GMS Journal for Medical Education最新文献

{"title":"Where do our students go? A blueprint for quantifying the local retention effect and its reach by tracking the career paths of medical students.","authors":"Robin Herbrechter, Stefanie Mattern, Sophie-Charlotte Rosenberger, Annika Haupt, Marzellus Hofmann","doi":"10.3205/zma001855","DOIUrl":"10.3205/zma001855","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Demographic and structural changes in the healthcare sector have led to an increasing shortage of physicians in Germany in recent years, especially in rural areas. Medical schools are increasingly making curricular adjustments to enhance the appeal of urgently needed positions in the healthcare sector. Graduate tracking is essential for evaluating curricula and optimization efforts, and therefore for the targeted improvement of healthcare provision.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data on the professional activities of 333 medical graduates of the University of Witten/Herdecke (UW/H) were collected through online research based on the classification of the German physician statistics used by the German Medical Association (outpatient: employed or self-employed, inpatient: leading position or non-supervisory). Geographical analysis of the local retention effect was carried out using a geographic information system.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Tracking reveals a significantly higher proportion of graduates working in outpatient health care (49.7%), which is due to the 69% increase in the rate of self-employment compared to the national average. The geographical analysis reveals a strong concentration of alumni in close proximity of the alma mater (retention effect), i.e. a 207-fold increase of the alumni density within a distance of 6 km around the UW/H. The local retention effect ranges approximately 30 km, where the increase is still 12-fold.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The methodological approach presented in this study provides a novel way for tracking alumni and quantifying their spatial distribution patterns. By demonstrating how such data can be systematically analyzed, the study offers a practical framework for the evaluation of medical faculties and can help estimating the potential impact of e.g. newly established medical faculties on local healthcare provision. Hence, this study can serve as a blueprint for similar alumni tracking approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":45850,"journal":{"name":"GMS Journal for Medical Education","volume":"43 5","pages":"Doc61"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13316366/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148362833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Visualizing cognitive processes in medical education: Forward and backward reasoning in a digital family medicine assessment.","authors":"Johanna Klutmann, Constanze Dietzsch, Ute Schlasius-Ratter, Alexander Oksche, Sara Volz-Willems, Sandra Jordan, Johannes Jäger, Fabian Dupont","doi":"10.3205/zma001859","DOIUrl":"10.3205/zma001859","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>When evaluating medical students, wouldn't it be helpful to visualize and understand your students' clinical reasoning (CR)? There are different types of CR for students to use in their multiple-choice questions (MCQs). While forward reasoning uses data to generate a hypothesis, backward reasoning looks at possible prompts (answers) to generate a hypothesis. This study implements a new approach to visualizing CR during digital MCQ assessment. Furthermore, it examines the effect of feedback given during the learning process, also known as formative feedback, on the thought process.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Quantitative and qualitative data were collected at the end of two consecutive year 5 end-of-semester Family Medicine exams in 2023. Both exams consisted of 60 MCQs and an additional research component also comprising MCQs. During the research component students digitally recorded their reasoning process while answering MCQs. Qualitative data were coded via three rounds of coding, including two marking/coding parties.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study was able to digitally visualize CR in a large cohort (n=210). On average, the exam questions were answered with 87% of CR. Forward reasoning was used significantly more often than backward reasoning (WS 22/23 p=0.006, SS 23 p<0.001). High performers were significantly more likely to use forward reasoning and backward reasoning than low performers (p<0.01). Formative Feedback had no significant influence on the choice of CR type (p=0.281). Follow-up questions might stimulate a change in CR behaviour; however further research is needed (p<0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study illustrates an alternative method to visualize students' cognitive processes on a large scale. This approach sheds light on the required cognitive processes. It may help educators to better understand what to focus on during curricular learning activities aimed at preparing for state exams. This method may be beneficial as a quality criterion for MCQ questions, as it does not only rely on expert opinion or question metrics but illustrates students' cognitive processes when answering MCQ.