March 2010.

The way we study Medicine...the way we live the Medicine.

We couldn't avoid starting to talk about about us, our studies, our life in the University.

They asked us about our studies evaluation...

There is one topic which is truly bothering many students and is the mean topic of conversation for the past few days , most of us if not all are anoyed of the LONG CASE method of examining in the medicine department . Because its an impercise way of examing and typically unfair compared with the OSCE method. How do they examin you practical medicine in Spain?

And we told them about that....

Hi, I have just looked for OSCE in google search, cause I didn't know what you was talking to me about. Here, there's a similar say of examination that in being implemented, it's called ECOE (maybe, you don't recognize either this name...it means something like "objective clinic and structured evaluation" it's a bit crazy all this abbreviations and technics names, we have just the similar ways of evaluation, but we call them in different ways, so we think everything is very different but actually, it's not....don't you think so?

Well I tell you the basis of evaluation in Spain... Nowadays we`re in a transitional period, as we're changing our Studying and evaluation methods in most countrie to homogenize the Medicine studies in Europe and make exchanges and validations easier between different countries. Have you heard about Bolonya Process? It sounds great, doesn't it? but it also has its complexities and "black holes".

In the old system, the one I started Medicine with, we usually were examined with short or long questions and some test ones. Short and long questions are now disappearing and most of our exams are test ones, cause they try to make them similar to our most important exam, called MIR. It's a test exam, of about 250 questions and five hours long. We have it once we are already doctors (after passing our 6 years formation) in order to choose the specialization. Have you got a similar examination after finishing Medicine???

In the last three years of Medicine, the clinical ones, exam questions with clinical cases are being implemented, but it's just happening since last years, and some students are not so happy about that, cause it's very interesting and useful learning Medicine with this method (analyzing clinical situations and thinking about the diagnosis) but classes doesn't follow this method of teaching and finally we're being evaluated about something we have not been taught about.

Practical evaluation is the most "cool and fashion" evaluation method, ja, ja, it's like...student want it, professors want, but faculties have no money, no resources, so yes, it's being implemented, but little by little. As I told you before, it's the ECOEs. And we also fall down in the same mistake than with clinical cases evaluation form, cause we're not being taught about practical skills, at least, efficiently.

As I told, we're in a transitional period, and there's still a lot to do about this....

We're very interested to know how you do in your country to choose an medical specialization, if it depends on your curriculum, a final exam...? As you want, you can also tell us something more about that of the OSCE evaluation system, I'm not sure I got it.

And now there're plenty of comments to add about this theme, plenty of more interesting items about our studies, our activities in the Faculty.... to be me mentioned, plenty of curiosities to be asked....

Your turn has come.....