A systematic review of the motivations for the non-medical use of prescription drugs in young adults.

PubMed

Drazdowski, Tess K

2016-05-01

Young adults (18-25) are most at-risk for the non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD). Understanding this population's motivations for use can help inform efforts to reduce NMUPD. Therefore, this systematic review synthesizes the findings from research on young adults' motivations to engage in NMUPD. Based on PRISMA guidelines, relevant databases were systematically searched for articles that assessed the motivations for NMUPD in young adults and college-aged students. Search strings included a range of prescription drug classes and terms to ensure an exhaustive review. The search resulted in identifying 353 potential articles after duplicates were removed, and 37 articles were included in the final qualitative synthesis. Of the final articles, the majority investigated the non-medical use of prescription stimulants in U.S. student populations cross-sectionally. Seven studies, either exclusively or in combination with other medications, researched prescription opioids, and five investigated central nervous system depressants. Only one study investigated motivations over time. There are many ways in which the current literature can be expanded, including researching other populations and focusing on prescriptions other than stimulants. Using the medications for their prescribed properties and known side effects emerged as a consistent theme. It was also fairly common for young adults to report recreational motives. Issues with measurement and definitions of key terms (e.g., non-medical) would benefit from consistency in future work. Research on motivations should continue and be incorporated into the larger drug use context, as well as existing prevention and intervention strategies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cognitive emotions: depression and anxiety in medical students and staff.

PubMed

Ahmed, Isra; Banu, Haseena; Al-Fageer, Reem; Al-Suwaidi, Reem

2009-09-01

Medical students represent a highly educated population under significant pressures. They encounter multiple emotions during the transformation from insecure student to young knowledgeable physician. During the transition to clinical settings in the third year, the student may experience a loss of external control and may counter this with an increase in depression and/or anxiety symptoms. Studies suggest that mental health worsens after students begin medical school and remains poor throughout training. It is not just the undergraduate study period, which brings about these changes; it may continue later in internship, postgraduate study, and in physicians' practical life, and it may reach burnout level. The greater the psychosocial health, the greater is the well-being and the capacity for adaptation and overcoming problems and common life frustrations in family, relationships, and work. Medical students and practicing physicians, in comparison with the general population and that of other professions, are exposed to academic and professional stress and therefore are vulnerable to psychosocial health problems and certain specific dysfunctions that may compromise their physical, mental, and social health. Our study examines the phenomenology of depression and anxiety in medical doctors in 3 government hospitals, 3 primary health care centers and the students (all years) and staff of Dubai Medical College for Girls (DMCG). This cross-sectional study was conducted in November 2008. One hundred sixty-five medical students of DMCG and 93 doctors (including medical staff of DMCG) completed a set of 2 questionnaires regarding Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) & Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results were analyzed using SPSS 11, and adequate statistical significant tests were done. A P value of <.05 was considered statistically significant. Of medical students, 28.6% showed depression and 28.7% showed anxiety. Of medical staff, 7.8% showed depression and 2.2% of them showed

An international basic science and clinical research summer program for medical students.

PubMed

Ramjiawan, Bram; Pierce, Grant N; Anindo, Mohammad Iffat Kabir; Alkukhun, Abedalrazaq; Alshammari, Abdullah; Chamsi, Ahmad Talal; Abousaleh, Mohannad; Alkhani, Anas; Ganguly, Pallab K

2012-03-01

An important part of training the next generation of physicians is ensuring that they are exposed to the integral role that research plays in improving medical treatment. However, medical students often do not have sufficient time to be trained to carry out any projects in biomedical and clinical research. Many medical students also fail to understand and grasp translational research as an important concept today. In addition, since medical training is often an international affair whereby a medical student/resident/fellow will likely train in many different countries during his/her early training years, it is important to provide a learning environment whereby a young medical student experiences the unique challenges and value of an international educational experience. This article describes a program that bridges the gap between the basic and clinical research concepts in a unique international educational experience. After completing two semester curricula at Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, six medical students undertook a summer program at St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. The program lasted for 2 mo and addressed advanced training in basic science research topics in medicine such as cell isolation, functional assessment, and molecular techniques of analysis and manipulation as well as sessions on the conduct of clinical research trials, ethics, and intellectual property management. Programs such as these are essential to provide a base from which medical students can decide if research is an attractive career choice for them during their clinical practice in subsequent years. An innovative international summer research course for medical students is necessary to cater to the needs of the medical students in the 21st century.

Recruiting medical students to rural practice: perspectives of medical students and rural recruiters.

PubMed

Jutzi, Leah; Vogt, Kelly; Drever, Erin; Nisker, Jeff

2009-01-01

To explore the strategies used by rural recruitment programs and their perceived influence on medical students. Two original questionnaires delivered electronically, one to medical students and the other to recruiters in rural Ontario communities. Ontario, Canada. All 525 medical students enrolled in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario in London and physician recruiters in 71 rural communities in Ontario were invited to participate in the study. The factors that influence medical students to consider rural practice, strategies used by recruiters, and student perceptions of the ethical appropriateness of both. The questionnaire was completed by 42.1% of medical students. Lifestyle considerations were an important influence for 93.1% of students. Themes from the qualitative analysis included the ethical appropriateness of financial considerations, economic forces, perceived disadvantages of rural practice, competition between communities, and lack of altruism. Responses were received from recruiters in 43.7% of communities; of those, 92.9% offered financial incentives to attract prospective physicians. Financial and lifestyle considerations are important influences on medical students' choice to practise in rural communities. Most medical students felt incentive programs offered by rural communities were ethically appropriate.

[Missed lessons, missed opportunities: a role for public health services in medical absenteeism in young people].

PubMed

Vanneste, Y T M; van de Goor, L A M; Feron, F J M

2016-01-01

Young people who often miss school for health reasons are not only missing education, but also the daily routine of school, and social intercourse with their classmates. Medical absenteeism among students merits greater attention. For a number of years, in various regions in the Netherlands, students with extensive medical absenteeism have been invited to see a youth healthcare specialist. The MASS intervention (Medical Advice of Students reported Sick; in Dutch: Medische Advisering van de Ziekgemelde Leerling, abbreviated as M@ZL) has been developed by the West Brabant Regional Public Health Service together with secondary schools to address school absenteeism due to reporting sick. In this paper we discuss the MASS intervention and explain why attention should be paid by public health services to the problem of school absenteeism, especially absenteeism on health grounds.

Medical students' agenda-setting abilities during medical interviews.

