

    We aimed to evaluate an interactive problem-solving approach for teaching traumatology from perspectives of students and consider its implications on Faculty development. A two hour problem-solving, interactive tutorial on traumatology was structured to cover main topics in trauma management. The tutorial was based on real cases covering specific topics and objectives. Seven tutorials (5-9 students in each) were given by the same tutor with the same format for fourth and fifth year medical students in Auckland and UAE Universities (n = 50). A 16 item questionnaire, on a 7 point Likert-type scale, focusing on educational tools, tutor-based skills, and student-centered skills were answered by the students followed by open ended comments. The tutorials were highly ranked by the students. The mean values of educational tools was the highest followed by tutor-centered skills and finally student-centered skills. There was a significant increase of the rating of studied attributes over time (F = 3.9, p = 0.004, ANOVA). Students' open ended comments were highly supportive of the interactive problem-solving approach for teaching traumatology. The interactive problem-solving approach for tutorials can be an effective enjoyable alternative or supplement to traditional instruction for teaching traumatology to medical students. Training for this approach should be encouraged for Faculty development.

  8. Efficient and Effective Use of Peer Teaching for Medical Student Simulation.

    PubMed

    House, Joseph B; Choe, Carol H; Wourman, Heather L; Berg, Kristin M; Fischer, Jonathan P; Santen, Sally A

    2017-01-01

    Simulation is increasingly used in medical education, promoting active learning and retention; however, increasing use also requires considerable instructor resources. Simulation may provide a safe environment for students to teach each other, which many will need to do when they enter residency. Along with reinforcing learning and increasing retention, peer teaching could decrease instructor demands. Our objective was to determine the effectiveness of peer-taught simulation compared to physician-led simulation. We hypothesized that peer-taught simulation would lead to equivalent knowledge acquisition when compared to physician-taught sessions and would be viewed positively by participants. This was a quasi-experimental study in an emergency medicine clerkship. The control group was faculty taught. In the peer-taught intervention group, students were assigned to teach one of the three simulation-based medical emergency cases. Each student was instructed to master their topic and teach it to their peers using the provided objectives and resource materials. The students were assigned to groups of three, with all three cases represented; students took turns leading their case. Three groups ran simultaneously. During the intervention sessions, one physician was present to monitor the accuracy of learning and to answer questions, while three physicians were required for the control groups. Outcomes compared pre-test and post-test knowledge and student reaction between control and intervention groups. Both methods led to equally improved knowledge; mean score for the post-test was 75% for both groups (p=0.6) and were viewed positively. Students in the intervention group agreed that peer-directed learning was an effective way to learn. However, students in the control group scored their simulation experience more favorably. In general, students' response to peer teaching was positive, students learned equally well, and found peer-taught sessions to be interactive and

  9. (Dis)Orientation of International Medical Graduates: An Approach to Foster Teaching, Learning, and Collaboration (TLC)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tan, Adrienne; Hawa, Raed; Sockalingam, Sanjeev; Abbey, Susan E.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: The Teaching for Learning and Collaboration (TLC) Program is a teaching-skills program focusing on methods to improve student learning. This program was adopted to address the professional and personal challenges faced by International Medical Graduates (IMGs) completing a fellowship in psychosomatic medicine. Method: The authors…

  10. A nationwide, resident-led teaching programme for medical students in Singapore: SingHealth Student Internship Programme Bootcamp

    PubMed Central

    Ting, Daniel SW; Lee, Jill CS; Loo, Benny KG; Baisa, Katherine; Koo, Wen Hsin; Cook, Sandy; Lim, Boon Leng

    2016-01-01

    INTRODUCTION This study aimed to describe the planning, development and evaluation of the success of the first nationwide, resident-led, large-group teaching programme for medical students – the Singapore Health Services Student Internship Programme (SIP) Bootcamp. METHODS This was an initial feasibility study evaluating a half-day teaching boot camp initiated, developed and conducted by the resident educators. A three-month preparation period was required to set up an education subcommittee, liaise with medical student leaders, recruit resident educators, meet all the stakeholders and conduct the boot camp. During the SIP Bootcamp, resident educators conducted clinical case presentations using a question-and-answer format. Audience participation was strongly encouraged. A 15-item questionnaire was distributed to assess the participants’ learning experience and the resident educators’ teaching performance using a five-point Likert scale. RESULTS Overall, 94.8% (n = 110) of the 116 respondents agreed that the teaching sessions were of high quality and content was relevant to their training. The resident educators appeared well-informed (96.6%, n = 112) and enthusiastic about their respective topics (98.3%, n = 114). However, a few students (9.5%, n = 11) felt that the audio-visual aids and handouts could be improved to better aid their learning process. CONCLUSION This teaching boot camp for medical students was the first of its kind in Singapore and feedback from medical students showed that it was well-received. Further research using different teaching methods, including small-group discussions and surgical practical sessions by resident educators from different specialties, would be of great value to students. PMID:27211310

  11. Changing needs, opportunities and constraints for the 21st century microbiology laboratory.

    PubMed

    Van Eldere, J

    2005-04-01

    Clinical microbiologists and microbiology laboratories are experiencing changes due to evolving views on 'healthcare delivery' as an economic activity, due to changes in the medical environment and the demographics of the workforce, and technical evolution. Cost-effectiveness of laboratory procedures has been achieved through consolidation and integration of laboratories. Consolidation offers economy of scale and reduction in numbers of on-site staff, but also leads to separation of microbiologists from their clinical colleagues. Integration puts different laboratory disciplines under a single management, and leads to reorganisation of laboratories along common work-lines. Cost-savings combined with on-site availability of laboratories are achieved at the expense of a reduction in the influence of microbiologists in the daily running of the laboratory. Medically, there is growing emphasis on evidence-based diagnostics. Because of time-delays inherent in culturing, microbiology through rapid testing is mandatory. There is an increasing shortage in Europe and the USA of trained microbiology laboratory technicians and microbiologists. This reinforces the trend towards more automation and integration. Technological advances, particularly in molecular diagnostics, offer the possibility of rapid reporting and improvement of the impact of clinical microbiology on patient management. Molecular tests, however, fit perfectly the concept of an integrated laboratory and may further loosen the link between microbiologist and microbiology tests. The challenge for clinical microbiology will be to use new techniques to improve its cost-effectiveness and impact on infectious disease management. The future organisation of microbiology laboratories must support this but is itself of secondary importance. The training of future microbiologist must prepare them for this changing environment.

  12. Undergraduate Teaching in Geriatrics and Pediatrics in Portuguese Medical Schools: An Observational Study.

    PubMed

    Amaral, Mariana; Matias, Filipa; Massena, Lígia; Cardoso, Nuno

    2016-12-30

    Motivated by the contracting nature of the Portuguese age pyramid, and thereby the ever increasing geriatric population, the aim of this study was to compare the number of European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System Credits dedicated to Geriatrics with Pediatrics in Portuguese Medical Schools. An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted and included six Portuguese Medical Schools that have six years of training and a total of 360 credits. The study plans were obtained from the medical schools' websites or requested. Schools were grouped in modular/classic teaching methodology and the courses were categorized in mandatory/optional and specific/related. The credits of Geriatrics and Pediatrics were compared. Four schools had classical methodology and two had a modular one. Overall, they had more credits dedicated to Pediatrics than Geriatrics. Three schools offered mandatory courses specifically oriented to Geriatrics (1.5 - 8 credits) compared to all schools mandatory courses courses on Pediatrics (5.7 - 26.5 credits). The ratio of averages of mandatory specific courses (Pediatrics/Geriatrics) was 12.4 in the classical and 1.5 in the modular group. Pediatrics teaching has revealed to be superior to Geriatrics in all categories. Based on our results, we consider the Portuguese Geriatrics' undergraduate teaching sub-optimal. Nowadays, geriatric population is quantitatively similar to pediatric population. Efforts should be made to adequate Geriatrics teaching to our reality in order to provide a more adequate health care to this age group.

  13. The Effort and Reward of Teaching Medical Psychology in Germany: an Online Survey

    PubMed Central

    Kendel, Friederike; Rockenbauch, Katrin; Deubner, Rolf; Philipp, Swetlana; Fabry, Götz

    2016-01-01

    Background: The increasing significance of university teaching also leads to higher demands for academic teachers. Against this background this study inquires how teachers in the field of medical pychology experience and evaluate their various activities and how their efforts on the one hand and gratifications on the other hand relate to each other (as conceptualized by the effort-reward-imbalance, ERI). Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 2012 among the academic staff of departments of medical psychology in Germany. The questionnaire was answered by 188 participants (return rate: 39.2%), of whom 62% were women. Work stress was measured according to Siegrist’s effort–reward-imbalance (ERI) model. Further questions referred to the distribution of academic activities and meaningfulness. Results: Among all participants, 67.3% were satisfied with the portion of their workload devoted to teaching, while 63% wanted more time for research. The ERI-coefficient was on average M=0.76 (SD=0.45), thus indicating a shift towards reward. There were no associations with gender, age, or fixed-term work contracts. Meaningfulness was associated negatively with the ERI (r=-.21, p=.012), and positively with overcommitment (r=.52, p<.001) and the desire for less administrative tasks (r=.24, p=.017). Conclusions: Teaching medical psychology is evaluated as positive and meaningful by a majority of respondents. In general, the rewarding aspects seem to outweigh the stressful factors. Thus, teaching might be a protective factor with regard to coping with work related burden. PMID:27990472

  14. What do faculty feel about teaching in this school? assessment of medical education environment by teachers.

    PubMed

    Shehnaz, Syed Ilyas; Arifulla, Mohamed; Sreedharan, Jayadevan; Gomathi, Kadayam Guruswami

    2017-01-01

    Faculty members are major stakeholders in curriculum delivery, and positive student learning outcomes can only be expected in an educational environment (EE) conducive to learning. EE experienced by teachers includes all conditions affecting teaching and learning activities. As the EE of teachers indirectly influences the EE of students, assessment of teachers' perceptions of EE can highlight issues affecting student learning. These perceptions can also serve as a valuable tool for identifying faculty development needs. In this study, we have used the Assessment of Medical Education Environment by Teachers (AMEET) inventory as a tool to assess medical teachers' perceptions of the EE. The AMEET inventory was used to assess perceptions regarding various domains of EE by teachers teaching undergraduate students at the College of Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates. Median total, domain, and individual statement scores were compared between groups using Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Teaching-learning activities, learning atmosphere, collaborative atmosphere, and professional self-perceptions were identified as strengths of the EE while time allocated for various teaching-learning activities, preparedness of students, levels of student stress, learning atmosphere in hospital, and support system for stressed faculty members were areas necessitating improvement. The scores of faculty members teaching in basic medical sciences were found to be significantly higher than those in clinical sciences. The EE of this medical college was generally perceived as being positive by faculty although a few areas of concern were highlighted. Strengths and weaknesses of the EE from the teachers' point of view provide important feedback to curriculum planners, which can be used to improve the working environment of the faculty as well as facilitate a better direction and focus to faculty development programs being planned for the future.

  15. Use of a Digital Camera To Document Student Observations in a Microbiology Laboratory Class.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mills, David A.; Kelley, Kevin; Jones, Michael

    2001-01-01

    Points out the lack of microscopic images of wine-related microbes. Uses a digital camera during a wine microbiology laboratory to capture student-generated microscope images. Discusses the advantages of using a digital camera in a teaching lab. (YDS)

  16. Incorporating E-learning in teaching English language to medical students: exploring its potential contributions

    PubMed Central

    Navidinia, Hossein; Zare Bidaki, Majid; Hekmati, Nargess

    2016-01-01

    Background: The spread of technology has influenced different aspects of human life, and teaching and learning are not exceptions. This study aimed to examine the potential contribution of the use of technology in teaching English language to medical students. Methods: This qualitative-action research study was conducted in Birjand University of Medical Sciences (BUMS), with 60 medical students taking a general English course in the Fall Semester of 2015. The class favored different tools and multimedia facilities such as a tube channel, e-dictionaries, educational films, and etextbooks to enhance students’ learning. In addition, the class had a weblog in which students could upload assignments and receive feedback from peers and the instructors. Results: The results revealed that e-learning could enhance students’ language proficiency and facilitate the teaching process. Learners preferred to use more e-dictionaries to learn the meaning of the new words, watch English medical films to boost their speaking and listening skills, and use the electronic version of their textbook as they could carry it wherever they wanted. Conclusion: The students preferred this method of learning English as they became more independent by using the electronic facilities. They found that learning English did not have a fixed institutionalized method, and e-learning activities could provide them with authentic input for language learning even outside of the classroom. PMID:28491837

  17. Incorporating E-learning in teaching English language to medical students: exploring its potential contributions.

    PubMed

    Navidinia, Hossein; Zare Bidaki, Majid; Hekmati, Nargess

    2016-01-01

    Background: The spread of technology has influenced different aspects of human life, and teaching and learning are not exceptions. This study aimed to examine the potential contribution of the use of technology in teaching English language to medical students. Methods: This qualitative-action research study was conducted in Birjand University of Medical Sciences (BUMS), with 60 medical students taking a general English course in the Fall Semester of 2015. The class favored different tools and multimedia facilities such as a tube channel, e-dictionaries, educational films, and etextbooks to enhance students' learning. In addition, the class had a weblog in which students could upload assignments and receive feedback from peers and the instructors. Results: The results revealed that e-learning could enhance students' language proficiency and facilitate the teaching process. Learners preferred to use more e-dictionaries to learn the meaning of the new words, watch English medical films to boost their speaking and listening skills, and use the electronic version of their textbook as they could carry it wherever they wanted. Conclusion: The students preferred this method of learning English as they became more independent by using the electronic facilities. They found that learning English did not have a fixed institutionalized method, and e-learning activities could provide them with authentic input for language learning even outside of the classroom.

