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The methodological and statistical validity of 382 original articles published in the Journal of the Korean Medical Association, from January 1980 to December 1989 was reviewed by the author-devised c heck list consisting of 21 items (14 items for methodological validity and 7 items for methodology, and of 297 articles using statistical analyses a total of 290 articles (97.6%) were found to contain at least one error in statistical methods used. The mean and standard deviation of 'validity score of one article', defined as the total number of valid items devided by the total number of applicable items and then multiplied by 100, were 43.8 and 15.2, respectively. The distribution of validity score was as follows ; over 60 (57 articles, 14.9%), 30 to 59 (266 articles, 69.6%), and under 30 (59 articles, 15.5%). The proportion of articles, of which validity score was over 60, was significantly higher in descriptive study (19.4%) than in analytic study (8.4%, p = 0.003). Also the articles of over 60 in validity score were more frequent in survey (15.9%) than in experiment (8.2%), and in cross-sectional study (16.8%) than in longitudinal study (10.6%), but this finding was not statistically significant. The averaged validity score of two year period was highest in 1984-1955 (50.24), and lowest in 1986-1987 (38.85). There was no significant time trend of the averaged validity score over 10 years(p>0.1). These results suggest that medical articles published in Korea, 1980-1989, were short of their expected quality, and there have been no evidence of improvement with time. It is concluded that a basic training in biostatistical methods in the medical postgraduates and residencies, more consultation of medical investigators with statistician or other experts, and careful review by someone knowledgeable in biostatistics or research design before accepting a manuscript are needed. In addition, refutation should be allowed for the controversial point through the journal.
Biostatistics ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Korea* ; Longitudinal Studies ; Research Design ; Research Personnel

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Elective Course in Undergraduate Medical Education in Korea : Issues and Prospectives.

Yong Il KIM ; Soon Hyung LEE ; Yoon Ok AHN

Korean Journal of Medical Education.1991;3(1):36-51.

To cope with increasing demand on individualization in undergraduate medical education and to meet the effective learning in terms of buffering function to the explosive cumulation of biomedical scien tific knowledge and changing community needs, curricular renovation becomes a global trend. This step includes an important prerequisite aiming for encouragement of self-learning to prepare a confident life-long self-learner after graduation, as an effort looking forward the establishment of core curriculum and elective course. Among the various issues to adoption of elective course system in Korea, the followings are major concerns identified ; (1) lack of full understanding on its concept ; (2) educational misleading of the national licensing examination and decision-making body against future physician's roles and medical school objectives ; (3) lack of faculty effort or school incentive system on undergraduate medical education ; and (4) more basically, a socio-cultural intolerance against unequality among participants. Being aware of advantages of the elective course, an appropriate method that provides students an opportunity to determine future career choice after graduation with their earliest of the program, to facilitate a motivated learning and indepth study, and to encourage self-directed learning habit, should be developed during the undergraduate medical education program. We also conclude that medical community should explore all possible driving forces to eliminate the impeding factors as listed above and consider an appropriate evolutionary method including elective course of any scale or module during the undergraduate medical education program especially with emphasis for development of appropriate competency required for primary care physicians and research-minded specialists.
Career Choice ; Curriculum ; Education, Medical, Undergraduate* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Learning ; Licensure ; Motivation ; Physician's Role ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Schools, Medical ; Specialization

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Development Of A Checklist For Assessing The Methodological And Statistical Validity Of Medical Articles.

Yoon Ok AHN ; Hyeong Ki LEE

Korean Journal of Medical Education.1991;3(1):19-35.

It is necessary for medical readers or reviewers to assess critically the methodological and statistical validity of medical articles before accepting their results or conclusion. The authors develope d a validity-assessing checklist of 21 items. Among them 14 items for methodological validity included the followings : clear statement of research hypothesis or specific aims, suitable focus, definition of study population (or subjects), eligibility criteria, exclusion criteria, appropriateness of samples, description of methods in detail, desconclusion of accuracy, description of reliability, presence of control, susceptability bias, performance bias, detection bias, transfer bias. The last 5 items are applicable only to analytic study. And 7 errors to statistical validity : incomplete description of basic data, statistical test performed yet not defined, incomplete description of power or confidence interval, inadequate description of measures of central tendency or dispersion, incorrect analysis, multiplicity on hypothesis testing, unwarranted conclusion. The first 3 items are 'errors of omission', and the other are 'errors of commission'. The authors suggest the checklist be very helpful, but not perfect. Critical mind is needed, which enables someone to distinguish minor errors from major fallacies.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Checklist*

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The mentor’s role.

Ann ROLFE

Korean Journal of Medical Education.2016;28(3):315-316. doi:10.3946/kjme.2016.37

No abstract available.

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Measuring medical students’ empathy using direct verbal expressions.

