Teaching and learning in medicine
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Assessment in the context of uncertainty using the script concordance test: more meaning for scores.
The Script Concordance Test (SCT) uses authentic, ill-defined clinical cases to compare medical learners' judgment skills with those of experienced physicians. SCT scores are meant to measure the degree of concordance between the performance of examinees and that of the reference panel. Raw test scores have meaning only if statistics (mean and standard deviation) describing the panel's performance are concurrently provided. ⋯ This transformation method proposes a common metric basis for reporting SCT scores and provides examinees with clear, interpretable insights into their performance relative to that of physicians of the field. We recommend reporting SCT scores with the mean and standard deviation of panel scores set at standard scores of 80 and 5, respectively. Beyond SCT, our transformation method may be generalizable to the scoring of other test formats in which the performance of examinees and those of a panel of reference undertaking the same cognitive tasks are compared.
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Hospitals are viewed as a haven of safety within a community in the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster. Thus, the importance of disaster training for hospital personnel is paramount. Regardless of specialty, all physicians will be called upon to serve. Yet, disaster training is not routinely incorporated into the curriculum of undergraduate medical education. The development and implementation of a disaster management course for medical students should therefore be a priority. ⋯ A comprehensive 2-week medical student disaster elective, based upon an introductory disaster seminar, was evaluated highly by student participants.
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Poor oral health reflects social inequalities, hence the prevention of oral diseases should be a priority in developed and underdeveloped countries around the world. Medical practitioners must play an active role in oral health promotion. ⋯ Physicians need to get more involved in oral health promotion. Moreover, oral health education should be included in the curriculum of future medical students.
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Adequate education in first aid and basic life support (BLS) should be considered as an essential aspect of the medical curriculum. The objective of this study was to investigate the current medical training in first aid and BLS at all 8 medical schools in the Netherlands. ⋯ The medical education in the Netherlands does not meet the required objectives as stated in the national Dutch guidelines concerning first aid and BLS.
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Resident education in Systems-Based Practice (SBP) and Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI) is required but underemphasized. ⋯ This survey has allowed us to prioritize SBP and PBLI curricula to meet the needs of our graduates.