Medical Student Views of Acceptable Professional Behavior: A Survey

Professionalism is a concept at the heart of good medical practice. Ensuring that medical students develop and display professional behavior is crucial, both to ensure that their early encounters with patients are safe and appropriate, and to help guard against difficulties in their future practice. As part of its role as the UK's medical regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC) sets the standards that doctors need to follow as well as overseeing UK medical education and training. This includes providing guidance on student professional values and fitness to practice, which it does in partnership with the UK Medical Schools Council (MSC). To inform policy development in this area, the GMC carried out a survey of student professional values between December 2014 and January 2015. This article expands on and discusses a report about the survey, produced and published on the General Medical Council (GMC) website in 2015.1 The results of the survey are presented here. A total of 2,501 students responded to the survey, giving their views on the level of acceptability of 16 different scenarios. These results were analyzed by gender, year of study and entry route to medical school. While medical students responded overall in ways that indicate an understanding of professionalism, the results have highlighted some areas to focus improvements on, and differences between groups of students may be helpful to medical schools in planning how and when to teach certain aspects of professionalism.

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Radiology for medical students: Do we teach enough? A national study

British Journal of Radiology ◽

10.1259/bjr.20201308 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 94 (1119) ◽

pp. 20201308

Author(s):

Cindy Chew ◽

Patrick J O'Dwyer ◽

Euan Sandilands

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

General Medical Council ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Developed Countries ◽

National Study ◽

Medical Council ◽

Excellent Teaching ◽

The Hours ◽

Radiology Teaching ◽

The Uk

Objective A recent study has shown that the averaged time tabled teaching for a medical student across 5 years in the UK was 4629 hours. Radiology has been demonstrated to be an excellent teaching source, yet the number of hours allocated to this has never been calculated. The aims of this study were to evaluate and quantify the hours allocated to radiology teaching in Scottish Medical Schools and to evaluate if they can fulfil requirements expected from other Clinical disciplines and the upcoming General Medical Council Medical Licensing Assessment (GMC MLA). Methods Data pertaining to timetabled teaching for Radiology in Scottish Universities were obtained from the authors of the Analysis of Teaching of Medical Schools (AToMS) survey. In addition, University Lead Clinician Teachers were surveyed on the radiological investigations and skills medical students should have at graduation. Results Medical students in Scottish Universities were allocated 59 h in Radiology (0.3%) out of a total 19,325 h of timetabled teaching. Hospital-based teaching was variable and ranged from 0 to 31 h. Almost half (15 of 31) of Clinician Teachers felt that there was insufficient radiology teaching in their specialty. Thirteen of 30 conditions included in the GMC MLA were listed by Clinician Teachers, while 23 others not listed by the GMC were considered important and cited by them. Conclusion This study demonstrates that medical students do not receive enough radiology teaching. This needs to be addressed by Universities in collaboration with the NHS in an effort to bring up this up to line with other developed countries and prepare students for the GMC MLA. Advances in knowledge (1) There is insufficient time allocated in Medical Students’ curriculum to Radiology. (2) Radiology teaching in medical schools fall short of University Lead Clinician Teachers’ and GMC expectations of medical students at graduation.

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Radiology and the medical student: do increased hours of teaching translate to more radiologists?

BJR|Open ◽

10.1259/bjro.20210074 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Cindy Chew ◽

Patrick J O'Dwyer ◽

David Young

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

General Medical Council ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Medical Council ◽

