Medical teacher
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Historical Article
Medical education in paradise: another facet of Hawaii.
Hawaii is synonymous with paradise in the minds of many. Few know that it is also an environment where high quality medical education is thriving. This paper outlines medical education initiatives beginning with native Hawaiian healers of centuries ago, and continuing to present-day efforts to support top-notch multicultural United States medical education across the continuum of training. ⋯ Educational outreach activities extend into primary and secondary schools, homeless shelters, neighbouring islands, and to countries throughout the Pacific. Challenges facing the medical education community in Hawaii are similar to those faced elsewhere and include incorporating more technology to improve efficiency, strengthening the vertical integration of the training continuum, better meeting the needs of the state, and paying for it all. Readers are invited to join in addressing these challenges to further the realisation of medical education in paradise as a paradise of medical education.
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A case-based online assessment tool has been accomplished at the University of Ulm by simulating consultations with virtual patients in General Practice setting. After a successful pilot study, more data on validity were needed as one important step when considering introducing this assessment format to replace the regular written course exam. ⋯ Although a direct comparison of written course exams and dealing with virtual patients is difficult in many aspects and the study setting as an exam simulation caused confounders, this new assessment format is supported by many aspects of validity evidence. Solving virtual clinical scenarios addresses other abilities, skills and knowledge than traditional written exams and since "assessment drives learning" it could have positive implications on teaching and learning alike.
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Comparative Study
Integration of e-learning technologies in an interprofessional health science course.
Advances in information and communication technology are influencing instructional formats and delivery modes for post secondary teaching and learning. ⋯ The results provide evidence to support our blended learning format without compromising pedagogy. They also suggest that this format enhances students' perceptions of their learning.
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Medical educators are increasingly faced with directives to teach Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) skills. Because of its nature, integrating fundamental EBM educational content is a challenge in the preclinical years. ⋯ This study provides evidence that the integration of an educational EBM search tool can be positively received by preclinical medical students.
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The use of an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has been a powerful influence on doctor training but assessments do not always drive study behaviour in predictable ways. ⋯ The expectation that an OSCE drives learning into the clinical workplace was not supported by this study. This suggests the role of clinical experience in helping students prepare for the exam may be more subliminal, or that an OSCE is more as a test of psychomotor skills than a marker of clinical experience. An unexpected benefit may be to drive more collaborative learning.