[Complementary and Alternative Medicine Offers of Teaching Practices for General Medicine]. / Komplementär- und alternativmedizinische Angebote von Lehrpraxen für Allgemeinmedizin.

OBJECTIVE: Germany's new medical licensure act has increased the importance of general practice in academic medical education. This study gives an overview of complementary and alternative medicine in general teaching practices in Germany and their adherence to evidence-based criteria which is required in order to qualify as a teaching practice. METHODS: After a systematic search for German teaching practices, we assessed their diagnostic and therapeutic offers via their websites. We calculated the various frequencies of treatments and differentiated between evidence-based complementary medicine and alternative medicine with little to no evidence. RESULTS: Of 4102 practices, more than half offered complementary and/or alternative treatment. Most of those were treatments approved of by the German medical association. Alternative medicine was offered by 18.2% of the practices. CONCLUSION: Collective terms and conflicting evidence complicate the classification of treatments. Teaching practices offering non-evidence-based treatment raise the question whether recruitment of additional teaching practices stands at odds with the quality of medical education. Explicit offers of alternative treatment should disqualify a teaching practice as such. Controversial treatment may be taught academically and during residency with a focus on evidence-based guidelines and communication skills in order to prepare young medical practitioners for talks with their patients about the subject.

Thurgood Marshall, Hero of American Medicine.

One of the heroes in American history, Associate Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) sought legal remedies against racial discrimination in education and health care. As director of the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) of NAACP from 1940 to 1961, his success in integrating law schools in Texas led to the first black medical student admitted to a state medical school in the South. Representing doctors and dentists needing a facility to perform surgery, the LDF brought cases before the courts in North Carolina that moved the country toward justice in health care. His ultimate legal victory came in 1954, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the decision that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. In 1964, the LDF under Jack Greenberg, Marshall's successor as director, won Simkins v. Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, a decision that held that hospitals accepting federal funds had to admit black patients. The two decisions laid the judicial foundation for the laws and administrative acts that changed America's racial history, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Social Security Act Amendments of 1965 that established Medicare and Medicaid. His achievements came during the hottest period of the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Well past the middle of the twentieth century, black Americans were denied access to the full resources of American medicine, locked in a "separate-but-equal" system woefully inadequate in every respect. In abolishing segregation, Marshall initiated the long overdue remedy of the unjust legacies of slavery and Jim Crow.

Implications of the Dobbs Decision for Medical Education: Inadequate Training and Moral Distress.

This Viewpoint discusses how states' restrictions on abortion will affect medical students' training in providing reproductive health care and also create moral distress by being forced to provide care that may harm patients.

Clerkship Grading and the U.S. Economy: What Medical Education Can Learn From America's Economic History.

Clerkship grades (like money) are a social construct that function as the currency through which value exchanges in medical education are negotiated between the system's various stakeholders. They provide a widely recognizable and efficient medium through which learner development can be assessed, tracked, compared, and demonstrated and are commonly used to make decisions regarding progression, distinction, and selection for residency. However, substantial literature has demonstrated how grades imprecisely and unreliably reflect the value of learners. In this article, the authors suggest that challenges with clerkship grades are fundamentally tied to their role as currency in the medical education system. Associations are drawn between clerkship grades and the history of the U.S. economy; 2 major concepts are highlighted: regulation and stock prices. The authors describe the history of these economic concepts and how they relate to challenges in clerkship grading. Using lessons learned from the history of the U.S. economy, the authors then propose a 2-step solution to improve upon grading for future generations of medical students: (1) transition from grades to a federally regulated competency-based assessment model and (2) development of a departmental competency letter that incorporates competency-based assessments rather than letter grades and meets the needs of program directors.

La figura docente del profesor contratado doctor vinculado: situación actual en España y la experiencia de Andalucía / The figure of the tenure-eligible lecturer: current situation Spain and experience in Andalusia

