scholarly journals Peer-assisted feedback: a successful approach for providing feedback on United States Medical Licensing Exam-style clinical skills exam notes in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Kira Nagoshi ◽  
Zareen Zaidi ◽  
Ashleigh Wright ◽  
Carolyn Stalvey
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
The United States ◽  
University Of Florida ◽  
Educational Value ◽  
Successful Method ◽  
Medical Licensing ◽  
Graded Material ◽  
Faculty Time ◽  
The University

Purpose: Peer-assisted learning (PAL) promotes the development of communication, facilitates improvements in clinical skills, and is a way to provide feedback to learners. We utilized PAL as a conceptual framework to explore the feasibility of peer-assisted feedback (PAF) to improve note-writing skills without requiring faculty time. The aim was to assess whether PAL was a successful method to provide feedback on the United States Medical Licensing Exams (USMLE)-style clinical skills exam notes by using student feedback on a survey in the United States.Methods: The University of Florida College of Medicine administers clinical skills examination (CSEs) that include USMLE-like note-writing. PAL, in which students support the learning of their peers, was utilized as an alternative to faculty feedback. Second-year (MS2) and third-year (MS3) medical students taking CSEs participated in faculty-run note-grading sessions immediately after testing, which included explanations of grading rubrics and the feedback process. Students graded an anonymized peer’s notes. The graded material was then forwarded anonymously to its student author to review. Students were surveyed on their perceived ability to provide feedback and the benefits derived from PAF using a Likert scale (1–6) and open-ended comments during the 2017–2018 academic year.Results: Students felt generally positively about the activity, with mean scores for items related to educational value of 4.49 for MS2s and 5.11 for MS3s (out of 6). MS3s perceived peer feedback as constructive, felt that evaluating each other’s notes was beneficial, and felt that the exercise would improve their future notes. While still positive, MS2 students gave lower scores than the MS3 students.Conclusion: PAF was a successful method of providing feedback on student CSE notes, especially for MS3s. MS2s commented that although they learned during the process, they might be more invested in improving their note-writing as they approach their own USMLE exam.

Survey of Ovaprim Use as a Spawning Aid in Ornamental Fishes in the United States as Administered through the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory

2009 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey E. Hill ◽  
Kathy Heym Kilgore ◽  
Deborah B. Pouder ◽  
James F. F. Powell ◽  
Craig A. Watson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
University Of Florida ◽  
Tropical Aquaculture ◽  
The University

scholarly journals Evaluation of a course to prepare international students for the United States Medical Licensing Examination step 2 clinical skills exam

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel B. Levine ◽  
Andrew P. Levy ◽  
Robert Lubin ◽  
Sarah Halevi ◽  
Rebeca Rios ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Medical ◽  
Pass Rate ◽  
Pass Rates ◽  
Medical Licensing ◽  
Licensing Examination ◽  
Usmle Step

Purpose: United States (US) and Canadian citizens attending medical school abroad often desire to return to the US for residency, and therefore must pass US licensing exams. We describe a 2-day United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) step 2 clinical skills (CS) preparation course for students in the Technion American Medical School program (Haifa, Israel) between 2012 and 2016.Methods: Students completed pre- and post-course questionnaires. The paired t-test was used to measure students’ perceptions of knowledge, preparation, confidence, and competence in CS pre- and post-course. To test for differences by gender or country of birth, analysis of variance was used. We compared USMLE step 2 CS pass rates between the 5 years prior to the course and the 5 years during which the course was offered.Results: Ninety students took the course between 2012 and 2016. Course evaluations began in 2013. Seventy-three students agreed to participate in the evaluation, and 64 completed the pre- and post-course surveys. Of the 64 students, 58% were US-born and 53% were male. Students reported statistically significant improvements in confidence and competence in all areas. No differences were found by gender or country of origin. The average pass rate for the 5 years prior to the course was 82%, and the average pass rate for the 5 years of the course was 89%.Conclusion: A CS course delivered at an international medical school may help to close the gap between the pass rates of US and international medical graduates on a high-stakes licensing exam. More experience is needed to determine if this model is replicable.

