The need for basic sciences in the understanding and practice of anaesthesia

We conducted a survey using an unstructured, then a structured, questionnaire to determine the attitudes of 78 postfellowship anaesthetists to the Basic Sciences component of the part I examination for the FRCA. Seventy-two per cent replied. These anaesthetists felt that about 65% of the basic science syllabus was essential to the understanding and practice of everyday anaesthesia, but there was varying opinion as to the importance of specific topics. Cardiovascular, respiratory, central nervous system and renal physiology were all regarded as essential, as was the pharmacology of anaesthetic drugs. Topics regarded as irrelevant included biochemistry, endocrinology, membrane theory and immunology. Paradoxically, there were many topics which anaesthetists regarded as essential but on which they were unable to give a tutorial. There was little difference between the responses of consultants and trainees. This survey may help to identify a core syllabus on which the majority of anaesthetists agree but also suggests that the current syllabus is overloaded with detail that has no place in clinical practice.     

A programme of neurosurgical education

Summary We present a programme of Neurosurgery concerning pre- and post-graduate education. Objectives are divided into general objectives, intermediate and specific. We suggest also a syllabus for students and another for residents, containing a list of theoretical lectures, seminars and guidelines for practical tuition.Schedule of training period, services requirements and facilities for didactic purposes are mentioned. In this respect we follow the recent recommendations of the E.A.N.S.We emphasize the need for personal teaching as the only element of general guidance for the programme. We also emphasize the necessity of criticism, change and evolution, in order to perfect the programme we are offering.     

A core syllabus for the teaching of neuroanatomy to medical students

There is increasingly a call for clinical relevance in the teaching of biomedical sciences within all health care courses. However, this presupposes that there is a clear understanding of what can be considered core material within the curricula. To date, the anatomical sciences have been relatively poorly served by the development of core syllabuses, particularly for specialized core syllabuses such as neuroanatomy. One of the aims of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA) and of the European Federation for Experimental Morphology (EFEM) is to formulate, on an international scale, core syllabuses for all branches of the anatomical sciences using Delphi Panels consisting of anatomists, scientists, and clinicians to initially evaluate syllabus content. In this article, the findings of a Delphi Panel for neuroanatomy are provided. These findings will subsequently be published on the IFAA website to enable anatomical (and other cognate learned) societies and individual anatomists, clinicians, and students to freely comment upon, and elaborate and amend, the syllabuses. The aim is to set internationally recognized standards and thus to provide guidelines concerning neuroanatomical knowledge when engaged in course development. Clin. Anat. 28:706–716, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Utilization of a training portfolio in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery: the example of the French platform-EPIFORM

Thoracic and cardiovascular surgery requires learning both theoretical knowledge and technical skills. In this surgical field, several disparities exist between the different training programs around the world. This report describes the implementation of a portfolio in the teaching and assessment of French trainees in Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery, following an electronic logbook model, aiming to improve the training program. The French surgical course is a twelve semesters’ curriculum divided in 3 parts, each part containing knowledge, technical skills and behaviors objectives to be validated, defined by the French College of Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery. The competencies are marked in the logbook, following a declarative model where the surgical trainee fills every surgical procedure attended (all or part) if he/she has observed, partially or fully performed, or supervised another trainee. All the surgical procedures are linked to theoretical e-learning lessons and each e-learning lesson includes a self-evaluation. This constitutes a competency-based assessment model with milestones both for surgeon trainees and their mentors. This portfolio also contains complementary tools such as an automated publication point calculation, a formatted curriculum vitae generator, and several contact tools between trainees. Implementation of a dedicated portfolio following an electronic logbook model appears to be a relevant pedagogic tool and survey element in the thoracic and cardiovascular surgery training program. Its use may lead to potential educational benefits for the trainee, reliable competency assessment for the supervising surgeon and for scientific society or national college.     

Harmonisation of respiratory medicine: the success story of European curriculum development

In 2005, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) launched a project to harmonise education and training and to address the heterogeneity of respiratory health training across Europe. Since then, various educational activities have been developed for different target audiences. This article will describe the overall methodology and the projects developed over the years, detailing their objectives and target audiences. Moving forward, ERS strives to provide a structure for the continuing professional development of respiratory physicians.     