En este documento se refieren las bases legales nacionales y, más en concreto, las autonómicas andaluzas que dan respaldo a la figura del profesor contratado doctor vinculado y a la posibilidad de convocar las plazas correspondientes en las facultades de medicina de las universidades públicas españolas. Se exponen, asimismo, las características asistenciales y académicas que deben darse para llevar a cabo la convocatoria pública de dichas plazas. Se resume, a continuación, cuál es la situación actual existente en relación con dicha figura del profesorado en las facultades de medicina españolas. Se analizan también las ventajas y las posibles limitaciones que actualmente se derivan de contar con profesores contratados doctores vinculados y ello tanto para los médicos especialistas eventualmente interesados en optar a una de estas plazas como para el centro sanitario y la facultad de medicina correspondientes. Finalmente, se reseña la posible utilidad del documento elaborado por la Conferencia Nacional de Decanos de Facultades de Medicina de España (CNDFME) en la Asamblea General que se celebró en la Facultad de Medicina de Oviedo del 17 al 19 de mayo del 2018 y actualizado en marzo de 2020

A discussion is presented on the national legal foundations, and more specifically, those of Andalusia, that support the figure of the tenure-eligible lecturer and the possibility of filling the corresponding positions in the faculties of medicine in Spanish public universities are discussed. The clinical and academic characteristics that they must have in order to fill those public positions are also presented. The current situation as regards such a figure as a lecturer in Spanish faculties of medicine is then summarised. An analysis is made of the advantages and the possible limitations arising from having a tenure-eligible lecturer, and how this affects both the medical specialists possibly interested in opting for one of these positions, as well as for the corresponding health centres and faculties of medicine. Finally, mention is made of the possible use of the document prepared by the National Conference of Medical Faculty Deans (CNDFME) in the General Assembly held in the Oviedo Faculty of Medicine from 17 to 19 May 2018, and updated in March 2020

The Not Underrepresented Minorities: Asian Americans, Diversity, and Admissions.

Several lawsuits have recently been filed against U.S. universities; the plaintiffs contend that considerations of race and ethnicity in admissions decisions discriminate against Asian Americans. In prior cases brought by non-Latino whites, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld these considerations, arguing that they are crucial to a compelling interest to increase diversity. The dissenting opinion, however, concerns the possibility that such policies disadvantage Asian Americans, who are considered overrepresented in higher education. Here, the authors explain how a decision favoring the plaintiffs would affect U.S. medical schools. First, eliminating race and ethnicity in holistic review would undermine efforts to diversify the physician workforce. Second, the restrictions on considering race/ethnicity in admissions decisions would not remedy potential discrimination against Asian Americans that arise from implicit biases. Third, such restrictions would exacerbate the difficulty of addressing the diversity of experiences within Asian American subgroups, including recognizing those who are underrepresented in medicine. The authors propose that medical schools engage Asian Americans in diversity and inclusion efforts and recommend the following strategies: incorporate health equity into the institutional mission and admissions policies, disaggregate data to identify underrepresented Asian subgroups, include Asian Americans in diversity committees and support faculty who make diversity work part of their academic portfolio, and enhance the Asian American faculty pipeline through support and mentorship of students. Asian Americans will soon comprise one-fifth of the U.S. physician workforce and should be welcomed as part of the solution to advancing diversity and inclusion in medicine, not cast as the problem.

Internato de Saúde Mental para alunos de Medicina: qual o melhor cenário de formação? / Internado de Salud Mental para alumnos de Medicina: ¿ cuál es el mejor escenario de formación? / Mental Health Internship for Medical students: which is the best training setting?

As Diretrizes Curriculares do curso de graduação em Medicina de 2014 incluem a Saúde Mental (SM) como uma das áreas obrigatórias do internato. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar o internato integrado de SM e de Medicina de Família e Comunidade (MFC) da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) e a fundamentação da escolha da Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS) como cenário de formação dos internos. Trata-se do relato da experiência do internato integrado de SM e MFC da UFRJ e da discussão de seus marcos teóricos. A alta prevalência de sofrimento psíquico e transtornos mentais na APS, o fato de ela ser a porta de entrada do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e o fato de que a faculdade de Medicina deve formar médicos generalistas fazem deste cenário lócus privilegiado para o treinamento dos internos de Medicina em SM.(AU)

Las Directrices Curriculares del Curso de Graduación en Medicina de Curso de 2014 incluyen la salud mental (SM) como una de las áreas obligatorias del internado. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar el internado integrado de SM y Medicina de Familia y Comunidad (MFC) de la UFRJ y la fundamentación de la Escuela de Atención Primaria de la Salud (APS) como escenario de formación de los internos. Se trata del relato del internado integrado de SM y MFC de la UFRJ y de la discusión de sus marcos teóricos. La alta prevalencia de sufrimiento psíquico y trastornos mentales en la APS, el hecho de que la APS es la puerta de entrada del sistema único de salud (SUS) y el hecho de que la facultad de medicina debe formar a médicos generalistas, hace que este escenario sea un locus privilegiado para el entrenamiento de los internos de medicina en salud mental.(AU)

