RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM) published its model curriculum for medical student education in emergency medicine in 2009. Because of the evolving principles of emergency medicine and medical education, driven by societal, professional, and educational developments, there was a need for an update on IFEM recommendations. The main objective of the update process was creating Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) and providing tier-based recommendations. METHOD: A consensus methodology combining nominal group and modified Delphi methods was used. The nominal group had 15 members representing eight countries in six regions. The process began with a review of the 2009 curriculum by IFEM Core Curriculum and Education Committee (CCEC) members, followed by a three-phase update process involving survey creation [The final survey document included 55 items in 4 sections, namely, participant & context information (16 items), intended learning outcomes (6 items), principles unique to emergency medicine (20 items), and content unique to emergency medicine (13 items)], participant selection from IFEM member countries and survey implementation, and data analysis to create the recommendations. RESULTS: Out of 112 invitees (CCEC members and IFEM member country nominees), 57 (50.9%) participants from 27 countries participated. Eighteen (31.6%) participants were from LMICs, while 39 (68.4%) were from HICs. Forty-four (77.2%) participants have been involved with medical students' emergency medicine training for more than five years in their careers, and 56 (98.2%) have been involved with medical students' training in the last five years. Thirty-five (61.4%) participants have completed a form of training in medical education. The exercise resulted in the formulation of tiered ILO recommendations. Tier 1 ILOs are recommended for all medical schools, Tier 2 ILOs are recommended for medical schools based on perceived local healthcare system needs and/or adequate resources, and Tier 3 ILOs should be considered for medical schools based on perceived local healthcare system needs and/or adequate resources. CONCLUSION: The updated IFEM ILO recommendations are designed to be applicable across diverse educational and healthcare settings. These recommendations aim to provide a clear framework for medical schools to prepare graduates with essential emergency care capabilities immediately after completing medical school. The successful distribution and implementation of these recommendations hinge on support from faculty and administrators, ensuring that future healthcare professionals are well-prepared for emergency medical care.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Skin diseases in patients with skin of colour (Fitzpatrick skin types IV to VI) are underrepresented in dermatology training, which may lead to lower quality of care for these patients. To address this underrepresentation in medical education, a newly developed seminar on skin type diversity using an interactive teaching method was implemented in an undergraduate medical curriculum. This study examined the effects of a seminar on the self-assessed competence of medical students in managing skin conditions in patients with skin of colour. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted among fourth-year undergraduate medical students at the University of Hamburg (Germany) between October 2023 and February 2024. Students' self-assessed competence was compared before and after the obligatory seminar (pre- and post-design). RESULTS: In total, 158 students participated in the survey. After the seminar, knowledge of the presentation of skin diseases in patients with skin of colour and the associated psychological burden, differences in the incidence of skin diseases in different skin types, and the ability to diagnose skin diseases in darker skin types increased. Most participants stated that they wanted to attend more courses on this topic. DISCUSSION: Appropriate courses for medical students can improve their competence in managing different skin diseases in patients with skin of colour. In the future, more attention should be paid to teaching the diversity of skin types in dermatology education.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Purpose: The idea of psychological ownership (PO) has been utilized in a variety of contexts, but the significance and lessons learned from using PO in dental clinical education have not been investigated. A detailed long-term study of PO in dental clinical education will allow us to understand the effectiveness of this practice. The purpose of this paper is to compare undergraduate (UG) student's clinical performance before and after the PO system was implemented. Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted with around 70-80 students in an academic year from June 2012 to June 2019. Through ownership quality, four-handed dentistry, observation and assistance, supply of must-haves, and measurable outcomes, the clinical performance of students in pre- and post-PO systems was compared. Results: The quantum of overall clinical procedures performed by the UG students was 8,214 and 13,753 in pre-PO and post-PO, respectively. Chi-squared tests performed unveil that there exists a statistically significant difference in the quantum of clinical procedures performed by UG after the implementation of PO. Conclusion: The results of our study clearly state that there was a significant increase in the quantum of clinical procedures performed by UG students after the implementation of the PO system. How to cite this article: Felsypremila G, Muthu MS, Nirmal L, et al. Impact of Implementing Psychological Ownership in Undergraduate Dental Clinical Training: A Retrospective Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(3):279-284.

