gms | German Medical Science

4th Research in Medical Education (RIME) Symposium 2015

19.03-21.03.2015, München

The relationship between medical competencies and overall preparedness among graduates

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author presenting/speaker Sandra Sudmann - RWTH Aachen University, Medical Faculty, Aachen, Germany
  • Dajana Rath - University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen, Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Aachen, Germany
  • Anne Scherer - University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen, Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Aachen, Germany
  • Thomas Forkmann - University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen, Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Aachen, Germany
  • Siegfried Gauggel - University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen, Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Aachen, Germany

4th Research in Medical Education (RIME) Symposium 2015. München, 19.-21.03.2015. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2015. DocP22

doi: 10.3205/15rime37, urn:nbn:de:0183-15rime371

Veröffentlicht: 12. März 2015

© 2015 Sudmann et al.
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Gliederung

Text

Introduction: Medical curricula have been fully reformed in recent years. In this regard, research focused more strongly on general learning goals. The CanMEDS framework describes roles a medical professional may develop. These include, besides the role of a medical expert, for instance the role of a communicator [1]. Based on this idea, the Freiburg Questionnaire to Assess Competencies in Medicine (FKM, [2]) was designed. Consequently, the question emerged how competent and prepared graduates assess themselves after 6 years of medical studies.

Methods: A new survey was implemented in Aachen, Germany, developed from a theoretical model [3], [4]. At the end of their studies, 82 young doctors completed a questionnaire containing the FKM inventory. Graduates evaluated their medical competencies as well as their overall preparedness on a five-point Likert-scale (1=”not at all competent/prepared” and 5=“very much competent/prepared”).

Results: Overall graduates felt quite well prepared (M=3.7, SD=0.6). They claimed to be most competent in learning (M=4.1, SD=0.5) and communication (M=4.0, SD=0.7). Furthermore, we found high correlations between overall preparedness and more specific competencies such as medical expertise (r=.56, p<.001), team competence (r=.41, p<.001), and learning competence (r=.48, p<.001). Most interestingly, exam results were neither related to medical competencies nor to overall preparedness (all r<.30).

Discussion: This study revealed that the more young doctors assessed themselves as being medical experts, team competent, and learning competent, the more they felt prepared in general after six years of studying. To what extent specific elements of the curriculum and/or educational objectives had an impact on graduates’ subjective competencies should be analysed in further investigations. In order to investigate the transition from a student to a professional doctor, the survey could be expanded into a longitudinal study and combined with university surveys 1.5 years after the exam.


References

1.
Frank JR, Jabbour M. Report of the CanMEDS Phase IV Working Groups. Ottawa: The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; 2005
2.
Giesler M, Forster J, Biller S, Fabry G. Development of a questionnaire to assess medical competencies: Reliability and validity of the Questionnaire. GMS Z Med Ausbild. 2011;28(2):Doc31. DOI: 10.3205/zma000743 Externer Link
3.
Sudmann S, Scherer A, Rath D, Forkmann T, Gauggel S. Wie zufrieden sind die Studierenden des Aachener Modellstudiengangs Medizin am Ende ihres Studiums und welcher Zusammenhang besteht zum Prüfungserfolg? - Projektskizze Entwicklung eines Models und eines Fragebogens. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Medizinische Ausbildung (GMA). Graz, 26.-28.09.2013. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2013. DocP03_02. DOI: 10.3205/13gma022 Externer Link
4.
Cave J, Woolf K, Jones A, Dacre J. Easing the transition from student to doctor: How can medical schools help prepare their graduates for starting work? Med Teach. 2009;31(5):403-408. DOI: 10.1080/01421590802348127 Externer Link