Medical teacher
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The introduction of an audience response system (ARS) in the obstetrics and gynaecology course for medical students at The University of Western Australia provided an opportunity to measure knowledge gain by ARS lecture formats compared with didactic lectures. ⋯ Use of the ARS in lectures appeared to improve knowledge gain immediately post-lecture but no difference was found after retesting at 5 weeks.
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Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are very common in primary and secondary care. They are often inappropriately managed, resulting in potential harm to patients as well as wasted resources. To bring about change, it is important that newly qualified doctors are equipped with the skills to manage MUS effectively. We do not know if and how this topic is currently taught at U.K. medical schools. ⋯ Inconsistent and disparate teaching across medical schools may lead to very variable practice amongst qualified clinicians. In order to overcome this, consensus is needed as to how and where in the undergraduate curriculum there should be teaching about MUS.
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Empathy is important in the physician-patient relationship. Prior studies suggest that medical student empathy declines with clinical training. ⋯ Self-reported empathy for patients, a possibly critical factor in high-quality patient-centered care, wanes as students advance in clinical training, particularly among those entering technology-oriented specialties. In the era of new health care policy and primary care shortages, our research may have implications for the medical education system and admission policy.
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Despite the emphasis placed on interdisciplinary education and interprofessional collaboration between physicians and pharmacologists, no psychometrically sound instrument is available to measure attitudes toward collaborative relationships. ⋯ Findings provide support for the validity and reliability of the instrument for medical students. The instrument has the potential to be used for the evaluation of interdisciplinary education in medical and pharmacy schools, and for the evaluation of patient outcomes resulting from collaborative physician-pharmacist relationships.
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The millennial learner is reliant on technology to gain knowledge. Social media in the form of Twitter and Facebook provide a unique way to reach these learners. ⋯ Due to ease of use and widespread applicability, Twitter and Facebook are excellent applications of "push technology" as a means to deliver educational content. This pilot project demonstrates the potential of social media to both supplement and enhance traditional educational methods.