Postgraduate Education Programs Research Articles

Resident evaluations in the age of competency-based medical education: faculty perspectives on minimizing burdens.

Competency-based medical education (CBME), an outcomes-based approach to medical education, continues to be implemented across many postgraduate medical education programs worldwide, including a recent introduction into Canadian neurosurgical training programs (July 2019). The success of this educational paradigm shift requires frequent faculty observation and evaluation of residents performing defined tasks of the specialty. A main challenge involves providing residents with frequent performance evaluations and feedback that are feasible for faculty to complete. This study aims to define what is currently happening and what changes are needed to make CBME successful for the certification of neurosurgeons' competence. A 55-item questionnaire was emailed nationwide to survey Canadian neurosurgical faculty. Fifty-two complete responses were received and achieved a distribution highly correlated with the number of faculty neurosurgeons practicing in each Canadian province (Pearson's r = 0.94). Two-thirds (35/52) of faculty reported currently taking a median of 10 minutes to complete evaluation forms at the end of a resident's rotation block. Regardless of the faculty's province of practice (p = 0.50) or years of experience (p = 0.06), they reported 3 minutes (minimum 1 minute, maximum 10 minutes, interquartile range [IQR] 3 minutes) as a feasible amount of time to spend completing an evaluation form following an observation of a resident's performance of an entrustable professional activity (EPA). If evaluation forms took 3 minutes to complete, 85% of respondents (44/52) would complete EPA evaluations weekly or daily. The faculty recommended 5 minutes as a feasible amount of time to provide oral feedback (minimum 1 minute, maximum 20 minutes, IQR 3.25 minutes), which was significantly higher (p = 0.00099) than their recommended amount of time for completing evaluation forms. The majority of faculty (71%) stated they would prefer to access resident evaluation forms through a mobile application compared to a paper form (12%), an evaluation website (8%), or through a URL link sent via email (10%; p = 0.0032). To facilitate the successful implementation of CBME into a neurosurgical training curriculum, resident EPA assessment forms should take 3 minutes or less to complete and be accessible through a mobile application.

To Assess Competency in Interpretation of Cardiac Arrhythmias among Emergency Medical Professionals in Pune, India

Introduction: The annual number of deaths from Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in India is projected to rise from 2.26 over the past several decades and have ranged from 1.6% to 7.4% in rural populations and from 1% to 13.2% in urban populations.
 Electrocardiography (ECG) is a non-invasive tool which is extensively used to understand and analyze a patient’s cardiac condition. It provides information about cardiac condition and helps in diagnosing acute coronary syndromes and cardiac arrhythmias. Emergency Medical Professionals (EMP’s) handle numerous cases of medical as well as trauma emergencies daily and are the first responders prior to hospitalization and the only reliable resource to help in revival of the patient. As it is of high priority, to give the upmost necessary care to the patients, being able to interpret and honing the skills to interpret ECG is of utmost importance and necessary.
 Despite its immense clinical value, there continues to be a lack of a comprehensive ECG interpretation curriculum in medical education programs. The goal should be to encourage the development of organized curriculum in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education programs, and to ensure the acquisition of level-appropriate ECG interpretation skills while maintaining patient safety.
 Objective: To assess competency in interpretation of cardiac arrhythmias among Emergency Medical Professionals
 Study Design: 
 Place of Study: Symbiosis Centre for Health Skills (SCHS), Pune India in May 2021.
 Methodology: The present study was conducted in May 2021, amongst 200 Emergency Medical Professionals (EMPs) employed in various hospitals in the city of Pune, India. American Heart Association (AHA) – Pre-course Self-Assessment questions were utilized for the study to assess ECG interpretation competency among Emergency Medical Professionals.
 Conclusion: The present study highlights the poor ECG competence amongst EMP’s. and is limited by its small sample size and interpretation of only three kinds of cardiac rhythms. Yet the study offers, insight on the current gaps in competence and offers simple solutions to improve the scenario.

