Compassionate-empathic physicians: Personality traits and social-organizational factors that enhance or inhibit this behavior pattern

Objective: We compared the opinions, knowledge, and attitudes of final-year medical, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, and pharmacy students about complementary/alternative medicine (CAM). Methods: A cross-sectional study questionnaire (n=442) was administered on site at the University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto to fourth-year health professions students. Outcome measures were self-reported knowledge, attitude, and perceived usefulness of CAM therapies, the perceived importance of scientific inquiry for the acceptance of CAM, and educational exposure to the topic. Results: Educational exposure to CAM was correlated with the perceived usefulness of CAM. Medical students reported the least amount of education about CAM and viewed CAM therapies as less useful than did their health professions student peers. Medical students and pharmacy students were more likely than the other health professions students to view traditional scientific forms of evidence as necessary before accepting CAM therapies. Conclusions: Perceptions differed among the different health professions student groups about the usefulness of CAM therapies and the kind of evidence needed before they should be incorporated into standard care. This may have important implications for multidisciplinary care.

Complementary/alternative medicine: comparing the view of medical students with students in other health care professions.

The climate or overall ambience of medical education environments is a concept that is of relevance to medical teachers It includes for example, the extent to which the environment fosters scholarly or intellectual activities and the extent to which it encourages friendliness, co-operation and supportiveness This paper reviews how medical teachers can assess the climate of the medical education environment It reviews climate research studies that medical teachers might undertake and some methodologies they might employ in such studies The focus of the paper is on the notion of the medical teacher as an action researcher using climate instrumentation and research strategies, to understand the nature, and improve the quality, of the educational experience that students gain in medical schools, and their constituent departments, classrooms and other settings

What is medical education here really like? Suggestions for action research studies of climates of medical education environments.

AIMS The overall aim of the study was to identify the factors that best predict medical career choice and practice location. METHOD A longitudinal, cohort study was conducted. This followed 2 cohorts of students, numbering a total of 229 students, who commenced medical studies at the University of Western Australia in 1984 and 1989. Data concerning the students' sociodemographic backgrounds, admission scores and personality characteristics were collected in Year 1. Regression analyses were performed to identify the student characteristics that best predicted course completion, a choice of general practice 4 years after graduation and a rural location of practice. OUTCOMES We found that students who had lower university admission scores and who were less outgoing were less likely to complete the course. Students who were male, had a father in medicine and were more creative and abstract in their thinking and more conscientious and rule-bound were more likely to choose a specialist career. A rural background was found to be the most important predictor of both rural general and specialist practice.

Medical career choice and practice location: early factors predicting course completion, career choice and practice location

This booklet describes the basic principles of questionnaire construction and design using examples applicable to research in medical education. It is intended for medical educators and researchers who plan to construct questionnaires to gather data about a course, curriculum component or medical education programme. An easy-to-use list of problems to consider when writing questions for a questionnaire is provided. As well, information is provided about the structure of a questionnaire and of the covering letter sent to potential respondents.

A. Rothman

Papers

Attitudes towards social issues in medicine of five health science faculties