European Medical Schools Research Articles

Unsatisfactory basic skills performance by students in traditional medical curricula

Effectivity of basic clinical skills among students in their final year at two typically European medical schools was evaluated. The two schools rely heavily on clerkships to train basic clinical skills. Three groups of final-year students from two medical schools were studied in a 12-station, 13-minute OSCE. This OSCE was based on existing skill lists and was constructed in close consultation with faculty of both schools. Observers were senior faculty and experienced general practitioners. Students were rated unsatisfactory in any station when a mean score of 50% was given. Results show poor overall performance, indicating defective skills training, for skills of both the compulsory and the non-compulsory clerkships. Therefore curricula need revision and in the meantime basic clinical skills should receive ample attention in postgraduate education.

European medical schools and tobacco.

Following a survey in 19 European countries of the habits, attitudes and knowledge of medical students regarding tobacco, World Health Organisation European Office and the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease jointly circulated to the Deans of all European medical schools a summary of the results, including figures for mortality for smoking-related diseases in their countries and a brief questionnaire concerning faculty action on the tobacco problem. The response rate was just over 50%, higher in Northern Europe (66%) than in Southern (35%) or Eastern (38%). Only 8% of faculties had a specific teaching module on tobacco. In most it was either systematically (35%) or unsystematically (55%) integrated in other teaching. Teaching hospitals, teaching areas and faculty meetings were said to be smokefree by over 90%; figures were lower for other areas. Seventy-seven per cent of Deans intended to discuss our approach with their teaching staff; 72% gave the name of a staff member with a particular tobacco interest.

MOZART'S GOOD FRIEND DR LAUGIER

IN SEPTEMBER 1767 the Mozart family paid a visit to Vienna with a view to Wolfgang's taking part in the celebrations for the forthcoming marriage of the Empress Maria Theresa's daughter, Archduchess Maria Josepha, to King Ferdinand of Naples. On 17 October, a month or so after their arrival, Leopold Mozart wrote a letter to his friend and landlord Lorenz Hagenauer in which he refers to their seeing a good deal of a certain M. De L'Augier. However, it was not long before Leopold was horrified to find that a smallpox epidemic was raging in the city, to which the seventeen-year-old archduchess succumbed. Terrified for the lives of his children, Leopold says that he and Wolfgang left their lodgings and took refuge with someone he calls 'my good friend', who strongly advised that the whole family should remove themselves from Vienna immediately. There is reason to believe that the 'good friend' was M. De L'Augier.1 In his letters Leopold subsequently makes several enigmatic references to M. De L'Augier, but without explaining the identity of this clearly influential figure, who became involved in the young Mozart's musical career. In fact, he was Dr Alexandre-Louis Laugier (1719-74), a physician to the imperial court; a study of his life is therefore worthy of interest. We know little about Laugier's early years, but it is known that he was the son of an apothecary in Nancy and studied medicine at the University of Leiden, which boasted one of the most famous medical schools in Europe.2 He then went to Vienna, where he established himself as a doctor and rose rapidly in his profession; he became imperial court physician probably at the invitation of Gerhard van Swieten, personal physician to the empress, founder of the university's medical school and himself a product of Leiden. It is known that in 1749 Alexandre-Louis strongly supported the move of his younger brother, Dr Francois Robert Laugier (1722-93), to Vienna to take up the newly created chair of Botany and Chemistry at the university. The appointment proved to be disastrous, however, because the younger Laugier later quarrelled with his immediate superior, van Swieten, who reported that he was incompetent in his two subjects, ignorant of Latin and, moreover, indolent. In 1768 Francois Robert was dismissed from his post without a pension.3 In contrast, his elder brother retained the confidence of the royal family, was greatly sought after as a physician, and became a most influential figure in Viennese society.

Medical education on tobacco: implications of a worldwide survey. Tobacco and Health Committee of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD).

This report considers the implications for medical education of a global survey of the knowledge, behaviour and attitudes of medical students regarding tobacco. This was conducted in 42 countries derived from all continents. A total of 9326 students (44% women) from 51 medical schools replied anonymously to a multiple choice questionnaire administered in the local language. Student smoking rates varied greatly between countries/regions: daily smoking in men from 2% (Australia) to 48% (one centre in the former USSR); in women from nil in some Asian medical schools to 22% in one European. Though there was some variation between countries and medical schools, there was widespread ignorance of the causal role of smoking in specific diseases; notably coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, emphysema, bladder cancer and neonatal mortality. There were widespread defects in knowledge and motivation regarding counselling patients to quit smoking, with a common failure to appreciate a doctor's responsibilities in prevention. Very few students knew the value of tobacco taxation in reducing consumption. Following our survey we were asked to advise the World Health Organization on a summary of the desirable tobacco content of medical curricula, which has now been issued. The International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, in cooperation with the European Region of WHO, has circulated the Deans of all European medical schools with a summary of the deficiencies revealed by the European component of the survey, together with a questionnaire on proposed action. A similar initiative is being considered in cooperation with the Western Pacific Region of WHO.

