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Postgraduate Education (postgraduate + education)
Selected AbstractsAn Approach to Interdisciplinary Training in Postgraduate EducationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2006P Brodin Aims, A primary goal for clinical graduate training is to provide the student with the expertise required for specialist treatment in the actual discipline. At the same time there is an increasing need for a broader perspective on specialist care and the students should be aware of the limitations inherent in own specialty. In order to plan treatment in the best interest of the patient, and to be prepared to take part in treatments involving other specialties, the students should be exposed to interdisciplinary cooperation throughout the training. An approach to joint academic and clinical training with the purpose of providing graduate students with a broader perspective on specialist care is described and discussed. Material and methods, During their first year graduate students in the 7 different disciplines complete a joint Core Curriculum consisting of 8 different courses to stimulate a scientific approach to their profession and understanding of basic biologic mechanisms. To create a learning environment focusing on the development of interdisciplinary competence, a joint clinic has been established. Teams of students from different disciplines have been organized in order to establish ,partnership' for the treatment of patients with complex problems. The students also take part in the sessions held by a faculty Team of experts for assessment and treatment planning of referred patients with complex problems. Furthermore, faculty members conduct courses and seminars for students from other disciplines and students also participate in selected parts of the regular program in other disciplines. Results, Formal evaluation has so far been conducted for the Core Curriculum. Most students respond that they are satisfied with the courses, and the curriculum has also been adjusted based on the comments. The students report that treatment of patients in need of interdisciplinary treatment has been facilitated by having ,partners' in other disciplines. Participation in the Team of expert's sessions has been appreciated, and the attendance at interdisciplinary courses and seminars has been good. Conclusions, Based on the experience over the last 5 years, the interdisciplinary aspects of graduate training should be expanded to stimulate a holistic approach also to specialist treatment. [source] Graduate Medical Education and Knowledge Translation: Role Models, Information Pipelines, and Practice Change ThresholdsACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2007Barry M. Diner MD This article reflects the proceedings of a workshop session, Postgraduate Education and Knowledge Translation, at the 2007 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference on knowledge translation (KT) in emergency medicine (EM). The objective was to develop a research strategy that incorporates KT into EM graduate medical education (GME). To bridge the gap between the best evidence and optimal patient care, Pathman et al. suggested a multistage model for moving from evidence to action. Using this theoretical knowledge-to-action framework, the KT consensus conference group focused on four key components: acceptance, application, ability, and remembering to act on the existing evidence. The possibility that basic familiarity, along with the pipeline by Pathman et al., may improve KT uptake may be an initial starting point for research on GME and KT. Current residents are limited by faculty GME role models to demonstrate bedside KT principles. The rapid uptake of KT theory will depend on developing KT champions locally and internationally for resident physicians to emulate. The consensus participants combined published evidence with expert opinion to outline recommendations for identifying the barriers to KT by asking four specific questions: 1) What are the barriers that influence a resident's ability to act on valid health care evidence? 2) How do we break down these barriers? 3) How do we incorporate this into residency training? 4) How do we monitor the longevity of this intervention? Research in the fields of GME and KT is currently limited. GME educators assume that if we teach residents, they will learn and apply what they have been taught. This is a bold assumption with very little supporting evidence. This article is not an attempt to provide a complete overview of KT and GME, but, instead, aims to create a starting point for future work and discussions in the realm of KT and GM. [source] Postgraduate education for doctors in smoking cessationDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 5 2009NICHOLAS A. ZWAR Abstract Introduction and Aims. Smoking cessation advice from doctors helps improve quit rates but the opportunity to provide this advice is often missed. Postgraduate education is one strategy to improve the amount and quality of cessation support provided. This paper describes a sample of postgraduate education programs for doctors in smoking cessation and suggests future directions to improve reach and quality. Design and Methods. Survey of key informants identified through tobacco control listserves supplemented by a review of the published literature on education programs since 2000. Programs and publications from Europe were not included as these are covered in another paper in this Special Issue. Results. Responses were received from only 21 key informants from eight countries. Two further training programs were identified from the literature review. The following components were present in the majority of programs: 5 As (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist and Arrange) approach (72%), stage of change (64%), motivational interviewing (72%), pharmacotherapies (84%). Reference to clinical practice guidelines was very common (84%). The most common model of delivery of training was face to face. Lack of interest from doctors and lack of funding were identified as the main barriers to uptake and sustainability of training programs. Discussion and Conclusions. Identifying programs proved difficult and only a limited number were identified by the methods used. There was a high level of consistency in program content and a strong link to clinical practice guidelines. Key informants identified limited reach into the medical profession as an important issue. New approaches are needed to expand the availability and uptake of postgraduate education in smoking cessation.