Degree Course In Medicine Research Articles

Quantification of training in educational methodology among teachers on the degree course in medicine: a pilot study

BackgroundMedical education has undergone significant changes over the last decades. Scientific and technological progress alongside contemporary society’s changing requirements have driven demand for highly trained, competent doctors. In response to this need, university faculties of medicine have sought innovative forms of teaching and evaluating the students on their degree courses. The aim of this study was to quantify the characteristics and extent of academic training in teaching methods, of participation in innovative teaching initiatives, and training in simulation and debriefing among the teaching personnel on the degree course in medicine at the University of Granada (Spain).MethodsThis transversal descriptive study was conducted among a population of 121 educators teaching on the medical degree course at the University of Granada, Spain. All responded to a specially designed CoRe-Content Representation questionnaire. This consisted of various parts: (a) demographic data; (b) teaching experience and qualifications; (c) specific information about training in teaching skills received. The Fisher test was applied whenever the dependent variable had two values (dichotomous) and the Chi-square test when it had more than two values (polytomic). Statistical significance was established with an alpha error of 5%.ResultsThe results showed that 87.60% of the educators had received no training in debriefing. There was a notable gender gap, whereby women held fewer management posts, fewer were engaged in clinical activity, and fewer had undergone training in clinical simulation. Teachers with degrees in medicine had undergone less regulated training than educators with other degree qualifications.ConclusionThe main areas of medical training that require improvement (and so present challenges to be met in the years to come) are as follows: a definitive solution to the existing gender gap, general implementation of new educational models and methods (especially learning based on clinical problem-solving and simulation), closing generation gaps, and improved training processes for educators with clinical attachment.

Training and learning ultrasound: survey on a sample of Italian students, impact and role inside the core curriculum of degree courses in medicine and surgery.

Ultrasound is essential in the clinical practice of many medical specialties due to non-invasiveness, rapidity of examination, low costs and simplicity. Many specialized companies and universities pointed out its potential as a teaching tool for medical students. The aim of our study is to evaluate the impact of an ultrasound course on a sample of students attending the fourth, fifth and sixth year of the degree course in Medicine, highlighting changing in satisfaction and preparation. Another target is to verify the capability of a course on ultrasound to positively impact on participants knowledge and competences. Students attending 6 training courses of Medicine held between 2017 and 2019 were recruited. Five trainings held during an Italian society of ultrasound in medicine and biology (SIUMB) congress, in a session dedicated to students, and one during an elective didactic activity (ADE) held in Chieti University. A questionnaire was given to the students before and after the course, in order to assess the impact of the course on the motivation and knowledge. Moreover, a test was also administered at the end of the theoretical part, with questions relating to the notions learned. There was an 81% of correct response to the learning questionnaire by calculating the mean of 5 SIUMB courses performed. The students are strongly motivated to continue learning ultrasound already from the beginning of the course, and this result remains unchanged in the questionnaire administered at the end. The interest of students towards this method is high, and they would ultrasound courses within the Medicine degree, even before participating in the training. It was evident how students positively assessed the course in relation to the acquisition of skills and knowledge, albeit with a tendency to acquire more knowledge rather than skills. Our data support the usefulness of including ultrasound into the curriculum of medical students and on its use as a teaching tool. Students are highly motivated and perceive a significant improvement in both skills and knowledge following the proposed courses. Hands-on part is necessary in the training course on ultrasonography.

An evaluation of Italian medical students attitudes and knowledge regarding forensic medicine

IntroductionThis study aims to assess students' knowledge of forensic medicine concepts and their opinions regarding the course taught during the degree course in Medicine and Surgery in an Italian university. Consequently, the study aims to assess the impact of the course on the students’ knowledge and attitude in choosing a medical residency. Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted through an anonymous web-based survey of medical students at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Descriptive and univariate analysis were conducted. Results1166 students completed the survey. The forensic medicine course appears to be extremely important in providing training in the fundamental concepts of forensic medicine, especially professional liability, defensive medicine, and forensic pathology. Attending autopsies is important during the course, and their number should be more than ten. Additionally, univariate analysis demonstrates that students' awareness of forensic medicine topics, such as the function of the forensic physicians, professional liability, and defensive medicine, improves in the fifth or sixth year of the course. After the course, more students would choose to pursue a nonclinical and nonsurgical specialty, and forensic medicine specifically, for their residency. ConclusionsThe forensic medicine course has the task of defining the duties and responsibilities of forensic physicians, providing indispensable tools for future medical practitioners, regardless of their future specialisation, and limiting the increasing use of defensive medicine. In conclusion, we recommend further multicenter studies to evaluate the role and direct effect of undergraduate forensic medicine courses on students and on the quality of practice.