  18. Teaching communication skills: part of medical education?

    PubMed

    Sleight, P

    1995-01-01

    Hypertension is generally a symptomless disease, but it needs lifelong treatment in most cases. This places enormous demands on individual doctors treating individual patients. Communication under these circumstances should be a skillful blend of patient education (for example about lifestyle, other risk factors, reasons for treatment) coupled with the development of a strong personal interest in, and relationship with, the patient in order to motivate that patient to follow advice and therapy. Communication skills in medicine are learnt slowly and often only by experience. Medical school deans are under enormous pressure to add extra items into an already crowded curriculum, and so education in communication tends to have a low priority. Before a school can take such interest in educating students in communication it first has to take an interest in the education of its teachers. Rather belatedly, medical schools are now taking such an interest. Previously academic promotion depended mainly on research publications and public profile and little on an assessment of an ability to teach. Increasingly both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching is now subject to assessment from those taught, and universities are now making formal assessments of their teachers' ability in communication. In Oxford all newly appointed teachers are asked to appear before a panel, give a short 10-15 min communication and to listen to criticism of their technique. Video filming of their performance is a valuable feedback in getting lecturers to see their own faults and to help improve their techniques. It is very important to begin such training not only at lecturer level but also at student level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  19. Using PBL and Interactive Methods in Teaching Subjects in Medical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Demikhova, Nadiia; Prykhodko, Olga; Loboda, Andrii; Bumeister, Valentina; Smiianov, Vladyslav; Smiianov, Yevgen; Lukianykhin, Vadym; Demikhov, Oleksii

    2016-01-01

    Nowadays information and telecommunication technologies are becoming more and more developed. It especially attracts and captures the young--young scientists, teachers and students. The purpose of the article is to highlight the experience of implementing problem-based learning technology in the traditional system of teaching medical disciplines.…

  20. [Teaching practices and the position concerning medical education].

    PubMed

    Medina-Figueroa, Alda María; Espinosa-Alarcón, Patricia Atzimba; Viniegra-Velázquez, Leonardo

    2008-01-01

    Estimate the degree of development of a position concerning medical education, in a phisician population. We carried out a cross-sectional study at with 1580 physicians; we selected 395 participants by non-proportional stratified sampling of an IMSS health facility; 244 (62 %) was medical professors, included 15 physicians responsible for education. A previously validated instrument was applied to these participants. Three indicators were evaluated: agreement in general, most popular trend, and consequence. Group grading was done blindly. Kuder-Richardson test was utilized to calculate the value of internal instrument consistency and nonparametric statistics < 0.05. Answering tendency in agreement were similar among physicians; heads or managers were statistically significant. The most popular trend was participative. In terms of consequence in physicians, there were some without consequent sentences in pair. The most popular trend was participative, although it would appear that this has not been pondered, in that on exploring the indicator, that of consequence. Teaching practices do not have any significant influence on the development of a position concerning medical education.

  1. What motivates surgeons to teach dissection anatomy to medical students and surgical trainees?

    PubMed Central

    Burgess, Annette; Ramsey-Stewart, George

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Although a fading tradition in some institutions, having clinicians teach anatomy by whole-body dissection provides a clinical context to undergraduate and postgraduate medical students, increasing their depth of learning. The reasons for a clinician’s motivation to teach may be articulated in accordance with self-determination theory (SDT). SDT proposes that for individuals to be intrinsically motivated, three key elements are needed: 1) autonomy, 2) competence, and 3) relatedness. Materials and methods Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight surgeons who were supervisors/facilitators in the anatomy by whole-body dissection course for undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery program and postgraduate students in the Master of Surgery program at the University of Sydney. Qualitative analysis methods were used to code and categorize data into themes. Results Our study used SDT as a conceptual framework to explore surgeons’ motivation to supervise students in the anatomy by whole-body dissection courses. Elements that facilitated their desire to teach included satisfaction derived from teaching, a sense of achievement in providing students with a clinical context, a strong sense of community within the dissection courses, and a sense of duty to the medical/surgical profession and to patient welfare. Conclusion The surgeons’ motivation for teaching was largely related to their desire to contribute to the training of the next generation of doctors and surgeons, and ultimately to future patient welfare. PMID:25565913

  2. Evaluation of Small-Group Teaching in Human Gross Anatomy in a Caribbean Medical School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Lap Ki; Ganguly, Pallab K.

    2008-01-01

    Although there are a number of medical schools in the Caribbean islands, very few reports have come out so far in the literature regarding the efficacy of small-group teaching in them. The introduction of small-group teaching in the gross anatomy laboratory one and a half years ago at St. Matthew's University (SMU) on Grand Cayman appears to have…

  3. The intricate relationship between a medical school and a teaching hospital: A case study in Uganda.

    PubMed

    Mubuuke, Aloysius Gonzaga; Businge, Francis; Mukule, Emmanuel

    2014-01-01

    The relationship between medical schools and teaching hospitals is full of opportunities but also challenges even though they have complementary goals that could enhance each other. Although medical schools and teaching hospitals may face some similar challenges around the world, there could be context-specific observations that differ in resource-rich versus resource-limited settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that are perceived to have influenced the relationship between a medical school and a teaching hospital in Uganda, a resource-limited setting. This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study in which key informant individual interviews were conducted with senior administrators and senior staff members of the Mulago Hospital and Makerere University Medical School. The interviews explored factors perceived to have favoured the working relationship between the two institutions, challenges faced and likely future opportunities. Both quantitative and qualitative data were generated. Thematic analysis was used with the qualitative data. Respondents reported a strained relationship between the two institutions, with unfavourable factors far outweighing the favourable factors influencing the relationship. Key negative reported factors included having different administrative set-ups, limited opportunities to share funds and to forge research collaborations, unexploited potential of sharing human resources to address staff shortages, as well as a lack of a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions. This study identifies barriers in the existing relationship between a teaching hospital and medical college in a resource-poor country. It proposes a collaborative model, rather than competitive model, for the two institutions that may work in both resource-limited and resource-rich settings.

  4. The Development of Curricular Guidelines for Introductory Microbiology that Focus on Understanding.

    PubMed

    Merkel, Susan

    2012-01-01

    The number of students who leave majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) due to a perception that courses are poorly taught is evidence that education reform in STEM is overdue. Despite decades of research that argues for student-centered teaching approaches, most introductory STEM courses are still taught in the large lecture format, focusing on rote memorization. While individual efforts in STEM educational reform are important, solutions will most certainly need to include institutional and cultural change. In biology, numerous national reports have called for educational reform to better prepare future scientists. We describe here a new, concept-based curriculum for Introductory Microbiology courses, designed to promote deep understanding of core concepts. Supported by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and based on the overarching concepts and competencies presented in the AAAS/NSF report Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action, we hope it will empower instructors to adapt student-centered approaches so that students in Introductory Microbiology courses can leave the course with a core set of enduring understandings of microbiology.

  5. The Development of Curricular Guidelines for Introductory Microbiology that Focus on Understanding

    PubMed Central

    Merkel, Susan

    2012-01-01

    The number of students who leave majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) due to a perception that courses are poorly taught is evidence that education reform in STEM is overdue. Despite decades of research that argues for student-centered teaching approaches, most introductory STEM courses are still taught in the large lecture format, focusing on rote memorization. While individual efforts in STEM educational reform are important, solutions will most certainly need to include institutional and cultural change. In biology, numerous national reports have called for educational reform to better prepare future scientists. We describe here a new, concept-based curriculum for Introductory Microbiology courses, designed to promote deep understanding of core concepts. Supported by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and based on the overarching concepts and competencies presented in the AAAS/NSF report Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action, we hope it will empower instructors to adapt student-centered approaches so that students in Introductory Microbiology courses can leave the course with a core set of enduring understandings of microbiology. PMID:23653779

  6. [The concept of the organ, as a hierarchal unit of human body, and its place in teaching histology at the medical university and medical college].

    PubMed

    Miadelets, O D; Miadelets, N Ia; Miadelets, V O

    2011-01-01

    This paper deals with the methodological aspects of teaching histology at the medical university and medical college. The authors raise the issue of the necessity of teaching of the topic "Introduction to Special Histology" and the inclusion of the appropriate chapter into the textbooks. This is important for the students, as the formation of the general concepts of organ structure and function, components, and classification will aid in the further study of specific organs during the course of Special Histology. The authors describe their own experience in teaching of the section, dedicated to the general regularities of organ structure, present some definitions and classifications that are used by them for a number of years.

  7. Use of Cloud-Based Graphic Narrative Software in Medical Ethics Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weber, Alan S.

    2015-01-01

    Although used as a common pedagogical tool in K-12 education, online graphic narrative ("comics") software has not generally been incorporated into advanced professional or technical education. This contribution reports preliminary data from a study on the use of cloud-based graphics software Pixton.com to teach basic medical ethics…

  8. Many roads lead to Rome--is that true of the teaching and learning of pharmacology? Lessons from three medical schools in Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Sim, S M; Achike, F I; Geh, S L

    2005-08-01

    In Malaysia many new medical schools (both public and private) have been set up in the last 12 years. As a result of global changes and local adjustments made in medical training, cross-breeds of different medical curricula have produced a wide spectrum of teaching-learning methods in these medical schools. In this paper, we have selected three medical schools--two public (Universiti Malaya and Universiti Putra Malaysia) and one private (International Medical University) to illustrate different approaches in the teaching-learning of pharmacology that exist in Malaysia. How do these different teaching-learning approaches affect the students' interest and ability to "master" pharmacology and in turn to develop a good prescribing practice?

  9. Informatics in radiology (infoRAD): multimedia extension of medical imaging resource center teaching files.

    PubMed

    Yang, Guo Liang; Aziz, Aamer; Narayanaswami, Banukumar; Anand, Ananthasubramaniam; Lim, C C Tchoyoson; Nowinski, Wieslaw Lucjan

    2005-01-01

    A new method has been developed for multimedia enhancement of electronic teaching files created by using the standard protocols and formats offered by the Medical Imaging Resource Center (MIRC) project of the Radiological Society of North America. The typical MIRC electronic teaching file consists of static pages only; with the new method, audio and visual content may be added to the MIRC electronic teaching file so that the entire image interpretation process can be recorded for teaching purposes. With an efficient system for encoding the audiovisual record of on-screen manipulation of radiologic images, the multimedia teaching files generated are small enough to be transmitted via the Internet with acceptable resolution. Students may respond with the addition of new audio and visual content and thereby participate in a discussion about a particular case. MIRC electronic teaching files with multimedia enhancement have the potential to augment the effectiveness of diagnostic radiology teaching. RSNA, 2005.

  10. Basic practical skills teaching and learning in undergraduate medical education - a review on methodological evidence.

    PubMed

    Vogel, Daniela; Harendza, Sigrid

    2016-01-01

    Practical skills are an essential part of physicians' daily routine. Nevertheless, medical graduates' performance of basic skills is often below the expected level. This review aims to identify and summarize teaching approaches of basic practical skills in undergraduate medical education which provide evidence with respect to effective students' learning of these skills. Basic practical skills were defined as basic physical examination skills, routine skills which get better with practice, and skills which are also performed by nurses. We searched PubMed with different terms describing these basic practical skills. In total, 3467 identified publications were screened and 205 articles were eventually reviewed for eligibility. 43 studies that included at least one basic practical skill, a comparison of two groups of undergraduate medical students and effects on students' performance were analyzed. Seven basic practical skills and 15 different teaching methods could be identified. The most consistent results with respect to effective teaching and acquisition of basic practical skills were found for structured skills training, feedback, and self-directed learning. Simulation was effective with specific teaching methods and in several studies no differences in teaching effects were detected between expert or peer instructors. Multimedia instruction, when used in the right setting, also showed beneficial effects for basic practical skills learning. A combination of voluntary or obligatory self-study with multimedia applications like video clips in combination with a structured program including the possibility for individual exercise with personal feedback by peers or teachers might provide a good learning opportunity for basic practical skills.

