Background: With the expanding use of social media, medical students have been posting an increasing amount of content that against ethics and professionalism.　Objective: To develop a checklist for social media use within medical education based on our national survey.　Methods: We analyzed and classified unprofessional behaviors that occurred over the past ten years in Japan. Then, we developed an event-based checklist for the use of social media use.　Result: The behaviors violating ethics and professionalism were classified into 3 categories. We have developed a social media checklist consisting of 10 items.　Discussion: Since social networking services are becoming vital information technology, every medical student or professional may risk unprofessional behaviors when they post or exchange any professional information. We propose appropriate education using an event-based checklist for social media usage.

Introduction: To implement effective medical education, it is important to clarify the process of recognizing and comprehending medical terms.　Methods: We conducted a questionnaire survey of 492 first- to fifth-year medical students to evaluate the recognition and comprehension rates of 57 medical terms in each grade. The terms were classified using the hierarchical cluster analysis based on the recognition and comprehension rates.　Results: The response rate was 91.1% (n=448). The 57 terms were classified into the following five clusters: #1, 30 terms that the students recognized and comprehended from Y1; #2, 18 terms that the students recognized from Y1 and comprehended as the grade increased; #3, six terms that the students recognized and comprehended as the grade increased; #4, two terms that the students recognized from Y1 but had not comprehended even in upper grades; #5, one term that the students recognized as the grade increased but had not comprehended even in Y5.　Discussion: Teachers may need to devise educational strategies while considering different patterns of students’ recognition and comprehension of medical terms.

We have conducted a nationwide survey on faculty development for simulation-based medical education in Japan. The response rate was 90%. Forty-seven (68%) schools have implemented faculty development programs for simulation-based education. The most commonly implemented contents were standardized patient development, task trainer, high fidelity manikin operation, and student evaluation, which were related to objective structured clinical examination objective clinical skill assessment. Only 15 percent of medical schools implemented topics on reflective practice, and scientific writing. A constraint on faculty time was the most commonly perceived barrier to simulation use (mentioned by 62 schools; 90%).

Abstract:

 This study examined the ability of medical students to self-assess basic clinical competence and learning strategies including simulation-based medical education for sixth-year medical students (n=903) at nine universities in Japan. About 40% of 27 procedures to achieve clinical skills in a model curriculum were taught using simulators with or without clinical training in hospitals. We noted that significant numbers of procedures were not practiced through any learning strategies. Higher self-assessment scores were observed among students in 4 schools who had more frequent learning opportunities through simulation-based education than among those with less frequent opportunities in 5 schools.

　Based on our experience of visiting the Medical Council of Canada and observing large-scale OSCE (objective structured clinical examination) in Canadian Qualifying Examination Part II , we report differences operation system, implementation status, and examination questions compared to Japan. This very important examination after the post-graduate residency program may provide several invaluable tips when we introduce nation-wide clinical performance examinations.

　To encourage the broad use of simulation-based medical education and establish partnerships to promote objective structured clinical examinations after clinical clerkship among medical teachers, we hosted the first team-based clinical skills competition event for medical students in Japan, named ‘Medical Students' Simlympic Games 2014'. Thirty-six (12 teams of three) open-recruited 5th or 6th grade medical students participated in this event. Student teams performed clinical tasks at 6 stations, which actively utilized the strengths of simulators or simulated patients. Contents, composition, difficulty level, and validity were tested by trainee doctors and examined by committee members in advance. In this report, we describe our concept, executive committee formation, a variety of arrangements, the outline on the day of the event, and the results of a questionnaire targeting participants. (126 words)

Because recent changes in medical care security policy have made clinical skills training difficult, even in teaching hospitals, training with suitable models and simulators is becoming essential for medical students to acquire clinical skills. On the basis of these changes, we performed a nationwide survey on the prevalence and application of clinical skills laboratories for clerkships in Japan. Registered questionnaires were sent to all medical schools in Japan （n＝80） in December 2012. The response forms were filled out by clinical instructors and by the staff responsible for the skills laboratory. The response rate was 94% （75 of 80 schools）. Seventy-one schools （95%） have already installed clinical skills laboratory; however, floor area and availability varied greatly among schools. Floor space ranged from 24 to 2,250 m2 （median, 214 m2）. The number of uses of the facility by medical students in the 2011 school year ranged from less than 100 to more than 10,000 （median, 1,402）. Forty-two schools （59%） had a resident director for the skills laboratory. Simulators of most universities （> 90%） were venopuncture simulators, lung-sound simulators, basic life support mannequins, heart-sound simulators, surgical suture trainers, and automated external defibrillator trainers, and all were frequently used. These results suggest considerable differences among schools in simulation-based learning environments during clinical clerkships. Although most medical schools in Japan have their own clinical skills laboratories, their size, service, and frequency of use vary greatly.