International Medical Education

Scholarly activity and teaching are recognized components of radiology training, but their distribution across residency years is poorly characterized in Italy. We conducted an anonymous cross-sectional online survey of Italian radiology residents between August and September 2024. Among 176 consenting respondents, we assessed scientific article authorship, congress presentation experience, and formal teaching experience. Associations with postgraduate year (PGY) were examined using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for sex and geographic macroarea, with Holm correction across the three main outcomes. Overall, 40.3% reported scientific article authorship, 34.7% congress presentation experience, and 31.8% formal teaching experience; 10.2% had been first author on a scientific article. Article authorship was reported by 16.7% of PGY1 and 64.5% of PGY4 residents, with higher adjusted odds in PGY3 (aOR 6.49, 95% CI 2.54–16.55) and PGY4 (aOR 9.58, 95% CI 3.34–27.48). Congress presentation experience was reported by 56.6% of PGY3 residents, while formal teaching was most frequent in PGY4 (58.1%; aOR 5.61, 95% CI 2.07–15.24 vs. PGY1). Perceived value of research did not differ across PGYs. Scholarly and formal teaching engagement was more frequently reported among later-year residents; longitudinal studies are needed to characterize within-resident development. Full article

Background: Health Informatics (HI) education aims to prepare graduates to contribute to digitally enabled healthcare. However, HI programme evaluations have largely focused on employment and career outcomes, providing limited insight into graduates’ subsequent contributions to digital health technology. This study aimed to characterise the professional paths of graduates from nearly two decades of a Master’s in Health Informatics programme and explore their technological contributions using the proposed Digital Health Workforce Activation Index (D-WAI). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 166 MHI graduates up to 2024; 65 responded (39.2%). Survey responses informed the D-WAI, comprising technological activation, role relevance, and current user base. Results: Respondents broadly reflected the graduate population, although representativeness tests had limited statistical power. Most reported a positive career impact (86.2%), attributed primarily to applied HI knowledge (81.5%) rather than improved employability (58.5%). However, translation into technological practice was less consistent: 53.8% had participated in health technology development, resulting in a D-WAI of 0.37. Among these graduates, role relevance was high (0.877), whereas current user base was moderate (0.494). Conclusions: Only half contributed to health technology development, despite strong role relevance among developers. The D-WAI may complement employment-based evaluation by providing an additional perspective on graduates’ technological contributions to digital health. Full article

Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare systems and medical education worldwide. However, data on medical students’ usage patterns, perceptions, and motivation toward AI remain limited in Tunisia. This study aimed to assess these three dimensions among medical students at the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse. Methods: A cross-sectional study using cluster (session-based) sampling was conducted among medical students (pre-clinical, clinical/extern, and internship years) at the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse during the 2024–2025 academic year. The minimum required sample size, calculated using the Schwartz formula (expected proportion 50%, 5% margin of error, 95% confidence level), was 384 students. Data were collected using a paper-based self-administered questionnaire distributed during tutorial sessions for externs and clinical rotations for interns. Univariate analyses (Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test) and multivariate stepwise binary logistic regression were performed. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 495 students participated, exceeding the calculated minimum sample size, with a mean age of 21.96 ± 1.77 years and 55.6% females. Most students (81.0%) were familiar with AI, and 90.5% reported using it, mainly for research (87.1%), exam preparation (57.0%), and writing tasks (52.1%). The mean perception score for AI in medical education was 5.04 ± 2.01/10, with 34.5% classified as positive. For clinical practice, the mean score was 2.40 ± 1.10/5, with 45.5% positive perception. Fear of dehumanization was reported by 72.3%, and only 15.2% believed AI would improve diagnostic accuracy. The mean motivation score was 28.53 ± 5.17/45, with 45.0% showing high motivation. In multivariate analysis, high frequency of AI use was the factor most consistently associated with these outcomes across all models (ORa: 1.73–6.47, p < 0.05). Female gender was associated with positive perception in education (ORa = 1.73, p = 0.030) and higher motivation (ORa = 3.35, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This first Tunisian study shows that medical students have widely adopted AI, with 90.5% currently using AI in their learning activities. Perceptions remain mixed, with low trust in AI-generated content despite high usage and strong demand for training. Frequency of use is the factor most consistently associated with positive perception and motivation, highlighting the importance of structured, supervised, hands-on AI education in medical curricula. Full article