  11. Why parents and children consent to become involved in medical student teaching.

    PubMed

    Pinnock, Ralph; Weller, Jennifer; Shulruf, Boaz; Jones, Rhys; Reed, Peter; Mizutani, Satomi

    2011-04-01

    Clinical experience in paediatrics is essential for medical undergraduates. This is the first study, of which we are aware, to examine why children of different ages admitted acutely to hospital and their parents agree to become involved in medical student teaching. We wanted to establish whether they considered that they needed to give consent before seeing medical students, whether this was routinely sought and what influenced their decisions. Data were collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews of parents and children. Questionnaires were completed by 105 parents of children less than 6 years old, and 34 children between 10 years and 15 years old and their parents. Interviews were conducted with 32 children between the ages of 6 and 10 years and their parents. Most parents and children consider that they have a responsibility to teaching but must always be asked for consent. They were motivated by altruism, but fear of emotional distress or pain can lead them to refuse. Younger children may not be able to give reasons for not wanting to see a medical student but sometimes have firm views, which must be respected. Having seen a medical student previously did influence children's or parents' opinions. Most children who have seen a medical student were prepared to see students again. Medical students can be reassured that parents and children admitted acutely to a children's hospital have a positive attitude to student involvement and are prepared to help them learn clinical skills, but consent must always be obtained and the child's perspective must always be considered. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2011 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

  12. Teaching Advance Care Planning to Medical Students with a Computer-Based Decision Aid

    PubMed Central

    Levi, Benjamin H.

    2013-01-01

    Discussing end-of-life decisions with cancer patients is a crucial skill for physicians. This article reports findings from a pilot study evaluating the effectiveness of a computer-based decision aid for teaching medical students about advance care planning. Second-year medical students at a single medical school were randomized to use a standard advance directive or a computer-based decision aid to help patients with advance care planning. Students' knowledge, skills, and satisfaction were measured by self-report; their performance was rated by patients. 121/133 (91%) of students participated. The Decision-Aid Group (n=60) outperformed the Standard Group (n=61) in terms of students´ knowledge (p<0.01), confidence in helping patients with advance care planning (p<0.01), knowledge of what matters to patients (p=0.05), and satisfaction with their learning experience (p<0.01). Likewise, patients in the Decision Aid Group were more satisfied with the advance care planning method (p<0.01) and with several aspects of student performance. Use of a computer-based decision aid may be an effective way to teach medical students how to discuss advance care planning with cancer patients. PMID:20632222

  13. Deconstructing Clinical Workflow: Identifying Teaching-Learning Principles for Barcode Electronic Medication Administration With Nursing Students.

    PubMed

    Booth, Richard G; Sinclair, Barbara; Strudwick, Gillian; Brennan, Laura; Morgan, Lisa; Collings, Stephanie; Johnston, Jessica; Loggie, Brittany; Tong, James; Singh, Chantal

    The purpose of this quality improvement project was to better understand how to teach medication administration underpinned by an electronic medication administration record (eMAR) system used in simulated, prelicensure nursing education. Methods included a workflow and integration analysis and a detailed process mapping of both an oral and a sublingual medication administration. Procedural and curriculum development considerations related to medication administration using eMAR technology are presented for nurse educators.

  14. Hybrid Simulation in Teaching Clinical Breast Examination to Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Nassif, Joseph; Sleiman, Abdul-Karim; Nassar, Anwar H; Naamani, Sima; Sharara-Chami, Rana

    2017-10-10

    Clinical breast examination (CBE) is traditionally taught to third-year medical students using a lecture and a tabletop breast model. The opportunity to clinically practice CBE depends on patient availability and willingness to be examined by students, especially in culturally sensitive environments. We propose the use of a hybrid simulation model consisting of a standardized patient (SP) wearing a silicone breast simulator jacket and hypothesize that this, compared to traditional teaching methods, would result in improved learning. Consenting third-year medical students (N = 82) at a university-affiliated tertiary care center were cluster-randomized into two groups: hybrid simulation (breast jacket + SP) and control (tabletop breast model). Students received the standard lecture by instructors blinded to the randomization, followed by randomization group-based learning and practice sessions. Two weeks later, participants were assessed in an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), which included three stations with SPs blinded to the intervention. The SPs graded the students on CBE completeness, and students completed a self-assessment of their performance and confidence during the examination. CBE completeness scores did not differ between the two groups (p = 0.889). Hybrid simulation improved lesion identification grades (p < 0.001) without increasing false positives. Hybrid simulation relieved the fear of missing a lesion on CBE (p = 0.043) and increased satisfaction with the teaching method among students (p = 0.002). As a novel educational tool, hybrid simulation improves the sensitivity of CBE performed by medical students without affecting its specificity. Hybrid simulation may play a role in increasing the confidence of medical students during CBE.

  15. The Evolving Role of Simulation in Teaching Surgery in Undergraduate Medical Education.

    PubMed

    Acton, Robert D

    2015-08-01

    Simulation-based training (SBT) over the last 10 years has become a mainstay for surgical education at the graduate medical education (GME) level. More recently, however, the technique has rapidly become the standard for early efficient teaching of surgical skills and decision making at the undergraduate medical education (UME) level. The described benefits of SBT include its ability to compartmentalize education, to combine immediate assessment and feedback, and to accelerate knowledge and skill acquisition for the young learner. Consequently, SBT is now being adopted in multiple national medical student surgical educational initiatives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Effects of "minimally invasive curricular surgery" - a pilot intervention study to improve the quality of bedside teaching in medical education.

    PubMed

    Raupach, Tobias; Anders, Sven; Pukrop, Tobias; Hasenfuss, Gerd; Harendza, Sigrid

    2009-09-01

    Bedside teaching is an important element of undergraduate medical education. However, the impact of curricular course structure on student outcome needs to be determined. This study assessed changes in fourth-year medical students' evaluations of clinical teaching sessions before and after the introduction of a new course format. The curricular structure of bedside teaching sessions in cardiology was modified without changing the amount of teaching time. Clinical teachers were instructed about the new teaching format and learning objectives. The new format implemented for adult but not paediatric cardiology sessions was piloted with 143 students in winter 2007/08. By computing effect sizes, evaluation results were compared to data obtained from 185 students before the intervention. Significant rating increases were observed for adult cardiology teaching sessions (Cohen's d = 0.66) but not paediatric cardiology sessions (d = 0.22). In addition to improving the structure and organization of the course, the intervention significantly impacted on students' perceptions of their learning outcome regarding practical skills (d = 0.69). Minimal curricular changes combined with basic faculty development measures significantly increase students' perception of learning outcome. Curricular structure needs to be considered when planning bedside teaching sessions in medical undergraduate training.

  17. Teaching point of care ultrasound skills in medical school: keeping radiology in the driver's seat.

    PubMed

    Webb, Emily M; Cotton, James B; Kane, Kevin; Straus, Christopher M; Topp, Kimberly S; Naeger, David M

    2014-07-01

    Ultrasound is used increasingly in medical practice as a tool for focused bedside diagnosis and technical assistance during procedures. Widespread availability of small portable units has put this technology into the hands of many physicians and medical students who lack dedicated training, leaving the education and introduction of this key modality increasingly to physicians from other specialties. We developed a radiology-led program to teach ultrasound skills to preclinical medical students. To develop this new ultrasound program we 1) established a program leader, 2) developed teaching materials, 3) created a hands-on interactive program, and 4) recruited the necessary instructors. The program was piloted with the first-year medical student class of 154 students. The introductory session was assessed by pre- and post-activity Likert scale-based surveys. Of 154 (68.8%) students, 106 completed a voluntary online survey before starting the program and 145 students (94.2%) completed a voluntary survey after the session. Students found the program educationally valuable (4.64 of 5) and reported that it improved their understanding of ultrasound imaging (4.7 of 5). Students' reported confidence in identifying abdominal organs, intra-abdominal fluid, and Morison pouch that was significantly higher on the postactivity survey compared to the presurvey (P < .001 for all). We piloted a radiology-led program to teach ultrasound skills to preclinical medical students. Students found the experience enjoyable and educationally valuable. Copyright © 2014 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. [Medical technologist as a member of infection control team].

    PubMed

    Okuzumi, Katsuko; Ieiri, Tamio

    2005-11-01

    For the prevention of infection at institutions, an Anti-nosocomial Infection Committee or an Infection Control Team (ICT) is organized at each institution according to its scale. We report the present status of the ICT managed mainly by medical technologists engaged in microbiological examination (certified medical microbiological technologists) at Dokkyo University School of Medicine. Since this hospital is an educational hospital, the department of clinical laboratory medicine cooperates with the microbiological laboratory of the clinical laboratory in infection control education of medical workers (such as medical students, nursing students, physicians and nurses) in infection diagnosis, infection control/infection management. Since infection control is achieved by improvement in hygiene knowledge and its practice in all citizens, we also attached importance to publicity activities associated with microbiology for patients, their families, and all medical workers.

  19. Teaching and Assessing Doctor-Patient Communication Using Remote Standardized Patients and SKYPE: Feedback from Medical Residents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horber, Dot; Langenau, Erik E.; Kachur, Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    Teaching and assessing doctor-patient communication has become a priority in medical education. This pilot study evaluated resident physicians' perceptions of teaching and assessing doctor-patient communication skills related to pain management using a web-based format. Fifty-nine resident physicians completed four doctor-patient clinical…

  20. Criteria of the "educators' pyramid" fulfilled by medical school faculty promoted on a teaching pathway.

    PubMed

    Sherertz, E F

    2000-09-01

    To compare the results of academic promotion to associate professor and professor via the teaching pathway at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFUSM) with the criteria of the "educators' pyramid" of Sachdeva et al. Data on all candidates promoted to associate professor and professor in the academic years 1995-2000 at WFUSM were collected from candidates' portfolios and compared with the criteria for educator (level three) and master educator (level four) from a modified version of the educators' pyramid. Of 186 faculty promoted, 38 were on the teaching pathway. Everyone promoted on the pathway fulfilled all teacher and master teacher criteria. All educator criteria were found among the associate professors, and all but one of the master educator criteria were found among professors. More than 75% of associate professors demonstrated "sustained participation in significant amounts of effective teaching in more than one modality" and "service as a medical student clerkship, course, or residency director." Less than 30% demonstrated "service as assistant dean of education or student affairs" or "service as the chair of departmental education committees." Most associate professors had not regularly participated in national education meetings. For professors, more than 50% demonstrated "achievement of leadership positions in national organizations, committees, and medical school education"; "recognition as a national leader in specialty education"; and "mentorship of other faculty members locally and nationally." Less than 30% demonstrated "pursuit of further training in education through workshops, faculty development programs, or educational fellowship programs" or "development and implementation of nationally-recognized (in education) innovative curricula or teaching programs." No one promoted to professor on the teaching pathway had made what was considered to be a landmark contribution to educational research and development. The findings suggest that

  1. Role Models and Teachers: medical students perception of teaching-learning methods in clinical settings, a qualitative study from Sri Lanka.

    PubMed

    Jayasuriya-Illesinghe, Vathsala; Nazeer, Ishra; Athauda, Lathika; Perera, Jennifer

    2016-02-09

    Medical education research in general, and those focusing on clinical settings in particular, have been a low priority in South Asia. This explorative study from 3 medical schools in Sri Lanka, a South Asian country, describes undergraduate medical students' experiences during their final year clinical training with the aim of understanding the teaching-learning experiences. Using qualitative methods we conducted an exploratory study. Twenty eight graduates from 3 medical schools participated in individual interviews. Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis method. Emergent themes reveled 2 types of teaching-learning experiences, role modeling, and purposive teaching. In role modelling, students were expected to observe teachers while they conduct their clinical work, however, this method failed to create positive learning experiences. The clinical teachers who predominantly used this method appeared to be 'figurative' role models and were not perceived as modelling professional behaviors. In contrast, purposeful teaching allowed dedicated time for teacher-student interactions and teachers who created these learning experiences were more likely to be seen as 'true' role models. Students' responses and reciprocations to these interactions were influenced by their perception of teachers' behaviors, attitudes, and the type of teaching-learning situations created for them. Making a distinction between role modeling and purposeful teaching is important for students in clinical training settings. Clinical teachers' awareness of their own manifest professional characterizes, attitudes, and behaviors, could help create better teaching-learning experiences. Moreover, broader systemic reforms are needed to address the prevailing culture of teaching by humiliation and subordination.

