GMS journal for medical education
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Background: During clinical clerkships students experience complex and challenging clinical situations related to problems beyond the domain of the "Medical Expert". Workplace routine may leave little opportunity to reflect on these situations. The University of Zurich introduced a mandatory course directly after the clinical clerkship year (CCY) to work up these situations. ⋯ Conclusions: Cases students perceived as challenging beyond the "Medical Expert" were reported from all clinical disciplines. These were mainly related to communicational and professional issues, mirrored by the CanMEDS roles "Communicator" and "Professional". Therefore, supervisors in clinical clerkships should put an additional teaching focus on communication and professionalism.
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Background: The purpose of this study was twofold: to assess the status of undergraduate medical ultrasound (US) education in the German-speaking area and to suggest a possible framework for a longitudinal undergraduate medical US curriculum based on the study results and a literature review. Methods: The survey included 44 medical faculties in the German-speaking area: 37 in Germany, four in Austria and three in German-speaking Switzerland. A standardized questionnaire focused on the following aspects of undergraduate medical US education: general information, organization, resources, assessment methods and evaluation. ⋯ Conclusion: Medical faculty members in the German-speaking area have recognized the relevance of undergraduate medical US education. So far, courses are offered heterogeneously with rather short hands-on scanning time and high student-instructor ratio. Based on the results of this study and a literature review we suggest a possible framework and milestones on the way to a longitudinal undergraduate medical US curriculum.
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Introduction: Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centred approach to learning using health problem scenarios to trigger the learning process. Several factors contribute to the role of the problem scenarios in stimulating student learning. One of those factors is the student's familiarity and knowledge about the problem itself. ⋯ Results: The results of the study showed that fore-knowledge about the case scenario had no significant adverse effect on the discussion. Students stated that the facilitators played a vital role in maintaining the excellent quality of the discussion. Discussion: Reuse of problem scenarios in PBL does not hurt the quality of the discussion, provided that the group dynamics are maintained.