Promotion of family-friendliness at the Medical Faculty of Freiburg - taking stock of study participation.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Binninger S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3339708 | biostudies-other | 2012
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Promotion of family-friendliness at the Medical Faculty of Freiburg - taking stock of study participation.
Binninger Sabine S Brüstle Peter P Korinthenberg Rudolf R Streitlein-Böhme Irmgard I
GMS Zeitschrift fur medizinische Ausbildung 20120423 2
The survey on family-friendly study organisation in medical schools conducted by the University Hospital in Ulm has identified a need for improvement in various respects in Freiburg. Due to the specific structure of medical school and the high amount of mandatory lectures, students with children face serious problems in balancing family life and their studies at the same time. On the other hand, the freer, modular structure of the clinical curriculum in Freiburg has been mainly rated as positive ...[more]
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Project description:Using the data from graduate surveys, this study aims to analyze which factors related to teaching and learning at the Freiburg Faculty of Medicine can influence study success.Study success and the factors influencing it have long been the subject of investigation, with study success being measured in terms of easily quantifiable indicators (final grades, student satisfaction, etc.). In recent years, it has also frequently been assessed in terms of graduate competency levels. Graduate surveys are considered suitable instruments for measuring these dimensions of study success.Data from three Freiburg graduate surveys conducted one and a half years after graduation were drawn upon for the analysis. Study success was operationalized using four indicators: results on the written section of the M2 exam, self-assessment of medical expertise and scientific expertise, and student satisfaction. Using multiple regression analyses, the predictive power was calculated for selected variables, also measured by the graduate surveys, for the different study success indicators.It was possible to identify models that contribute slightly or moderately to the prediction of study success. The score earned on the university entrance qualification demonstrated itself to be the strongest predictor for forecasting the M2 written exam: R(2) is between 0.08 and 0.22 for the three surveys. Different variables specific to degree program structure and teaching are helpful for predicting medical expertise (R(2)=0.04-0.32) and student satisfaction (R(2)=0.12-0.35). The two variables, structure and curricular sequencing of the degree program and combination of theory and practice, show themselves to be significant, sample-invariant predictors (β-weight(Structure)=0.21-0.58, β-weight(Combination)=0.27-0.56). For scientific expertise, no sample-independent predictors could be determined.Factors describing teaching hardly provide any assistance when predicting the written M2 exam score, which makes sense to the extent that teaching goes far beyond the heavily knowledge-based content of the written M2 exam. The lack of predictability for scientific expertise is most likely explained in that these have been only rarely included in the curriculum and often inexplicitly so. The variable combination of theory and practice appears to be significant for imparting medical expertise and the development of student satisfaction. The extent to which these relationships are practically relevant needs to be explored in further studies. A specific limitation is that the measurement of expertise and skill is based solely on self-assessments.
| S-EPMC4606483 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundA rigorous faculty appointment and promotion (FAP) system is vital for the success of any academic institution. However, studies examining the FAP system in Asian universities are lacking. We surveyed the FAP policies of Taiwan's medical schools and identified an overreliance on the CJA score (manuscript Category, Journal quality, and Author order). The potential shortcomings of this metric and recommendations for refinement were discussed.MethodsWe obtained the FAP documents from all 12 medical schools in Taiwan, and analyzed their use of traditional versus non-traditional criteria for FAP according to a published methodology. The influence of the journal impact factor (JIF) on the FAP process was quantified by comparing its relative weight between papers with two extreme JIFs. To better understand the research impact and international standing of each school, we utilized the public bibliographic database to rank universities by the number of papers, and the proportions of papers within the top 10% or 50% citation.ResultsCompared with other countries, Taiwan's medical schools focus more on the quantifiable quality of the research, mostly using a "CJA" score that integrates the category, JIF or ranking, and authorship of a paper, with the JIF being the most influential factor. The CJA score for an article with a JIF of 20 can be up to three times the threshold for promotion to Assistant Professor. The emphasis on JIF is based on a presumed correlation between JIF and citation counts. However, our analysis shows that Taiwan's medical schools have lower-than-average citation counts despite a competitive rank in the number of publications.ConclusionsThe JIF plays an unrivaled role in determining the outcome of FAP in Taiwan's medical schools, mostly via the CJA system. The questionable effectiveness of the current system in elevating the international standing of Taiwan's higher-education institutions calls for a re-examination of the FAP system. We recommend a reduction in the relative importance of CJA score in the FAP system, adopting more rigorous metrics such as the h-index for evaluating research quality, and supporting more research aimed at improving the FAP system.
