Specific entrustable professional activities for undergraduate medical internships: a method compatible with the academic curriculum.

BACKGROUND: Competency-based education has been considered the most important pedagogical trend in Medicine in the last two decades. In clinical contexts, competencies are implemented through Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) which are observable and measurable. The aim of this paper is to describe the methodology used in the design of educational tools to assess students´ competencies in clinical practice during their undergraduate internship (UI). In this paper, we present the construction of specific APROCs (Actividades Profesionales Confiables) in Surgery (S), Gynecology and Obstetrics (GO) and Family Medicine (FM) rotations with three levels of performance. METHODS: The study considered a mixed method exploratory type design, a qualitative phase followed by a quantitative validation exercise. In the first stage data was obtained from three rotations (FM, GO and S) through focus groups about real and expected activities of medical interns. Triangulation with other sources was made to construct benchmarks. In the second stage, narrative descriptions with the three levels were validated by professors who teach the different subjects using the Delphi technique. RESULTS: The results may be described both curricular and methodological wise. From the curricular point of view, APROCs were identified in three UI rotations within clinical contexts in Mexico City, benchmarks were developed by levels and validated by experts' consensus. In regard to methodological issues, this research contributed to the development of a strategy, following six steps, to build APROCs using mixed methods. CONCLUSIONS: Developing benchmarks provides a regular and standardized language that helps to evaluate student's performance and define educational strategies efficiently and accurately. The university academic program was aligned with APROCs in clinical contexts to assure the acquisition of competencies by students.

[Diagnostic and formative assessment of competencies at the beginning of undergraduate medical internship]. / valuación diagnóstica y formativa de competencias en estudiantes de medicina a su ingreso al internado médico de pregrado.

INTRODUCTION: Research on diagnostic and formative assessment competencies during undergraduate medical training is scarce in Latin America. OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of clinical competence of students at the beginning of their medical internship in a new curriculum. METHODS: This was an observational cross-sectional study in UNAM Faculty of Medicine students in Mexico City: a formative assessment of the second class of Curriculum 2010 students as part of the integral evaluation of the program. The assessment had two components: theoretical and practical. RESULTS: We assessed 577 students (65.5%) of the 880 total population that finished the 9th semester of Curriculum 2010. The written exam consisted of 232 items, with a mean of 61.0 ± 19.6, a difficulty index of 0.61, and Cronbach's alpha of 0.89. The mean of the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was 62.2 ± 16.8, with a mean Cronbach's alpha of 0.51. Results were analyzed by knowledge area and exam stations. CONCLUSIONS: The overall results provide evidence that students achieve sufficiently the competencies established in the curriculum at the beginning of the internship, that they have the necessary foundation for learning new and more complex information, and integrate it with existing knowledge to achieve significant learning and continue their training.

[Competence development in undergraduate medical schools: a model with entrusted professional activities]. / Desarrollo de competencias en el pregrado: un modelo con actividades profesionales confiables (APROC).

INTRODUCTION: Today´s relevant educational models emphasize that a great part of learning be situated and reflexive; one of those is the Entrusted Professional Activities model. The study objective was to develop a model that integrates Entrusted Professional Activities with a medical school curriculum. METHODS: From October 2012 a multidisciplinary group met to develop a model with the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology. From two published models of Entrusted Professional Activities and the curriculum of a school of medicine, blocks, units, and daily clinical practice charts were developed. The thematic content of the curriculum was integrated with the appropriate milestones for undergraduate students and the clinical practice needed to achieve it. RESULTS: We wrote a manual with 37 daily clinical practice charts for students (18 of gynecology and 19 of obstetrics) and 37 for teachers. Each chart content was the daily clinical practice, reflection activities, assessment instruments, and bibliography. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to combine a model of Entrusted Professional Activities with an undergraduate curriculum, which establishes a continuum with postgraduate education.