Feasibility, and validity aspects of Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA)-based assessment in general practice training

ABSTRACT Introduction Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) are developed to support the practical application of competency frameworks in postgraduate medical education (PGME) programmes. EPAs are used for the assessment of the trainees’ competence development, which takes place by means of an entrustment decision, aiming to stimulate learning and independent practice in trainees. In this pilot study, we explore the feasibility and validity of EPA-based assessment in a General Practice (GP) training programme. Methods We used questionnaires to evaluate trainers’ and trainees’ experiences with the use of six EPAs for trainee learning, assessment and independent practice at the Out-of-Hours GP Center. Data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Additionally, we examined the inter-item correlation between scores on EPA-based assessment and competency-based assessment using Spearman’s Rho. Results EPA-based assessment provided opportunities for giving concrete feedback and substantiating competency-based assessment. No consistent correlation between EPA-based assessment and competency-based assessment could be detected. Only later in the course of the training programme a correlation was found between the EPA scores and the degree of independence of trainees. Discussion Results of this pilot study confirm the theories behind EPAs, as well as earlier research on EPAs in the workplace regarding trainee learning, assessment and independent practice. An important limitation of this study was the COVID-19 pandemic, as it influenced the results through reduced inclusion and follow-up, and through the impact on the workplace and trainee learning possibilities. Further research is needed to determine how EPAs support independent practice of trainees, as well as the assessment of trainee competency development.

Managing Cardiac Patients: Dentists’ Knowledge, Perceptions, and Practices

ObjectivesDental patients may require invasive treatment, and awareness of their medical conditions is essential for optimal care. We assessed the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of dentists practicing in Saudi Arabia (SA) and their associations with managing patients with common cardiac conditions. MethodsA national survey of knowledge and attitudes of practicing dentists towards patients with common cardiac conditions was conducted from May 2019 to July 2020 in SA. The survey comprised a newly developed, validated, electronic, self-administered English questionnaire. ResultsOverall, 282 dentists completed the survey, of whom 45.5% perceived cardiac patients as difficult to manage, while 64.5% stated that they refer these patients to cardiologists before dental intervention. Regarding knowledge about cardiac conditions, 72% achieved an overall knowledge score <55%; however, their infective endocarditis scores were better. Consultants and specialists (P < .001), those with a PhD/board certification (P = .013), dentists with prior education on cardiac patient management (P = .002), and those working with a cardiologist (P = .016) scored higher on knowledge. Conversely, private dentists (P = .003) and those referring patients to cardiologists before treatment (P = .003) scored lower. Dentists’ knowledge of cardiovascular diseases in women was low; only those who believed women experience a greater risk of cardiac complications achieved a higher score. Approximately 90.1% wished to receive education regarding cardiac patient management. ConclusionsKnowledge of cardiac patient management was suboptimal in this study. Dentists perceived cardiac patients as difficult to manage, but wished to learn more regarding optimal management. Thus, postgraduate education programmes that promote optimal dental management strategies for cardiac patients are necessary.

Awakening to sleep disorders in Europe: Survey on education, knowledge and treatment competence of European residents and neurologists.

Sleep-wake disorders are common in the general population and in most neurological disorders but are often poorly recognized. With the hypothesis that neurologists do not get sufficient training during their residency, the Young European Sleep Neurologist Association (YESNA) of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) performed a survey on postgraduate sleep education. A 16-item questionnaire was developed and distributed among neurologists and residents across European countries. Questions assessed demographic, training and learning preferences in sleep disorders, as well as a self-evaluation of knowledge based on five basic multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on sleep-wake disorders. The questionnaire was completed by 568 participants from 20 European countries. The mean age of participants was 31.9years (SD 7.4years) and was composed mostly of residents (73%). Three-quarters of the participants reported undergraduate training in sleep medicine, while fewer than 60% did not receive any training on sleep disorders during their residencies. Almost half of the participants (45%) did not feel prepared to treat neurological patients with sleep problems. Only one-third of the participants correctly answered at least three MCQs. Notably, 80% of participants favoured more education on sleep-wake disorders during the neurology residency. Education and knowledge on disorders in European neurological residents is generally insufficient, despite a strong interest in the topic. The results of our study may be useful for improving the European neurology curriculum and other postgraduate educational programmes.

