Strides in Development of Medical Education
Volume:2 Issue: 2, 2006

Faculty members are one of the major parts of universities whose performance has a key role in outcomes of educational systems. With continuous evaluation of faculty members, part of which done by students, real performance of faculty members with all its shortcomings and positive points would be determined and consequently it helps improving the quality of educational activities. To determine the process of alterations in the quality of educational performance in faculty members of Kerman University of Medical Sciences This correlation study was done on all faculty members of Kerman University of Medical Sciences during 2001-2006 who had been evaluated 8 times through getting students’ opinion. Data related to the quality of educational performance were gathered through the obtained scores in students’ evaluation and data related to research activities were gathered through research activity scores assigned for annual promotion of faculty members. According to the obtained results, during the study period, the average annual increase in educational performance was 0.06 that is statistically significant (p=0.0001), but alteration in research activities during the studied period was not significant. There was no significant relation between educational performance and research activity and also demographic features of subjects such as academic rank, educational degree and job experience, while educational degree and academic rank showed significant relations with research activity score (p= 0.001, p= 0.003 respectively). The present study shows an improvement in educational performance during the recent years that is probably due to continuous evaluations. Lack of significant relation between the quality of educational performance and research activity requires planning programs for bridging these two domains.

Submitting thesis is one of the most important tasks of medical students. Moreover medical theses can be considered as a basic source for improving the health statues of the society. The aim of this study was critical appraisal of the submitted theses by medical students of Rafsanjan Medical School during 1993- 2003. In the present cross- sectional study, 332 Medical theses were evaluated by using a questionnaire. Data analysis was done by using simple descriptive methods and Chi- square test. According to the results, 258 theses (77.7%) have been well written. Theses submitted during the recent years had better quality comparing to others (92.4% versus 73.9%). Theses supervised by more than one leader were better in comparison to those with only one leader (91.5% versus 73.9%, P= 0.002). Moreover theses with at least one advisor had a better quality than those conducted without any advisor (88.4% versus 39.7%, P= 0.0001). Better quality of theses submitted during the recent years can show the beneficial effect of participation of both medical students and their supervisors in Research Methodology Workshops held in the recent years. This fact has also been reported in other studies.

Establishing centers for clinical skills training in medical schools with the purpose of improving students’ ability in practical skills has provided an adequate environment for practicing in an experimental setting and consequently can be effective in decreasing the rate of probable mistakes in real situations. The aim of this study was to determine the opinions of interns in Kerman University of Medical Sciences about the rate and sources of acquired basic clinical skills through self- evaluation. All available interns of Kerman School of Medicine (including 120 ones) who had passed the clinical skills course participated in this cross- sectional study in 2004. Data were gathered by an investigator- made questionnaire and analyzed by using t-test and ANOVA. Based on the results, most of the respondents (90.8%) believed in the necessity of a specific course as clinical skills in medical education program. In regard to the rate of acquired skills, “vital signs measurement”, “nasogastric tube insertion” and “patient communication skills” got the highest mean scores (18.35, 17.76 and 17.3 respectively) in interns’ self-evaluation, while the lowest mean scores belonged to “cauterization”, “intubation” and “using surgical set” (9.09, 12.84 and 14.11 respectively). The percent of self-evaluation total score was 76.7%. In regard to the source of acquiring clinical skills, “clinical skills center” (41%), “self- learning” (29%) and “professors and others” (27%) obtained the highest percents respectively. Considering the low self- evaluation scores in some skills and the highest percent for clinical skills center as source of acquiring clinical skills, improving the quality of training in this center and expanding its activities are necessary.

Although morning report is a well-known term in medical education and one of the most practical clinical training methods, there is not still consensus among experts on its standards. Nonetheless, it seems that the first step for improving the quality of this training method is to obtain a comprehensive picture of its current statue. to assess the characteristics of morning reports (such as their durations, participants and their responsibilities, management of these sessions and….) in training hospitals affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2006 In this cross-sectional study, 36 morning report sessions held in all of the training wards were observed over one week. Data were gathered by direct observation. The observer attended the sessions as an ordinary participant and it was tried to use complete observer method. among 36 assessed morning reports, the maximum sessions were held in major wards (each one held 5 sessions). The duration of the longest and shortest ones was 90 and 35 minutes respectively. In 30 sessions the academic staff played the main role of managing discussions, while in 5 sessions they were only asking questions, and in one session staff presented a lecture. In 13 sessions interns did not have any role in presenting patients; the corresponding numbers for residents and students were 16 and 0 respectively. In overall the number of participants in the beginning and at the end of sessions was more or less equal, while around 14% of participants were not present during the whole period of the session. Considerable variations were found among the training wards in running morning report sessions. There were some weak points in running these sessions such as the frequency and duration of sessions, low rate of participation by students and interns and reporting outpatient cases, but most of the wards apply the training method more or less effectively.

