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Background: General practice is increasingly used as a learning environment in undergraduate medical education in the UK. Aim: The aim of this project was to identify, summarise and synthesise research about undergraduate medical education in general practice in the UK. Methods: We systematically identified studies of undergraduate medical education within a general practice setting in the UK from 1990 onwards. All papers were summarised in a descriptive report and categorised into two in-depth syntheses: a quantitative and a qualitative in-depth review. Results: 169 papers were identified, representing research from 26 UK medical schools. The in-depth review of quantitative papers (n = 7) showed that medical students learned clinical skills as well or better in general practice settings. Students receive more teaching, and clerk and examine more patients in the general practice setting than in hospital. Patient satisfaction and enablement are similar whether a student is present or not in a consultation, however, patients experience lower relational empathy. Two main thematic groups emerged from the qualitative in-depth review (n = 10): the interpersonal interactions within the teaching consultation and the socio-cultural spaces of learning which shape these interactions. The GP has a role as a broker of the interactions between patients and students. General practice is a socio-cultural and developmental learning space for students, who need to negotiate the competing cultures between hospital and general practice. Lastly, patients are transient members of the learning community, and their role requires careful facilitation. Conclusions: General practice is as good, if not better, than hospital delivery of teaching of clinical skills. Our meta-ethnography has produced rich understandings of the complex relationships shaping possibilities for student and patient active participation in learning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to amalgamate recommendations from contemporary national reports on healthcare provision and needs of people with intellectual disabilities. The paper combines these with recommendations for undergraduate curricula of medical students from the GMC and Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych). Design/methodology/approach – National reports from Mencap, Department of Health, Disability rights commission, NHS Executive, the GMC and RCPsych were searched for relevant recommendations to undergraduate medical education in ID psychiatry. Recommendations were collated and grouped to form a single list for use when planning future curricula or auditing existing teaching. Findings – In total, 13 relevant recommendations were identified in nine groups. These included that people with intellectual disabilities and their carers should be involved in the teaching. That teaching should include the ethical, moral and legal obligations and should include the mental capacity act and equality act. Institutional and individual discrimination should be highlighted as a problem and diagnostic overshadowing should be covered. Originality/value – This paper has collated in a single document the combined recommendations of multiple reports. These are relevant to medical undergraduate teaching and may also be of use to other undergraduate healthcare courses. They are a useful template for others wishing to examine or benchmark the content of their medical undergraduate ID psychiatry teaching against an amalgamated list. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Educating doctors is expensive and poor performance by future graduates can literally cost lives. Whilst the practice of medicine is highly evidence based, medical education is much less so. Research on medical school selection, undergraduate progression, Fitness to Practise (FtP) and postgraduate careers has been hampered across the globe by the challenges of uniting the data required. This paper describes the creation, structure and access arrangements for the first UK-wide attempt to do so. Overview: A collaborative approach has created a research database commencing with all entrants to UK medical schools in 2007 and 2008 (UKMED Phase 1). Here the content is outlined, governance arrangements considered, system access explained, and the potential implications of this new resource discussed. The data currently include achievements prior to medical school entry, admissions tests, graduation point information and also all subsequent data collected by the General Medical Council, including FtP, career progression, annual National Training Survey (NTS) responses, career choice and postgraduate exam performance data. UKMED has grown since the pilot phase with additional datasets; all subsequent years of students/trainees and stronger governance processes. The inclusion of future cohorts and additional information such as admissions scores or bespoke surveys or assessments is now being piloted. Thus, for instance, new scrutiny can be applied to selection techniques and the effectiveness of educational interventions. Data are available free of charge for approved studies from suitable research groups worldwide. Conclusion: It is anticipated that UKMED will continue on a rolling basis. This has the potential to radically change the volume and types of research that can be envisaged and, therefore, to improve standards, facilitate workforce planning and support the regulation of medical education and training. This paper aspires to encourage proposals to utilise this exciting resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty years since Dr Tudor-Hart's publication of the 'Inverse Care Law', all-cause mortality rates and COVID-19 mortality rates are higher in more deprived areas. Part of the solution is to increase access and availability to healthcare in underserved and deprived areas. This paper examined how socio-economically representative the undergraduate general practice placements are in Northern Ireland (NI). A quantitative study of general practices involved in undergraduate medical placements through Queen's University Belfast, comparing practice lists by deprivation indices, examining both blanket deprivation and deprivation quintile trends for teaching and non-teaching practices. Deprivation data for 135 teaching practices were compared against the 323 NI practices. Teaching practices had fewer patients living in the most deprived quintiles compared with non-teaching practices. Fewer