Bridging the gap between clinical pharmacology and rational drug prescribing.

British Journal of Clinical PharmacologyVolume 35, Issue 6 p. 575-576 Free Access Bridging the gap between clinical pharmacology and rational drug prescribing [see comments] LE Ramsay, LE Ramsay Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield.Search for more papers by this author LE Ramsay, LE Ramsay Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield.Search for more papers by this author First published: June 1993 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.1993.tb04183.xCitations: 10AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. References Dukes, G., Lunde, P. K. M., Melander, A., Orme, M., Sjoqvist, F., Tognoni, G. & Wesseling, H. (1990). Clinical pharmacology and primary health care in Europe—a gap to bridge. Eur. J. clin. Pharmac., 38, 315– 318. General Medical Council (1991). Undergraduate medical education. The need for change. London: GMC. Mitchell, J. R. A. (1984). Who needs clinical pharmacology Br. med. J., 289, 1119– 1120. Orme, M., Sjoqvist, F., Bircher, J., Bogaert, M., Dukes, M. N. G., Eichelbaum, M., Gram, L. F., Huller, H., Lunde, I. & Tognoni, G. (1990). The teaching and organisation of clinical pharmacology in European medical schools. Eur. J. clin. Pharmac., 38, 101– 105. Ramsay, L. E. (1991). The role of the clinical pharmacologist in undergraduate medical education. Rev. Farmacol. clin. exp., 8 (Suppl. 1), 37– 39. Sjoqvist, F. (1991). Teaching of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics—a Swedish view. Rev. Farmacol. clin. exp., 8 (Suppl. 1), 41– 44. Vestal, R. E. & Benowitz, N. L. (1992). Workshop on problem-based learning as a method for teaching clinical pharmacology and therapeutics in medical school. J. clin. Pharmac., 32, 779– 797. Citing Literature Volume35, Issue6June 1993Pages 575-576 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Medical education in a multilingual and multicultural world

Medical education in a multilingual and multicultural world

The teaching and organisation of clinical pharmacology in European medical schools

A World Health Organisation (European Regional Office) working party has been established to review the progress of clinical pharmacology in European countries. As part of this review a questionnaire on the teaching of clinical pharmacology was sent to the Deans of all 350 medical schools in the region. Very few replies were received from U.S.S.R., Greece and Portugal and these countries' returns were not analysed further. The overall compliance rate (excluding these countries) was 82% with a figure of 84% from Western Europe and 74% from Eastern Europe. An average time of 96 h (range 0-320) was devoted to pharmacology teaching in the medical curriculum in Western Europe with 124 (0-240) h in Eastern Europe. In contrast 28 h (0-210) was devoted to clinical pharmacology teaching in Western Europe and 27 h (0-90) in Eastern Europe. On average in Western Europe each medical school had 2 individuals trained in clinical pharmacology with 1.3 posts in the subject and the figures for Eastern Europe were 2.3 and 1.1 respectively. However these figures hide a wide variance in the teaching of clinical pharmacology. Particularly in Western Europe there are a number of medical schools in Italy, Spain and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) where clinical pharmacology is not taught and there is a dearth of individuals trained in the subject. Every effort to encourage clinical pharmacology and its teaching should be made, particularly in these countries.

The teaching of clinical pharmacology in Europe and North America

A recent survey conducted under the auspices of the WHO shows that on average in European medical schools only 28 hours of teaching are devoted to clinical pharmacology, whereas over 100 hours are devoted to pharmacology. In many schools no clinical pharmacology is taught, and there is a lack of trained individuals and posts in clinical pharmacology. In North America there is a similar lack of clinical pharmacology teaching. Michael Orme and Marcus Reidenberg make suggestions as to how the situation could be rectified.

European Undergraduate Education in Oncology: A report of the EORTC Education Branch

