Current Postgraduate Training Research Articles

Postgraduate training opportunities for chiropractors: A description of United States programs.

The objective of this study was to describe and compare the current postgraduate training opportunities (PTOs) in the United States (US) for which doctors of chiropractic are eligible, namely, residencies, fellowships, and board certifications. An internet search of publicly available English-language websites on Google.com was executed using a cache-cleared private browser and key search phrases. Following webpage data extraction, e-mail and telephone follow-up were completed with officials from institutions offering doctor of chiropractic programs possessing accreditation by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) in the US. Additional programs identified were annotated and incorporated into the data set if they met the inclusion criteria. Descriptive statistics were generated following data aggregation. Three-hundred internet search results were screened, 70 of which were assessed for eligibility and 47 included for descriptive analysis. Among the 16 CCE-accredited institutions solicited, 13 returned correspondence (81.3% response rate), resulting in the addition of 2 programs to the data set ascertained by the initial web search. There were 49 PTOs for chiropractors. Of programs available, residencies represented 49.0% (24/49) of programs, and fellowships represented 12.2% (6/49) of programs. There were 19 board specialty diplomate programs, constituting 38.8% of PTOs. This work details preliminary descriptive information on the current state of US-based PTOs for chiropractors.

Current postgraduate training in emergency medicine in the Nordic countries

BackgroundEmergency Medicine (EM) is an independent specialty in all five Nordic countries. This study aims to evaluate the structure of post-graduate EM training in the area.MethodsA leading hospital or hospitals in EM training in each country were identified. An e-survey was sent to each hospital to gather data on patient volume and physician staffing, curriculum, trainee supervision, and monitoring of progression in training.ResultsData were collected from one center in Iceland and Norway, two in Finland and Sweden, and four centers in Denmark. The data from each country in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, were pooled to represent that country. The percentage of consultants with EM specialist recognition ranged from 49–100% of all consultants working in the participating departments. The number of patients seen annually per each full time EM consultant was almost three times higher in Finland than in Sweden. In Iceland, Denmark, and Sweden a consultant was present 24/7 in the ED but not in all centers in the other countries. The level of trainee autonomy in clinical practice varied between countries. Requirements for completing standardized courses, completing final exams, scientific and quality improvement projects, and evaluation of trainee progression, varied between the countries.ConclusionsAll Nordic countries have established EM training programs. Despite cultural similarities, there are significant differences in how the EM training is structured between the countries. Writing and implementing a standardized training curriculum and assessment system for EM training in the Nordic countries should be considered.

Scientific creativity and innovation ability and its determinants among medical postgraduate students in Fujian province of China: a cross sectional study

BackgroundGraduate education is the main approach to training high-level innovative elites. With the expansion of the scale of graduate education in China, it has gradually emerged that the lack of innovation ability of graduate students is recognized as the primary problem in graduate education. How to comprehensively improve the quality of postgraduate teaching has become the core task of educational reform and development. However, data about the current cultivation and development of the innovative ability of graduate students in China is limited.MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted among medical postgraduate students. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis methods were used to analyze the data to describe the current innovation ability in advanced medical education and potential influence factors.ResultsA total of 1241 medical students were surveyed, according to the results of questionnaire data analysis. The proportion of subjects who participated in the College Student’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation program or any other scientific research programs are fairly high which are 46.82% and 29.20% respectively. Most of the participants are observed with high levels of self-motivation and active learning and have good performance in creative thinking. However, only a small number of participants (16.6%) reported academic achievements such as publications. Most of the students are satisfied with the current scientific research environment and think that the current postgraduate training system is qualified for the cultivation of innovation ability, and expects the inclusion of course specialized in systemic medicine and medical informatics in the curricula. Multiple logistic regression results showed that among the factors studied, gender, medical specialties, and types of master’s degrees are associated with cognition & skills, academic performance, and creativity.ConclusionsIt will be important to incorporate more techniques for creating and improving creativity in the curricula of the current postgraduate education, especially for courses such as systemic medicine and informatics. Guidance in earlier school life can stimulate creativity and an early introduction to scientific research work will facilitate innovative thinking and behavior. Scientific research programs such as the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training for the universities of PRC have been widely implemented in the undergraduate education system throughout the country. However, the training effectiveness of the current scientific research programs is worth improving.