RESUMEN

The primary healthcare (PHC) rotation places medical students in rural district hospitals for 4 weeks during their 4th or 5th year. This rotation is a collaboration among three academic units at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Learning activities during this rotation include participation in a longitudinal community-oriented primary care project, conducting rehabilitation-oriented home visits to persons with disabilities, and assessing and treating patients presenting with undifferentiated problems on an in- and outpatient basis. Working in rural contexts for a month affords students opportunities to foster meaningful relationships with the healthcare team, patients and the community, while learning about collaborative teamwork and communities. Critical reflections about the interprofessional care of patients and a community evaluation are key components of the students' learning and assessment. Demonstrating the importance of interprofessional collaboration in PHC, this integrated training model has received, and continues to receive, positive feedback from students and the clinicians involved. Attention to logistics and academic support plays a crucial role in ensuring optimal learning for students. An integrated approach that involves multiple academic units, various healthcare professions and communities is strongly recommended for those who are considering training students in rural PHC environments.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Background: There is a growing recognition of the need for disaster management training for medical students in Saudi Arabia, but there is limited research on its effectiveness. Thus, this study evaluated the effectiveness of a disaster simulation training program for undergraduate medical students in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A disaster management simulation activity was conducted for 32 medical students. The students attended a 30-minute lecture about mass casualty incidents (MCIs) and completed a pre-simulation survey. They were then randomly assigned to one of three groups (performer, actor, observer) and asked to apply their skills to triage patients after a Level C MCI. A debriefing session was conducted using the plus/delta debriefing method. Then, the students completed a post-simulation survey. Results: The results showed that after the simulation training the students' self-confidence in their ability to respond to a disaster increased from 40.7% to 59.4% (p value < 0.01), to utilize incident command structure increased from 37.9% to 62.5% (p value < 0.01), to demonstrate START triage for victims of a disaster increased from 28.2% to 65.7% (p value < 0.01), and to apply safe search and rescue techniques increased from 40.7% to 59.4% (p value < 0.01). The students' self-confidence in their ability to perform basic first aid skills also increased after the simulation. Conclusion: The study findings suggest that disaster management simulation training can be an effective way to increase medical students' self-confidence and preparedness for disaster response.

RESUMEN

Background: The Internship and Community Service Programme (ICSP) places newly graduated health professionals for a compulsory training period. Universities adopt multiple strategies to encourage students to select rural placements for ICSP. Objectives: This study describes ICSP choices among final-year MBChB and Health and Rehabilitation Science students at a South African university and the factors influencing their decisions. Method: A cross-sectional qualitative descriptive study was conducted using a self-developed online questionnaire. Eighty-five final-year students were recruited. Results: Most respondents (n = 38, 45.8%) chose the Western Cape (WC) as their first choice placement. There was a significant difference between MBChB and other health science students' choice of level of healthcare (χ = 10.39, p = 0.006), with MBChB less likely to choose primary healthcare (PHC) level placements. District and tertiary care options were perceived as better sites for learning and practice, while PHC and rural sites, considered underresourced and understaffed, were avoided. Although MBChB students indicated a lower preference for rural placements, this was not significant.Factors influencing ICSP application decisions included professional support, work environment, and social and personal considerations. Conclusion: Students' placement choices were based on their perceptions of clinical exposure, learning opportunities, mentorship and supervision. Placements closer to home were preferred. UG clinical exposure and rural background seem to have some impact on choice but need further investigation. Clinical implications: Universities should continue to explore ways to improve students' readiness for practice in underresourced settings. Improved exposure to rural and PHC sites during training could encourage better uptake during ICSP placement.

RESUMEN

There is increasing pressure to accelerate health professions education programs and educators have the challenge of ensuring that students can effectively transfer their learning into clinical practice. In this personal view, we discuss how insights from cognitive science can inform the redesign of current curricula and highlight the challenge of implementing these new approaches for instructional design and assessment. We also recommend that educators disseminate the important lessons learned from their endeavors.