  2. Teaching musculoskeletal examination skills to UK medical students: a comparative survey of Rheumatology and Orthopaedic education practice.

    PubMed

    Blake, Tim

    2014-03-28

    Specialists in Rheumatology and Orthopaedics are frequently involved in undergraduate teaching of musculoskeletal (MSK) examination skills. Students often report that specialty-led teaching is inconsistent, confusing and bears little resemblance to the curricula. The Gait, Arms, Legs and Spine (GALS) is a MSK screening tool that provides a standardised approach to examination despite it being fraught with disapproval and low uptake. Recent studies would appear to support innovative instructional methods of engaging learners such as patient educators and interactive small group teaching. This comparative cross-sectional survey evaluates the current state of undergraduate teaching in Rheumatology and Orthopaedics, including preferred teaching methods, attitudes towards GALS, and barriers to effective teaching. An electronic questionnaire was sent to specialist trainees and Consultants in the East and West Midlands region, representing 5 UK medical schools. Descriptive statistical data analysis was performed. There were 76 respondents representing 5 medical schools. There was a request for newer teaching methodologies to be used: multi-media computer-assisted learning (35.5%), audio-visual aids (31.6%), role-playing (19.7%), and social media (3.9%). It is evident that GALS is under-utilised with 50% of clinicians not using GALS in their teaching. There is a genuine desire for clinical educators to improve their teaching ability, collaborate more with curriculum planners, and feel valued by institutions. There remains a call for implementing a standardised approach to MSK clinical teaching to supersede GALS.

  3. Teaching musculoskeletal examination skills to UK medical students: A comparative survey of Rheumatology and Orthopaedic education practice

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Specialists in Rheumatology and Orthopaedics are frequently involved in undergraduate teaching of musculoskeletal (MSK) examination skills. Students often report that specialty-led teaching is inconsistent, confusing and bears little resemblance to the curricula. The Gait, Arms, Legs and Spine (GALS) is a MSK screening tool that provides a standardised approach to examination despite it being fraught with disapproval and low uptake. Recent studies would appear to support innovative instructional methods of engaging learners such as patient educators and interactive small group teaching. Methods This comparative cross-sectional survey evaluates the current state of undergraduate teaching in Rheumatology and Orthopaedics, including preferred teaching methods, attitudes towards GALS, and barriers to effective teaching. An electronic questionnaire was sent to specialist trainees and Consultants in the East and West Midlands region, representing 5 UK medical schools. Descriptive statistical data analysis was performed. Results There were 76 respondents representing 5 medical schools. There was a request for newer teaching methodologies to be used: multi-media computer-assisted learning (35.5%), audio-visual aids (31.6%), role-playing (19.7%), and social media (3.9%). It is evident that GALS is under-utilised with 50% of clinicians not using GALS in their teaching. Conclusions There is a genuine desire for clinical educators to improve their teaching ability, collaborate more with curriculum planners, and feel valued by institutions. There remains a call for implementing a standardised approach to MSK clinical teaching to supersede GALS. PMID:24678598

  4. [Teaching of clinical reasoning to medical students using prototypical clinical cases].

    PubMed

    Montaldo L, Gustavo; Herskovic L, Pedro

    2013-07-01

    Clinical reasoning is the most important competente in the training process of a physician. To develop a method for teaching clinical reasoning based on prototypes of clinical cases. The study was conducted on sixty-four third year medical students. The study and control groups attended lectures and tutorial sessions with patients. The study group attended additionally discussion seminars of prototypical clinical cases. A clinical reasoning test was applied at the start and end of the learning period to both groups. At the end of the study, the opinions of students of the study group were collected in a focus group. After the learning period, both groups significantly increased their clinical reasoning skills. However, the improvement in the study group was more than double than that of the control group. The absolute improvement in the study group was 30.9%. Students interviewed in the focus group were unanimous in expressing their satisfaction in each and every aspect discussed. The teaching of clinical reasoning to third year medical students by means of pattern recognition in seminars with clinical cases improved significantly their skills.

  5. Pilot study comparing simulation-based and didactic lecture-based critical care teaching for final-year medical students.

    PubMed

    Solymos, Orsolya; O'Kelly, Patrick; Walshe, Criona M

    2015-10-21

    Simulation-based medical education has rapidly evolved over the past two decades, despite this, there are few published reports of its use in critical care teaching. We hypothesised that simulation-based teaching of a critical care topic to final-year medical students is superior to lecture-based teaching. Thirty-nine final-year medical students were randomly assigned to either simulation-based or lecture-based teaching in the chosen critical care topic. The study was conducted over a 6-week period. Efficacy of each teaching method was compared through use of multiple choice questionnaires (MCQ) - baseline, post-teaching and 2 week follow-up. Student satisfaction was evaluated by means of a questionnaire. Feasibility and resource requirements were documented by teachers. Eighteen students were randomised to simulation-based, and 21 to lecture-based teaching. There were no differences in age and gender between groups (p > 0.05). Simulation proved more resource intensive requiring specialised equipment, two instructors, and increased duration of teaching sessions (126.7 min (SD = 4.71) vs 68.3 min (SD = 2.36)). Students ranked simulation-based teaching higher with regard to enjoyment (p = 0.0044), interest (p = 0.0068), relevance to taught subject (p = 0.0313), ease of understanding (p = 0.0476) and accessibility to posing questions (p = 0.001). Both groups demonstrated improvement in post-teaching MCQ from baseline (p = 0.0002), with greater improvement seen among the simulation group (p = 0.0387), however, baseline scores were higher among the lecture group. The results of the 2-week follow-up MCQ and post-teaching MCQ were not statistically significant when each modality were compared. Simulation was perceived as more enjoyable by students. Although there was a greater improvement in post-teaching MCQ among the simulator group, baseline scores were higher among lecture group which limits interpretation of efficacy

  6. A program using medical students to teach high school students about AIDS.

    PubMed

    Johnson, J A; Sellew, J F; Campbell, A E; Haskell, E G; Gay, A A; Bell, B J

    1988-07-01

    In the spring of 1987, 20 medical students from the Eastern Virginia Medical School of the Medical College of Hampton Roads were involved in a pilot program to teach about the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) to high school senior students in Norfolk, Virginia. The medical students received instruction about AIDS from basic science and clinical faculty members at the medical school in preparation for the project. All participating high school seniors completed a 15-item knowledge test about AIDS prior to the intervention and an equivalent posttest one week after the program was completed. T-test analysis revealed a significant increase in knowledge by students at all five high schools. Responses to 10 subjective posttest questions indicated that the high school students were interested in learning about AIDS and having medical students as their teachers. This program provides an example of how medical institutions can develop a collaborative community education project that contributes to the education of medical students.

  7. Theodore E. Woodward Award: Spare Me the Powerpoint and Bring Back the Medical Textbook

    PubMed Central

    Southwick, Frederick S.

    2007-01-01

    A tutorial for 4th year medical students revealed absent long-term retention of microbiology and infectious disease facts taught during the 2nd year. Students were suffering from the Ziegarnik effect, the loss of memory after completion of a task. PowerPoint lectures and PowerPoint notes combined with multiple-choice questions may have encouraged this outcome; this teaching format was also associated with minimal use of the course textbook. During the subsequent year, active learning techniques, Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) and Peer Instruction (PI) were used, and instructors specifically taught from the textbook. Essays and short answer questions were combined with multiple-choice questions to encourage understanding and recall. Performance on the National Board Shelf exam improved from the 59th percentile (2002–2004) to the 83rd percentile (2005), and textbook use increased from 1.6% to 79%. This experience demonstrates that strategies incorporating active learning and textbook use correlate with striking improvement in medical student performance. PMID:18528495

  8. Teaching history taking to medical students: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Keifenheim, Katharina E; Teufel, Martin; Ip, Julianne; Speiser, Natalie; Leehr, Elisabeth J; Zipfel, Stephan; Herrmann-Werner, Anne

    2015-09-28

    This paper is an up-to-date systematic review on educational interventions addressing history taking. The authors noted that despite the plethora of specialized training programs designed to enhance students' interviewing skills there had not been a review of the literature to assess the quality of each published method of teaching history taking in undergraduate medical education based on the evidence of the program's efficacy. The databases PubMed, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, opengrey, opendoar and SSRN were searched using key words related to medical education and history taking. Articles that described an educational intervention to improve medical students' history-taking skills were selected and reviewed. Included studies had to evaluate learning progress. Study quality was assessed using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI). Seventy-eight full-text articles were identified and reviewed; of these, 23 studies met the final inclusion criteria. Three studies applied an instructional approach using scripts, lectures, demonstrations and an online course. Seventeen studies applied a more experiential approach by implementing small group workshops including role-play, interviews with patients and feedback. Three studies applied a creative approach. Two of these studies made use of improvisational theatre and one introduced a simulation using Lego® building blocks. Twenty-two studies reported an improvement in students' history taking skills. Mean MERSQI score was 10.4 (range 6.5 to 14; SD = 2.65). These findings suggest that several different educational interventions are effective in teaching history taking skills to medical students. Small group workshops including role-play and interviews with real patients, followed by feedback and discussion, are widespread and best investigated. Feedback using videotape review was also reported as particularly instructive. Students in the early preclinical state might profit from approaches helping

  9. Study for Teaching Behavioral Sciences in Schools of Medicine, Volume III: Behavioral Science Perspectives in Medical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Sociological Association, Washington, DC. Medical Sociology Council.

    Volume III of a study of teaching behavioral sciences in medical school presents perspectives on medical behavioral science from the viewpoints of the several behavioral disciplines (anthropology, psychology, sociology, political science, economics, behavioral biology and medical education). In addition, there is a discussion of translating…

  10. Phenomenological analysis of patient experiences of medical student teaching encounters.

    PubMed

    McLachlan, Emma; King, Nigel; Wenger, Etienne; Dornan, Tim

    2012-10-01

    It is important to know how patients are affected by becoming opportunistically involved in medical student education. In previous studies, researchers rather than patients set the research agenda and expert patients or people well known to teachers were more often involved than ordinary people. This study aimed to explore how ordinary patients experience undergraduate medical teaching when they become involved in it opportunistically and to derive practical insights from the lived experiences of these patients. The research was conducted in line with a conceptual orientation towards communities of practice theory and used phenomenology as a way of exploring patients' lived experiences in depth. Minimally structured interviews were carried out with 10 patients following ordinary out-patient or general practice appointments in which students were being taught. Template analysis was used to generate provisional themes and a process of phenomenological reduction was used to distil individual respondents' lived experiences to their essence. The presence of students in ambulatory consultations was normal. Nine respondents described transactional relationships in which they remained outside the community of practice of which the doctor and student were members. Only an intimate problem would engage them deeply enough for a student's presence to 'bother' them. One patient's personal and professional background led her to regard doctors' handling of consultation dynamics as factors contributing to whether teaching consultations were negative or positive experiences. When doctors' sensitive and inclusive behaviour drew her into a triadic relationship with the student and doctor, she experienced mutual benefits with students. When it did not, she felt objectified and alienated. Provided they receive the clinical care for which they are attending a consultation and are treated respectfully, patients may sometimes willingly become 'objects' from which students learn. They may

  11. Microbiology studies in the Space Shuttle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Taylor, G. R.

    1976-01-01

    Past space microbiology studies have evaluated three general areas: microbe detection in extraterrestrial materials; monitoring of autoflora and medically important species on crewmembers, equipment, and cabin air; and in vitro evaluations of isolated terrestrial species carried on manned and unmanned spaceflights. These areas are briefly reviewed to establish a basis for presenting probable experiment subjects applicable to the Space Shuttle era. Most extraterrestrial life detection studies involve visitations to other heavenly bodies. Although this is not applicable to the first series of Shuttle flights, attempts to capture meteors and spores in space could be important. Human pathogen and autoflora monitoring will become more important with increased variety among crewmembers. Inclusion of contaminated animal and plant specimens in the space lab will necessitate inflight evaluation of cross-contamination and infection potentials. The majority of Shuttle microbiology studies will doubtless fall into the third study area. Presence of a space lab will permit a whole range of experimentation under conditions similar to these experienced in earth-based laboratories. The recommendations of various study groups are analyzed, and probable inflight microbiological experiment areas are identified for the Life Sciences Shuttle Laboratory.