</p>","PeriodicalId":45850,"journal":{"name":"GMS Journal for Medical Education","volume":"43 5","pages":"Doc65"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13316782/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148362863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contemporary cinemeducation: Transdisciplinary exchange at Locarno Film Festival.","authors":"Mike Rueb, Stefano Knuchel, Justine Knuchel, Kevin L Lee, Martin R Fischer","doi":"10.3205/zma001852","DOIUrl":"10.3205/zma001852","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Film-based pedagogy, especially cinemeducation as a teaching methodology, has become more visible as an arts and humanities teaching format. However, many existing cinemeducation courses at medical schools use films that, while valuable in their time, may no longer reflect current societal or medical discourses. This study aimed to identify contemporary films that resonate with present-day issues in medicine, assess students' motivation to engage with cinemeducation, and explore interest in transdisciplinary learning. For the first time, three medical students participated in BaseCamp at the Locarno Film Festival, a young talents program that fosters transdisciplinary exchange. They screened festival films with medical themes and organised a 75-minute workshop with students from film, natural sciences, arts, and medicine. The workshop focused on how students from these fields can collaborate to create transdisciplinary learning environments. The students identified seven films with medical topics in the Locarno Film Festival program. Evaluations showed that the students were highly motivated to further engage with cinemeducation and promote transdisciplinary education. The exchange generated innovative approaches, including the use of video essays for cinemeducation and producing films together with art and film students. Medical students like to exchange ideas with other cinemeducation projects worldwide, which is supported by a mean Likert score of 1.3 (n=3). A transdisciplinary medical film festival and a cinemeducation symposium could be a first step.</p>","PeriodicalId":45850,"journal":{"name":"GMS Journal for Medical Education","volume":"43 5","pages":"Doc58"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13316373/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148362876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of gamification on the teaching assessment of human anatomy.","authors":"Alberto García-Barrios, Ana Isabel Cisneros-Gimeno, Jesús Benito-Rodríguez, Jaime Whyte-Orozco, Encarcacíón Rubio-Aranda","doi":"10.3205/zma001860","DOIUrl":"10.3205/zma001860","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Anatomy teaching in medical schools has experienced a reduction in teaching hours in recent decades, which has led to the implementation of innovative methodologies, such as gamification and serious games, to improve student learning and motivation. In this study we evaluated the impact of these tools on the final grades of students enrolled in human anatomy I: Locomotor system for four consecutive academic years (2020-2024). Two groups were compared: one with traditional methodology and another that integrated gamification activities, and in which the content, teaching staff and assessment criteria remained unchanged. Students who participated in gamified teaching obtained significantly (p<0.005) better grades than the control group in the four teaching courses studied. However, no significant differences were observed between sexes or between the different academic years. Gamification in higher education, in addition to motivating and energising classes, is an effective and versatile tool for optimising academic performance in the health sciences.</p>","PeriodicalId":45850,"journal":{"name":"GMS Journal for Medical Education","volume":"43 5","pages":"Doc66"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13316788/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148362855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing the performance of preclinical international medical students' in the subjects \"medical psychology and medical sociology\" through a peer-led revision course.","authors":"Julia Sgrott, Christoph Nikendei, Hans-Christoph Friederich, Ivo Dönnhoff","doi":"10.3205/zma001853","DOIUrl":"10.3205/zma001853","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>When moving to a new country for their university studies, international students are confronted with numerous difficulties in their social and academic life. Various projects have been developed to support international students in facing these difficulties, such as peer-assisted learning tutorials. In this study, our goal was to evaluate preclinical international medical students' objective improvement of knowledge after attending a three-day peer-led revision course for the subjects 'medical psychology and medical sociology'.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The sample consisted of n=30 international students. The objective improvement of knowledge was quantified by the amount of correctly answered questions in the post-test compared to the pre-test. Students were randomly separated into groups based on which test version (A or B) was written in the pre-test. For the comparison between pre- and post-times and between groups, a two-way ANOVA was calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>International students significantly improved their knowledge, as reflected in higher post-test scores compared to pre-test scores (F_1,22=13.470, p=0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>International students showed an improvement in their knowledge, suggesting a potential benefit from participating in a peer-led revision course. Peer-led tutorial programs for international students should be implemented further in medical faculties as means of supporting these students academically and socially.