scholarly journals Sequence Effects in the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) Examination

2007 ◽  
Vol 82 (Suppl) ◽  
pp. S101-S104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaitanya Ramineni ◽  
Polina Harik ◽  
Melissa J. Margolis ◽  
Brian E. Clauser ◽  
David B. Swanson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medical Licensing ◽  
Sequence Effects ◽  
Licensing Examination ◽  
Usmle Step

scholarly journals First Report of Meloidogyne marylandi Infecting Bermudagrass in Florida

Plant Disease ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 96 (10) ◽  
pp. 1583-1583 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. S. Sekora ◽  
W. T. Crow ◽  
T. Mekete
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cynodon Dactylon ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Root Tips ◽  
Root Knot Nematodes ◽  
University Of Florida ◽  
Mean Width ◽  
Meloidogyne Spp ◽  
The University

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are common parasites attacking turfgrasses in the United States, but the species of these nematodes is typically unresolved unless targeted surveys are performed (3). Using morphometric analysis and an RFLP method (3), an investigation of a golf course green in Florida with a history of infestation by root-knot nematodes was conducted to identify the species present. This ‘Tifdwarf’ bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis) putting green at the University of Florida Research Unit in Citra, FL, exhibited irregular patches of declining turf. Turf roots in these symptomatic areas had galled root tips with adhering egg masses, characteristic of infection from Meloidogyne spp. Mean populations of 5,149 ± 708 Meloidogyne second stage juveniles per 100 cm3 of soil were extracted from the rhizosphere of these symptomatic plants. Morphological measurements from 20 of these juveniles were slightly less than those published previously for M. marylandi, but were still distinct enough to discriminate them from M. graminis, which commonly infects bermudagrass in Florida (3). Body length averaged 396.1 ± 4.9 (376.7 to 420.0) μm with a mean width of 16.3 ± 0.5 (13.3 to 18.3) μm, stylet lengths were 11.2 ± 0.7 (6.7 to 12.3) μm, tail lengths averaged 54.7 ± 1.9 (47.5 to 65.0) μm with the hyaline region of the tails 9.9 ± 0.7 (8.3 to 14.2) μm. Mature females extracted from symptomatic root tissue lacked a posterior cone-like protuberance of the vulva typical of M. graminis. DNA was extracted from 15 single juveniles using a NaOH digestion method (2). The mitochondrial DNA region was amplified with PCR using the primers C2F3/1108 5′-GGTCAATGTTCAGAAATTTGTGG-3′ and 5′-TACCTTTGACCAATCACGCT-3′ (3). This resulted in a DNA fragment 520 bp in length, which upon digestion with SspI restriction enzyme produced four bands 148, 103, 91, and 67 bp in length, similar to what has been reported for M. marylandi (3). The PCR products were purified with a QIAquick PCR purification kit (QIAGEN, Valencia, CA) and sequenced at the University of Florida, Cancer Research and Genetics Institute. Sequences were compared with those in GenBank by means of BLAST search. The comparison showed a sequence similarity of 98% with M. marylandi (GenBank Accession No. JN241918.1). Although M. marylandi has been reported on bermudagrass in many areas of the United States and other places throughout the world (1,3,4), to our knowledge, this is the first detection of this nematode in Florida. Further studies will be conducted to determine the prevalence, incidence, severity of damage caused by M. marylandi, and determine a possible mode of dispersal on turfgrasses. References: (1) A. M. Golden. J. Nematol. 21:453, 1989. (2) J. Hübschen et al. Euro. J. Plant Pathol. 110:779, 2004. (3) M. A. McClure et al. Plant Dis. 96:635, 2012. (4) Y. Oka et al. Nematol. 5:727, 2003.

scholarly journals The Association of Severe Epidemics of Cucumber Mosaic in Commercial Fields of Pepper and Tobacco in North Florida with Inoculum in Commelina benghalensis and C. communis

