A comprehensive review to establish priority learning objectives for medical students in the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to describe the process used to identify, externally validate, and establish the priority learning objectives for medical students on the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a review of the APGO Medical Student Objectives in Obstetrics and Gynecology to establish which of these objectives should be given first priority. We used recommendations from external references to assess the validity of these selected objectives. We compared the distribution of objectives with levels of expected competency from Miller's pyramid. RESULTS: From a list of 267 unique learning objectives we identified 134 (50.2%) Priority 1 objectives students must master by the end of the clerkship. The recommendations from 17 external references were compared with this set of objectives, which demonstrated a significant correlation between the 2 (P < or = .001). Priority 1 objectives were associated with advanced levels of competency. CONCLUSION: External sources validated and helped prioritize the learning objectives.

To the Point: reviews in medical education online computer assisted instruction materials.

Computer technology is rapidly changing the way educators can interact with their students. This article reviews the research regarding the integration of online computer-assisted instructional materials into medical education.

To the point: medical education reviews--dealing with student difficulties in the clinical setting.

Learners with cognitive and behavioral difficulties are particularly challenging in the clinical setting. Cognitive difficulties in the clinical realm may relate to knowledge deficits and/or weak problem solving skills. Behavioral difficulties resulting from attitudinal or motivational problems may manifest themselves as specific unprofessional acts either committed or omitted in the course of caring for patients as well as in unprofessional behavior. A disproportionate amount of time and energy can be expended addressing the needs of such students. This paper reviews several types of difficulties encountered by educators and suggests strategies for preventing, assessing, and working effectively with challenging students in the clinical setting. Specific attention is directed to impaired students.

The essential elements of undergraduate medical education in obstetrics and gynecology: a comparison of the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Medical Student Educational Objectives and the National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Examination.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate whether the essential elements of the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Medical Student Educational Objectives were adequately represented on the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) obstetrics and gynecology subject examination, and that the topics questioned on that examination were covered by the APGO objectives. STUDY DESIGN: The Undergraduate Medical Education Committee of APGO and the NBME staff separately reviewed the same 2 NBME obstetrics and gynecology subject examinations. The questions were mapped to the 15 essential elements of the APGO educational objectives and comparisons were made to check how well they matched. RESULTS: All the essential elements of the educational objectives were covered by the NBME subject examination. Of the questions on the examination, 99% were deemed appropriate for medical students with 70% of the questions mapping to "Priority 1" objectives. CONCLUSION: The NBME examination provides an appropriate assessment of mastery of what a medical student should learn, as represented by the APGO Medical Student Educational Objectives.

To the point: medical education reviews evaluation in context: assessing learners, teachers, and training programs.

Learners, teachers, and programs need to be evaluated. This article reviews the purpose and the current methods for evaluating all 3. Clinical impressions of the learner are yielding increasingly to direct observation and skill assessment. The Reporter, Interpreter, Manager, and Educator (RIME) method offers a unique way of assessing and providing formative feedback to the learner. Learning portfolios help document achievements and provide a collection for self-assessment and growth. Teachers benefit from feedback especially if followed up with consultation. Programs need both quantitative and qualitative data to document performance. National data gathered locally from exit surveys now exist that facilitate comparison of programs (eg, clerkships) within and across institutions. The emphasis on institutional accountability makes it critical to directly evaluate learners and their educational programs.

The process of translating women's health care competencies into educational objectives.

"Women's Health Care Competencies for Medical Students" lists the competencies undifferentiated medical students should be able to demonstrate before graduation. The Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) was among the groups asked to convert specified competencies into educational objectives. Working individually, APGO's Undergraduate Medical Education Committee members used APGO's Medical Student Educational Objectives, Seventh Edition, to construct objectives appropriate to preassigned competencies. Referring to the work of Miller, members determined the level of professional competence medical students should reach for each objective. Members also selected evaluation tools appropriate for the skill and its competency level from the Toolbox of Assessment Methods created by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Medical Specialties. The group collectively revised the work of its members using a standard format to generate the final product.