Chi Square ◽

Medical Graduates ◽

Increasing Demand ◽

Radiology Teaching ◽

The Uk

Objectives: The UK has a shortage of Radiologists to meet the increasing demand for radiologic examinations. To encourage more medical students to consider Radiology as a career, increased exposure at undergraduate level has been advocated. The aim of this study was to evaluate if formal Radiology teaching hours at medical school had any association with the number of qualified Radiologists joining the General Medical Council Specialist Register. Methods: Total number of doctors joining the GMC Specialist Register as Clinical Radiologists, and those with a primary medical qualifications awarded in Scotland, was obtained from the GMC (2010–2020). Graduate numbers from all 4 Scottish Medical Schools (2000–2011) were also obtained. Hours of Radiology teaching for medical schools in Scotland were obtained from validated AToMS study. Results: Two hundred and twenty three (6.6%) of 3347 Radiologists added to the GMC Specialist Register between 2010 and 2020 received their primary medical qualification (PMQ) from Scottish Universities. The number of Radiologists from Scottish Universities joining the GMC specialist register was 2.6% of the total number of Scottish Medical Graduates. There was no association between the number of hours (Range 1–30) Radiology was taught to medical students and the number that joined the specialist register as Radiologists (p = 0.54 chi square trend). Conclusion: Increased exposure to Radiology teaching does not influence medical students’ decision to take up Radiology as a career. While continued Radiology exposure remains important, other strategies are required in both the short and long term to ensure radiology services are maintained without detriment to patients. Advances in knowledge: Increased hours of Radiology teaching in medical school was not associated with increased radiologists joining the profession.

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A Cross-sectional Study of Undergraduate Teaching of Trauma and Orthopaedics in the UK and the Relationship between Medical Schools and Interest in Trauma and Orthopaedics as a Career.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-602835/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sarah Choi ◽

Setthasorn Ooi ◽

Eleanor Carpenter

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

General Medical Council ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

National Average ◽

Undergraduate Teaching ◽

Medical Council ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Uk

Abstract Aims: Adequate exposure and teaching of Trauma and Orthopaedics (T&O) to medical students is fundamental in order to obtain sufficient knowledge and sustain their interest in T&O as a career. The primary aim is to assess the exposure and delivery of T&O at all medical schools in the UK. The secondary aim is to determine whether there are any associations between attending a particular medical school and having a strong interest in pursuing a career in T&O. Methods: To explore the primary aim, all 33 UK medical schools were investigated in the study, by means of a questionnaire distributed to medical students. This did not include ‘new’ medical schools, defined as those established from 2014 onwards. To investigate the secondary aim of exploring associations between students’ and alumni’s medical schools and their interest in T&O as a career, British Orthopaedic Training Association (BOTA) members were reviewed, using the General Medical Council register to identify the universities from which members had graduated. The authors have made the assumption that membership of BOTA signified an interest in T&O as a career. Results: Results were obtained for all 33 medical schools. The mean total teaching time specifically for T&O throughout medical school was 18 days, ranging from 3 to 60 days in total. 118 BOTA members were reviewed. No member of BOTA in the study had attended medical school in Keele, Liverpool, Plymouth or Lancashire. These universities taught below the national average number of days in T&O. Conclusions: There is a large national variance in the number of compulsory teaching days provided for T&O. The authors advocate medical schools to aim for at least the national average in duration of T&O of 18 days.

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A Cross-Sectional Study of Undergraduate Teaching of Trauma and Orthopaedics in the UK and the Relationship Between Medical Schools and Interest in Trauma and Orthopaedics as a Career

Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development ◽

10.1177/23821205211072764 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. 238212052110727

Author(s):

Sarah Choi ◽

Setthasorn Ooi ◽

Eleanor Carpenter

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

General Medical Council ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

National Average ◽

Undergraduate Teaching ◽

Medical Council ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Uk

INTRODUCTION Adequate exposure and teaching of Trauma and Orthopaedics (T&O) to medical students is fundamental in order to obtain sufficient knowledge and sustain their interest in T&O as a career. The primary aim is to assess the exposure and delivery of T&O at all medical schools in the UK. The secondary aim is to determine whether there are any associations between attending a particular medical school and having a strong interest in pursuing a career in T&O. METHODS To explore the primary aim, all 33 UK medical schools were investigated in the study, by means of a questionnaire distributed to medical students. This did not include ‘new’ medical schools, defined as those established from 2014 onwards. To investigate the secondary aim of exploring associations between students’ and alumni's medical schools and their interest in T&O as a career, British Orthopaedic Training Association (BOTA) members were reviewed, using the General Medical Council register to identify the universities from which members had graduated. The authors have made the assumption that membership of BOTA signified an interest in T&O as a career. RESULTS Results were obtained for all 33 medical schools. The mean total teaching time specifically for T&O throughout medical school was 18 days, ranging from 3 to 60 days in total. 118 BOTA members were reviewed. No member of BOTA in the study had attended medical school in Keele, Liverpool, Plymouth or Lancashire. These universities taught below the national average number of days in T&O. DISUCSSION There is a large national variance in the number of compulsory teaching days provided for T&O. The authors advocate medical schools to aim for at least the national average in duration of T&O of 18 days.