[Zwar NA, Richmond RL, Davidson D, Hasan I. Postgraduate education for doctors in smoking cessation. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009;28:466,473] [source] The use of the OSCE in postgraduate educationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2008R. C. Arnold Abstract Background:, The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a method of assessing the clinical skills of undergraduates in medicine, dentistry and other health sciences and is employed increasingly in postgraduate education. Aim:, To describe the application of the OSCE to the development of Lifelong Learning and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for General Dental Practitioners (GDPs). Methods:, A postgraduate course was designed as an OSCE for GDPs. The OSCE comprised 12 stations covering different aspects of general dentistry. After an introductory seminar outlining the aim of the course, the participants spent 7 min at each station. Each question or task required 10 answers and was designed to highlight areas of weakness or interest and to stimulate further study of the presenting topic. Solutions and answers were provided at each station for self-assessment along with a list of locally presented courses related to that subject. Participants were invited to leave contact details and to make suggestions for future postgraduate courses. The final session consisted of a group discussion and participants were invited to complete an evaluation form to express opinions on the course. Results:, The evaluation demonstrated that most candidates found participation in the OSCE stimulated their interest in CPD. The OSCE also highlighted areas of weakness in knowledge of certain clinical procedures. Group discussion confirmed that practitioners found the hands-on component valuable and that they were likely to participate in further OSCEs to enhance their CPD. Suggestions received during the discussion were used to modify the course. Conclusions:, The OSCE course fulfilled its aim of assisting practitioners to organise their CPD. The reflective nature of the course was helpful in evaluating clinical knowledge and the unique multidisciplinary style fulfilled its objective in promoting thoughts regarding future study. [source] Teaching of neuroepidemiology in Europe: time for actionEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 12 2004V. Feigin Many epidemiological and clinical studies in Europe, especially in Eastern Europe and countries in transition, are of poor methodological quality because of lack of background knowledge in clinical epidemiology methods and study designs. The only way to improve the quality of epidemiological studies is to provide adequate undergraduate and/or postgraduate education for the health professionals and allied health professions. To facilitate this process, the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) Task Force on teaching of clinical epidemiology in Europe was set up in October 2000. Based on analyses of the current teaching and research activities in neuroepidemiology in Europe, this paper describes the Task Force recommendations aimed to improve these activities. [source] A study into dentists' knowledge of the treatment of traumatic injuries to young permanent incisorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 1 2005M. N. KOSTOPOULOU Summary. Objective., The aims of this study were to evaluate dentists' knowledge of the emergency treatment of traumatic injuries to young permanent incisors, and to investigate barriers to treatment. Design., A closed-ended questionnaire was sent to 1023 general dental practitioners (GDPs) and community dental officers (CDOs) in West/North Yorkshire and Humberside, UK. Methods., The questionnaire comprised 17 questions. Six questions asked for general information about the participants (i.e. profession, age, gender, year of graduation, training or education on dental trauma, and willingness to provide emergency care), 10 were relevant to the emergency treatment of crown fractures, root fractures, luxation and avulsion injuries, and the last question queried any perceived barriers to treatment. Results., Seven hundred and twenty-four questionnaires were returned, a response rate of 71%, and these indicated that dentists' knowledge of the emergency treatment of dentoalveolar trauma in children was inadequate. The CDOs were significantly more knowledgeable than the GDPs, as were younger and more recently graduated dentists compared with older ones. The GDPs regarded the difficulty of treating children and the inadequate fees of the UK National Health Service as important barriers to treatment. Dentists who attended continuing dental education courses on dental traumatology had a more thorough knowledge than those who did not. Conclusion., Overall, the dentists' knowledge of the emergency treatment of dentoalveolar trauma in children was inadequate. Greater emphasis on undergraduate and postgraduate education in this area is indicated. [source] Prescription-related illness , a scandalous pandemicJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 4 2004Hugh McGavock BSc MD FRCGP Abstract Prescribed drugs are now a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in the elderly. The extent of this pandemic is described and its likely causes in primary care are identified: unnecessary prescribing, imprecise diagnosis, inadequate undergraduate and postgraduate education in pharmacology and therapeutics, the uncritical application of evidence-based medicine, the outstanding development of new drugs and their sometimes unjustified promotion. Urgent action is recommended under seven headings, by health administration, epidemiologists, medical educators and prescribing doctors. [source] Kisspeptin: A Novel Regulator of Reproductive FunctionJOURNAL OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 8 2008W. S. Dhillo Young Neuroendocrinologists Prize Reviews Michael Harbuz Young Investigator Prize Lecture The UK and international neuroendocrine community was deeply shocked and