PubMed

Roh, HyeRin; Park, Kyung Hye; Jeon, Young-Jee; Park, Seung Guk; Lee, Jungsun

2015-06-01

Identifying patients' agendas is important; however, the extent of Korean medical students' agenda-setting abilities is unknown. The study aim was to investigate the patterns of Korean medical students' agenda solicitation. A total of 94 third-year medical students participated. One scenario involving a female patient with abdominal pain was created. Students were video-recorded as they interviewed the patient. To analyze whether students identify patients' reasons for visiting, a checklist was developed based on a modified version of the Calgary-Cambridge Guide to the Medical Interview: Communication Process checklist. The duration of the patient's initial statement of concerns was measured in seconds. The total number of patient concerns expressed before interruption and the types of interruption effected by the medical students were determined. The medical students did not explore the patients' concerns and did not negotiate an agenda. Interruption of the patient's opening statement occurred in 4.62±2.20 seconds. The most common type of initial interruption was a recompleter (79.8%). Closed-ended questions were the most common question type in the second and third interruptions. Agenda setting should be emphasized in the communication skills curriculum of medical students. The Korean Clinical Skills Exam must assess medical students' ability to set an agenda.

Study in sexuality of medical college students in India.

PubMed

Aggarwal, O; Sharma, A K; Chhabra, P

2000-03-01

In India, talking about sex is taboo. Little is known about the knowledge, attitude, and sexual behavior of adolescents. This study was carried out with the purpose of examining: (a) the knowledge of medical students about sex, (b) the sources of learning about sex, and (c) the sexual behavior and practices of young adults. This study was carried out among the undergraduate students of a medical college in Delhi. A pretested, semiclosed-type questionnaire was voluntarily filled out by the students. Confidentiality and secrecy was assured. Of 500 students, 73% participated in the study. Knowledge regarding sexual intercourse, masturbation, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases was satisfactory among 70%, 74.8%, 83.5%, and 92.6% of the respondents, respectively. Common source of knowledge about sex were friends (74.5%), pornographic films (56.2%), and books and magazines (55.1%). Only one fifth could communicate with teachers, parents, and persons of the other gender about sex. About 417 of the students viewed homosexuality as normal behavior. Sexual intercourse had been experienced by 11.8% of respondents. The mean age of first sexual intercourse was 17.5 years. Eighty-five percent strongly favored introduction of sex education at school level. Evidence is provided for the need to improve knowledge about different aspects of sex among a sample of Indian medical students.

Medical Students and Nurses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webster, Denise

1988-01-01

This study describes the medical student-nurse relationship primarily from the perspective of medical students, by looking at their definitions of the roles of medical students, physicians, and nurses and the working relationships among professionals within various institutional settings. (JOW)

Undocumented students pursuing medical education: The implications of deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA).

PubMed

Balderas-Medina Anaya, Yohualli; del Rosario, Mithi; Doyle, Lawrence Hy; Hayes-Bautista, David E

2014-12-01

There are about 1.8 million young immigrants in the United States who came or were brought to the country without documentation before the age of 16. These youth have been raised and educated in the United States and have aspirations and educational achievements similar to those of their native-born peers. However, their undocumented status has hindered their pursuit of higher education, especially in medical and other graduate health sciences. Under a new discretionary policy, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), many of these young immigrants are eligible to receive permission to reside and work in the United States. DACA defers deportation of eligible, undocumented youth and grants lawful presence in the United States, work permits, Social Security numbers, and, in most states, driver's licenses. These privileges have diminished the barriers undocumented students traditionally have faced in obtaining higher education, specifically in pursuing medicine. With the advent of DACA, students are slowly matriculating into U.S. medical schools and residencies. However, this applicant pool remains largely untapped. In the face of a physician shortage and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, an increase in matriculation of qualified undocumented students would be greatly beneficial. This Perspective is intended to begin discussion within the academic medicine community of the implications of DACA in reducing barriers for the selection and matriculation of undocumented medical students and residents. Moreover, this Perspective is a call to peers in the medical community to support undocumented students seeking access to medical school, residency, and other health professions.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Youth Athletes: Successful Screening With Point-of-Care Ultrasound by Medical Students.

PubMed

Fox, J Christian; Lahham, Shadi; Maldonado, Graciela; Klaus, Suzi; Aish, Bassil; Sylwanowicz, Lauren V; Yanuck, Justin; Wilson, Sean P; Shieh, Mason; Anderson, Craig L; English, Carter; Mayer, Ryan; Mohan, Uthara R

2017-06-01

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a life-threatening genetic cardiovascular disease that often goes undetected in young athletes. Neither history nor physical examination are reliable to identify those at risk. The objective of this study is to determine whether minimally trained medical student volunteers can use ultrasound to screen for HCM. This was a prospective enrollment of young athletes performed at 12 area high schools and three area colleges, between May 2012 and August 2013. All participants underwent point-of-care ultrasound performed screening for HCM by trained medical students and reviewed by a pediatric cardiologist. An interventricular septum to left ventricular posterior wall ratio greater than 1.25 was considered to be abnormal (positive screen). A total of 2332 participants were enrolled. There were 137 (5.8%) with a positive screening for HCM, of which 7 (5.1%) were confirmed to have HCM by a pediatric cardiologist. In a small cohort with positive screen for HCM, there was a 100% sensitivity (95% confidence interval, 59.04 to 100%) and 4.86% (95% confidence interval, 1.98 to 9.76%) positive predictive value of for having HCM. Volunteer medical students, using point-of-care ultrasound, were able to effectively screen for HCM in young athletes. © 2017 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Smoking behavior and use of tobacco industry sponsored websites among medical students and young physicians in Argentina.

PubMed

Salgado, M Victoria; Mejia, Raul; Kaplan, Celia P; Perez-Stable, Eliseo J

2014-02-06

.42-4.22) or current (OR 8.12, 95% CI 4.66-14.16), if they reported having seen a tobacco advertisement on the Internet (OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.77-3.37), received a tobacco promotion personally addressed to them (OR 5.62; 95% CI 4.19-7.55), or used one of these promotions (OR 14.05, 95% CI 9.21-21.43). Respondents were more likely to be current smokers if they received a tobacco promotion (OR 2.64, 95% CI 2.02-3.45) or if they used one of these promotions (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.31-2.85). Our study suggests that tobacco industry websites reach medical students and young physicians in a middle-income country with their marketing promotions. Current or proposed legislation to ban tobacco advertising needs to include Internet sites and related social media.

[Career preferences among medical students].

PubMed

Soethout, Marc B M; ten Cate, Olle Th J

2014-01-01

Research on the preference of medical specialty among medical students in the Netherlands and the attractiveness of aspects of the medical profession during the period 2009-2013. Retrospective, descriptive research. Data from medical students in the Netherlands who participated in the computer programme Inventory Medical Professionals Choice (IMBK) were analyzed with respect to their preference of medical specialty and the attractiveness of various aspects of the medical profession. The IMBK programme was available free of charge through the Royal Dutch Medical Association (KNMG) website 'Arts in Spe' (Future Physician) during the period 2009-2013. The content of the IMBK programme was based on the questionnaire from the medical profile book developed by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). General practice was the most popular specialty, particularly among female medical students, with interest increasing during the undergraduate medical curriculum. Hardly any students were interested in insurance medicine, occupational medicine and elderly medicine. Direct patient care was the most attractive professional aspect for medical students. Female students were more attracted to direct and prolonged patient contact than their male counterparts. The number of hours students wished to work in future declined during the course of the undergraduate curriculum, and women were more inclined to prefer regular working hours with adequate leisure time than men. During the course of the undergraduate medical curriculum, medical students changed their preference for medical specialty. Major differences exist between male and female students in terms of preference of medical specialty and attractiveness of aspects of the medical profession.