Experiences of Advanced Practice Nurses with a clinical postgraduate education program in the context of their professional development

Experiences of Advanced Practice Nurses with a clinical postgraduate education program in the context of their professional development Abstract. Background: The Diploma of Advanced Studies in Advanced Nursing Practice (DAS ANP-plus), which has been offered at the University of Basel since 2012, is a clinically oriented postgraduate education program for the still poorly established professional group of the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). The acquisition of clinical skills plays a central role in the professional biography and for the APN's work in patient healthcare. Aim: The qualitative study aims to explore the experiences of APNs during and after a clinically oriented postgraduate education program in Switzerland and what significant changes they experienced in their professional practice. Methods: Reflexive thematic analysis with a constructivist orientation was used. With fourteen APNs, guided interviews were conducted and analyzed considering the professional biography. Results: "Pursuing the vision for a better care" is the constitutive theme. The graduates all seem to be driven by a strong vision: from striving to know more, to implementing the concept of Advanced Nursing Practice, to initiating changes in the healthcare system. The vision is shaped by three themes: "the challenges of gaining a foothold as an APN" before the program, "gaining security by strengthening clinical skills" during the program and on longer terms "breaking new ground in the healthcare system with allies". Conclusions: The DAS ANP-plus increases the clinical skills of APNs within clinical supervision plays an important role.

Prospects for healthcare personnel training in the public health system of Ukraine

Purpose: scientific substantiation of training of medical personnel for the public health system of Ukraine. During 2017-2020, the Department of Public Health conducted a systematic analysis of public health staffing in Ukraine, developed countries and Europe. For the first time, a model of formation of specialists' competencies for the public health system of Ukraine in the postgraduate education program with a multidisciplinary approach to training is substantiated and developed, which includes such disciplines as epidemiology, hygiene, medical statistics, laboratory diagnostics, information technology, legal law and others. This enables to reveal the tools and methods of system management, improve the availability and quality of work during the formation and development of the industry. The need for medical education for public health specialists who are ready to perform basic operational functions to preserve and strengthen the health of the population of Ukraine has been established. For the first time, methodological approaches to the improvement of higher medical education at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels have been scientifically substantiated, taking into account modern requirements for the functioning of the public health system; competence models of the public health specialist in modern conditions of realization of his activity are created; standards of higher education at the first (bachelor's) and second (master's) levels in the specialty 229 “Public health” in the field of knowledge 22 “Health Care” have been developed.

Survey on general practitioners\u2019 and pharmacists\u2019 opinions regarding patient-initiated treatment of recurring urinary tract infections

Background The Dutch general practitioners (GP) guideline for urinary tract infections (UTI) recommends patient-initiated treatment for women with recurring UTI. In countries other than the Netherlands, community pharmacists play a role in dispensing antibiotics for recurring UTI without preceding GP consultation. Objective To study GP and pharmacist opinions regarding the desirability of patient-initiated treatment, including potential pharmacist support for, and consequences of, facilitated access to antibiotics. Setting Dutch community pharmacies that cooperate with at least two GPs in their regional primary care network. Method Pharmacists in a postgraduate education program invited their residency pharmacist and 2–3 GPs to anonymously complete an online questionnaire. Questions related to diagnosis, treatment and potential role of the pharmacist. Answers were formulated as multiple-choice or ratings on a 5-point Likert scale. Data were analysed per professional group using descriptive statistics. Answers of pharmacists and GP to corresponding questions were analysed using a Chi-square test (p < 0.05). Main outcome measure Desirability of patient-initiated treatment and supporting role of the pharmacist. Results A total of 170 GPs and 76 pharmacists completed the questionnaires. Of the GPs, 35.1% supported patient-initiated treatment. Of the pharmacists, 69.7% were willing to dispense an antibiotic to a patient without preceding GP consultation after performing a probability check. In total, 65.7% of GPs and 44.7% of pharmacists thought that facilitated access to antibiotics would increase use of antibiotics (p < 0.05). Conclusion Support of GPs for facilitated access to antibiotic treatment by patient-initiated UTI treatment was limited, even with pharmacist support. The majority of pharmacists were willing to dispense an antibiotic after a probability check of an episode of recurring UTI, but both pharmacists and GPs were concerned about overuse of antibiotics.

