Overview

Medical education is the internationally acceptable foundation of learning the healing arts and about modern procedures and medicine used today. Every country in the world has its own, internationally acceptable format for the teaching and training of medicine and healthcare students and each has its own – closely similar – methodology to train and qualify (and license) practitioners entering into this field. All over the world, there are many great traditional medical training institutions with a philosophy focused on the comprehensive development of the future generations of experts and industry leaders in this field, and prospective medical students have a variety of choices when looking for the right institution to join, and the right Doctors to learn from.

Entry into the medical field

All over the world, different curricula are followed and entrance into medical schools for training requires prospective students to fulfill certain criteria.

- Undergraduate entry (European and Asian countries)

Undergraduate entry usually requires students to have completed at least a high school (or A levels in the UK) certificate and sometimes a year of preparatory study before entrance into dedicated medical education.

- Second entry (first professional degree – USA and Canada)

A second entry degree is one for which a student is required to have completed between 2-3 years of study (graduate level) as a pre-requisite for entrance into medical education. This degree is considered as a ‘first professional degree’ (like a PhD or MS degree) after the first degree is completed in a sciences related discipline.

- Graduate entry – Graduate entry program (GEP or GMP)

These are medical programs, occurring outside of the US and Canada, where entry is offered to college or university graduates who have already completed a degree and have taken an aptitude test (MCAT etc).

Post Graduate Education

Newly trained doctors are required to complete a certain period of practical training, usually with a hospital or clinic. Before doctors can become registered as licensed practitioners anywhere in the world, they are required to complete this supervised ‘hands-on’ training period (called a residency or internship – aka ‘scrubs’ program) which usually takes a year.

- Continued medical education (CME)

Continued medical education is a necessity in many parts of the world for doctors to maintain their practice licenses. This education is undertaken periodically by physicians and other practitioners (like medical technicians and nursing professionals) in order to maintain an up-to-date knowledge on current advances, modern practices and the latest medical technology (some examples are; IV Certification)

- Core medical education and technical medical training

Core medical training, provided at traditional medical institutions, is divided into two separate forms. These are called;

- Preclinical

These constitute of the basic sciences having to do with the human body and its functions and a deeply detailed study of pharmacology, physiology, pathology, anatomy, biochemistry etc.

- Clinical sciences

These involve a study of procedural sciences and clinical medicine and constitutes of studies in internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and finally, surgery.

Other than these core areas of training and education, there are opportunities in the medical industry as medical technicians. This alternative medical line includes the following major work areas;

Central Service Technician and Surgical Technician: An expert on sterilization procedures for surgery theaters and medical surgery instruments. The work includes assisting in surgery, sterilization and proper handling of equipment.

Clinical Lab Assistant and Phlebotomy technician: This technician collects blood, saliva and urine samples and processes them for testing and actually performs these tests as well.

Dialysis Technician: trained to perform dialysis procedures.

Medical Assisting professionals: Perform administrative duties in running healthcare facilities and perform tasks related to basic patient care (prospective students require only a high school diploma in the US).

Medical Technology: Lab-work including running tests for diagnosis etc. this field requires a 4 year degree and certification from the relevant national association.

Sports Medicine professional: This area is relevant to orthopedics, biomechanics, physical and massage therapy and nutrition. In order to practice in this area, a full degree and license is required.

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Cicero

The All India Pre-Medical Test that is AIPMT is conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). This entrance examination is held on the first Sunday of April, every year. This year, i.e., in 2010, this falls on 4th April. The Board has taken up a decision to reschedule the conduct of AIPMT Examination. They are doing this so that the students who are appearing in more than one exam do not face any kind of problem arising out of clash in dates of two or more such entrance examinations. And dates of other examinations do coincide and at times cause lot of grief to the aspiring students.

For instance, the date of the Preliminary Stage Examination for the All India Pre-Medical is on 11th April, 2010 (Second Sunday). And the Indian Institute of Technology is also conducting Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) on 11th April itself.

