Survey Of Undergraduate Teaching Research Articles

An investigation of complete denture teaching in the UK: part 1. A survey of undergraduate teaching

This paper is the first in a series of two that investigate the undergraduate teaching of complete dentures in the UK. A questionnaire was sent by email to 13 UK dental schools enquiring about the number of hours spent in the lecture theatre, laboratory and clinic. The schools were also asked to give their views about the preparedness of the new graduates for dealing with complete dentures in general practice. There was great disparity between schools in the overall number of lectures delivered. Two schools claimed 28 hours and the remainder varied between 6-15 hours. Four schools devoted more time to laboratory work whereas three schools spent more time in the clinic. One school reported no dedicated clinical time for complete dentures. There appears to be a regional variation with northern UK dental schools spending more time on the teaching of complete dentures. The quota for complete dentures varied from three in most schools to eight in one school and none in another. Comments from the dental schools varied from a reported lack of suitable complete denture cases, to concerns with insufficient curricular time devoted to the subject and a subsequent lack of clinical competence on graduation. Some schools have integrated complete denture teaching into the general prosthodontic course as it is considered inappropriate to teach different aspects of prosthetics in isolation. Competence in complete dentures falls short of what is expected. With a single exception all the schools seem to have low expectations for their undergraduate students to be practically trained and experienced in the production of complete dentures. Despite the advent of implants and the introduction of clinical dental technicians, there is and will continue to be a need for the competent treatment of the edentulous population by general practitioners.

Response to: Are we teaching our students what they need to know about ageing? Results from the UK National Survey of Undergraduate Teaching in Ageing and Geriatric Medicine

Response to: Are we teaching our students what they need to know about ageing? Results from the UK National Survey of Undergraduate Teaching in Ageing and Geriatric Medicine

A survey of undergraduate teaching in anaesthesia.

Currently, no well accepted and clearly defined 'core' curriculum for undergraduate anaesthesia, teaching exists. To address this deficiency, we surveyed 73 university departments of anaesthesia and intensive care. Sixty-five replied from South-east Asia (12), Australasia (13), the UK and Ireland (28) and Canada (12). A questionnaire containing 37 items ranging from departmental structure to curriculum content was used. We found significant regional differences. Overall, most departments taught pharmacology of anaesthetic drugs (83%), pre-operative assessment (92%) and care of the unconscious patient (77%). Ninety-seven per cent taught airway management and intubation and 80% taught intravenous cannulation. Basic life support was taught by 92% and advanced life support by 71%. Fewer than half taught advanced trauma life support principles (44%). Critical care teaching was less well defined, but a consensus of schools taught respiratory failure and ventilation, management of circulatory shock and principles of sepsis and multi-organ system failure. Practical clinical skills were taught mainly using patients and simulators, 46% had a skills laboratory and six employed a resuscitation officer. However, it should be noted that we did not assess the quality and outcome of teaching.

Survey of undergraduate teaching in genitourinary medicine in Britain.

To determine whether the time allocated for undergraduate teaching of genitourinary medicine has changed since 1984 and to determine the impact of HIV/AIDS on the teaching of the specialty. A self completion questionnaire was sent to the consultant in charge of each department of genitourinary medicine attached to a UK medical school. Replies were received from all twenty seven medical schools. Most schools (24/27) offer a course of lectures accompanied by clinical teaching; however, one medical school does not include teaching of genitourinary medicine in the undergraduate curriculum at all and two others are unable to offer all students clinical tuition. The mean time devoted to lectures is 6.7 hours (range 0-15 hours) made up of 4.8 hours of genitourinary medicine lectures and 1.9 hours of lectures on HIV/AIDS. The mean time allocated for clinic-based teaching of each student is 9.2 hours (range 0-27 hours). On average the time allocated for lecturing and clinical teaching of the speciality has decreased since 1984 although there is considerable variation between schools (time for clinical teaching and lecturing combined ranges from 0-41.0 hours). The findings of this survey suggest there is considerable variation in both the quantity and quality of undergraduate teaching of genitourinary medicine provided throughout the UK.

Survey of undergraduate teaching of psychiatry in the UK and Ireland

A survey was conducted of undergraduate teaching of psychiatry involving 27 schools in the UK and Ireland. The findings show variations in the number of teaching staff, the amount of clinical and non-clinical teaching of general psychiatry, and of subspecialities and assessment procedures and regulations. All schools provided teaching of interview skills. Some schools provided teaching in community settings. Elective studies in psychiatry occurred in the majority of schools. All schools had external examiners in psychiatry.

Survey of undergraduate teaching of old age psychiatry in the United Kingdom

Old age psychiatry has been steadily developing as a specialty in the United Kingdom. In 1978 the Royal College of Psychiatrists established a specialist section for old age psychiatry, and since October 1989 it has been formally recognised as a sub-specialty of psychiatry. In 1989 the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Psychiatrists published a joint report entitled ‘Care of Elderly People with Mental Illness’ in which recommendations were made about both postgraduate and undergraduate training.

Undergraduate teaching of geriatric medicine in the United Kingdom: changes in the years 1981-1986.

A follow-up survey of undergraduate teaching of geriatric medicine was carried out in 1986. All 27 clinical medical schools responded. Geriatric medicine is taught to all medical students in 25 and to only a proportion of students in two. Fifty-nine per cent of schools have academic departments teaching for a mean of 89 hours compared with 33 hours in non-academic departments--an overall mean of 68 hours. The subject is taught by various methods with 70% of teaching time spent on bedside clinical instruction. Other aspects of institutional and community care are often covered. The subject is examined in 18 schools. New academic departments are planned at four schools, and an increase in teaching time planned in five. To meet the needs of the population of the next century, reconsideration of curricula in some of the medical schools is recommended.

A Survey of Undergraduate Teaching of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the United Kingdom

Child and adolescent psychiatry is a relatively new sub-speciality and it is only recently that its practitioners have started to examine the problems of teaching it on the undergraduate curriculum. Questions about when it is best taught during the undergraduate years and what constitutes a core curriculum are still contentious. Indeed some psychiatrists have yet to be convinced that it should be taught at all at an undergraduate level.

A Survey of Undergraduate Teaching of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the United Kingdom

A Survey of Undergraduate Teaching of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the United Kingdom

A national survey of undergraduate teaching in obstetrics and gynecology

Representatives of 114 academic departments of obstetrics and gynecology in North America completed a written questionnaire in 1977 designed to assess undergraduate educational programs. Respondents reported increases in numbers of departments and faculty per department and decreases in the length and number of students per clerkship in comparison with a 1968 survey. Small-group discussion, lecture, and professional patients were preferred instructional modalities of faculty and students. Evaluation procedures and faculty development activities are reported and discussed in relation to prior surveys of departments of obstetrics and gynecology.