Intelligent tutorial system in medicine through an interactive testing program: HyperMIR

Abstract

In Spain, as in many countries, the only pathway to reach postgraduate specialization in medicine is through a National MIR Exam (a multiple choice test). This exam exerts a great impact both in the teachers and students attitudes during the undergraduate period, promoting a test-oriented rather than a patient-oriented learning.

We developed an interactive auto-test system, HyperMIR, that acts as a tutor devising a personalized and permanently updated study plan. Our program includes a database of 11500 questions, previously validated and classified by their importance and difficulty by 20 sixth year medical students and 6 physicians.

The singularity of HyperMIR versus other “auto-test programs” is its ability for assessing the knowledge of the student in each curricula subject, comparing it to the needed knowledge to pass the MIR, and building a study plan and schedule based on the potential gain attainable by devoting time and effort in the study of particular subjects.

HyperMIR has been tested by 30 sixth year medical students using the program 10h./week/student. They answered a questionnaire about the usefulness of HyperMIR. All students considered the program helpful to prepare the MIR exam and all found HyperMIR easy to use. The program was qualified with an average of 4.5 over 5.