Applying the Verona coding definitions of emotional sequences (VR-CoDES) to code medical students' written responses to written case scenarios: Some methodological and practical considerations.

Objective: To investigate whether the Verona Coding Definitions of Emotional Sequences to code health providers' responses (VR-CoDES-P) can be used for assessment of medical students' responses to patients' cues and concerns provided in written case vignettes.

Methods: Student responses in direct speech to patient cues and concerns were analysed in 21 different case scenarios using VR-CoDES-P.

Results: A total of 977 student responses were available for coding, and 857 responses were codable with the VR-CoDES-P.

Anesthesiology residents' perspective about good teaching--a qualitative needs assessment.

Background: Germany, like many other countries, will soon have a shortage of qualified doctors. One reason for the dissatisfaction amongst medical residents are the relatively unstructured residency training programs despite increasing importance of outcome-based education. The aim of our study was to identify characteristics and requirements for good teaching during anesthesiology residency training from the resident's point of view.

Validation of core competencies during residency training in anaesthesiology.

Background And Goal: Curriculum development for residency training is increasingly challenging in times of financial restrictions and time limitations. Several countries have adopted the CanMEDS framework for medical education as a model into their curricula of specialty training. The purpose of the present study was to validate the competency goals, as derived from CanMEDS, of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine of the Berlin Charité University Medical Centre, by conducting a staff survey.

A situational judgement test of professional behaviour: development and validation.

Aims: To describe the development of a single best answer multiple choice situational judgement test (SJT) to assess medical students' ability to judge professional behaviour; to present results of an expert validation of the SJT; to describe experiences with two different validation formats.

Methods: Based on educational objectives and work situations concerning professional behaviour, a SJT with 17 vignettes and 35 questions was developed. Best answers were developed according to available evidence.

Assessing students' communication skills: validation of a global rating.

Communication skills training is an accepted part of undergraduate medical programs nowadays. In addition to learning experiences its importance should be emphasised by performance-based assessment. As detailed checklists have been shown to be not well suited for the assessment of communication skills for different reasons, this study aimed to validate a global rating scale.

[Application of standardized patients in teaching, learning and assessment].

The new German requirements for Licensure to practice medicine focus on teaching clinical skills. It will become difficult for Medical Schools to fulfil these new requirements in the training of medical students with the increasing cost effectiveness in patient care. Standardized patients can be a very useful tool in teaching clinical skills.

["Truth at the bedside"--continuing medical education and breaking bad news].

Introduction: Discussions with seriously-ill patients are part of the physicians' tasks. These discussions demand good communication skills. In this paper we present the concept of a postgraduate course for physicians on ethics and breaking bad news, as well as the results of the course evaluation.