Infección por VIH y sida, dos mundos que se apartan / HIV infection and AIDS, two worlds that deviate

Resumen Pocas enfermedades han recibido tanta atención como la infección por virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) y el sida, pocas enfermedades representan de manera tan explícita el impacto que la ciencia tiene para transformar las sentencias de muerte en esperanzas de vida. En la infección por VIH los avances científicos se suceden de manera vertiginosa, los paradigmas de atención se modifican de manera veloz y podemos ver cómo las sociedades no siempre se adaptan a la misma velocidad. Este artículo trata de la transición clínica y conceptual del tema del VIH/sida desde algunos años, en el cual hay un menor énfasis en el sida y un mayor foco en problemas crónicos, pero sobre todo, este artículo se concentra en las diferencias en la atención que se ponen de manifiesto, según la capacidad que las sociedades tengan para instrumentar los avances de la ciencia.

Abstract Few diseases have received much attention as HIV infection and AIDS, few diseases represent so explicitly the impact of the science on transforming death sentences in hope of life. In HIV Infection scientific developments occur exponentially, the paradigms of care changes all the time and communities are not always adapted at the same speed. This article deals with the transition of the clinic and conceptual issue that HIV/AIDS has experienced last years, in which there is less emphasis on AIDS and a mayor focus on chronic diseases, but above all, this article focuses on the differences in the attention, according to the capacity that the communities have to implement the science developments.

Eight years' experience with a Medical Education Journal Club in Mexico: a quasi-experimental one-group study.

BACKGROUND: A time-honored strategy for keeping up to date in medicine and improving critical appraisal skills is the Journal Club (JC). There are several reports of its use in medicine and allied health sciences but almost no reports of JC focused on medical education. The purpose of the study is to describe and evaluate an eight years' experience with a medical education Journal Club (MEJC). METHODS: We started a monthly medical education JC in 2006 at UNAM Faculty of Medicine in Mexico City. Its goal is to provide faculty with continuing professional development in medical education. A discussion guide and a published paper were sent 2 weeks before sessions. We reviewed the themes and publication types of the papers used in the sessions, and in June-July 2014 administered a retrospective post-then-pre evaluation questionnaire to current participants that had been regular attendees to the JC for more than 2 years. The retrospective post-then-pre comparisons were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Effect sizes were calculated for the pre-post comparisons with Cohen's r. RESULTS: There have been 94 MEJC sessions until July 2014. Average attendance is 20 persons, a mix of clinicians, educators, psychologists and a sociologist. The articles were published in 32 different journals, and covered several medical education themes (curriculum, faculty development, educational research methodology, learning methods, assessment, residency education). 22 Attendees answered the evaluation instrument. The MEJC had a positive evaluation from good to excellent, and there was an improvement in self-reported competencies in medical education literature critical appraisal and behaviors related to the use of evidence in educational practice, with a median effect size higher than 0.5. The evaluation instrument had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.96. CONCLUSIONS: A periodic Medical Education Journal Club can improve critical appraisal of the literature, and be maintained long-term using evidence-based strategies. This activity is a useful adjunct to the scholarship of teaching.

[Educational model to develop trustworthy professional activities]. / Modelo educativo para desarrollar actividades profesionales confiables (MEDAPROC).

BACKGROUND: The reorganization of the national health system (SNS), enforces reflection and transformation on medical education in clinical contexts. The study presents an educational model to develop entrusted professionals activities (MEDAPROC) to train human resources in health with reliable knowledge, skills and attitudes to work in the shifting scenario of the SNS. METHODS: The paper discusses international and national documents on skills in medicine. Based on the analysis of 8 domains, 50 skills and 13 entrusted professional activities (RPA) proposed by the Association of the American Medical College (AAMC) we propose a curriculum design, with the example of the undergraduate program of Gynecology and Obstetrics, with the intention to advance to internship and residency in a continuum that marks milestones and clinical practices. RESULTS: The pedagogical design of MEDAPROC was developed within three areas: 1) proposal of the AAMC; 2) curricular content of programs in pre and postgraduate education 3) organization of the daily agenda with academic mechanisms to develop the competencies, cover program items and develop clinical practice in deliberate learning activities, as well as milestones. CONCLUSION: The MEDAPROC offers versatility, student mobility and curricular flexibility in a system planed by academic units in diverse clinical settings.