By the year 2000 it is estimated that approximately two million Europeans per year will be afflicted by cancer and that the annual death rate will be of the order of one million. Despite the numerical extent of the problem, the high mortality and the very considerable morbidity associated with uncontrolled cancer, it is the general view of experts in the field that the teaching of oncology to undergraduates remains extremely unsatisfactory in many medical schools. In recent years there has been substantial progress in cancer research and in the management of cancer patients due to developments in diagnosis and treatment. It is clear that, with available knowledge and technology, screening programmes designed to detect cancers at an earlier stage and programmes of public education aimed at prevention could substantially contribute to a reduction of our present cancer problem. If the newly-qualified doctor is to be provided with the necessary knowledge and skills to participate as a nonspecialist in the prevention, early diagnosis and management of malignant disease, it is essential that attention is focused on the development of a satisfactory curriculum for undergraduate education. The problem of an integrated undergraduate oncology training programme in Europe was reviewed by a UICC Regional Conference in Oncology held in Cracow in 1972 (1) and subsequently by a UICC/WHO meeting in 1981 (2). The objective of the Education Branch of the EORTC is to identify requirements for cancer education in Europe at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level. The Education Branch, which was set up in 1986, has directed its attention initially to the problem of undergraduate oncology education and, as a basis for making recommendations, in 1987 carried out a survey by questioning 165 deans of medical schools in Europe. Of 124 responses received by July 1987, 94 were considered valid, since 30 were either double-registered from the same university or did not concern undergraduate education. The information obtained from 94 medical schools in 14 countries (UK, France, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, Ireland, Switzerland, Greece, Iceland, Sweden) is summarized in Fig. 1. As shown, approximately 60% of the centres have a course in oncology and a chair in oncology. In some institutions the courses were of a very short duration whereas optional in others. Only 41% of schools reported that they had a curriculum in oncology. Less than 50% had a pre-degree training period (that is a specific allocation of time for oncology in the final clinical year). Only one-third of the schools had an examination in oncology. It is of interest to examine the schools’ preferences for the future evolution of undergraduate education in ontology. Of the universities without corresponding facilities, 86% indicated that they would like a specific course in oncology, 81 % a chair in oncology, and 70 % a curriculum in oncology. A common European curriculum would be favoured by 95 % of all universities (Fig. 2). A striking finding of the inquiry was the wide variation in educational practice between different universities in the same country (Table). Approximately only 50 % of the medical schools in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Denmark, for example, had courses in oncology. There were also substantial differences between individual countries. Thus all 16 French medical schools responding to the inquiry reported a course in oncology, whereas none of the 12 Italian medical schools had such a course. However, the Italian Government has recently approved

European medical schools.

European medical schools.

European Medical Schools

European Medical Schools

Overseas-born doctor migration 1962-66.

Overseas-born doctor migration 1962-66.

A Profile of 314 Americans Graduating From Foreign Medical Schools

Some students rejected by US medical schools enter foreign medical institutions, but little is known about the quality of their training. Questionnaires were completed by 314 Americans who successfully finished their education in medical schools outside the United States and Canada and received a license to practice in America during 1963-1965. Ninety percent attended medical schools in Europe or Mexico. Forty-five percent earned their degrees after five years of study, while almost the same number took six or more years. Time taken for graduate studies, however, generally equalled that of their contemporaries from American medical schools. Sixty-four percent were board certified or qualified and one-half were engaged in private practice. Seventy-three percent of the group received a passing grade the first time they took the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) examination; almost all (91%) passed a state licensure test the first try.

Medical and Biological Research in Israel

This is a remarkable book and in many ways an interesting one as well. It comprises reviews of papers published by Israeli biologists and physicians during the first ten years of Israel's existence. The reviews are based on 2,000 papers chosen from among the 5,000 published in that period. (The basis of the choice is not given.) Israel has nearly twice as many physicians per thousand of population as the United States; about 90 per cent of them were trained in European medical schools. (Israel itself has graduated only about 500 physicians.) About half of Israel's physicians entered that country after 1948, many of them after harrowing and tragic experiences in Europe. The integration of these physicians, trained in various traditions and speaking many different languages, into a profession charged with patient care, public health, research, and teaching appears to have been achieved with remarkable rapidity, as evidenced by the

LICENSING OF FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES IN THE UNITED STATES

The licensing of graduates of European and other foreign medical schools, except those in Canada, has been a matter of grave concern to examining boards in a majority of our states for the last ten or a dozen years. Prior to that time, the number of graduates of foreign schools seeking settlement in this country was small, and often the candidates were of such unusual attainment that their coming here presented little question. However, coincidental with political changes in central Europe during the thirties, a substantial number of emigre physicians sought refuge in America, and licensing boards were faced with a new and complicated problem. At about the same time many American students went to Europe for medical education and returned here to practice. The Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association has reported that from 1930 through 1947, 14,520 graduates of foreign schools, not including Canadian, were

Degrees from European Medical Schools

Degrees from European Medical Schools

Degrees from European Medical Schools

Degrees from European Medical Schools

AMERICAN VERSUS EUROPEAN MEDICAL EDUCATION.A COMPARISON OF AMERICAN MEDICAL COLLEGE WORK WITH THAT OF EUROPEAN MEDICAL SCHOOLS. INCLUDING SOME THOUGHTS UPON FREE TRADE IN MEDICAL DIPLOMAS OF FOREIGN MANUFACTURE. Read in the Section of State Medicine at the Forty-first Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association, held at Nashville, Tenn., May, 1890.

Any American physician who is thrown into the society of European medical men, either at home or abroad, cannot fail to become sensible of a feeling of contempt for American medical education and persons, which pervades the European to such an extent that, polite as he may be, he is never able to wholly disguise it. This sentiment is most freely exhibited by medical immigrants to this country, by gentlemen who come here to settle after having received a foreign medical degree or diploma; and many who show it most offensively are Americans by birth though of foreign parentage, who have been sent abroad for their medical education. If hailing from the German or Austro-Hungarian empires, the diplomas possessed by these gentlemen do not qualify them to practice medicine in the countries where they were obtained; for not one in a thousand of such medical immigrants possesses the