A practical guide to using the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) standards. WFME 2: educational program

Preparing a medical school for institutional review of all aspects of the school’s programs requires an understanding of the international standards being used and adequate preparation and planning (1, 2). This series examines each of the nine standards developed by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) (3) with practical advice on their use in both self-review and independent accreditation processes. WFME standard 2 (Educational Program) examines in detail the program offered by the medical school, the instructional methods used to deliver the program, how the program is managed and how the program is linked with subsequent stages of the medical education continuum. Evidence of a strong nexus between the research activities of the medical school and the school’s teaching mission is vital. Accrediting teams will examine carefully the school’s resource allocation model and seek evidence of effective consultation by the school’s central curriculum committee

A practical guide to using the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) standards. WFME 1: mission and objectives

Preparing a medical school for institutional review can be a challenging undertaking for any institution requiring an understanding of the international standards being used and adequate preparation and planning (MacCarrick et al. in Med Teach 32(5):e227–e232, 2010). This series examines each of the nine standards developed by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME, 2003) with practical advice on their use in both self-review and independent accreditation processes. The WFME standards and their purpose are described and the use of these standards to ‘drive’ the quality improvement agenda in undergraduate medical education is also discusse

Preparing for an institutional self review using the WFME standards - an international medical school case study.

BACKGROUND: Curriculum reform poses significant challenges for medical schools across the globe. This paper describes the reforms that took place at the medical school of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) between 2005 and 2008 and the institutional self review process that accompanied these reforms. RESULTS: Although fully accredited with the Irish Medical Council the RCSI sought additional detailed review of all aspects of its undergraduate medical program. Five medical educationalists were invited to visit the College in 2005 and again in 2008 to act as \u27critical friends\u27 and guide the self review using the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) standards which had recently been adopted in Ireland. CONCLUSION: The process of institutional self review (as opposed to more high stakes accreditation) can bring about significant reform, especially when supported by a panel of \u27critical friends\u27 working alongside faculty to help guide and support sustained curriculum reform. The WFME standards continue to provide a useful framework to consider all medical education activities within a medical school engaged in continuous renewal. Adequate preparation for such reviews is critical to the success of such an undertaking and should be supported by a comprehensive communication strategy and project plan

Non clinical rural and remote competencies: can they be defined?

This paper aims to explore what non clinical rural and remote competencies are and how they have been described in different contexts. The findings are based on searches for publicly available national (and any international) curriculum statements of rural and remote practice published by agencies relevant to rural and remote medical practice, both government and non government, across the globe. The national statements of non clinical rural and remote competencies considered in this paper suggest that these competencies can be wide-ranging. They include specific kinds of content knowledge, high level problem-solving in specific contexts, skills in managing professional identity and ethical selfawareness, as well as teamwork skills and public health management skills. The paper concludes that there is insufficient evidence to specify how different non clinical rural and remote competencies are from non clinical competencies per se. However, the models examined suggest that, far from being undefinable, non clinical rural and remote competencies can be complex and multi-faceted, reflecting the demands of rural and remote contexts. The well developed models of these competencies that exist and the strong interest in many countries in producing them, suggest their importance for not only better preparation of rural and remote practitioners, but also well-rounded medical professionals generally

Virtual patients: an effective educational intervention to improve paediatric basic specialist trainee education in the management of suspected child abuse?

Child abuse is a particularly difficult subject to teach at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Most doctors are dissatisfied with their training in child abuse recognition and management. We developed an interactive video based Virtual Patient to provide formal training for paediatric Basic Specialist Trainees in the recognition of suspected child abuse. The Virtual Patient case revolves around the management of suspected physical abuse in a seven month old child, who initially presents to the Emergency Department with viral upper respiratory tract symptoms. This Virtual Patient was used to facilitate a case discussion with Basic Specialist Trainees. A questionnaire was developed to determine their perception of the value of the Virtual Patient as an educational tool. Twenty five Basic Specialist Trainees completed the questionnaire. Upon completion of the case, 23/25 (92%) participants reported greater self confidence in their ability to recognize cases of suspected child abuse and 24/25 (96%) of participants reported greater self confidence in their ability to report cases of suspected child abuse. Basic Specialist Trainees perceived the Virtual Patient to be a useful educational tool. Virtual Patients may have a role to play in enhancing postgraduate training in the recognition of suspected child abuse

Prepared to practice? Perception of career preparation and guidance of recent medical graduates at two campuses of a transnational medical school: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Graduating medical students enter the workforce with substantial medical knowledge and experience, yet little is known about how well they are prepared for the transition to medical practice in diverse settings. We set out to compare perceptions of medical school graduates\u27 career guidance with their perceptions of preparedness to practice as interns. We also set out to compare perceptions of preparedness for hospital practice between graduates from two transnational medical schools. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. A Preparedness for Hospital Practice (PHPQ) survey and career guidance questionnaire was sent to recent medical graduates, incorporating additional free text responses on career preparation. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and tests of association including Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests. RESULTS: Forty three percent (240/555) of graduates responded to the survey: 39 % of respondents were domestic (Dublin, Ireland or Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain) and interning locally; 15 % were overseas students interning locally; 42 % were overseas students interning internationally and 4 % had not started internship. Two variables explained 13 % of the variation in preparedness for hospital practice score: having planned postgraduate education prior to entering medical school and having helpful career guidance in medical school. Overseas graduates interning internationally were more likely to have planned their postgraduate career path prior to entering medical school. Dublin graduates found their career guidance more helpful than Bahrain counterparts. The most cited shortcomings were lack of structured career advice and lack of advice on the Irish and Bahraini postgraduate systems. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that early consideration of postgraduate career preparation and helpful medical school career guidance has a strong association with perceptions of preparedness of medical graduates for hospital practice. In an era of increasing globalization of medical education, these findings can direct ongoing efforts to ensure all medical students receive career guidance and preparation for internship appropriate to their destination