Introducción: la reorganización del Sistema Nacional de Salud (SNS), obliga a reflexionar y modificar la formación médica en los contextos clínicos. El estudio presenta la propuesta Modelo Educativo para Desarrollar Actividades Profesionales Confiables (MEDAPROC) para formar recursos humanos en salud con conocimientos, habilidades y actitudes confiables para desempeñarse en el escenario cambiante del SNS. Métodos: se examinaron los documentos internacionales y nacionales sobre competencias en medicina. Con base en el análisis de los 8 dominios, las 50 competencias y las 13 Actividades Profesionales Confiables (APROC) propuestas por la Association of the American Medical College (AAMC) se realizó un diseño curricular con el ejemplo del programa de Ginecología y Obstetricia de pregrado. Un grupo focal con 5 ginecólogos expertos, profesores de la especialidad realimentaron las competencias y los programas. Resultados: Se elaboró el diseño pedagógico del MEDAPROC con tres áreas: 1) propuesta de la AAMC; 2) contenidos curriculares de los programas en pre y posgrado, y 3) hitos y planeación de la agenda del día con dispositivos pedagógicos para desarrollar las competencias, cubrir temas del programa y desarrollar la práctica clínica en actividades deliberadas para el aprendizaje teórico/práctico. Conclusión: El MEDAPROC ofrece versatilidad, movilidad estudiantil y flexibilidad curricular en un sistema por bloques y no por sedes de adscripción.

[Learning about death from the undergraduate: Evaluation of an educational intervention]. / Aprender sobre la muerte desde el pregrado: Evaluación de una intervención educativa.

BACKGROUND: From June to November 2013 an elective subject "The doctor before death" was held in a public medical school. The aim of this report is to assess the achievement of the objectives of this course. METHODS: The main objectives of the course were to develop competences, aptitude for reflection before death and encourage changes in attitude towards it. Each session was preceded by an article on the content; during sessions the interaction with physicians and patients facing the approach of death was favored; audiovisual, computer resources were used and conducted discussions. The evaluation of the course was a retrospective questionnaire as a quantitative source, and semi structured interviews and essays as qualitative sources. RESULTS: The development of competences, aptitude for reflection about death and attitude changes showed an increase after the intervention (p < 0.01); competence development had the smallest increase. With qualitative information 11 categories were integrated; all showed positive changes in attitude towards death, aptitude for reflection and developed competences (although in this respect the impact was minor). CONCLUSIONS: The educational intervention evaluated met the objectives, however, for a future intervention is necessary to reinforce competence development.

Introducción: de junio a noviembre de 2013 se impartió la asignatura optativa "El médico ante la muerte" en una escuela pública de medicina. El objetivo de este reporte es la evaluación del logro de los objetivos de esta asignatura. Métodos: los principales objetivos de la asignatura fueron desarrollar competencias, aptitud de reflexión ante la muerte y propiciar cambios de actitud ante ella. Cada sesión era antecedida por una lectura relativa al tema; durante las sesiones se propiciaba la interacción con médicos y pacientes que enfrentaban la proximidad de la muerte, se utilizaron recursos audiovisuales, informáticos y se llevaron a cabo discusiones. La evaluación de la asignatura fue mediante un cuestionario retrospectivo como fuente cuantitativa, así como entrevistas semiestructuradas y ensayos como fuentes cualitativas. Resultados: el desarrollo de competencias, aptitud de reflexión ante la muerte y cambios de actitud mostraron un aumento después de la intervención (p < 0.01); la que menor aumento tuvo fue el desarrollo de competencias. Con la información cualitativa se integraron 11 categorías; todas mostraron cambios positivos en actitud ante la muerte, aptitud de reflexión ante ella y competencias desarrolladas (aunque en este aspecto el impacto fue menor). Conclusiones: la intervención educativa evaluada cumplió los objetivos planteados, sin embargo, para futuras intervenciones es necesario reforzar el desarrollo de competencias.

Síndrome inflamatorio de reconstitución inmune manifiesto como sarcoma de Kaposi en lengua / Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome manifested as a Kaposi's sarcoma in the tongue

No disponible