How do medical student journals fare? A global survey of journals run by medical students.

PubMed

Alamri, Yassar

2016-01-01

Medical students have made significant contributions to the medical and scientific fields in the past. Today, medical students still contribute to biomedical research; however, they often face disappointment from journals when trying to publish their findings. This led to the development of medical student journals, which take a more "student-friendly" approach. This article reviews the current medical student journals published in English and sheds light on current trends and challenges.

Self-medication among healthcare and non-healthcare students at University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

PubMed

Klemenc-Ketis, Zalika; Hladnik, Ziga; Kersnik, Janko

2010-01-01

To determine the incidence of self-medication among University of Ljubljana students and the effect of the type of curriculum on the pattern of self-medication. The study included a sample of 1,294 students who freely accessed a self-administered web-based questionnaire in the Slovene language that consisted of a preliminary letter introducing the term 'self-treatment' and 2 sections about self-medication. The preliminary letter asked participants to report the practice of self-treatment during the past year. The main outcome measures were percentages of those reporting self-medication during the past year, which were then used to compare healthcare and non-healthcare students. A majority of students (1,195, 92.3%), both healthcare and non-healthcare, reported the use of some sort of self-medication during the study period. More healthcare students in their senior year (353, 94.1%) than those in their junior year (245, 89.4%) used self-medication (p = 0.04). Healthcare students (p = 0.05) thought that self-medication without improvement of the symptoms should last for 1 week or less. They acquired the drugs for self-medication from pharmacies; thought that previous doctors' advice in a similar situation was a more important reason for self-medication; would seek the advice of a physician or pharmacist for different ways of self-treatment, and quite interestingly thought that self-medication was not very safe. On the other hand, non-healthcare students acquired the drugs from healers and friends. The study showed that self-medication was common among all University of Ljubljana students, but that healthcare-related education in students and young adults led to more responsible use of self-medication. Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Introducing medical students to careers in medical education: the student track at an annual medical education conference.

PubMed

Blatt, Benjamin; Plack, Margaret; Suzuki, Mari; Arepalli, Sruthi; Schroth, Scott; Stagnaro-Green, Alex

2013-08-01

Few avenues exist to familiarize medical students with careers as clinician-educators, and the clinician-educator career pathway has not been well defined. In this article, the authors describe how they integrated a career-oriented student track into the 2011 Northeast Group on Educational Affairs (NEGEA) annual retreat to introduce students to careers in medical education. Annual education conferences are principal sources of educational scholarship, networking, collaboration, and information sharing; as such, they represent attractive venues for early exposure to the culture of medical education. The authors' goal in creating the NEGEA conference student track was to excite students about careers in medical education by providing them with an array of opportunities for active involvement in both student-specific and general conference activities.The authors draw from their experience to provide a guide for recruiting student participants to career-building student tracks. They also offer a guide for developing future student tracks, based on their experience and grounded in social cognitive career theory. Although their focus is on medical education, they believe these guides will be useful for educators planning a conference-based student track in any field.

Quality of Life in Medical Students With Internet Addiction.

PubMed

Fatehi, Farzad; Monajemi, Alireza; Sadeghi, Anahita; Mojtahedzadeh, Rita; Mirzazadeh, Azim

2016-10-01

The widespread use of internet has caused new psychological, social, and educational problems for the students. The aim of this study was to examine the quality of life in medical students who suffer from internet addiction. This cross-sectional survey was carried out in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and a total of 174 fourth-to seventh-year undergraduate medical students were enrolled. The quality of life was assessed by WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire which covers four domains of physical health, psychological, social relationships, and the environment. For assessing internet addiction, we used Internet Addiction Test (IAT) of Young. The students with IAT score higher than 50 were considered as addicted. For evaluating academic performance, the students were requested to report their grade point average (GPA). The mean IA score (±SD) was 34.13±12.76. Twenty-eight students (16.90%) had IAT score above 50. The mean quality of life score in internet addicted group was 54.97±11.38 versus 61.65±11.21 in normal group (P=0.005). Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between IA score and physical domain (r=-0.18, P=0.02); psychological domain (r=-0.35, P=0.000); and social relation domain (r=-0.26, P=0.001). Mean GPA was significantly lower in the addicted group. It seems that quality of life is lower in the internet addicted medical students; moreover, such students academically perform poorer in comparison with non-addicts. Since internet addiction is increasing at a rapid pace which may provoke considerable academic, psychological and social implications; as a result, it may require screening programs to the immediate finding of such problem to give consultations to prevent unwanted complications.

[The use of medical journals by medical students. Which medical journals are read?].

PubMed

Algra, Annemijn M; Dekker, Friedo W

2015-01-01

To investigate the role of scientific medical journals in Dutch medical curricula. Descriptive questionnaire study. In 2013, medical students (from year 3 onwards) at the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), were invited to respond to an online questionnaire. They were presented with 28 multiple-choice questions and 11 statements about the use of scientific medical journals in the medical curriculum. We calculated the frequencies of the answers per question and analysed differences between medical students using two-by-two tables. The questionnaire was completed by 680 (53.0%) of 1277 invited medical students enrolled at the LUMC. Most of the respondents were those doing clinical rotations (56.6%) and 60.1% had research experience. More than half of the students read at least one scientific journal a few times per month; this percentage was 38.8% among third-year students, 49.3% among fourth-year students, 60.0% among those on clinical rotation, and was higher among students with research experience (63.3%) than among those without research experience (44.1%). Nearly 90% of students agreed with the statement that the development of academic and scientific education should take place in the bachelor's phase of medical school. Medical students start to read scientific medical journals at an early phase in the medical curriculum and this increases further when students start to undertake research projects or go on clinical rotation. Medical curricula should be constructed in such a way that medical students learn to select and interpret research findings adequately for themselves before they turn to articles from scientific medical journals.

Acute effects of energy drinks in medical students.

PubMed

García, Andrés; Romero, César; Arroyave, Cristhian; Giraldo, Fabián; Sánchez, Leidy; Sánchez, Julio

2017-09-01

To determine the acute effects of a variety of recognized energy drinks on medical students, based on the hypothesis that these beverages may affect negatively cardiovascular parameters, stress levels and working memory. Eighty young healthy medical students were included in the study. 62.5 % of the participants were male, and the age mean was 21.45 years. Each person was evaluated via measurement of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate, oxygen saturation, breath rate, temperature, STAI score (to assess anxiety state), salivary cortisol and N-back task score (to determine cognitive enhancement). These evaluations were performed before and following the intake of either carbonated water or one of three energy drinks containing caffeine in similar concentrations and an undetermined energy blend; A contained less sugar and no taurine. Thirty-minute SBP increased significantly in the A and C groups. The B group exhibited a diminution of the percentage of the 1-h SBP increase, an increase of 1-h DBP and QTc shortening. HR showed an increase in the percent change in the A and C groups. Cortisol salivary levels increased in the B group. The STAI test score decreased in the C group. The percent change in N-back scores increased in the A group. The data reinforce the need for further research on the acute and chronic effects of energy drinks to determine the actual risks and benefits. Consumers need to be more informed about the safety of these energy drinks, especially the young student population.

