Participation of internal medicine department chairs in the internal medicine clerkship--results of a national survey.

PURPOSE: To characterize the involvement of internal medicine department chairs in the core third-year internal medicine clinical clerkship. METHOD: In 2003, the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) surveyed its membership. Along with demographics, clerkship directors were asked if the department's chair participated in the clerkship, the number of hours per month the clerkship director and chair discussed clerkship issues, and if published job expectations were discussed. RESULTS: The response rate was 62% (158/254): 103 responses (89 clerkship directors) represented unique medical schools, which formed the basis of the analysis. Eighty-two percent (84/103) reported the chair taught in the clerkship: 54% as teaching attending, 53% as ward attending, 13% as ambulatory attending, and 20% other (e.g., lectures, student rounds, morning report). Of them, 36% performed two activities; 14% three activities; and 2% four activities. Thirty-six percent of the clerkship directors discussed published expectations with their chair. They spent 1.7 (SD 2.2) hours per month with the chair discussing clerkship issues. However, 17% spent zero hours per month with the chair, and 29% spent zero hours per month with a dean's office representative. Chairs who taught spent more time each month with the clerkship director compared with chairs who did not teach (1.9 versus .82 hours, p = .01, Mann-Whitney). There was no association between the chairs' teaching and clerkship directors' demographics. CONCLUSIONS: Internal medicine department chairs are significantly involved in the clinical education of medical students, both administratively and through direct teaching. Chairs who teach spend more time discussing clerkship issues with the clerkship director. Chairs and clerkship directors should discuss expectations, and chairs should continue to visibly demonstrate their commitment to students' education.

Do attending physicians, nurses, residents, and medical students agree on what constitutes medical student abuse?

BACKGROUND: Whether attending physicians, residents, nurses, and medical students agree on what constitutes medical student abuse, its severity, or influencing factors is unknown. METHOD: We surveyed 237 internal medicine attending physicians, residents, medical students, and nurses at 13 medical schools after viewing five vignettes depicting potentially abusive behaviors. RESULTS: The majority of each group felt the belittlement, ethnic insensitivity, and sexual harassment scenarios represented abuse but that excluding a student from participating in a procedure did not. Only a majority of attending physicians considered the negative feedback scenario as abuse. Medical students rated abuse severity significantly lower than other groups in the belittlement scenario (p<.05). Respondents who felt abused as students were more likely to rate behaviors as abusive (p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: The groups generally agree on what constitutes abuse, but attending physicians and those abused as students may perceive more behaviors as abusive.

Internal medicine clerkship characteristics associated with enhanced student examination performance.

PURPOSE: To determine which internal medicine (IM) clerkship characteristics are associated with better student examination performance. METHOD: The authors collected data from 17 U.S. medical schools (1,817 students) regarding characteristics of their IM clerkships, including structural characteristics, pedagogical approaches, patient contact, and clinical teacher characteristics. Outcomes of interest were postclerkship National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) subject examination score, United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) 2 score, and change in score from USMLE 1 to 2. To examine how associations of various clerkship characteristics and examination performance may differ for students of different prior achievement, the authors categorized students into those who scored in the top (1/4) of the cohort on USMLE 1 and the bottom (1/4). The authors conducted analyses at both the school and the individual student levels. RESULTS: In school-level analyses (using a reduced four-variable model), independent variables associated with higher NBME subject examination score were more small-group hours/week and use of community-based preceptors. Greater score increase from USMLE 1 to 2 was associated with students caring for more patients/day. Several variables were associated with enhanced student examination performance at the student level. The most consistent finding was that more patients cared for per day was associated with higher examination performance. More structured learning activities were associated with higher examination scores for students with lower baseline USMLE 1 achievement. CONCLUSION: Certain clerkship characteristics are associated with better student examination performance, the most salient being caring for more patients per day.