The rescheduled dates for AIPMT for this year, 2010 are:
AIPMT Preliminary Examination: – 3rd April, 2010 (Saturday) 10.00 AM to 1.00 PM
AIPMT Final Examination: – 16th May, 2010(Sunday)

Paper-1: 10.00 AM to 12.00 Noon
Paper-2: 1.00 PM to 3.00 PM

It would be a three hour paper. There are 200 objective type questions in the Preliminary Exams. These questions are from Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The questions have to be answered on uniquely designed machine-gradable sheet, on which only ball pen could be used for writing.

Those who clear the Preliminary Examination sit for the Final Examination. The final examination has Two Papers. The duration of each paper is Two Hours. The 1st Paper consists of questions from Physics and Chemistry. Whereas the 2nd Paper consists of Biology which includes both Botany and Zoology. The questions that appear in these papers are non-objective. Hence the answers have to be written on the answer sheets provided.

The medium to answer this AIPMT Question Papers is Hindi or English. But what language you are going to answer in, has to be stated at the time of filling up the application form.

The AIPMT is a somewhat difficult exam. Hence, in order to score nicely proper preparation is required. Now, you may wonder how to prepare properly for the AIPMT. The best way is of preparation is to solve the AIPMT Sample Papers. These are available online. These question papers within themselves cover the entire AIPMT Syllabus. Therefore, being at home, you can get hold of these samplers and practice them. These question papers are available for free on these sites. One can simply download them and have full practice sessions. Question Papers on all the required subjects — Physics, Chemistry and General Knowledge can be availed of from these sites.

To crack these exams with flying colors do good practice of these samplers? So keep practicing!!

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It takes a lot of drive and determination to become a licensed pharmacist. Every state in the US requires doctors of pharmacy to have a license, which can be obtained only after successfully graduating from a college that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and passing the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (some states have additional licensure requirements).

The doctorate degree in pharmacy can take up to 7 years or more to complete, including 2-3 years of related study prior to enrolling in a 4-year graduate program. Most accredited colleges will require applicants to pass the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) in order to qualify for enrollment. Some good preparation for enrollment can be very helpful, such as pre-pharmacy courses in mathematics and natural sciences, including chemistry, biology, and physics, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

If you are looking to gain pharmacy certification, it is important to understand that certification is not a requirement for pharmacists, except in cases where they may wish to be certified in a specific area of pharmaceutical medicine, such as psychiatric, oncology, nuclear, or nutritional support. However, those seeking to become pharmacy technicians (pharmacy assistants) must be certified.

Look to medical schools and teaching hospitals to offer training at the graduate level. These colleges and universities can provide you with the expertise you will need to be a successful practitioner of pharmaceutical medicine.

The phrase “virtual reality” was coined by Jaron Lanier in 1989 to describe computer simulations of physical environments. Since the mid-1990s, the video game industry and 3D graphics card manufacturers have driven forward the state of personal computer graphics, advancing it far beyond the needs of most business users. These systems range in capability from simple displays of 3D objects to entire virtual cities. Virtual reality systems are now being routinely implemented on personal computers for a variety of activities. One of the most popular virtual reality programs is Second Life, produced by Linden Lab, Inc. Second Life is a general-purpose virtual world accessible through any Internet-connected personal computer. In order to interact in Second Life, users create “avatars”, or animated characters, to represent themselves. Individuals use these avatars to maneuver through various “worlds”, complete with buildings, geographical features, and other avatars. While the system borrows heavily from video game technology, it is not a game – there are no points, no levels, no missions, and nothing to win. It is simply a platform by which people can create virtual communities, model geological, meteorological, or behavioral phenomena, or rehearses events. I have been working in Second Life for several years now.