FOUR-IN-ONE SCIENTIFIC AND INNOVATIVE SURVEYING AND MAPPING POSTGRADUATES TALENT TRAINING SYSTEM OF "IDEOLOGICAL AND POLITICAL - CURRICULUM - PLATFORM - TEAM"

Abstract. Graduate education is an important cornerstone of building an innovative country. With the rapid development of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, the demand for surveying and mapping postgraduates with firm ideals and beliefs, solid professional knowledge, exquisite practical skills and outstanding scientific and technological innovation ability is becoming more and more urgent. Shandong University of Science and Technology has carried out long-term exploration and practice in the postgraduate training of surveying and mapping. In view of the problems existing in the current postgraduate training, such as the insufficient combination of professional education and ideological and political education, the curriculum system not adapting to the needs of high-level space-time information services of natural resources, and the lack of scientific research and innovation ability of postgraduates. This paper puts forward a four-in-one talent training system of "ideological and political-curriculum-platform-team" for surveying and mapping postgraduates, which combines ideological and political education, curriculum education, platform education and team education. After 10 years of exploration and practice, the application of this system has achieved fruitful results: The quality of postgraduate training has been significantly improved, the ability of postgraduates to serve the society has been significantly improved, the teaching results have been fruitful and widely used, and the level of discipline construction has been improved. It provides a reference way of education reform for the cultivation of scientific and innovative surveying and mapping talents in the surveying and mapping industry in the new era.

Reform Thinking and Practice of Innovative Ability Training of Clinical Medicine Professional Master under the Background of Substantial Expansion of Postgraduate Enrollment

Through the reform of the current postgraduate training mode and the way of mentoring and teaching, such as increasing the proportion of scientific research-related courses, raising the threshold for graduation, establishing a team of tutors to provide effective guidance to students, etc. The idea of forming a postgraduate scientific research team is proposed, and students of different majors and degree types are encouraged to participate in scientific research activities as a team, so as to improve the scientific research atmosphere and scientific research enthusiasm of professional master of clinical medicine (hereinafter referred to as “professional master”), in order to achieve the goal of improving the scientific research and innovation ability of “professional master”, put forward solutions for the problems encountered in the context of the “Double Tracks in One” policy and the large-scale expansion of postgraduate enrollment, and provide theoretical and theoretical ideas for the cultivation of innovation ability of “professional master”. Practical basis.

Surgical training fit for the future: the need for a change

Postgraduate training in surgical specialties is one of the longest training programmes in the medical field. Most of the surgical training programmes require 5–6 years of postgraduate training to become...

Postgraduate training as an instrument of connection between training and the world of work [Formazione post laurea come strumento di raccordo tra università e mondo del lavoro

Recognizing the importance of postgraduate courses in supporting the connection between training and the world of work and moving from the need to implement the current postgraduate training offer of the Department of of Human Sciences for Education Riccardo Massa (University of Milano-Bicocca), departmental research on postgraduate training courses was promoted with particular attention to masters, specialization and advanced training courses. The article shows the structure and results of this research, returning the demand for training of outgoing students and, at the same time, identifying the social and professional requests from the representatives of the Social Partners and the Presidents of the Department's Degree Courses. The research was also a profitable opportunity to reflect on the training needs of the territory, thanks to the contribution of the social partners and to intensify, in an interdisciplinary perspective, the links between the research areas of the Department and the possibilities of training planning.

Child and adolescent psychiatry training and services in the Middle East region: a current status assessment.

Mental health is a key component of health, yet appropriate care is limited. Evidence concerning child and adolescent mental health has predominantly come from western countries, while the Middle East region, with a large youth population, has reported very little on it. This original, cross-sectional study of child and adolescent psychiatry in the Middle East provides an assessment of current postgraduate programs, services and what is needed to build workforce capacity. Academic psychiatrists from 16 Middle East countries were invited to form a Consortium to map current postgraduate training as one of thedeterminants of available child and adolescent psychiatry services, identify gaps in the distribution of child and adolescent psychiatrists, and propose potential steps to improve access to child and adolescent mental health care. The study collected data from 15 of the 16 countries invited (no data provided from Yemen). The study revealed underdeveloped child and adolescent psychiatry academic systems throughout the region. Despite recognition of the specialty in a majority of the countries (11/15), only six countries had established a designated child and adolescent psychiatry training program. The overall shortage of child and adolescent mental health specialists varied, yet all Consortium members reported a need for additional child and adolescent psychiatry specialists and allied professionals. Lack of child and adolescent psychiatry specialized programs in place throughout the region has evidently contributed to the shortage of qualified child and adolescent mental health workforce in the Middle East.

Paediatricians' perception about oral healthcare of children in Nigeria.

