Durosaro, Olayemi

Introduction: Changes in worldwide healthcare delivery require review of current medical school curricula structure to develop learning outcomes that ensures mastery of knowledge and clinical competency. In the last 3 years, Mayo Medical School implemented outcomes-based curriculum to encompass new graduate outcomes. Materials and Methods: Standard courses were replaced by 6-week clinically-integrated didactic blocks separated by student-self selected academic enrichment activities. Gross and microscopic anatomy was integrated with radiology and genetics respectively. Laboratory components include virtual microscopy and anatomical dissection. Students assigned to teams utilise computer portals to share learning experiences. High-resolution computed tomographic (CT) scans of cadavers prior to dissection were made available for correlative learning between the cadaveric material and radiologic images. Results: Students work in teams on assigned presentations that include histology, cell and molecular biology, genetics and genomic using the Nexus Portal, based on DrupalEd, to share their observations, reflections and dissection findings. Conclusions: New generation of medical students are clearly comfortable utilising web-based programmes that maximise their learning potential of conceptually difficult and labor intensive courses. Team-based learning approach emphasising the use of knowledge-sharing computer portals maximises opportunities for students to master their knowledge and improve cognitive skills to ensure clinical competency. Introduction: Changes in worldwide healthcare delivery require review of current medical school curricula structure to develop learning outcomes that ensures mastery of knowledge and clinical competency. In the last 3 years, Mayo Medical School implemented outcomes-based curriculum to encompass new graduate outcomes. Materials and Methods: Standard courses were replaced by 6-week clinically-integrated didactic blocks separated by student-self selected academic enrichment activities. Gross and microscopic anatomy was integrated with radiology and genetics respectively. Laboratory components include virtual microscopy and anatomical dissection. Students assigned to teams utilise computer portals to share learning experiences. High-resolution computed tomographic (CT) scans of cadavers prior to dissection were made available for correlative learning between the cadaveric material and radiologic images. Results: Students work in teams on assigned presentations that include histology, cell and molecular biology, genetics and genomic using the Nexus Portal, based on DrupalEd, to share their observations, reflections and dissection findings. Conclusions: New generation of medical students are clearly comfortable utilising web-based programmes that maximise their learning potential of conceptually difficult and labor intensive courses. Team-based learning approach emphasising the use of knowledge-sharing computer portals maximises opportunities for students to master their knowledge and improve cognitive skills to ensure clinical competency. Ann Acad Med Singapore 2008;37:998-1001 Key words: Clinical competency, E-learning, Educational strategies, Medical wikis, Outcomesbased curriculum, Team-based learning Key words: Clinical competency, E-learning, Educational strategies, Medical wikis, Outcomesbased curriculum, Team-based learning

Background: Palladium has become an important contact allergen because of increased use in industry, jewelry, and dentistry. Objective: To determine the frequency of palladium allergy in a US patch-test population tested to palladium. Methods: A 10-year retrospective review (1997–2006) was performed on patients sensitive to palladium at the Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Results: A total of 910 patients were tested to a series that included palladium chloride 2% in petrolatum. A palladium-positive patch-test result was noted in 110 patients (12.1%). Of the 106 patients sensitized to palladium who had records available for review, 15.1% had a diagnosis of lichen planus-like eruptions; 13.2%, burning mouth; 27.4%, stomatitis; and 29.2%, hand and body dermatitis. Conclusion: Palladium sensitivity is more common in oral diseases than in skin. We describe a previously unknown high degree of co-reactivity of gold with palladium to the same degree as the known co-reactivity with nickel.