Model for the formation of the leadership professional competence in healthcare field

Problem setting. Structural reforms in the healthcare system, medical institutions autonomization and radical change in their financing model, necessitate continuous improvement of methodological and organizational approaches to the training of modern specialists in the field of healthcare organization and management.&#x0D; Recent research and publications analysis. Conceptual, terminological and practical aspects for the formation of the leadership professional competence are considered in the numerous works by foreign and domestic scientists. T. Kravtsova, K. Khomenko, M. Mruha and others considered the peculiarities of educational approaches to the formation of professional competence for medical staff. Management capital in the healthcare system was studied by V. Borsch. The information support model for the formation of the leadership professional competence in the healthcare field was proposed by L. Lishtaba.&#x0D; Highlighting previously unsettled parts of the general problem. Despite the significant scientific achievements of the scholars, there is still no comprehensive research, concerning the development of a universal model for the formation of the leadership professional competence in the healthcare system integrated by levels and forms of education.&#x0D; Paper main body. The model for the formation of the leadership professional competence in the healthcare field could be considered from the philosophical and socio-economic point of view. The philosophical aspect of the model reflects a dialectical set of forms and methods for influencing the formation of knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as the leaders’ capability to act effectively and to achieve results in the healthcare management. The socio-economic aspect of the model means that it is always specified by certain socio-economic conditions of society development, the requirements of the market environment for the leadership professional qualities, and the healthcare system features. The model is implemented through a mechanism, the core of which being the state personnel policy in the healthcare field. Legal, economic and administrative methods of state influence are the means for its implementation, while educational and professional programs of postgraduate education and continuing professional development programs in the healthcare are the implementation forms. The objects of the model are organizational, legal, economic, educational, value-personal subsystems (elements) of the system of formation and development of the leadership professional competence in the healthcare field.&#x0D; Conclusions and perspectives for further research. Having considered the conceptual apparatus of the system of formation and development of the leadership professional competence in the healthcare field, we can form an idea of its scientific (abstract) structural and functional model. Filling each abstract element of the mechanism for the model implementation with specific content could be the next important step of scientific research.

The state of research art in “quilombola school education” in Brazil between 2015 and 2020

Considering the period that covers the years 2015 and 2020, we intend to present the panorama of the researches carried out in Brazil, which have as their object “quilombola school education”. We also seek to identify the concepts that are used in the works found and the authors the most cited. Specifically, we are interested in verifying in the research carried out in the Postgraduate Programs in Education, the presence of the theoretical contribution of Afrocentricity and Decolonial Studies.

