Objective To investigate the current status of higher education of allied health professions (AHPs), professional human resource as well as the career development of allied health professionals, and to provide references for the planning of higher education of AHPs in China. Methods Literature was reviewed in relation to the current status of higher education of AHPs and professional human resource in China. A questionnaire survey was conducted to determine the career development conditions of allied health professionals. Results a) Currently, the higher education of AHPs in China was faced with such problems as a limited scale, a lower structural level, and an absent degree system. b) The number of allied health professionals was small with lower qualifications. Higher-end professionals were in shortage. C) The professionals saw multiples glass ceilings over career orientation, academic advancement, and professional entitlement. Conclusion Efforts should be made to expand the scale of higher education of AHPs, elevate degree structure, and to construct a professional education system with multiple layers and categories. The professional education should be combined with the career development for planning and collaboration to provide assurance for the career development of the professional in China.
In West China Medical School of Sichuan University, the practice and exploration of the medical curriculum construction of "inquiry-class" teaching mode has been implemented with the support of the school since the spring semester of 2013. As a result a series of achievements have been made through the recruitment of graduate assistants to participate in auxiliary teaching in the mode of "large class teaching - small group discussion", as well as the reform of assessment methods and implementation of formative evaluation plus building effective assessment and management mechanism for curriculum.
The teaching of Clinical Pharmacology plays a very important role in medical education. In this article, we introduce our exploration and practice in Clinical Pharmacology course in West China Hospital of Sichuan University, which combines Good Clinical Practice with teaching methods such as problem-based learning and case-based learning. Furthermore, we analyze the actual effects in optimizing teaching content, renewing teaching mode, and improving teachers’ teaching ability, etc. We hope this article could provide new ideas for the teaching reform of undergraduate Clinical Pharmacology course.
诊断学是临床医学的基础和入门，是习得临床执业风格最重要的环节。如何在诊断学学习阶段，夯实学生基本理论和技能，培养其科学缜密的临床思维能力，是各医学院校共同面对的课题和挑战。互动参与式教学摒弃传统单一的被动式、灌输式的教学模式，强调以学生为主体，赋予学生协作性、参与性的教学诉求，加强内在激励，激发其主观能动性和创造力。根据诊断学不同教学模块的课程目标、内容和知识结构，有机地将互动参与式教学法应用于诊断学教学中：问诊-角色扮演，查体-示教与实践学习，症状学-小讲课、小组讨论、床旁实践，临床思维-案例分析，职业素养-小组讨论、角色扮演、床旁实践、辩论演讲等。策略得当地将互动参与式教学的理念、元素、方法应用于诊断学教学中，符合临床医学教学实践性强的特点，遵循个体认知规律，符合外部和内在发展并重的教学效果的深层考量，具备良好的教学容量和一定的普适性，值得在临床医学教学中推广运用。
Objective To explore teaching effects of case-based learning (CBL) in abdominal physical examination in diagnostics. Methods Among 83 undergraduates in grade 2007 and in major of 8-year clinical medicine were randomly divided into two groups. Under the same conditions, 41 in the CBL group were taught with CBL method, while the other 42 in the control group were taught with traditional teaching method. Their scores in standard patient (SP) practice assessment of abdominal physical examination, examination of abnormal abdominal signs, ability to analyze and write medical records, and right answers to abdominal examination in final exam were compared. Meanwhile, questionnaire surveys were distributed to them after class. Results There was no significant difference between the two groups in the scores of SP practice assessment or medical record writing and analyzing, but the CBL group was obviously superior to the control group in the tests of abnormal abdominal signs and the right answers to abdominal examination in final exam (Plt;0.05). The questionnaire surveys revealed that the CBL group obviously scored higher in the following 3 items: increase the learning interest and commitment, strengthen the ability to analyze and solve problems, and improve the ability to combine theory and practice (Plt;0.05). Conclusion CBL method has an obvious advantage to improve the teaching quality in abdominal physical examination in diagnostics.