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Project description:BACKGROUND:Ethics teaching is globally considered an essential part of medical education fostering professionalism. It does not only provide knowledge for good clinical conduct, but also trains medical students as virtuous practitioners. Although Turkey has had a considerable experience in ethics education of healthcare professionals, the general state of ethics curricula at medical schools in Turkey is unknown. METHODS:The purpose of this study was to collect comprehensive data about the ethics education programs at medical schools in Turkey. To this aim, we designed a cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire survey which focuses on the content, teaching years, teaching, assessment and evaluation methodologies, workforce and infrastructure. We delivered the questionnaire to all medical schools in Turkey. Seventy-nine medical schools participated in this study (response rate: 78%). RESULTS:Although most institutions had an undergraduate ethics curriculum (91.1%), the findings suggest deficiency of teaching personnel (34.2% had no instructors). Furthermore, the distribution and composition of the workforce was imbalanced. The content varies largely among institutions. Medical schools with an ethics department were more likely to diversify teaching topics. However, ethics education was largely based on the four-principle approach. The content was usually conveyed to students theoretically. Around 90% of schools had classroom lectures. It is the only method used at one-third of them. Clinical ethics education was mostly lacking. Multiple-choice tests were widely used to assess and evaluate student attainments (86.1%). CONCLUSIONS:Staff qualified to teach ethics and ethics education integrated into the six-year medical curriculum given by a multidisciplinary team are urgent necessities. Considering teaching, assessment and evaluation methodologies used, most medical schools seem to fall short of fostering students to develop ethical attitudes. Endeavors aiming for modern topics should be encouraged. As the organization ethics education change continuously, we think that a platform for monitoring ethics education at medical schools in Turkey should be established. Such a body would help ethics instructors to network and find solutions to current problems and build shared wisdom.
| S-EPMC7245803 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The aim of this study is to analyze the grades given for the oral/practical part of the German State Examination at the Medical Faculty of Freiburg. We examined whether or not the grades given for the written and the oral/practical examinations correlated and if differences in grading between the Freiburg University Medical Center (UMC) and the other teaching hospitals could be found. In order to improve the quality of the state examination, the medical school has been offering standardized training for examiners for several years. We evaluated whether or not trained and untrained examiners differed in their grading of the exam and how these differences have changed over time.The results of the 2012 spring and fall exams were analyzed (N=315). The relevant data set was made available to us by the Baden-Württemberg Examination Office (Landesprüfungsamt). The data were analyzed by means of descriptive and inferential statistics.We observed a correlation of ρ=0.460** between the grades for the written and the oral/practical exams. The UMC and the teaching hospitals did not differ significantly in their grade distributions. Compared to untrained examiners, trained ones assigned the grade of "very good" less often. Furthermore, they displayed a significantly higher variance in the grades given (p=0.007, phi=0.165). This effect is stronger when concentrating specifically on those examiners who took part in the training less than a year before.The results of this study suggest that the standardized training for examiners at the Medical Faculty of Freiburg is effective for quality assurance. As a consequence, more examiners should be motivated to take part in the training.
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Project description:BackgroundGlobally, the monitoring of prompt and effective treatment for malaria with artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) is conducted largely through household surveys. This measure; however, provides no information on case management processes at the health facility level. The aim of this review was to assess evidence from health facility surveys on malaria prescribing practices using ACT, in the presence and absence of ACT stock, at time and place where treatment was sought.MethodsA systematic search of published literature was conducted. Findings were collated and data extracted on proportion of patients prescribed ACT and alternative anti-malarials in the presence and absence of ACT stock.ResultsOf the 14 studies identified in which ACT prescription for uncomplicated malaria in the public sector was evaluated, just six, from three countries (Kenya, Uganda and Zambia), reported this in the context of ACT stock. Comparing facilities with ACT stock to facilities without stock (i) ACT prescribing was significantly higher in all six studies, increasing by a range of 21.3% in children < 5 yrs weighing ≥ 5 kg (p < 0.001; Kenya 2006) to 51.7% in children ≥ 10 kg (p < 0.001; Zambia 2006); (ii) SP prescribing decreased significantly in five studies, by a range of 14.4% (p < 0.001; Kenya 2006), to 46.3% (p < 0.001; Zambia 2006); (iii) Where quinine was a reported alternative, prescriptions decreased in five of the six studies by 0.1% (p = 1.0, Kenya 2010) to 10.2% (p < 0.001; Zambia 2006). At facilities with no ACT stock on the survey day, the proportion of febrile patients prescribed ACT was < 10% in five of the nine target groups included in the six studies, with the proportion prescribed ACT ranging from 0 to 28.4% (Uganda 2007).ConclusionsPrescriber practices vary based on ACT availability. Although ACT prescriptions increased and alternative anti-malarials prescriptions decreased in the presence of ACT stock, ACT was prescribed in the absence, and alternative anti-malarials were prescribed in the presence of, ACT. Presence of stock alone does not ensure that treatment guidelines are followed. More health facility surveys, together with qualitative research, are needed to understand the role of ACT stock-outs on provider prescribing behaviours and preferences.
