Self-assessment Evaluation Research Articles

Comparison of clinical competency self-assessments among Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residents before and during COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose/objectivesSelf‐assessment of clinical competence is an important tool for effective learning and training for some educational programs. The New York University (NYU) Langone Hospital's Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) Program has had its residents complete self‐assessment of clinical competency evaluations for many years. The evaluation is used to understand the residents’ perception of their own clinical skill upon beginning the program and to determine the necessary resources to provide to the residents for them to meet program standards. The same evaluation is completed by the residents 6 months later to determine if they perceived advancement in their clinical performance while in the program. Dental education, along with other fields of education was disrupted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of COVID‐19 on clinical competency self‐assessments among the NYU Langone AEGD residents before and during the pandemic.MethodsIn this cross‐sectional study, data was collected from two AEGD cohorts representing 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 academic years; from July 2019 (n = 196) to January 2020 (n = 189) and July 2020 (n = 202) to January 2021 (n = 184). The self‐assessment evaluations were administered via an online residency management platform on the first days of July and January of the academic year. The survey consisted of 48 questions on “clinical skills and performance” as established by CODA standards for postdoctoral general dentistry programs.ResultsSurvey response rate was 100% for both cohorts. When comparing results, the findings indicate the COVID‐19 pandemic had interrupted clinical learning during dental school. However, training through the AEGD program led to improvements in perceived clinical competence by the residents in mid‐program evaluation.ConclusionThe self‐assessment evaluation can be used as a tool to enhance training as part of the AEGD program's performance improvement plan.

The ASK-SEAT: a competency-based assessment scale for students majoring in clinical medicine

BackgroundTo validate a competency-based assessment scale for students majoring in clinical medicine, ASK-SEAT. Students’ competency growth across grade years was also examined for trends and gaps.MethodsQuestionnaires were distributed online from May through August in 2018 to Year-2 to Year-6 students who majored in clinical medicine at the Shantou University Medical College (China). Cronbach alpha values were calculated for reliability of the scale, and exploratory factor analysis employed for structural validity. Predictive validity was explored by correlating Year-4 students’ self-assessed competency ratings with their licensing examination scores (based on Kendall’s tau-b values). All students’ competency development over time was examined using the Mann-Whitney U test.ResultsA total of 760 questionnaires meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed. The overall Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.964, and the item-total correlations were all greater than 0.520. The overall KMO measure was 0.966 and the KMO measure for each item was greater than 0.930 (P < 0.001). The eigenvalues of the top 3 components extracted were all greater than 1, explaining 55.351, 7.382, and 5.316% of data variance respectively, and 68.048% cumulatively. These components were aligned with the competency dimensions of skills (S), knowledge (K), and attitude (A). Significant and positive correlations (0.135 < Kendall’s tau-b < 0.276, p < 0.05) were found between Year-4 students’ self-rated competency levels and their scores for the licensing examination. Steady competency growth was associated with almost all indicators, with the most pronounced growth in the domain of skills. A lack of steady growth was seen in the indicators of “applying the English language” and “conducting scientific research & innovating”.ConclusionsThe ASK-SEAT, a competency-based assessment scale developed to measure medical students’ competency development shows good reliability and structural validity. For predictive validity, weak-to-moderate correlations are found between Year-4 students’ self-assessment and their performance at the national licensing examination (Year-4 students start their clinical clerkship during the 2nd semester of their 4th year of study). Year-2 to Year-6 students demonstrate steady improvement in the great majority of clinical competency indicators, except in the indicators of “applying the English language” and “conducting scientific research & innovating”.

