Browsing by Author "Van Schalkwyk, S. C."

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    Discourse of final-year medical students during clinical case presentations
    (Health and Medical Publishing Group (HMPG), 2011-06) Botha, H.; Van Schalkwyk, G. I.; Bezuidenhout, J.; Van Schalkwyk, S. C.
    Introduction: The need for medical students to adopt a discourse appropriate to the field is repeatedly emphasised by teaching staff during lectures and ward rounds. The acquisition of such discourse is often not assessed, resulting in inconsistency between the levels used among students of similar academic backgrounds. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which appropriate discourse was adopted by 9 medical students early in their final year during clinical case presentations, and to compare this usage with the students’ final results. Methods: Transcriptions of recorded case presentations by 9 students were assessed by 2 experts and a peer evaluator, using a rubric which drew on prior research in medical discourse, and included the prominent themes of terminology and thematic staging. These were then compared with their academic results. Results: Our findings show that most students are able to use the appropriate terminology when they reach their final year of study. However, our data also support the hypothesis that students with similar academic backgrounds may display considerable variation in their level of discourse. Although it appears as if the students were all beginning to shift towards a more mature form of medical discourse, the degree to which this occurs is sporadic. The apparent absence of a relationship between discursive competencies and academic achievement may suggest that the ability of assessment to encourage the adoption of disciplinary discourse is perhaps not being optimally applied, although further research is required.
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    Research involvement among undergraduate health sciences students : a cross-sectional study
    (BioMed Central, 2017-10-16) Bovijn, J.; Kajee, N.; Esterhuizen, T. M.; Van Schalkwyk, S. C.
    Background: The development of research capacity among undergraduates is an important intervention in countering the documented decrease in medical and health sciences researchers. The literature on undergraduate research generally emanates from smaller scale studies that have been conducted in high income countries, with a focus on medical students. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a Sub-Saharan country, included a population of medical and allied health professions (AHP) students, and aimed to improve our understanding of the factors influencing undergraduate student research. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to all students enrolled in an undergraduate programme at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa (including Medicine and four AHP programmes). Data was collected on a number of demographic characteristics and on 3 major outcome-themes: “voluntary research involvement”, “self-perceived research competence” and “future research participation”. Associations between characteristics and outcome themes were explored. Results: In total, 1815 students participated in the study (response rate 80.2%). Of all the demographic variables, discipline (AHP programmes vs. Medicine), male gender and prior undergraduate experience in a science degree were significantly associated with voluntary research involvement. Significantly higher levels of self-perceived research competence and greater interest in future research participation, were seen among participants from AHP programmes; males; and those with previous or current voluntary research involvement. Ethnicity and geographic background were not significantly associated with any of our outcomes. Conclusions: Our results offer important new evidence in support of the imperative to diversify the research work-force, in Sub-Saharan Africa and globally. Enhanced efforts aimed at achieving better academic representation in terms of gender, ethnicity, geographical and socio-economic backgrounds are strengthened by the findings of this study. Potential student researchers represent an important group amenable to further intervention. Further research may be required to explore the factors that determine the progression from interest to future participation in research.
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    We have to flap our wings or fall to the ground : the experiences of medical students on a longitudinal integrated clinical model
    (Health & Medical Publishing Group, 2015) Voss, M.; Coetzee, J. F.; Conradie, H.; Van Schalkwyk, S. C.
    Background. In 2011, Stellenbosch University introduced a district hospital-based longitudinal integrated model for final-year students as part of its rural clinical school. The present study is an analysis of students’ experiences during the first 3 years of the programme. Methods. All 13 students who started the programme between 2011 and 2013 were interviewed. Thematic networks linking recurrent issues were developed and transcripts were analysed against this framework using ATLAS.ti. Results. Two major themes emerged. These were ‘preparation for being a doctor’ and ‘academic/exam preparation’. Students were overwhelmingly positive about the working atmosphere and their preparation for clinical practice and felt that their learning had been facilitated by the flexibility of the programme and the requirement to take responsibility. This contrasted with their academic (‘book’) learning, which was characterised by uncertainty about expectations, particularly regarding exams and parity with learning at the central teaching hospital. The flexibility of the integrated approach was seen as a problematic lack of structure when it came to academic learning. Negative academic emotions were compounded by some frustration about administrative issues early in the programme. Conclusions. The district hospital-based longitudinal integrated model has great potential as a teaching platform for final-year students; however, students remain concerned about academic learning. Potential strategies to reduce student anxiety include more opportunities for dialogue between rural students and specialist teaching platforms, clearly communicated expectations – both about what the students can expect from the programme and about what is expected from them – and administrative excellence.