The Anatomical Society's core anatomy syllabus for undergraduate nursing

The Anatomical Society has developed a series of learning outcomes in consultation with nursing educators delivering anatomical content to undergraduate (preregistration) nursing students. A Delphi panel methodology was adopted to select experts within the field that would recommend core anatomical content in undergraduate nursing programmes throughout the UK. Using the Anatomical Society's Core Gross Anatomy Syllabus for Medical Students as a foundation, a modified Delphi technique was used to develop discipline‐specific outcomes to nursing graduates. The Delphi panel consisted of 48 individuals (n = 48) with a minimum of 3 years' experience teaching anatomy to nursing students, representing a broad spectrum of UK Higher Education Institutions. The output from this study was 64 nursing specific learning outcomes in anatomy that are applicable to all undergraduate (preregistration) programmes in the UK. The new core anatomy syllabus for Undergraduate Nursing offers a basic anatomical framework upon which nurse educators, clinical mentors and nursing students can underpin their clinical practice and knowledge. The learning outcomes presented may be used to develop anatomy teaching within an integrated nursing curriculum.     

New focus on anatomy for surgical trainees

The demise of anatomy teaching in the undergraduate medical curriculum has inevitably reduced the general level of applied anatomical knowledge displayed by junior doctors. Initiatives such as the European Working Time Directive have exacerbated the problem by reducing trainees’ opportunities to acquire appropriate anatomical knowledge and clinical skills through workplace training. Medical Schools and postgraduate Colleges and Schools of Surgery must work together to design and deliver quality‐assured courses in core and non‐core anatomy, that cross the undergraduate/postgraduate interface. All medical students should learn a core syllabus of anatomy, agreed by a panel of clinicians and anatomists but delivered according to the pedagogic style favoured by individual Medical Schools. This core will define the anatomy, that all F1 doctors should know, particularly the anatomy associated with clinical procedures: it will be assessed across all years of the undergraduate medical programme. Medical Schools should also offer modules in non‐core surgical and/or radiological anatomy, some of which may be designed and delivered in partnership with Colleges of Surgery and Radiology: these modules would be particularly attractive to students contemplating a career in surgery or interventional radiology, but would not be offered exclusively to this cohort. At present, the inadequate anatomical knowledge of Foundation doctors must be addressed by ensuring that early postgraduate training programmes include explicit, formal teaching in anatomy, for example, the Core Surgical Anatomy course currently being piloted at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.     

中医内科学教学改革初探

通过对中医学执业医师考试大纲与中医内科学教学大纲比对,从中查找二者之间的差别,通过调整修改中医内科学教学大纲,改变教学观念,改革教学方法,提高教学水平,从而达到提高执业医师的通过率,为社会培养出合格的中医人才打下坚实的基础。     

第七版《国家执业药师资格考试大纲》修订说明和评价

摘 要第七版《国家执业药师资格考试大纲》（2015年版）发布实施两年来,引发社会各界关注。本文对新版考试大纲修订思路、内容和实施情况做总结和评价,为进一步完善我国执业药师制度提供参考。     

Anatomical Society core regional anatomy syllabus for undergraduate medicine: the Delphi process

A modified Delphi method was employed to seek consensus when revising the UK and Ireland's core syllabus for regional anatomy in undergraduate medicine. A Delphi panel was constructed involving ‘expert’ (individuals with at least 5 years’ experience in teaching medical students anatomy at the level required for graduation). The panel (n = 39) was selected and nominated by members of Council and/or the Education Committee of the Anatomical Society and included a range of specialists including surgeons, radiologists and anatomists. The experts were asked in two stages to ‘accept’, ‘reject’ or ‘modify’ (first stage only) each learning outcome. A third stage, which was not part of the Delphi method, then allowed the original authors of the syllabus to make changes either to correct any anatomical errors or to make minor syntax changes. From the original syllabus of 182 learning outcomes, removing the neuroanatomy component (163), 23 learning outcomes (15%) remained unchanged, seven learning outcomes were removed and two new learning outcomes added. The remaining 133 learning outcomes were modified. All learning outcomes on the new core syllabus achieved over 90% acceptance by the panel.