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Biomedical subjects

T A Mast

Publications and source records attributed to T A Mast.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Test security in examinations that use standardized-patient cases at one medical school.

The use of performance-based examinations consisting of standardized-patient (SP) cases has increased greatly in recent years. These examinations are typically long and thus require the presentation of the same SP cases to several consecutive examinee groups. Consequently, concerns have arisen about the potential for violations of test security whereby students who were tested early in the examination period pass on information to students tested later. These concerns are addressed using data from the SP-based examinations administered to five classes (1986-1990) of senior medical students at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Because of the length of the examinations, each class was randomly divided into five groups and the examination was administered to one group at a time, requiring three days of testing time per group and three weeks of testing time per class. The results showed no consistent, systematic changes in case means across the five groups tested at different times throughout the examination period, and thus provide no evidence of serious, widespread violations of test security.

Education, Medical↗
PubMed1989

Teaching medical students in ambulatory settings in departments of internal medicine.

Clinical training in ambulatory settings is an increasingly prominent topic in medical education, but most descriptions of internal medicine programs in the literature concern training for residents. The authors undertook a survey of departments of internal medicine to obtain and assess information about requirements for ambulatory clinical experiences for medical students. The results show that few departments (24% of the 101 departments responding) required ambulatory care experiences for undergraduates. Most of the required programs had a goal of broad exposure to ambulatory-patient problems; almost none had special educational interventions to complement students' care of patients. The experiences that were incorporated into the clerkship in a single block of time were more favorably rated than the experiences that occurred intermittently throughout the clerkship. Inability to provide continuity-of-care experience was an important concern of the departments. Most programs had logistical problems, the most serious and frequently cited being the lack of faculty time for teaching. The authors raise concerns about the educational effectiveness of many existing programs and, given the problems with faculty involvement, about the long-term viability of these programs.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMed1988

The effects of clerkship experience on medical students' beliefs and knowledge about diabetes.

This study examined whether knowledge and beliefs regarding diabetes mellitus and its management vary as a function of the clerkship experience. Misconceptions and pessimism about the benefits of compliance and the outcome of diabetes were more prevalent among fourth-year students, leading to a recommendation for the incorporation of more ambulatory training in the clerkship year.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1987

A survey of undergraduate internal medicine education in ambulatory settings.

Only a small percentage of schools at this point require an ambulatory care experience. Those which are increasing their experiences seem to be doing it out of necessity rather than educational efficacy. The existence of ambulatory experiences outside of internal medicine does not seem to be a factor in whether internal medicine departments have or are increasing their ambulatory experiences. Of the programs which do exist most have a goal of broad exposure to ambulatory patient problems; very few have special educational interventions to support or complement student's patient care. The existing programs overwhelmingly occur in school clinics rather than private clinics, and most suffer some serious logistic problems. The most frequently cited problem was lack of faculty time for teaching. It appears that in most cases students have been fitted into existing clinics or patterns of teaching, with insufficient effort given to achieving the maximal educational benefit for the student. Teaching students, particularly at the junior clerk level, requires committed faculty time, which is clearly a commodity in short supply. On the basis of this survey, there is reason to be concerned about both the educational effectiveness of existing student ambulatory teaching programs in internal medicine and whether such programs will manage to survive.

Education, Medical, Undergraduate↗
PubMed1979

Changes in the values of dental students and dentists over a ten-year period.

This paper investigates value changes in dental students and dentists over a ten-year period through a cross-sectional study of all dental students at the University of Minnesota in 1966 and 1976, and a ten-year longitudinal study of a class of dental students who entered in 1967. Findings in both studies showed significant differences in values over the ten-year period, but they could not be attributed to the dental school experience. Findings also showed that the values of the dentists in the longitudinal study changed significantly over the ten years from 1967 to 1977, to resemble those of dental school freshmen in 1976. Comparisons of the two studies indicated that changes in social values and the social pressures of professional role development could have accounted for the findings.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Sample size needed for student ratings of instruction.

The number of evaluation forms students are asked to complete is multiplying. To reduce that number, the present study determines the minimum sample size needed for accurate student ratings of instruction. Typical questionnaire items using four- and seven-category ratings scales were studied. Data for four class sizes (40, 60, 100, 140) were sampled in graduated sizes, and a standard error of the mean was computed for each sample size. A permissible error index was computed to estimate the accuracy of ratings obtained from any sample size needed for the four different class sizes. Figures are presented from which minimum sample sizes necessary for accurate student evaluation of instruction can be computed. The figures show that sampling only one-third of classes of 100-140 students is sufficient to obtain accurate evaluations.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed1978

Dental clinical evaluation: a review of the research.

Preclinical and clinical evaluation in dental education needs systematic study. Research on the main variables affecting reliable and valid clinical evaluation is reviewed to identify research findings applicable to clinical evaluation settings. The research reviewed shows that performance criteria should be objectively stated, that measurement scales should contain few points, and that evaluator training may improve reliability. Suggestions for the design of future evaluation studies are provided in an effort to expand the scope and usefulness of this type of research.

Curriculum↗