practices with blanket deprivation were involved in undergraduate medical education, 32% compared with 42% without blanket deprivation. Practices in areas of blanket deprivation were under-represented as teaching practices, 10%, compared to 14% of NI general practices that met this criterion. Practices with blanket deprivation were under-represented as teaching practices. Exposure to general practice in deprived areas is an essential step to improving future workforce recruitment and ultimately to closing the health inequalities gap. Ensuring practices in high-need areas are proportionately represented in undergraduate placements is one way to direct action in addressing the 'Inverse Care Law'. This study is limited to NI and further work is required to compare institutions across the UK and Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: ENT presentations are prevalent in clinical practice but feature little in undergraduate curricula. Consequently, most medical graduates are not confident managing common ENT conditions. In 2014, the first evidence-based ENT undergraduate curriculum was published to guide medical schools. Objective: To assess the extent that current UK medical school learning outcomes correlate with the syllabus of the ENT undergraduate curriculum. Method: Two students from each participating medical school independently reviewed all ENT-related curriculum documents to determine whether learning outcomes from the suggested curriculum were met. Results: Sixteen of 34 curricula were reviewed. Only a minority of medical schools delivered teaching on laryngectomy or tracheostomy, nasal packing or cautery, and ENT medications or surgical procedures. Conclusion: There is wide variability in ENT undergraduate education in UK medical schools. Careful consideration of which topics are prioritised, and the teaching modalities utilised, is essential. In addition, ENT learning opportunities for undergraduates outside of the medical school curriculum should be augmented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Health and social care professionals are ideally placed to identify and address gender-based violence (GBV), yet research continues to demonstrate that the subject is being poorly covered at undergraduate level. This qualitative study explored health and social care students' and educators' views on GBV education, with a view to identifying 'best practice'. We aimed to capture students' and educators' experiences and perceptions of GBV education across participating countries; how participants thought GBV should be taught/learned within their curricula; and their views on how GBV education might be 'optimized'. Methods: We conducted nine focus group discussions and one semi-structured interview with 23 students and 21 academic staff across the UK, Australia and Chile. Results: Thematic analysis yielded three themes: (1) GBV addressed in all but name, (2) Introduce sooner, explore later and (3) A qualitative approach to learning. Educators and students indicated that GBV is largely being overlooked or incompletely addressed within curricula. Many participants expressed a wish for the subject to be introduced early and revisited throughout their study, with content evolving as cohorts mature. Lastly, our findings indicate that GBV education could benefit from adopting a 'qualitative' approach, prioritizing survivor narratives and incorporating dialogue to facilitate student engagement. Conclusion: Though time constraints and competing demands within undergraduate curricula are frequently cited as barriers to moving away from traditional didactic methods, our findings suggest that teacher-centered strategies are insufficient and, in some regards, inappropriate for GBV education. The need for a paradigm shift in GBV education is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled applications are increasingly being used in providing healthcare services, such as medical imaging support. Sufficient and appropriate education for medical imaging professionals is required for successful AI adoption. Although, currently, there are AI training programmes for radiologists, formal AI education for radiographers is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate and discuss a postgraduate-level module on AI developed in the UK for radiographers. Methodology: A participatory action research methodology was applied, with participants recruited from the first cohort of students enrolled in this module and faculty members. Data were collected using online, semi-structured, individual interviews and focus group discussions. Textual data were processed using data-driven thematic analysis. Results: Seven students and six faculty members participated in this evaluation. Results can be summarised in the following four themes: a. participants' professional and educational backgrounds influenced their experiences, b. participants found the learning experience meaningful concerning module design, organisation, and pedagogical approaches, c. some module design and delivery aspects were identified as barriers to learning, and d. participants suggested how the ideal AI course could look like based on their experiences. Conclusions: The findings of our work show that an AI module can assist educators/academics in developing similar AI education provisions for radiographers and other medical imaging and radiation sciences professionals. A blended learning delivery format, combined with customisable and contextualised content, using an interprofessional faculty approach is recommended for future similar courses. Key points: A novel postgraduate module on AI for radiographers was developed and evaluated. Blended-learning delivery, customisable and contextualised course content, and interprofessional faculty are the ways forward for an ideal AI course for radiographers. Future courses could use this approach to develop their own AI training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study seeks the opinions of qualified doctors on what they feel medical students should learn about otolaryngology. It aims to identify both the content deemed relevant and the performance levels for medical students in otolaryngology. Methods: A national survey developed from a content analysis of undergraduate otolaryngology curricula from the UK was undertaken, accompanied by a review of the literature and input from an expert group. Data were collected from a wide range of doctors. Results: Participants felt that graduating students should be