scholarly journals Pre-graduation grade inflation in medical training in Turkey: a longitudinal study from 2005 to 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Engin Karadag
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Grade Inflation ◽  
Academic Rank ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Course Grades ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Education In Turkey

Abstract Background Grade inflation which is known as the awarding of higher grades than students deserve in higher education has been observed since the 1960s. There is comprehensive evidence that document the allegations, prevalence, and severity of grade inflation in higher education in universities around the world for the past 10 years. Methods This study analyzes the change in the ratio of graduates with a “very good (>2.99)” degree in medical education in Turkey within a 15-year-long period in terms of the grade inflation (when all other factors are constant), and factors that affect the overall achievement grades. The analyses were carried out using the grade point average (GPA) of 9,618 students who graduated from the medical schools of 25 Turkish universities, and grades of 288,540 students for 7,597 courses. In doing so, the “real” university random effects estimator modelling considering the differences in universities with correlation, ANOVA, t-test and ANCOVA analyses were carried out. Results The results revealed that there was a marginal increase in grades in medical training before graduation. Twenty-nine percent grade inflation was detected in line with the relevant findings in literature and this figure is one of the highest that has been reported so far. It was also detected that the ratio of graduates with a “very good (>2.99)” degree was 17% in 2005 and it increased to 46% in 2020. Additionally, the class size, academic rank of the instructors, grades, course contents, types of the universities (public & non-profit private), accreditation of the program, and the age of the medical schools were considered as important determinants of the difference in course grades. Conclusion These results show that both the uncontrolled expansion of medical schools in Turkey and the decrease in quality cause a significant increase in grades. Moreover, an important finding is that accreditation slows down the grade inflation. Both the course grades following the accreditation process and the inflation in the graduation grades (grade inflation) slowed down significantly in the accredited medical schools. This finding is an important example for the necessity of accreditation for universities, which is referred to as the “gold standard” to improve the quality of medical education.

scholarly journals Pre-graduation Grade Inflation in Medical Training in Turkey: A Longitudinal Study From 2005 to 2020

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
ENGİN KARADAG
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Grade Inflation ◽  
Academic Degree ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Course Grades ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Education In Turkey

Abstract Background: Grade inflation in higher education institutions, that is the increase in students’ grades, has been observed since the 1960s. There are comprehensive proofs that document the allegations, prevalence and severity of grade inflation in higher education especially in American universities for the past 10 years. This study analyzes the change in the ratio of those graduated with a “very good (>2.99)” degree from medical education in Turkey within a 15-year-long period, the grade inflation (when all other factors are constant), and factors that affect the course grade. Methods: The analyses were carried out using the grade point average (GPA) of 9.618 students graduated from the medical faculty of 25 universities in Turkey, and 288.540 student grade for 7.597 courses. The study used the “real” university random effects estimator modeling considering the differences in universities with correlation, ANOVA, t-test and ANCOVA analyses. Results and Conclusion: The results revealed that there was a marginal increase in grades in medical training before graduation after checking the effects of factors that might affect the graduation grades. The 29% grade inflation detected is in line with the literature and is one of the highest values that have been reported so far. It was also detected that the ratio of graduates with a “very good (>2.99)” degree was 17% in 2005 and it increased to 46% in 2020. Additionally, the class size, academic degree of the tutor, grade, content of the course, types of the universities (public & non-profit private), accreditation of the program, and the age of the faculty are important determinants of course grades. According to these results, it is clear that both the uncontrolled expansion of medical faculties in Turkey and the decrease in quality cause an increase in grades. One of the most important results obtained is that accreditation slows down the grade inflation. Both the course grades following the accreditation process and the inflation in the graduation grades (grade inflation) slowed down significantly in the accredited faculties. This finding is an important example of the necessity of accreditation, which is referred to as the “golden standard” to improve the quality of medical education.

scholarly journals Web-based Medical Education During COVID-19 Lockdown: A Step Back or a Leap to the Future?

2021 ◽  
pp. 153473462110118
Author(s):  
Anna Eleftheriou ◽  
Aikaterini Rokou ◽  
Christos Argyriou ◽  
Nikolaos Papanas ◽  
George S. Georgiadis
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Clinical Training ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Clinical Exposure ◽  
Virtual Teaching ◽  
Based Medicine ◽  
The Impact

The impact of coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) on medical education has been substantial. Medical students require considerable clinical exposure. However, due to the risk of COVID-19, the majority of medical schools globally have discontinued their normal activities. The strengths of virtual teaching now include a variety of web-based resources. New interactive forms of virtual teaching are being developed to enable students to interact with patients from their homes. Conversely, students have received decreased clinical training in certain medical and surgical specialities, which may, in turn, reduce their performance, confidence, and abilities as future physicians. We sought to analyze the effect of telemedicine on the quality of medical education in this new emerging era and highlight the benefits and drawbacks of web-based medical training in building up future physicians. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unparalleled challenge to medical schools, which are aiming to deliver quality education to students virtually, balancing between evidence-based and experience-based medicine.

