N.M.A. Azila

Haemolytic, oedema and haemorrhage inducing activities of tentacular extract of the blubber jellyfish (Catostylus mosaicus)

1. An extract prepared from the tentacle of the jellyfish (CE), Catostylus mosaicus exhibited haemolytic, oedema and haemorrhage-inducing activities. 2. Acetone treatment of the tentacle extract produced an acetone soluble extract (AE) which showed an increase in specific haemolytic and haemorrhagic activities by 25- and 120-fold respectively; the minimum oedema dose was reduced by 30-fold. 3. The AE caused a rapid onset of oedema in the mouse foot pad. The effect was long-lasting, reaching a maximum in about 30 min after injection and sustained up to 4 hr. 4. Fractionation of the AE on Q-Sepharose gave 4 bound fractions which induced oedema and haemorrhage; however only 3 of the fractions exhibited haemolytic activity.

Improving OSCE examiner skills in a Malaysian setting

Context and setting Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are used for summative assessment at final year level in the undergraduate medical programme of a medical school in Malaysia. Training of examiners was instituted 3 years after the OSCE was introduced. Why the idea was necessary Previous observations of examiners in OSCEs raised 2 concerns: faculty were inconsistent in marking checklists and some demonstrated inappropriate behaviour, such as prompting and teaching. What was done Examiner training was instituted in February 2006 to improve skills in OSCE examination. To date, 36 OSCE examiners have been trained through 4 training workshops. In the workshops, volunteer students and 4 standardised stations were used to train examiners using a 2-way mirror system. Examiner behaviour was scored using a checklist and examiners, both inside and outside the consultation room, scored student performance. Station checklist scores were compared before and after discussion. Evaluation of results and impact During the training workshops, examiners showed wide variation in scoring. Examiners were observed during subsequent OSCEs to determine whether their scoring skills and behaviour had improved. Observers in the OSCEs reported wide variations in scoring practices between trained and untrained examiners who examined the same OSCE station in parallel tracks. In addition, examiners who underwent training prior to the OSCE were generally consistent in their behaviour and provided none or minimal prompting. By contrast, untrained examiners were inconsistent and prompted students. These preliminary results confirm that examiner training workshops improved examiner scoring skills, which resulted in better consistency during administration of OSCEs.

Inducing curricular change: initial evaluation of outcomes

Context and setting Data on interns obtained during their 1-year pre-registration service were used to induce curriculum change. The initiative resulted in a 5-year, semi-integrated, organ system-based curriculum implemented in 1998. It is the third curriculum to be initiated since our medical school was established in 1965. Why the idea was necessary In 1994, Ministry of Health consultants who supervised our graduates indicated that, although the graduates excelled in knowledge and skills, they lacked leadership qualities, interpersonal and communication skills, teamwork skills, and knowledge of medical economics and recent advances in medicine. What was done A curriculum review carried out in 1996 resulted in the New Integrated Curriculum (NIC). This consisted of 3 vertical strands: