Between SET and ASP: balancing the scales of student evaluation of teaching (SET) and teachers' assessments of student performance (ASP) for medical school education in psychiatry.

OBJECTIVES:: We explore the relative roles of student evaluation of teaching (SET) and teachers' assessment of student performance (ASP) in medical school education in psychiatry. CONCLUSIONS:: We conclude that SET and ASP need to be better researched as outcome measures, and input from both processes needs to be balanced in evaluating psychiatric medical education.

Supervision--growing and building a sustainable general practice supervisor system.

This article explores various models and ideas for future sustainable general practice vocational training supervision in Australia. The general practitioner supervisor in the clinical practice setting is currently central to training the future general practice workforce. Finding ways to recruit, retain and motivate both new and experienced GP teachers is discussed, as is the creation of career paths for such teachers. Some of the newer methods of practice-based teaching are considered for further development, including vertically integrated teaching, e-learning, wave consulting and teaching on the run, teaching teams and remote teaching. Approaches to supporting and resourcing teaching and the required infrastructure are also considered. Further research into sustaining the practice-based general practice supervision model will be required.

Through Their Eyes: Parental Perceptions on Hospital Admissions for Febrile Neutropenia in Children With Cancer.

Febrile neutropenia requires prompt assessment and antibiotic administration and is the most common reason for unexpected hospital admission in pediatric oncology. Parents are expected to be vigilant and "drop everything" to take their child to their nearest hospital for assessment if fever occurs. Delays in antibiotic administration are associated with poorer outcomes; however, delays are common. Our aim was to understand and describe the lived experience of parents of children with cancer who received treatment for fever with confirmed/suspected neutropenia. We used descriptive phenomenological concepts to undertake and analyze interviews with parents, who were asked to describe their recent experience of hospitalization in Queensland, Australia. Nine participants were interviewed. Five children were treated in the tertiary treating center and four were treated in smaller regional towns. Three main categories were identified that shaped and characterized parents' experiences: being heard, confidence in capabilities of health care professionals, and living with anticipated distress and uncertainty. Parents' experiences were related to the level they needed to advocate for their child's care across all themes. Familiarity with health care professionals increased confidence and improved parents' experiences. Maintaining vigilance and managing the child and family's response to an unexpected admission had a substantial negative effect on parents. Understanding parents' experiences and perceptions of the management of febrile neutropenia adds to the current body of knowledge and offers potential new insights to improve clinical practice.

Resilience among doctors who work in challenging areas: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Although physician burnout has received considerable attention, there is little research of doctors who thrive while working in challenging conditions. AIM: To describe attitudes to work and job satisfaction among Australian primary care practitioners who have worked for more than 5 years in areas of social disadvantage. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 primary health care practitioners working in Aboriginal health, prisons, drug and alcohol medicine, or youth and refugee health. The interviews explored attitudes towards work and professional satisfaction, and strategies to promote resilience. RESULTS: All doctors were motivated by the belief that helping a disadvantaged population is the 'right thing' to do. They were sustained by a deep appreciation and respect for the population they served, an intellectual engagement with the work itself, and the ability to control their own working hours (often by working part-time in the field of interest). In their clinical work, they recognised and celebrated small gains and were not overwhelmed by the larger context of social disadvantage. CONCLUSION: If organisations want to increase the numbers of medical staff or increase the work commitment of staff in areas of social disadvantage, they should consider supporting doctors to work part-time, allowing experienced doctors to mentor them to model these patient-appreciative approaches, and reinforcing, for novice doctors, the personal and intellectual pleasures of working in these fields.