  12. Patients' feelings about the presence of medical students in a New Teaching Hospital in Southwestern Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Adebayo, Philip Babatunde; Asaolu, Stephen Olabode; Akinboro, Adeolu Oladayo; Akintunde, Adeseye Abiodun; Olakulehin, Olawale Adebayo; Ayodele, Olugbenga Edward

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to evaluate how patients feel about the introduction of medical students into a former general hospital transformed to a teaching hospital in southwestern Nigeria and to also assess the extent to which they are willing to involve medical students in the management of their conditions. In a descriptive cross-sectional study, a sample of 251 randomly selected patients were interviewed using a pretested questionnaire that assessed patients' demography, patients' acceptance of and reaction to the involvement of medical students in their clinical care including the specific procedures the patients would allow medical students to perform. Two hundred and fifty-one patients with mean age ± standard deviation of 37.33 ± 19.01 (age range = 16-120 years; M:F = 1:1.26) were recruited between January 01 and March 31, 2013. Most patients (86.5%) preferred to be treated in a teaching hospital and were comfortable with medical students as observers (83.7%) and serving as the doctors' assistant (83.3%) during common diagnostic procedures. Men were more willing to have invasive procedures such as insertion of urinary catheter (56.6% vs. 43.4%, P = 0.001). Acceptability of medical students (such as willingness of patients to have students read their medical notes) was significantly higher in nonsurgical specialties than in surgical specialties (77.5% vs. 22.5%, P< 0.001). Factors associated with a positive disposition include age> 40 years, male gender, and higher level of education as well as consultation in nonsurgical specialties (P = 0.001). Medical students are well received into this new teaching hospital setting. However, there is a need for more education of younger, less educated female patients of surgical subspecialties so that they can understand their importance as irreplaceable partners in the training of medical students.

  13. Students’ Perception and Attitude on Methods of Anatomy Teaching in a Medical College of West Bengal, India

    PubMed Central

    Bandyopadhyay, Raktim

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Incorporating newer teaching aids over traditional one in Anatomy has been challenging both for the teachers and the learners. Different educational strategies are being used for teaching of Anatomy. Aim To elicit the perception and attitude toward teaching approaches in the Anatomy curriculum among first year medical students. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional, descriptive study was undertaken with the help of predesigned, pre-tested questionnaire to elicit knowledge in four domains of classroom teaching which were: a) gross anatomical structure; b) organ identification; c) topography; and d) radiological anatomy and self-assessment of acquired skills in respective fields among 114 first year students. Results A total of 57% of students opined good in gross structure of anatomy. A 60.5% of students preferred chalk and board method and 33.3% with LCD projector. Regarding acquiring knowledge, 72.8% of medical students gathered knowledge in gross anatomical structure domain whereas 58.8% in radiological anatomy. The overall mean score of attitude of the students regarding incorporating newer techniques in Anatomy teaching is 14.17±2.26. Conclusion The perception of Anatomy teaching and attitude among medicos have been studied and opinion from them had thrown light for incorporation of newer techniques in their teaching curriculum. PMID:29207689

  14. A new approach to learning how to teach: medical students as instructional designers.

    PubMed

    Novak, Sean H; Quinn, Molly; Canan, Timothy; Metten, Shaleen; Wisco, Jonathan J; Wimmers, Paul F; Uijtdehaage, Sebastian

    2011-01-01

    As students at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the student authors were given the opportunity to develop their own creative projects which would be used to teach future medical students. They chose their own topics, planned and researched their projects, and then implemented the projects in interactive digital Adobe Flash files. In the first project they created interactive case-based radiology teaching files. In the second project they integrated photographic images into the existing illustrative anatomy files. Students in subsequent years have learned from these files on computers both at home and in the school's anatomy lab. The experience of creating the files served as an opportunity for hands-on learning for the student authors, both of the material and of the practice of teaching. In this paper they describe why they undertook these projects, what exactly they did, and the impact their creation had on them. The projects demonstrate that student-driven educational materials are both possible and beneficial. Furthermore, their experience has allowed them to conclude that faculty at other medical schools should consider providing students with opportunities to develop their own creative projects that contribute to the curriculum.

  15. Too little time to teach? Medical student education and the resident work-hour restriction.

    PubMed

    Zahn, Christopher M; Dunlow, Susan G; Alvero, Ruben; Parker, Jason D; Nace, Catherine; Armstrong, Alicia Y

    2007-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the resident duty-hour restriction on medical student education through a survey of faculty, residents, and interns, with interns providing experience as students relative to implementation of work-hour restrictions. A survey was performed at two (one military and one civilian) obstetrics and gynecology residency programs. Additional surveys were obtained from an Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics workshop, which included military and nonmilitary attendees. The majority of faculty reported spending 5 to 10 hours per week in medical education before and after implementation of the work-hour restriction. Residents reported less time teaching students after work-hour restrictions were instituted. Nearly all interns, responding about their clinical clerkship experience as students, believed their educational experience would have been improved if residents were more involved in teaching. This pilot study suggests residents are less involved in medical student education following implementation of the duty-hour restrictions.

  16. Understanding the mobile internet to develop the next generation of online medical teaching tools

    PubMed Central

    Christiano, Cynthia; Ferris, Maria

    2011-01-01

    Healthcare providers (HCPs) use online medical information for self-directed learning and patient care. Recently, the mobile internet has emerged as a new platform for accessing medical information as it allows mobile devices to access online information in a manner compatible with their restricted storage. We investigated mobile internet usage parameters to direct the future development of mobile internet teaching websites. Nephrology On-Demand Mobile (NODM) (http://www.nephrologyondemand.org) was made accessible to all mobile devices. From February 1 to December 31, 2010, HCP use of NODM was tracked using code inserted into the root files. Nephrology On-Demand received 15 258 visits, of which approximately 10% were made to NODM, with the majority coming from the USA. Most access to NODM was through the Apple iOS family of devices and cellular connections were the most frequently used. These findings provide a basis for the future development of mobile nephrology and medical teaching tools. PMID:21659443

  17. Understanding the mobile internet to develop the next generation of online medical teaching tools.

    PubMed

    Desai, Tejas; Christiano, Cynthia; Ferris, Maria

    2011-01-01

    Healthcare providers (HCPs) use online medical information for self-directed learning and patient care. Recently, the mobile internet has emerged as a new platform for accessing medical information as it allows mobile devices to access online information in a manner compatible with their restricted storage. We investigated mobile internet usage parameters to direct the future development of mobile internet teaching websites. Nephrology On-Demand Mobile (NOD(M)) (http://www.nephrologyondemand.org) was made accessible to all mobile devices. From February 1 to December 31, 2010, HCP use of NOD(M) was tracked using code inserted into the root files. Nephrology On-Demand received 15,258 visits, of which approximately 10% were made to NOD(M), with the majority coming from the USA. Most access to NOD(M) was through the Apple iOS family of devices and cellular connections were the most frequently used. These findings provide a basis for the future development of mobile nephrology and medical teaching tools.

  18. Basic steps in establishing effective small group teaching sessions in medical schools.

    PubMed

    Meo, Sultan Ayoub

    2013-07-01

    Small-group teaching and learning has achieved an admirable position in medical education and has become more popular as a means of encouraging the students in their studies and enhance the process of deep learning. The main characteristics of small group teaching are active involvement of the learners in entire learning cycle and well defined task orientation with achievable specific aims and objectives in a given time period. The essential components in the development of an ideal small group teaching and learning sessions are preliminary considerations at departmental and institutional level including educational strategies, group composition, physical environment, existing resources, diagnosis of the needs, formulation of the objectives and suitable teaching outline. Small group teaching increases the student interest, teamwork ability, retention of knowledge and skills, enhance transfer of concepts to innovative issues, and improve the self-directed learning. It develops self-motivation, investigating the issues, allows the student to test their thinking and higher-order activities. It also facilitates an adult style of learning, acceptance of personal responsibility for own progress. Moreover, it enhances student-faculty and peer-peer interaction, improves communication skills and provides opportunity to share the responsibility and clarify the points of bafflement.

  19. BACLAB: A Computer Simulation of a Medical Bacteriology Laboratory--An Aid for Teaching Tertiary Level Microbiology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewington, J.; And Others

    1985-01-01

    Describes a computer simulation program which helps students learn the main biochemical tests and profiles for identifying medically important bacteria. Also discusses the advantages and applications of this type of approach. (ML)

  20. Teaching Biochemistry at a Medical Faculty with a Problem-Based Learning System.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosing, Jan

    1997-01-01

    Highlights the differences between classical teaching methods and problem-based learning. Describes the curriculum and problem-based approach of the Faculty of Medicine at the Maastricht University and gives an overview of the implementation of biochemistry in the medical curriculum. Discusses the procedure for student assessment and presents…

  1. A Longitudinal "Teaching-to-Teach" Curriculum for Psychiatric Residents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lehmann, Susan W.

    2010-01-01

    Objective: Psychiatric residents' self-reported confidence levels related to teaching medical students were assessed before and after a five-part teaching seminar series. Methods: Five 1-hour seminars on teaching medical students in the psychiatry clerkship were presented to second postgraduate year (PGY-2) residents. Topics included how to teach…

  2. Health professionals as mobile content creators: teaching medical students to develop mHealth applications.

    PubMed

    Masters, Ken

    2014-10-01

    Patient access to health information and patient-provider communication is integral to medicine, and can be facilitated by mobile applications ("apps"). Traditionally, student training in mobile Health (mHealth) has focussed on health professionals as consumers of information, with negative impacts on the quality and value of medical apps. This study focuses on teaching medical students to develop their own medical apps. At Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, an app development environment, iBuildApp, was taught to medical students and used to develop their first apps. Students were surveyed on their perceptions of the project. Of the 166 students, 107 (64.5%) completed the survey. There was an increase in the perceived need for such learning, apps were aimed primarily at patients, and previous programming experience was the strongest influencer of a positive experience. A majority (77.6%) wanted more sophisticated development environments in spite of their apparent struggles. The impact of previous experience is similar to other studies; the perceived value and focus on patient apps is indicative of an awareness of patients' use of the devices not reflected in all literature. It is possible to teach medical students the fundamentals of app design so that they may contribute to app development in the future.

  3. Teaching and Assessing Professionalism in Medical Learners and Practicing Physicians*

    PubMed Central

    Mueller, Paul S.

    2015-01-01

    Professionalism is a core competency of physicians. Clinical knowledge and skills (and their maintenance and improvement), good communication skills, and sound understanding of ethics constitute the foundation of professionalism. Rising from this foundation are behaviors and attributes of professionalism: accountability, altruism, excellence, and humanism, the capstone of which is professionalism. Patients, medical societies, and accrediting organizations expect physicians to be professional. Furthermore, professionalism is associated with better clinical outcomes. Hence, medical learners and practicing physicians should be taught and assessed for professionalism. A number of methods can be used to teach professionalism (e.g. didactic lectures, web-based modules, role modeling, reflection, interactive methods, etc.). Because of the nature of professionalism, no single tool for assessing it among medical learners and practicing physicians exists. Instead, multiple assessment tools must be used (e.g. multi-source feedback using 360-degree reviews, patient feedback, critical incident reports, etc.). Data should be gathered continuously throughout an individual’s career. For the individual learner or practicing physician, data generated by these tools can be used to create a “professionalism portfolio,” the totality of which represents a picture of the individual’s professionalism. This portfolio in turn can be used for formative and summative feedback. Data from professionalism assessments can also be used for developing professionalism curricula and generating research hypotheses. Health care leaders should support teaching and assessing professionalism at all levels of learning and practice and promote learning environments and institutional cultures that are consistent with professionalism precepts. PMID:25973263

  4. Basic practical skills teaching and learning in undergraduate medical education – a review on methodological evidence

    PubMed Central

    Vogel, Daniela; Harendza, Sigrid

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Practical skills are an essential part of physicians’ daily routine. Nevertheless, medical graduates’ performance of basic skills is often below the expected level. This review aims to identify and summarize teaching approaches of basic practical skills in undergraduate medical education which provide evidence with respect to effective students’ learning of these skills. Methods: Basic practical skills were defined as basic physical examination skills, routine skills which get better with practice, and skills which are also performed by nurses. We searched PubMed with different terms describing these basic practical skills. In total, 3467 identified publications were screened and 205 articles were eventually reviewed for eligibility. Results: 43 studies that included at least one basic practical skill, a comparison of two groups of undergraduate medical students and effects on students’ performance were analyzed. Seven basic practical skills and 15 different teaching methods could be identified. The most consistent results with respect to effective teaching and acquisition of basic practical skills were found for structured skills training, feedback, and self-directed learning. Simulation was effective with specific teaching methods and in several studies no differences in teaching effects were detected between expert or peer instructors. Multimedia instruction, when used in the right setting, also showed beneficial effects for basic practical skills learning. Conclusion: A combination of voluntary or obligatory self-study with multimedia applications like video clips in combination with a structured program including the possibility for individual exercise with personal feedback by peers or teachers might provide a good learning opportunity for basic practical skills. PMID:27579364

  5. Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the System for Evaluation of Teaching Qualities (SETQ) in Graduate Medical Training.

