BMC medical education
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BMC medical education · Jun 2016
Professional identity formation in the transition from medical school to working life: a qualitative study of group-coaching courses for junior doctors.
The transition from student to medical doctor is challenging and stressful to many junior doctors. To practice with confidence and professionalism the junior doctors have to develop a strong professional identity. Various suggestions on how to facilitate formation of professional identity have been offered including the possible positive effect of group-coaching courses. The purpose of this study was to explore how group-coaching might facilitate professional identity formation among junior doctors in the transition period. ⋯ The participants found that the group-coaching course supported their professional identity formation (thinking, feeling and acting as a doctor), adoption to medical culture, career planning and managing a healthy work/life-balance. Further studies in different contexts are recommended as well as studies using other methods to test the results of this qualitative study.
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BMC medical education · Jun 2016
Developing consensus for postgraduate global health electives: definitions, pre-departure training and post-return debriefing.
Global health (GH) electives are on the rise, but with little consensus on the need or content of pre-departure training (PDT) or post-return debriefing (PRD) for electives in postgraduate medical education. ⋯ All residency programs that send residents on international electives should work towards instituting quality, mandatory PDT and PRD. PDT and PRD should be recognized by universities as having academic merit and by program directors as core resident learning activities. Curriculum and objectives could be arranged around CanMEDS competencies, a physician competency framework that emphasizes qualities beyond medical expert such as professionalism, health advocate, and collaborator.
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BMC medical education · Jun 2016
Self-directed learning can outperform direct instruction in the course of a modern German medical curriculum - results of a mixed methods trial.
Modernised medical curricula in Germany (so called "reformed study programs") rely increasingly on alternative self-instructed learning forms such as e-learning and curriculum-guided self-study. However, there is a lack of evidence that these methods can outperform conventional teaching methods such as lectures and seminars. This study was conducted in order to compare extant traditional teaching methods with new instruction forms in terms of learning effect and student satisfaction. ⋯ The study shows that students in modern study curricula learn better through modern self-instructed methods than through conventional methods. These methods should be used more, as they also show good levels of student acceptance and higher scores in personal self-assessment of knowledge.
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BMC medical education · May 2016
Chinese oncologists' knowledge, attitudes and practice towards palliative care and end of life issues.
Oncologists` knowledge and attitudes to palliative care (PC) and end of life (EOF) should be highlighted in order to give them effective education. This study is intended to provide a descriptive analysis of oncologists' knowledge, attitudes and practice toward PC and EOF issues in Mainland China. ⋯ This study indicated the insufficient knowledge toward PC and related issues of the Chinese oncologists. More attention should be paid on the education of PC among Oncologists in Mainland China.
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BMC medical education · May 2016
Supporting near-peer teaching in general practice: a national survey.
Training bodies see teaching by junior doctors and vocational trainees in general practice (family medicine) as integral to a doctor's role. While there is a body of literature on teacher training programs, and on peer and near-peer teaching in hospitals and universities, there has been little examination of near-peer teaching in general practice. Near-peer teaching is teaching to those close to oneself but not at the same level in the training continuum. This study investigated the perceptions of key stakeholders on near-peer teaching in general practice, their current near-peer teaching activities, and methods of recruitment and support. ⋯ Near-peer teaching was supported by the majority of stakeholders, but is underutilised and has poor structural support. Guidelines may be required to help supervisors better support learners in this role and manage quality issues related to teaching.