Application of PBL combined with traditional teaching in the Immunochemistry course.

BACKGROUND: The problem-based learning (PBL) model has been widely carried out in many fields of medical colleges and universities. Immunochemistry as a cross-disciplinary science plays a vital role in preventing the occurrence of diseases and bridging the development of Life Science and Medicine. But now the Immunochemistry course still lacks the teaching practice in PBL. To explore the significance of PBL applied in the Immunochemistry course, the effect of the PBL model on the learning of undergraduates majoring in Chemicobiology was systematically evaluated. METHODS: The teaching objects were the undergraduates majoring in Chemicobiology from Guizhou Medical University. The PBL model was applied in the Immunochemistry course. 62 undergraduates in Grade 2018 were set as the control group and adopted the traditional expository model. 93 undergraduates in Grades 2019-2020 were separately set as the experimental groups, which adopted the PBL model based on traditional lecture-based learning. In the PBL model, six cases related to course contents were designed for the students to complete. The final exams of the undergraduates in Grades 2018-2020 were analyzed by the score ranges (< 60 points, 60-69 points, 70-79 points, and ≥ 80 points) and nonparametric test. Finally, the questionnaire survey about the teaching evaluation was performed in Grades 2019-2020. RESULTS: In Grades 2019 and 2020, the excellent rates (≥ 80 points), pass rates (≥ 60 points), fail rates (< 60 points), and average scores of the undergraduates were separately about 29%, 91.11% and 93.75%, 6.25%, and 8.89%, and 72.55 and 74.45 points. But in Grade 2018, the excellent rate, pass rate, failure rate, and average score of the undergraduates were separately 9.68%, 59.68%, 40.32%, and 62.55 points. By the statistical analysis, it was found that the excellent rates (χ2 = 8.317, P < 0.005) and pass rates (χ2 = 24.52, P < 0.0001) in Grades 2018-2020 were different, of which Grade 2020were the highest (29.17%, 93.75%) and Grade 2018 was the lowest (9.68%, 59.68%). The average score, excellent rate, and pass rate in Grade 2018 had significant differences with Grade 2019 (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0167) and Grade 2020 (P < 0.001, P < 0.0167). The questionnaire survey also showed that the student's learning interests, independent problem-solving ability, knowledge structure system, and scientific thought and teamwork awareness were enhanced. In Grades 2019 and 2020, the ICC (95% CI) of criterion validity and inter-rater reliability were separately 0.42/0.34 and 0.81/0.80 (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The combination of PBL and traditional expository models played positive roles in the student's learning in the Immunochemistry course.

Comparing achievements of medical graduates in an alternative unique pre-medical track vs regular medical track.

Objectives: To evaluate the association between the achievements of medical students and whether they were admitted via the pre-medical track or the regular direct track. Methods: We performed a comparative retrospective data study using data from a three-year experimental cohort in a six-year medical school. We analyzed the academic achievements of all students admitted at one Israeli medical school between 2013-2015, either directly to the six-year program or via a pre-medical track. We compared averages of both yearly final grades and final medical examinations grades between the two groups. Descriptive statistics were calculated and differences between groups were evaluated using multivariate analysis. Results: Of the 324 students included in the study, 65 (20.1%) were enrolled in all three cohorts of the pre-medical track. Age and Gender distribution were nearly similar for both tracks. For the first two cohorts, the average final grades of year one of pre-medical students were significantly higher than those of regular direct track (F=(3,167) 6.10, p=0.001), but the opposite was true for the third cohort (F=(3,110)2.38, p=0.073). No further statistically significant differences were found neither between the groups in their final exams grades nor between choosing a MD/PhD optional track and admission pathway. Conclusions: Our results suggest promising achievements with the pre-medical admission pathway. This should encourage further discussion about the significant potential human resources lost by current admission processes and may question the effectiveness of six-year programs in medical schools.