Attitudes Toward Medical Cannabis Legalization Among Serbian Medical Students.

PubMed

Vujcic, Isidora; Pavlovic, Aleksandar; Dubljanin, Eleonora; Maksimovic, Jadranka; Nikolic, Aleksandra; Sipetic-Grujicic, Sandra

2017-07-29

Currently, medical cannabis polices are experiencing rapid changes, and an increasing number of nations around the world legalize medical cannabis for certain groups of patients, including those in Serbia. To determine medical students' attitudes toward medical cannabis legalization and to examine the factors influencing their attitudes. Fourth-year medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, had participated in a cross-sectional study. Data were collected by an anonymous questionnaire. Overall, 63.4% students supported medical cannabis legalization, and only 20.8% supported its legalization for recreational use. Students who previously used marijuana (p <.001) and alcohol (p =.004) were significantly more in favor of medical cannabis legalization compared with students who never used them. Support for marijuana recreational use was also related to prior marijuana (p <.001) and alcohol consumption (p =.006). Only cancer (90.4%) and chronic pain (74.2%) were correctly reported approved medical indications by more than half the students. Students who supported medical cannabis legalization showed better knowledge about indications, in contrast to opponents for legalization who showed better knowledge about side effects. Beliefs that using medical cannabis is safe and has health benefits were correlated with support for legalization, and previous marijuana and alcohol use, while beliefs that medical cannabis poses health risks correlated most strongly with previous marijuana use. Conclusions/Importance: The medical students' attitudes toward medical cannabis legalization were significantly correlated with previous use of marijuana and alcohol, knowledge about medical indications and side effects, and their beliefs regarding medical cannabis health benefits and risks.

Sources of Prescription Medication Misuse Among Young Adults in the United States: The Role of Educational Status.

PubMed

McCabe, Sean Esteban; Teter, Christian J; Boyd, Carol J; Wilens, Timothy E; Schepis, Ty S

This study examined prescription drug misuse (PDM), sources of PDM, and substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms as a function of educational status among US young adults based on a large nationally representative sample. Data from the 2009-2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health came from a sample of 106,845 young adults aged 18-25 years. Respondents were categorized by educational status and PDM, sources of PDM, other substance use, and SUD symptoms, with analyses performed separately for prescription opioids, stimulants, and sedatives/tranquilizers. Prescription opioid (past-year: 11.9%) and sedative/tranquilizer (past-year: 5.8%) misuse were most prevalent among young adults not attending college, especially among high school dropouts. In contrast, full-time college students and college graduates had the highest rates of prescription stimulant misuse (past-year: 4.3% and 3.9%, respectively). Obtaining prescription medications from friends/relatives for free was the most common source of PDM, especially among college students/graduates. Prescription drug misusers who obtained medications from theft/fake prescriptions, purchases, or multiple sources were more likely to report past-year SUDs and had the most severe overall risk profile of concurrent substance use and SUD. More than 70% of past-month prescription drug misusers who reported multiple sources for PDM had at least 1 past-year SUD. Sources of PDM vary by educational status among US young adults, and the college environment is associated with sharing prescription medications. Clinicians can help assess an individual's risk for SUD by determining whether the individual engaged in PDM and the source of prescription medication the individual is misusing. © Copyright 2018 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Are Fourth-Year Medical Students Effective Teachers of the Physical Examination to First-Year Medical Students?

PubMed Central

Haist, Steven A; Wilson, John F; Fosson, Sue E; Brigham, Nancy L

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVE To determine if fourth-year medical students are as effective as faculty in teaching the physical examination to first-year medical students. DESIGN Stratified randomization of the first-year students. SETTING A public medical school. PARTICIPANTS All 100 first-year medical students in one medical school class were randomly assigned (controlling for gender) to either a faculty or a fourth-year student preceptor for the Physical Examination Module. MAIN RESULTS The first-year students of faculty preceptors scored no differently on the written examination than the students of the fourth-year medical student preceptors (82.8% vs 80.3%, p = .09) and no differently on a standardized patient practical examination (95.5% vs 95.4%, p = .92). Also, the first-year students rated the two groups of preceptors similarly on an evaluation form, with faculty rated higher on six items and the student preceptors rated higher on six items (all p > .10). The fourth-year student preceptors rated the experience favorably. CONCLUSIONS Fourth-year medical students were as successful as faculty in teaching first-year medical students the physical examination as measured by first-year student’s performances on objective measures and ratings of teaching effectiveness.

Smoking Behavior and Use of Tobacco Industry Sponsored Websites Among Medical Students and Young Physicians in Argentina

PubMed Central

Salgado, M Victoria; Mejia, Raul; Kaplan, Celia P

2014-01-01

former smokers (OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.42-4.22) or current (OR 8.12, 95% CI 4.66-14.16), if they reported having seen a tobacco advertisement on the Internet (OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.77-3.37), received a tobacco promotion personally addressed to them (OR 5.62; 95% CI 4.19-7.55), or used one of these promotions (OR 14.05, 95% CI 9.21-21.43). Respondents were more likely to be current smokers if they received a tobacco promotion (OR 2.64, 95% CI 2.02-3.45) or if they used one of these promotions (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.31-2.85). Conclusions Our study suggests that tobacco industry websites reach medical students and young physicians in a middle-income country with their marketing promotions. Current or proposed legislation to ban tobacco advertising needs to include Internet sites and related social media. PMID:24509433

Ability of prospective assessment of personality profiles to predict the practice specialty of medical students

PubMed Central

Maron, Bradley A.; Fein, Steven; Hillel, Alexander T.; El Baghdadi, Mariam M.; Rodenhauser, Paul

2007-01-01

Medical practice encompasses a diverse spectrum of specialties. Factors that impact selection of clinical disciplines by young physicians may have recently evolved associated with changes in medical school demographics. We assessed whether physicians gravitate to certain practice specialties due to preexisting personality traits. The Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Personality Inventory Revised Test was administered prospectively to 130 first-year students the week before they began medical school. Scores for five traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness) were compared with the selection among nine medical residencies at the conclusion of medical school. Personality scores for medical students selecting psychiatry residencies showed greater degrees of neuroticism (P < 0.01) and openness (P < 0.03). Students electing family practice also deviated from other specialties, showing a lower degree of neuroticism (P < 0.03). Unexpectedly, personality traits in prospective surgical residents did not differ from those of students choosing nonsurgical residencies. Personality profiles present before medical school appear to predict the selection of some residencies and clinical specialties but not others. PMID:17256038

Attitude and knowledge of medical students of Isra University about dysmenorrhoea and its treatment.

