[Psychiatric assessment skills in physical and rehabilitation medicine residents]. / Aptitud clínica en psiquiatría de los residentes de medicina física y rehabilitación.

OBJECTIVE: To value the psychiatric clinical aptitude (CA) in physical medicine and rehabilitation residents (PMR). METHODS: An instrument of evaluation of the psychiatric clinical aptitude was built, with five summarized real clinical cases, with 120 items to respond, 60 with true answer and 60 with false. The instrument was validated by experts, three psychiatrists and two specialists in physical medicine and rehabilitation that coincided completely in 44 % of the answers and in 56 % four of the five experts. It was applied to all medical residents of this specialty (n = 16), the internal consistency of the instrument was measured by the test of Kuder-Richardson (formula 20) showing a coefficient of 0.85, the random response was calculated by the Pérez Padilla-Viniegra test, being of 20 (17 %). Comparisons among the groups with U of Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis were made. RESULTS: Degrade of CA in the whole sample was low and there were differences statistically significant in favor of the third year residents. CONCLUSIONS: The educational strategies in the psychiatry area do not enhance the development of the CA in this specialty.

[Comparison of two educational strategies in teacher formation courses]. / Comparación de dos modalidades educativas en diplomados de formación docente.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the achievement of promotional strategies on the participation in two educational modalities for the development of skills for the elaboration of the knowledge (SSEK) in courses of teacher formation (TF). METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was performed in four courses of TF with similar contents and strategies with seven students each one. As independent variable the presence and semipresence modalities were considered. In order to measure the development of the SSEK reliable; a validated instrument were used. RESULTS: No significant differences were found among or between evaluations before and after interventions in the four groups. The students of the semipresencial course well as the presence advanced significantly in the development of the aptitudes and educative posture according to Wilcoxon test. CONCLUSIONS: Both modalities increase the SSKE to development therefore represents an option for medical education in health professionals.

[Small group discussion to promote self-learning]. / Discusión en pequeños grupos. Su influencia en el camino conocimiento.

OBJECTIVE: To emphasize the influence of small groups discussion to promote self-learning. METHODOLOGY: Educational strategies aimed at promoting active participation were designed, and evaluated through its effect in developing aptitude to read critically. The experimental group (EG) participated in a three-phased strategy (individual assignment, small group discussion and plenary); the control group participated in a two-phased strategy (individual assignment and plenary). Subjects in both groups were randomly selected. Previously, an instrument to measure the capability to read critically educational theory texts was developed and validated. The duration and the contents were equal in both strategies. RESULTS: At the baseline, there were no differences between groups. After participating in the strategies, both groups showed significant progress. CG increased its score from 16 to 33 and the EC from 20 to 48 (p < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Small group discussion proved to be effective to increase the capability to read critically educational theory texts, thus it use should be considered when implementing educational strategies aimed at promoting active participation.

[The evolution of teaching education in the health area]. / La evolución de la formación docente en el área de la salud.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance through time of the Centro de Investigación Educativa y Formación Docente (Educational Research and Teaching Education Center) at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Mexican Institute of Social Security), Nuevo León Office using as an indicator the ability for critical reading of theoretical texts of education. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional study was made among professors with and without teaching education, as well as among the several generations of professors that took teaching education courses at the Centro de Investigación Educativa y Formación Docente. A previously validated instrument was used to measure the ability for critical reading. It was applied to 358 professors, 107 with teaching education at the Centro de Investigación Educativa y Formación Docente in Monterrey and 251 without teaching education, at the IMSS Nuevo León Office. RESULTS: It was found that the previous teaching education constitutes a "positive risk" with an odds ratio of 17.66 (CI 9.02-34.12). Statistically significant differences were also found between not educated professors (median of 15) and educated professors (median of 35). In the scale, the grades at random and very low predominated in not educated professors, while the educated ones were located in the low and average. CONCLUSION: Professors at the Centro de Investigación Educativa y Formación Docente are improving their teaching labor using research as a means of self-criticism.