BackgroundMajority of the oral diseases in children are preventable. The paediatricians owing to the unique position they occupy in child care are invaluable in achieving standard oral and dental healthcare in children. This study was aimed at assessing the paediatricians’ views on basic oral healthcare in children in Nigeria.MethodsThis was a cross sectional descriptive study. Respondents were paediatricians attending the 2015 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria. Relevant information sought from the respondents included: socio- demographic characteristics, duration and location of practice; specific questions on knowledge of basic oral health care in children and recommendations for improvement in knowledge of oral and dental health among paediatricians based on standard clinical guidelines. Data was analyzed using the SPSS version 20.0 and presented in simple frequencies and percentages. Test of associations was done using chi- square while logistic regression analysis was used to determine significantly associated variables (p < 0.05).ResultsA total of 121 paediatricians were recruited. 108 (89.3 %) reported that children should be referred to dental health care when caregivers/older patients report dental problems (x2 = 9.377; p = 0.02). 53.7 % felt that examination of the oral cavity should be routine while 61 (50.4 %) of them reported that health education should be given to caregivers/mothers about nursing caries starting early in life. Majority of the respondents 66 (54.5 %) disapproved gum pad cleaning of young infants. 32 (26.4 %) suggested starting tooth brushing in infants as soon as a tooth appear in a child while 112 (92.6 %) recommended the disapproval of pacifiers in infants/younger children. 93 (76.9 %) were of the opinion that the paediatrician is competent in identifying and handling of basic oral health care in children. However, 108 (89.3 %) recommended that the current postgraduate curriculum in paediatrics should incorporate knowledge of basic oral health care in children.ConclusionMajority of the paediatricians were found to have limited knowledge about some basic oral health care in children. It is recommended that the current postgraduate training curriculum in paediatrics in our setting should incorporate knowledge of basic oral healthcare in children.

What motivates young physicians? - a qualitative analysis of the learning climate in specialist medical training.

BackgroundNot least the much-invoked shortage of physicians in the current and the next generation has resulted in a wide range of efforts to improve postgraduate medical training. This is also in the focus of the current healthcare policy debate. Furthermore, quality and scope of available postgraduate training are important locational advantages in the competition for medical doctors. This study investigates the preferences and concerns that German house officers (HOs) have about their current postgraduate training. It also highlights how HOs evaluate the quality of their current postgraduate training and the learning environment.MethodsHOs were asked to answer the question: “Which things are of capital importance to you personally in your medical training?”, using a free text format. The survey was conducted web based (Lime survey) and all data was anonymized. Summarizing qualitative analyses were performed using the software tool MaxQDA.ResultsA total of 255 HOs participated in this study (female: n = 129/50.6 %; male: n = 126/49.4 %; age: 32 + 6 years) associated with 17 different German hospitals and from four medical specialties. Ten categories were generated from a total of 366 free text answers: 1. methodology of learning (n = 66), 2. supervision (n = 66), 3. learning structure (n = 61), 4. teaching competence (n = 37), 5. dedication (n = 34), 6. work climate (n = 29), 7. feedback/communication (n = 22), 8. challenge/patient safety (n = 21), 9. time/resources (n = 17), 10. personal security/safety (n = 13).ConclusionsHOs want a reliable and curriculum-guided learning structure. Different studying techniques should be used with sufficient (time) resources available in a trusting and communicative learning environment. Competent and dedicated instructors are expected to give individual and specific feedback to the HOs on individual strengths and deficits. Instructors should develop educational concepts in cooperation with the HOs and at the same time avoid excessive demands on HOs or hazards to patients.

Global health: time for full integration into GP education

Postgraduate medical training no longer sufficiently prepares UK doctors for the challenges of the 21st century. In 2010, an Independent Commission on the Education of Health Professionals, published in The Lancet , described a ‘mismatch between present professional competencies and the requirements of an increasingly interdependent world’.1 Globalisation, fuelled by a technological revolution and the subsequent mushrooming of social connectivity, affects all sectors of society and hence also each interaction in our consulting room. The recent RCGP conference on Global General Practice is a reflection of the increasingly high profile of global health issues. However, these issues fail to feature adequately in the current postgraduate training curricula of UK doctors.2 The meaning of ‘global health’ has been subject to debate. It has a broad scope, yet can be defined by the basic principle of ‘improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide’ .3 A Global Health Learning Outcome Working Group, consisting of UK academics, medical students and representatives of civil society with expertise in global health and medical education, determined that global health learning outcomes should cover the following areas:4 Some may question why global health is important to GPs who only practice in …

Is gynaecological surgical training a cause for concern? A questionnaire survey of trainees and trainers