able to: recognise, assess and initiate management for common and life-threatening acute conditions; take an appropriate patient history; and perform an appropriate examination for the majority of otolaryngology clinical conditions but manage only a select few. Conclusion: This study reports performance levels for otolaryngology topics at an undergraduate level. Participating doctors felt that a higher level of performance should be expected of students treating life-threatening, acute and common otolaryngology conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driven by demand for high standards in university education, efforts have been made in the UK to address the perceived imbalance between teaching and research. However, teaching is still perceived by many as having less credibility and is attributed less importance. The purpose of our research was to explore how distinct types of academic job profiles ('research' or 'education' focused, or 'balanced') impact on biomedical scientists' perceptions of the lecturer role. Specifically, we investigated the experiences of biomedical scientists in 'post‐1990' medical schools, which are known for their commitment to excellence in both research and education. We conducted 22 face‐to‐face, semi‐structured interviews with biomedical scientists in five schools. Focusing on experiences of work, the interviews covered: 'motivations', 'role expectations', 'teaching', 'research' and 'career'. The recorded qualitative data were transcribed and then analysed thematically. Our results, offering an insight into the working lives of biomedical scientists in medical education, suggest that in settings with a dual emphasis on education and research, individuals on 'balanced' contracts can experience a strong pull between research and teaching. In addition to posing significant challenges with respect to workload management, this can impact profoundly on professional identity. In contrast to the balanced role, 'research' or 'education' focused roles appear to have clearer requirements, leading to higher employee satisfaction. We conclude that to assist the educational mission of Higher Education, attention should be paid to balanced contracts, to (a) ensure employee support, (b) mitigate against negative perceptions of teaching, and ultimately, (c) guard against staff attrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no consensus on how to structure and deliver neurology training. The General Medical Council's annual National Training Survey indicates that the quality of UK neurology training is very variable, but does not explain this variation. We used the survey data to identify the four highest and lowest performing sites for neurology training across the UK. We conducted semistructured interviews with groups of local trainees and, separately, local trainers in an exploratory qualitative study, and identified common themes across a range of aspects of neurology training. Here we present our findings, share case studies from top-performing sites and make recommendations on how best to train a neurologist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: ENT is highly under-represented in the saturated UK medical school curriculum, comprising less than 1 per cent of the curriculum. A 1-day course was implemented in order to raise awareness of ENT among medical students, educate them in the specialty and teach a basic skill. Methods: The skills day comprised lectures by consultants followed by a consultant-led workshop teaching tracheostomy. Pre- and post-course questionnaires assessed perceptions of ENT, confidence performing tracheostomy and interest in ENT as a career. Results: Perceptions of ENT as a specialty were improved by up to 80 per cent (p < 0.01). There was improved understanding of and confidence in performing tracheostomies. Interest in a career in ENT was increased by 77 per cent (p < 0.01). Conclusion: A 1-day course run by a student body can be a powerful adjunct to the medical school curriculum, in terms of educating undergraduates in ENT and inspiring the pursuit of ENT as a career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insertion of history into the medical school curriculum has been discussed over a long period of time. But the role of history in the public health curriculum has not been the subject of much discussion, despite the changes in UK public health training and the advent of multidisciplinary public health. This article reviews the history of inserting history into the curriculum in a leading public health postgraduate institution. It discusses the strategies used to secure acceptance for history; the positioning of history within the curriculum both as a core and a special subject; and the different curriculum content and learning approaches which have been used over time. It reviews recent developments in distance learning and the launch of a history Massive Open On line Course. It concludes that no one approach can be recommended for inserting history and that flexibility, persistence, alliances and the willingness to adapt to local circumstances are important. Students themselves are now more receptive to historical approaches and can appreciate the value of a discipline which teaches critical skills of analysis and assessment of evidence. It remains to be discussed how the discipline and such approaches can be transferred into wider professional public health training and at the undergraduate level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a downwards trend in smoking prevalence, smoking remains the UK's biggest preventable cause of premature mortality. Specialist stop smoking support programmes provided by the NHS have helped to reduce smoking prevalence and whilst there has been a vast amount of research investigating the most effective behavioural and pharmacological support models, little is known about the impact of smoking cessation advisor's smoking status and clinical effectiveness on quit rates. This study aimed to identify factors that contribute to NHS stop smoking advisor performance using a quantitative cross-sectional design via an online survey that was completed by 159 participants in 24 London boroughs. Multiple regression analyses revealed that level of training, years practiced, level of advisor education, number of patients supported in a given year, and smoking status had no significant impact on NHS stop smoking advisor quit rate in this sample. However, the model revealed that proportion of time spent delivering smoking