PubMed

Parveen, Naheed; Majeed, Rehana; Zehra, Nishat; Rajar, Uzma; Munir, Aftab A

2009-01-01

Dysmenorrhoea is the term for painful menstruation. It is a common gynaecological complaint among female adolescent. The objective of this study was to assess attitude and knowledge about treatment of dysmenorrhoea among medical students of Isra University. This study was conducted at Isra University Hyderabad. Non-probability, convenient random selection from MBBS student was done. Participants included were 18-25 years of ages, irrespective of marital status. Girls with irregular menstrual cycles, primary or secondary amenorrhea were excluded from the study. Pre-designed questionnaire was filled by the students. A total of 197 female medical students were recruited, dysmenorrhoea was reported in 76%, of these 62.43% had primary and 13.19% had secondary dysmenorrhoea. Majority 89 (59.70%) of the girls had mild G1 to moderate 48 (32.21%) G2 dysmenorrhoea and twelve 8.05% were with sever dysmenorrhoea. The most common symptoms observed were abdominal cramps 94 (63%), irritability 91 (61.07%), headache 41 (24.5%) and vomiting 34 (22.8%). Different attitudes of students were assessed, that 40.6% of subjects can not do their routine work and 19.3% remain absent from education place. Only 69.5% students were using commercial pads, 67% girls were not taking bath and 92.4% were not doing exercise during menstruation, only 15 (7.6%) were doing exercise from the study population. Simple analgesic was the most known drug to 49.7% of participants for relief of dysmenorrhoea pain. Dysmenorrhoea is a common problem among young girls, and it significantly affects their class attendance, academic performance and routine work. Even being medical students, strong cultural believes were observed regarding menstrual cycle. Attitudinal changes are necessary to develop, educational strategies, appropriate use of medications and consultation with physician, to empower these young girls regarding healthy life-style.

Why medical students do not choose a career in geriatrics: a systematic review.

PubMed

Meiboom, Ariadne A; de Vries, Henk; Hertogh, Cees M P M; Scheele, Fedde

2015-06-05

While the demand for doctors specialised in the medical care of elderly patients is increasing, the interest among medical students for a career in geriatrics is lagging behind. To get an overview of the different factors reported in the literature that affect the (low) interest among medical students for a career in geriatrics, a systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and ERIC. Quality assessment criteria were applied. Twenty studies met the criteria and were included in the review. In relation to the nature of the work, the preference of medical students is young patients, and acute somatic diseases that can be cured. The complexity of the geriatric patient deters students from choosing this specialty. Exposure by means of pre-clinical and particularly clinical education increases interest. The lack of status and the financial aspects have a negative influence on interest. Exposure to geriatrics by means of education is necessary. The challenge in geriatric education is to show the rewarding aspects of the specialty.

Knowledge and ethical perception regarding organ donation among medical students

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background To determine the knowledge and ethical perception regarding organ donation amongst medical students in Karachi- Pakistan. Methods Data of this cross sectional study was collected by self administered questionnaire from MBBS students of Ziauddin University from 2010 to 2011. Sample size of 158 (83 First years and 75 Fourth years) were selected by convenient sampling and those students who were present and gave consent were included in the study. The data was analyzed by SPSS version 20. Results A total of 158 participants from Ziauddin Medical University filled out the questionnaire out of which 83(52.5%) were first years and 75(47.5%) were fourth year medical students. Mean age of sample was 20 ± 1.7. Majority of students were aware about organ donation with print and electronic media as the main source of information. 81.6% agreed that it was ethically correct to donate an organ. In the students’ opinion, most commonly donated organs and tissues were kidney, cornea, blood and platelet. Ideal candidates for donating organ were parents (81%). Regarding list of options for preference to receive an organ, most of the students agreed on young age group patients and persons with family. Willingness to donate was significantly associated with knowledge of allowance of organ donation in religion (P=0.000). Conclusion Both 1st year and 4th year students are aware of Organ Donation, but there is a significant lack of knowledge regarding the topic. PMID:24070261

Recruitment of underrepresented minority students to medical school: minority medical student organizations, an untapped resource.

PubMed

Rumala, Bernice B; Cason, Frederick D

2007-09-01

Recruitment of more underrepresented minority students (black, Hispanic and native American) to increase racial diversity in the physician workforce is on the agenda for medical schools around the nation. The benefits of having a racially diverse class are indisputable. Minority physicians are more likely to provide care to minority, underserved, disadvantaged and low-income populations. Therefore, medical schools would benefit from diversity through utilizing strategies for recruitment of underrepresented minority (URM) students. Numerous recruitment strategies have been employed to increase the number of underrepresented minority students. However, formal collaboration with minority medical student organizations is an underutilized tool in the recruitment process. Many medical schools have informally used minority medical students and members of various minority organizations on campus in the recruitment process, but a formal collaboration which entails a strategic approach on using minority medical student organizations has yet to be included in the literature. This paper discusses the innovative collaboration between the University of Toledo College of Medicine (UTCOM) chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and the college of medicine's admissions office to strategize a recruitment plan to increase the number of underrepresented minority students at the UTCOM. This paper suggests that minority medical student organizations, particularly the SNMA, can be used as a recruiting tool; hence, admissions offices cannot negate the usefulness of having formal involvement of minority medical student organizations as a recruiting tool. This approach may also be applicable to residency programs and other graduate professional fields with a severe shortage of URM students.

Dysmenorrhea and Stress among the Nepalese Medical Students.

PubMed

Katwal, P C; Karki, N R; Sharma, P; Tamrakar, S R

Background Dysmenorrhea is the most common gynecological disorder in women of reproductive age with implications as reduced quality of life and school absenteeism. Mental stress is possibly the most important known predisposing factor for primary dysmenorrhea. Objective This study aims to assess the relationship between stress and dysmenorrhea amongst the Nepalese medical students. Method This is cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted from 1st Dec. 2012 to 31st Jan. 2013. The study was conducted in Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences. A total of 184 participants consented for this study and each one was given a questionnaire to complete. This study included only unmarried nulliparous, healthy (all through first to final years) female medical students, in age group of 16 to 24 years. Result The mean age of the participants was 19.43(±3.9) years. Among them, 67% of the participants experienced dysmenorrhea. Of them, 85% experienced increase in frequency and severity of dysmenorrhea after joining medical college. Similarly, 65% of participants considered medical education to be stressful. Of participants experiencing dysmenorrhea, 29.45% missed classes and 17.39% participants had positive family history of dysmenorrhea in first and second degree relatives. Conclusion The present study indicated a positive relationship between psychological stress and dysmenorrhea. Dysmenorrhea is the leading cause of recurrent short-term school absence in young ladies; this issue certainly needs to be addressed.

The teaching of medical ethics to medical students.