Introduction: Scientific Competence (SC) is a central objective in medical education, but its conceptualization remains insufficiently differentiated, particularly regarding the relationship between evidence use and participation in scientific knowledge generation. Objective: This study reconstructs how physiology educators conceptualized SC and related different forms of scientific engagement within their professional orientation frameworks. Methods: Three group discussions were conducted in 2015–2016 with physiology educators from two German medical faculties and a didactic workshop of the German Physiological Society (n = 30). Bohnsack’s documentary method was used to reconstruct shared and contrasting professional orientation frameworks. Results: SC encompassed scientific thinking, scientific practices, and scientific agency. Critical appraisal, methodological understanding, and evidence-informed medical practice were consistently constructed as relevant to future physicians. Autonomous participation in knowledge generation was also valued, but its curricular positioning varied: participants differed in whether authentic inquiry should be expected of all students or whether more sustained independent research participation should primarily be associated with research-oriented trajectories. Conclusions: This historically situated reconstruction suggests that the central curricular question is not simply whether SC should be developed, but which forms of scientific participation should be expected of all physicians and which remain more closely associated with research-oriented trajectories. The findings offer conceptual hypotheses for examining this distinction in contemporary medical education. Full article

Background: Fiberoptic bronchoscopy training is constrained by high equipment costs and limited patient availability. This pilot feasibility and usability study describes the development and preliminary evaluation of a Simulation-Based VR Bronchoscopy Training system that incorporates game-design elements (an objective-based task, real-time scoring, and feedback) within an ADDIE-driven development framework. A high-fidelity prototype was built for the Meta Quest 3. Methods: Ten experienced anesthesiologists completed a pre-test, a one-week practice period (participants were instructed to complete at least 3–4 sessions/week, approximately 4–6 h total, with standardized technical support), and a post-test. Procedural time and mucosal collisions, System Usability Scale (SUS), perceived realism, and motion sickness were assessed; pre-/post-test differences were analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: System usability was rated “Excellent” (mean SUS = 81.80, SD = 7.02). Mean procedural completion time decreased significantly from 41.00 s (median 38.50, IQR 28.25–46.75) to 27.00 s (median 24.50, IQR 15.25–35.00; Z = −2.80, p = 0.005, r = −0.89), with all 10 participants improving. Mucosal collisions decreased from a mean of 3.80 (median 3.5) to 3.30 (median 3.0), a non-significant change (Z = −1.07, p = 0.285, r = −0.62); only 3 of 10 participants showed any change in collision count. Perceived realism was rated highly (21.90/25.00) and motion sickness was minimal (2.80/30.00). Conclusions: This pilot study indicates that the simulation is feasible, usable, and well accepted by experienced anesthesiologists, with a preliminary improvement in simulated procedural fluency. Given the small, experienced, single-group sample and the absence of a control condition, these findings should be interpreted as evidence of feasibility and usability rather than demonstrated training effectiveness; larger, controlled studies including novice learners are needed. Full article

