Teaching video neuroimages: reading epilepsy: a seizure in a thousand words (or less).

A 14-year-old right-handed boy developed spells of lip twitching only while reading. With prolonged reading, he occasionally experienced loss of awareness and limb jerking (figure and video on the Neurology® Web site at www.neurology.

GABAB receptor autoantibody frequency in service serologic evaluation.

Objective: Small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and limbic encephalitis are recognized γ-aminobutyric acid-B receptor (GABABR) autoantibody accompaniments. We sought to determine in a diagnostic serology laboratory the frequency and accompaniments (neurologic, oncologic, and serologic) of GABABR-immunoglobulin G (IgG).

Methods: We tested stored serum and CSF specimens from 3 patient groups for GABABR-IgG by indirect immunofluorescence on mouse brain tissue and transfected HEK293 cells.

Telling the patient's story: using theatre training to improve case presentation skills.

A medical student's ability to present a case history is a critical skill that is difficult to teach. Case histories presented without theatrical engagement may fail to catch the attention of their intended recipients. More engaging presentations incorporate 'stage presence', eye contact, vocal inflection, interesting detail and succinct, well organised performances.

Comparative efficacy of group and individual feedback in gross anatomy for promoting medical student professionalism.

Professionalism is a core competency of medical training that requires students to develop the skills of providing and receiving feedback. Our study evaluated the effectiveness of delivering feedback in a group setting compared with an individual setting. The first-year class of Mayo medical students (n = 49) enrolled in gross anatomy (in dissection teams), completed weekly anonymous evaluations of themselves and their teammates regarding seven aspects of professionalism (altruism, compassion, respect, honesty/integrity, responsibility, commitment to excellence, and self-reflection).

Restructuring a basic science course for core competencies: an example from anatomy teaching.

Medical schools revise their curricula in order to develop physicians best skilled to serve the public's needs. To ensure a smooth transition to residency programs, undergraduate medical education is often driven by the six core competencies endorsed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME): patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning, interpersonal skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice. Recent curricular redesign at Mayo Medical School provided an opportunity to restructure anatomy education and integrate radiology with first-year gross and developmental anatomy.

Learning to lead: self- and peer evaluation of team leaders in the human structure didactic block.

Increasing emphasis on leadership in medical education has created a need for developing accurate evaluations of team leaders. Our study aimed to compare the accuracy of self- and peer evaluation of student leaders in the first-year Human Structure block (integrated gross anatomy, embryology, and radiology). Forty-nine first-year medical students at Mayo Medical School were assigned to learning teams of three or four members.