Evaluation of the clinical self-efficacy of postgraduate midwifery students who took courses related to biochemistry: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Objectives Postgraduate midwifery students learn the science and art of midwifery in clinical settings through the integration of evidence-based knowledge, practical skills, quality of care, and personal attitudes. These personal attitudes are confidence, intuition, problem solving, critical thinking, and self-efficacy. This study’s goal was to evaluate the clinical self-efficacy of midwifery students who took courses related to biochemistry in the postgraduate education program. Methods A cross-sectional design was used in the study. In the study, data collection was performed using surveys from students in the postgraduate midwifery education program. The study data were collected by employing the “Introductory Information Form” and the “Self-efficacy for Clinical Evaluation Scale.” Data evaluation was performed by number, percentage, mean, and correlation test. Results It was revealed that 67.7% of midwifery students who took the courses were postgraduate students in the thesis stage, 41% of them worked in secondary health services, and 51.6% of them had a clinical experience of 5 years and more. The total score of the self-efficacy perception subscale was 4.22 ± 0.49 (1–5), whereas the total score of the perceived confidence subscale was 4.57 ± 0.45 (1–5). There was a statistically significant correlation between the self-efficacy subscale and the importance subscale. Conclusions The results indicated that postgraduate midwifery students had high clinical self-efficacy scores. We think that the elective courses related to biochemistry in the postgraduate midwifery education program may have positively affected their clinical skills. We anticipate that it will be appropriate to conduct research with a larger sample size to examine the effect of postgraduate midwifery education on students’ clinical self-efficacy.

CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF TRAINING HIGHLY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL USING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

The article is devoted to the study of foreign theory and experience in designing a system of training highly qualified personnel using information and communication technologies and comparing them with domestic specifics in this area. In response to the need for training highly qualified personnel capable of solving research and pedagogical tasks in key areas for the development of the state, the purpose of this comparative study was to identify relevant and verified parameters for designing a conceptual model of the system for training scientific and pedagogical personnel in graduate school using ICT tools. The research is based on the analysis of domestic and foreign scientific and pedagogical literature devoted to the problems of training graduate students using ICT tools. To obtain empirical data, we applied the method of integrated observation in the design, administration and development of the postgraduate educational program; questionnaire surveys of graduate students, research supervisors and members of the state examination commission and in-depth interviewing of experts in the field of training highly qualified personnel with subsequent content analysis of the data obtained. As a result, we analyzed and systematized, taking into account the specifics of the use of information and communication technologies, such aspects of training highly qualified personnel as: theoretical, methodological and methodological provisions, personal, professional and regulatory requirements for graduate students and scientific supervisors, implementation and administration of the educational process in graduate school, including against the background of conditions of remote interaction, features of intermediate and final assessment of the formation of competencies of graduate students. The study opens up significant prospects for the practical application of the results obtained in the educational process.

Ely in New Zealand

Abstract John Hart Ely’s representation-reinforcing theory of the US Constitution had a significant impact on the drafting of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. This short article begins by recapping briefly the pathway by which that influence occurred. It then expands on earlier accounts in two ways. The first is to suggest that Ely’s influence in New Zealand illustrates the significance of American postgraduate legal education programs as a vector for the migration of constitutional ideas (although the causal relationship in this case is neither straightforward nor direct). The second is to confront more explicitly a nagging question raised by earlier scholarship: to what extent was it Ely specifically (rather than US process theories more generally) that influenced the New Zealand experience? The article suggests that, at very least, Ely’s work acted as the conduit by which the ideas underlying American process theory were transmitted into the New Zealand text. Although it is inevitably somewhat speculative, the article also suggests that it is unlikely that, in the absence of Ely, the drafters of the N.Z. Bill of Rights would have pursued a process-perfecting strategy with quite the same vigilance and systematicity.

Training teacher‐researchers through online collective academic supervision: Evidence from a postgraduate teacher education programme

AbstractCollective academic supervision (CAS) is a collective model for students' academic supervision to reduce their isolation and as a measure to establish a congenial culture and to develop networks with their peers. Most studies focus on the benefits of online CAS, leaving the pedagogical process and students' learning experiences understudied. This research examines the participation and learning experience of a cohort of Master of Education (MEd) students in online supervision that took place on a Moodle platform. This article reports a case study of Moodle‐based CAS in Hong Kong that aims to train postgraduate students into teacher‐researchers. A class of MEd students and their supervisors were observed, and their online dialogues were analysed. The bio‐ecological student engagement model was used to explain the online supervision process. The results indicated that the students' learning was situated and embodied in the online social processes facilitated by peers' and supervisors' replies. The online interaction behaviours mainly included proposing questions or problems, providing information or solutions, and making comments. The findings have provided an exemplary case regarding the application of the online learning environment in supporting CAS and active research‐based learning. The productive online CAS seems to benefit both teacher candidates and their supervisors by promoting the co‐construction of the knowledge and skills of educational research, although more evidence is needed.