The 2014 Curricular Guidelines of the medical undergraduate courses include Mental Health (MH) as one of the required areas of internship. The objective of this paper is to present the integrated internship for MH and Family and Community Medicine (FCM) of UFRJ, as well as the rationale for choosing Primary Health Care (PHC) as the setting for the internship training. It presents a report of the experience of the integrated internship for MH and FCM of UFRJ and the discussion of its theoretical frameworks. The high prevalence of psychological distress and mental disorders in PHC, the fact that PHC is the gateway to the unified national health system (SUS) and the fact that the medical school must train general practitioners, make PHC a privileged locus for the training of medical interns in mental health.(AU)

Tempo do Brasil traduzir para a prática o currículo Médico Baseado em Competência por meio de Atividades Profissionais Confiáveis (APCs) / Tiempo de Brasil traducir a la práctica el Currículo Médico Basado en Competencia por medio de Actividades Profesionales Confiables (APCs) / The time has come for Brazil: translating Competence Based Medical Education into practice by Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs)

As competências médicas apresentadas pelas Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais (DCN) e as políticas de incentivo à formação de mais médicos popularizaram temas como aprendizado ativo e competência. Distorções na implementação curricular resultaram em abordagens fragmentadas e reprodutivas das práticas com distanciamento do processo de trabalho. Vários países ocidentais, ao buscarem o aprimoramento da Educação Médica Baseada em Competência, adotaram as Atividades Profissionais Confiáveis (APCs) na tradução bem-sucedida desse referencial para a prática clínica. Este estudo perspectivo apresenta as APCs no âmbito da educação médica brasileira como possível solução para a melhor efetivação do Currículo Médico Baseado em Competência (CMBC). O estudo descreve as APCs, de seu conceito à realização; provê subsídios para seu entendimento e análise de sua capacidade em mediar uma formação médica mais qualificada e responsiva às necessidades de saúde locais; e contribui com a literatura brasileira na área.(AU)

Las competencias médicas presentadas por las Directrices Curriculares Nacionales y las políticas de incentivo a la formación de más médicos popularizaron temas tales como aprendizaje activo y competencia. Distorsiones en la implementación curricular resultaron en abordajes fragmentados y reproductivos de las prácticas con distanciamiento del proceso de trabajo. Diversos países occidentales, al buscar el perfeccionamiento de la Educación Médica Basada en Competencia, adoptaron las Actividades Profesionales Confiables (APCs) en la traducción exitosa de esas referencias a la práctica clínica. Este estudio perspectivo presenta las APCs en el ámbito de la educación médica brasileña, como posible solución para la mejor efectuación del Currículo Médico Basado en Competencia (CMBC). El estudio describe las APCs, desde su concepto hasta su realización, proporciona subsidios para su entendimiento y análisis de su capacidad para mediar una formación médica más calificada y responsiva a las necesidades de salud local y contribuye con la literatura brasileña en el área..(AU)

The medical competencies presented by the National Curriculum Guidelines and the policies to encourage the education of more physicians have popularized themes such as competence and active learning. Distortions in the curricular implementation resulted in a fragmented and reproductive approach of the practices distancing them of the work process. Several Western countries seeking improvement of the Competence-Based Medical Education (CBME), have recently adopted the concept of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) to better translate this benchmark into clinical practice. This article presents the EPAs for Brazilian medical education as a possible solution for CBME accomplishment. The study explores the EPAs, from their concept to their realization. It aims to provide insights for their understanding and analysis of their capacity as a mediator for more qualified training and more responsivity to local health needs, contributing to the literature in the area..(AU)

[General characteristics of medical education in Mexico. A look from medical schools]. / Características generales de la educación médica en México. Una mirada desde las escuelas de medicina.

OBJECTIVE: To know the characteristics of medical education and identify its strengths and weaknesses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A transversal and quantitative study of the characteristics of medical education in 29 medical schools in Mexico was carried out, between April and September 2017. Questionnaire with Likert scale was applied to explore context, regulation, structure, process, results and impact of medical education. Bivariate analysis was performed with a Chi square test and the significance level was equal to or less than 0.05. RESULTS: The political context obtained 64%, economical context 10% and mechanisms of regulation 31%. The educational structure was 61% and the social impact was 93%. CONCLUSIONS: Public policies, regulatory mechanisms and public investment must be strengthened to improve the quality of medical education.