Apartheid and Medical Education: The Training of Black Doctors in South Africa

1983 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip V. Tobias
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Ethnic Group ◽  
South African ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Population Group ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Medical Graduates

An analysis is presented of the numbers of medical students in South African medical schools and of medical graduates produced annually. The data are analyzed according to ethnic groups. It is shown that gross discrepancies exist, and that black (African) and “Colored” sectors of the population are seriously underrepresented. This pattern is found for the total number of medical students; the ratio of number of medical students in each ethnic group to the total population of that group; the number of medical schools to which blacks may, in terms of the government's apartheid policy, be freely admitted; the absolute numbers of medical graduates drawn from each ethnic group and the percentage of the total number of medical practitioners stemming from each population group; and the ratio of the numbers of medical graduates in each ethnic group to the total population of that group. No matter which yardstick is employed, marked discrepancies are apparent. It is maintained that the separate and inferior schooling system for blacks, under the apartheid policy, is not providing suitably qualified medical student material from the African and “Colored” population groups; and that the State (under which all South African medical schools fall) has not permitted existing medical school facilities to be freely opened for the medical training of blacks, nor has it made available sufficient facilities for the medical training of blacks. It is concluded that the apartheid policy, with its many ramifications at primary, secondary, and tertiary educational levels, has constituted the most serious setback to medical education in southern Africa. It has left medical education in southern Africa over 30 years behind a point where it could and should have been.

scholarly journals The competitive forces that shape Australian medical education

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 1082-1093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marian Mahat
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Sufficient Evidence ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Professional Field ◽  
Competitive Forces

PurposeMedical education is an evidence-driven professional field that operates in an increasingly regulated environment as compared to other fields within universities. The purpose of this paper is to establish the extent to which Porter’s five competitive forces framework (Porter, 2008) can drive the management of medical schools in Australia.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on data from semi-structured interviews with over 20 staff from 6 case study Australian medical schools, this paper explores Australian medical education, by looking at the current policy context, structure and interactions between organizations within the system.FindingsThe findings provide evidence that environmental forces affect the nature of competition in medical education, and that competitive advantage can be gained by medical schools from a sustained analysis of the industry in which they operate in. Consequently, it is possible to apply a pre-dominantly profit-oriented framework to higher education.Research limitations/implicationsAs an industry facing increasing pressure toward marketization and competition, the findings provide sufficient evidence that an analysis of higher education as an industry is possible.Practical implicationsThe findings provide evidence that strategic leadership and management in higher education should encompass greater levels of delegation and decision making at all levels. Effective leadership should focus on creating an inspiring vision of the future through a sustained analysis of the industry in which they operate.Originality/valueThe study has made a key contribution through an industry analysis of Australian medical education, which provide important implications for leadership and management in higher education. The study is of significant value to researchers as well as senior management in higher education.

Creating the Modern Physician: The Architecture of American Medical Schools in the Era of Medical Education Reform

2016 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine L. Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
American Medical ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
The United States ◽  
Modern Medicine ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Medical Education Reform

In the late nineteenth century, the American system of medical education underwent a complete transformation. Medical colleges shifted from commercial schools where instruction was based almost exclusively on classroom lectures to university-affiliated programs providing hands-on training in both laboratory and clinical work. Medical educators recognized that successfully enacting the new pedagogy required new buildings. By the 1930s, almost every medical college in the United States had rebuilt or significantly renovated its facilities. In Creating the Modern Physician: The Architecture of American Medical Schools in the Era of Medical Education Reform, Katherine L. Carroll analyzes the first wave of schools constructed to house the new medical training. She examines the three dominant types of American medical school buildings, which she argues did more than supply spaces for teaching and research—they defined specific conceptions of modern medicine and helped to shape the modern physician.

scholarly journals Medical education in Sudan: A recommendation to adopt competency-based medical education curricula for improving practices (SudaniMEDs)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Hassan Taha
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Competency Based Medical Education ◽  
Medical Assistants ◽  
School Of Medicine ◽  
History Of ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
The University

Sudan is a leading country in health professions education (HPE), a sector which started 100 years ago. The history of HPE in Sudan dates back to 1918 with the training of medical assistants, with a school for modern midwifery opening in 1921 (1). The first college of medicine in Sudan—Kitchener School of Medicine (KSM) —was established in 1924, and is currently part of the University of Khartoum (2). About half a century later, two more medical schools—Juba University School in 1977 and Gezira University School in 1978—were established. In the 1990s, there was an enormous expansion in higher education, particularly in colleges of medicine, with more than thirty being inaugurated (3). Currently, Sudan has more than sixty colleges of medicine.

scholarly journals Supplemental Instruction: Understanding Academic Assistance in Underrepresented Groups

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Michelle Buchanan ◽  
Kathrene D Valentine ◽  
Michael Frizell
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
Graduation Rates ◽  
Supplemental Instruction ◽  
Grade Point Averages ◽  
Retention Rates ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Academic Assistance ◽  
Course Grades ◽  
Comparison Groups

Student retention rates are increasingly important in higher education. Higher education institutions have adopted various programs in the hopes of increasing graduation rates and grade point averages (GPAs). One of the most effective attempts at improvement has been the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program. We examined our SI program on three facets: attendance, attendance’s influence on final scores, and graduation rates for students who had participated in these courses. These questions were also investigated focusing on specific comparison groups, as we looked into how these effects differed for Minority students and nontraditional students, when compared to their White and traditional peers. Overall, SI attendance led to positive outcomes: increased final course grades and graduation rates, even after adjusting for previous achievement.

