Exploration of the changes in the perceptions of medical students about cadaver dissections using metaphors.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the changes in metaphors used by medical students before and after the dissection of a cadaver. This will help qualitatively understand the meaning of cadaver dissections. METHODS: The metaphorical expressions about the practice of dissection that were used before and after the dissection exercises were collected from 147 Korean medical students. The collected qualitative data were categorised through a repeated comparative analysis. RESULTS: The results of the analysis identified seven types of metaphors that were used before the dissection practice: 'rite of passage', 'first step', 'precious opportunity', 'fog', 'hell', 'thrill', and 'double-edged sword'. After the cadaver dissection, nine types of metaphors were used: 'introspection', 'hell', 'precious opportunity', 'treasure hunt', 'turning point', 'debt', 'mist', 'bittersweet candy', and 'buzzer beater'. In general, before a cadaver dissection, students recognised the importance of the practice of cadaver dissection as being a 'gateway' or a 'growing pain'. Metaphors such as 'introspection' and 'mirror' were used with an improved attitude. However, some students continued to use negative metaphors, such as 'hell', before and after the cadaver dissection and maintained negative feelings about it. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study suggest that, for many medical students, cadaver dissection is a crucial stage of self-reflection and for the formation of their identities as doctors. The consideration of students' perceptions during all cadaver dissections is therefore essential.

Effects of medical communication curriculum on perceptions of Korean medical school students.

PURPOSE: The study examines changes in students' self-assessment of their general communication (GC) and medical communication (MC) competencies, as well as perceptions of MC concepts. METHODS: Participants included 108 second year medical students enrolled at a Korean medical school studying an MC curriculum. It was divided into three sections, and participants responded to questionnaires before and after completing each section. To assess perceived GC and MC competency, items based on a 7-point Likert scale were employed; a single open-ended item was used to examine students' perceptions of MC. Statistical analysis was conducted to gauge GC and MC competency, whereas semantic network analysis was used to investigate students' perceptions of MC. RESULTS: Students perceived their GC competency to be higher than MC. Perceived MC competency differed significantly across the three sections, whereas no differences were found for GC. There were no statistically significant differences after completing the curriculum's second and third sections; however, the vocabulary students used to describe MC concepts became more scholarly and professional. In the semantic networks, the link structure between MC-related words decreased in linearity and looseness, becoming more complex and clustered. The words 'information' and 'transfer' proved integral to students' perceptions; likewise, 'empathy' and 'communication' became closely connected in a single community from two independent communities. CONCLUSION: This study differed from prior research by conducting an in-depth analysis of changes in students' perceptions of MC, and its findings can be used to guide curriculum development.

[Trends of research articles in the Korean Journal of Medical Education by social network analysis].

PURPOSE: This aim of this study is to examine trends in medical education research in the Korean Journal of Medical Education(KJME) and suggest improvements for medical education research. METHODS: The main variables were keywords from research papers that were published in KJME. Abstracts of papers (n=499) that were published from 1991 through 2015 were analyzed by social network analysis (NetMiner 4.0) a common research methodfor trends in academic subjects. RESULTS: The most central keywords were "medical education," "clinical competence," "medical student," and "curriculum." After introduction into graduate medical school, newly appearing keywords were "professional behavior," "medical humanities," "communication,"and "physician-patient relation." Based on these results, we generated a schematic of the network, in which the five groups before introduction to graduate medical school expanded to nine groups after introduction. CONCLUSION: Medical education research has been improving qualitatively and quantitatively, and research subjects have been expanded, subdivided, and specific. While KJME has encompassed medical education studies comprehensively, studies on medical students have risen in number. Thus, the studies that are published in KJME were consistent with the direction of journal and a new study on the changes in medical education is being conducted.