OBJETIVO: Conocer las características de la educación médica e identificar sus fortalezas y debilidades. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio transversal y cuantitativo para conocer las características de la educación médica en 29 escuelas de medicina en México, entre abril y septiembre de 2017. Se utilizó un cuestionario con escala tipo Likert para explorar el contexto, la regulación, la estructura, el proceso, los resultados y el impacto de la educación médica. Se realizó un análisis bivariado con ji cuadrada y una significancia estadística de p igual o menor a 0.05. RESULTADOS: El contexto político obtuvo 64%, el contexto económico 10%, los mecanismos de regulación 31%, la estructura educativa 61% y el impacto social 93%. CONCLUSIONES: Se requiere fortalecer las políticas públicas, la regulación y la inversión pública, para mejorar la calidad de la educación médica.

The Americans With Disabilities Act, Reasonable Accommodations, and Medical Education.

The number of students with a disability matriculating into institutions of medical education, including physician assistant programs, is increasing. Educational institutions must develop procedures with regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) including the provision of reasonable accommodations to provide equal opportunities for all. These procedures must be compliant with federal and state laws while protecting academic integrity, maintaining technical standards, and successfully navigating the institutional and individual faculty barriers. Knowledge of the ADA and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 as well as some familiarity with the legal precedent regarding these laws will facilitate planning and decision-making for students with disabilities. This is imperative for educating not just those with specific disabilities but also the evolving learners of today. Such knowledge, coupled with the continued prioritization of technical standards and student outcomes, will assist in the curricular development of the future.

Why Did the United States Medical School Admissions Quota for Jews End?

At the end of World War II anti-Semitism was pervasive in the United States. Quotas to limit the number of Jewish students were put in place at most U.S. medical schools in the 1920s and were well-entrenched by 1945. By 1970 the quota was gone. Why? Multiple factors contributed to the end of the quota. First, attitudes toward Jews shifted as Americans recoiled from the horrors of the Holocaust and over half a million Jewish GIs returned home from World War II. Many entered the higher education system. Second, governmental and private investigations in New York City, New York State and Philadelphia exposed the quota. Third, New York State, led by Governor Thomas E. Dewey, established 4 publicly supported nondiscriminatory medical schools. These schools adsorbed many New York Jewish applicants. Fourth, from the 1920s through the 1960s some medical schools consistently or intermittently ignored the quota. Finally, the federal and several state governments passed nondiscrimination in higher education legislation. The quotas ended because of a combination of changing societal attitudes and government and private social action. This remarkable social change may be instructive as higher education now grapples with allegations of a quota system for Asian-Americans.

Características generales de la educación médica en México. Una mirada desde las escuelas de medicina / General characteristics of medical education in Mexico. A look from medical schools

Resumen: Objetivo: Conocer las características de la educación médica e identificar sus fortalezas y debilidades. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal y cuantitativo para conocer las características de la educación médica en 29 escuelas de medicina en México, entre abril y septiembre de 2017. Se utilizó un cuestionario con escala tipo Likert para explorar el contexto, la regulación, la estructura, el proceso, los resultados y el impacto de la educación médica. Se realizó un análisis bivariado con ji cuadrada y una significancia estadística depigual o menor a 0.05. Resultados: El contexto político obtuvo 64%, el contexto económico 10%, los mecanismos de regulación 31%, la estructura educativa 61% y el impacto social 93%. Conclusiones: Se requiere fortalecer las políticas públicas, la regulación y la inversión pública, para mejorar la calidad de la educación médica.

Abstract: Objective: To know the characteristics of medical education and identify its strengths and weaknesses. Materials and methods: A transversal and quantitative study of the characteristics of medical education in 29 medical schools in Mexico was carried out, between April and September 2017. Questionnaire with Likert scale was applied to explore context, regulation, structure, process, results and impact of medical education. Bivariate analysis was performed with a Chi square test and the significance level was equal to or less than 0.05. Results: The political context obtained 64%, economical context 10% and mechanisms of regulation 31%. The educational structure was 61% and the social impact was 93%. Conclusions: Public policies, regulatory mechanisms and public investment must be strengthened to improve the quality of medical education.