PubMed Central

Glick, S M

1994-01-01

Teaching medical ethics to medical students in a pluralistic society is a challenging task. Teachers of ethics have obligations not just to teach the subject matter but to help create an academic environment in which well motivated students have reinforcement of their inherent good qualities. Emphasis should be placed on the ethical aspects of daily medical practice and not just on the dramatic dilemmas raised by modern technology. Interdisciplinary teaching should be encouraged and teaching should span the entire duration of medical studies. Attention should be paid particularly to ethical problems faced by the students themselves, preferably at the time when the problems are most on the students' minds. A high level of academic demands, including critical examination of students' progress is recommended. Finally, personal humility on the part of teachers can help set a good example for students to follow. PMID:7861430

Barriers faced by Ugandan university students in seeking medical care and sexual health counselling: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Boltena, Andualem Tadesse; Khan, Farhad Ali; Asamoah, Benedict O; Agardh, Anette

2012-11-16

Meeting the medical and sexual health care needs of young people is crucial for sustainable development. In Uganda, youth are faced with a number of challenges related to accessing medical care and sexual health counselling services. This study sought to investigate the barriers faced by Ugandan university students in seeking medical care and sexual health counselling. This study is part of a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2005 among 980 students at Mbarara University of Science and Technology. Data was collected by means of a self-administered 11-page questionnaire. The barriers encountered by respondents in seeking medical care and sexual health counselling were classified into three categories reflecting the acceptability, accessibility, or availability of services. Two out of five students reported unmet medical care needs, and one out of five reported unmet sexual health counselling needs. Acceptability of services was the main barrier faced by students for seeking medical care (70.4%) as well as for student in need of sexual health counselling (72.2%), regardless of age, gender, self-rated health, and rural/peri-urban or urban residence status. However, barriers differed within the various strata. There was a significant difference (p-value 0.01) in barriers faced by students originally from rural versus peri-urban/urban areas in seeking medical care (acceptability: 64.8%/74.5%, accessibility: 22.0% /12.6%, availability 13.2%/12.9%, respectively). Students who reported poor self-rated health encountered barriers in seeking both medical care and sexual health counselling that were significantly different from their other counterparts (p-value 0.001 and 0.007 respectively). Barriers faced by students in seeking medical and sexual health care should be reduced by interventions aimed at boosting confidence in health care services, encouraging young people to seek early treatment, and increasing awareness of where they can turn for services. The availability

Medical students in gynaecology clinics.

PubMed

Yang, Jenny; Black, Kirsten

2014-07-01

This study aimed to investigate factors that influence a patient's acceptance of a medical student's involvement in their consultation when attending a public hospital gynaecology clinic. Factors that influence a patient's acceptance of a medical student's involvement in a consultation This was an observational study of women attending gynaecology clinics at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH) from January to December 2011. The questionnaire sought demographic information and asked women about their knowledge of medical student attendance at the clinics, if they would allow a student to be present during their consultation and whether they would allow a student to examine them. It also sought reasons for their responses. Of the 460 questionnaires distributed, 97 per cent (446) were completed. Overall, 85.6 per cent (382) of patients expressed an acceptance of medical students being present in their consultation, and 63.9 per cent (285) said they would allow students to examine them. Factors significantly associated with an increased acceptance of examination by medical students included being aware that a student may be present (p=0.003), and being married or in a committed relationship (p=0.023). Age and education level were not significantly associated with acceptance of being examined by a student, and ethnicity was too diverse to assess any possible bias. All groups maintained a preference for female students. This study has found that being aware that medical students may be present in gynaecology clinics may increase patient acceptance of being examined by a student. This demonstrates a role for information to be distributed to patients prior to their appointment to facilitate medical training. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Medication Use Among Teens and Young Adults.

PubMed

Johansen, Michael E; Matic, Kathleen; McAlearney, Ann Scheck

2015-08-01

The purpose of this study was to determine rates of stimulant/atomoxetine use among teens (aged 12-17 years) and young adults (aged 18-23 years) and to investigate associations in medication use before and after the transition from teen to young adult. Repeated cross-sectional analyses using the nationally representative Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The sample included all teens and young adults between 2003 and 2012. Within this group, a staggered sample of individuals between 2006 and 2012 born during a 5-year range was used to minimize false positive findings due to temporal trends. The primary outcome was attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication use (two or more prescriptions and ≥60 tablets). A multivariable logistic regression was utilized to determine associations between ADHD medication use and race/ethnicity and other sociodemographic factors. A total of 62,699 individuals were included between 2003 and 2012. Rates of ADHD medication use increased for both teens (4.2%-6.0%) and young adults (1.2%-2.6%) between 2003-2004 and 2011-2012. In adjusted analysis, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians had lower rates of use compared with whites. The decrease in use among young adults was more pronounced among blacks compared with whites. A usual source of care and health insurance were less common among young adults, and both were associated with ADHD medication use. Although there has been an increase in the use of ADHD medications in both teens and young adults, we found a drop-off in levels of ADHD treatment among young adults when compared with teens. A portion of this decrease appears to be related to race/ethnicity, usual source of care, and health insurance status. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Are the last grade medical students aware of the danger of synthetic cannabinoids?

PubMed

Beyhun, Nazim Ercument; Can, Gamze; Topbas, Murat; Cankaya, Sertac; Ketenci, Huseyin Cetin

2016-02-01

Synthetic cannabinoids are drugs which are increasingly used by especially adolescents and young people. In recent years hospital admissions even concluding with deaths have been observed. Therefore, the awareness of medical students, who will be in challenge with this new drug abuse, is an important issue. The aim of this study is to figure out the awareness of the last grade medical students and its correlates. This is a questionnaire based descriptive study with the participation of 148 students at Karadeniz Technical University Medical Faculty, Turkey. An awareness score was produced to measure awareness (cronbach alpha = 0.67). The 17.6% (26/148) of students who reported not knowing what synthetic cannabinoids were and hearing the name for the first time in this study. The 16.4% of students assumed that synthetic cannabinoid use was legal, and 16.2% assumed that synthetic cannabinoids are not drugs. The internet (including social media) (48.6%) and pharmacology lectures (40.5%) were identified as the most stated sources of information. The students who have synthetic cannabinoid user friends and social media account have significantly higher awareness scores (p < 0.05 for both). Last grade medical students have a lack of awareness towards synthetic cannabinoids which is an increasing threat that they have to challenge. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Medical Student Appraisal

PubMed Central

Sampognaro, P.J.; Mitchell, S.L.; Weeks, S.R.; Khalifian, S.; Markman, T.M.; Uebel, L.W.; Dattilo, J.R.