Workshop on Blood Loss Quantification in Obstetrics: Improving Medical Student Learning through Clinical Simulation

Purpose: To assess whether a clinical simulation-based obstetric blood loss quantification workshop for medical undergraduate trainees improves theoretical–practical knowledge, along with self-assurance and self-confidence. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental pre-post learning study conducted at the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Unit of the Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. Participants were volunteer students in their fourth year of a 6-year degree course in Medicine. The study period was divided into the stages: pre-workshop, intra-workshop, 2 weeks post-workshop and 6 months post-workshop. In the pre-workshop stage, students completed a brief online course in preparation for the workshop. The effectiveness of the workshop was assessed through multiple choice tests and self-administered questionnaires. Data were compared between time-points using statistical tests for paired samples. Results: Of the 142 students invited (age 21.94 ± 3.12 years), 138 accepted the offer of the workshop (97.2%), and 85.4% had no experience in managing blood loss. Between the stages pre- and 2 weeks post-workshop, significant improvements were observed in theoretical–practical knowledge (μ = 1.109), self-assurance and self-confidence. At the 6 months post-workshop stage, theoretical–practical knowledge diminished compared with 2 weeks post-workshop, returning to pre-workshop levels, while self-assurance and confidence failed to vary significantly in the longer term. Conclusions: The obstetric workshop improved theoretical–practical knowledge and the self-assurance and confidence of the medical students. Results 2 weeks post-workshop were maintained up until 6 months after the training intervention. The clinical simulation-based workshop was perceived by the students as useful and necessary.

UN’ESPERIENZA DI TEAM BASED LEARNING NELLA MEDICAL EDUCATION AI TEMPI DEL COVID-19: UNA SPERIMENTAZIONE DIGITALE

In recent decades, Medical Education has undergone several radical changes. Moreover, the changes currently due to the Covid-19 emergency must be added. This paper aims to share the results of a teaching innovation in medical education based on Team-Based Learning (TBL), which was implemented within an elective course in the Master's Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery. The results of the mixed method evaluative research led to identify interpretative elements concerning the students’ engagement, their outcomes, and their perceptions about the teaching approach. The TBL, if introduced progressively and implemented with appropriate scaffolding actions through the exploitation of the potential of educational technologies, can lead to positive results. It can indeed facilitate a greater involvement of the students and the mobilization of the knowledge autonomously acquired in order to face tasks with increasing cognitive complexity, as well as an empowerment process of the learning to learn skill in the perspective of lifelong learning.

Uptake of Non-Mandatory Vaccinations in Future Physicians in Italy.

In 2017 in Italy, a number of vaccinations became mandatory or started to be recommended and offered free of charge. In this study, we aimed at assessing the coverage rates for those vaccinations in the pre-mandatory era among students at the School of Medicine of Padua University studying the degree course in medicine and surgery (future physicians) on the basis of the vaccination certificates presented during health surveillance. The vaccinations considered were those against pertussis, rubella, mumps, measles, varicella, Haemophilus influenzae type b (which became mandatory in 2017), pneumococcus, meningococcus C and meningococcus B (only suggested and offered for free since 2017). The study enrolled 4706 students of medicine and surgery. High vaccine uptake was observed, especially in younger students (born after 1990), with vaccines against pertussis, rubella, mumps and measles. Good completion for Haemophilus influenzae type b and meningococcus C was also observed. Very low coverage rates (all under 10%) for vaccination against varicella, pneumococcus and meningococcus B were observed. In conclusion, uptake for some non-mandatory vaccines was below the recommended threshold, although younger generations showed a higher uptake, possibly as a results of policy implemented at the national level. Our findings support the idea to consider health surveillance visits also as an additional opportunity to overcome confidence and convenience barriers and offer vaccine administration.

The teaching of the History of Medicine in Italy: a path in progress.

Background:The increasing attention to the potential application of technology in medicine represents a dangerous warning in the direction of a reductionist approach. The academic system should therefore be strongly engaged to ensure even in medical practice the greatest enhancement of the human dimension.Targets:How much space is offered to the teaching of History of Medicine (HM) in Italian Universities? This work aims to answer this question through an in-depth analysis of the teaching plans of the Master’s Degree courses in Medicine and Surgery (MD) activated in Italy.Materials and Methods:The survey was carried out through the consultation of information, relating to the year 2019-2020, contained in the UniversItaly portal of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, created to accompany students in their studies, as well as through the information published in the web portals of the various universities.Results and Discussion:In Italy in 43 out of 97 Universities there is the Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery for a total of 66 degree courses; some Universities have activated more degree courses depending on the number of learners or on issues of territorial distribution. The teaching of HM is present in the curricula of 54 MD) (82%) and in these is mandatory. In 93% of the cases, it is included in Integrated Courses (IC) and for only 4 MD) it results as autonomous teaching. For the most part (86%) it is included in the first year’s educational plan. The typology of the different ICs is extremely varied, both in terms of denomination, year, and content, as well as in the overall CFUs assigned (university credits). The current teaching staff is divided as follows: 6 full professors; 12 associate professors; 13 Researchers (RU/RD); 20 contract professors. 19 are the researchers/professors engaged in the scientific field of the HM (MED/02).Conclusion:Those findings indicate that the HM subject in the Italian medical education programs is not yet universally recognized as able to stimulate medical students to a holistic view of the person and illness and therefore not sufficiently valued. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Che genere di medicina? Fenomeni di segregazione occupazionale dentro la professione

