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Rationale: Public health and preventive medicine (PHPM) has been recognized internationally as a physician specialty, but national parallels and differences exist between training contexts. This paper reviews PHPM training and employment in Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the USA. Methods: Information gathered from relevant accreditation bodies and literature searches was used to create descriptive profiles of national training demographics and structure and a narrative outlining trends and challenges facing the specialty. Results: Notable similarities and differences exist between national contexts. Key themes were differences in training strategies and practice scope, specialty stakeholders, certification structure, and funding. Recognition challenges faced the specialty across all six countries. Other challenges included unclear competencies and training strategies and a need for PHPM specialists to highlight their role in combating population health threats. Additional differences existed between comparator countries on the structure of training, funding sources for training programs, availability of training posts, and linkages with other physician specialties. Conclusion: Highlighting these themes is a first step to fostering training collaborations between PHPM specialist physicians to augment transnational action on global public health challenges and also supports PHPM physician educators with innovative solutions from abroad that might address domestic specialty challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Engaging and inspiring the next generation of physician-scientists at an early stage is recognised as key to ensure the future of medical research. However, little is known about medical student perceptions of research. Objectives:We attempted to ascertain perceptions of research and research-orientated careers from medical students studying in different countries. Methods:An online questionnaire was developed, piloted, and promoted to medical students in various countries. Results:1625 responses were collected from 38 countries. Analysis was restricted to data collected from countries with >100 responses (n = 890). Less than half the respondents felt their medical school provided adequate research training. Key perceived barriers to research participation as a student included lack of time and difficulty finding mentors or projects. A significant gender disparity existed in research ambitions of students with females desiring less research involvement. The importance of barriers and satisfaction with research training differed significantly between countries. Conclusions:Students perceive a number of key barriers to research involvement and pursuit of research-orientated careers. Programmes designed to engage students with research should focus on overcoming identified barriers. Greater effort is needed to engage female students who report more significant barriers and less desire to follow research-orientated careers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents news and notes related to medical education. It states that the 2012 Ottawa Conference on the Assessment of Competence in Medicine and Healthcare Professions Education will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 9-13, 2012. It says that a new software platform to promote learning collaboration and networking was unveiled by Indiana University-Purdue University. It presents questions and answers related to health professions education.

Background: At the end of undergraduate medical curriculum, a written simulation-based examination is used in France to assess therapeutic decision-making skills and to rank students for the purpose of matching their training specialties. However, this examination based on a single assessment method remains a subject of debate. Aim: To study the feasibility of a web-based Concordance test for therapeutic decision-making assessment. Methods: A 12 clinical-case Concordance test was developed based on objectives for the undergraduate training program. The test was administered on line to candidates with different levels of clinical experience. Fifteen therapeutic teachers constituted the reference panel. Data analysis included analysis of variance, post-hoc test, and Cronbach's alpha. Results: One hundred and seventy participants (113 students, 34 residents, 23 physicians) fully completed the free-access test on line with no technical problems. Differences between the mean scores for groups were significant (p < 0.001). Significant differences occurred between fourth year students and residents (p < 0.001), fourth year students and physicians (p = 0.001). No difference was found between residents and physicians. Reliability coefficient was 0.67. Conclusion: A web-based Concordance test in the field of therapeutic decision-making was considered feasible in a French learning environment. Further research is warranted to determine its usefulness as a part of the National Examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The faculty to student (F/S) ratio is a key criterion in ranking medical universities. In France, the registration of students at the medical university in their home region is mandatory. At the end of undergraduate studies, students have to take the National Ranking Exam (NRE), and choice of specialty is based on their rank. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between teaching faculty resources in medical universities and the ranking of students on the NRE. All 32 public medical universities with a complete curriculum were included. Correlation of the 2003-2004 F/S ratio with the mean rank of students at the 2004 NRE was assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient [rs]. The overall university F/S ratios ranged from 1.16 to 2.62 overall, and from 0.68 to 1.63 and 0.47 to 1.08 for tenured and non-tenured positions, respectively. All were significantly correlated with mean rank at the NRE (rs = -0.53, rs = -0.50, rs = -0.52, respectively, all p < 0.01). As this link between teaching means and students' performance has consequences in the competition for career choice, large disparities among medical universities are not legitimate in a regulated model. Deregulation of regional applications should be considered to come close to equality of opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OSCE for evaluating clinical competence still remains limited in France. This study presents the results of the first experimental use of an OSCE as a formative assessment of French general practice trainees. Fifty trainees rotated through a circuit of 15 standardized patient-based OSCE cases. Differences in scores were determined by analysis of variance. Reliability was calculated with the coefficient alpha. Pearson correlations were used to determine the relationship between station scores and overall OSCE score. Written questionnaires based on Likert-type scales were used to measure OSCE feasibility. No difference was found between total session scores. Significant item-total score correlations were found for 12 of the 15 clinical problems. The reliability of the examination was 0.58. Most participants agreed that the clinical situations were realistic, simulated patients were believable and sampling of cases was representative of general practice. These data confirm the feasibility of OSCE in assessing performance of general practice trainees. Optimal training of observers should improve examination reliability. This study warrants further development to confirm its usefulness as a summative assessment tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]