2013-01-01

Summary Background Pre-rounding is essential to preparing for morning rounds. Despite its importance, pre-rounding is rarely formally taught within the medical school curriculum and more often informally learned by modeling residents. The evolution of mobile applications provides opportunities to optimize this process. Objectives To evaluate three options available to medical students while pre-rounding and promote adoption of mobile resources in clinical care. Methods Six medical students formed the evaluation cohort. Students were surveyed to assess pre-rounding practices. Participants utilized paper-based pre-rounding templates for two weeks followed by two weeks of the electronic note-taking service EvernoteTM. A review of mobile applications on the iTunesTM and Google PlayTM stores was performed, with each application informally reviewed by a single student. The application ScutsheetTM was selected for formal review by all students. Data was collected from narrative responses supplied by students throughout the evaluation periods and aggregated to assess strengths and limitations of each application. Results Pre-study responses demonstrated two consistent processes: verbal sign-out of overnight events and template use to organize patient information. The paper-based template was praised for its organization and familiarity amongst residents, but perceived as limited by the requirement of re-copying data into the hospital’s electronic medical record (EMR). EvernoteTM excelled due to compatibility across multiple operating systems, including accessibility from clinical workstations and ability to copy notes into the hospital’s EMR. ScutsheetTM allowed for retention of data across multiple hospital days, but was limited by inability to export data or modify the electronic template. Aggregated user feedback identified the abilities to customize templates and copy information into the EMR as two prevailing characteristics that enhanced the efficiency of pre

A comprehensive medical student career development program improves medical student satisfaction with career planning.

PubMed

Zink, Brian J; Hammoud, Maya M; Middleton, Eric; Moroney, Donney; Schigelone, Amy

2007-01-01

In 1999, the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) initiated a new career development program (CDP). The CDP incorporates the 4-phase career development model described by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Careers in Medicine (CiM). The CDP offers self-assessment exercises with guidance from trained counselors for 1st- and 2nd-year medical students. Career exploration experiences include Career Seminar Series luncheons, shadow experiences with faculty, and a shadow program with second-year (M2) and fourth-year (M4) medical students. During the decision-making phase, students work with trained faculty career advisors (FCA). Mandatory sessions are held on career selection, preparing the residency application, interviewing, and program evaluation. During the implementation phase, students meet with deans or counselors to discuss residency application and matching. An "at-risk plan" assists students who may have difficulty matching. The CiM Web site is extensively used during the 4 stages. Data from the AAMC and UMMS Graduation Questionnaires (GQ) show significant improvements for UMMS students in overall satisfaction with career planning services and with faculty mentoring, career assessment activities, career information, and personnel availability. By 2003, UMMS students had significantly higher satisfaction in all measured areas of career planning services when compared with all other U.S. medical students.

Teaching Medical Students Clinical Anesthesia.

PubMed

Curry, Saundra E

2018-05-01

There are many reasons for evaluating our approach and improving our teaching of America's future doctors, whether they become anesthesiologists (recruitment) or participate in patient management in the perioperative period (general patient care). Teaching medical students the seminal aspects of any medical specialty is a continual challenge. Although no definitive curricula or single clinical approach has been defined, certain key features can be ascertained from clinical experience and the literature. A survey was conducted among US anesthesiology teaching programs regarding the teaching content and approaches currently used to teach US medical students clinical anesthesia. Using the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education website that lists 133 accredited anesthesiology programs, residency directors were contacted via e-mail. Based on those responses and follow-up phone calls, teaching representatives from 125 anesthesiology departments were identified and asked via e-mail to complete a survey. The survey was returned by 85 programs, yielding a response rate of 68% of individuals contacted and 63% of all departments. Ninety-one percent of the responding departments teach medical students, most in the final 2 years of medical school. Medical student exposure to clinical anesthesia occurred as elective only at 42% of the institutions, was requirement only at 16% of responding institutions, and the remainder had both elective and required courses. Anesthesiology faculty at 43% of the responding institutions reported teaching in the preclinical years of medical school, primarily in the departments of pharmacology and physiology. Forty-five percent of programs reported interdisciplinary teaching with other departments teaching classes such as gross anatomy. There is little exposure of anesthesiology faculty to medical students in other general courses. Teaching in the operating room is the primary teaching method in the clinical years. Students are

Is medical students' moral orientation changeable after preclinical medical education?

PubMed

Lin, Chaou-Shune; Tsou, Kuo-Inn; Cho, Shu-Ling; Hsieh, Ming-Shium; Wu, Hsi-Chin; Lin, Chyi-Her

2012-03-01

Moral orientation can affect ethical decision-making. Very few studies have focused on whether medical education can change the moral orientation of the students. The purpose of the present study was to document the types of moral orientation exhibited by medical students, and to study if their moral orientation was changed after preclinical education. From 2007 to 2009, the Mojac scale was used to measure the moral orientation of Taiwan medical students. The students included 271 first-year and 109 third-year students. They were rated as a communitarian, dual, or libertarian group and followed for 2 years to monitor the changes in their Mojac scores. In both first and third-year students, the dual group after 2 years of preclinical medical education did not show any significant change. In the libertarian group, first and third-year students showed a statistically significant increase from a score of 99.4 and 101.3 to 103.0 and 105.7, respectively. In the communitarian group, first and third-year students showed a significant decline from 122.8 and 126.1 to 116.0 and 121.5, respectively. During the preclinical medical education years, students with communitarian orientation and libertarian orientation had changed in their moral orientation to become closer to dual orientation. These findings provide valuable hints to medical educators regarding bioethics education and the selection criteria of medical students for admission.

WaLIDD score, a new tool to diagnose dysmenorrhea and predict medical leave in university students

PubMed Central

Teherán, Aníbal A; Piñeros, Luis Gabriel; Pulido, Fabián; Mejía Guatibonza, María Camila

2018-01-01

Background Dysmenorrhea is a frequent and misdiagnosed symptom affecting the quality of life in young women. A working ability, location, intensity, days of pain, dysmenorrhea (WaLIDD) score was designed to diagnose dysmenorrhea and to predict medical leave. Methods This cross-sectional design included young medical students, who completed a self-administered questionnaire that contained the verbal rating score (VRS; pain and drug subscales) and WaLIDD scales. The correlation between scales was established through Spearman test. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio (LR +/−) were evaluated to diagnose students availing medical leave due to dysmenorrhea; moreover, to predict medical leave in students with dysmenorrhea, a binary logistic regression was performed. Results In all, 585 students, with a mean age of 21 years and menarche at 12 years, participated. Most of them had regular cycles, 5 days of menstrual blood flow and 1–2 days of lower abdominal pain. The WaLIDD scale presented an adequate internal consistency and strong correlation with VRS subscales. With a cutoff of >6 for WaLIDD and 2 for VRS subscales (drug subscale and pain subscale) to identify students with dysmenorrhea, these scales presented an area under the curve (AUC) ROC of 0.82, 0.62, and 0.67, respectively. To identify students taking medical leave due to dysmenorrhea, WaLIDD (cutoff >9) and VRS subscales (cutoff >2) presented an AUC ROC of 0.97, 0.68, and 0.81; moreover, the WaLIDD scale showed a good LR +14.2 (95% CI, 13.5–14.9), LR −0.00 (95% CI, undefined), and predictive risk (OR 5.38; 95% CI, 1.78–16.2). Conclusion This research allowed a comparison between two multidimensional scales regarding their capabilities, one previously validated and a new one, to discriminate among the general population of medical students, among those with dysmenorrhea or those availing medical leave secondary to dysmenorrhea

Knowledge of medical abortion among Brazilian medical students.