Plant Disease ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 82 (10) ◽  
pp. 1172-1172 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Kucharek ◽  
D. E. Purcifull ◽  
R. G. Christie ◽  
K. D. Perkins
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cucurbita Pepo ◽  
The United States ◽  
Yield Losses ◽  
University Of Florida ◽  
Commelina Benghalensis ◽  
Alachua County ◽  
Coat Protein Mediated Resistance ◽  
The University ◽  
Line Patterns

Since 1995, severe epidemics of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) have occurred in select fields of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and pepper (Capsicum annuum) in three counties in northern Florida. Yield losses greater than 50% have occurred in both crops. Baker and Zettler (1) identified the presence of CMV in one plant of tropical spiderwort (Commelina benghalensis) in an organic garden on the campus of the University of Florida 10 years ago. In addition, they infected tropical spiderwort and Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis) with isolates of CMV. Since 1995, in one area of northern Alachua County, Asiatic dayflower has been found in abundance in and around some fields and found to be infected with CMV. Prior to this time, CMV had not been known to be epidemic in any crop in northern Florida. Also, commelinaceous weeds did not occur in such abundance in northern Florida. In Hamilton County, an epidemic of CMV occurred in one field of tobacco in 1997. Tropical spiderwort with viral-like symptoms was growing abundantly in that field. The symptoms in this weed included chlorotic ringspots and chevron-like line patterns. Light microscopy, with Azure A stain, revealed the presence of typical inclusions of CMV in pepper, tobacco, tropical spiderwort, and Asiatic dayflower. Symptomatic samples of the tobacco and the tropical spiderwort reacted in an immunodiffusion test with antiserum to a winged bean isolate of CMV (2). Extracts from tropical spiderwort (isolate 3603) were rubbed on squash. This isolate was thereafter maintained in squash (Cucurbita pepo cvs. Prelude II or Early Prolific Straightneck). Infected plants of both of these cultivars developed strong mosaic symptoms and were stunted. After passage through squash, the 3603 isolate induced mosaic in tobacco (cv. Burley 21). Some plants of the squash cultivars Destiny III and Liberator III, which have transgenic, coat protein-mediated resistance to CMV, developed restricted symptoms after inoculation with this isolate. CMV was recovered by back inoculation from symptomatic plants of these cultivars. Symptomless plants of tropical spiderwort transplanted from the field developed chlorotic ringspots and chevron-like line patterns following inoculation in the greenhouse with isolate 3603. Back inoculations to squash followed by immunodiffusion assays confirmed the presence of CMV in the inoculated tropical spiderwort plants but CMV was not detected in noninoculated control plants. This is the first report of tropical spiderwort being infected with CMV in a commercial situation in the United States. Because commelinaceous plants are well known to be excellent hosts of CMV (1), we believe that the increased presence of perennial, commelinaceous weeds is a factor contributing to the epidemics of CMV in northern Florida. References: (1) C. A. Baker and F. W. Zettler. Plant Dis. 72:513, 1988. (2) C. A. Ku-wite and D. E. Purcifull. Plant Dis. 66:1071, 1982.

scholarly journals The Introduction of Clinical Skills Assessment into the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE): A Description of USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS)

2005 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 22-25
Author(s):  
Richard E. Hawkins
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
The United States ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Clinical Skills Assessment ◽  
Medical Licensing ◽  
Training Quality ◽  
Licensing Examination ◽  
Usmle Step

ABSTRACT In June 2004, Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) was introduced into the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). The purpose of USMLE Step 2 CS is to ensure successful candidates for licensure in the United States possess the clinical skills that are essential for safe and effective patient care. Ensuring high quality in such a large-scale, performance-based test requires meticulous attention to detail at multiple levels in preparing for implementation. These levels include: case and test development, standardized patient training, quality assurance, scoring and standard setting. The authors describe the efforts undertaken to ensure the examination provides for a fair assessment of individual examinee performance with regard to those fundamental patient-centered skills.

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