Users of Second Life include a variety of education organizations, from Harvard Law School to the American Cancer Society. There are currently areas of the virtual world that provide such disparate services as teaching heart sounds and auscultation technique, providing social support for individuals with Asperser’s Syndrome, and modeling the effects of tsunami on coastal towns. The system has over 10 million account holders from all over the world, most of them with free basic accounts. Approximately 800,000 of those users are active, with over 80,000 of them connected to the system at any time. Virtual reality programs such as Second Life are increasingly being used for educational purposes in a variety of fields, including medical training and disaster preparedness. Linden Lab currently operates the Second Life Education Wiki which functions as a source of information for educators and trainers in a variety of fields who wish to use Second Life for distance learning or large-scale training purposes. A number of government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation, have begun using Second Life to hold meetings, conduct training sessions, and explore ways to make access to information more readily available around the world. A recent comprehensive survey intended to gather information on the activities, attitudes, and interests of educators active in Second Life conducted by New Media Consortium reported that the majority used it for educational purposes such as teaching and taking classes as well as for faculty training and development.

I have been using Second Life as a teaching and learning environment for several years now. With colleagues I have created a “virtual hallucinations” environment, which demonstrates the lived experience of psychosis and allows participants who travel through the environment to experience both visual and auditory hallucinations; visions and voices. We used this environment to teach this experience to our medical and psychology students. With the California Department of Health and other colleagues I have created a virtual bioterrorism crisis clinic to train health workers, and more recently, as part of our Health Informatics Certificate Program, with University of California Davis Extension, we have taught informatics students in a virtual conference center on our own private island; Davis Island. Students find the environment straightforward to learn to navigate, and within a week of our informatics students being introduced to the environment they were able to travel and tour around Second Life with the rest of us with ease.

Second Life and similar multi-user environments offer enormous possibilities in the medical educational world, where such applications are now called “serious games” rather than social or fun software. Students of the future will adapt to them very easily, and it is clear that applications such as Second Life have a great educational future before them. I look forward to continuing to teach classes of medical and graduate students “in world”.

During the 6th year, candidates should apply for an examination that is conducted in national level and also the pass the exam. This examination is also one of the important examinations that are included in the medical education. Apart from this exam, mandatory 1 year internship is necessary to the candidates for getting practical experience. Candidates should go and meet necessary department in clinics/ hospital for requesting permission for an internship. In very rare cases, college itself will arrange facility for an internship to the candidates. During the internship period of medical education, candidates will get an opportunity to learn about physiotherapy, ideology, ophthalmology, biochemistry, neurosurgery, narratology and cinematography etc.

All these are the important subjects included as curriculum in medical education and the same are followed in all medical schools. But in Russia, the education procedure is different in such a way that candidates are allowed for watching the live surgeries and also given chances to the candidates for operating patients as per the instructions provided by the doctors. So, with all these aspects and benefits, medical education in Russia is effective to the candidates and many people prefer medical courses in Russia than in other countries.

Programs for continued medical education can provide focused and comprehensive curriculum in basic medical sciences, clinical medicine, and public health care. Medical regulatory agencies typically require practitioners to periodically attend continuing education courses to supplement and maintain a health care practice.

The courses commonly provide credit-hour classes in a variety of medical/health-related subjects critical to technological advancements in traditional (and even alternative) medicine practices. Upon completion of the course, graduates are awarded with special certificates of completion and/or professional certifications.

CME programs are broadly assorted and are usually geared toward occupation-specific updates in everything from musculature disorders, spinal cord injuries, lymphocyte disorders, anesthetics, cardiovascular technologies – to treatment strategies for type 2 diabetes, psychopathology, osteoporosis, facial palsy, metabolic disorders, oncology, and many other medical and health care studies. The length of individual courses can also vary, depending on the school and the specific area of practice. Some classes may be just a few hours, while others can take a few weeks or months to complete.

The difference is significant, because the level of instruction and the quality of education are vastly different. Foreign medical graduates have had a mixed reception in the States. It is important to realize that we are now talking about a new generation of students who are deciding to proactively move ahead in their educational careers. They are going to medical school after high school – taking the bull by the horns. They are honors students at the top of their classes. They are finishing earlier than their US counterparts and performing as well on their medical board exams. These are NOT the same students who find themselves with dubious options at the end of an unsuccessful undergraduate experience. Unfortunately those students who do not look at their options early in the educational pathway will not have many options later.