Background: Conversational artificial intelligence (AI), including chatbots, large language models, virtual agents, and embodied conversational systems, is increasingly being introduced into healthcare, rehabilitation, education, and professional practice. In pediatric occupational therapy, these technologies could potentially support clinical documentation, professional reasoning, parent coaching, therapeutic engagement, home-program implementation, and access to information. However, the profession-specific evidence remains fragmented, and the implications for children, families, and occupational therapists have not been comprehensively examined. Objective: This comprehensive narrative review aims to critically examine the current and emerging applications of conversational AI in pediatric occupational therapy, integrate direct and transferable evidence, evaluate its alignment with occupation- and family-centered practice, and identify priorities for responsible future development. Methods: A structured multidisciplinary literature search was conducted across health, rehabilitation, allied-health, education, and computer-science databases. The narrative synthesis was guided by the quality domains of the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles. Evidence was organized across four interconnected levels: direct pediatric occupational therapy research, broader occupational therapy applications, transferable pediatric evidence, and foundational literature concerning conversational-AI design, implementation, and governance. Results: Direct pediatric occupational therapy evidence remains limited but demonstrates two emerging directions: therapist-facing large language models supporting clinical documentation and child-facing embodied conversational systems intended to facilitate therapeutic engagement. The wider literature indicates potential applications in clinical reasoning, professional education, reflective practice, caregiver coaching, adherence, home routines, waiting-list support, and personalized communication. Nevertheless, most evidence is preliminary, heterogeneous, and based on small samples, technical prototypes, simulations, or indirect pediatric applications. Major unresolved concerns include developmental appropriateness, hallucinated information, algorithmic bias, privacy, safeguarding, emotional attachment, automation bias, professional accountability, and limited evaluation of participation and occupational outcomes. Conclusions: Conversational AI may become a valuable augmentative tool in pediatric occupational therapy, but it should not replace occupational therapists, contextual clinical reasoning, or therapeutic relationships. Future systems should be occupation-centered, family-centered, developmentally appropriate, transparent, context-sensitive, and governed through professional oversight. Co-design with children, caregivers, and occupational therapists, together with rigorous real-world evaluation, will be important before routine clinical use can be considered. Full article

Background: General Practice is facing workforce shortages across Europe. In Italy, the estimated shortage was 5575 General Practitioners in 2024, with high retirement rates and persistent difficulties in attracting new physicians to the profession. This study investigated postgraduate career intentions among medical students and factors associated with interest in General Practice. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using an anonymous 39-item questionnaire was conducted among fifth- and sixth-year medical students at the University of Milan. Associations were assessed using ordinal and multinomial logistic regression. Results: Among 359 respondents (response rate: 46.8%), only 2.2% identified General Practice as their preferred postgraduate career. Students considering General Practice attributed greater importance to community-based work (OR = 18.49, 95% CI 3.35–102.02) and professional autonomy (OR = 4.47, 95% CI 1.03–19.44). Previous community-based primary care experience was associated with choosing General Practice (OR = 32.43, 95% CI 3.85–273.50). Most students perceived theoretical and practical General Practice training as less adequate than that of other specialties, and only 25.1% considered their preparation sufficient to support career decision-making. Conclusions: Strengthening the academic integration of General Practice and meaningful community-based learning opportunities may contribute to more informed career choices while better preparing future physicians for healthcare systems increasingly centred on Primary Health Care. Full article

General practitioners (GPs) are at the forefront of stunting interventions, but only a few studies have examined their understanding of growth monitoring. Therefore, this study aims to assess the effectiveness of massive open online course (MOOC)-based Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs to increase GPs’ knowledge of nutrition and early detection of growth abnormalities. The study procedures were carried out using a pre- and post-cohort approach involving 121 GPs, mostly working in primary care in Indonesia. The pre- and post-test scores were observed before and after the 12-week MOOC intervention, and the participants were asked for feedback. There were 190 verified participants; the attrition rate was 27.4% (n = 52), and there were six participants with incomplete data, leaving 121 participants as the final sample. The results showed that post-test scores significantly increased after intervention in all domains. These domains included early-life nutrition (7.00 to 9.00), breastfeeding and lactation management (5.56 to 7.78), and feeding problems (7.33 to 8.00) (p < 0.001). Participants reported high satisfaction and preferred a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning. The feedback suggested improving parental education techniques, specifically in low-socioeconomic settings, and strengthening collaboration between GPs and nutritionists in managing feeding problems. Full article

