Monthly Archives: November 2014

Medical Student Empathy In The Eye Of The (Self vs. Standardized Patient) Beholder

Posted on November 12, 2014 by DR MERL Reviews

   In this interesting study, more than 3,000 student – standardized patient (SP) encounters were analyzed by the gender and ethnicity of the participants.  Medical students and SPs completed non-identical evaluations of the medical student’s empathy.  Female students overall were … Continue reading →

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Resident Candidates (Mostly Unfamiliar With The Multiple Mini-Interview) Overall Prefer The Traditional Interview

Posted on November 12, 2014 by DR MERL Reviews

   Researchers anonymously surveyed emergency medicine residency interviewees at a single program (73% response rate).  Each candidate had undergone two traditional interviews and a 4-station Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) during their interview day.  Only 10% overall had previously experienced the MMI, … Continue reading →

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Residents & Faculty Share Some Perceptions Of The Problem Of Limited Resident Autonomy

Posted on November 12, 2014 by DR MERL Reviews

   Researchers asked faculty and residents in one pediatrics residency to respond to a survey with open-ended comments (response rates 70%+) yielding a quantitative and qualitative look at this important topic.  “Both groups agreed that faculty provided too much direction … Continue reading →

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Teaching Patient Safety

Posted on November 6, 2014 by DR MERL Reviews

 A three-day patient safety course was added to the curriculum of third year-students just prior to their clinical clerkships.  The course content included items such as causes of errors and quality improvement; teamwork and error-reporting; self-regulation and clerkship ethics; and … Continue reading →

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Possible Unintended Negative Consequences Of Quality Improvement (QI) Goals

Posted on November 1, 2014 by DR MERL Reviews

   This is an interesting qualitative “ethnographic” observational study of intraprofessional relationships between ER and general internal medicine (GIM) physicians in a major Canadian hospital, supplemented by ad hoc and scheduled interviews with faculty, residents, and nurses.  An institutional mandate … Continue reading →

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