Phillip Evans

A preliminary study of empathy, emotional intelligence and examination performance in MBChB students.

Context  There is considerable interest in the attributes other than cognitive ability that medical students need in order to be professionally successful, with a particular focus on empathy and emotional intelligence (EI). Selection considerations have also motivated interest in such attributes as predictors of academic success. There are reports of declines in empathy in US medical students, but no comparative information is available for UK students.

Can we influence medical students' approaches to learning?

Students use three approaches to learning and studying: deep, surface and strategic. These are influenced by the learning environment. In response to the General Medical Councils report ‘Tomorrows Doctors’, the second year of the medical course at the University of Edinburgh was changed to promote deep learning, with learning objectives constructed according to the SOLO taxonomy, learning methods such as problem-based learning and constructively aligned written assignments and examinations. The Approaches to Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) was used to evaluate the effect of these changes. Scores were highest for deep approaches and lowest for surface approaches and showed almost no change during the course. There are various possible explanations. The students already scored highly on deep approaches at the beginning of Year 2 and it may be difficult to increase the deep scores further, particularly over the relatively short period of the study. Alternatively, the effect of the changes in learning environment may not be strong enough to change entrenched approaches which have hitherto been successful.

Relationship between assessment results and approaches to learning and studying in Year Two medical students

Context  Students can take different approaches to learning and studying: deep (understanding material); surface (memorising details), and strategic (motivated by assessments). It is important to know how assessments affect student choices of approach.

Cross-referencing the Scottish Doctor and Tomorrow's Doctors learning outcome frameworks

Learning outcomes, organised into systems or frameworks which describe and define the output of an educational programme, are being created and used in healthcare education with increasing frequency (Harden , 2002). Medical schools may be required to conform to more than one such outcome framework. For example, both the UK General Medical Council (GMC) and the Scottish Deans’ Medical Curriculum Group (SDMCG) have created and published a systematic learning outcome framework for medical graduates. Although both of these publications are concerned with undergraduate medical education, they differ in their aims, and structure. In order to use, evaluate and validate them, a cross-referencing system which relates each learning outcome statement, term or groups of terms is required.  This paper describes the cross-referencing exercise undertaken by the SDMCG, the philosophy behind it, the practical steps taken, the findings, the lessons learnt and reflections upon how this work may be taken forward. It will be of interest to all those who are involved in curriculum development using outcomes, and especially those who use the GMCs Tomorrows Doctors or the SDMCGs Scottish Doctor frameworks and those who are interested in education informatics in general.

Can medical students from two cultures learn effectively from a shared web-based learning environment?

Objective  This study aimed to establish whether medical students from 2 different cultures can learn effectively from a shared web‐based learning environment.

An evaluation of digital, split-site and traditional formats in conference poster sessions

The paper reports an evaluation of digital, split-site and traditional poster presentations at the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) conference in September 2004. The programme included 300 posters in 19 sessions, viewed, potentially, by 1265 conference participants, in parallel with other events. The instrument was a questionnaire of 16 open- and closed-format questions applied opportunistically and gaining 250 complete responses. Qualitative and quantitative analysis suggested that no one format was preferred. Each had different strengths and weaknesses relating to seeing and hearing the presenter and viewing the poster. Opportunities for discussion were highly valued.

Core competencies in teaching and training for doctors in Scotland: a review of the literature and stakeholder survey

Abstract Background: The UK General Medical Council requires all registered doctors to be competent in all areas of their work, including teaching and training. Aims: The current research sought consensus on core competencies for all consultants and GPs involved in teaching and training in Scotland. Method: A draft list of 80 competencies was developed from the literature and made available as a survey to all consultants and GPs with teaching roles and all final year speciality trainees working in Scotland. Respondents rated the importance of each competency and provided free text comments. Results: There were 1026 responses. Eighteen competencies were rated as “high priority”, and are recommended as a baseline for all doctors involved in teaching and training; 55 were rated as “medium priority”, and are recommended in relation to specific teaching and training roles; and 7 were rated as “low priority”. Free text responses suggested the topic was controversial and emotive, and emphasised the importance of further work to engage trainers. Conclusions: The findings appeared to have face validity, and it was felt these could be used as the basis for developing a “Scottish Trainer Framework” for doctors and others involved in teaching and training in Scotland.