Medical education
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The purpose of this study was to gather additional evidence for the validity and reliability of spoken English proficiency ratings provided by trained standardized patients (SPs) in high-stakes clinical skills examination. ⋯ The pattern of the relationships, both within assessment components and with external criterion measures, suggests that valid measures of spoken English proficiency are obtained. This result, combined with the high reproducibility of the ratings over encounters and SPs, supports the use of trained SPs to measure spoken English skills in a simulated medical environment.
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To examine young doctors' views on a number of professional issues including professional regulation, multidisciplinary teamwork, priority setting, clinical autonomy and private practice. ⋯ The results highlight the heterogeneity of the profession and the influence of specialty and gender on professional values. Doctors' attitudes had also been shaped by broader social changes, especially debates surrounding regulation of the profession, rising public expectations and the need for rationing of NHS care.