This study investigated academic and environmental predictors of national licensing examination success among physical therapy graduates in Thailand, examining overall academic achievement, domain-specific competencies (Code 01: Law/Ethics/Administration; Code 02: Techniques; Code 03: Clinical), admission pathway, and COVID-19-related online-learning disruption. This retrospective cohort study analyzed 342 graduates (2020–2023) using multivariable logistic regression and Pearson correlation, with GPA-based predictors rescaled per 0.1-point increase. Undergraduate GPAX and Code 02/03 grades were the strongest positive predictors of both first-attempt and annual licensing success (adjusted OR range 1.35–1.74, all p < 0.001). Online-learning duration reduced first-attempt odds by 24% (OR = 0.757, p = 0.036) but did not affect annual success, while TCAS admission round was a significant negative predictor of first-attempt success only in the model excluding domain-specific scores (OR = 0.671, p = 0.011); Code 01 score was not significant in any model. These findings indicate that domain-specific academic performance, rather than general achievement or admission pathway, was the strongest predictor of licensing success, underscoring the value of early monitoring of coursework performance for identifying at-risk students. Full article

Generative artificial intelligence has been rapidly adopted by university students, yet there is limited evidence describing how and why medical students use it, particularly in regional settings. This cross-sectional study examined the use of generative artificial intelligence for learning and assessment among medical students at James Cook University, a regional Australian medical school with three North Queensland campuses. All enrolled students (Years 1–6) were invited to complete a 24-item online survey; closed-ended items were analysed using frequency and bivariate analyses by year level and gender, with correction for multiple comparisons, and open-ended responses were analysed using qualitative content analysis. In total, 438 students responded. Eighty percent reported using artificial intelligence for their studies or assignments, and 95% supported its use in medical education in some capacity. The most common uses were explaining concepts (56%) and answering medical content questions (54%). Pre-clinical students reported greater study-related use, whereas clinical year students reported greater assessment-related use. Male students also reported higher levels of use, willingness to pay, and trust in AI tools. Although uptake was high, trust was moderate, and students expressed concerns about professionalism and critical thinking. Medical schools should provide explicit guidance on acceptable use, incorporate artificial intelligence literacy training and ethical use guidelines, and redesign assessment to protect the skills students perceive to be most at risk. Full article

Evolutionary medicine (EM) applies evolutionary principles to explain disease mechanisms and improve clinical practice, yet it remains underrepresented in medical education, particularly in non-Western settings. This study investigated Egyptian medical students’ perceptions of EM by assessing their acceptance of evolutionary theory, knowledge of natural selection, and perceived barriers to EM education. A cross-sectional, multicentre online survey was conducted among 589 undergraduate medical students from seven Egyptian medical schools. Acceptance of evolution was measured using the Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE 2.0), and knowledge was assessed using the Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection (CINS). Students demonstrated limited knowledge and relatively low acceptance of evolutionary theory, while a substantial proportion had no previous awareness of EM. Nevertheless, many students supported integrating EM into medical curricula and recognized its potential contribution to research and clinical practice. Curriculum overload and religious concerns were among the most frequently perceived barriers to EM integration. These findings identify important gaps in students’ exposure to and understanding of evolutionary concepts and support the integration of clinically relevant, culturally responsive evolutionary education into undergraduate medical curricula to strengthen evolutionary literacy and facilitate meaningful engagement with EM. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mentoring may support professional development in medicine, but experiences and perceived programme availability may differ across career stages. We aimed to describe previous mentoring participation, perceived availability, satisfaction, preferred topics and formats, and responses to a generic digital facilitation item among medical students and physicians responding to an open survey in Switzerland. Methods: An open cross-sectional Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) survey was conducted from November 2024 to March 2025. Of 672 submitted records, 548 (81.5%) were complete and used for principal analyses. Analyses were descriptive and exploratory using valid item-level denominators. Results: Respondents were predominantly German-speaking (473/546, 86.6%), and 263/375 physicians (70.1%) worked in Bern. Previous mentoring participation was reported by 177/545 respondents (32.5%); 91/163 (55.8%) rated prior mentoring positively. Programme availability was perceived as insufficient by 475/530 (89.6%), while 515/545 (94.5%) anticipated professional benefit. Career advice was the most frequently selected topic. Previous participation increased from 21.3% among medical students to 44.6% among senior physicians, whereas perceived insufficiency remained high across career stages (85.5–97.4%). Conclusions: Within this self-selected, predominantly German-speaking and Bern-based respondent sample, previous participation in medical mentoring programmes was relatively uncommon, while perceived insufficiency of programme availability was consistently high across professional stages. Career advice emerged as a shared priority across career groups. These findings describe respondent-level perceptions and should not be interpreted as estimates of mentoring availability or unmet need across Switzerland. Full article