Structured guideline-based physiotherapy reduces difficulties in activities of daily living in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND:In the long term, Parkinson’s disease (PD) leads to the development of difficulties in daily functional tasks. There remains a paucity of evidence on the effectiveness of physiotherapy on patient-perceived difficulties regarding basic activities of daily living (ADL).OBJECTIVES:To assess an effect of a versatile physiotherapy intervention on patient-perceived difficulties in basic ADL.METHODS:The study sample included 24 patients (10 men and 14 women) with PD. Participants were randomly assigned into intervention (IG) and control groups (CG). Two assessments were performed with a gap of 10 weeks. Following first assessment, during an 8-week period, IG participants attended sixteen physiotherapy 60-minutes sessions in groups that were divided into five parts to address the core areas recommended by the European Physiotherapy Guideline for PD (EPGPD): gait, transfers, balance, physical capacity, and manual activities. The main assessment tool was the Modified Patients Specific Functional Scale (ModPSFS), which represents a self-assessment rating on difficulties perceived in 17 different commonly occurring activities.RESULTS:IG members reported a significant reduction in self-perceived difficulties as assessed by ModPSFS (effect size 1.39; 95%CI 5.1, 26.6 points, p = 0.005).CONCLUSIONS:2-months conventional physiotherapy with incorporated core areas recommended in EPGPD for PD reduced patient-perceived difficulties in basic ADL.

Stability of health-related quality of life and morbidity burden from 18\xa0months after diagnosis of prostate cancer: results of a UK-wide population-based outcome cohort

ObjectiveTo evaluate the dynamic nature of self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQL) and morbidity burden in men diagnosed with prostate cancer, we performed a follow-up study of the Life After Prostate Cancer Diagnosis (LAPCD) study cohort 12 months after initial survey.MethodsThe LAPCD study collected information from 35,823 men across the UK who were 18–42 months post-diagnosis of prostate cancer. Men who were still alive 12 months later were resurveyed. Generic HRQL (EQ-5D-5L plus self-assessed health rating) and prostate cancer-specific outcomes (EPIC-26) were assessed. Treatment(s) received was self-reported. Previously defined clinically meaningful differences were used to evaluate changes in outcomes over time.ResultsA total of 28,450 men across all disease stages completed follow-up surveys (85.8% response). Of the 21,700 included in this study, 89.7% reported no additional treatments since the first survey. This group experienced stable urinary and bowel outcomes, with good function for most men at both time points. On-going poor (but stable) urinary issues were associated with previous surgery. Sexual function scores remained low (mean: 26.8/100). Self-assessed health ratings were stable over time. The largest declines in HRQL and functional outcomes were experienced by men reporting their first active treatment between surveys.DiscussionThe results suggest stability of HRQL and most specific morbidities by 18–42 months for men who report no further treatment in the subsequent 12 months. This is reassuring for those with good function and HRQL but re-enforces the need for early intervention and support for men who experience poor outcomes.

Temporal changes in medical student perceptions of their clinical skills and needs using a repeated self-assessment instrument

BackgroundMedical student needs in clinical skill training may change over time, but data on this topic are limited. This study uses repeated self-assessments on clinical rotations during medical school to evaluate students’ perceptions of their clinical skill growth.MethodsA self-assessment rating was completed by students during each clinical rotation as they progressed through their core clinical rotation year. The instrument consisted of questions on 5 clinical skill categories where students rated their performance as “below”, “at” or “above” expected, and open-ended questions on strengths and challenges. We evaluated changes in self-ratings between the first (n=136) and third (n=118) quarters by matched-pair analysis of the shift in responses between time points using a Sign Test. We also identified the main themes from the students’ responses to open-ended questions.ResultsWe found 22.4 % and 13.3 % of students increased their self-assessment ratings on “Oral Presentation Skills” and on “Differential Diagnosis”, respectively. In contrast, perceived ability to communicate with patients saw the largest negative shifts. “Patient Interaction” was the most commonly identified area of strength and “Knowledge and Organization” was most frequently cited as a barrier.ConclusionsStudents demonstrated a positive shift in perceived competence in some core clinical skills that are not strongly emphasized in the preclinical curriculum, likely reflecting increased exposure over time. However, their perceived competence in communication skills declined. This may reflect initial over-estimation or true decline due to competing needs/interests. These patterns of change can inform the design of longitudinal curricula that anticipate and address students’ needs during clinical rotations, such as placing increased emphasis on presentation skills and differential diagnosis earlier in the curriculum, and adding more emphasis to communication skills in later phases.