saddened the unbelievably premature death of Michael Harbuz in Bristol in 2006. Mick was a superb friend and colleague, and played a huge part in the development and activities of the British Neuroendocrine Group/British Society for Neuroendocrinology (BSN), serving as both Membership Secretary and Treasurer between 1999 and 2004. Mick was a leader in the field of neuroendocrine,immune interactions, and brought a great deal of charisma, humour and ability to meetings and conferences. He was also a passionate and committed supporter of the progress of young researchers and of their participation in neuroendocrine events. He recognised that today's postgraduate students and postdoctoral research fellows are tomorrow's neuroendocrine researchers, be it in academia, the health services or industry. To recognise Mick's great commitment to and enthusiasm for postgraduate education both in the University of Bristol and in the BSN, we decided to honour and remember him by instituting the ,Michael Harbuz Young Investigator Prize Lecture' to be delivered annually. Dr Waljit Dhillo from Imperial College London was the inaugural recipient of this award, and presented his lecture at the Annual Meeting of the BSN in Nottingham in September 2007, upon which this review is based. Recent evidence demonstrates that the neuropeptide kisspeptin and its receptor, GPR54, have a fundamental role in initiating the onset of puberty and are important in regulating reproductive function. This review discusses the evidence available from animals and humans demonstrating that kisspeptin potently stimulates the release of gonadotrophins by stimulating the release of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone and that a lack of kisspeptin or GPR54 results in reproductive failure. [source] Dentists' perceptions of dentine hypersensitivity and knowledge of its treatmentJOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 3 2002D. G. Gillam The aim of the present investigation was to determine by questionnaire, UK dentists' perception of Dentine Hypersensitivity (DH) and knowledge of its treatment. A total of 403 questionnaires were sent to a selected group of UK dentists who had either inquired about further postgraduate education or had attended a course at the Eastman Dental Institute/Hospital. A total of 181 of 403 dentists (44·9%) (118M; 36F, 17 no response, mean age 38·2 years [s.d. 8·97]) returned the questionnaire. About 92·8% (n=168) of responding dentists claimed to see patients with DH in their practice. According to the dentists' replies at least one of four of their patients suffered from the complaint. About 71·8% (n=130) of dentists reported that DH was a severe problem in at least 10% of their patients and that pain from DH lasted no more than 4 weeks. Most of responding dentists claimed to be asked about DH by their patients and stated that they offered advice or treatment to their patients. Nearly 87·3% (n=158) of responding dentists provided a wide range of treatment options/advice which included both In-office and over-the-counter (OTC) products. Popular responses included desensitizing pastes/gels, Topical F, varnishes and toothpastes/rinses/gels, advice on atraumatic tooth brushing, dentine bonding agents (DBA), glass,ionomer cements (GIC) and other unspecified restorations. Of the various In-office treatments Duraphat was the most cited choice of varnish/primer options. Sensodyne toothpaste was the most popular of the specified OTC products. Most dentists appeared to understand the aetiological features associated with DH and provided a wide range of factors including the effects of incorrect tooth brushing, dietary acids as well as the possible influence on non-dental topics such as stress. Most responding dentists believed that their advice on DH was generally effective although they did highlight that certain aspects on the condition were lacking such as appropriate scientific information including the prevention of DH and its treatment. The results from the present study highlight several discrepancies in the perception and knowledge of the treatment of DH between dentists and their patients. The results from this study are, however, reasonably consistent with those previously reported by Dutch investigators. The results from this study also highlighted a need for guidelines on the aetiology, prevention and treatment of DH for both dentists and their patients. The reported average frequency and duration of discomfort from DH by the responding dentists appeared to be consistent with the available literature. [source] WHO/ISBRA Study on State and Trait Markers of Alcohol Use and Dependence: Analysis of Demographic, Behavioral, Physiologic, and Drinking Variables That Contribute to Dependence and Seeking TreatmentALCOHOLISM, Issue 7 2002Jason Glanz Background Discussions between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Society on Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ISBRA) identified the need for a multiple-center international study on state and trait markers of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. The reasoning behind the generation of such a project included the need to understand the alcohol use characteristics of diverse populations and the performance of biological markers of alcohol use in a variety of settings throughout the world. A second major reason for initiating this study was to collect DNA for well-structured and stratified association studies between genetic markers and/or "candidate" genes and behavioral/physiological phenotypes of importance to predisposition to alcohol dependence. Methods An extensive interview instrument was developed with leadership from the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The instrument was translated from English to Finnish, French, German, Japanese, and Portuguese (Brazilian). One thousand eight hundred sixty-three subjects were recruited at five clinical centers (Montreal, Canada; Helsinki, Finland; Sapporo, Japan; São Paulo, Brazil; and Sydney, Australia). The subjects responded to the structured interview and provided blood and urine samples for biochemical analysis. This article focuses on the demographic characteristics of the study subjects, their drinking habits, alcohol-dependence characteristics, comorbid psychiatric and other drug variables, and