AstractBackgroundConcerns have been raised as to whether the current postgraduate training programme for gynaecological surgery is being detrimentally affected by changes in working practices, in particular the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the surgical activity of obstetrics and gynaecology trainees and to explore trainees' and trainers' opinions on the current barriers and potential solutions to surgical training.MethodsTwo questionnaire surveys were conducted, one to obstetrics and gynaecology trainees working within the West Midlands Deanery and a second to consultant gynaecologists in the West Midlands region.ResultsOne hundred and four trainees (64.3%) and 66 consultant gynaecologists (55.0%) responded. Sixty-six trainees (66.7%) reported attending up to one operating list per week. However, 28.1% reported attending up to one list every two weeks or less and 5 trainees stated that they had not attended a list at all over the preceding 8 weeks. Trainees working in a unit with less than 3999 deliveries attended significantly more theatre sessions compared to trainees in units with over 4000 deliveries (p = 0.007), as did senior trainees (p = 0.032) and trainees attached to consultants performing major gynaecological surgery (p = 0.022). In the previous 8 weeks, only 6 trainees reported performing a total abdominal hysterectomy independently, all were senior trainees (ST6 and above). In the trainers' survey, only two respondents (3.0%) agreed that the current program produces doctors competent in general gynaecological surgery by the end of training, compared to 48 (73.8%) respondents who disagreed.ConclusionsTrainees' concerns over a lack of surgical training appear to be justified. The main barriers to training are perceived to be a lack of team structure and a lack of theatre time.

Postgraduate palliative care education: Evaluation of a South African programme

We aimed to assess the postgraduate palliative care distance education programme of the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of its perceived ability to influence palliative care delivery. A mixed-methods approach, consisting of two surveys using open-ended and multiple-choice options, was conducted from January to December 2007 at the UCT School of Public Health and Family Medicine. All students registered in the programme from 2000 - 2007 were invited to participate; 83 (66.4% of all eligible participants) completed the general survey, and 41 (65.7%) of the programme's graduates completed the graduate survey. The survey scores and open-ended data were triangulated to evaluate UCT's palliative care postgraduate programme. General survey scores of graduates were significantly higher in 5 of the 6 categories in comparison with current students. The graduate survey indicated that curriculum and teaching strengths were in communication and dealing with challenging encounters. Graduates also stressed the need to develop a curriculum that incorporated a practical component. In addition to current postgraduate training, palliative care education in South Africa should be extended to undergraduate medical students, as the benefits of UCT's programme were limited to a small cohort of practitioners.

Akademische plastische Chirurgie: Ein Vergleich zwischen der Weiterbildung in Deutschland und den USA

In this review article, the current postgraduate training programs in plastic surgery in Germany and the USA are compared with regard to structure, methods, duty hours, income, board examination and research opportunities.

Development of collaborative training and capacity building in carbon capture and storage

Abstract Current postgraduate training is highly specialized and collaborations across disciplines are discouraged by largely incompatible frameworks, faculty/institutional/international barriers, as well as discipline cultures. Moreover, postgraduate training also suffers from a lack of engagement from end users and therefore, hampering knowledge transfer to industry and also knowledge gain from industrial research needs. To answer to this problem, the Centre for Innovation in Carbon Capture and Storage (CICCS) receiving major funding from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is developing a holistic approach to develop a postgraduate collaborative training programme that integrates science, engineering and end-users to facilitate the creativity and innovation of CCS responses to the global warming problem. A market assessment was conducted to collect data on the potential market for training in CCS. The results of this study are presented as well as the current training, research and outreach activities of the CICCS.

Ecosystem science: toward a new paradigm for managing Australia's inland aquatic ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems are a foundation of our social, cultural, spiritual and economic well being. The degraded condition of many of Australia’s river ecosystems is testament to our failure to manage these resources wisely. Ecosystem science involves the holistic study of complex biophysical systems to understand the drivers that influence ecological pattern and process. Ecosystem science should underpin both water management and policy. Our understanding of aquatic ecosystems lags behind the increasing problems caused by past land and water management. Current post-graduate training programmes will not provide the aquatic ecosystem scientists needed by government and management agencies to prevent further degradation. We advocate new initiatives to capture the skills, knowledge and innovation of our research community by engaging scientists and managers in large-scale, long-term ecosystem science programmes across Australia and to integrate these programmes with community aspirations, policy, planning and management. We call on management agencies to increase their support for and uptake and use of ecosystem science. We also advocate establishment of national archives for long-term ecologically-relevant data and samples, and clear custodial arrangements to protect, update and facilitate knowledge-transfer. These initiatives need to be supported by more extensive, better-funded post-graduate and post-doctoral programmes in ecosystem science and management.