FROM GUIDES TO INTERPRETERS LESSONS FROM HERITAGE INTERPRETATION TRAINING IN TERNATE, NORTH MALUKU, INDONESIA

With a perceived need to improve the interpretation quality of guiding in the 17th century Dutch-colonial Fort Oranje, six on-line workshops were conducted for professional guides and historical society members from Ternate, North Maluku. The workshops included sessions on historical context, fort features, guiding and interpretation good practice principles, tour planning and delivery. Self-assessment evaluations by participants revealed lack of confidence with their level of historical knowledge and in applying interpretive approaches that would enhance a tour of the fort more enjoyable and meaningful for tourists. Limitations of the on-line medium for training were identified by presenters relating to the need for practical on-site tutoring and integration of historical context and content with places, interpretive principles, and visitor expectations. Exposure of participants to novel ideas and approaches to guiding was constrained by language, participant experience of quality interpretation, and face-to-face mentoring. While the content of the training program can be adapted for improving interpretive guiding in geoparks, there is probably value in some restructuring to include a two-stage process that starts with training-of-trainers.

External and Internal Load Measures During Preseason Training in Men Collegiate Soccer Athletes.

Fields, JB, Merigan, JM, Gallo, S, White, JB, and Jones, MT. External and internal load measures during preseason training in men collegiate soccer athletes. J Strength Cond Res 35(9): 2572-2578, 2021-Collegiate athletes are exposed to high volume loads during preseason training. Monitoring training load can inform training and recovery periods. Therefore, the purpose was to examine changes in and bidirectional relationship between external and internal load metrics in men collegiate soccer athletes (n = 20; age, 20 ± 1 year). Internal load measures of heart rate variability (HRV), salivary testosterone (T) and cortisol (C), and self-assessment wellness and ratings of perceived exertion scales were collected daily. External load measures of total distance, player load, high-speed distance, high inertial movement analysis, and repeated high-intensity efforts were collected in each training session using global positioning system/global navigation satellite system technology. A 1-way analysis of variance determined weekly changes in external load, physiological, hormonal, and subjective self-assessment measures of internal load. Bidirectional prediction of external load markers and self-assessment measures on physiological and hormonal markers of internal load were assessed by hierarchical linear regression models (p < 0.05). External load measures, C, energy, sleep, and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) decreased (p < 0.01), whereas T, T:C ratio, anger, depression, and vigor increased (p < 0.01) from week 1 to week 2. Morning C positively predicted afternoon external load and post-training RPE (p < 0.05); T:C ratio negatively predicted afternoon external load and post-training RPE (p < 0.05); and morning HRV negatively predicted post-training RPE (p = 0.031). Despite reduced hormonal stress and external load across weeks, negative perceptions of fatigue increased, suggesting fatigue patterns may have a delayed response. Load may have a more belated, chronic effect on perceptions of fatigue, whereas hormonal changes may be more immediate and sensitive to change. Practitioners may wish to use a variety of external and internal load measures to understand athletes' stress responses to training.