predictors for seeking treatment for alcohol dependence. Multiple logistic regression models were constructed and used to explore variables that contribute to various levels of alcohol consumption, to a diagnosis of alcohol dependence, and to seeking treatment for alcohol dependence. ANOVA with post hoc comparisons, ,2, and Pearson moment calculations were used as necessary to assess additional relationships between variables. Results A number of factors previously noted in disparate studies were confirmed in our analysis. Men consumed more alcohol than women, Asians consumed less alcohol than whites or Blacks, alcohol-dependent subjects consumed more alcohol than nondependent subjects, alcohol consumption increased with age, and an increased level of education (university or postgraduate education) reduced the percentage of such individuals in the category designated as heavy drinkers (>210 g alcohol/week) and in the group who were currently in treatment for dependence. However, our analysis allowed for much more detailed comparisons; for example, although men drank more than women on a g/day basis, the differences were less pronounced on g/kg/day basis, and alcohol-dependent women drank equal amounts of alcohol as alcohol-dependent men on a g/kg/day basis. Antisocial personality characteristics or reports of trouble sleeping when an individual stops drinking were associated with higher alcohol intake. The most important of the tested factors that contributed to a DSM-IV diagnosis of dependence, however, was the report of anxiety if an individual stopped drinking. In terms of the various criteria within the DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence, no one criterion seemed to be prominent for individuals who sought alcohol dependence treatment, but the higher the number of criteria met by the individual, the higher was the probability that he or she would be in treatment. Conclusions This initial report is the beginning of the "data mining" of this rich data set. The cross-national/cross-cultural aspects of this study allowed for multiple comparisons of variables across several ethnic/racial groups and allowed for assessment of biochemical markers for alcohol intake and predisposition to alcohol dependence in diverse settings. [source] Validating the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) in the postgraduate context: are health care professionals ready for IPL?MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 5 2006Ross Reid Aims, This paper describes the process of validating the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) for use with postgraduate health care professionals. Context, The RIPLS questionnaire has proved useful in the undergraduate context, enabling tutors to assess the readiness of students to engage in interprofessional learning (IPL). With the drive in the National Health Service (NHS) to deliver health care in interprofessional teams, it seems logical to ask whether postgraduate education should, or could, be delivered successfully in interprofessional contexts. As a preliminary to undertaking an extended IPL project, the researchers tested the validity of the RIPLS tool in the postgraduate health care context. Method, A modified version of the RIPLS questionnaire was administered to all general practitioners, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals in the Dundee Local Health Care Cooperative (LHCC) (n = 799). A total of 546 staff responded (68%). Results, Three factors, comprising 23 statements, emerged from the statistical analysis of the survey data, namely, teamwork and collaboration, sense of professional identity and patient-centredness. The internal consistency measure was 0.76. Analysis of variance suggested some key differences between the different professions in respect of the factors. Conclusions, The RIPLS questionnaire was validated for use in the postgraduate context, thus providing researchers with a tool for assessing health professionals' attitudes towards interprofessional learning at practice level, community health partnership level or at a national level of education and training. Significant differences between professional groups should be taken into account in designing any interprofessional learning programme. [source] Consultants' opinion on a new practice-based assessment programme for first-year residents in anaesthesiologyACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 9 2002C. Ringsted Background: Assessment in postgraduate education is moving towards using a broad spectrum of practice-based assessment methods. This approach was recently introduced in first-year residency in anaesthesiology in Denmark. The new assessment programme covers: clinical skills, communication skills, organizational skills and collaborative skills, scholarly proficiencies and professionalism. Eighteen out of a total of 21 assessment instruments were used for pass/fail decisions. The aim of this study was to survey consultants' opinions of the programme in terms of the representativeness of competencies tested, the suitability of the programme as a basis for pass/fail decisions and the relevance and sufficiency of the content of the different assessment instruments. Methods: A description of the assessment programme and a questionnaire were sent to all consultants of anaesthesiology in Denmark. The questionnaire consisted of items, to be answered on a five-point scale, asking the consultants' opinions about representativeness, suitability and content of the programme. Results: The response rate was 251/382 (66%). More than 75% of the respondents agreed that the assessment programme offered adequate coverage of the competencies of a first-year resident and was appropriate for making pass/fail decisions. There was strong agreement that the content of the 18 tests used for pass/fail decisions was relevant and sufficient for pass/fail decisions. Conclusion: Judging from the consultants' opinions, the assessment programme for first-year residency in anaesthesiology appears to be appropriate regarding the range of competencies assessed, the appropriateness as a basis for pass/fail decisions, and regarding the content of the tests used for pass/fail decisions. Further studies are needed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the programme in practice. [source] | ||||||||||