“We Want Good Education for All of Us” – A Participatory Quality Improvement Approach

Introduction: In ever changing conditions, medical faculties must face the challenge of preparing their medical students as best as possible for the demands of their future work. This requires involving all stakeholders, especially medical students in the constant redefinition of medical curricula. Using the idea of “Communities of Practice” as conceptual framework, this study looks at semester spokespeople as an example for participatory quality management. Methods: We conducted focus-group interviews with semester spokespeople at a German Medical Faculty. Data was recorded, transcribed, and analysed using MAXQDA. The interviews were analysed using meaning condensation method. Results: Eleven out of 48 semester spokespeople took part. We found seven topics that fell within three main categories: (1) role of the semester spokesperson, (2) role of the fixed meeting, and (3) contact and commitment. Communities of Practice principles could be aligned to topics and categories. Discussion: The idea of semester spokespeople based on the concept of Communities of Practice are useful in the quality management processes of a medical school and lead to greater involvement of medical students, identifying their needs. The reciprocal commitment among all stakeholders fosters mutual understanding and collaboration. Future studies could investigate the underlying motivational factors of dedicated students and how to transfer these characteristics to a larger cohort

Phylogenetic ctDNA analysis depicts early-stage lung cancer evolution.

The early detection of relapse following primary surgery for non-small-cell lung cancer and the characterization of emerging subclones, which seed metastatic sites, might offer new therapeutic approaches for limiting tumour recurrence. The ability to track the evolutionary dynamics of early-stage lung cancer non-invasively in circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) has not yet been demonstrated. Here we use a tumour-specific phylogenetic approach to profile the ctDNA of the first 100 TRACERx (Tracking Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Evolution Through Therapy (Rx)) study participants, including one patient who was also recruited to the PEACE (Posthumous Evaluation of Advanced Cancer Environment) post-mortem study. We identify independent predictors of ctDNA release and analyse the tumour-volume detection limit. Through blinded profiling of postoperative plasma, we observe evidence of adjuvant chemotherapy resistance and identify patients who are very likely to experience recurrence of their lung cancer. Finally, we show that phylogenetic ctDNA profiling tracks the subclonal nature of lung cancer relapse and metastasis, providing a new approach for ctDNA-driven therapeutic studies

How have researchers acknowledged and controlled for academic work activity when measuring medical students' internet addiction? A systematic literature review.

Internationally, medical students' Internet Addiction (IA) is widely studied. As medical students use the Internet extensively for work, we asked how researchers control for work-related Internet activity, and the extent to which this influences interpretations of "addiction" rates. A search of PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar was conducted on the search phrase of "medical students" and "internet addiction" in March 2020. In total, 98 studies met our criteria, 88 (90%) used Young's Internet Addiction Test, and the studies' IA rates ranged widely. Little note was taken of work-related activity, and, when discussed, had little to no impact on the interpretation of Internet "addiction". Studies seldom accounted for work-related activities, researcher bias appears to influence their position, "usage" appears conflated with "addiction", and correlations between "addiction" and negative behaviours are frequently confused with one-way causation. In spite of IA's not being officially recognised, few researchers questioned its validity. While IA may exist among medical students, its measurement is flawed; given the use of the Internet as a crucial medical education tool, there is the risk that conscientious students will be labelled "addicted", and poor academic performance may be attributed to this "addiction"

Can Medical Students Evaluate Medical Websites? A mixed-methods study from Oman

Objectives: Medical students and practitioners need to evaluate medical information found on the Internet. Most current medical students are familiar with the Internet, but their ability to evaluate material may require additional skills. We aimed to discover the extent to which medical students can evaluate medical websites, criteria used, factors affecting their abilities, and whether a teaching intervention could rectify problems. Methods: A class of 181 undergraduate medical students evaluated an unreliable medically-related website, received a teaching intervention on web site evaluation criteria, and re-evaluated the same site. Results: A total of 149 (82.3%) students participated.  Students spent a mean of 4.69 hours per day on the Internet; there were no significant correlations between demographic indicators and Internet time. On Likert Scales of 1-10, students’ scores ranged from 5-6, with no significant differences between the pre- and post- evaluations, except increased polarisation away from the mean.  Qualitative comments indicated an awareness of relevant criteria, but an overall inability to critically apply them. Conclusion: The results indicate that one cannot make a blanket statement about medical students’ ability to evaluate medical websites, in spite of technological familiarity.  The indications are that website evaluation should be viewed primarily from the information perspective, and that critical thinking ability may play a major role. Because of these overriding factors, short interventions are unlikely to have an impact, and other educational strategies should be developed.  These are necessary to ensure that medical students can function independently as life-long learners and medical professionals. Keywords: Internet; Students, Medical; Oman