Empirical Evidence of Faulty Credit Scoring and Business Failure in P2P Lending

Purpose: This study attempts to identify the cause of the failure of a platform operator in a P2P lending market, from the perspective of the internal credit rating system. Design/methodology/approach: Data from Moneyauction, the first P2P lending platform in Korea, which led the market for a while and then unexpectedly closed down, was analyzed using a series of binary logistic regression and relative weight analysis methods. The study concentrates on the effect and importance of the self-assessed credit score system used by Moneyauction with regard to investor funding decisions and the actual repayment performance outcomes of borrowers. The predictive power of this self-assessed credit score is also identified. Findings: The findings show that while the internal credit score is considered the most important factor in an investor s funding decision, its importance with regard to a borrower s actual repayment performance is significantly lower compared to other factors. Specifically, the predictability when using a model with an internal credit score with regard to a borrower’s repayment performance is inferior to a model without this factor. The findings therefore suggest that low-quality self-assessed credit rating systems may in fact contribute to the failure of individual platforms, even when the market is growing rapidly. Research limitations/implications: A series of business failures in a P2P market in the early stages of growth could make it difficult for the market to grow as a promising means of alternative finance due to the mounting distrust of potential participants and the exodus of existing investors. Therefore, the results of this study may present important issues to be discussed in relation to healthy market growth. The findings of this study are from the special case of Moneyauction in Korea. Thus, there is a limit to generalizing the results in this study, and further research is needed on additional platforms in similar situations in different markets. Originality/value: None of the previous studies on P2P lending markets has investigated individual platform failure cases. Existing studies mainly focus on the statistical significance of the effects of borrower characteristics on investors decisions or borrowers repayment performances. This study is also distinct in terms of its methodology in that it goes one step further and discusses the relative importance among all aspects of the borrowers characteristics.

Five-Step Self-Assessment Evaluation for Microvascular Patency in Non-Living Specimen

To develop a 5-step evaluation method to predict vessel patency in non-living specimens by analyzing the relationship between this evaluation score and patency rate in rat femoral vessel anastomosis. Surgical specimens of rat femoral anastomoses were collected from a basic microsurgery course. Each specimen was recorded during practice conducted on living specimens into Group 1: Successful or Group 2: Failed anastomosis. Then, all specimens were cut and blindly sent for assessment of the quality of anastomosis using the 5-step evaluation method including: (1) General appearance, (2) Passing catheter, (3) Vessel expansion, (4) Fluid outflow and (5) Anastomosis leakage. Total score (10 points) was recorded and compared between the 2 groups. The average score in each group and passing score for successful anastomoses were calculated and reported. A total of 47 femoral vessel anastomoses were studied. There were 25 successful anastomoses in group 1 and 22 failed anastomosis in group 2. The mean scores in group 1 and group 2 were 7.92, and 1.55, respectively. The passing score to determine successful anastomosis was 5 and chosen based on ROC curve. Predicted success rate of the anastomosis at the score of 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10 were 92%-95%, 94%-95% and 100%, respectively. The 5-step self-assessment evaluation could serve as an effective tool for new trainees to monitor their practice results during basic microsurgical training in non-living specimen.

The Role of Haemostasis Course in Increasing Knowledge and Skills in Managing Upper Gastrointestinal Bleed of the Delegates: A British Society of Gastroenterology's Endoscopy Quality Improvement Programme, Yorkshire Project.

IntroductionAn acute upper gastrointestinal bleed (AUGIB) is a fatal and prevalent medical emergency if not appropriately treated in a timely fashion.AimThe aim of this project was to compare the knowledge and skills of the participants in managing upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) before and after a one-day UGIB haemostasis course.MethodsA one-day haemostasis course in line with the British Society of Gastroenterology’s Endoscopy Quality Improvement Project Initiative was organised at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Trust. The course included lectures on UGIB and its management, which was followed by hands-on training on adrenaline injection, variceal banding, clip placement, thermal therapy, Hemospray® use, Sengstaken-Blakemore tube placement, and Danis stent placement via porcine or plastic models. Pre- and post-course feedback questionnaires consisting of self-assessed ratings related to knowledge, skills, and behaviour relevant to UGIB were offered to all delegates. Two-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the results.ResultsA total of 36 individuals attended the course. Delegates had an average endoscopy procedure count of 583. The cohort ranged from different fields of medicine, including gastroenterology consultants and junior doctors. Ten of the delegates were Joint Advisory Group-certified in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Feedback datasheets were returned by 22 delegates. Significant improvements were reported post-course (p < 0.001), especially in the hands-on and behavioural areas.ConclusionOverall, there was a significant improvement in the knowledge, procedural skills, and confidence of the delegates in the management of an AUGIB post-course. We recommend not only to include this course in gastrointestinal training but also to conduct a course such as this for consultants and junior doctors who wish to undergo gastrointestinal training in the future.