RESUMEN

Objective: The operating room is a unique learning experience that has visual, aural, kinesthetic learning stimuli and provides benefits to the medical students such as development of sound clinical knowledge and skills, and gaining personal insight into ones' career choice. However, this can be a challenging place due to the unfamiliar learning environment. We aimed to study the Sri Lankan Medical students' perception and attitudes on operating theatre learning experience. Design and setting: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out among medical students undergoing surgical clinical training on the perspectives of the teaching and learning experience in the operating theatre in Sri Lanka. Participants: Our study group consisted of 390 medical students from four different medical faculties in Sri Lanka representing all levels of surgical clinical rotations. Results: A majority of the students had actively participated in the operating theater. Despite this, the students' clarity of the learning outcomes and expectations in a theatre varied greatly. Majority of the students felt that the surgeons were willingly to teach but also noted that there was no standardization in teaching. This study clearly shows a significant correlation between positive emotions and surgical teams welcoming attitude towards the medical students. Long standing hours were considered a negative emotion by a majority of students. We also observed that theatre environment can be physically and mentally exhausting. Conclusions: Thus, empathy, feeling welcome and giving breaks to refresh can go a long way in making the learning experience better. Regular feedback to trainers on students' perception of the theatre experience is important to value the students' opinion and improve the quality of the surgical theatre. We strongly recommend initiation of clear induction sessions with introduction of well-structured teaching learning activities in the operating theatre.

RESUMEN

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasound diagnostics is an important examination method in everyday clinical practice, but student education is often inadequate for acquiring sufficient basic skills. Individual universities have therefore started integrating (extra)curricular training concepts into medical education. This study aimed to evaluate sustainable skills development through participation in peer-assisted ultrasound courses. METHODS: From 2017, students in the clinical part of medical school could opt for extracurricular peer-assisted ultrasound courses. Depending on the format (10-week course/2-day compact course) these comprised 20 teaching units focusing on abdominal and emergency ultrasonography. Students attending compulsory workshops at the start of their practical year were enrolled in this study, allowing for a comparison between the study group (attended ultrasound course) and the control group (did not attend ultrasound course). Competency from two out of four practical exams (subjects: "aorta", "gallbladder", "kidney" and "lung") was measured, and a theory test on the same subject areas ("pathology recognition") was administered. Additional questions concerned biographical data, subjective competency assessment (7-point Likert scale), and "attitude to ultrasound training in the curriculum". RESULTS: Analysis included 302 participants in total. Ultrasound courses had been attended on average 2.5 years earlier (10-week course) and 12 months earlier (2-day compact course), respectively. The study group (n = 141) achieved significantly better results than the control group (n = 161) in the long-term follow-up. This applies both to practical exams (p < 0.01) and theory tests (p < 0.01). After course attendance, participants reported a significantly higher subjective assessment of theoretical (p < 0.01) and practical (p < 0.01) ultrasound skills. CONCLUSIONS: Peer-assisted ultrasound courses can sustainably increase both theoretical and practical competency of medical students. This highlights the potential and need for standardised implementation of ultrasound courses in the medical education curriculum.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: A thorough knowledge of sonography is essential in clinical practice. Therefore, sonography training is increasingly incorporated into the medical school curriculum, entailing different course models. The question arises which model is most effective to convey sustained sonographic skills. METHODS: Two different peer-assisted learning (PAL) sonography course models were developed as part of a clinical prospective study. The course content was based on the national resident curriculum of the German Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (DEGUM). Model A consists of a 10-week course and model B of a two-day compact course. Each model entailed 20 teaching units (TU). A script was used to prepare for each unit. Two modified OSCE exams of the ultrasound skills (max = 50 points per exam) were performed during the last teaching unit to assess the competence level. For subjective self-assessment and model evaluation, a questionnaire with a 7-point Likert scale was employed. RESULTS: A total of 888 students of the 3rd year participated as part of a voluntary elective in the study (744 in model A and 144 in model B). In the exams, participants in model A (median 43 points) scored significantly higher than those in model B (median 39; p < 0.01). Participants in model A (mean 1.71 points) obtained significantly higher mean competency gain scores in subject knowledge than model B (mean 1.43 points; p < 0.01) participants. All participants were satisfied with the course concept (A: mean 1.68 vs. B: mean 1.78 points; p = 0.05), the teaching materials (A: mean 1.81 vs. B: mean 1.69 points; p = 0.52), and the tutor's didactic skills (A: mean 1.24 vs. B: mean 1.15 points; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that sonography-specific competency may be obtained through different course models, with a model stretching over several weeks leading to a higher competence level. Further research should assess the long-term retention of the skills obtained in different models.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The aim of our study was to investigate how endodontics is taught in Italian universities. An online survey was conducted from August to December 2021. A comparison between courses led by full or associate professors (Group 1) versus courses led by other figures, such as researchers or temporary lecturers (Group 2), was made. A total of 28 out of 36 schools participated (78%). In most schools, endodontics is taught in the fifth year to 15-29 students. All schools planned pre-clinical endodontic training, and in 25/28 schools (89.3%), clinical endodontic training was also provided. The course programs varied among schools, and significantly more hours were allocated to teaching nonsurgical root canal treatment in Group 1 schools than in Group 2 schools. The average numbers of hours of preclinical and clinical training were 34.3 ± 23.6 and 84.1 ± 76.7, respectively. All schools used rotary NiTi files in their clinical training, and the vertical condensation of hot gutta-percha was the most frequently taught obturation technique. As expected, the scenario of endodontic education in Italian universities was variable and needs harmonization. Courses led by full or associate professors seem to be better structured.