Yera HUR ; A Ra CHO ; Sun KIM

Korean Journal of Medical Education.2016;28(3):305-313. doi:10.3946/kjme.2016.35

PURPOSE: Empathy is an important trait in physicians and a key element in the physician-patient relationship. Accordingly, one of the goals in medical education is developing empathy in students. We attempted to practically assess medical students’ empathy through their direct verbal expressions. METHODS: The medical students’ empathy was measured using the modified Pencil-and-Paper Empathy Rating Test by Winefield and Chur-Hansen (2001). The students took 15 minutes or so to complete the scale, and it was then scored by one of two trained evaluators (0 to 4 points for each item, for a total score of 40). The subjects were 605 medical students, and the data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, independent t-test, and one-way analysis of variance in SPSS version 21.0. RESULTS: The students’ empathy scores were low (mean, 12.13; standard deviation, 2.55); their most common responses (78.6%) registered as non-empathetic. Differences in empathy were observed by gender (female students>male students; t=-5.068, p<0.001), school system (medical school>medical college; t=-1.935, p=0.053), and academic level (pre-medical 1 year < other years; t=-4.050, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings lead us to the significant conclusion that there is the need for empathy enhancement training programs with practical content.
Education ; Education, Medical ; Empathy* ; Humans ; Physician-Patient Relations ; Professionalism ; Students, Medical

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Course-embedded assessment in Korean nursing baccalaureate education.

Hyun Kyoung KIM

Korean Journal of Medical Education.2016;28(3):295-303. doi:10.3946/kjme.2016.36

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the program outcome in nursing baccalaureate in Korea. The analysis based on course embedded assessment. The concrete objectives were establishment of program outcome assessment, confirmation of student competency through weighting of program outcomes, and using the results of the evaluation in the circular feedback process in a nursing school in Korea. METHODS: This study was conducted with a nursing education curriculum in a Korean nursing school. Data were collected through 28 students’ program outcome measurement from January 2013 to December 2014. Data were analyzed using a pairwise comparison method and analytic hierarchy process. RESULTS: There were 1 to 3 direct and indirect assessment tools and for each program outcomes and each tool had measurable rubrics. There were 1 to 3 direct assessment tools for each program outcome, and each tool had measurable rubrics. This model derived rank of program outcomes from "care integration" to "global perception" through weight calculation. All direct assessment results were over 70%. The indirect assessment results were over the cutoff except for program outcomes 4 and 7. CONCLUSION: Each step of course embedded assessment was adaptive in nursing program outcome measure. The achievement of learning outcome provided reasonable tools for faculty and students.
Curriculum ; Education* ; Education, Nursing ; Humans ; Korea ; Learning ; Methods ; Nursing* ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Schools, Nursing

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Influences of faculty evaluating system on educational performance of medical school faculty.

Hong Bin KIM ; Sun Jung MYUNG ; Hyeong Gon YU ; Ji Young CHANG ; Chan Soo SHIN

Korean Journal of Medical Education.2016;28(3):289-294. doi:10.3946/kjme.2016.34

PURPOSE: The promotion of educators is challenged by the lack of accepted standards to evaluate the quality and impact of educational activities. Traditionally, promotion is related to research productivity. This study developed an evaluation tool for educational performance of medical school faculty using educator portfolios (EPs). METHODS: Design principles and quantitative items for EPs were developed in a consensus workshop. These principles were tested in a simulation and revised based on feedback. The changes of total educational activities following introduction of the system were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 71% faculty members answered the simulation of the system and the score distributed widely (mean±standard deviation, 65.43±68.64). The introduction of new system significantly increased the total educational activities, especially in assistant professors. CONCLUSION: The authors offer comprehensive and practical tool for enhancing educational participation of faculty members. Further research for development of qualitative evaluation systems is needed.
Consensus Development Conferences as Topic ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Efficiency ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Schools, Medical*

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Students’ perception of the educational environment in medical college: a study based on DREEM questionnaire.

Asmita Ashok PATIL ; Vijaya Laxman CHAUDHARI

Korean Journal of Medical Education.2016;28(3):281-288. doi:10.3946/kjme.2016.32

PURPOSE: The educational environment (EE) plays a very important role in effective student learning. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) is a validated tool to assess the EE. This study aimed to collect baseline information about our medical student’s perception of the EE, and to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses as well as scope for improvements in the current EE. METHODS: Medical students and interns were included in this cross-sectional study. The DREEM questionnaire was used to measure students’ perceptions about the EE, which has five domains: students’ perceptions of learning; students’ perceptions of teachers; students’ academic self-perceptions; students’ perceptions of atmosphere; and students’ social self-perceptions. Students were asked to respond using a 5-point Likert-type scale. Data was analyzed using suitable tests and statistical significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: The mean global DREEM score was 123/200. All students had more positive than negative academic self-perception (21.24/32), perception of atmosphere (29.21/48), and perception of learning (28.99/48), while their social self-perception (17.48/28) was not too bad and perception of teachers (26.71/44) moved in the right direction. The fifth semester students perceived EE more positively than other semester students. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that all students perceived their EE positively. The positive points were that teachers were knowledgeable, that students had good friends, and they were confident about passing their exams. Problem areas observed were authoritarian teachers, overemphasis on factual learning, overly teacher-centered teaching, teachers getting angry, and the need for a support system for stressed students.
Atmosphere ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education ; Friends ; Humans ; Learning ; Self Concept ; Students, Medical

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