Biomedical subjects

Colin Chalk

Publications and source records attributed to Colin Chalk.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Can virtual reality improve anatomy education? A randomised controlled study of a computer-generated three-dimensional anatomical ear model.

INTRODUCTION: The use of computer-generated 3-dimensional (3-D) anatomical models to teach anatomy has proliferated. However, there is little evidence that these models are educationally effective. The purpose of this study was to test the educational effectiveness of a computer-generated 3-D model of the middle and inner ear. METHODS: We reconstructed a fully interactive model of the middle and inner ear from a magnetic resonance imaging scan of a human cadaver ear. To test the model's educational usefulness, we conducted a randomised controlled study in which 28 medical students completed a Web-based tutorial on ear anatomy that included the interactive model, while a control group of 29 students took the tutorial without exposure to the model. At the end of the tutorials, both groups were asked a series of 15 quiz questions to evaluate their knowledge of 3-D relationships within the ear. RESULTS: The intervention group's mean score on the quiz was 83%, while that of the control group was 65%. This difference in means was highly significant (P < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Our findings stand in contrast to the handful of previous randomised controlled trials that evaluated the effects of computer-generated 3-D anatomical models on learning. The equivocal and negative results of these previous studies may be due to the limitations of these studies (such as small sample size) as well as the limitations of the models that were studied (such as a lack of full interactivity). Given our positive results, we believe that further research is warranted concerning the educational effectiveness of computer-generated anatomical models.

Anatomy↗

PubMed2005

How well does neurology residency mirror practice?

OBJECTIVE: To report the residency training experience of two neurologists, focusing on setting and diagnoses encountered. METHODS: Data from prospective patient logs kept by the authors during residencies completed a decade apart were compared with each other and the literature. RESULTS: The range of diagnoses was broadly similar between residencies, as were the proportions of common or uncommon disorders, and the proportion of cases without a neurological diagnosis. Although most patients were seen in in-patient settings, the rates at which common neurological conditions and functional disorders were seen was comparable to published experiences of community neurologists. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic profile of North American neurology residency appears to be relatively stable, regardless of location or date of training. In several respects, the content of current neurology residencies mirrors clinical practice well. Changes to residency training are doubtless needed, but they should be guided by a clear understanding of the experiences of contemporary trainees.

Education, Medical, Graduate↗

PubMed2004

Association between delayed sleep phase and hypernyctohemeral syndromes: a case study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether the hypernyctohemeral syndrome (non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome) may show a clinical association with the delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) in a 39-year-old woman who developed sleep disturbances following a traumatic brain injury. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Sleep-wake log documentation and wrist-activity recordings for more than 6 consecutive months confirmed the patient's tendency to live on longer-than-24-hour "days." Episodes of relative coordination to the 24-hour day were also noted, suggesting that the patient was transiently in and out of phase with environmental synchronizers too weak to fully entrain her to the geophysical environment. Interestingly, we noted a tendency to initiate sleep between 3:00 am and 5:00 am and wake up from sleep between noon and 1:00 pm. CONCLUSIONS: These results support an association between the hypernyctohemeral syndrome and the DSPS. This association may carry implications for the treatment of circadian rhythms disorders.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

The academic half-day in Canadian neurology residency programs.

BACKGROUND: The academic half-day (AHD) appears to have become widespread in Canadian neurology residency programs, but there is little published information about the structure, content, or impact of the AHD. METHODS: A written questionnaire was sent to the directors of all active Canadian adult and child neurology residency programs. RESULTS: All 21 program directors responded. An AHD was operating in 15/15 adult and 5/6 child neurology programs. The AHD typically lasts three hours, and occurs weekly, 10 months per year. Most of the weekly sessions are lectures or seminars, usually led by clinicians, with about 90% resident attendance. Course-like features (required textbook, examinations) are present in many AHDs. There is a wide range of topics, from disease pathophysiology to practice management, with considerable variation between programs. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all Canadian neurology programs now have an AHD. Academic half-days are broadly similar in content and format across the country, and residents now spend a substantial portion of their training attending the AHD. The impact of the AHD on how residency programs are organized, and on the learning, clinical work, and professional development of residents merits further study.

Administrative Personnel↗