Background/Objectives: Empathy is a fundamental component of patient-centered care and plays a critical role in the physician–patient relationship. This study aimed to evaluate empathy levels among undergraduate medical students at a medical university in Romania, examined from a Medical Humanities perspective, and to analyze how these scores are distributed according to gender, academic year, clinical stage, and direct experience with patient contact. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among 209 undergraduate medical students across all six academic years. Empathy levels were assessed using the Romanian-language version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy—Student Version (JSE-S). Differences in empathy scores were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) post hoc comparisons. Statistical significance was set at an alpha level of less than 0.05. Results: Internal consistency of the JSE-S total scale was good (Cronbach’s α = 0.829). The overall mean total JSE-S score was 107.34 ± 14.34. Female students demonstrated significantly higher empathy scores compared to male students (109.92 ± 13.10 versus 99.37 ± 15.20; t = 4.450; p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.77). No statistically significant differences were found between preclinical and clinical stage students (106.84 ± 14.75 versus 108.98 ± 12.90; p = 0.363; Cohen’s d = −0.15), between students with and without direct patient contact (108.20 ± 14.14 versus 104.48 ± 14.78; p = 0.115; Cohen’s d = 0.26), or across the six academic years (F = 1.614; p = 0.158; partial η² = 0.038). Conclusions: Medical students demonstrated moderate-to-high empathy levels, with gender representing the only statistically significant demographic factor. The absence of major differences across academic-year cohorts and clinical exposure suggests that empathy levels were comparably represented across the different stages of training within this cross-sectional sample. These findings contribute descriptive data on empathy levels among Romanian medical students and highlight gender as the main factor associated with variation in empathy scores in this sample. Full article

Large language model-enabled virtual patients may expand access to clinical skills practice by supporting explicitly defined practice tasks. This program evaluation examined medical students’ awareness, use, and perceptions of the McMaster Virtual SP Tool, a custom generative artificial intelligence tool developed to supplement clinical skills practice. We conducted an anonymous, single-institution cross-sectional survey of students across three cohorts at McMaster University. Quantitative responses were summarized descriptively, and free-text responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis informed by task-aligned fidelity, deliberate practice, learner-centred feedback, and simulation instructional design. Thirty-five students responded; 23 (65.7%) were aware of the tool and 16 (45.7%) had used it. Among the 16 users, 15/16 (93.8%) found the tool at least somewhat easy to navigate; 13 (81.3%) would use it again; and 13 (81.3%) would recommend it. Across all respondents, 14/35 (40.0%) reported using AI-enabled virtual patients for OSCE preparation. Users valued its accessibility, independent low-stakes rehearsal, and usefulness for focused history-taking, question wording, and clinical reasoning. Perceived limitations included reduced human connection, nonverbal and emotional realism, physical examination practice, and feedback specificity. AI-enabled virtual patients may therefore be considered as adjuncts for selected cognitive and structural rehearsal tasks. Objective educational outcomes were not assessed. Full article