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The Duties of Doctors In Medical Education: A Letter To The Editor (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.16418 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Sneha Barai

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Medical Students ◽

Role Models ◽

Role Model ◽

General Medical Council ◽

Future Generations ◽

Medical Council ◽

Positive Role ◽

The Uk ◽

And Training

UNSTRUCTURED The UK General Medical Council (GMC) explicitly states doctors have a duty to ‘contribute to teaching and training…by acting as a positive role model’. However, recent studies suggest some are not fulfilling this, which is impacting medical students' experiences and attitudes during their training. As such, doctors have a duty to act as role models and teachers, as specified by the GMC, which it seems are not currently being fulfilled. This would improve the medical students’ learning experiences and demonstrate good professional values for them to emulate. Therefore, these duties should be as important as patient care, since this will influence future generations.

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Exploring student perceptions and awareness of social prescribing

British Journal of General Practice ◽

10.3399/bjgp19x703649 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 69 (suppl 1) ◽

pp. bjgp19X703649 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hannah Mulligan ◽

Daisy Kirtley ◽

Claudia Santoni ◽

Joel Chilaka ◽

Bogdan Chiva Giurca

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Student Perceptions ◽

Well Being ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Social Prescribing ◽

Student Views ◽

Before And After ◽

The Uk ◽

New Strategies

BackgroundThe importance of social prescribing has been illustrated by the NHS Long Term Plan, as well as the GP Forward View published in 2016. Social prescribing is enabling healthcare professionals to refer patients to a link worker, to co-design a non-clinical social prescription to improve their health and well-being. A lack of awareness of social prescribing has been suggested in the past, although no studies have been formally conducted to date to provide the evidence basis for this statement.AimExploring perceptions, understanding, and awareness of social prescribing among medical students across the UK.MethodStudent views were collected using a survey delivered before and after teaching sessions as part of the NHS England National Social Prescribing Student Champion Scheme. A total of 932 responses were recorded from 27 different medical schools.ResultsPre-session surveys suggested that 91% (n = 848) of medical students have never heard of the concept of social prescribing before the teaching session. Post-session surveys highlighted that 98% (n = 913) of students regarded the concept as useful and relevant to their future careers following teaching on the subject.ConclusionSurvey findings confirm a significant lack of awareness regarding social prescribing among medical students from 27 different medical schools across the UK. New strategies are needed to ensure the doctors of tomorrow are equipped with the necessary tools to achieve the recent outcomes for graduates which highlight the importance of personalised care and social sciences.

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Undergraduate anatomy teaching in the UK

Bulletin of The Royal College of Surgeons of England ◽

10.1308/147363509x407506 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 91 (3) ◽

pp. 102-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

P Gogalniceanu ◽

E Fitzgerald O'Connor ◽

A Raftery

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Basic Science ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

General Medical Council ◽

Junior Doctors ◽

Medical Council ◽

The Uk ◽

Teaching Time ◽

Anatomy Teaching

The UK undergraduate medical curriculum has undergone significant changes following the recommendation of Tomorrow's Doctors, a report by the UK's General Medical Council (GMC). One consequence of these reforms is believed to be an overall reduction in basic science teaching. Many anatomists, surgeons and medical students have objected to the reduction in anatomy teaching time, the diminishing role of dissection and the inadequate assessment of students' knowledge of anatomy. Moreover, there have been concerns regarding the future of anatomy as an academic subject as well as the fitness to practise of junior doctors. Currently there is much debate as to whether the UK is experiencing a real or apparent crisis in anatomy teaching.

