A randomized trial comparing cadaveric dissection and examination of prosections as applied surgical anatomy teaching pedagogies.

Anatomy is an important component in the vertical integration of basic science and clinical practice. Two common pedagogies are cadaveric dissection and examination of prosected specimens. Comparative studies mostly evaluate their immediate effectiveness.

Methods to Improve Diagnostic Reasoning in Undergraduate Medical Education in the Clinical Setting: a Systematic Review.

Background: In recent years, there have been numerous studies exploring different teaching methods for improving diagnostic reasoning in undergraduate medical students. This systematic review examines and summarizes the evidence for the effectiveness of these teaching methods during clinical training.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and ERIC were searched.

Ideal Sequence of Didactic Lectures and Simulation in Teaching Transesophageal Echocardiography Among Anesthesiologists.

Objective: Performing a basic perioperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) requires 3-dimensional knowledge of cardiac anatomy, psychomotor skills, and image interpretation. Commonly, lectures followed by simulation sequence is used for teaching TEE. Differences may occur among learners when this sequencing of instructional components is altered.

A Comprehensive, Multi-modal Evaluation of the Assessment System of an Undergraduate Research Methodology Course: Translating Theory into Practice.

Objective: To evaluate assessment system of the 'Research Methodology Course' using utility criteria (i.e. validity, reliability, acceptability, educational impact, and cost-effectiveness).

What factors determine academic achievement in high achieving undergraduate medical students? A qualitative study.

Background: Medical students' academic achievement is affected by many factors such as motivational beliefs and emotions. Although students with high intellectual capacity are selected to study medicine, their academic performance varies widely.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to explore the high achieving students' perceptions of factors contributing to academic achievement.

Stress and its effects on medical students: a cross-sectional study at a college of medicine in Saudi Arabia.

Medical education is perceived as being stressful, and a high level of stress may have a negative effect on cognitive functioning and learning of students in a medical school. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of stress among medical students and to observe an association between the levels of stress and their academic performance, including the sources of their stress. All the medical students from year one to year five levels from the College of Medicine, King Saud University, were enrolled in the study.

Selection for postgraduate training.

Background: Selection for an educational programme requires meticulous planning and the adoption of sound educational principles to decide on how and what should be assessed. This article provides a step-wise guide for developing a selection process for postgraduate specialty training, based on the best practice in the literature.

Method: The literature on selecting applicants for educational programmes was reviewed to categorise the selection methods according to their purpose, and their relative strengths and weaknesses.

Examiner perceptions of a portfolio assessment process.

Background: The portfolio assessment process is important for assessing learner achievement.

Aims: To study examiner perceptions of Dundee Medical School's portfolio assessment process, in years 4 and 5 of the 5-year curriculum, in relation to: outcomes as a framework for the portfolio assessment process; portfolio content; portfolio assessment process; end points of the portfolio assessment process; appropriateness of the two part final exam format and examiner training.

Methods: A questionnaire containing statements and open questions was used to obtain examiner feedback.

The long case and its modifications: a literature review.

Context: This review provides a summary of the published literature on the suitability of the long case and its modifications for high-stakes assessment.

Methods: Databases related to medicine were searched for articles published from 2000 to 2008, using the keywords 'long case', 'clinical examinations' and 'clinical assessment'. Reference lists of review articles were hand-searched.

Student perceptions of a portfolio assessment process.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to identify and analyse students' attitudes to the portfolio assessment process over time.

Methods: A questionnaire containing statements and open questions was used to obtain feedback from students at the University of Dundee Medical School, Scotland. The responses to each statement were compared over 4 years (1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003).

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as a determinant of veterinary clinical skills.

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has become an excellent tool to evaluate many elements of a student's clinical skills, especially including communication with the patient (human medicine) or client (veterinary medicine); eliciting clinical information from these conversations; some aspects of the physical examination; and many areas of clinical evaluation and assessment. One key factor is that the examination can be structured to compare different students' abilities.