Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the training-of-trainer courses given to medical school faculty members, and to ensure the standardisation of training..
Methods: The study comprised faculty members attending seven training-of-trainer courses held at the Ataturk University, Turkey, from November 2010 to May 2011. Tests were administered to the participants evaluating their level of knowledge on course content before and after the five-day course, which covered topics including concepts of teaching/learning, curriculum development, assessment and evaluation, training methods, and training skills. Oral and written feedbacks were obtained from all participants on the last day of each course. Volunteers from among the participants evaluated the impact of training through a questionnaire after at least two months. SPSS 20 was used for statistical analysis.
Results: A total of 136 faculty members participated in the 7 training-of-trainer courses. The mean scores for the pre-test and post-test were 6.6±2.2 vs. 13.9±3.7, (p<0.001). Questions with highest percentage of correct answers in the pre-test were those about learning style 78 (70.9%) and the one about presentation skills (66.4%).
Conclusion: A structured training-of-trainer course is effective in increasing faculty members\' level of knowledge about training. Such programmes are necessary for faculty members who work in the academic field without receiving formal training in teaching as it is the case with medical education in several countries.
Keywords: Training, Evaluation learning, Teaching. (JPMA 64: 491; 2014).
To investigate the improvement in electrocardiogram (ECG) interpreting skills after a standardized ECG interpreting program as a continuous medical education activity among primary care physicians. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in Turkey between December 2006 and October 2010. Out of the 81 provinces in Turkey, 17 were randomly selected and all physicians were invited to take the course on a voluntary basis and in total 798 physicians agreed to participate. The course was a half-day program. A test was applied to the participants before and after the training. The results of 781 participants were analyzed. Results: Of the participants, 417 (59.1%) were men and 288 (40.9%) women. The participants had graduated between 1977 and 2009. Mean scores participants received from the pretest and final test were 31.0 ± 21.9% and 86.3 ± 14.4%, respectively (t = -58.4, P < 0.001). Of the participants, 673 (86.2%) failed and 108 (13.8%) passed the pretest, whereas 23 participants (3.0%) failed and 746 participants (97.0%) passed the final test (\chi^2 = 1083.6, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Structured education programs like this one have a positive contribution to the knowledge and skills of physicians. Undergraduate and postgraduate education on ECG interpretation should be arranged for primary care physicians.