Creating a virtual, clinical scenario based teaching programme for foundation doctors in Leeds

AimsThrough consultation with foundation doctors on their psychiatry placements in Leeds, we established that they didn't feel the trustwide teaching programme met their needs, with them rating the relevance as 5.8 on a 1-10 Likert scale. They also reported their access to formal and informal teaching had been limited by COVID-19 restrictions. We aimed to create an accessible teaching programme that met their developmental needs as set out by the Foundation curriculum, as well as their confidence and skill set in dealing with common mental health presentations. Our supplementary aims were to promote psychiatry as a career and to provide supervised teaching opportunities to core trainees.MethodHaving assessed the foundation doctors confidence in dealing with different scenarios, we created a 9 week teaching programme covering common mental health presentations they're likely to encounter during their training. The virtual sessions focus on what assessment and management skills would be expected for a foundation doctor, as well as when and how to access support and refer on. The programme was designed to be trainee led with the teaching being facilitated by core trainees as it was felt that they would best relate to the experiences and developmental needs of foundation doctors. This also provided the CTs with an opportunity to develop their teaching skills, something that has become more difficult during COVID.ResultThrough weekly feedback of the sessions we were able to demonstrate that for 8 of the 9 sessions the foundation doctors rated them as being ‘useful’ or ‘very useful’ and we're currently reviewing the topic and materials for the outlying session.Through self-assessed ratings before and after the programme, we demonstrated significant increases in confidence in dealing with all 9 of the scenarios. All of the foundation doctors indicated that they had found the programme beneficial.ConclusionAs shown in the results, the programme has been well received by the foundation doctors who's confidence in dealing with a range of scenarios has improved. The programme has also been well received by the trust who have asked us to repeat the it for future foundation rotations and by core trainees who were grateful of the development opportunities that this provided. Further developments will include extending the programme for the duration of the placement to enable us to cover an enhanced range of presentations and to consolidate core skills.

Disain dan Validitas E-Modul Interaktif Berbasis Konflik Kognitif untuk Remediasi Miskonsepsi Siswa pada Konsep Gaya

Student misconceptions occur because students build their own concepts from their own environment without the help of experts, therefore, students' initial knowledge that is not the same as expert opinion is what causes misconceptions. This study aims to produce an interactive conflict-based cognitive e-module to remediate misconceptions and improve students' understanding of concepts about force. This type of research is design or development research using the Plomp model, with 3 phases, namely; (1) preliminary research, (2) development phase and (3) assessment phase. This research is limited to the expert review development phase. The preliminary research was conducted by reviewing 5 journals about the problems of students' misconceptions on the concept of force. At the development phase, e-module design, self-evaluation, and expert review of the e-module prototype are carried out. The data were obtained from the self-evaluation assessment sheet by three researchers and the validation sheet by three physics lecturers. Based on the preliminary research, it was found that there were problems in understanding the concept of students in the material of force. Therefore, a cognitive conflict-based emodule was designed that could improve students' conceptual understanding. The self-evaluation results of the emodule design showed that the e-module design was in the very good category with an average of 93.4. The results of the expert's study showed that the e-module design was in a very valid category with an average of 85.6.

Adjuvant radiofrequency thermocoagulation improves the outcome of liquid sclerotherapy in the treatment of spider veins of the leg: A pilot study.

This study evaluated the effect of low-energy radiofrequency thermocoagulation added to standard liquid sclerotherapy on clinical outcomes of patients with venous insufficiency. We included 111 patients with spider veins CEAP/C1 stage. The patients were randomized into sclerotherapy (Group 1) and sclerotherapy + sclerotherapy immediately followed by low energy percutaneous RF thermocoagulation (Group 2) groups and followed up with same protocols prospectively. The study groups did not differ in terms of the mean age, body mass index, the number of spider veins and pre-interventional venous clinical severity scores (VCSS). Patients' self-assessed satisfaction ratings of cosmetic outcomes were found to be higher compared to the baseline (p = 0.001). While both techniques caused a significant decline in VCSS at postprocedural third month, it was observed that the type of applied intervention did not affect the VCSS (p = 0.43 and p = 0.93, respectively). There was a significant difference in hyperpigmentation and trapped blood between the two groups after the procedure (p = 0.009 and p = 0.02, respectively), there was no statistically significant difference in terms of skin necrosis (p = 0.52). A significant difference in the self-assessed cosmetic outcomes was observed in patients treated with sclerotherapy followed by low energy percutaneous RF thermocoagulation compared with patients whom sclerotherapy performed alone (p = 0.001). This study suggests that radiofrequency thermocoagulation added to the sclerotherapy provides better cosmetic outcomes with less treatment sessions and no additional complication rates.

