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Background: Neurosurgery is a surgical specialty that is felt to be under-represented in its teaching and education at an undergraduate level in Irish medical schools, particularly in those which are not attached to a specialist neurosurgical centre. We looked at exposure to neurosurgery among undergraduate students by organising two neurosurgical lecture days for the 2020/2021 final year medical class of National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), an Irish medical school which is not associated with a neurosurgical centre. This study sought to ascertain students' engagement with and, respectively, desire for a greater emphasis on common subjects within neurosurgery as part of an undergraduate curriculum, specifically in a medical school without an associated neurosurgical centre. Methods: The lecture series was organised by a final year medical student in NUI Galway in conjunction with the National Neurosurgical Centre, Beaumont Hospital. The lectures took place over the course of two separate lecture days on Saturday October 10th and Saturday November 14th, respectively. Both lecture days were broadcast virtually, in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, to the NUIG 2020/2021 final year medical class and the content covered therein composed part of the examinable syllabus for their final year medical exams. All class members were provided with an online pre-lecture survey prior to the initial lecture day and two post-lecture surveys, one at the end of each respective lecture day. Results: 194 final year medical students from a class of 205 attended over the course of the two given lecture days. Of the 148 students that completed the pre-lecture survey only 13 students had previously attended a neurosurgical lecture or conference. Of the 194 attendees, there were 116 students who completed the final post-lecture survey, 62% of whom agreed that they would like to receive further teaching and clinical exposure to neurosurgery as part of their undergraduate medical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) has become popular over the last ten years at third level institutions. At NUIM the Moodle VLE is used to disseminate lecture notes, share course related resources, perform assessment, and provide a means for online communication. This paper is interested in how effectively to use a VLE to disseminate lecture notes. At NUIM lectures notes are typically posted on Moodle before a lecture (for example, all notes posted at the start of the semester or several days before an upcoming lecture etc.) or after a lecture with lecturers having a personal preference for a particular method. In this paper a pilot study on the dissemination of lectures notes through Moodle to a large first year undergraduate class is described. In previous years student disengagement in this class has been an issue, therefore, three different approaches were trialled in this pilot. In the first approach, a summary set of lecture notes to be covered at the next lecture were made available four days in advance. The summary was a one-page document containing at most six slides of the most important material. The students were encouraged to read the notes in advance. It was hoped that this would lead to more active participation by the students as they had time to assimilate the material prior to the lecture. In the second approach the students were informed in advance that an in-class assessment would be carried out based on the summary. In both instances a full set of notes were made available on Moodle after the lecture. An overview of the findings of this pilot is presented, including data on student participation during both approaches. In addition, a critique of the potential effects on student results is provided and recommendations based on the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attendance levels at lectures amongst university students appears to be a universal challenge. While the university culture generally does not embrace a mandatory attendance policy, the debate concerning the implications of non-attendance continues amongst educators. The literature in this area does little to dampen the debate, offering apparently sound rationale on both sides of the argument. Non-attendance is of particular concern when there is a professional element to a programme, such as Nursing. Student non-attendance at lectures may elicit tensions between professional and academic values, particularly when a mandatory attendance policy is being seriously considered within a department. Advice from professional regulatory bodies in this area is frequently ambiguous, compounding the dilemma for academics in the higher education sector resulting in a variety of local interpretations. Further input from the relevant regulatory bodies would be useful in this regard. The underlying motivation for generating policies that mandate attendance must be given careful thought to ensure that the implications for all potential stakeholders are duly considered. Reasons for student non-attendance at university lectures are many and varied and the perceived link between attendance and academic achievement is an area that requires further scrutiny. More innovative, student-centred approaches to teaching, learning and assessment could encourage greater levels of engagement with the programme of education. This needs to be considered at both an individual and departmental level if student learning opportunities are to be truly maximised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathology is the study of disease and is an important component in medical education. However, with medical curriculum reform, its role and contribution to medical courses is under potential threat. We surveyed the status of pathology in all six Irish medical schools. Information was received from five direct undergraduate and four graduate entry programmes. Pathology was recognisable as a core subject in all but one of the medical schools, was generally taught in years two or three, and the greatest contact hours were for histopathology (44-102 hours). Lectures were the most common teaching modality, and all used single best or extended matching answer multiple-choice questions as part of assessments. Currently, pathology is very visible in Irish medical education but needs to remain relevant with the move to theme and case-based teaching. There is heavy reliance on lectures and on non-academic/full-time hospital staff to deliver teaching, which may not be sustainable., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)