The missions of medical schools: the pursuit of health in the service of society.
(57/1174)
Mission statements and role documents of medical schools in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia have been examined on their Internet Web sites and categorised in purpose, content and presentation. The format and content are highly variable, but there is a common vision of three integral roles, namely, education, advancement of knowledge and service to society. Other frequent themes include tradition and historical perspective, service for designated communities, and benchmarking to accreditation standards. Differences in content reflect variable interpretation of the notion of "mission", and local or national characteristics such as institutional affiliations, the types, levels and organisation of medical education, relationships with health systems, and extent of multi-professional education. Outcomes data and measures of medical school performance referenced to the institution's stated missions are rarely encountered. Mission documents placed on the Internet are in the public domain. These Web sites and documents and linked information constitute a valuable new resource for international exchange of approaches and ideas in medical education and generally in academic medicine. Routine inclusion of outcome or performance data could help to demonstrate the community roles and social accountability of medical schools This paper proposes that partial standardisation of these Web documents could enhance their value both internally and for external readers. A generic descriptive statement template is offered. (+info)
Introducing evidence based medicine to the journal club, using a structured pre and post test: a cohort study.
(58/1174)
BACKGROUND: Journal Club at a University-based residency program was restructured to introduce, reinforce and evaluate residents understanding of the concepts of Evidence Based Medicine. METHODS: Over the course of a year structured pre and post-tests were developed for use during each Journal Club. Questions were derived from the articles being reviewed. Performance with the key concepts of Evidence Based Medicine was assessed. Study subjects were 35 PGY2 and PGY3 residents in a University based Family Practice Program. RESULTS: Performance on the pre-test demonstrated a significant improvement from a median of 54.5 % to 78.9 % over the course of the year (F 89.17, p <.001). The post-test results also exhibited a significant increase from 63.6 % to 81.6% (F 85.84, p <.001). CONCLUSIONS: Following organizational revision, the introduction of a pre-test/post-test instrument supported achievement of the learning objectives with a better understanding and utilization of the concepts of Evidence Based Medicine. (+info)
Is it possible to assess the "ethics" of medical school applicants?
(59/1174)
Questions surrounding the assessment of medical school applicants' morality are difficult but they are nevertheless important for medical schools to consider. It is probably inappropriate to attempt to assess medical school applicants' ethical knowledge, moral reasoning, or beliefs about ethical issues as these all may be developed during the process of education. Attitudes towards ethical issues and ethical sensitivity, however, might be tested in the context of testing for personality attributes. Before any "ethics" testing is introduced as part of screening for admission to medical school it would require validation. We suggest a number of ways in which this might be achieved. (+info)
Educating the next generation of physicians about stroke: incorporating stroke prevention into the medical school curriculum.
(60/1174)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In response to the need to educate physicians about stroke, we have implemented an educational program on stroke prevention for undergraduate medical students within the first-year neuroscience course. This study investigated whether first-year students learned and retained key information about stroke, and used students' feedback both to identify effective curricular components and to explore their attitudes regarding stroke prevention. METHODS: Stroke knowledge and self-assessed confidence in that knowledge before, immediately after, and 8 months after participation in the stroke curriculum were analyzed and compared for 3 classes, using paired t tests and repeated-measures ANOVA. Student feedback about the effectiveness of specific parts of the curriculum and about the importance of stroke prevention was solicited and evaluated. RESULTS: First-year medical students in 3 classes more than doubled their overall stroke knowledge scores (pretest total mean of 8.2; posttest mean 18.0), and retained significant improvement 8 months later (mean 15.7). Subscores in all 4 areas of stroke knowledge tested significantly increased (P<0.001). Students' confidence in their knowledge of stroke risk factors and warning signs, as well as in their knowledge itself, increased (P<0.001). Each of the 3 cohorts demonstrated similar improvements. Feedback indicated heightened awareness and interest in stroke prevention, which was maintained after completion of the curriculum. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that when instruction on stroke prevention is incorporated into the first-year curriculum, students learn and retain key information. Because entire classes of medical students are involved, this type of approach has the potential to reach all future physicians and therefore to meaningfully impact future stroke care. (+info)
Laboratory instruction in histology at the University at Buffalo: recent replacement of microscope exercises with computer applications.