Towards a model of arousal change after affective word pronunciation based on electrodermal activity and speech analysis

In this paper, we explore the possibility of building a model of subject arousal by exploiting the acquisition and the analysis of speech and electrodermal activity (EDA). Several issues have to be addressed to reach this goal as the estimation of the relationship between arousal and behavioral measures and the reliability of EDA signal during speech production. To accomplish this task, we will investigate the relation among EDA, speech activity and subject arousal, during isolated affective word pronunciation. Our results show that significant information on subject arousal can be obtained by analyzing EDA during the processing of out-of-context words with an emotional content in a reading aloud task. Based on a sample of eighteen Italian participants, we observed a significant relation between EDA features and self-reported arousal scores. Quantitative models relating EDA- and speech-derived features are proposed and discussed. We found that increasing values of tonic and phasic components of EDA signals correspond to increasing self-assessed arousal scores; Mel-frequency cepstral analysis of speech was also shown to carry relevant information about subject arousal, with a significant inverse relation to self-assessed scores. Our results suggest how the analysis of concurrent acquisition of EDA and speech features may offer a valid approach for the prediction of subject arousal during speech production, as well as a method for validating self-assessment ratings themselves.

Penerapan Battery Test sebagai Rekomendasi Jurusan di Perguruan Tinggi

The potential of students can be identified by carrying out psychological tests that describe students' personalities. There are 3 components of the test given, namely the integration test (IST), job interest (Kuder test), and personality test (EPPS). The combination of these three tests is called a battery test which results in a psychological report containing a psychogram regarding personal aspects, psychological descriptions, strengths, and weaknesses as well as recommendations for the appropriate field of work. This activity is planned to be carried out in non-school institutions such as courses or tutoring institutions. Based on the evaluation of self-assessment, it shows that participants are able to understand their personal condition along with their strengths and weaknesses, personal areas that need to be developed, and recommendations for higher education majors that are in accordance with their talents, personal interests of participants, evaluation of assessments of training activities shows the results that this training provides benefits to participants, especially regarding college recommendations and assessment of presenters where the presenters are considered good enough in delivering activity material.

Equitable Access, Locale, Funding, and the Alignment to Performance Ratings in Texas Gifted Programs

Self-assessments utilizing designated, objective standards are critical in program evaluation. Although 2013–2014 Texas policy mandated districts self-assess their gifted programs using the community and student engagement performance rating system, little is known about how districts determined their self-assessment ratings. Following gifted program evaluation guidelines from the Texas State Plan for Gifted/Talented Students and the National Association for Gifted Children Pre-K–Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards, researchers used logistic ordered regression to examine Texas districts’ 2014–2015 locale, proportional representation, and budgetary allotments in relation to gifted program self-assessed performance ratings. Results indicate proportional representation of Black and Hispanic students in gifted programs did not influence school district self-assessed ratings. On the contrary, locale, proportion of Black and Hispanic students to the overall district population, and budget allocation did relate to self-assessed ratings of gifted programs. Future research directions and implications for the use of self-assessments within gifted program evaluation are discussed.