Background and Objectives: Digital tools are now embedded in anesthesia and intensive care, but access to them, and in particular to digital educational resources, is distributed unevenly across professional groups. This study describes how nurses, residents, and specialist physicians in one department appraise the contribution of digital technologies to continuing education, patient safety, and clinical and managerial decision-making, and how they report using the digital educational resources available to them. The study is descriptive and exploratory. It does not evaluate an educational intervention and does not measure learning. Methods: We conducted an anonymous, paper-based cross-sectional survey of all 198 clinical staff of a tertiary anesthesia and intensive care department between 2 June and 31 July 2025; 161 questionnaires were analyzable (81.3%). The instrument was investigator-developed and has not been validated, and it is therefore treated as a set of individual items rather than as a scale. Four trichotomous items (Yes/No/Cannot appraise) covering continuing education, patient safety, clinical decision-making, and managerial decision-making were designated primary outcomes and are reported as proportions with Wilson 95% confidence intervals, together with between-group differences and their confidence intervals; overall comparisons used the chi-square or Fisher exact test with Cramér’s V as the effect size. Reporting follows STROBE and the CROSS checklist for survey research. Composite indices, regression models, and correlation analyses were devised after data inspection, are labelled exploratory, and are not reported in this manuscript. Results: Daily use of at least one digital tool was reported by 98.1% of respondents. An educational contribution was affirmed by 56.4% of nurses (95% CI 43.3–68.6), 91.9% of residents (82.5–96.5), and 93.2% of specialists (81.8–97.7); the difference was 35.5 percentage points between residents and nurses (95% CI 20.1–49.4) and 36.8 points between specialists and nurses (20.1–50.7). Response distributions differed by professional category on all four items (p < 0.001 for education, patient safety, and clinical decisions; p = 0.005 for managerial decisions; Cramér’s V 0.22–0.31). Explicit disagreement was very rare (1 to 4 respondents per item), so the differences consist almost entirely of the “Cannot appraise” category, which is reported descriptively because the reason for that response was not measured. Reported use of digital educational resources followed the same ordering: e-learning 50.9% of nurses, 98.4% of residents, 93.2% of specialists; simulators 18.2%, 72.6%, 50.0%; webinars 65.5%, 67.7%, 86.4%. These proportions correspond to documented differences in institutional access, since simulation rotations were mandatory for residents only and the e-learning platform was opened to physicians in 2021 but to nursing staff only in October 2023. Conclusions: In this single department, response distributions on all four appraisal items differed by professional category, and reported use of digital educational resources was lowest in the group with the latest and most restricted institutional access. Because the groups used different technologies under different access conditions, these differences cannot be attributed to professional role itself, and because no learning outcome was measured they are not evidence of educational benefit. The findings are exploratory and support the hypothesis that equalizing access to digital educational resources deserves prospective evaluation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Opportunities for pre-service midwifery students to manage postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), a high-risk, infrequent emergency, are limited. Virtual reality (VR) can provide contextual decision-making practice, whereas mannequin training provides tactile psychomotor practice. Evidence on combining these modalities and their instructional sequence remains limited. This exploratory pilot study examined implementation and preliminary outcomes of a blended lecture–VR–mannequin program. Methods: Ten final-year midwifery students were allocated by drawing lots to lecture–VR–mannequin (L–VR–M; n = 5) or lecture–mannequin–VR (L–M–VR; n = 5). Performance was assessed using an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) before and after the program; motivation was assessed using the Course Interest Survey after the program. Analyses were exploratory, with effect sizes and Hodges–Lehmann confidence intervals reported alongside p values. Results: No statistically significant between-sequence differences were found. Across all participants, the median OSCE score increased from 34.5 (IQR, 31.0–35.0) to 44.0 (IQR, 41.0–45.0); the paired median difference was 10.5 points (95% CI, 9.0–15.5; p = 0.005; r = 0.89). This change cannot be attributed solely to the program because there was no no-intervention control and the same scenario was repeated. Uterine fundal massage showed a relatively large exploratory effect favoring L–VR–M (r = 0.54), but the confidence interval included no difference. Conclusions: The program was deliverable within one approximately 4 h session and was associated with higher post-program OSCE scores in this small cohort. The design does not establish effectiveness or an optimal sequence because of the very small sample, baseline imbalance, non-blinded assessors, and possible testing and practice effects. A larger controlled study using alternate OSCE scenarios, blinded assessors, and delayed follow-up is required. Full article