RESUMEN

Purpose: This study aimed at developing a national consensus on entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for Saudi undergraduate medical education and mapping them with the "Saudi Meds" competency framework. Methods: A three phased approach was used. Phase 1 consisted of identifying and developing EPAs; Phase 2 consisted of building a national consensus on developed EPAs (validation process); and Phase 3 consisted of mapping the validated EPAs with the Saudi Meds competency framework. Nominal group and modified Delphi techniques were used to develop consensus on EPAs. Classical test theory-based item analysis was conducted to establish validity and reliability of finalized EPAs. Results: Fifteen expert medical educationists and 109 academic leaders from 23 medical schools participated in the validation process. The study achieved a consensus on 10 core EPAs with an overall reliability (Cronbach's Alpha) of 0.814. The item-total correlation ranged from 0.341 to 0.642. Conclusion: This study results in a national consensus on generic, comprehensive and region-specific EPAs that have been mapped with Saudi Meds competency framework. Our study is the first step in the direction of facilitating EPA-based curricular reforms in Saudi medical schools.

RESUMEN

This article reports a session from the virtual international 2021 IUBMB/ASBMB workshop, "Teaching Science on Big Data." The awareness of using publicly available research data sets for undergraduate training is low in certain parts of the world. Final year projects always revolve around wet-lab based projects. The challenges occur during COVID-19 pandemic when it forces full lockdown to the nation, but at the same time faculty members need to provide consistent training to the students and projects to work with. We aim to identify supervisors in the faculty that are ready to convert their proposed project from wet-lab to an online-based project. As coordinators of the course we created an online survey to identify projects that can be converted into dry-lab/online projects. Our surveys identified only 32.5% projects implemented dry-lab/online based projects. Most academicians described that they are not ready or familiar to apply changes for their research design. With the unknown future of the world living with COVID-19 and directional changes of life science research toward big data driven research indeed we should be ready to adopt such changes. Awareness on reusing public data sets as tools for research should be provided to strengthen undergraduate training. Life science undergraduates should be exposed to reusing public data sets as these materials are readily available case studies that allow in depth exploration to answer specific research questions. Members of the faculty should take part to pave the way for them, ensuring that they understand that life science research revolves around a multidisciplinary field.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the effect of magnification devices on procedure quality in restorative dentistry is scant. This study therefore aimed to assess, under simulated clinical conditions, if magnification loupes affect the quality of preparations carried out by undergraduate dental students. METHODS: 59 undergraduate dental students underwent two visual acuity tests, based on which they were divided into a "low visual acuity group" (visus < 1) and a "good visual acuity group" (visus ≥ 1). In a randomized crossover experiment, participants performed a two-dimensional S and a three-dimensional O figure preparation with a dental handpiece on standardized acrylic blocs designed for preclinical restorative training. Each participant carried out the preparation tasks twice, once with magnification loupes (2.5×) and once without. Two blinded investigators independently evaluated parameters of preparation precision. Data were analyzed using Spearman rank correlation coefficients, intra-class correlation coefficients, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Participants from the "low visual acuity group" did not show a statistically significant improvement in accuracy when they used magnification loupes for the S figure preparation (p ≥ 0.0625). Participants from the "high visual acuity group" obtained a higher level of accuracy (p ≤ 0.0012) when they used magnification loupes for the S figure preparation. The use of magnification loupes had no statistically significant effect on the accuracy parameters of the O figure cavity preparations (p ≥ 0.1865). Participants with high visual acuity achieved only a marginally better accuracy than participants with a visus < 1. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that loupes with 2.5× magnification increase the accuracy of two-dimensional preparations while they have no significant effect, favorable or otherwise, on the accuracy of complex, three-dimensional cavity preparations of untrained dental students.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