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Are We Neglecting Nutrition in UK Medical Training? A Quantitative Analysis of Nutrition-Related Education in Postgraduate Medical Training Curriculums

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13030957 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 957

Author(s):

Laura Ganis ◽

Tatiana Christides

Keyword(s):

Nutrition Education ◽

Medical Training ◽

General Medical Council ◽

Education And Training ◽

Learning Objectives ◽

Medical Council ◽

Postgraduate Medical Training ◽

Medical Education And Training ◽

The Uk ◽

And Training

Suboptimal nutrition is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United Kingdom (UK). Although patients cite physicians as trusted information sources on diet and weight loss, studies suggest that the management of nutrition-related disorders is hindered by insufficient medical education and training. Objectives of this study were to: (1) Quantify nutrition-related learning objectives (NLOs) in UK postgraduate medical training curriculums and assess variation across specialties; (2) assess inclusion of nutrition-related modules; (3) assess the extent to which NLOs are knowledge-, skill-, or behaviour-based, and in which Good Medical Practice (GMP) Domain(s) they fall. 43 current postgraduate curriculums, approved by the General Medical Council (GMC) and representing a spectrum of patient-facing training pathways in the UK, were included. NLOs were identified using four keywords: ‘nutrition’, ‘diet’, ‘obesity’, and ‘lifestyle’. Where a keyword was used in a titled section followed by a number of objectives, this was designated as a ‘module’. Where possible, NLOs were coded with the information to address objective 3. A median of 15 NLOs (mean 24) were identified per curriculum. Eleven specialties (25.6%) had five or less NLOs identified, including General Practice. Surgical curriculums had a higher number of NLOs compared with medical (median 30 and 8.5, respectively), as well as a higher inclusion rate of nutrition-related modules (100% of curriculums versus 34.4%, respectively). 52.9% of NLOs were knowledge-based, 34.9% skill-based, and 12.2% behaviour-based. The most common GMP Domain assigned to NLOs was Domain 1: Knowledge, Skills and Performance (53.0%), followed by Domain 2: Safety and Quality (20.6%), 3: Communication, Partnership and Teamwork (18.7%), and 4: Maintaining Trust (7.7%). This study demonstrates considerable variability in the number of nutrition-related learning objectives in UK postgraduate medical training. As insufficient nutrition education and training may underlie inadequate doctor-patient discussions, the results of this analysis suggest a need for further evaluation of nutrition-related competencies in postgraduate training.

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Intravenous Fluid Prescribing Knowledge and Confidence in F1 Doctors

Bulletin of The Royal College of Surgeons of England ◽

10.1308/147363513x13588739440979 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 95 (6) ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

AGMT Powell ◽

VC Walker ◽

L Paterson-Brown ◽

G Clark ◽

GB Drummond ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Medical Council ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Intravenous Fluid ◽

Medical Council ◽

Undergraduate Training ◽

New Graduates ◽

Medical Graduates ◽

The Uk

Rach year in the UK, 7,500 F1 doctors take up post. Most are new graduates from UK medical schools. Teaching in the 33 medical schools in the UK is reviewed by the General Medical Council (GMC). Tomorrow's Doctors, published by the GMC, defines the knowledge, skills and behaviours that UK medical graduates should possess after completion of their undergraduate training.

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Introducing complementary medicine into the medical curriculum

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine ◽

10.1177/014107689709000107 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 90 (1) ◽

pp. 19-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Hagen Rampes ◽

Fiona Sharples ◽

Sarah Maragh ◽

Peter Fisher

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Complementary Medicine ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Great Increase ◽

General Medical Council ◽

Undergraduate Curriculum ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Medical Council ◽

Medical Undergraduate

We surveyed the deans of British medical schools to determine the provision of complementary medicine in the undergraduate curriculum. We also sampled medical students at one British medical school to determine their knowledge of, and views on instruction in, complementary medicine. There is little education in complementary medicine at British medical schools, but it is an area of active curriculum development. Students' levels of knowledge vary widely between different therapies. Most medical students would like to learn about acupuncture, hypnosis, homoeopathy and osteopathy. We conclude that complementary medicine should be included in the medical undergraduate curriculum. This could be done without a great increase in teaching of facts, and could serve as a vehicle to introduce broader issues, as recommended by the General Medical Council.

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