(61/1174)
Histology is a morphologic science in which the structure of the cells, tissues, and organs of the body are examined with a microscope. In the laboratory courses in histology at the School of Medicine of the University at Buffalo, histologic specimens had been used since the late 19th century to teach the principles of cell, tissue, and organ structure. Students also had to learn how to analyze or "read" slides with a microscope. Learning histology in this way, i.e., by direct examination of actual specimens, is time consuming and viewed by some as unnecessary. As a result of recent curricular reform at the School of Medicine that reduced contact time in histology, half of all laboratory exercises that would have been performed with a microscope were performed instead with interactive computer applications. By replacing some microscope exercises with more efficient computer applications, the histology course accommodated curricular change by both reducing contact time and continuing to offer valuable microscope laboratories for most of the organ systems of the body. To provide a basis for comparing traditional microscope exercises with computer-assisted instruction in histology, the nature of the laboratory experience between 1846 and 1998 is briefly reviewed. The instructional strategy behind the use of computers is presented, along with the nature of the computer applications and the means by which the computer applications were incorporated into the school's laboratory course in histology. (+info)
Can an Internet-based system assist with administration and distance learning for third- and fourth-year rural clinical rotations?
(62/1174)
This article describes the experience of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine during the past 5 years in using Internet technology to communicate with osteopathic medical students on remote, community-based clinical rotations. Federal funding initially supported creation of a new Internet-based system to connect students on their rural family medicine rotations. Accomplishments during and after federal funding include development of systems for remote submission and student access to feedback about clinical sites; on-line access to rotation objectives, policies, housing information, maps, and affiliated internship opportunities; access to medical journals and texts; secured access to rotation grades and rotation schedules; on-line reading lists for family medicine and pediatrics rotations; and Internet-based test administration. Remaining challenges include identification or development of interactive learning materials; development of test banks; flawless administration of Web-based examinations; and finding the right balance between patient care-based learning and didactics. (+info)
Choosing primary care? Influences of medical school curricula on career pathways.
(63/1174)
In countries in which a primary care-oriented system has developed, general practitioners, family physicians, and other primary care doctors are the keystone of an approach that aims to achieve high quality and satisfaction with relatively low costs. Despite this new trend, medical schools still produce excessive numbers of sub-specialists rather than primary care physicians. Among multiple reasons influencing a career choice either towards or away from primary care (institutional, legislative, and market pressures), the present article discusses ways in which medical school curricula may affect students in their perceptions of the role of primary care physicians. Since students are greatly influenced by the cultures of the institutions in which they train, the negative attitude of a university towards family medicine may negatively affect the number of students going into this specialty. Examples from Israeli faculties are presented. (+info)
Trends in medical specialty choice among Israeli medical graduates, 1980-1995.
(64/1174)
BACKGROUND: Which medical specialties do Israeli medical graduates choose? Answers to this question can serve as an essential means of evaluating both Israeli medical education and the healthcare system. OBJECTIVES: To determine the distribution of medical specialty choice, its change over time and the possible influence of the medical school on the choice; to study the graduates' gender, gender variability in specialty choice and time trends in both; and to assess the choice of family medicine as a career among the graduates as a group, by medical school, gender, and time trends. METHODS: The study population comprised all graduates of the four medical schools in Israel during 16 years: 1980-1995 inclusive. Data were obtained from the four medical schools, the Israel Medical Association's Scientific Council, and the Ministry of Health. Data allowed for correct identification of two-thirds of the graduates. RESULTS: A total of 4,578 physicians graduated during this period. There was a significant growth trend in the proportion of women graduates from 22.6% in 1980 (lowest: 20.0% in 1981) to 35.3 in 1995 (highest: 41.5% in 1991). Overall, 3,063 physicians (66.8%) started residency and 1,714 (37.4%) became specialists. The four most popular residencies were internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and family medicine. Ten percent of Israeli graduates choose family medicine. CONCLUSIONS: The overall class size in Israel was stable at a time of considerable population change. Women's place in Israeli medicine is undergoing significant change. Family medicine is one of the four most popular residencies. A monitoring system for MSC in Israel is imperative. (+info)