Mental Health of Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Tehran

2007 ◽  
Vol 100 (2) ◽  
pp. 346-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Shariati ◽  
Masud Yunesian ◽  
Javad Homayoun Vash
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Financial Status ◽  
Data Collection Sheet

Medical students are subject to stress from sources related to medical training in addition to personal problems, resulting in significant mental distress. This study evaluates the scope of the problem in Tehran medical schools and sheds light on some of its associations. Students (604) of medicine from four medical schools in the city of Tehran responded to the Persian version of 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) in conjunction with a data collection sheet asking about age, sex, marital status, current training level, living place, grade point average in previous semester, and perceptions of their financial status. Of 602 students, 40.7% had mental distress (45.7% of female and 36.7% of male students). Distress was associated with being a woman (female to male odds ratio: 1.55) and very poor financial status (OR: 18.0).

scholarly journals Facilitating Identity Compatibility in Mentorships: Implications for Diversity in Medicine

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 238212052110064
Author(s):  
Trisha Kaundinya
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Underrepresented Minority ◽  
Diverse Student ◽  
Faculty Mentorship

Despite intentional efforts to improve diversity in medicine, there is pronounced underrepresentation of minority groups and non-disclosure of minority identities by medical students due to societal stigmas and fears of acceptance. One way that medical schools address this challenge in supporting diverse student backgrounds is by facilitating faculty mentorship programs with underrepresented minority (URM) students. These efforts are valuable, but they are unfortunately not available at all institutions and do not always allow URM students to engage in the process of choosing a mentor confidentially. Medical schools largely do not make self-reported information from faculty about their various identities and allyships available to medical students, which limits the resources that students have to independently forge these connections. Helping students form their own mentor-mentee relationships by making faculty demographics available can lead students to find individualized support across their medical training. Identity compatibility between students and their role models has shown to correlate with academic achievement and senses of belonging. Enforcing that all medical schools share the identities of faculty who choose to disclose this information with students will thus be helpful to further diversity as a continuous commitment in medical education.

scholarly journals Innovations in Curriculum Designs Do Not Guarantee Students’ Patient-Centered Attitudes Running Title: Curricula and Patient-Centered Attitudes

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 167-175
Author(s):  
Claudia Maria Alves da Silva Pereira ◽  
Filipe Miranda Bernardes ◽  
Amanda Giroldo Minari ◽  
Carlos Henrique Martins da Silva ◽  
Helena Borges Martins da Silva Paro
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
National Medical ◽  
Students Attitudes

ABSTRACT Background Medical schools all around the world are engaged in curricular reforms aimed at fostering patient- and learner-centeredness, implementing curricular transformations in order to counterbalance the erosion of humanistic and professional values and the loss of idealism of recent graduate physicians. In Brazil, medical schools are facing the challenge of redesigning medical curricula towards more learner-centered and patient-centered approaches, stimulated by recent national medical education guidelines. However, desirable outcomes towards medical education have not been fully achieved. Aim To access medical students’ attitudes and determine predictors of medical students’ patient-centered attitudes among students from different curricular designs (traditional, innovative and advanced). Methods Medical students from 1st to 6th year from 21 Brazilian medical schools participating in the project for evaluating change and trends proposed by the Brazilian Association of Medical Education, with different stages of curricular designs (traditional, innovative and advanced), answered the Brazilian version of the Patient–Practitioner Orientation Scale (B-PPOS) and a questionnaire with curricular and sociodemographic variables. Results Brazilian medical students care more than they share information, power and responsibility (p < 0.001; d = 0.599). They are more concerned with the psychosocial context than with patient’s perspective (p < 0.001; d = 0.797) and share more power and responsibility than understanding (p < 0.001, d = 0.455). Female gender (B = 0.180), students from public schools (B = 0.132), year of medical training (B = 0.021), preference for future medical practice in public services (B = 0.053) and extracurricular activities (B = 0.068) were predictors of patient-centered attitudes among medical students (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the father’s educational level and choice to study surgical specialties (p < 0.05) were predictors of less patient-centered attitudes among students. Different curricular designs were not associated with students’ patient-centered attitudes (p > 0.05). Conclusion tant predictors of patient-centered attitudes among medical students. Further research should investigate the direct influence of faculty professionalism development programs on students’ patient centered-attitudes.

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