Medical education
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Comprehensive programme evaluation frameworks are increasingly important to inform the development of sophisticated programmes that educate the next generation of health professions education researchers. This paper highlights an innovative process undertaken by the Wilson Centre for Research in Education to evaluate its fellowship programme. This process incorporates the principles of programme theory and a framework drawn from the field of organisational development. ⋯ Lessons learned and implications for other health education programming and the practice of programme evaluation are discussed.
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Review Meta Analysis
The effectiveness of self-directed learning in health professions education: a systematic review.
Given the continuous advances in the biomedical sciences, health care professionals need to develop the skills necessary for life-long learning. Self-directed learning (SDL) is suggested as the methodology of choice in this context. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine the effectiveness of SDL in improving learning outcomes in health professionals. ⋯ Moderate quality evidence suggests that SDL in health professions education is associated with moderate improvement in the knowledge domain compared with traditional teaching methods and may be as effective in the skills and attitudes domains.
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Research indicates that some social groups are disadvantaged by medical school selection systems. The stage(s) of a selection process at which this occurs is unknown, but at interview, when applicant and interviewer are face-to-face, there is potential for social bias to occur. ⋯ Our data provide reassurance that the interview does not seem to be the stage of selection at which some social groups are disadvantaged. These results support the continued involvement of senior medical students in the interview process. Despite the lack of evidence that an interview is useful for predicting future academic or clinical success, most medical schools continue to use interviews as a fundamental component of their selection process. Our study has shown that at least this arguably misplaced reliance upon interviewing is not introducing further social bias into the selection system.