Students as the major part of education are one of the best sources of information in each educational system. One of the uses of this source of information is studying the achievement of educational goals. To determine the adequacy rate of presented trainings in achieving educational goals of Obstetrics & Gynecology ward from the point of view of interns. All interns of Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2005- 2006 including 93 ones were enrolled into the study. Data gathering was done by using a questionnaire including the subjects of training materials in Obstetrics & Gynecology ward. Participants were asked to determine the adequacy of presented trainings for each subject. From 93 interns, 63.7% were female, 71.1% were single and 52.2% have started their medical education program before 2000. Mean age of participants was 25.7 ± 2 years. From all, 46.6% have seen the approved program of Obstetrics & Gynecology ward and 52.9% asserted that they had been informed of the educational goals at the beginning of the course. The highest adequacy rates were obtained for determining gestational age and estimated delivery date based on LMP (90.7%), fetal heart rate controlling (87.3%) and prenatal cares (81.6%), while the lowest adequacy rates were related to inserting and removing Norplant (respectively 16.8% and 16.2%) and inserting IUD (19.8%). Mean total percentage of training adequacy in two domains of diagnosis & therapeutic activities and emergency activities showed no significant difference based on age, year of enrolling, marital statue and sex. Mean total score of training adequacy in diagnostic &therapeutic domain including 31 cases was 55.8 ± 14.3 and in emergency activities including 8 cases, it was 52.23 ± 2.1 that shows a significant difference (P= 0.002). From the point of view of studied interns, based on the approved educational goals, presented trainings in Obstetrics & Gynecology ward had not been adequate. Therefore improving the quality of clinical training and its continuous evaluation in order to make it compatible with educational goals and changing needs of community is necessary.

Human beings behavior and activities are the result of their needs and motives. Managers by recognizing and predicting these items and on time satisfaction of them can benefit from the work force in achieving organizational goals more efficiently. To determine motivational factors affecting educational performance from the point of view of faculty members in Kerman University of Medical Sciences All faculty members of Kerman University of Medical Sciences (308 ones) were participated in this descriptive study. Data collection was done by a researcher-made questionnaire confirmed in regard to validity and reliability. According to the obtained results, male faculty members (85.6%) and those over 40 years old (54.5%) had the highest percents. In regard to the academic rank, the highest percent was related to instructors (43.7%) and assistant professors (43.7%). Those with 11- 20 years job experience had the highest percent (42.4%). In external motives, the highest mean scores were related to “availability of conditions for improving the level of knowledge and information (X= 4.40, SD= 0.62)” and “job security (X=4.55, SD= 0.69)” and in internal motives “inherent interest in teaching (X= 4.55, SD= 0.69)” and “being orderly (X= 4.40, SD= 0.79)” had the highest percents. External and internal motives both affect the performance of faculty members and consequently the quality of academic activities in universities.

Child maltreatment is not a new phenomenon and all communities have always been involved with various types of this problem. Physicians, being in the front line of diagnosis of child maltreatment, should have adequate knowledge in this regard. To determine knowledge of interns in Kerman Medical Sciences University about child maltreatment. A total of 86 interns participated in this cross- sectional study and data gathering was done by a semi- structured questionnaire developed according to valid sources of child maltreatment in the literature. The questionnaire’s reliability and validity were assessed (a=0.85). Based on the percentage of correct answers, the level of knowledge was classified as good (>75%) moderate (50-75%) and poor (< 50%). Chi- square test was used to determine the relationship between knowledge and considered variables. Mean knowledge score was 28.3 (SD=±4.8). Half of the interns had good knowledge and the other half had not adequate knowledge. Interns’ knowledge about risk factors of child maltreatment was moderate. In regard to the symptoms of child maltreatment, observable physical signs such as burning or fractures were being considered as the evidence of child maltreatment, while psychological signs or those related to sexual abuse were not taken serious. None of the demographic features had significant relation with knowledge level of interns. Half of the participants had obtained their knowledge during their medical courses. The results of this study indicate that interns do not have adequate knowledge toward child maltreatment and considering the similarity of medical education in our country; planning educational programs to improve knowledge of Medical students and other health care providers in regard to child maltreatment seems to be highly required.

Metaevaluation is a process that design, collect and use information for judging about evaluation and generally determine weak and strong. Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation believed that quality of evaluation is depended on utility, feasibility, propriety and accuracy. A utility standard means that evaluation meets informational needs for users. Feasibility standards are intended to ensure that an evaluation will be realistic, prudent, diplomatic, and frugal. Propriety standards are for doing evaluation at legal and ethical manner with considering welfare of those involved in evaluation and as well as those affected by its results. Finally, accuracy standards collect adequate information about the features that determine worth or merit of the program being evaluated. Metaevaluation try to find a proper method for doing evaluations.It can include program, student, project, product, system, institute, theory, personnel, evaluation.