Relationship between medical programme progress test performance and surgical clinical attachment timing and performance.

PURPOSE: Progress tests (PTs) assess applied knowledge, promote knowledge integration, and facilitate retention. Clinical attachments catalyse learning through an appropriate learning context. The relationship between PT results and clinical attachment sequence and performance are under-explored. Aims: (1) Determine the effect of Year 4 general surgical attachment (GSA) completion and sequence on overall PT performance, and for surgically coded items; (2) Determine the association between PT results in the first 2 years and GSA assessment outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All students enrolled in the medical programme, who started Year 2 between January 2013 and January 2016, were included; with follow up until December 2018. A linear mixed model was applied to study the effect of undertaking a GSA on subsequent PT results. Logistic regressions were used to explore the effect of past PT performance on the likelihood of a student receiving a distinction grade in the GSA. RESULTS: 965 students were included, representing 2191 PT items (363 surgical items). Sequenced exposure to the GSA in Year 4 was associated with increased performance on surgically coded PT items, but not overall performance on the PT, with the difference decreasing over the year. PT performance in Years 2-3 was associated with an increased likelihood of being awarded a GSA distinction grade (OR 1.62, p < 0.001), with overall PT performance a better predictor than performance on surgically coded items. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to a surgical attachment improves PT results in surgically coded PT items, although with a diminishing effect over time, implying clinical exposure may accelerate subject specific learning. Timing of the GSA did not influence end of year performance in the PT. There is some evidence that students who perform well on PTs in preclinical years are more likely to receive a distinction grade in a surgical attachment than those with lower PT scores.

Trends in medical students' health over 5 years: Does a wellbeing curriculum make a difference?

BACKGROUND: Trends in New Zealand (NZ) medical students' health and the influence of a wellbeing curricula are unknown. METHODS: The author's collected self-report data from NZ medical students on 'Graduation Day' from 2014 to 2018, using a serial cross-sectional survey design with validated scales assessing psychological health, stigma, coping, and lifestyle. Comparisons were made with NZ general population same-age peers. Analyses examined trends, differences between 'cohorts' of students receiving different exposures to a wellbeing curriculum, and correlations between students' own lifestyle practices and their frequency of talking with patients about those topics. RESULTS: Of 1,062 students, 886 participated. The authors found statistically significant self-reported increases from 2014 to 2018 for negative psychological indices, including scores for distress and burnout, suicidal thoughts in the preceding year, and the likelihood of being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. There was a significant increase in numbers of students reporting having their own doctor as well as increased healthy coping strategies and a significant decrease in stigma scores. Academic cohorts of students who had completed a wellbeing curriculum were more likely to report high distress levels, having been diagnosed with a mood disorder, and being non-drinkers than students without wellbeing training. When compared to NZ peers, medical students smoked less, exercised more, and were less likely to have diagnosed mood and anxiety disorders, but reported more distress. The authors found a significant correlation between the amount of exercise students undertook and their likelihood to discuss exercise with patients. CONCLUSIONS: NZ medical students have better physical health than general population peers and are more likely to discuss exercise with patients if exercising themselves. However, cohorts of graduating students report increasing distress despite the implementation of a wellbeing curriculum. Research is needed into mechanisms between students' self-awareness, willingness to report distress, stigma, mind-set, coping, and psychological outcomes, to inform curriculum developers.

The relationship between flash based illusory line motion and exogenous visual attention.

If a bar suddenly appears between 2 squares after 1 of the squares flashes the bar appears to shoot away from the flashed square toward the other. This occurs despite the bar actually having been presented all at once. This illusory motion is sufficiently strong to cancel real motion drawn in the opposite direction. One explanation for the illusion in these displays is based upon the prior entry benefits generated by exogenous attention at the flashed location. These prior entry benefits can be offset by real motion in the opposite direction, which enables 1 to quantify the illusion based upon the area between the response curves following left and right flashes. The influence of attention can be quantified as the costs plus benefits during an exogenous cuing study involving target discrimination. The current study required participants to complete motion direction discrimination trials and a set of target discrimination trials following noninformative peripheral cues. If attention is involved in the motion illusion during these displays then those who show large effects of attention during cuing should also show large illusions. Correlation analyses confirmed a positive relationship existed between the costs plus benefits of exogenous attention and the illusory motion. (PsycINFO Database Record