</p>","PeriodicalId":45850,"journal":{"name":"GMS Journal for Medical Education","volume":"43 5","pages":"Doc59"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13316371/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148362879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The particularities and challenges of establishing a curricular teaching unit on interprofessional communication in healthcare.","authors":"Sabine Fredersdorf, Lars S Maier, Ilona Stocker, Franziska Staab, Andreas Wiesner, Christine Fehlner, Jobst-Hendrik Schultz, Stephanie Keil","doi":"10.3205/zma001843","DOIUrl":"10.3205/zma001843","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Numerous studies have demonstrated substantial deficits in interprofessional (IP) communication, which contribute to reduced quality of patient care and increased healthcare expenditure. Against this backdrop, a course aiming for strengthening IP competencies was established.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The target groups were medical students (MS; n=168), nursing trainees (NT; n=30), and paramedic trainees (PT; n=28). The course focused on role clarification and communication and was delivered using simulation-based training scenarios (IP feedback, team communication, and handover). A comprehensive evaluation was performed using a Likert scale (1-6; 1=I agree, 6=I disagree; mean±SD).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the evaluation, MS reported significantly less interest in the topics than NT (\"Topics were interesting to me\": NT 1.9±1.8 vs. MS 3.3±1.8, p<0.05). In contrast to MS and PT, NT perceived the content as well aligned with their level of knowledge (NT 1.3±0.7 vs. MS 3.6±2.0 vs. PT 4.4±1.3, p<0.05). MS rated the time allocated for interprofessional exchange as sufficient, whereas PT rated it as insufficient (MS 1.9±0.3 vs. PT 3.1±2.4, p<0.05). More than 92% of participants rated all training scenarios as clinically relevant. The relevance of the IP topic was praised, while the uneven ratios of the participating professions was criticized.</p><p><strong>Discussion and conclusion: </strong>The evaluation suggests that interest in IP content varies considerably among participants. Given the high relevance of the topic, this should not result in IP training being offered only to those who are already interested; instead, IP courses should be mandatory and integrated into the curriculum. Specific challenges in establishing IP teaching must be considered, such as ensuring curricular placement aligned with learners' prior knowledge across professional groups.</p>","PeriodicalId":45850,"journal":{"name":"GMS Journal for Medical Education","volume":"43 4","pages":"Doc49"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13124539/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147821662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perspective change: Students as instructors - a report of experiences by nursing and medical students in the role of peer tutors.","authors":"Patrick Frei, Tim Fischer, Jan-Ole Heering, Sarah Gutmann","doi":"10.3205/zma001840","DOIUrl":"10.3205/zma001840","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Peer tutoring is a well-established approach to supporting learning that encourages knowledge exchange and social interaction among students. In this setting, more experienced students take on the role of tutors and assist their peers in developing both theoretical understanding and practical skills. At the Bern College of Nursing (BZ Pflege) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), this approach is specifically applied to teaching the insertion of peripheral venous catheters (PVCs). In this article, four peer tutors share their reflections on this experience, highlighting both the challenges and the benefits of this teaching method.</p><p><strong>Process description: </strong>The preparation of peer tutors is structured through a comprehensive training program, which includes theoretical online preparation, practical skills training, and didactic instruction. During the teaching sessions, tutors lead small groups, demonstrate peripheral venous catheter (PVC) insertion according to Peyton's Four-Step Approach, and supervise students as they practice. Insights were gathered through peer-to-peer discussions among the tutors, feedback from course participants, and self-reflection.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Peer tutoring benefits not only the learners but also the tutors themselves, enhancing their professional, didactic, and social competencies. Tutors improve their communication and leadership skills, develop problem-solving strategies, and strengthen their decision-making abilities. Supervising small groups creates a supportive learning environment and allows for individualized adaptation of instruction to meet students' needs.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Peer tutoring is a valuable complement to traditional teaching methods. Students benefit from practical, hands-on instruction and direct feedback, while tutors acquire important competencies for their professional practice. Therefore, peer tutoring should be further promoted and integrated into education.