Medical education
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In spite of the increasing number of women medical students, in many specialties the number of women actually working as doctors still lags behind the number of men working in the same profession. To define factors contributing to this discrepancy 646 medical students at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam were surveyed. ⋯ The results of this survey indicate that there are still important differences between women and men students in career perspectives. These differences need attention from medical students as well as teaching staff.
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The objective of this study was to determine the extent of medical students' experience of death and dying. A questionnaire was given to two groups of Birmingham medical students at the beginning of clinical studies (third year) and in the final year which was designed to estimate their experience of death and of dying people. The questionnaire also explored the students' attitudes to their own future deaths. ⋯ Where they did have experience of death this was often traumatic and there was little chance for them to have counselling about it. There is need for increased teaching about death and dying particularly before clinical training and at the time of graduation. Another time may be at the beginning of human dissection.
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This study examines whether personality profiles, using personality factors, or clusters of personality factors, are associated with academic success. One hundred and forty medical students of the University of Wales College of Medicine were invited to complete a personality questionnaire (Cattell 16 PF) as they sat their final examinations in June 1988. A total of 129 usable forms were obtained. ⋯ Academic success was not associated with any of Cattell's personality factors. This was true of previously reported groups of factors associated with the poor student performance, and regardless of first or second order factors. We conclude that this personality profile is unlikely to be helpful in selecting future intakes of medical students, although a prospective study would be required for a definite answer to this question.
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Recent studies have provided information about the approaches to studying and learning used by medical students. However, no published work is available on the approaches of practising doctors. The Adelaide Diagnostic Learning Inventory for Medical Students (ADLIMS) was modified and administered to a random sample of 308 physicians (internists). ⋯ Physicians should become more aware of the way they learn and about the way they teach. Inappropriate patterns of learning may be entrenched during the undergraduate and immediate postgraduate years. If validated, these findings may provide support for the inclusion of research projects in medical school and during specialist training.
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At the pre-registration stage, about 4% of doctors who qualified in 1974 and about 5% of 1977 qualifiers gave anaesthetics as a first choice of career. Over the few years after qualifying, both cohorts showed a net gain in career preferences for anaesthetics. ⋯ Postgraduate qualifications, non-anaesthetic and overseas experience are analysed. Discussion deals with breadth of experience, women doctors and manpower implications.