In this study, researchers at a large, urban, comprehensive minority-serving institution used propensity score matching to identify a unique comparison group to study academic and graduate school outcomes in students served by the National Institutes of Health-funded Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Initiative. Acknowledging that students' self-selection biases may confound findings, the use of propensity methods to match students served with those who were not (but were otherwise eligible) provides a valuable tool for evaluators and practitioners to combat this challenge and better evaluate their effectiveness and impact on students' success. This study's findings indicate that BUILD participants had higher academic and graduate school success with regard to cumulative GPA, units attempted and completed, graduation status, and application and admission to graduate programs.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Imparting the knowledge and skills of Anesthesiology to undergraduates can be challenging. Competency Based Undergraduate (CBUG) Curriculum for the Undergraduate medical students introduced by the Medical Council of India (MCI) aims to improve the quality of the Indian Medical Graduate (IMG). The Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care of our college redrafted the training program and brought it in-line with the CBUG Curriculum beginning February 2019. A questionnaire based survey was conducted to assess the efficacy, satisfaction levels and the perception of the students towards the new competency based curriculum. The aim was to assess the students perception of the competency based curriculum and to evaluate two slightly different approaches to the implementation of the curriculum. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two groups of undergraduate medical students belonging to the 6th and 8th term, underwent two different models of teaching. The 8th term students had already completed their theory classes based on the older curriculum a year ago when they were in 6th term. However, their clinics and tutorials were modelled as per the new CBUG Curriculum. The current 6th term students had their first exposure to Anesthesiology and their theory, tutorials and clinics were scheduled in the same term, simulation based training was added, the operation theatre rotation was held in the mornings at 0730hrs and the intensive care unit rounds were held in the evenings. There was no difference in the theory classes taken for the two batches, however the clinics were different. After both the batches finished their rotation, they were given the survey questionnaire to assess their perception of the model of CBUG Curriculum that they were exposed to. RESULTS: The results of the survey revealed that about 80% of the students in both groups preferred that theory classes and practical training should be conducted in parallel in 6th term. About 60% students in both groups felt that early morning clinics 0800hrs were better than mid-morning clinics at 1100hrs as they get to see and do more procedures. 66%-82% students in both groups felt that the practical training in the OT, ICU and skills lab were very helpful or extremely helpful. The most important aspect of Anesthesiology rotation was "learning basic life saving skills and simulation based learning" according to 85% students in both groups. Nearly 80% students in both groups felt that the training in Anesthesiology should be allotted more time and more weightage in undergraduate training. 72% students in 6th term and 63% students in 8th term felt more confident of handling emergencies after their Anesthesiology rotation. CONCLUSION: The new curriculum was extremely well received by the students of both groups. The model used for 6th term students comprising of teaching theory and practical in the same term and having early morning clinics, was found to be superior as compared to the model used to teach 8th term students where there was a gap of one year between theory and practical teaching and the clinics were held midmorning.

RESUMEN

La enseñanza de pregrado en Medicina en Cuba se rige actualmente por el plan de estudios E, en el cual se define la función investigativa en el proceso de enseñanza; sin embargo, la investigación clínica no se ha logrado posicionar en el lugar que le corresponde. La escasa producción científica de los profesionales médicos es el resultado de una deficiencia en la formación científica de los mismos durante el proceso de enseñanza de pregrado, cuyas consecuencias se observan durante su desenvolvimiento profesional. La formación médica de pregrado es el momento idóneo para crear los cimientos del pensamiento científico. La formación de los estudiantes de medicina no puede ser óptima cuando es conducida por rutas pasivas de imitación. Es necesario aprender a convertir las experiencias en conocimiento, y la actual pandemia COVID-19 puede ser un elemento motivador en este sentido. Para analizar las causas de la escasa producción científica de los profesionales médicos hay que revisar con detalle las deficiencias que existen en la formación científica de nuestros estudiantes de pregrado. Esta pandemia nos ha demostrado que a los estudiantes se les puede motivar a investigar. Hay que aprovechar estos momentos para hacer modificaciones en el plan de estudios, que incluyan dedicarle un mayor tiempo a la enseñanza de las herramientas investigativas y vinculación a grupos de investigación donde desarrollen un pensamiento científico

