Impact on medical students of incorporating GALS screen teaching into the medical school curriculum

• Published in: Annals of the rheumatic diseases Vol. 59; no. 9; pp. 668 - 671
• Main Authors: Fox, R A, Dacre, J E, Clark, C L Ingham, Scotland, A D
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism 01-09-2000; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group Ltd; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Clinical Competence; College students; Core curriculum; Curriculum; Education; Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods; GALS; Health Status Indicators; Humans; Learning; Mass Screening - methods; Medical examination; Medical residencies; Medical sciences; Medical screening; Medical students; Methods; Musculoskeletal Diseases - diagnosis; Musculoskeletal system; OSCE; Physical Examination - methods; Physicians; pre-registration house officer; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Questionnaires; Registration; Rheumatology; Rheumatology - education; Teaching; Teaching. Deontology. Ethics. Legislation; University colleges; United Kingdom > UK; Human; Medicine; Higher education; Rheumatology; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Performance analysis; Diagnosis; Method; Student
• ISSN: 0003-4967; 1468-2060
• DOI: 10.1136/ard.59.9.668

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of GALS locomotor screen teaching to all 3rd year medical students, at a British medical school. METHOD In 1998, during their 3rd year, all students were taught the GALS screen in a one hour small group session. At the end of this year, 242 medical students undertook a 16 station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). One station assessed the locomotor screening examination, while six stations assessed the examination of other systems. The students completed a five point likert scale, self rating their confidence in each of the skills assessed at this time. Pre-registration house officers (PRHOs) at two London hospitals were invited to undertake the same OSCE and self rating. RESULTS The students performed the locomotor screen well (mean station score 80%). Three body systems were examined better and one significantly worse (p<0.05). 22/40 PRHOs undertook the assessment. Compared with the students they examined the locomotor system (mean score 20%, p<0.001), but not other systems, less well. The PRHOs felt less confident (p<0.05) examining the locomotor system (mean rating 3.6/5) than the other systems (mean rating 4.6/5), while no significant difference in confidence ratings was seen for the students. CONCLUSION Students who are taught the GALS screen as part of the curriculum, perform it well in an end of year OSCE, as confidently as other systems, and to a higher standard than PRHOs. Further study is required to determine whether this benefit persists, overcoming the poor skills and confidence in locomotor examination of existing PRHOs, not previously taught a GALS screen.