Which Mistakes in Med School Could Lead To Medical Malpractice?

According to a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine study, the methods used to evaluate surgical students to make less surgical errors might not be comprehensive enough to deliver the best results explaining New York City medical malpractice attorneys at the F&A injury law firm. Researchers tested the way future orthopedic surgeons are graded to check for shortcomings in measuring motor skills.

The report published in the Journal of Surgical Education says that training students require more than ensuring that they practice skills as assessing quality and tracking errors are also needed. Formal training for improving mistakes is crucial to ensure that mistakes are corrected.  If a negligent surgeon makes an error that harms a patient, a medical malpractice lawyer could help one receive compensation.

Researchers judged 23 first through fifth-year residents with three different grading systems when working on a shoulder that needed repairs. When using the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills checklist, students received points for completing the necessary steps in order. The Global Rating Scale checks for a broad understanding of a procedure and lets professors give feedback. A pass/fail system was also used to gauge students’ progress, and a major error resulted in failing.

Advanced residents did better while first- and second-year residents made nine out of 11 serious mistakes. While these testing methods did gauge performance levels, none of them properly addressed and corrected errors. The pass/fail system notes errors but does not provide a thorough analysis of the error.

While those in the medical field typically do their best in regard to safety, this report shows how errors might not be corrected. If you or a loved one suffered an injury due to a preventable medical error, contact us today for more information.