Page 39 - Contributed Paper Session (CPS) - Volume 1

CPS694 Ordak Michal
Instead of focusing on the use of specific statistical tests, students of medical
faculties focus primarily on how to perform tests step-by-step. The time that
should be devoted to becoming familiar with the application of a specific
statistical test is spent on writing down in stress long procedures of
performing individual statistical tests, checking assumptions, etc. This results,
unfortunately, in the lack of knowledge of the subject of the course.
- Practical application of individual statistical tests is not sufficiently
demonstrated
Respondents also stated that too little emphasis is put on the practical
application of individual statistical tests, e.g. in the form of results published
in medical journals. Greater pressure is put on details related to conducting
individual tests using statistical packages. After mentioning in a few sentences
what a specific statistical test is used for, teachers go straight to a series of
activities that are difficult to note and remember in a short time.
- A long break between classes in medical statistics and the performance
of statistical analysis for the purposes of M.A. theses, doctoral
dissertations, publications, etc.
A significant number of respondents also noticed that the break between
classes in medical statistics and the necessity to perform statistical analysis of
the obtained results for the purposes of M.A. theses, doctoral dissertations,
publications, etc. was too long. Very often, classes in medical statistics are
conducted in the first year of various medical faculties, which only exacerbates
problems related to statistical analysis in subsequent years. Students do not
remember statistical analyses performed during classes as they are conducted
too quickly. A significantly larger number of students ask a third person for help
in performing the statistical analysis of the results obtained. Usually, this
happens a few years after classes in medical statistics, which are conducted
during the first or second year of study.
- Increased stress during the exam in medical statistics associated with
memorising hundreds of activities related to statistical testing.
A significantly larger number of respondents stated that instead of
studying the application of individual statistical tests to a greater extent, they
have problems remembering the long procedures of performing the analysis.
The practical aspect of the use of statistical tests is of secondary importance.
After the exam in medical statistics, stress is mainly evoked by the uncertainty
of whether a statistical package has been successfully used. Despite the fact
that there are more and more scripts describing particular statistical tests,
according to the surveyed students, the majority of them are too detailed. It is
necessary to develop simple scripts showing step by step methods of
statistical analysis, along with the interpretation of the results obtained.

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