The phenomenon of vertical and hierarchical occupational segregation, despite attenuation within all organizations, still shows withstand within the health sector, which is apparently structured in accordance with the principles of gender equality. In the medical profession, and in it some traditionally male specialties, as well as the chief role across all specialties, significant inequalities are still present in career opportunities for men and women. The steady increase in women enrolled in the degree course in medicine and surgery and of female graduates has not eliminated the under-represented gender in certain specialties and the almost complete absence of women in chiefs roles. Through secondary data from institutional sources and interviews with female doctors from two cohorts (the pioneers and marathoners) we have investigated the constraints and opportunities for careers in health care organizations, with particular attention to for recruitment and promotion criteria and the interference effects between family and professional life.

Is the admission test for a course in medicine a good predictor of academic performance? A case−control experience at the school of medicine of Turin

ObjectivesThe usefulness of university admission tests to medical schools has been discussed in recent years. In the academic year 2014–15 in Italy, several students who failed the admission test appealed...

Does the experience of anatomical dissections change the mind of students? The opinion of Milanese undergraduate students towards the donation of bodies for didactic purposes

Anatomical dissections have always represented an important cornerstone of medical education, especially in anatomy [1,2]. However, in several universitary context their practice has been abandoned or even not yet introduced. In the University of Milan a limited program of body donation has existed since 2014 (PANDORA, Programma Anatomico di Donazione di Cadaveri a Scopo di Ricerca Antropologica e Biomedica) and therefore only in the last four years medical students have been able to take advantage from this crucial experience. This study aims at exploring the willingness of Italian undergraduate students towards whole body donation in order to ascertain the role of dissection in modifying the opinion: two groups of students belonging to the degree course in medicine and surgery were recruited. The first group included 43 students who were informed concerning the importance of dissection in anatomy through a specific course. The second group included 29 students admitted to a didactic autopsy. Students belonging to the two groups were then requested to specify if they would give their consent to the donation of their bodies, and why. Results showed that students who attended the dissection were more likely to show willingness towards body donation (60.7% versus 39.5%). Among positive opinions towards donation the percentage of persons who found the experience useful increased from 47.1% in the first group to 80% in the second group. On the other hand, among negative opinions, percentages of persons reporting bad feeling towards the dissection increased from 16.7% in the first group to 27.2% in the second group. This study shows that experience of dissection is a crucial step for emotional and professional improvement of medical students and contributes in a more detailed definition of their own opinion concerning body donation.

E07 - Pre-graduate internship in the medical oncology department: a good training setting to capture aspects of palliative and simultaneous care

Background: Palliative care, from early stages to end-of-life, represent a growing area of clinical activity and provide both specialized aspects and others that should be of relevance of each doctor. Communicative peculiarities, the doctor's relationship with patients and their families, the team's work in the specifications of each health professional, the management of the oncological disease path from diagnosis, to treatment, symptom management, to end-of-life, are skills that every doctor having to use. However, within the pre-graduate training education in this sense fits in very different ways, mostly entrusted to the sensitivity of various teachers from oncology or other related disciplines. Methods: We proposed to all final year students of the degree course in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Siena a specific in training in department of Medical Oncology during which the educational end-point was the palliative approach to care. The training course was divided into four steps: 1) clinical step, the analysis of the relationship between the doctor and the patient, care and symptoms management, assessment of the different roles of each health professional; 2) think out step, comparative phase driven on the experience, even with respect to training in other departments; 3) narrative step, the witness on the part of professionals; 4) synthesis step, explanatory and final comments. After six months, through an oral questionnaire, take-home concept were checked. Results: From October to December 2015 140 students were included in training from the sixth year of medicine and surgery course (92% of subscribers). Graduation within a year was predicted for 72 (51%) of these. After six months, 68% of the students recognized the uniqueness of palliative approach, 79% have recognized the importance in oncology profession, 85% the importance in medical education undergraduate. 40% considered it useful also palliative and simultaneous care curricular lessons and 20% considered it necessary. Conclusions: Medical education is required to find the best ways to transmit to medical students skills finalized to patient care projected to the end-of-life and symptoms control in chronic and incurable diseases. A good training setting seems to be the Medical Oncology Department if the training period in this sense is led by trained personnel.