Perception of Indications for Nephrology Referral among Internal Medicine Residents

Many patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are seen by primary care physicians who may not be aware of indications or benefits of timely nephrologist referral. Late referral to a nephrologist may lead to suboptimal pre-end stage renal disease care and greater mortality. It is not known whether current postgraduate training adequately prepares a future internist in this aspect of CKD management. The authors performed an online questionnaire survey of internal medicine residents in the United States to determine their perceptions of indications for nephrology referral in CKD management. Four hundred seventy-nine residents completed the survey with postgraduate year (PGY) distribution of 166 PGY 1,187 PGY 2 and 126 PGY 3. Few residents chose nephrology referral for proteinuria (45%), uncontrolled hypertension (64%), or hyperkalemia (26%). Twenty-eight percent of the residents considered consulting a nephrologist for anemia of CKD, whereas 45% would do so for bone disorder of CKD. Most of the residents would involve a nephrologist at glomerular filtration rate (GFR) <30 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (90%) and for rapid decline in GFR (79%). Many residents would refer a patient for dialysis setup at GFR 15 to 30 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (59%); however, 18% would do so at GFR <15 ml/min/1.73 m(2). Presence of CKD clinic experience or an in-house nephrology fellowship program did not considerably change these perceptions. Results show that internal medicine residents have widely differing perceptions of indications for nephrology referral. Educational efforts during residency training to raise awareness and benefits of early referral may improve CKD management by facilitating better collaboration between internist and nephrologist.

Awareness and Knowledge of Clinical Practice Guidelines for CKD Among Internal Medicine Residents: A National Online Survey

The National Kidney Foundation published Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines that recommend early detection and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and timely referral to a nephrologist. Many patients with CKD are seen by primary care physicians who are less experienced than nephrologists to offer optimal pre-end-stage renal disease care. It is not known whether current postgraduate training adequately prepares a future internist in CKD management. Cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire survey. Internal medicine residents in the United States (n = 479) with postgraduate year (PGY) distribution of 166 PGY1, 187 PGY2, and 126 PGY3. Awareness and knowledge of CKD clinical practice guidelines measured by using the questionnaire instrument. Total performance score (maximum = 30). Half the residents did not know that the presence of kidney damage (proteinuria) for 3 or more months defines CKD. One-third of the residents did not know the staging of CKD. All residents (99%) knew the traditional risk factors for CKD of diabetes and hypertension, but were less aware of other risk factors of obesity (38%), elderly age (71%), and African American race (68%). Most residents (87%) were aware of estimated glomerular filtration rate in the evaluation of patients with CKD. Most residents (90%) knew goal blood pressure (<130/80 mm Hg) for patients with CKD. Most residents identified anemia (91%) and bone disorder (82%) as complications of CKD, but only half recognized CKD as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Most residents (90%) chose to refer a patient with a glomerular filtration rate less than 30 mL/min/1.73 m(2) to a nephrologist. A small improvement in mean performance score was observed with increasing PGY (PGY1, 68.8% +/- 15.4%; PGY2, 72.9% +/- 14.7%; and PGY3, 74.0% +/- 12.0%; P = 0.004). Self-selection, lack of nonrespondent data. Our survey identified specific gaps in knowledge of CKD guidelines in internal medicine residents. Educational efforts in increasing awareness of these guidelines may improve CKD management and clinical outcomes.

The future of women in Australian medicine.

Data are presented on the division of labour in doctor's households which show that, in addition to practising, medical women perform almost as much domestic work as do the wives of their male colleagues. In relation to The National Health Act 1970, and current postgraduate training procedures, this has implications for an increasingly polarized division of labour in medicine, as the numbers and proportions of women doctors increase. If the trend is not inhibited by amendment of postgraduate training procedures, and a more equitable distribution of domestic labour, a second-class status is likely for women in medicine, to the detriment of both the profession and the community.

Postgraduate training in psychiatry: A model theoretical course

Summary The expanding scope of the scientific basis of psychiatry as well as the mounting social pressure for psychiatric services call for a reevaluation of the current postgraduate training curricula. There is a need for an open discussion of both the general goals and the particular contents of the postgraduate courses. The clinical teaching is of crucial importance for the imparting of diagnostic and therapeutic skills. It must be supplemented by formal theoretical courses consisting of lectures and seminars extending over at least three years. This paper presents a tentative model of such a didactic course to be built around three core subjects: general psychopathology, normal human development, and clinical psychiatry. It is felt that such a curriculum could achieve the integration of the basic sciences of psychiatry and prepare the student physicians for any type of clinical, research, or teaching career in the field. It is proposed that formation of an advanced institute for the training of teachers in psychiatry is urgently needed.