Genuine international medical universities provide solutions in the following areas: accessibility of education, length of study, affordability, hands-on experience and global recognition

ACCESSIBILITY
All over the world, schools function within the ‘economics of education’. U.S. colleges and universities are increasing the numbers of international students because they are “full-pay” and “cash only”. The same is true for higher educational institutions around the world. In almost every country, international students mean more money for day-to-day operation, expansion, research and development. This is the reality of ‘educational economics’ and it tends to favor international applicants. That is good news for US students seeking to enroll overseas. Furthermore, many international medical schools have a holistic approach to evaluating applicants where weakness in one part of an application can be made-up by strength in another part. All of this bodes well for US high school students who want to study abroad. It means that US students can have access to very high quality education overseas. This type of education in the US would be extremely competitive for US students wanting to study in the States.

Another advantage for US students looking to go overseas for medical school is they do not have to take the MCAT (Medical College Aptitude Test). Around the world, schools take a broader view of international applicants including transcripts, performance trends, personal statements, letters of recommendation, placement tests and personal interviews. Finally, in most countries with international programs, the school system is supported by the government; and most foreign governments have large budgets for education. They have the ability to expand facilities in order to accommodate larger numbers of students, which means that there is less competition between students for admission since there are more available seats.

TIME.
The US and Canada are almost the only countries in the world that have the system of four-year undergraduate + four-year graduate education. Concerning medical education in the US, almost all medical schools are recommending one year of experience in the field before applying to medical school. For most students, that means four years of undergraduate plus one year of field-experience plus four years of medical school; or nine years to get an MD degree. In most countries in Europe and Asia, students go onto (extended) graduate study immediately after high school. There is no formal undergraduate education; instead the graduate education is from 5 to 7 years in length.

This has two distinct advantages for US students seeking to study medicine abroad: first, they can complete their medical education in 6 or 7 years after high school (compared to 9 years in the US). Students studying in Europe and Asia begin their medical education after secondary school (high school). Compared to their American counterparts, graduates from these international medical programs save something money cannot buy – 2 years of their lives. This is the solution for the question in PART ONE – this is how students can get a world-class education in less time without sacrificing content or quality.

At the same that the length of study is shortened, it is worth noting that students get to focus on the appropriate material for a longer period of time. Because the theoretical and clinical education is distributed over six or seven years and not crammed into four years, the students have the chance to learn and understand instead of simply memorizing material and regurgitating it for exams. International graduates from real universities will typically say that they were very well educated and the USMLE was not as bad as they had predicted. A trip to any hospital or clinic will be enough to see that nearly one half of all practicing physicians in the US are foreign medical graduates.

COST
Generally speaking, there are great and ancient universities around the world where the cost (tuition and room/board) is much less expensive than in the US. In Asia, for example, tuition rates begin around $5000 per year. Tuition rates in EU-standardized medical schools range from $3,500 to $12,000 to $20,000 per year – in many universities, classes are offered in English for international students. Of course, one can find famous and expensive universities, but these are not the focus of this article. We are discussing the differences between US schools and study abroad. We are focusing on the opportunities that can be found when doing some smart shopping for a higher education. By selecting educational institutions based on quality of education and degree conferred, students can have the best of both worlds. They can enjoy a wonderful study abroad experience, graduate with a globally recognized degree while saving time and money. Availability of such programs makes it financially possible for many families to provide their children with a high quality, fully-accredited and affordable medical education.

PRACTICE
Most international medical schools provide students with a practical education. Students in international medical schools get valuable and useful ‘hands-on’ experience that their American counterparts do not get until after graduation, in residency. For example, there is little chance of a medical student being allowed to do surgery or deliver a baby in the US, while it is common (if not required) for students to learn these skills in medical school in other countries. Since medicine is a ‘hands-on’ profession, this is logically the most effective way for students to learn – just think about it.