Mind the gap between high school and university! A field qualitative survey at the National University of Caaguazú (Paraguay).

Paraguay has eight public universities and 45 private universities. The National University of Caaguazú (Universidad Nacional de Caaguazú or UNCA), with its main campus located in Coronel Oviedo, is one of the most recently founded public universities, being established in 2007. The UNCA has launched a project aiming at exploring the potentiality of its educational system, as well as its gaps. In particular, the UNCA wants to assess the effectiveness of preparatory courses for preparing students for admission to the degree course in medicine (Cursos Probatorios de Ingreso or CPI), in order to identify the main strong and weak points of the system, the popularity and usefulness of CPI as perceived by the students, the students’ and teachers’ opinions regarding the limits of school, and their suggestions. This paper is based on a field survey and highlights the care that must be taken in order to develop conditions respectful of the wellbeing of those participating in the educational context.

PO-0967 The Uses Of Clinical Case As A Tool Of Teaching Learning In The Discipline Of Paediatrics At The Faculty Of Medicine PetrÓpolis - Rj - Brazil

The Curriculum Brazilian Guidelines state that: "The structure of the degree course in medicine should use methodologies that emphasise active student participation in knowledge construction and integration between the content..." On the study site, the undergraduate medicine has six years duration, with workload 8032 hs. Of this total, 3472 hs correspond to the clinical period when the teaching / learning process occurs to practical distributed in major medical areas. Paediatrics includes a mandatory requirement of this stage presentation Session Paediatric Clinics (SPC) based in the various practice settings in order to instigate the search for knowledge providing a meaningful construction. <h3>Methods</h3> A descriptive study, retrospective documentary of SPC presented in 2013 by the undergraduate students of the Faculty of Medicine of Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. <h3>Results</h3> There were 70 SCP, 70% from the paediatric ward, 12.86% of the NICU and 17.14% of the other scenarios. Active participation in the choice of topic, review and submission process was on average 3 students and the number of listeners was 40/SCP. The chosen themes, 52,86% are not part of the curriculum previously offered. Infectious diseases have contributed to 37,14% of realisation of the SPC. <h3>Conclusion</h3> This study shows for the promotion of proactive methodologies as supporters of the integration of the student as the protagonist of the teaching- learning process and therefore should be encouraged. As for the themes chosen believe that awakening to the search for new knowledge has been significantly.

Valutare la riflessività in Medical Education: modelli, problemi e prospettive

The paper discusses the evaluation models of reflexivity in Medical Education. Starting from an analysis of the models currently available in the literature, the author highlights the potentials, limitations and prospects for future research in this specific field . The focus on this research project comes from CIN@MED PROJECT - Learning Path to a reflexive knowledge in the medical profession through the use of the film - which is set up as a compulsory vocational activities aimed at students of the second year of Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery, University of Florence. The experiment was initiated in the A .Y. 2009/2010. CIN @ MED is a path that is part of the regular university education in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and it is based on the vision of some movies suitably selected, according to the subject to be discussed, followed by a debate in the presence of a discussant, specialized in the subject dealt with. All this was accompanied by the construction of knowledge checks through questionnaires (database), blogs and wiki, which produced a network of teachers and students involved in the project. It has also become a shared reflexive platform. The project is curated by Patrizia de Mennato, Andreas R. Formiconi, Amedeo Amedei , Stefano Beccastrini, Carlo Orefice e Valerio Ferro Allodola, within the activities of the Laboratory of Medical Education, University of Florence (Direction: Patrizia de Mennato).

Medical professional values and education: A survey on Italian students of the medical doctor school in medicine and surgery

Background:The values such as participation/empathy, communication/sharing, self-awareness, moral integrity, sensitivity/trustfulness, commitment to ongoing professional development, and sense of duty linked to the practice of the medical professionalism were defined by various professional oaths.Aims:The aim of this study was to evaluate how these values are considered by the students of the degree course of medicine.Materials and Methods:Four hundred twenty three students (254 females, 169 males) taking part of the first, fourth, and fifth years of the degree course in medicine were asked to answer seven questions. Pearson's Chi-square, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and Kruskal–Wallis test were used for the statistical analysis.Results:The survey showed a high level of knowledge and self-awareness about the values and skills of medical profession. In particular, the respect, accountability, and the professional skills of competence were considered fundamental in clinical practice. However, the students considered that these values not sufficiently present in their educational experience.Conclusions:Teaching methods should be harmonized with the contents and with the educational needs to ensure a more complex patient-based approach and the classical lectures of teachers should be more integrated with learning through experience methods.

Teaching organization in the degree course in medicine.

Teaching organization in the degree course in medicine.

The evaluation system in the degree course in medicine.

As has been pointed out in the present communication, evaluation is a component of the educational process that must concern all aspects of the process itself: curriculum, teachers and the protagonist: the student.