Design, implementation and evaluation of a medical education programme using the ambulatory diagnostic and treatment centre.

BACKGROUND: In the UK a central government initiative is seeking to transfer aspects of specialist NHS care to community settings using ambulatory diagnostic and treatment centres (ADTCs). AIMS: Following the redevelopment of a district general hospital as an ADTC, we were interested in the feasibility of using this new facility to deliver a structured programme for undergraduate medical students. METHOD: Twenty self-selected fifth year medical students at the University of Dundee, together with teaching and administration staff in the ADTC, took part in the study during the academic year 2005-2006. RESULTS: One hundred percent of students and 73% of staff responded to a questionnaire pitched at the level of reaction to the course. The key findings were that the students found the teaching venues useful, the general environment conducive to learning, and the content appropriate to their needs. Staff felt that patients were not unhappy or disturbed by having students present and did not think the presence of students inhibited their clinical work. They appreciated the new opportunity to teach. CONCLUSIONS: An ADTC is a viable setting for structured teaching of undergraduate medical students. It provides a context for medical student leaning away from the main teaching hospital.

Cross-referencing the Scottish Doctor and Tomorrow's Doctors learning outcome frameworks.

Learning outcomes, organised into systems or frameworks which describe and define the output of an educational programme, are being created and used in healthcare education with increasing frequency (Harden 2001, 2002). Medical schools may be required to conform to more than one such outcome framework. For example, both the UK General Medical Council (GMC) and the Scottish Deans' Medical Curriculum Group (SDMCG) have created and published a systematic learning outcome framework for medical graduates. Although both of these publications are concerned with undergraduate medical education, they differ in their aims, and structure. In order to use, evaluate and validate them, a cross-referencing system which relates each learning outcome statement, term or groups of terms is required. This paper describes the cross-referencing exercise undertaken by the SDMCG, the philosophy behind it, the practical steps taken, the findings, the lessons learnt and reflections upon how this work may be taken forward. It will be of interest to all those who are involved in curriculum development using outcomes, and especially those who use the GMC's Tomorrow's Doctors or the SDMCG's Scottish Doctor frameworks and those who are interested in education informatics in general.

Comparison of opinions and profiles of late or non-responding medical students with initial responders to a course evaluation questionnaire.

This study examined whether students requiring prompting to evaluate an educational module differed from initial responders in their rating of the experience and their profile (academic ability, age and gender). At the end of a 4th year induction Module, medical students completed an evaluation questionnaire. Those who did not respond were followed-up. Fifty-nine percent responded immediately, 34% after first or second prompts (late responders) and 7% were non-responders. Late responders rated the module significantly lower than initial responders. Late and non-responders were academically weaker than initial responders, but were similar in age and gender. Academically weaker students in the non- or late responders groups, may be less willing to reflect on their experience, and may require new strategies to encourage a response.