The current education program in all medical schools in Japan / 医学教育

<p>　The education program in all medical schools in Japan has been studied and analyzed every 2 years since 1974 by the curriculum committee of the Association of Japan Medical Colleges. Based on the most recent analysis in 2015, the marked innovation of medical education, such as an integrated curriculum, active learning, and clinical clerkship, was recognized.</p>

Development Process of Medical Education Assets Library （MEAL） / 医学教育

  Committee for Information Infrastructure in the 16th term of JSME Board Members was newly created to edit Medical Education White Book issued every four years and to provide sooner and more comprehensive information infrastructure provision. MEAL was opened as a website for medical education information since August 2011. MEAL consists of glossary, articles, books and more resources using a system like Wiki or Blog on the Web. By such technological progress, not only one–way information provision from JSME but also bidirectional communication between JSME members and committees／board members became available. Internationally, similar websites are known, such as MedEdPORTAL by AAMC （Association of American Medical Colleges）, and expected to be new scholarly information added to journals.

Comparison of the usefulness of narrative scenarios and case-report scenarios in problem-based learning tutorials in undergraduate medical education / 医学教育

The aim of this study was to compare the educational effects of previously developed case-report scenarios and newly developed narrative scenarios used in problem-based learning (PBL) at the Yamaguchi University School of Medicine.1) Students' reports submitted after they had completed PBL sessions were reevaluated, and the educational effects were compared statistically between the 2 scenario types.2) To reevaluate the students' reports, the learning effects expected of PBL classes, reported by university medical schools in North America, were used.3) The PBL using narrative scenarios was found to be more effective, particularly for the acquisition of clinical reasoning ability and comprehensive patient treatment.4) Our results show that the scenario is an important factor in PBL.

Teaching experience for medical students to complete problem-oriented medical records in undergraduate medical practice / 医学教育

1) A possible reason that medical students do not complete problem-oriented medical records is a problem in putting information received from patient into a problem list.<br>2) We invented a clinical case and asked students to list problems from the case and to establish an initial plan for admission. The exercise was effective for teaching students to complete medical records.

An Investigation into Admission Systems in Medical Departments of Universities in Japan / 医学教育

A nationwide survey of Japanese teachers belonging to departments of medicine was conducted to investigate their opinions about: 1) expanding medical departments into medical schools and, 2) the required subjects and selection criteria for admitting students to the faculty of medicine. We found that responses to both questions depended largely on the specialty of the teachers. With regard to the medical school design, which will cause a dramatic change in medical education in Japan, 60% of the teachers were in favor of expanding departments into medical schools.

Evaluation of Medical Interviews Observed in Japanese Medical School OSC Examinations / General Medicine

BACKGROUND: Medical students need interviewing skills to be effective in dealing with patients. However, it is presumed that there are some problems in evaluating the competencies medical students are required to have for practicing medicine.<BR>OBJECTIVE: During Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) in Japan, instructors usually evaluate examinee's behavior and attitude toward doing medical interviews. To improve the objectivity of these examinations we examined the assessment of our OSCE medical interview.<BR>METHODS: Medical interviews are usually evaluated using a rating list. The standardized list used in most medical schools is composed of two parts: one scores the student's behavior while conducting the interview and the other evaluates the student's ability to gather information from patients. For 5<SUP>th</SUP>year student OSCE medical interviews are performed twice, before and after ward rotation. The results of two OSCEs were analyzed in terms of scores on conducting an interview, collecting patient information, and SP, or simulated patient. Data analysis of the students' behavior and attitude were taken over 3 years, from 2000 to 2002.<BR>RESULTS: Total scores and scores on conducting interviews, collecting information, and SP's evaluation all increased when comparisons were made between before and after ward rotation. However, only the differences in the total score and SPs score in 2000 were statistically significant. Moreover, clinical skills for collecting patients' information were found to be unsatisfactory.<BR>CONCLUSIONS: As the standardized OSCE medical interviews are performed at all medical schools in Japan today, further improvements in education and in the evaluation system will be required in the future to ensure students obtain the skills expected of them for practicing medicine.

Assessment of Students by the Faculty and Simulated Patients in Medical Interviews: Evaluation for 3 Years at the Yamaguchi University School of Medicine / 医学教育

A student's medical interview in an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) may be assessed slightly differently by simulated patients and by the faculty. In this study, we compared three different scores given by the faculty or simulated patients in the assessment of OSCE medical interviews conducted at our department for 3 years. Scores compared were the total score and the behavior score given by the faculty and the score given by simulated patients. The total score and the behavior score given by the faculty correlated well with the score given by simulated patients. However, for students who received a poor assessment from simulated patients, the three scores were weakly correlated; in particular, the behavior score given by the faculty differed markedly from the score given by simulated patients. These results suggest that simulated patients have a different and important viewpoint on assessment of the medical interview in an OSCE.

Problems in Evaluating Communication Skills with the Objective Structured Clinical Examination / 医学教育

Fifth-year medical students at the Yamaguchi University School of Medicine must pass an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) before beginning bedside learning. Because the OSCE is performed over 3 days, examinees on later days are suspected of having an advantage over those tested on early days. In this study, mean values for each day's scores by one examiner were statistically compared in stations of the medical interview to investigate the difference in scores obtained on each of the OSCE days. In addition, for stations at which one student was evaluated by two examiners, their scores for each student were compared statistically in the same manner. We found no significant day-todaydifferences in mean values of the scores over the 3 examination days. However, significant differences were found between the two examiners' scores in 2 of 3 stations for the medical interview. Although there were no differences in scores among participants during the 3-day communication OSCE, examiner's evaluations and formats should be standardized for OSCE stations.