Recognition of oral potentially malignant disorders and transformation to oral cancer.

Oral potentially malignant disorders refer to oral mucosal disorders with increased risk for malignant transformation, primarily to oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Leukoplakia and erythroplakia are the most common of these disorders, but others have been identified. Transformation rates to oral cancer vary based on multiple factors. Healthcare providers should be aware of risk factors and clinical manifestations of these disorders and should intervene early to monitor and/or treat them to reduce the potential for malignant transformation.

Attitudes Toward Academic Dishonesty in Health Profession Students.

INTRODUCTION: Academic dishonesty of health profession students may negatively impact the clinical environment. This study examined the attitudes, experiences, and behaviors of nursing, physician assistant, and physical therapist students towards academic dishonesty and explored differences based on demographic variables. METHODS: A survey was administered to health profession students in their last semester of the program. RESULTS: 120 students responded. Most reported never observing or participating in activities of academic dishonesty. Collaborating on assignments when instructed not to and falsifying aspects of patient encounters were the two most frequent activities reported. CONCLUSIONS: Teamwork and peers may negatively influence academic integrity in some circumstances. Educators should consider strategies to promote individual accountability as well as integrity when reporting clinical findings.

Attitudes Toward Academic Dishonesty in Physician Assistant Students.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess physician assistant (PA) students' attitudes and experiences toward academic dishonesty during training and to determine whether PA students self-report cheating during PA school. METHODS: An anonymous, quantitative, exploratory, descriptive survey was sent to clinical-year PA students enrolled in PA programs accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). RESULTS: A sample of 493 self-selected PA students in their clinical year of training responded to the survey. Only 3% of clinical-year PA students self-reported cheating during PA school. Males self-reported significantly higher rates of cheating in PA school than females. The most common cheating behavior that clinical-year PA students reported either observing or hearing about in PA school was receiving information about an exam prior to its administration (70.9%). The attitudinal statement that respondents most strongly agreed with was that "cheaters in PA school just end up hurting themselves in the long run." The strongest predictor for cheating in PA school was a history of cheating as an undergraduate. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed previous research indicating that academic dishonesty exists in PA education. It also determined that clinical-year PA student attitudes toward and experiences with academic dishonesty vary.

Click it: assessment of classroom response systems in physician assistant education.

The effect that classroom response systems, or clickers, have on knowledge retention and student satisfaction was studied in a physician assistant program. A clicker, a device similar to a remote control, was used by students to answer questions during lectures. This new technology has been marketed to educators as beneficial in keeping students actively involved and increasing their attentiveness in the classroom. To date, the results of studies on knowledge retention with the use of clickers have been mixed. For this pilot study, the students were divided into two groups with a pre- and post-test given in order to evaluate knowledge retention. One group received lectures in a traditional format, while the other group received the lectures incorporating clicker response questions. After the test scores from four lectures were analyzed, the incorporation of clickers did not alter knowledge retention. Retention of knowledge from both groups was similar and no statistical difference was found. However, student satisfaction regarding the use of clickers was positive. Students reported that clickers kept them more actively involved, increased attentiveness, and made lectures more enjoyable. Although the pilot study did not show a greater improvement in knowledge retention with the use of clickers, further research is needed to assess their effectiveness.