EMDR therapy for misophonia: a pilot study of case series

ABSTRACT Background: Misophonia is a disorder in which patients suffer from anger or disgust when confronted with specific sounds such as loud chewing or breathing, causing avoidance of cue-related situations resulting in significant functional impairment. Though the first treatment studies with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) showed promising results, an average of 50% of the patients has not improved much clinically. Objective: The aim of this pilot study was to assess the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy as a trauma-focused approach in treating misophonia symptoms. Method: A sample of 10 adult participants with misophonia was studied at the outpatient clinic of the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam. Participants were either on the waiting list for CBT or non-responders to CBT. EMDR was focused on misophonia-related emotionally disturbing memories and delivered in a mean of 2.6 sessions of 60–90 minutes. Pre- and post-treatment self-assessed ratings of misophonia symptoms (AMISOS-R, primary outcome), of general psychopathology (SCL-90-R) and of quality of life (SDS) were administered. The co-primary outcome was the Clinical Global Impression Improvement scale (CGI-I). Results: A paired t-test (n = 8) showed improvement on the primary outcome (−6.14 [MD], 5.34 [SD]) on the AMISOS-R (P = .023). Three of the eight patients showed clinically significant improvement measured with the CGI-I. No significant effect on secondary outcomes was found. Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that EMDR therapy focused on emotionally disturbing misophonia-related memories can reduce misophonia symptoms. RCTs with sufficient sample sizes are required to firmly establish the value of EMDR therapy for misophonia.

An Inquiry into the Self-Evaluation of Star Teacher Characteristics Necessary for Successful Urban Teaching

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; This study examines the degree of agreement between three Haberman Foundation-trained facilitators’ interviews and pre-service teachers’ self-evaluations of behavioral attributes associated with successful urban teaching. Using a quasi-experimental design research approach, data for this investigation was collected from 17 subjects who are all pre-service teacher candidates enrolled in an urban, metropolitan, co-educational research university. The Star Teacher Selection Interview and the Urban Teacher Behavioral Self-Evaluation Assessment served as the assessment instruments. Overall, findings revealed that the trained interviewers rated the pre-service teacher participants much lower on many of the behavioral attributes associated with successful urban teaching than did the subjects themselves.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Evaluation method for learner-centered small group activities: Exploring the applicability of self-assessment and peer evaluation for small group learning in medical schools.

Evaluation method for learner-centered small group activities: Exploring the applicability of self-assessment and peer evaluation for small group learning in medical schools.

Informed self-assessment versus preceptor evaluation: a comparative study of pediatric procedural skills acquisition of fifth year medical students

BackgroundSimulation training is widely used in medical education as students rarely perform clinical procedures, and confidence can influence practitioners’ ability to perform procedures. Thus, this study assessed students’ perceptions and experiences of a pediatric skills program and compared their informed self-assessment with their preceptor-evaluated performance competency for several pediatric clinical procedures.MethodsA total of 65 final-year medical students attended a weeklong pediatric skills training course by the University of Tripoli that used a manikin and various clinical scenarios to simulate real-life cases. Participants completed questionnaires self-assessing their performance skills, while examiners evaluated each students’ competency on five procedural skills (lumbar puncture, nasogastric tube insertion, umbilical vein catheterization, intraosseous access, and suprapubic aspiration) using an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) model. Differences between agreement levels in question responses were evaluated through a nonparametric chi-square test for a goodness of test fit, and the relationship between confidence levels and the OSCE scores for each procedure was assessed using Spearman’s rank-order correlation.ResultsAll participants completed the informed self-assessment questionnaire and OSCE stations. The frequency differences in agreement levels in students’ questionnaire responses were statistically significant. No significant differences were found between students’ self-assessment and preceptors’ evaluation scores. For each procedure’s passing score rate, umbilical vein catheterization had the highest passing rate (78.5%) and nasogastric tube placement the lowest (56.9%). The mean performance scores were above passing for all procedures. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed no significant differences between participants’ self-assessment and their preceptor-evaluated competency; students correctly perceived and assessed their ability to perform each procedure.ConclusionsHigh competence in several life-saving procedures was demonstrated among final-year medical students. The need for consistent and timely feedback, methods to increase medical students’ confidence, and further development and improvement of competency-based assessments are also highlighted.