    PubMed

    Boerebach, Benjamin C M; Lombarts, Kiki M J M H; Arah, Onyebuchi A

    2016-03-01

    The System for Evaluation of Teaching Qualities (SETQ) was developed as a formative system for the continuous evaluation and development of physicians' teaching performance in graduate medical training. It has been seven years since the introduction and initial exploratory psychometric analysis of the SETQ questionnaires. This study investigates the validity and reliability of the SETQ questionnaires across hospitals and medical specialties using confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs), reliability analysis, and generalizability analysis. The SETQ questionnaires were tested in a sample of 3,025 physicians and 2,848 trainees in 46 hospitals. The CFA revealed acceptable fit of the data to the previously identified five-factor model. The high internal consistency estimates suggest satisfactory reliability of the subscales. These results provide robust evidence for the validity and reliability of the SETQ questionnaires for evaluating physicians' teaching performance. © The Author(s) 2014.

  6. Teaching Third-Year Medical Students how to Care for Terminally Ill Patients.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Robert W.; Wylie, Norma

    1989-01-01

    A successful seven-day course offered to third-year medical students is an integrated program for teaching them how to deal with terminal illness. The course uses lectures, audiovisual aids, and group and individual sessions to enhance self-awareness and practical application of the material in a clinical setting. (Author/MSE)

  7. Transitions of Care in Medical Education: A Compilation of Effective Teaching Methods.

    PubMed

    McBryde, Meagan; Vandiver, Jeremy W; Onysko, Mary

    2016-04-01

    Transitioning patients safely from the inpatient environment back to an outpatient environment is an important component of health care, and multidisciplinary cooperation and formal processes are necessary to accomplish this task. This Transitions of Care (TOC) process is constantly being shaped in health care systems to improve patient safety, outcomes, and satisfaction. While there are many models that have been published on methods to improve the TOC process systematically, there is no clear roadmap for educators to teach TOC concepts to providers in training. This article reviews published data to highlight specific methods shown to effectively instill these concepts and values into medical students and residents. Formal, evidence-based, TOC curriculum should be developed within medical schools and residency programs. TOC education should ideally begin early in the education process, and its importance should be reiterated throughout the curriculum longitudinally. Curriculum should have a specific focus on recognition of common causes of hospital readmissions, such as medication errors, lack of adequate follow-up visits, and social/economic barriers. Use of didactic lectures, case-based workshops, role-playing activities, home visits, interprofessional activities, and resident-led quality improvement projects have all be shown to be effective ways to teach TOC concepts.

  8. [A historical view of the specialty of clinical microbiology].

    PubMed

    Pérez, Evelio Perea; Álvarez, Rogelio Martín

    2010-10-01

    Clinical microbiology today is a well established specialty in Spain whose development has necessarily been linked to improvements in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Over time, clinical, teaching, and research structures have been organized around these diseases. In addition, a scientific society for specialists in infectious diseases (Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica) has been set up, which in turn, publishes the journal ENFERMEDADES INFECCIOSAS Y MICROBIOLOGÍA CLÍNICA, and organizes congresses, meetings, working groups and a quality control program, etc. Clinical microbiologists will continue to be needed to meet future challenges (identification of new pathogenic microorganisms, methodological changes, diagnostic quality and speed, nosocomial infections, the development of antimicrobial resistance, etc.), which constitute a well-defined area of knowledge specific to our specialty. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España S.L. All rights reserved.

  9. An Interactive Method for Teaching Anatomy of the Human Eye for Medical Students in Ophthalmology Clinical Rotations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kivell, Tracy L.; Doyle, Sara K.; Madden, Richard H.; Mitchell, Terry L.; Sims, Ershela L.

    2009-01-01

    Much research has shown the benefits of additional anatomical learning and dissection beyond the first year of medical school human gross anatomy, all the way through postgraduate medical training. We have developed an interactive method for teaching eye and orbit anatomy to medical students in their ophthalmology rotation at Duke University…

  10. [Development of MEDUC-PG14 survey to assess postgraduate teaching in medical specialties].

    PubMed

    Pizarro, Margarita; Solís, Nancy; Rojas, Viviana; Díaz, Luis Antonio; Padilla, Oslando; Letelier, Luz María; Aizman, Andrés; Sarfatis, Alberto; Olivos, Trinidad; Soza, Alejandro; Delfino, Alejandro; Latorre, Gonzalo; Ivanovic-Zuvic, Danisa; Hoyl, Trinidad; Bitran, Marcela; Arab, Juan Pablo; Riquelme, Arnoldo

    2015-08-01

    Feedback is one of the most important tools to improve teaching in medical education. To develop an instrument to assess the performance of clinical postgraduate teachers in medical specialties. A qualitative methodology consisting in interviews and focus-groups followed by a quantitative methodology to generate consensus, was employed. After generating the instrument, psychometric tests were performed to assess the construct validity (factor analysis) and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha). Experts in medical education, teachers and residents of a medical school participated in interviews and focus groups. With this information, 26 categories (79 items) were proposed and reduced to 14 items (Likert scale 1-5) by an expert’s Delphi panel, generating the MEDUC-PG14 survey, which was answered by 123 residents from different programs of medical specialties. Construct validity was carried out. Factor analysis showed three domains: Teaching and evaluation, respectful behavior towards patients and health care team, and providing feedback. The global score was 4.46 ± 0.94 (89% of the maximum). One teachers’ strength, as evaluated by their residents was “respectful behavior” with 4.85 ± 0.42 (97% of the maximum). “Providing feedback” obtained 4.09 ± 1.0 points (81.8% of the maximum). MEDUC-PG14 survey had a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.947. MEDUC-PG14 survey is a useful and reliable guide for teacher evaluation in medical specialty programs. Also provides feedback to improve educational skills of postgraduate clinical teachers.

  11. Integrating Radiology and Anatomy Teaching in Medical Education in the UK--The Evidence, Current Trends, and Future Scope.

    PubMed

    Heptonstall, N B; Ali, T; Mankad, K

    2016-04-01

    This review article presents the current evidence of the importance of integrating radiology and anatomy in medical education in the UK, a recommendation by a number of key anatomy, education, and radiology organizations. Current evidence highlights that on average only 5% of total teaching time in medical education is dedicated to radiology. Often, radiology teaching does not adequately fulfill students' learning needs and potentially leaves them underprepared for medical practice. Benefits of integrating radiology and anatomy include improved clinical application of anatomy, an increase in student's interest in anatomy, and ultimately improved radiological interpretation. Various modalities exist for the integration of radiology and anatomy, facilitated by the vast portability of radiological images. It appears that combining radiological resources with traditional anatomy teaching methodology in a blended approach is most beneficial. Copyright © 2016 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Medical microbiology: laboratory diagnosis of invasive pneumococcal disease.

    PubMed

    Werno, Anja M; Murdoch, David R

    2008-03-15

    The laboratory diagnosis of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) continues to rely on culture-based methods that have been used for many decades. The most significant recent developments have occurred with antigen detection assays, whereas the role of nucleic acid amplification tests has yet to be fully clarified. Despite developments in laboratory diagnostics, a microbiological diagnosis is still not made in most cases of IPD, particularly for pneumococcal pneumonia. The limitations of existing diagnostic tests impact the ability to obtain accurate IPD burden data and to assess the effectiveness of control measures, such as vaccination, in addition to the ability to diagnose IPD in individual patients. There is an urgent need for improved diagnostic tests for pneumococcal disease--especially tests that are suitable for use in underresourced countries.

  13. [The function of philosophy of science in the teaching of medical history].

    PubMed

    Li, Yaming

    2014-05-01

    The philosophy of science yields 3 important functions in the teaching of medical history. Firstly, by analyzing the development of medicine from the perspective of philosophy, we can integrate medical history into the history of human thought and clearly show the close connection between the development of humanity and the development of medical science. Secondly, philosophical analysis on the general rules of scientific discoveries involved in medical history can help medical students to understand the methodology in the research of sciences in history. Thirdly, philosophy of science offers new dimensions for understanding the relationship between medicine and the society. By making use of the relevant theory in scientific philosophy to explore the relationship between medicine and the society, the nature of medicine and the social nature and function of science can be further understood by medical students so as to exert an active role in the research and clinical work in the future.

  14. "To rid oneself of the uninvited guest": Robert Koch, Sergei Winogradsky and competing styles of practice in medical microbiology.

    PubMed

    Attenborough, Frederick Thomas

    2012-01-01

    Does an infectious disease have one, singular pathogenic cause, or many interacting causes? In the discipline of medical microbiology, there is no definitive theoretical answer to this question: there, the conditions of aetiological possibility exist in a curious tension. Ever since the late 19th century, the “germ theory of disease”–“one disease, one cause”– has co-existed with a much less well known theory of “multifactorality”–“one disease, many interacting causes”. And yet, in practice, it is always a singular and never a multifactorial aetiology that emerges once the pathogenic world is brought into the field of medical perception. This paper seeks to understand why. Performing a detailed, genealogical reading of the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, it foregrounds a set of links that connect the practical diagnostic tools at work within contemporary, 21st century laboratories to the philosophical assumptions at work within late-19th century understandings of the “germ theory of disease”.

  15. Tobacco Dependence Treatment Teaching by Medical School Clerkship Preceptors: Survey Responses from more than 1,000 US Medical Students

    PubMed Central

    Geller, Alan C.; Hayes, Rashelle B.; Leone, Frank; Churchill, Linda C.; Leung, Katherine; Reed, George; Jolicoeur, Denise; Okuliar, Catherine; Adams, Michael; Murray, David M.; Liu, Qin; Waugh, Jonathan; David, Sean; Ockene, Judith K.

    2013-01-01

    Objective To determine factors associated with tobacco cessation counseling in medical school clerkships Methods Third-year medical students at 10 medical schools across the United States completed a 100-item survey, measuring the frequency with which they experienced their preceptors’ providing clinical teaching components: clear instruction, feedback, modeling behavior, setting clear objectives, and responding to questions about tobacco dependence counseling as well as frequency of use of tobacco prompts and office systems. Our primary dependent measure was student self-reported skill level for items of tobacco dependence treatment (e.g. “5As”). Results Surveys were completed by 1213 students. For both family medicine and internal medicine clerkships, modeling and providing clear instruction on ways to provide tobacco counseling were reported most commonly. In contrast, providing feedback and clear objectives for tobacco dependence treatment lagged behind. Overall, students who reported preceptors’ provision of optimal clinical teaching components and office system prompts in both family medicine and internal medicine clerkships had higher self-reported skill (p<0.001) than students with no exposure or exposure during only one of the clerkships. Conclusions Future educational interventions intended to help students adopt effective tobacco dependence treatment techniques should be engineered to facilitate these critical precepting components. PMID:23623894

  16. How does an increase in undergraduate teaching load affect GP teacher motivation? A grounded theory study using data from a new medical school.

    PubMed

    Harding, Alex; Sweeney, Grace

    2013-07-01

    The opening of a new medical school is a cause for celebration. Starting with a clean slate often gives the opportunity to adopt more modern teaching practices. However, encouraging large numbers of clinicians to start teaching and to adopt these new methods brings its own set of challenges. During the expansion phase of a new medical school, it was often noted that new teachers seemed to have considerable difficulties, and often expressed these as negativity towards student placements. This did not chime with much of the work from established schools, which seemed to evaluate expansion of teaching more positively. We wanted to better understand the issues involved. Semi-structured interviews were conducted involving GPs who had received medical students over the first four years of a newly established medical school. The aims were to assess the impact of the students on the new teachers, and to try to better understand why some teachers were experiencing difficulties. We collected qualitative and quantitative data at the interviews. The qualitative data were analysed using grounded theory which aims to link emerging themes together. The findings suggest that as the quantity of teaching medical students increases, the enjoyment and commitment to teaching may decrease. Concerns over the administration of teaching may begin to predominate. Two factors may help to reduce this: 1 Adequate investment in manpower and premises to reduce time and space constraints on teaching. 2 Practices considering themselves as teaching practices where education is a part of the practice identity.

