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>

4. Investigation of educational achievements of medical department faculties and healthcare providers using a rating form to evaluate medical education performance / 医学教育

<p>Introduction: Compared with faculties in clinical and medical research departments, those in medical departments are not appropriately evaluated in terms of their contributions to or achievements in medical education. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate the contributions of medical department faculties to medical education, and to examine differences in contributions according to duty positions and specialties.</p><p>Methods: Five-grade self-assessments in relation to 20 items on a rating form for performance in medical education, which was developed by the Japan Society for Medical Education's Committee for Performance Evaluation, were carried out by medical department faculties in Japanese universities. The data were then totalized and analyzed.</p><p>Results and Discussion: Although faculties belonging to departments other than medical education units did not actively participate in examinations or the education system, they still made contributions to lectures and practice. In addition, faculties with positions with more duties tended to show greater participation in the education system.</p><p></p><p>Conclusion: Based on these findings, we recommend the use of a rating form as a standard scale to evaluate performance in medical education.</p>

Lessons on large-scale OSCE in Canadian Qualifying Examination Part II after post-graduate residency / 医学教育

<p>　Based on our experience of visiting the Medical Council of Canada and observing large-scale OSCE (objective structured clinical examination) in Canadian Qualifying Examination Part II , we report differences operation system, implementation status, and examination questions compared to Japan. This very important examination after the post-graduate residency program may provide several invaluable tips when we introduce nation-wide clinical performance examinations.</p>

The seamless link between undergraduate medical education and postgraduate training and the elimination of the uneven distribution of physicians among disciplines and regions in France / 医学教育

　France’s sophisticated system of medical education achieves a seamless link between undergraduate education and postgraduate training and has eliminated the uneven distribution of physicians among disciplines and regions. The Épreuves Classantes Nationales （national ranking examination）, introduced in 2004, improved the uneven distribution of physicians among disciplines and regions. Although the medical board examination is not used in France, the unique medical education system, which develops both general practitioners and specialists, provides useful information for improving medical education in Japan.

Medical Education and the National Licensure Examination in Germany / 医学教育

　Medical education in Germany has undergone significant reforms since the new law, “Regulation of the Licensing of Doctors,” was introduced in 2003. The major point of the reforms is the shift from theoretical education to practical clinical training. The national licensure examination consists of 2 parts: an examination for knowledge of basic medicine in the second year of medical school, and an examination for clinical knowledge and skills after clinical clerkships. These reforms should provide useful information for the reform of medical education in Japan.

Recent Trends of Medical Education Reforms in United Kingdom: / 医学教育

Background: Globalization urges us to discuss rationale and policy towards establishing a medical education accrediting body in Japan. Experience of General Medical Council （GMC） suggests us some useful lessons.<br>Method: Based on our visits and investigation into in GMC, we inquire how Quality Assurance （QA） was introduced in UK with what incentives and how QA has brought reforms in the medical schools in UK.<br>Result: Since 2003, GMC has changed its policy for QA from ‘inspection’ to ‘dialogue’. Dialogical QA asks a medical school to think critically of their education and consider vigorous actions for further improvements.<br>Discussion: Implications from the experience of GMC are: 1.QA process in GMC makes medical schools take robust steps towards changes, 2. Sharing the rational and policy for QA created the solid base for its effective implementation, 3. There are possible difficulties in establishing structure to do an enormous amount of coordinating work, which is necessary for constructing ‘dialogue with medical schools’.

Clinical skills evaluation of the United States Medical Licensing Examinatio / 医学教育

・We visited the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Clinical Skills Evaluation Collaboration Center to discuss with the examiners the present state of the USMLE （United States Medical Licensing Examination）, to which clinical skills evaluation has been introduced.<br>・Evidence that the introduction of clinical skills evaluation to the USMLE has affected the reform of medical schools curricula in the United States supports the necessity of introducing clinical skills evaluation to the Medical Board Examination of Japan.

Team–Based Learning at the Duke–NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore / 医学教育

1)We visited the Duke–NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore to learn the administration and management of, and the theory behind, team–based learning (TBL), a candidate educational method to replace the problem–based learning tutorial.<br>2)TBL motivates students to prepare for and engage in discussion. The grading of performance in TBL, certain characteristics of assignments, and the use of peer evaluation all promote individual and group accountability for learning.<br>3)To obtain the maximum overall benefit from TBL and to exploit group dynamics for effective learning, well–designed assignments are the key.