Undergraduate medical studies in Cuba are currently governed by Curriculum E, which provides a definition of the role of research training in the learning process. However, clinical research has not managed to occupy the place it deserves. The scant scientific production of medical professionals stems from their poor undergraduate scientific training, whose consequences are visible in their professional performance. Undergraduate medical training is the ideal moment to lay the foundations for scientific thinking. Medical training will never be optimal if it is based on passive imitation. It is necessary to learn to transform experiences into knowledge, and the current COVID-19 pandemic may be a motivating factor in this respect. To analyze the reasons for the scant scientific production of medical professionals, detailed examination should be made of the deficiencies found in the scientific training of undergraduate students. The pandemic has shown that students may be motivated to do research. Occasions such as this should be used to make changes in the curriculum, allotting more time to the teaching of research tools and providing better links with research teams where scientific thinking may be developed.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Engaging students in research is a high impact practice that improves student retention and persistence in behavioral and biomedical sciences and engineering. The California State University Long Beach (CSULB) Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Program offers an intensive research training experience to undergraduate students from a wide range of health-related disciplines. The goal of this program is to provide students with research skills, psychosocial resources, and graduate school application guidance that will make them competitive for Ph.D. programs. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the campus closure of many universities, including CSULB, our student training had to transition from in-person training to online training. This paper discusses the development and implementation of a series of eight online modules for guiding students through the application process for summer research experiences and graduate schools. Overall, the BUILD trainees were positive about the online modules. Specifically, they indicated that the modules were useful, informative, easy to access/use, good use of their time, and a good supplemental activity to their learning community activities. Most trainees indicated that they preferred the modules to be implemented in a hybrid format, where the students can view the modules on their own first and then have an opportunity to engage in in-person/synchronous online discussions.

RESUMEN

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted medical education and forced medical schools to shift to remote teaching. However, in many institutions, this shift was complicated by the lack of previous experience and resources as well as the decreased educational time and effort due to increased clinical load. In April 2020, the International Emergency Medicine (iEM) Education Project embarked upon a social responsibility initiative to ease and facilitate this transition for emergency medicine clerkships. A 4-week open online emergency medicine core content course for medical students covering 11 lessons and 37 topics was created. This course contains a total of 25 hours of content, 66 chapters curated from the free iEM Education Project 2018 eBook and Society of Academic Emergency Medicine curriculum website and 131 videos granted freely by the commercial medical education resources provider, Lecturio. In the first 24 hours, the website was visited 3127 times from 57 countries in 6 continents. While online teaching is not a substitute for in-person clinical teaching, such initiatives can provide resources to clinical teachers who are overwhelmed with clinical duties and an opportunity for medical students from low-resource settings to continue their training safely during the pandemic.

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: The experience in the operating room is considered as a crucial element affecting medical students' satisfaction with workplace-based training in surgery. We developed the "Students' Perception of the Operating Room Educational Environment Measure" (SPOREEM) and applied the approach of Item Response Theory to improve accuracy of its measurement. DESIGN: Psychometric analysis determined the factorial structure. Using Item Response Theory, item thresholds were calculated on response option levels. Sum scores in the factors were then computed using calibrated unit weights. SETTING: One hundred medical students from the University Medical Center in Goettingen, Germany, enrolled in a one-week surgery rotation completed the SPOREEM. RESULTS: The final 19-item questionnaire resulted in 3 factors: "Learning support and inclusion" (1), "Workplace atmosphere" (2), and "Experience of emotional stress" (3). Item calibration resulted in refinement of sum scores in the factors. Male students significantly rated factor 1 more positively. Factor 2 was perceived to a similar degree in all 3 surgical disciplines involved. Factor 3 was rated lower by those students planning a surgical field of postgraduate training. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a valid, reliable, and feasible tool to assess the overall educational climate of undergraduate training in the OR. Calibration of items refined the measurement.

Asunto(s)