Medical teacher
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Recent years have seen a steady decline in the number of new physician-investigators (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2000). To encourage medical students to select research careers, the Queen's University Faculty of Health Sciences curriculum includes a mandatory Critical Enquiry elective in the 2nd year. ⋯ Students recognized other benefits including the development of critical appraisal, information literacy, and critical thinking skills; and the opportunity to select an area of and form contacts for postgraduate training. Even students who choose not to pursue careers in medical research perceive benefits to a mandatory undergraduate research elective.
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Recent changes in postgraduate education have highlighted the need for structured training to ensure quality in training and optimize patient care. In Yorkshire, a "modular" approach to postgraduate education in obstetrics and gynaecology has been adopted through the Yorkshire Modular Training Programme (YMTP). The curriculum for trainees is divided into "modules" organized over five years. ⋯ This paper describes the organization of the programme including its educational principles. It discusses its strengths and weaknesses. It provides a useful framework for postgraduate education that could be used by other regions.
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The Anaesthetic Trainee Theatre Educational Environment Measure (ATEEM) was developed to measure the educational environment for trainee anaesthetists in the theatre setting using similar methodology to that of other existing tools. The ATEEM was administered to 271 anaesthetic trainees three months into their post of whom 218 (80%) responded. The ATEEM showed that trainees' perceptions of their educational environments do vary and that this inventory is capable of identifying problem areas that can be remediated by training managers.
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This paper describes current patterns and trends in flexible training in the UK. It is a descriptive study based on (1) survey data on the number of flexible trainees from the annual survey of UK deaneries from 1995 to 2001; (2) Department of Health workforce figures on numbers of consultants and specialist registrars in England; (3) survey data from UK deaneries on the destination of those leaving flexible training schemes from 1999 to 2001. The absolute number and percentage of flexible SpRs in England increased from 389 (3.5%) in 1995 to 1067 (8.4%) in 2001. ⋯ The rate slowed in 2001 and fell in three regions, suggesting a possible adverse effect of the New Pay Deal for junior doctors. Substantial geographical and specialty inequities in access to flexible training appear to exist. If skills and talents of female doctors required to achieve the medical workforce needed in the future are to be retained, these issues need to be urgently addressed.
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Physicians require good communication skills to develop effective patient-physician relationships. Externally funded international medical graduates (IMGs) move directly from their home countries to complete residency training at the University of Ottawa, Canada. ⋯ There was a high degree of consensus amongst all participants concerning specific educational needs for communication skills and training issues related to the healthcare system for externally funded IMGs. Specific recommendations include (1) English-language skills; (2) how to get things done in the hospital/healthcare system; (3) opportunities to practise specific skills, e.g. negotiating treatment, (4) adequate support system for IMGs; (5) faculty and staff education on the cultural challenges faced by IMGs.