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Project description:The compatibility of studies or a career with children is becoming increasingly important. This is partly attributable to the fact that it is important for people of either gender to spend time with their families, their children. Not too long ago, raising children was almost exclusively the domain of the mother. On the other hand, more and more women study medicine. More than half of first year students are now female. Many of these young women, like their male counterparts, would like to start families. The possibility to both study and have children is particularly important during the "training" life phase. The Medical Faculty Mannheim realises the need for action and wants to actively tackle the associated challenges in terms of advice, study design and infrastructure. This article represents the steps which the faculty - in close cooperation with the Equality Office, the Dean of Studies and the University Hospital - has taken so far or is currently putting in place to enable students to successfully combine the challenge of studying with that of having children. These include individual advice services on study organisation, information about support services, changes to the infrastructure and more intensive cooperation between the various departments.
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Project description:The feminization of the medical profession, demographic change with an impending shortage of physicians, Generation Y - these issues are new challenges for medical schools in terms of their social responsibility and the training of the next generation of highly qualified scientists. This study, conducted by the University Hospital of Ulm throughout Baden-Württemberg via an online survey provides a valuable data basis which can be used to optimise support activities. A disproportionately high percentage of students with children in Tübingen must, as an additional challenge, cope with a lower than average monthly income. Students with children need organisational support in this doubly challenging situation. The Dean's Office can provide valuable assistance as an advocate (contact with the departments/institutions), provide organisational help (course guidance, individual support) and infrastructure (childcare/changing rooms, etc.). In Tübingen, high intrinsic motivation (willingness to engage in self-managed care networks) is also found amongst students, something that needs to be integrated into the development of the existing support networks.
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Project description:PurposeTo ensure faculty members' active participation in education in response to growing demand, medical schools should clearly describe educational activities in their promotion regulations. This study analyzed the status of how medical education activities are evaluated in promotion regulations in 2022, in Korea.MethodsData were collected from promotion regulations retrieved by searching the websites of 22 medical schools/universities in August 2022. To categorize educational activities and evaluation methods, the Association of American Medical Colleges framework for educational activities was utilized. Correlations between medical schools' characteristics and the evaluation of medical educational activities were analyzed.ResultsWe defined 6 categories, including teaching, development of education products, education administration and service, scholarship in education, student affairs, and others, and 20 activities with 57 sub-activities. The average number of included activities was highest in the development of education products category and lowest in the scholarship in education category. The weight adjustment factors of medical educational activities were the characteristics of the target subjects and faculty members, the number of involved faculty members, and the difficulty of activities. Private medical schools tended to have more educational activities in the regulations than public medical schools. The greater the number of faculty members, the greater the number of educational activities in the education administration and service categories.ConclusionMedical schools included various medical education activities and their evaluation methods in promotion regulations in Korea. This study provides basic data for improving the rewarding system for efforts of medical faculty members in education.
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Project description:Degrowth has evolved within a decade from an activist movement into a multi-disciplinary academic paradigm. However, an overview taking stock of the peer-refereed degrowth literature is yet missing. Here, we review 91 articles that were published between 2006 and 2015. We find that the academic degrowth discourse occupies a small but expanding niche at the intersection of social and applied environmental sciences. The discourse is shaped by authors from high-income, mainly Mediterranean, countries. Until 2012, articles largely constitute conceptual essays endorsed by normative claims. More recently, degrowth has branched out into modelling, empirical assessments, and the study of concrete implementations. Authors tend to agree in that economic growth cannot be sustained ad infinitum on a resource constraint planet and that degrowth requires far reaching societal change. Whether degrowth should be considered as a collectively consented choice or an environmentally-imposed inevitability constitutes a major debate among degrowth thinkers. We argue that the academic discourse could benefit from rigid hypotheses testing through input-output modelling, material flow analysis, life-cycle assessments, or social surveys. By analyzing the potentials for non-market value creation and identifying concrete well-being benefits, the degrowth discourse could receive wider public support and contribute to a paradigmatic change in the social sciences.
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