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
After successful completion of the Board Exams (USMLE), international medical graduates are allowed to join a residency in the States. Graduates from a medical school within the EU can automatically practice in any other EU country with no extra certification – or in the U.S. after passing the USMLE and completing a residency. Thus international medical degrees enable graduates to play a more active role in global healthcare picture, such as WHO – World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders, and International Red Cross.

There has been a shift in the system of ‘importing’ international grads to the US. There used to be many extra hurdles for IMG’s to clear in order to get licensed in the US. Today, due to severe and dangerous physician shortages, the medical credentialing board in the US has dropped all the extra requirements of foreign grads. IMG’s have to pass the same exams as US grads. There are no extra hurdles. In fact, the impending doctor shortages are so severe and dangerous that the US credentialing board has removed the English language proficiency requirement as a separate requirement. There is no longer a separate English language exam for IMG’s. This is illustrative of the desire the US has to attract IMG’s. Grades and exam scores being equal, IMG’s with US passports will be at the front of the line to come back, since the residency programs prefer not to sponsor foreign IMG’s visas.

Experts predict that the US will import 200,000 foreign medical graduates in the next 25 years – why not be one of them? You have only to think globally and for the future. The typical pathway of high school to undergraduate to medical school is not the only way. On the contrary, it is unsure, very long and MUCH too expensive for most students. There are so many students with the potential to be great doctors. We hope they will open their eyes to the possibilities of an international education.

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There are several medical educations training available for professionals such as classroom sessions, online training, audio training and other training where professionals work or entry-level professionals can easily get a medical education. Accredited program or advanced degree program will definitely cost around $ 1500 or $ 2000. Professionals can invest for the program without worry because after the successful completion, the opportunity will come in looking for potential investments which can be recovered in a short time.

Compensation for coders:

On average, medical coders are paid approximately $ 30,000 per year. This means that it is an hourly wage of $ 15 per hour. Based on the experience of work, pay will be increased in a short time. Even doctors / physicians or hospitals that is willing to provide a well-known that maximum benefits to the top do medical coders. In addition, health education plays a major and very important role in the certification courses to gain the maximum benefit in a short time.

It also ensures their own professional development to move forward in ways that maintain personal job satisfaction and improved skill mix. Continual learning process can be beneficial in that it includes the acquisition of new knowledge that is in progress, skills and attitudes to enable health professionals to practice competently, efficiently and effectively.
Currently, there are no specific division between continuing medical education (CME) and continuing professional development (CPD) as the two who now heads toward the same goal. Over the past decade continuing medical education has come to include managerial skills, social and personal and has grown to take a topic that may seem beyond the traditional clinical medical subjects.

Period of continuous professional development is not only recognized the wide ranging competencies required to practice high quality medicine but also the context of a multidisciplinary patient care. It also refers to the activities of graduate doctors are expected to perform in order to ensure that they remain up-to-date in their field and continue to develop and enhance the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the workplace.
The learning activities can come through a number of forums and may take place as live events, written publications, online programmers, audio, video, or other electronic media. For a GP, this can range from self-facilitated clinical meetings within the practice to university provision of master classes.

The General Medical Council (GMC) regards CME/CPD an on-going learning process that allows doctors to demonstrate that they are maintaining their skills in their practice, while helping them to develop professionally and to learn from more informal experiences that are not part of licensing processes.
It publishes Guidance on CPD, which sets out the principles on which continuous professional development should be based, and the roles of the relevant organizations involved in its delivery.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), for example, offers members a range of CPD support through the provision of courses and conferences and through partnership institutions such as universities via distance learning programmers.

The college also provides specialist skills modules such as the Certificate in Drugs Misuse, minor surgery courses, RCGP Leadership Course and self-assessment tools such as Phased Evaluation Programmer. But there are also specific areas that continuing medical education can cover, enabling a GP to develop an interest in a particular area or specialist.
Some of these specific learning modules available include areas such as anesthesia and pain management, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disorders, communication, diabetes, dermatology, epilepsy, ethics and law, hypertension, oral health, palliative care, psychiatric disorders, public health, sexual health, sleep disorders, sports medicine, men’s health and working with colleagues.