</p>","PeriodicalId":45850,"journal":{"name":"GMS Journal for Medical Education","volume":"43 4","pages":"Doc46"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13124524/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147821632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bedside teaching - from clinical learning to explicit teaching.","authors":"Thomas Rotthoff","doi":"10.3205/zma001850","DOIUrl":"10.3205/zma001850","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45850,"journal":{"name":"GMS Journal for Medical Education","volume":"43 4","pages":"Doc56"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13124462/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147821242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A longitudinal curriculum for teaching communication skills in undergraduate dental education: Evaluation and self-assessment.","authors":"Michaela Strumpski, Anja Zimmermann, Daisy Rotzoll, Rainer Haak, Felix Krause","doi":"10.3205/zma001846","DOIUrl":"10.3205/zma001846","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Communicative competencies in dentistry can be taught particularly well through longitudinal curricula. The aim of this study was to evaluate a longitudinal curriculum for teaching communication skills in dental education and to examine students' self-assessment of their communication competencies over the course of the curriculum.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The curriculum was established for the 3rd to 5th year of study of dentistry. Communication skills were taught in six modules. These include theoretical units on communication and practical units, e.g., simulated patient encounters or internships for self-reflection. An evaluation accompanied the continuum of the curriculum. At four time points, students provided feedback on aspects of the curriculum. Furthermore, they assessed the development of their own communication skills via the Berlin Global Rating (BGR) and empathy via the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, Student Version (JSPE-S).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>29 students took part at all four time points T1-T4 (n=18 female, n=11 male). Most dental students felt that the curriculum was helpful or very helpful for learning patient-dentist-communication skills. Women described a significant decrease in JSPE-S-empathy over time as well as a significant increase in nonverbal and verbal expression, empathy, and coherence (BGR) over time (p<0.05). No change in communicative competencies was found in male students.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The longitudinal, practice-oriented communication curriculum could be successfully integrated into undergraduate dental education. It fostered students' self-confidence and, among female participants, enhanced perceived communication competencies. The results underline the value of combining simulated patient encounters, video-based peer feedback, and guided self-reflection in preparing dental students for effective patient-centered communication.</p>","PeriodicalId":45850,"journal":{"name":"GMS Journal for Medical Education","volume":"43 4","pages":"Doc52"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13124561/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147822044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of empathy by simulated patients: Adaptation and validation of a new instrument.","authors":"Pedro Brotons de Los Reyes, Montserrat Virumbrales Cancio, Pere Castellvi, Xavier Martínez-Regada, Albert Balaguer","doi":"10.3205/zma001844","DOIUrl":"10.3205/zma001844","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Medical doctors' empathy is vital in their interaction with patients, impacting on patient trust and health outcomes. The Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) scale helps assess healthcare professionals' empathy but there is a reasonable doubt about its validity when directly implemented in simulation contexts. This study adapts and validates a version of the CARE scale for simulated patients (Sp-SIMCARE), filling a gap in empathy assessment within medical training simulations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The contextual adaptation of the CARE scale for simulated patients followed a four-phase process: 1) preparation of a preliminary adaptation proposal; 2) drafting the first version; 3) piloting the initial version with simulated patients; and 4) refining the final Sp-SIMCARE version. A panel of five experts collaborated with five simulated patients to ensure clarity, relevance, and language equivalence. The validation was conducted using typical primary care scenarios. Simulated patients assessed the performance of undergraduate medical students in four primary patient roles: acute, chronic, with high functional component, and with a hostile attitude. Psychometric parameters that were evaluated included convergent validity (assessed by simulated patients using a global score), acceptability and face validity, homogeneity, and internal reliability.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The adaptation process resulted in a clear, relevant, and comprehensible scale, ensuring uniform understanding among users. Validation involved 95 students in 270 encounters with eight simulated patients. The final version showed convergent validity (Spearman's rho=0.730, p<0.001), acceptability and face validity (1.96% \"Does not apply\"/missing values), homogeneity (item-total correlations 0.705-0.865) and reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.960).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The Sp-SIMCARE scale appears to be a valid and reliable tool for simulated patients to assess empathy in future doctors during their training from a multidimensional perspective.</p>","PeriodicalId":45850,"journal":{"name":"GMS Journal for Medical Education","volume":"43 4","pages":"Doc50"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13124498/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147821260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}