cessation support was significantly associated with quit rate. It is imperative that this finding is considered when recruiting, commissioning, and training new smoking cessation advisors or provider organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Effective undergraduate education is required to enable newly qualified doctors to safely care for patients with palliative care and end-of-life needs. The status of palliative care teaching for UK medical students is unknown. Aim: To investigate palliative care training at UK medical schools and compare with data collected in 2000. Design: An anonymised, web-based multifactorial questionnaire. Settings/participants: Results were obtained from palliative care course organisers at all 30 medical schools in 2013 and compared with 23 medical schools (24 programmes) in 2000. Results: All continue to deliver mandatory teaching on ‘last days of life, death and bereavement’. Time devoted to palliative care teaching time varied (2000: 6–100 h, mean 20 h; 2013: 7–98 h, mean 36 h, median 25 h). Current palliative care teaching is more integrated. There was little change in core topics and teaching methods. New features include ‘involvement in clinical areas’, participation of patient and carers and attendance at multidisciplinary team meetings. Hospice visits are offered (22/24 (92%) vs 27/30 (90%)) although they do not always involve patient contact. There has been an increase in students’ assessments (2000: 6/24, 25% vs 2013: 25/30, 83%) using a mixture of formative and summative methods. Some course organisers lack an overview of what is delivered locally. Conclusion: Undergraduate palliative care training continues to evolve with greater integration, increased teaching, new delivery methods and wider assessment. There is a trend towards increased patient contact and clinical involvement. A minority of medical schools offer limited teaching and patient contact which could impact on the delivery of safe palliative care by newly qualified doctors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV Genital Dermatology Special Interest Group (SIG) conducted a survey of specialist registrar training in genital dermatology (GD) to inform future training provision provided by the group and other services. The survey shows that training in GD is variable with most trainees receiving GD training through formal lectures or ad hoc clinical teaching, with fewer trainees having access to specialist GD clinics. There is mixed confidence in diagnosis and use of topical steroids, and few trainees are independent in GD practical procedures. Many trainees feel training could be improved with requests for a formalised attachment, formal qualification and greater training in practical procedures. The GD SIG, in liaison with British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), aims to optimise GD training for registrars. Plans for improved resources are in progress, including a practical skills course and e-learning. It is hoped this survey will also inform GD training at both local and national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The autopsy has traditionally been used as a tool in undergraduate medical education, but recent decades have seen a sharp decline in their use for teaching. This study reviewed the current status of the autopsy as a teaching tool by means of systematic review of the medical literature, and a questionnaire study involving UK medical schools. Teachers and students are in agreement that autopsy-based teaching has many potential benefits, including a deeper knowledge of basic clinical sciences, medical fallibility, end of life issues, audit and the " hidden curriculum". The reasons underlying the decline in teaching are complex, but include the decreasing autopsy rate, increasing demands on teachers' time, and confusion regarding the law in some jurisdictions. Maximal use of autopsies for teaching may be achieved by involvement of anatomical pathology technologists and trainee pathologists in teaching, the development of alternative teaching methods using the principles of the autopsy, and clarification of the law. Students gain most benefit from repeated attendance at autopsies, being taught by enthusiastic teachers, when they have been effectively prepared for the esthetic of dissection and the mortuary environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical teaching evaluations are common in health profession education programs to ensure students are receiving a quality clinical education experience. Questionnaires students use to evaluate their clinical teachers have been developed in professions such as medicine and nursing. The development of a questionnaire that is specifically for the osteopathy on-campus, student-led clinic environment is warranted. Previous work developed the 30-item Osteopathy Clinical Teaching Questionnaire. The current study utilised Rasch analysis to investigate the construct validity of the Osteopathy Clinical Teaching Questionnaire and provide evidence for the validity argument through fit to the Rasch model. Methods: Senior osteopathy students at four institutions in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom rated their clinical teachers using the Osteopathy Clinical Teaching Questionnaire. Three hundred and ninety-nine valid responses were received and the data were evaluated for fit to the Rasch model. Reliability estimations (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega) were also evaluated for the final model. Results: The initial analysis demonstrated the data did not fit the Rasch model. Accordingly, modifications to the questionnaire were made including removing items, removing person responses, and rescoring one item. The final model contained 12 items and fit to the Rasch model was adequate. Support for unidimensionality was demonstrated through both the Principal Components Analysis/t-test, and the Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega reliability estimates. Analysis of the questionnaire using McDonald's omega hierarchical supported a general factor (quality of clinical teaching in osteopathy). Conclusion: The evidence for unidimensionality and the presence of a general factor support the calculation of a total score for the questionnaire as a sufficient statistic. Further work is now required to investigate the reliability of the 12-item Osteopathy Clinical Teaching Questionnaire to provide evidence for the validity argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]