It has been suggested that the 'ideal' measure of reliability of an examination is obtained by test and retest using the one examination on the same group of students. However, because of practical and theoretical arguments, most reported reliabilities for multiple choice examinations in medicine are actually measures of internal consistency. While attempting to minimize the effects of potential interfering factors, we have undertaken a study of true test-retest reliability of multiple true-false type multiple choice questions in preclinical medical subjects. From three end-of-term examinations, 363 items (106 of 449 from term 1, 150 of 499 from term 2, and 107 of 492 from term 3) were repeated in the final examination (out of 999 total items). Between test and retest, there was little overall decrease in the percentage of items answered correctly and a decrease of only 3.4 in the percentage score after correction for guessing. However, there was an inverse relation between test-retest interval and decrease in performance. Between test and retest, performance decreased significantly on 33 items and increased significantly on 11 items. Test-retest correlation coefficients were 0.70 to 0.78 for items from the separate terms and 0.885 for all items that were retested. Thus, overall, these items had a very high degree of reliability, approximately the 0.9 which has been specified as the requirement for being able to distinguish between individuals.
The multidiscipline laboratories (MDLs) of University of Malaya are a significant feature in the Faculty of Medicine. They provide facilities for a number of activities within the teaching curriculum. This is in contrast to the departmental type of laboratories. Being the first in the eastern hemisphere, they are gaining popularity among new medical schools in this part of the world. Since a number of visitors testify to a continued interest in the multidiscipline laboratories, an attempt is made to discuss our experience with these facilities in relation to tthe design, uses, organisation, staff requirement, student usage and space problems.
This paper describes the analysis of the written professional examinations administered at the Medical School, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), during the academic year 1979-80. It is a product of a collaborative activity involving medical teachers and two short-term consultants of the World Health Organization. The examination papers were analysed in order to identify content areas disproportionately emphasized in the examinations; to determine the quality and appropriateness of the examination items used; and to review the extent of continuity and integration across departments and courses. This paper is intended to introduce an approach to curriculum review which is based on analysis of the examination system. The procedures and sample outcomes are described and the implications for curriculum development and evaluation are discussed.
In the government hospitals of Malaysia quality assurance activities have been introduced since 1985. Local clinicians and other health care workers had been stimulated by the Ministry of Health to pursue these activities, but they found themselves untrained and ill-prepared for the job. With the help of the World Health Organization a programme of training courses has been set up and conducted, most recently, in February 1989. A model for teaching quality assurance was developed, geared towards the needs of the Malaysian clinicians and taking into account the recent progress made in the development of quality assurance approaches worldwide. Moreover, quality assurance results from one Malaysian hospital were used, thus increasing the relevance of the teaching. Results show that Malaysian clinicians have appreciated the training and have relaxed in their attitude towards quality assurance and the government's involvement in it. During the various courses pitfalls have been identified in the teaching of modern quality assurance in health care for audiences from developing and newly industrialized countries.
This study investigates the reasons for entry to medicine and the career perspectives of phase III medical students of the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). The majority of the students were Malays from low socio-economic backgrounds who entered medical school after completing a 2-year matriculation course. An interest in medicine and helping people were the two main stated reasons for entry to medical school. A group of students wishing to work in private practice was identified. In comparison to the rest of the study body, students in the group were: not well prepared to enter medical school; dissatisfied with the course; and subject to family influences. A desire for monetary gain motivated their choice of medicine as a career. Overall, 13% of the students wished to change career because they were dissatisfied with their experience of medicine as undergraduates. The study did not find a significant difference in career intentions between female and male medical students. However, women were less likely to seek entrance into private practice or pursue formal postgraduate education. The choice of surgery as a career was confined to men. About 90% of the students had already decided on their future specialty. Four well-established specialties were their most popular choices. The gender of the students had no significant influences of the decision to continue into postgraduate education. The proportion of female students who wished to marry doctors was significantly higher than for male students.
This study deals with personality variables of medical students in relation to their academic success in the preclinical stage. One hundred and one students completed the 16PF Questionnaire at the beginning of their medical course and the scores were analysed in relation to their marks obtained at the end of the 2-year preclinical stage. This study shows that the 16PF Questionnaire can be a useful instrument for identifying personality variables in candidates who are likely to have academic problems and those who are likely to do well in the preclinical stage of a medical course. Students of urban origin and the eldest in the family performed better in their preclinical years. Performance was not related to sex, ethnic group, family size of entrance qualification into medicine. Personality variables of being enthusiastic, venturesome, self-opinionated, imaginative, experimenting, resourceful and driven correlate positively with performance, whereas being self-assured has negative correlation. Problem students were more reserved, emotionally less stable and more apprehensive than non-problem students.
The suitability of physiology topics taught in the first-year dental curriculum needs to be investigated in the light of the view of the present generation of clinical and preclinical teachers, and students. This was studied in the University of Malaya in order to propose a rational physiology curriculum with proper identification of priority topics. Oral physiology, blood and the cardiovascular system were found to be the most relevant for dental students. Among the systems, high and low priority topics were identified and their relative importance is discussed.
To ascertain any differences in knowledge and perceptions of generic medicines between senior (final year) medical students and pharmacy pre-registrants in Australia.