目的 探讨诊断学床旁见习教学中学患关系现状，为提高诊断学床旁教学质量提供应对策略。 方法 采用自行设计问卷，于2010年5月-2011年6月对80名临床医学专业三年级本科生以及同期在内科住院的100例患者分别进行不署名学患关系问卷调查（有效问卷率分别为91.3%和67%），同时对8名带教教师和7名临床主管医生进行个别访谈。 结果 学生问卷调查显示，79.5%的学生曾在床旁教学中遭遇患者不同程度的拒绝或不配合，大多数学生认为有被拒的心理准备和承受力。患者调查显示，82.1%的患者不愿意接受学生问诊查体，58.2%的患者表示即便给予一定经济补偿，也不愿配合教学。而对带教教师及临床主管医师访谈结果显示，当前床旁带教难度大大增加，学患关系紧张。 结论 现阶段学患关系紧张，根据其涉及原因，提出提升医务人员及医学生人文观念，推进医疗、教育体制改革，建立媒体监督机制，开展公众教育等多层面的应对策略，同时提出课程设置、教学模式、师资培养等具体教学应对举措。Objective To explore the present status of the relationship between students and patients in diagnostic bedside teaching, in order to promote the teaching quality. Methods From May 2010 to June 2011, self-made questionnaires were adopted to carry out an anonymous survey among 80 medical students in grade three or above and 100 inpatients to investigate the relationship between the students and the patients(with an effective questionnaire rate of 91.3% and 67% respectively). Eight tutors and 7 physicians concerned were taken in the individual interview. Results The survey showed that 79.5% of the students encountered refusal from patients in bedside teaching, and most of them believed that they had psychological preparation and endurance for the refusal. A total of 82.1% of the patients expressed their unwillingness to accept examination by clinical students, and 58.2% of the patients were unwilling to cooperate in the teaching even with an amount of economic compensation. The tutors and physicians concerned stated that the student-patient relationship was undesirable at present. Conclusions The relationship between students and patients in bedside teaching is strained at present. Based on the complicated reasons, we propose such coping strategies as promoting humanism among medical workers and students, pushing forward the medical and educational reform, building media supervision, developing public education, perfecting course design, teaching style, and cultivation of teachers, and so on.
Objective To explore the teaching effects of problem-based learning (PBL) in diagnostic practice teaching. Methods A total of 32 students enrolled into PBL group adopted the PBL teaching method based on certain cases in some sections while the other 210 students into the control group adopted the traditional teaching method. Their scores in the theory, the practice skill examination and the evaluation of the analytical ability of the medical records were compared. A questionnaire survey was measured in PBL group after class. Results There was no significant difference in scores of theory and practice skill examination in the two groups. The questionnaire survey revealed that the PBL method could improve the learning interest, independent study, b communication, analytical skills, and team spirit. However, there were defects in systematization of imparting knowledge. Conclusion The PBL method has an obvious advantage in diagnostic practice teaching.
The evaluation of student performance is an important but difficult part of the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL). This article introduces the background to the reform of evaluation in PBL, analyzes the principles of such evaluation, and gives a critical review of the methods applied in the reform of student evaluation in PBL, so as to help medical schools adopt practical and efficient evaluation methods.
Objectives To establish a course evaluation model for overseas medical students in West China Medical School of Sichuan University, to identify problems in teaching and to solve problems based on evidence so as to futher improve the quality of teaching. Methods We conducted a preliminary course evaluation to determine the limitations of our evaluation methods and to convey our intention to related stakeholders. Firstly, we identified problems in teaching according to the feedback from our students using a questionnaire. Secondly, we proposed an initial list of possible solutions to these problems based on evidence from literature searching and discussion within the Department of Teaching Affairs. We submitted the initial list to the administrative departments, teaching departments (teachers) and students to identify applicable solutions through two rounds of formal consensus. Their attitudes to this procedure of evaluation and decision-making were collected. Finally, incentives were given out by administrative departments and teaching departments to facilitate the implementation of applicable solutions. Results Teachers’ English ability and the didactic teaching methods were the most concerned problems. In addition, some semesters and courses were not well arranged and there was not enough practice time. An initial list of 14 items was submitted to teaching departments and students. They all agreed with the procedure of evaluation and decision-making. We also found that some aspects of the evaluation methods and styles need to be improved. An additional paper would report further results. Conclusion This preliminary evaluation was helpful for improving teaching and formal evaluation in the future. We need to strengthen the English language skills of younger faculty and gradually adopt a model of student-centered and enquiry-based teaching. This process of evaluation and improvement should be applied as a long-term policy and an evidence-based research group should be established to work together with our quality assurance unit.
To cultivated competent clinicians with the potential to be future pillars and leaders is the educational objective of an 8-year medical program at the West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University. Problem-based learning (PBL) is more effective than traditional, passive, didactic teaching in training of communication skills, information management and critical thinking and research. These are included in the Global Minimum Essential Requirements in Medical Education (GMER). We introduce our practice of PBL as a separate course for the 8-year medical program, including its design, preparation, implementation and evaluation. We discuss why it is designed as a separate course and implemented in multiple semesters with fewer cases in each semester. The move from giving a fish to people to teaching people how to fish, and from teacher-centered to student-centered teaching is a radical transformation of educational concepts and the traditional teaching-and-learning model. Such a change cannot happen in a single step and we hope that this model PBL course, focusing on training in methods and skills, will facilitate the concept transformation and the involvement of all our teachers and students. This should help our teaching to evolve continuously, develop a system for evaluating PBL and lead to the gradual incorporation of PBL into our discipline-based courses or organ system-based courses.