Background: The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has been the backbone of assessment in medical education, and the number of stations required to achieve sufficient reliability in high-stakes examinations is an important consideration for resource-limited programs. Methods: The correlation between the number of stations and psychometric performance was simulated using post hoc resampling of the 17-station Final MBBS Medicine and Therapeutics OSCE across three campuses of the University of the West Indies. Blueprint coverage was maintained in balanced subsets of six, eight, ten, and twelve stations. For subsets and the full exam, we compared failure rates, internal consistency, generalizability, and correlation of scores. Results: Failure rates increased as the number of stations decreased; however, none of the differences between subset and full-exam performance were significant. Station count was positively related to internal consistency using alpha (α ≈ 0.32–0.61 at six stations; α ≈ 0.64–0.70 at 17 stations) and G-coefficients (≈0.18–0.42 at six and ≈0.36–0.70 at 17 stations). However, all reliability coefficients were <0.80. Strong internal consistency was maintained for all subsets, even at six stations (r ≥ 0.79), and approached 1.0 for the 17-station subset. There was a subset size effect on mean values for Campuses 1 and 2 but not for Campus 3. Conclusions: Shorter subset exams maintained strong internal consistency. Reliability at ten–twelve stations approached that of the 17-station total. Intercampus variability highlighted the need for examiner training, station quality checks, and improved standard setting. Full article

Introduction: The demand for structured training in orthopaedic surgery, particularly in total hip arthroplasty (THA), is increasing. Cadaver labs provide valuable experience for surgical access and anatomical exposure; however, the availability of specimens with predefined pathological features, such as dysplastic hip anatomy, is limited and difficult to standardize. This study presents a preliminary assessment of an integrated curriculum combining cadaver-based practice and patient-specific phantom simulation for task-oriented THA training. Methods: The curriculum included theoretical lessons, cadaver lab practice, and phantom-based training. The phantom models were developed from CT data of a patient with severe hip dysplasia and designed to reproduce selected anatomical and procedural challenges. Eight novice trainees and three expert tutors completed a multidomain 5-point Likert questionnaire assessing realism, face and content validity, perceived usefulness, and the complementary role of cadaver- and phantom-based sessions. Results: Participants reported high satisfaction and perceived the integrated pathway as useful. Cadaver training was rated higher for surgical access realism, whereas phantom simulation was considered valuable for rehearsing pathology-specific tasks involving altered femoral and acetabular anatomy. Conclusions: Integrating patient-specific phantoms into cadaver-based THA training appears feasible and was perceived as educationally valuable, adding a reproducible, pathology-specific simulation component and supporting future assessment strategies with objective performance metrics. Full article

Medical residency is a demanding stage of specialty training characterized by extensive clinical exposure, heavy workloads, and ongoing knowledge acquisition. Characterizing residents’ learning-style preferences may help residency programs refine their educational strategies and better address residents’ needs. This study assessed learning-style preferences using the Felder–Soloman Index of Learning Styles in 152 residents from clinical and surgical specialties in a Brazilian medical residency program. In the overall sample, the predominant preferences were sensing (90.79%), visual (73.68%), active (62.50%), and sequential (70.39%). Clinical and surgical residents differed significantly only in the understanding domain: sequential preference was more frequent among clinical than surgical residents (80.0% [95% CI: 68.7–87.9] vs. 63.2% [95% CI: 52.7–72.6]). The limited variation between groups suggests that most residents shared a broadly similar learning profile, although some cognitive-processing preferences may differ according to specialty-related demands. These findings may inform diversified educational strategies that combine visual resources, practical activities, and structured progression across clinical and surgical training contexts. Full article