Koshila Kumar

Factors affecting the utility of the multiple mini-interview in selecting candidates for graduate-entry medical school

Context  We wished to determine which factors are important in ensuring interviewers are able to make reliable and valid decisions about the non‐cognitive characteristics of candidates when selecting candidates for entry into a graduate‐entry medical programme using the multiple mini‐interview (MMI).

Online CME: an effective alternative to face-to-face delivery

Background: The Pharmacotherapies Accreditation Course (PAC) is a continuing medical education (CME) course designed to prepare practitioners for accreditation as pharmacotherapies prescribers for opioid dependence. The course incorporates a preparation stage, a workshop stage and a clinical placement component. The PAC continues to be successfully delivered in face-to-face mode since 2001. From 2003 onwards, an online alternative of the PAC was also implemented. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an online alternative to an existing face-to-face CME workshop in preparing practitioners for accreditation as a pharmacotherapies prescriber for opioid dependence. Methods: Participants were 62 practitioners who undertook the PAC between 2003 and 2006. A pretest/posttest-control group design was used, with outcome measures across the domains of knowledge, skill, and attitudes, together with a course feedback survey for both the online and face-to-face modes of the course. Results: Results demonstrate that the online CME mode was equally as effective as the face-to face mode in preparing participants for their role in the treatment and management of opioid dependence, and was also rated highly by participants. Conclusions: The findings have implications for the effective design and delivery of e-learning environments for professional practice, in terms of equipping participants with requisite clinical knowledge and skills and facilitating the development of attitudes congruent with professional practice.

A longitudinal integrated placement and medical students' intentions to practise rurally.

Medical Education 2012: 46 : 179–191

Experiences of the multiple mini-interview: a qualitative analysis

Context  Multiple mini‐interviews (MMIs) are increasingly used in high‐stakes medical school selection. Yet there is little published research about participants’ experiences and understandings of the process. We report the findings from an international qualitative study on candidate and interviewer experiences of the MMI for entry into a graduate‐entry medical school.

Entering and navigating academic medicine: academic clinician-educators' experiences.

Medical Education 2011: 45: 497–503

An exploratory review of pre-qualification interprofessional education evaluations

Abstract There are diverse perceptions about the primary purpose of evaluation. In interprofessional education (IPE), there has been a perceived focus on evaluating against the outcome of improved collaborative practice and quality of care. This paper presents an exploration of the nature and purpose of evaluation methods commonly utilized in the IPE literature with its focus on outcomes-based evaluation and particularly the Kirkpatrick framework. It categorises recent evaluations of pre-qualification (pre-certification) IPE interventions. Of the 90 studies included, most evaluated soon after the educational intervention, only five specifically referred to an evaluation framework and the most frequently used tool was the RIPLS. There was a noteworthy reliance on students’ self-rated perceptions of their attitudes towards collaborative practice collected through surveys, focus groups and interviews. There appears to be a need to reconsider the type of evaluation required. In conclusion, this paper offers recommendations for evaluation practice that is moving towards realist approaches; describes the longer term effects of interventions on attitudes and behaviour; develops and validates data collection tools including direct observation of practice and more comprehensively engages with all stakeholders to ensure that evaluation activities are not only focused on improving IPE but also on enhancing our understanding of interprofessional practice.

What factors in rural and remote extended clinical placements may contribute to preparedness for practice from the perspective of students and clinicians

Background: Community-based rural education opportunities have expanded in Australia, attracting more medical students to placements in rural and remote settings. Aim: To identify the factors in an integrated, community-engaged rural placement that may contribute to preparedness for practice (P4P) from the perspective of students and clinicians. Method: Forty-two semi-structured interviews with medical students, supervisors and clinicians analysed thematically. Results: Opportunities for clinical learning, personal and professional development and cultural awareness were reported by students and clinicians as key factors that contribute to P4P. Potential barriers in rural and remote settings included geographical and academic isolation, perceived educational risk and differing degrees of program engagement. Conclusions: A longitudinal clinical placement in a rural setting may enable development of enhanced competencies leading to P4P. A rural setting can provide a unique experience through hands-on learning, enhanced personal and professional development opportunities and observation of the cultural and contextual impact on health.

Longitudinal integrated rural placements: a social learning systems perspective

Objectives  There is currently little theoretically informed exploration of how non‐traditional clinical placement programmes that are longitudinal, immersive, based on community‐engaged education principles and located in rural and remote settings may contribute to medical student learning. This paper aims to theoretically illustrate the pedagogical and socio‐cultural underpinnings of student learning within a longitudinal, integrated, community‐engaged rural placement.

Student learning in interprofessional practice-based environments: what does theory say?

Student learning in interprofessional practice-based environments has garnered significant attention in the last decade, and is reflected in a corresponding increase in published literature on the topic. We review the current empirical literature with specific attention to the theoretical frameworks that have been used to illustrate how and why student learning occurs in interprofessional practice-based environments. Our findings show there are relatively few theoretical-based studies available to guide educators and researchers alike. We recommend a more considered and consistent use of theory and suggest that professional identity and socio-cultural frameworks offer promising avenues for advancing understandings of student learning and professional identity development within interprofessional practice-based environments.

It Was Definitely Very Different: An evaluation of palliative care teaching to medical students using a mixed methods approach.

Given our ageing population and the increase in chronic disease, palliative care will become an increasingly important part of doctors’ workloads, with implications for palliative care education. This study used a mixed methods strategy to evaluate second-year medical students’ learning outcomes and experiences within a palliative care education program. Analysis of pre- and post-test scores showed a significant improvement in students’ attitudinal scores, but no change in knowledge as measured by multiple-choice questions. Analysis of qualitative data revealed that students’ learning experience was marked by a lack of clear learning objectives and experiential learning opportunities. Students also reported divergent reactions to death and dying and noted that palliative care was different from other areas of clinical medicine. This study revealed that palliative care teaching results in improved attitudes toward palliative care, reflecting the holistic and patient-focused nature of the palliative care curriculum.