Quality assessment of postgraduate safety education programs, current developments with examples of ten (post)graduate safety courses in Europe

Professionalization of safety is gaining some interest in international safety literature, including (post)graduate training and education of safety experts. Different from research, there are hardly any publications and discussions on the quality of (post) graduate safety education in the academic safety literature. This article starts with a short historical picture of safety education. After this picture, a description of the ten (post) graduate safety courses involved is presented with a special reference to the assessment of the quality of these courses. It shows that an internal evaluation of quality, like reactions from trainees, and results from examinations, and tests are presently the main quality indicators. Discussions on how quality assessment can be performed has led to an overview of literature on educational objectives and educational models, and possible options for this assessment. The article concludes that the transfer of safety knowledge and skills to companies and organizations is a highly desirable elaboration of the quality concept. But it is also clear that traditional safety indicators can provide no, or only unreliable, information about the degree of this transfer. An overview of possible minor and major accident scenarios of the company or organisation concerned might be a better option, combined with the activities of the trainee to influence and prevent activation of these scenarios.

Womens' self-management skills for prevention and treatment of recurring urinary tract infection.

BackgroundThe guideline on urinary tract infections (UTI) of the Dutch College of General Practitioners provides recommendations on patient‐initiated treatment and prevention of recurring UTI.AimTo study familiarity with self‐management skills for prevention of recurring UTI amongst adult women.Design and settingsAn online questionnaire was developed, based on the UTI guideline and interviews with women having recurring UTI. Pharmacists in a postgraduate education programme (N = 76) aimed to invite 10 adult women with a recurring UTI prescription to complete the questionnaire. Women were asked for informed consent to link medication record data to questionnaire data.MethodWe calculated proportions of the scores for self‐management skills and analysed differences between age groups with chi‐square test.ResultsComplete questionnaires were available for 719 women (mean age 55.1 ± 18.5 years). The proportions of women 18‐50 years and women 51 years or older were 36.4% and 63.6%, respectively. Education levels of women 18‐50 years were significantly higher than those of women 51 years and older. Before consulting a general practitioner (GP) for symptoms, 32.1% of all women increased fluid intake; additionally, 15.0% used analgesics and increased fluid intake. Of all women, 33.9% searched internet for information on self‐management and 18% occasionally received a prescription for patient‐initiated treatment, half of these prescriptions for use during vacation. Cranberry was used by 47%, d‐mannose by 5% and vitamin C by 29% of all women. Awareness of different preventive behavioural measures (eg, fluid intake, washing without soap and emptying bladder after sexual intercourse) varied between 20% and 90%.ConclusionAlmost half of all women applied self‐management (increased fluid intake, analgesics) before consulting a GP for recurring UTI. Awareness of preventive behavioural measures for recurring UTI varied considerably. Thus, education of women about the use of analgesics and behavioural measures deserves attention.

Developing a blended learning postgraduate teaching programme in anaesthesia: pandemic and beyond

One of the many challenges facing doctors in training during the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant reduction in postgraduate medical education in the form of formal teaching. Consequently, we sought...