  17. Electronic tools for infectious diseases and microbiology

    PubMed Central

    Burdette, Steven D

    2007-01-01

    Electronic tools for infectious diseases and medical microbiology have the ability to change the way the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases are approached. Medical information today has the ability to be dynamic, keeping up with the latest research or clinical issues, instead of being static and years behind, as many textbooks are. The ability to rapidly disseminate information around the world opens up the possibility of communicating with people thousands of miles away to quickly and efficiently learn about emerging infections. Electronic tools have expanded beyond the desktop computer and the Internet, and now include personal digital assistants and other portable devices such as cellular phones. These pocket-sized devices have the ability to provide access to clinical information at the point of care. New electronic tools include e-mail listservs, electronic drug databases and search engines that allow focused clinical questions. The goal of the present article is to provide an overview of how electronic tools can impact infectious diseases and microbiology, while providing links and resources to allow users to maximize their efficiency in accessing this information. Links to the mentioned Web sites and programs are provided along with other useful electronic tools. PMID:18978984

  18. Teaching Medical Students About "The Conversation": An Interactive Value-Based Advance Care Planning Session.

    PubMed

    Lum, Hillary D; Dukes, Joanna; Church, Skotti; Abbott, Jean; Youngwerth, Jean M

    2018-02-01

    Advance care planning (ACP) promotes care consistent with patient wishes. Medical education should teach how to initiate value-based ACP conversations. To develop and evaluate an ACP educational session to teach medical students a value-based ACP process and to encourage students to take personal ACP action steps. Groups of third-year medical students participated in a 75-minute session using personal reflection and discussion framed by The Conversation Starter Kit. The Conversation Project is a free resource designed to help individuals and families express their wishes for end-of-life care. One hundred twenty-seven US third-year medical students participated in the session. Student evaluations immediately after the session and 1 month later via electronic survey. More than 90% of students positively evaluated the educational value of the session, including rating highly the opportunities to reflect on their own ACP and to use The Conversation Starter Kit. Many students (65%) reported prior ACP conversations. After the session, 73% reported plans to discuss ACP, 91% had thought about preferences for future medical care, and 39% had chosen a medical decision maker. Only a minority had completed an advance directive (14%) or talked with their health-care provider (1%). One month later, there was no evidence that the session increased students' actions regarding these same ACP action steps. A value-based ACP educational session using The Conversation Starter Kit successfully engaged medical students in learning about ACP conversations, both professionally and personally. This session may help students initiate conversations for themselves and their patients.

  19. Key factors in work engagement and job motivation of teaching faculty at a university medical centre.

    PubMed

    van den Berg, B A M; Bakker, Arnold B; Ten Cate, Th J

    2013-11-01

    This study reports about teacher motivation and work engagement in a Dutch University Medical Centre (UMC). We examined factors affecting the motivation for teaching in a UMC, the engagement of UMC Utrecht teaching faculty in their work, and their engagement in teaching compared with engagement in patient care and research. Based on a pilot study within various departments at the UMCU, a survey on teaching motivation and work engagement was developed and sent to over 600 UMCU teachers. About 50 % responded. Work engagement was measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, included in this survey. From a list of 22 pre-defined items, 5 were marked as most motivating: teaching about my own speciality, noticeable appreciation for teaching by my direct superior, teaching small groups, feedback on my teaching performance, and freedom to determine what I teach. Feedback on my teaching performance showed the strongest predictive value for teaching engagement. Engagement scores were relatively favourable, but engagement with patient care was higher than with research and teaching. Task combinations appear to decrease teaching engagement. Our results match with self-determination theory and the job demands-resources model, and challenge the policy to combine teaching with research and patient care.

  20. Implementation of the interdisciplinary curriculum Teaching and Assessing Communicative Competence in the fourth academic year of medical studies (CoMeD).

    PubMed

    Mortsiefer, Achim; Rotthoff, Thomas; Schmelzer, Regine; Immecke, J; Ortmanns, B; in der Schmitten, J; Altiner, A; Karger, André

    2012-01-01

    Implementation of a longitudinal curriculum for training in advanced communications skills represents an unmet need in most German medical faculties, especially in the 4rth and 5th years of medical studies. The CoMeD project (communication in medical education Düsseldorf) attempted to establish an interdisciplinary program to teach and to assess communicative competence in the 4th academic year. In this paper, we describe the development of the project and report results of its evaluation by medical students. Teaching objectives and lesson formats were developed in a multistage process. A teaching program for simulated patients (SP) was built up and continuous lecturer trainings were estabilshed. Several clinical disciplines co-operated for the purpose of integrating the communication training into the pre-existing clinical teaching curriculum. The CoMeD project was evaluated using feedback-forms after each course. Until now, six training units for especially challenging communication tasks like "dealing with aggression" or "breaking bad news" were implemented, each unit connected with a preliminary tutorial or e-learning course. An OSCE (objective structured clinical examination) with 4 stations was introduced. The students' evaluation of the six CoMeD training units showed the top or second-best rating in more than 80% of the answers. Introducing an interdisciplinary communication training and a corresponding OSCE into the 4th year medical curriculum is feasible. Embedding communication teaching in a clinical context and involvement of clinicians as lecturers seem to be important factors for ensuring practical relevance and achieving high acceptance by medical students.

  1. Federating clinical data from six pediatric hospitals: process and initial results for microbiology from the PHIS+ consortium.

    PubMed

    Gouripeddi, Ramkiran; Warner, Phillip B; Mo, Peter; Levin, James E; Srivastava, Rajendu; Shah, Samir S; de Regt, David; Kirkendall, Eric; Bickel, Jonathan; Korgenski, E Kent; Precourt, Michelle; Stepanek, Richard L; Mitchell, Joyce A; Narus, Scott P; Keren, Ron

    2012-01-01

    Microbiology study results are necessary for conducting many comparative effectiveness research studies. Unlike core laboratory test results, microbiology results have a complex structure. Federating and integrating microbiology data from six disparate electronic medical record systems is challenging and requires a team of varied skills. The PHIS+ consortium which is partnership between members of the Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) network, the Children's Hospital Association and the University of Utah, have used "FURTHeR' for federating laboratory data. We present our process and initial results for federating microbiology data from six pediatric hospitals.

  2. [The rearrangement of the medical faculty and the teaching of the medicine in the era of the reforms. The plan of the medical studies in the "restored" university of Cagliari and Sassari (1764-1766)].

    PubMed

    Tognotti, Eugenia

    2004-01-01

    In the same decade during which Vienna government was proceeding to the rearrangement of the Medical Faculty of the University of Pavia, Savoy government started the reform of Cagliari and Sassari Universities. The programme of medical studies to be introduced in the "restored" Universities aroused an important debate which involved the government of Turin, the local authorities and the Magistrature. The main points concerned the teachings to be started, the programmes and the texts to be adopted, the methods and contents of teaching. The range of ideas aiming to conform island medical Faculties to the progress of science, gave life to the critique of a teaching model, still ruled by the Galenic authority and by metaphysical etiological explanations, which ignored the physiological and pathological reality revealed by the anatomical study methodically on performed corpses. The new programme of studies admitted the teaching of surgery, which had completely disappeared in the university ruled by Jesuites, and increased the value of anatomy teaching, that will be chosen as a subject for the speech made during the solemn opening of the medical Faculty of Sassari in 1765. The need for an empirical testing which had to follow theorical studies in wards, where teachers had to give lessons at patients' bedside, was considered of such importance that it was codified in the Regulations of the reformed University. It was the very first step towards the welding between medical-surgical studies and nosocomial practice which was about to revolutionize the teaching framework of medical studies.

  3. Attitude and confidence of undergraduate medical programme educators to practice and teach evidence-based healthcare: a cross-sectional survey.

    PubMed

    Young, Taryn; Esterhuizen, Tonya M; Volmink, Jimmy; Clarke, Mike

    2016-06-01

    Medical student educators play critical roles in evidence-based healthcare (EBHC) teaching and learning and as role models practicing EBHC. This study assessed their confidence to practice and teach EBHC, their attitude to EBHC and barriers to practicing and teaching EBHC. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of educators of undergraduate medical students at a South African academic institution. STATA 12 was used for quantitative data analysis. Responses to open-ended questions were coded, and further interpretation done using thematic content analysis. Forty two (19%) educators from various departments responded to the invitation sent to everyone formally involved in teaching undergraduate medical students. They had high levels of knowledge and understanding of EBHC. Many had received training in teaching and learning approaches, although EBHC training received was mainly on enabling competencies. Limitations to practicing EBHC included lack of time, clinical workload, limited access to Internet and resources, knowledge and skills. One quarter of the respondents indicated that they teach EBHC. Perceived barriers to teaching EBHC reported related to students (e.g. lack of interest), context (e.g. access to databases) and educators (e.g. competing priorities). Respondents' suggestions for support included reliable Internet access, easy point-of-care access to databases and resources, increasing awareness of EBHC, building capacity to practice and facilitate learning of EBHC and a supportive community of practice. Educators play a critical role in facilitating EBHC learning not just in the classroom, but also in practice. Without adequate support, training and development, they are ill equipped to be the role models future healthcare professionals need.

  4. Clinical microbiology informatics.

    PubMed

    Rhoads, Daniel D; Sintchenko, Vitali; Rauch, Carol A; Pantanowitz, Liron

    2014-10-01

    The clinical microbiology laboratory has responsibilities ranging from characterizing the causative agent in a patient's infection to helping detect global disease outbreaks. All of these processes are increasingly becoming partnered more intimately with informatics. Effective application of informatics tools can increase the accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of microbiology testing while decreasing the laboratory workload, which can lead to optimized laboratory workflow and decreased costs. Informatics is poised to be increasingly relevant in clinical microbiology, with the advent of total laboratory automation, complex instrument interfaces, electronic health records, clinical decision support tools, and the clinical implementation of microbial genome sequencing. This review discusses the diverse informatics aspects that are relevant to the clinical microbiology laboratory, including the following: the microbiology laboratory information system, decision support tools, expert systems, instrument interfaces, total laboratory automation, telemicrobiology, automated image analysis, nucleic acid sequence databases, electronic reporting of infectious agents to public health agencies, and disease outbreak surveillance. The breadth and utility of informatics tools used in clinical microbiology have made them indispensable to contemporary clinical and laboratory practice. Continued advances in technology and development of these informatics tools will further improve patient and public health care in the future. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  5. A Simple Method for Encouraging Active Participation in Small-Group Discussion Sessions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Adrian

    1977-01-01

    A format for a small-group teaching session is described that could be modified for any subject in a medical curriculum. The technique discussed uses subgroups and a simple recording chart that have been successful in teaching microbiology to medical students. (LBH)

  6. [Evolution of clinical teaching at the medical college of Lisboa (I)].

    PubMed

    da Costa, J C

    1990-01-01

    Clinical teaching at Lisbon's Faculty of Medicine is analyzed in its two phases: 1. A period of stability and continuity of the institution (from 1911 to 1947) characterized by good rules in the selection of teachers: an impressive group of personalities (F. Gentil, Pulido Valente, Reynaldo dos Santos, Egas Moniz, A. Flores, Sobral Cid, Lopo de Carvalho, Gama Pinto, etc). At the some period a true University Hospital (of Santa Marta) provided clinical investigation (cerebral angiography and leucotomy, aortography and arteriography of the limbs, angiopneumography, endarterectomy) and the creation of new specialties (neurosurgery, vascular surgery, pneumology). 2. A period of instability due to a deleterious political intervention (from 1947 to the present day) responsible for the destruction of the structure and concept of a new teaching hospital (Hospital de Santa Maria). As a result of the socio-political situation conflicting law and vicious rules lead to an excess of non-selected teachers and an alarming increase of students, patients and medical doctors. A change from the present situation and a new concept of clinical teaching must be imagined.

  7. Medical biochemistry: Is it time to change the teaching style?

    PubMed

    Palocaren, Jeeji; Pillai, Lekha S; Celine, T M

    2016-01-01

    The Medical Council of India (MCI) recommendations on medical education suggest a shift from didactic lectures to more interactive lectures. This study assessed the effectiveness of different pedagogical methods in biochemistry and the perceptions of students and teachers about the shift from didactic to interactive lectures. An interventional crossover study was done with the topic divided into three biochemical modules and one clinical module. The students were divided into two batches, one of which was given didactic and the other, interactive lectures. They were assessed immediately after the lecture and four months later. Anonymous feedback was obtained to gauge the students' perceptions regarding the mode of teaching. The teachers' feedback on the use of both pedagogical styles was also obtained. There was no significant difference between the performance of the two groups in either examination in three of the modules. However, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups' performance in the module that had clinical applications, with students from the interactive lecture group performing better. All students preferred interactive classes, irrespective of the topic taught. The teachers indicated that, although at the outset the interactive lectures were difficult to manage, both in terms of content and time, these drawbacks could be overcome with time and practice. Interactive lectures are an effective teaching method in biochemistry, especially in topics involving clinical application.

  8. Medical records for animals used in research, teaching, and testing: public statement from the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.

