Background: Medical imaging related knowledge and skills are widely used in clinical practice. However, radiology teaching methods and resultant knowledge among medical students and junior doctors is variable. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to compare the impact of different components of radiology teaching methods (active versus passive teaching, eLearning versus traditional face-to-face teaching) on radiology knowledge / skills of medical students.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: This study evaluated the validity of student feedback derived from Medicine Student Experience Questionnaire (MedSEQ), as well as the predictors of students' satisfaction in the Medicine program.
Methods: Data from MedSEQ applying to the University of New South Wales Medicine program in 2017, 2019, and 2021 were analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Cronbach's α were used to assess the construct validity and reliability of MedSEQ respectively.
Purpose: The study investigates the efficacy of new features introduced to the selection process for medical school at the University of New South Wales, Australia: (1) considering the relative ranks rather than scores of the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test and Australian Tertiary Admission Rank; (2) structured interview focusing on interpersonal interaction and concerns should the applicants become students; and (3) embracing interviewers’ diverse perspectives.
Methods: Data from 5 cohorts of students were analyzed, comparing outcomes of the second year in the medicine program of 4 cohorts of the old selection process and 1 of the new process. The main analysis comprised multiple linear regression models for predicting academic, clinical, and professional outcomes, by section tools and demographic variables.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent social distancing measures caused unprecedented disruption for medical and healthcare education. This study examined medical teachers' experience with emergency remote teaching during the pandemic and their acceptance of online teaching after the pandemic.
Methods: In this sequential mixed methods study, online surveys were disseminated to teachers (n = 139) at two Asia-Pacific medical schools to evaluate their experience with emergency remote teaching during the pandemic.
Purpose: The current study aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of the decisions made to order diagnostic imaging for emergency trauma patients.
Methods: A retrospective audit of 642 clinical decisions for 370 non-consecutive trauma cases was conducted at a level 1 adult trauma centre. Radiographs and computed tomography investigations were compared for compliance with the American College of Radiology/European Society of Radiology (ACR/ESR) imaging guidelines.
Background: Radiology education is limited in undergraduate Medicine programs. Junior doctors might not have the necessary background to effectively order and interpret diagnostic imaging investigations. Furthermore, junior doctors are often time-poor, balancing clinical commitments with ongoing learning, leadership and teaching responsibilities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Medical schools apply a range of selection methods to ensure that admitted students succeed in the program. In Australia, selection tools typically include measures of academic achievement (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Modern clinical practice increasingly relies on collaborative and team-based approaches to care. Regulatory bodies in medical education emphasise the need to develop collaboration and teamwork competencies and highlight the need to do so from an early stage of medical training. In undergraduate medical education, the focus is usually on collaborative learning, associated with feedback and reflection on this learning This article describes a novel educational instrument, the Collaborative Learning Development Exercise (CLeD-EX), which aims to foster the development of key collaborative learning competencies in medical students.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is an ongoing debate about the impact of studying medicine in rural vs. metropolitan campuses on student assessment outcomes. The UNSW Medicine Rural Clinical School has five main campuses; Albury-Wodonga, Coffs Harbour, Griffith, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConcept and knowledge maps have been shown to improve students' learning by emphasising meaningful relationships between phenomena. A user-friendly online tool that enables assessment of students' maps with automated feedback might therefore have significant benefits for learning. For that purpose, we developed an online software platform known as Knowledge Maps.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRationale And Objectives: Radiology education is suited to delivery via e-learning which may be used to fill gaps in knowledge and help prepare medical students for internship. There is limited evidence of effectiveness of adaptive tutorials, a form of e-learning in a senior medical student cohort.
Materials And Methods: A randomized mixed methods crossover trial was performed to assess effectiveness of adaptive tutorials on engagement and understanding of appropriate use and interpretation of basic imaging studies.
Introduction: Narratives (as opposed to stories) can assess multiple facets of the same problem through the viewpoints of different characters.
Methods: Narratives related to three cancer patients, from diagnosis to cure or death, were used to teach seven cancer-related themes in a Cancer Pathology course offered to third-year medical science and science (college) undergraduates.
Results: The majority of students preferred narrative-based learning compared with traditional learning methods because they felt that it improved their learning experience and retention of information.
In higher education, most assessments or examinations comprise either multiple-choice items or open-ended questions such as modified essay questions (MEQs). Online concept and knowledge maps are potential tools for assessment, which might emphasize meaningful, integrated understanding of phenomena. We developed an online knowledge-mapping assessment tool, which provides automated feedback on student-submitted maps.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Most assessments in health professions education consist of knowledge-based examinations as well as practical and clinical examinations. Among the most challenging aspects of clinical assessments is decision making related to borderline grades assigned by examiners. Borderline grades are commonly used by examiners when they do not have sufficient information to make clear pass/fail decisions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Although blended learning has the potential to enhance the student experience, both in terms of engagement and flexibility, it can be difficult to effectively restructure existing courses. To achieve these goals for an introductory Pathology course, offered to more than 250 undergraduate students at UNSW Sydney, we devised a novel approach.
Methods: For each topic presented over 2-3 weeks, a single face-to-face overview lecture was retained.
Background: Students in biomedical disciplines require understanding of normal and abnormal microscopic appearances of human tissues (histology and histopathology). For this purpose, practical classes in these disciplines typically use virtual microscopy, viewing digitised whole slide images in web browsers. To enhance engagement, tools have been developed to enable individual or collaborative annotation of whole slide images within web browsers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Collaboration is of increasing importance in medical education and medical practice. Students' and tutors' perceptions about small group learning are valuable to inform the development of strategies to promote group dynamics and collaborative learning. This study investigated medical students' and tutors' views on competencies and behaviours which promote effective learning and interaction in small group settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Diagnostic cytopathology is an essential part of clinical decision-making. However, due to a combination of factors including curriculum reform and shortage of pathologists to teach introductory cytopathology, this area of pathology receives little or no formal attention in most medical school curricula. We have previously described the successful use of efficient and effective digital learning resources, including whole slide images (WSI) and virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials (VMATs), to teach cytopathology to pathology specialist trainees - a group that had prior exposure to cytopathology in their day to day practice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The constant growth in the body of knowledge in medicine requires pathologists and pathology trainees to engage in continuing education. Providing them with equitable access to efficient and effective forms of education in pathology (especially in remote and rural settings) is important, but challenging.
Methods: We developed three pilot cytopathology virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials (VMATs) to explore a novel adaptive E-learning platform (AeLP) which can incorporate whole slide images for pathology education.
Purpose: Health care expenditure on diagnostic imaging investigations is increasing, and many tests are ordered inappropriately. Validated clinical decision rules (CDRs) for certain conditions are available to aid in assessing the need for imaging. However, awareness and utilization of CDRs are lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRationale And Objectives: Diagnostic imaging is under-represented in medical curricula globally. Adaptive tutorials, online intelligent tutoring systems that provide a personalized learning experience, have the potential to bridge this gap. However, there is limited evidence of their effectiveness for learning about diagnostic imaging.
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