Development Analysis of Post Graduate School Program of Occupational Health Nursing (OHN), Workforce and The Challenges in Poltekkes Kemenkes Jayapura (a Case Study)

Background: According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS, 2020), Papua is one of the poorest provinces in Indonesia with a poverty rate of 26.8%. This condition is exacerbated by the lack of educational facilities including occupational health nursing (OHN) at the postgraduate level. Even though there are several large industries in Papua that are engaged in oil exploration to wood processing. As a result, there is an imbalance between the need for OHN nursing experts and the production of nurses due to the absence of OHN postgraduate educational facilities in Papua.Destination: This article is a case study which aims to analyze the development of OHN postgraduate education programs, human resources and challenges from an Occupational Safety and Health (OHS) perspective.Method: The study used is in the form of a literature review using SWOT Analysis which emphasizes on policy issues on nursing education and its specialties, especially OHN. Data is collected from various sources, including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Manpower, BPPSDM, PPNI, journals from within and outside the country. Document review was conducted from January 2016 to December 2020.Result: From the results of the SWOT analysis, the research shows that the Poltekkes of the Ministry of Health of Jayapura has a very supportive potential to develop postgraduate nursing education programs in the OHN department. In addition to adequate human resources, sufficient land for practice and the availability of industrial jobs for graduates.

A National Survey of postgraduate physician assistant fellowship and residency programs

IntroductionThe development of postgraduate programs for physician assistants (PAs) began in 1973 and by 2020 there were approximately 72 programs spread across a broad range of medical and surgical disciplines. PA Post-graduate education programs are voluntary and available to American licensed PAs. Therefore, an assessment of the characteristics of PA post-graduate fellowships and residencies programs was initiated.MethodA non-experimental, descriptive research study was designed to obtain information on the characteristics of PA postgraduate education programs in the US. The source of information was from surveyed members of the Association of Postgraduate Physician Assistant Programs (APPAP). Questions were drawn from consensus discussions. Directors of postgraduate programs that were operational in 2020 were eligible to participate.ResultsSeventy-two postgraduate program directors were invited to the survey and 34 program directors replied. These programs are geographically distributed across the US in 13 states. The respondents represent a wide range of medicine: surgery, emergency medicine, critical care, orthopaedics, hospitalist, psychiatry, oncology, primary care, pediatrics, and cardiology. Most programs are associated with an academic medical center and some institutions have more than one postgraduate specialty track. The curriculum includes bedside teaching, lectures, mentorship, assigned reading, procedures, simulation, and conferences. An average program length is 12 months and awards a certificate. Stipends for PA fellows are $50,000–80,000 (2020 dollars) and benefits include paid time off, health and liability insurance. About half of the programs bill for the services rendered by the PA. Over 90% of graduates are employed within 2 months of completing a PA postgraduate training program.ConclusionA trend is underway in American medicine to include PAs in postgraduate education. PA postgraduate training occurs across a broad spectrum of medical and surgical areas, as well as diverse institutions and organizations overseeing these programs. Most PA postgraduate programs are in teaching hospitals where the PA resident or PA fellow also serves as a house officer alongside a categorical resident. This study sets the stage for more granular economic and social research on this growing phenomenon in American medicine.

Family physicians' awareness and general knowledge of hidradenitis suppurativa: A survey research.

Medical consultations of family physicians play a key role in early diagnosis and proper management of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).This study aimed to investigate family physicians' disease awareness, general attitudes, and knowledge of HS. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 211 family physicians and residents through a web-based survey. The questionnaire consisted of 25 questions about the demographic characteristics of the participants as well as their awareness and general knowledge of HS. While 90% of physicians know that the diagnosis of HS is made clinically without any need for a laboratory examination,only 23.7% of them felt confident performing such a diagnosis. About 63% of participants defined HS as an infectious disease of the apocrine glands, contradictive to the real pathophysiology. About 21% of them had not been medically trained in HS, and 3% of them even had never heard the name of HS. Only 33% were aware of the role of biological agents. Most of the family physicians (57.4%) were willing to participate in postgraduate education programmes about HS. The family physicians' awareness of HS is limited. Increased practice in medical education and postgraduate education programmes may help increase the knowledge of family physicians.