Calidad de la evaluación en estomatología en el período 2014-2021 / Quality of the evaluation in the dental medicine major in the period 2014-2021

Introducción: La ampliación de la matrícula en la carrera de estomatología y la apertura de nuevos escenarios docentes descentralizados han constituido un reto en la formación de los educandos. Con el ejercicio del examen estatal se certifica la competencia de los egresados. Objetivo: Comparar los resultados de la evaluación final de la asignatura Atención integral a la población con los del examen ordinario estatal de la carrera de estomatología en los escenarios docentes descentralizados de Plaza de la Revolución. Métodos: Se realizó una investigación descriptiva y transversal de los resultados del examen ordinario estatal de la carrera de estomatología en el período 2014-2021, en los escenarios docentes descentralizados de Plaza de La Revolución. Los resultados finales se compararon con la nota final de la asignatura Atención integral a la población. Se trabajó con el universo de los estudiantes (161). Se utilizaron los números enteros y el porcentaje. Resultados: Los resultados de la asignatura Atención integral a la población fueron ligeramente superiores a los obtenidos en la prueba estatal. En ambos predominaron las calificaciones de alto rendimiento, para un 69,5 por ciento y un 57,1 por ciento respectivamente. Conclusiones: La calidad satisfactoria de los resultados docentes de los exámenes finales de Atención integral a la población y el estatal se mantuvieron con una tendencia a la mejoraría de las calificaciones de los últimos tres cursos(AU)

Introduction: An increase in the enrollment acceptance for the dental medicine major and the creation of new decentralized teaching settings have become challenges with respect to the training of students. The state examination certifies the competence of graduates. Objective: To compare the results of the final evaluation corresponding to the subject of Comprehensive Population Care with the results of the first call for the state examination corresponding to the dental medicine major in the context of decentralized teaching settings of Plaza de la Revolución Municipality, Havana, Cuba. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional research was carried out with the results of the first call for the state examination corresponding to the dental medicine major in the period 2014-2021, in the context of decentralized teaching settings of Plaza de La Revolución Municipality. The final results were compared with the final scores corresponding to the subject of Comprehensive Population Care. The universe of students (161) were included. Integer numbers and percentages were used. Results: The results corresponding to the subject of Comprehensive Population Care were slightly higher than the results obtained in the state examination. Both were characterized by predominantly high performance scores, accounting for 69.5 percent and 57.1 percent, respectively. Conclusions: The satisfactory quality of the teaching results corresponding to the final exams for the subject of Comprehensive Population Care and the state examination maintained a tendency of improving scores in the last three academic years(AU)

Effects and sustainability of trainings for the oral and practical part of the German final exam in medicine.

STUDY GOALS: It is known that the manifold limitations of oral and practical examinations can be improved by specific training. With the help of an online survey, our present study analyzes the effects that can be achieved by the training conducted at the University of Ulm for examiners in the final medical examination, the long-lasting impact of the training, and differences among participant subgroups. METHOD: All 367 participants in the training at Ulm (2007- 2012) were contacted via email. Sixty-three persons responded to the survey that included 28 items concerning demographic data, effectiveness, and sustainability. RESULTS: Six main effects of the training were identified (meaning effects rated with a grade of 1 or 2 on a 6-point scale by two thirds of the participants, with 1="applicable" and 6="not applicable"; cumulated percentage of answers of 1 or 2 in parentheses): 1. Conscious handling of strengths and weaknesses of oral examinations (71%), 2. Knowledge of factors contributing to the reliability of oral/practical examinations (76%), 3. Knowledge of factors contributing to the validity of oral/practical examinations (75%), 4. Improvement of competence in task construction (68%), 5. Improvement of competence in respect to examination formalities (75%), 6. Implementation of the concept of "structured oral examinations" (a priori planning of examination subjects, tasks, levels of expectation and grading criteria) (86%). The responses of participants trained more than two years ago were not significantly different from the answers given by recently trained persons. This is an argument for the sustainability of the training effects. Furthermore, participants without relevant prior experience in oral/practical examinations profited significantly more from the trainings, especially in the areas of stress reduction, confidence in grading, and competence in critical discrimination of grading. CONCLUSION: The positive and sustained effects of the examiner training argue for continuing the training program, especially for inexperienced examiners. Expansion of the successful training program to include the first medical exam should be considered.