Guidelines for undergraduate nuclear medicine education in the MBCHB programmes in South Africa

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Date
2015-02
Authors
Nel, Maria Glaudina
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Only six of the eight Schools of Medicine in South Africa are currently involved in presenting medical nuclear medicine education programmes. Nuclear medicine is traditionally taught at postgraduate level and no nationally accepted undergraduate medical nuclear medicine education guidelines exist. Due to the poor quality and inadequacy of referral letters to the local Nuclear Medicine Department, a need was identified to empower newly qualified doctors to utilise nuclear medicine imaging procedures more effectively. The researcher‟s intention was to investigate undergraduate medical nuclear medicine modules if they existed at the Schools of Medicine in South Africa. The aim was to use the research results to provide guidelines for a nationally accepted undergraduate medical nuclear medicine module. These guidelines could guide academic Nuclear Medicine Departments in ensuring that all medical students and future medical interns are exposed to the same level of undergraduate nuclear medicine education. The answers to specific, fixed questions regarding undergraduate medical nuclear medicine education, and the opinions of all academic and private nuclear medicine experts in South Africa were obtained. The value of the research for medical students will mainly be empowerment – they will be able to utilise nuclear medicine imaging studies effectively in their day-to-day patient care, though it will not turn them into “mini” nuclear medicine physicians. The research will also serve as a benchmark for the module during semester 6 of the MBChB programme of the School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State. The research tool that accomplished the measurement and conceptual analysis of the required data best was a semi-structured survey questionnaire consisting of both closed and open-ended questions, combining a quantitative study with qualitative components. A Likert-type frequency scale was used to identify specific undergraduate level topics to be included in such an educational module. Key persons were identified in each academic Nuclear Medicine Department to complete the main questionnaire on the existing medical curriculum and each department‟s undergraduate educational module. A shortened questionnaire, excluding the sections on the curriculum and the existing undergraduate nuclear medicine module, was also distributed electronically via the EvaSys system of the UFS, to all other academic and privately practising nuclear medicine experts in South Africa. This study was conducted in the inter-disciplinary fields of Health Professions Education and Nuclear Medicine Imaging education in the undergraduate MBChB programmes in South Africa. The focus was on compiling and providing guidelines for a standardised and uniform undergraduate medical nuclear medicine educational module that could be included in MBChB programmes in South Africa. Results and findings, comprising of existing secondary data (Study Objective 1) and the opinions of key persons (Study Objective 2) and expert nuclear medicine practitioners (Study Objective 3), were applied to compile and provide guidelines (Study Objective 4) for the required educational modules as benchmark to Schools of Medicine in South Africa to bridge the gap identified. This research study makes a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in the field of undergraduate medical nuclear medicine education in South African.
Afrikaans: Net ses van die agt Skole vir Geneeskude in Suid-Afrika is tans by mediese Kerngeneeskunde onderrigprogramme betrokke. Kerngeneeskunde word tradisioneel op nagraadse vlak aangebied en daar bestaan nie nasionaal aanvaarde onderrigriglyne vir voorgraadse mediese kerngeneeskunde nie. Weens die swak gehalte van verwysingsbriewe wat aan die plaaslike Kerngeneeskunde Departement gerig word, is „n behoefte geïdentifiseer om pasgekwalifiseerde dokters te bemagtig om kerngeneeskundige beeldingsprosedures meer doeltreffend aan te wend. Die navorser se mikpunt was om ondersoek in te stel na voorgraadse mediese kerngeneeskunde modules (indien sulke modules bestaan) by die Skole vir Geneeskunde in Suid-Afrika. Die doel was om die navorsingsresultate te gebruik om rigline vir „n nasionaal aanvaarde voorgraadse mediese kerngeneeskunde module saam te stel. Hierdie riglyne sou leiding kon verskaf aan akademiese Kerngeneeskunde Departemente, sodat hulle kan verseker dat alle mediese studente en toekomstige Intern dokters aan dieselfde vlakke van voorgraadse kerngeneeskundige opleiding blootgestel word. Die antwoorde vir spesifieke, vasgestelde vrae oor voorgraadse mediese kerngeneeskunde opleiding, en die menings van alle akademiese en privaat praktiserende deskundiges in die veld van Kerngeneeskunde in Suid-Afrika, is bekom. Die waarde van die navorsing vir mediese studente sal hoofsaaklik bemagtiging wees – hulle sal in staat wees om Kerngeneeskundige beeldingstudies doeltreffend aan te wend in hul daaglikse pasiënt hantering, hoewel dit hulle nie in “miniatuur” Kerngeneeskundiges sal verander nie. Die navorsing sal ook dien as „n standaard vir die module wat gedurende semester 6 van die MBChB program van die Skool vir Geneeskunde van die Fakulteit Gesondheidswetenskappe by die Universiteit van die Vrystaat aangebied word. Die navorsingsmetode wat die meting en konseptuele ontleding van die vereiste data die beste ondervang het, was „n kwantitatiewe halfgestruktureerde oorsigvraelys. Die halfgestruktureerde oorsigvraelyste het sowel oop as geslote vrae behels en daardeur is „n kwantitatiewe studie met kwalitatiewe komponente gekombineer. „n Likert-tipe frekwensieskaal is gebruik om spesifieke onderwerpe op voorgraadse vlak, wat in so „n program ingesluit sou kon word, te identifiseer. „n Sleutelpersoon is in elke akademiese Kerngeneeskunde Departement geïdentifiseer om die hoofvraelys oor die bestaande mediese kurrikulum, en oor elke department se voorgraadse Kerngeneeskundige opvoedkundige module, te voltooi. „n Verkorte vraelys, sonder die dele oor die kurrikulum en die bestaande voorgraadse mediese kerngeneeskunde-module, is elektronies, via die EvaSys navorsingsisteem van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat, aan alle ander akademiese en privaat praktiserende mediese kerngeneeskunde deskundiges in Suid-Afrika gestuur. Hierdie studie is uitgevoer in die inter-dissiplinêre velde van Gesondheidsberoepeonderwys en Kerngeneeskundige-beeldingsopvoedkunde in voorgraadse MBChB programme in Suid-Afrika. Die fokus was om riglyne saam te stel vir „n gestandaardiseerde en gelykvormige opleidingsmodule vir voorgraadse mediese kerngeneeskunde, wat in MBChB programme in Suid-Afrika ingesluit sou kon word. Die navorsings resultate en bevindinge, bestaande uit sekondêre data (Studie doelstelling 1), die menings van sleutelpersone (Studie doelstelling 2) asook die menings van alle ander akademiese en privaat praktiserende mediese kerngeneeskunde deskundiges in Suid-Afrika (Studie doelstelling 3), is gebruik vir die samestelling en verskaffing van riglyne vir die voorgraadse mediese kerngeneeskunde opleidingsmodule (Studie doelstelling 4) om te dien as maatstaf vir Skole vir Geneeskunde in Suid-Afrika om die geïdentifiseerde behoefte te oorbrug. Hierdie navorsingstudie maak 'n betekenisvolle bydrae op die gebied van voorgraadse mediese kerngeneeskunde onderwys in Suid- Afrika.
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Keywords
Undergraduate medical nuclear medicine education/teaching, Diagnostic imaging, Clinical imaging, Medical imaging, Education and teaching, Nuclear medicine -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa, Radiology -- Medical, Radiology, Undergraduates -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa, Dissertation (M.HPE. (Health Professions Education))--University of the Free State, 2015
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