Assessment of training in cardiac auscultation using a simulator / 医学教育

The use of simulators for skills training has become widespread. However, no quantitative analysis has been performed to determine whether simulation-based medical education is useful for improving the acquisition of clinical skills. The educational effect must be evaluated to further develop stimulation-based education. A seminar for cardiac auscultation was held, with the skills laboratory taking the initiative; the effectiveness was verified, and various problems were identified.1)The skills laboratory held a series of training seminars to examine the effectiveness of simulation-based education.2) Sixteen medical students participated in the seminars. One seminar lasted 120 minutes, including 60 minutes of lectures and 60 minutes of skills training. All students attended the three seminars. A questionnaire survey, a written examination, and a skills test were administered to all students three times (before, immediately after, and 5 months after the seminars).3) The students were extremely satisfied with the seminars. The students believed their cardiac auscultation skills had improved and that this improvement was still present 5 months later. After the seminars, the heart sound simulators were used more frequently than before the seminar.4) The results of skills testing after the seminars were better than those before the seminars and remained better 5 months later. However, results of a written examination 5 months after the seminars were similar to those before the seminars.5) The seminars in the skills laboratory were effective for improving students' auscultation skills and increased the effective use of mannequins in the skills laboratory.

A questionnaire survey concerning the distribution and equipment of clinical skills laboratories in Japanese medical schools: Simulation-based skills training courses in clinical skills laboratories / 医学教育

1) Simulation-based training is critical for medical students to acquire clinical skills. We sent questionnaires to all 80 medical schools in Japan asking about the status of clinical skills laboratories and received responses from 73 medical schools.2) Fifty-nine schools have skills laboratories. Forty-nine schools have curricula integrating simulation-based skills training. The 3 most common apparatuses are venopuncture trainers, basic life support mannequins, and skin-suturing trainers. Lung and heart sound auscultation trainers, advanced cardiac life support mannequins, and ophthalmoscopy trainers are used at more than 50 schools.3) Thirty-two of the 59 schools have simulation-based skills-training courses that are not included in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Medical staff and people in the community are participating. The four most common courses are, in descending order, basic life support, intermediate cardiac life support, advanced cardiac life support, and automated external defibrillation, which are held at more than 16 schools.

The Advantage of an Integrated Basic and Clinical Medical Curriculum Exemplified by the Study of Hematology / 医学教育

1) At Dundee University, which has an excellent history of medical education and where the objective structured clinical examination was developed, hematology and dermatology play integrated roles in the second semester of the first-year curriculum. 2) Integrated curriculums, exemplified by the study of hematology, are expected to be introduced to medical schools in Japan.

Medical Education in Korea / 医学教育

The medical school system of Korea was patterned after the system used in the United States. Objective structured clinical examination/complete physical examination will be introduced to the national medical board examination in 2009.Medical educators insist on the importance of clinical clerkships and have introduced simulation-based learning in new curricula.We report on whether this new system is working well or not for possible use in the reform of medical education in Japan.

Reform of medical education in Germany / 医学教育

1) We visited 4 universities in Germany, from where medical systems were once introduced to Japan as a model of modern medicine, and investigated the present conditions of medical education.2) The reform of curricula and methods of medical education has been actively performed in Germany, as it has been in Japan.

Trends of graduate-entry programmes in the United Kingdom / 医学教育

1) We reported recent movement to graduate entry program (GEP) of medical education curriculum in the UK by both interviewing faculty members who are in charge of GEP and doing literature review.<BR>2) In GEP, we may be able to make better doctors in short term.However, as long term outcome is not known so far, further discussion is necessary.<BR>3) Many contents can be improved by just curriculum change, not by introducing GEP.Besides it can be said that GEP can make diverse doctors.

Clinical skills training in Scotland; simulation-based learning / 医学教育

1) Simulation-based learning is well organized in Universities of Dundee and Glasgow.Medical students use skills centre to brush up their clinical skills frequently.<BR>2) University of Glasgow developed clinical final OSCE using 50 stations.In the United Kingdom, where national board examination is not necessary to be a doctor, OSCE using 50 stations is organized to foster good doctors.

Graduate-entry programmes in Ireland / 医学教育

1) We report here the introduction of graduate entry programmes (GEP) of medical education curriculum in Ireland. Shortness of the doctors stimulated the introduction of GEP in Ireland.Two of the five medical schools introduced GEP and one is planning to introduce, while the other two do not have any idea to introduce it at present.<BR>2) GEP can grow doctors of diverse abilities and is evaluated by Irish medical educators