    PubMed

    Field, Karl; Bailey, Michele; Foresman, Larry L; Harris, Robert L; Motzel, Sherri L; Rockar, Richard A; Ruble, Gaye; Suckow, Mark A

    2007-01-01

    Medical records are considered to be a key element of a program of adequate veterinary care for animals used in research, teaching, and testing. However, prior to the release of the public statement on medical records by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM), the guidance that was available on the form and content of medical records used for the research setting was not consistent and, in some cases, was considered to be too rigid. To address this concern, ACLAM convened an ad hoc Medical Records Committee and charged the Committee with the task of developing a medical record guideline that was based on both professional judgment and performance standards. The Committee provided ACLAM with a guidance document titled Public Statements: Medical Records for Animals Used in Research, Teaching, and Testing, which was approved by ACLAM in late 2004. The ACLAM public statement on medical records provides guidance on the definition and content of medical records, and clearly identifies the Attending Veterinarian as the individual who is charged with authority and responsibility for oversight of the institution's medical records program. The document offers latitude to institutions in the precise form and process used for medical records but identifies typical information to be included in such records. As a result, the ACLAM public statement on medical records provides practical yet flexible guidelines to assure that documentation of animal health is performed in research, teaching, and testing situations.

  9. Drug Abuse and Alcoholism Teaching in U.S. Medical and Osteopathic Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pokorny, Alex; And Others

    1978-01-01

    Findings from a national survey show that required teaching activities during all four years of medical school averaged 25.7 hours, with a range from 0 to 126. Schools differed widely in the number and type of electives offered in drug abuse and alcoholism, as well as in the number of clinical assignments available. (Author/LBH)

  10. A comparison of medical students' perceptions of their initial basic clinical training placements in 'new' and established teaching hospitals.

    PubMed

    Mathers, Jonathan; Parry, Jayne; Scully, Edward; Popovic, Celia

    2006-05-01

    This study has examined students' perceptions of the factors influencing learning during initial hospital placements and whether differences in perceived experiences were evident between students attending new and established teaching hospitals. Five focus groups were conducted with Year III students at the University of Birmingham Medical School (UBMS): three with students attending three established teaching hospitals and two with students attached to a new teaching hospital (designated as part of the UBMS expansion programme). Extensive variation in student perception of hospital experiences was evident at the level of teaching hospital, teaching firm and individual teacher. Emergent themes were split into two main categories: 'students' perceptions of teaching and the teaching environment' and 'the new hospital learner'. Themes emerging that related to variation in student experience included the amount of structured teaching, enthusiasm of teachers, grade of teachers, specialty of designated firms and the number of students. The new teaching hospital was generally looked upon favourably by students in comparison to established teaching hospitals. Many of the factors influencing student experience relate to themes grouped under the 'new hospital learner', describing the period of adjustment experienced by students during their first encounter with this new learning environment. Interventions to improve student experience might be aimed at organisations and individuals delivering teaching. However, factors contributing to the student experience, such as the competing demand to teaching of heavy clinical workloads, are outside the scope of medical school intervention. In the absence of fundamental change, mechanisms to equip students with 'survival skills' as self-directed hospital learners should also be considered.

  11. Microbiological assessment of indoor air of a teaching hospital in Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Awosika, S A; Olajubu, F A; Amusa, N A

    2012-06-01

    To investigate the quality of indoor air of different wards and units of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, to ascertain their contribution to infection rate in the hospital. The microbial quality of indoor air of nine wards/units of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria was conducted. Sedimentation technique using open Petri-dishes containing different culture media was employed and samplings were done twice daily, one in the morning shortly after cleaning and before influx of people/patients into the wards/units and the other in the evening when a lot of activities would have taken place in these wards. Isolates were identified according to standard methods. Results showed that there was a statistically significant difference (χ(2) = 6.016 7) in the bacteria population of the different sampling time whereas it was not so for fungi population (χ(2) = 0.285 7). Male medical ward (MMW) and male surgical general (MSG) recorded the highest bacterial and fungal growth while the operating theatre (OT) was almost free of microbial burden. The bacteria isolates were Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella sp., Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus pyogenes and Serratia marscences while the fungi isolates included Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium sp., Fusarium sp., Candida albicans and Alternaria sp. Staphylococcus aureus was the predominantly isolated bacterium while Penicillium sp. was the most isolated fungus. Though most of the microbial isolates were potential and or opportunistic pathogens, there was no correlation between the isolates in this study and the surveillance report of nosocomial infection during the period of study, hence the contribution of the indoor air cannot be established. From the reduction noticed in the morning samples, stringent measures such as proper disinfection and regular cleaning, restriction of patient relatives' movement in and out of the wards/units need to be enforced so as to

  12. Careers in Microbiology...Horizons Unlimited

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldschmidt Millicent C.; Whitt, Dixie

    1978-01-01

    A broad range of present microbiological work is discussed in order to indicate the many possible careers now open in microbiology. Some areas are immunology, environmental microbiology, agricultural, industrial, and food microbiology, and space microbiology. An employment outlook is also given. (MDR)

  13. Molecular diagnostics in medical microbiology: yesterday, today and tomorrow.

    PubMed

    van Belkum, Alex

    2003-10-01

    Clinical microbiology is clearly on the move, and various new diagnostic technologies have been introduced into laboratory practice over the past few decades. However, Henri D Isenberg recently stated that molecular biology techniques promised to revolutionise the diagnosis of infectious disease, but that, to date, this promise is still in its infancy. Molecular diagnostics have now surpassed these early stages and have definitely reached puberty. Currently, a second generation of automated molecular approaches is already within the microbiologists' reach. Quantitative amplification tests in combination with genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and related methodologies will pave the way to further enhancement of innovative microbial detection and identification.

  14. Ophthalmology Teaching in Medical Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kalina, Robert E.; And Others

    1981-01-01

    The results of two Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) surveys of ophthalmology teaching are reported. The results indicate that currently assigned time for teaching ophthalmology is limited and gradually declining. A main concern is that students learn proper diagnosis to avoid inappropriate referral. (Author/MLW)

  15. Improving Gram stain proficiency in hospital and satellite laboratories that do not have microbiology.

    PubMed

    Guarner, Jeannette; Street, Cassandra; Matlock, Margaret; Cole, Lisa; Brierre, Francoise

    2017-03-01

    Consolidation of laboratories has left many hospitals and satellite laboratories with minimal microbiologic testing. In many hospitals and satellite laboratories, Gram stains on primary specimens are still performed despite difficultly in maintaining proficiency. To maintain Gram stain proficiency at a community 450-bed hospital with an active emergency room we designed bimonthly challenges that require reporting Gram staining and morphology of different organisms. The challenges consist of five specimens prepared by the reference microbiology laboratory from cultures and primary specimens. Twenty to 23 medical laboratory scientists participate reading the challenges. Results from the challenges are discussed with each medical laboratory scientists. In addition, printed images from the challenges are presented at huddle to add microbiology knowledge. On the first three challenges, Gram staining was read correctly in 71%-77% of the time while morphology 53%-66%. In the last six challenges correct answers for Gram stain were 77%-99% while morphology 73%-96%. We observed statistically significant improvement when reading Gram stains by providing frequent challenges to medical laboratory scientists. The clinical importance of Gram stain results is emphasized during huddle presentations increasing knowledge and motivation to perform the test for patients.

  16. Guidelines to implement quality management systems in microbiology laboratories for tissue banking.

    PubMed

    Vicentino, W; Rodríguez, G; Saldías, M; Alvarez, I

    2009-10-01

    Human tissues for implants are a biomedical product that is being used more frequently by many medical disciplines. There are infections in the patients related to the implanted tissues. The early detection of infections transmitted by blood and the microbiological study of tissues before their clinical use are strategies in tissue banks to prevent these situations. This work sought to contribute to establish the bases for the operation of a laboratory applied to the microbiological quality control of tissues. Based on classical microbiological principles, we defined the operation of microbiological control and tissues sterilization since 2003. We determine lists of acceptable microorganisms for every tissue, criteria for the interpretation of results, and a diagnostic algorithm of microbiological quality. We observed that the circumstances of donor death can be a determinant of the quality. The environment and the operator should be investigated as probable sources of contamination in outbreaks. The criteria of work based on a solid methodology must help to avoid the transmission of infections between donor and recipient. This is a critical point in the quality management of a tissue bank.

  17. Evaluation of Chest Ultrasound Integrated Teaching of Respiratory System Physiology to Medical Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paganini, Matteo; Bondì, Michela; Rubini, Alessandro

    2017-01-01

    Ultrasound imaging is a widely used diagnostic technique, whose integration in medical education is constantly growing. The aim of this study was to evaluate chest ultrasound usefulness in teaching respiratory system physiology, students' perception of chest ultrasound integration into a traditional lecture in human physiology, and short-term…

  18. Perceptions of junior doctors and undergraduate medical students as anatomy teachers: Investigating distance along the near-peer teaching spectrum.

    PubMed

    Hall, Samuel; Stephens, Jonathan; Andrade, Teu; Davids, Joseph; Powell, Matthew; Border, Scott

    2014-01-01

    Near-peer teaching involves more experienced students acting as tutors and has been widely used in anatomy education. This approach has many advantages for the learner due to the social and cognitive congruence they share with the teacher, however, the influence of distance between the teacher and learner on these congruences has yet to be explored. The aim of this study was to compare the attitudes and perceptions of the student learner towards neuroanatomy review sessions taught by either a senior medical student or a junior doctor. The students were randomly assigned to an allocated tutor. All tutors used standardized material and had access to identical resources. The type of allocated tutor was swapped between the two teaching sessions and 99 student feedback forms were collected in total. The rating for the overall quality of the teaching session was not significantly different between the junior doctors and senior medical students (P = 0.11). However, criteria closely relating to social and cognitive congruence such as "enjoyment of the session," "delivery of the teaching," and "was it a good use of time" were all rated significantly higher for the senior medical students (P < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that small increases in distance along the near-peer teaching spectrum have an impact upon the student's perception of their learning experience. While all teachers were suitable role models it appears that junior doctors are too far removed from their own undergraduate experiences to share congruences with pre-clinical medical students. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

  19. A framework of teaching competencies across the medical education continuum.

    PubMed

    Molenaar, W M; Zanting, A; van Beukelen, P; de Grave, W; Baane, J A; Bustraan, J A; Engbers, R; Fick, Th E; Jacobs, J C G; Vervoorn, J M

    2009-05-01

    The quality of teachers in higher education is subject of increasing attention, as exemplified by the development and implementation of guidelines for teacher qualifications at Universities in The Netherlands. Because medical education takes a special position in higher education the Council of Deans of Medical Schools in The Netherlands installed a national task force to explore a method to weigh criteria for teacher qualifications of medical teachers. A framework was developed covering competencies of teachers throughout the medical education continuum and including medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine. The framework distinguishes 3 dimensions: (a) six domains of teaching (development - organization - execution - coaching - assessment - evaluation); (b) three levels in the organization at which teachers perform (micro, meso and macro level) and (c) competencies as integration of knowledge, skills and attitude and described as behaviour in specific context. The current framework is the result of several cycles of descriptions, feedback from the field and adaptations. It is meant as a guideline, leaving room for local detailing. The framework provides a common language that may be used not only by teachers and teacher trainers, but also by quality assurance committees, human resource managers and institutional boards.

  20. Validating dental and medical students' evaluations of faculty teaching in an integrated, multi-instructor course.

    PubMed

    Stratton, Terry D; Witzke, Donald B; Freund, Mary Jane; Wilson, Martha T; Jacob, Robert J

    2005-06-01

    As more students from various health professions are combined into integrated courses, evaluating the teaching quality of individual faculty in these typically large, multi-instructor contexts becomes increasingly difficult. Indeed, students who lack sufficient recall of a given faculty member or are not committed to the evaluation process may respond by marking identical responses to all evaluation items (e.g., 3-3-3-3-3), regardless of the specific content of the items on the faculty evaluation questionnaire. These "straight-lining" behaviors-more formally referred to as monotonic response patterns (MRPs)-often reflect students' inattention to the task at hand or lack of motivation to be discriminating, which may result in invalid data. This study examines the prevalence of MRP ratings in relation to indicators reflective of students' lack of attention to evaluating the quality of faculty teaching. Dental and medical students in a required, second-year (medicine) basic science course conducted by the medical school and taught primarily by medical school faculty completed seven-item faculty evaluation forms, along with an anonymous questionnaire measuring their need to evaluate, attitudes toward faculty evaluation, and recall of instructors. MRP ratings failed to correlate significantly with students' need to evaluate or their attitudes toward faculty evaluation. However, among medical students, MRP "straight-line" responses were more prevalent for raters who recalled faculty members "very well" (p=.04). For dental students, MRPs were associated with less accurate recall (p=.01). As such, the validity of faculty evaluations within integrated, multi-instructor courses may vary when students rate distinct aspects of a teacher's performance identically. In this case-in which medical students' greater recall of instructors coincides with MRPs-ratings may suffice as global, holistic assessments of an instructor's teaching. For dental students, similar ratings may be