Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Medical Degree (medical + degree)
Selected Abstracts,You're judged all the time!' Students' views on professionalism: a multicentre studyMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 8 2010Gabrielle Finn Medical Education 2010: 44: 814,825 Objectives, This study describes how medical students perceive professionalism and the context in which it is relevant to them. An understanding of how Phase 1 students perceive professionalism will help us to teach this subject more effectively. Phase 1 medical students are those in the first 2 years of a 5-year medical degree. Methods, Seventy-two undergraduate students from two UK medical schools participated in 13 semi-structured focus groups. Focus groups, carried out until thematic saturation occurred, were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed and coded using NVivo 8, using a grounded theory approach with constant comparison. Results, From the analysis, seven themes regarding professionalism emerged: the context of professionalism; role-modelling; scrutiny of behaviour; professional identity; ,switching on' professionalism; leniency (for students with regard to professional standards), and sacrifice (of freedom as an individual). Students regarded professionalism as being relevant in three contexts: the clinical, the university and the virtual. Students called for leniency during their undergraduate course, opposing the guidance from Good Medical Practice. Unique findings were the impact of clothing and the online social networking site Facebook on professional behaviour and identity. Changing clothing was described as a mechanism by which students ,switch on' their professional identity. Students perceived society to be struggling with the distinction between doctors as individuals and professionals. This extended to the students' online identities on Facebook. Institutions' expectations of high standards of professionalism were associated with a feeling of sacrifice by students caused by the perception of constantly ,being watched'; this perception was coupled with resentment of this intrusion. Students described the significant impact that role-modelling had on their professional attitudes. Conclusions, This research offers valuable insight into how Phase 1 medical students construct their personal and professional identities in both the offline and online environments. Acknowledging these learning mechanisms will enhance the development of a genuinely student-focused professionalism curriculum. [source] Supporting the problem-based learning process in the clinical years: evaluation of an online Clinical Reasoning GuideMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 6 2004Greg Ryan Purpose, Implementing problem-based learning (PBL) in the clinical years of a medical degree presents particular challenges. This study investigated the effectiveness of using an online Clinical Reasoning Guide to assist integration of PBL in the clinical setting and promote further development of students' clinical reasoning abilities. Method, A total of 52 students in 6 PBL groups, together with their 6 clinical tutors, participated in the study. Data were analysed from videotaped observations of tutorial activity and follow-up, semistructured interviews. Results, From both the student facilitators' and the clinical tutors' perspectives, the Guide proved an effective tool for augmenting the PBL process in clinical settings and promoting the development of clinical reasoning. By combining computer-aided learning with collaborative PBL tutorials it promoted individual as well as collaborative reasoning. There is also evidence to suggest that the Guide prompted students to look more critically at their own, their colleagues' and other clinicians' reasoning processes. [source] The influence of admissions variables on first year medical school performance: a study from Newcastle University, AustraliaMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2002Frances Kay-Lambkin Aims This study examined the relationship between the performance of first year medical students at the University of Newcastle, Australia, and admission variables: previous educational experience, and entry classification (standard , academic or composite, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, or overseas), age and gender. Methods Admission and demographic information was obtained for students who entered first year medicine at Newcastle between the years 1994 and 1997 inclusive. Academic performance was measured according to results of first assessment (`satisfactory' vs. `not satisfactory') and the final assessment of the first year (`satisfactory' vs. `not satisfactory'). Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between predictor variables and outcomes. Results Assessment and admissions information was obtained for 278 students, 98% of all students who entered the medical course between 1994 and 1997. Regression analysis of first assessment indicated that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and overseas students were significantly more likely to be `not satisfactory' than all other students (RR=3·1,95% CI: 1·4. , 6 7 and RR=1·5, 95% CI: 1·2,1·8, respectively). Analysis of final assessment indicated these two student groups were also significantly more likely to be `not satisfactory' than all other students (RR=4·5, 95% CI: 1·4,13·5 and RR=3·5, 95% CI: 1·2,10·8, respectively). At first assessment, students entering via the standard academic pathway and older students were less likely to be `not satisfactory' (RR=0·6, 95% CI: 0·5,0·7 and RR=0·8, 95% CI: 0·7,0·9, respectively). However both these differences were not evident at final assessment. There were no significant relationships between performance in first year and the remaining variables. Conclusions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and overseas medical students had academic difficulties in the first year of the course, suggesting the need for extra course support. The result may reflect the educational and other obstacles these students must overcome in order to enter and progress through their medical degree. More research is warranted to explore the extent to which these differences persist throughout the medical degree. [source] WORK OF FEMALE RURAL DOCTORSAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2004Jo Wainer Objectives: To identify the impact of family life on the ways women practice rural medicine and the changes needed to attract women to rural practice. Design: Census of women rural doctors in Victoria in 2000, using a self-completed postal survey. Setting: General and specialist practice. Subjects: Two hundred and seventy-one female general practitioners and 31 female specialists practising in Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Area Classifications 3,7. General practitioners are those doctors with a primary medical degree and without additional specialist qualifications. Main outcome measure: Interaction of hours and type of work with family responsibilities. Results: Generalist and specialist women rural doctors carry the main responsibility for family care. This is reflected in the number of hours they work in clinical and non-clinical professional practice, availability for oncall and hospital work, and preference for the responsibilities of practice partnership or the flexibility of salaried positions. Most of the doctors had established a satisfactory balance between work and family responsibilities, although a substantial number were overworked in order to provide an income for their families or meet the needs of their communities. Thirty-six percent of female rural general practitioners and 56% of female rural specialists preferred to work fewer hours. Female general practitioners with responsibility for children were more than twice as likely as female general practitioners without children to be in a salaried position and less likely to be a practice partner. The changes needed to attract and retain women in rural practice include a place for everyone in the doctor's family, flexible practice structures, mentoring by women doctors and financial and personal recognition. [source] | ||||||||||