PubMed

Fernandes, Karayna Gil; Camargo, Rodrigo Pauperio Soares; Duarte, Graciana Alves; Faúndes, Anibal; Sousa, Maria Helena; Maia Filho, Nelson Lourenço; Pacagnella, Rodolfo Carvalho

2012-09-01

To assess the knowledge of Brazilian medical students regarding medical abortion (MA) and the use of misoprostol for MA, and to investigate factors influencing their knowledge. All students from 3 medical schools in São Paulo State were invited to complete a pretested structured questionnaire with precoded response categories. A set of 12 statements on the use and effects of misoprostol for MA assessed their level of knowledge. Of about 1260 students invited to participate in the study, 874 completed the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 69%. The χ(2) test was used for the bivariate analysis, which was followed by multiple regression analysis. Although all students in their final year of medical school had heard of misoprostol for termination of pregnancy, and 88% reported having heard how to use it, only 8% showed satisfactory knowledge of its use and effects. Academic level was the only factor associated with the indicators of knowledge investigated. The very poor knowledge of misoprostol use for MA demonstrated by the medical students surveyed at 3 medical schools makes the review and updating of the curriculum urgently necessary. Copyright © 2012 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medical Student Perceptions of the Learning Environment in Medical School Change as Students Transition to Clinical Training in Undergraduate Medical School.

PubMed

Dunham, Lisette; Dekhtyar, Michael; Gruener, Gregory; CichoskiKelly, Eileen; Deitz, Jennifer; Elliott, Donna; Stuber, Margaret L; Skochelak, Susan E

2017-01-01

Phenomenon: The learning environment is the physical, social, and psychological context in which a student learns. A supportive learning environment contributes to student well-being and enhances student empathy, professionalism, and academic success, whereas an unsupportive learning environment may lead to burnout, exhaustion, and cynicism. Student perceptions of the medical school learning environment may change over time and be associated with students' year of training and may differ significantly depending on the student's gender or race/ethnicity. Understanding the changes in perceptions of the learning environment related to student characteristics and year of training could inform interventions that facilitate positive experiences in undergraduate medical education. The Medical School Learning Environment Survey (MSLES) was administered to 4,262 students who matriculated at one of 23 U.S. and Canadian medical schools in 2010 and 2011. Students completed the survey at the end of each year of medical school as part of a battery of surveys in the Learning Environment Study. A mixed-effects longitudinal model, t tests, Cohen's d effect size, and analysis of variance assessed the relationship between MSLES score, year of training, and demographic variables. After controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, and school, students reported worsening perceptions toward the medical school learning environment, with the worst perceptions in the 3rd year of medical school as students begin their clinical experiences, and some recovery in the 4th year after Match Day. The drop in MSLES scores associated with the transition to the clinical learning environment (-0.26 point drop in addition to yearly change, effect size = 0.52, p < .0001) is more than 3 times greater than the drop between the 1st and 2nd year (0.07 points, effect size = 0.14, p < .0001). The largest declines were from items related to work-life balance and informal student relationships. There was some, but

Fostering research skills in undergraduate medical students through mentored students projects: example from an Indian medical school.

PubMed

Devi, V; Abraham, R R; Adiga, A; Ramnarayan, K; Kamath, A

2010-01-01

Healthcare decision-making is largely reliant on evidence-based medicine; building skills in scientific reasoning and thinking among medical students becomes an important part of medical education. Medical students in India have no formal path to becoming physicians, scientists or academicians. This study examines students' perceptions regarding research skills improvement after participating in the Mentored Student Project programme at Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Campus, India. Additionally, this paper describes the initiatives taken for the continual improvement of the Mentored Student Project programme based on faculty and student perspectives. At Melaka Manipal Medical College, Mentored Student Project was implemented in the curriculum during second year of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programme with the intention of developing research skills essential to the career development of medical students. The study design was cross-sectional. To inculcate the spirit of team work students were grouped (n=3 to 5) and each group was asked to select a research project. The students' research projects were guided by their mentors. A questionnaire (Likert's five point scale) on students' perceptions regarding improvement in research skills after undertaking projects and guidance received from the mentor was administered to medical students after they had completed their Mentored Student Project. The responses of students were summarised using percentages. The median grade with inter-quartile range was reported for each item in the questionnaire. The median grade for all the items related to perceptions regarding improvement in research skills was 4 which reflected that the majority of the students felt that Mentored Student Project had improved their research skills. The problems encountered by the students during Mentored Student Project were related to time management for the Mentored Student Project and mentors. This study shows that students

Development of a Modified Korean East Asian Student Stress Inventory by Comparing Stress Levels in Medical Students with Those in Non-Medical Students.

PubMed

Shin, Hee Kon; Kang, Seok Hoon; Lim, Sun-Hye; Yang, Jeong Hee; Chae, Sunguk

2016-01-01

Medical students are usually under more stress than that experienced by non-medical students. Stress testing tools for Korean medical students have not been sufficiently studied. Thus, we adapted and modified the East Asian Student Stress Inventory (EASSI), a stress testing tool for Korean students studying abroad, and verified its usefulness as a stress test in Korean university students. We also compared and analyzed stress levels between medical and non-medical students. A questionnaire survey was conducted on medical and non-medical students of a national university, and the responses of 224 students were analyzed for this study. Factor analysis and reliability testing were performed based on data collected for 25 adapted EASSI questions and those on the Korean version of the Global Assessment of Recent Stress Scale (GARSS). A correlation analysis was performed between the 13 modified EASSI questions and the GARSS, and validity of the modified EASSI was verified by directly comparing stress levels between the two student groups. The 13 questions adapted for the EASSI were called the modified EASSI and classified into four factors through a factor analysis and reliability testing. The Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between the modified EASSI and the Korean version of the GARSS, suggesting a complementary strategy of using both tests. The validity and reliability of the EASSI were verified. The modified Korean EASSI could be a useful stress test for Korean medical students. Our results show that medical students were under more stress than that of non-medical students. Thus, these results could be helpful for managing stress in medical students.

Medical student and medical school teaching faculty perceptions of conflict of interest.

PubMed

Andresen, Nicholas S; Olson, Tyler S; Krasowski, Matthew D

2017-07-11

Attitudes towards conflict of interest (COI) and COI policy are shaped during medical school and influence both the education of medical students and their future medical practice. Understanding the current attitudes of medical students and medical school teaching faculty may provide insight into what is taught about COI and COI policy within the 'hidden' medical curriculum. Differences between medical student and medical school teaching faculty perceptions of COI and COI policy have not been compared in detail. The authors surveyed first year medical students and medical school teaching faculty at one academic medical center. The response rate was 98.7% (150/152) for students and 34.2% (69/202) for faculty. Students were less likely than faculty to agree that lecturers should disclose COI to any learners (4.06 vs. 4.31, p = 0.01), but more likely to agree that COI disclosure decreases the presentation of biased material (3.80 vs. 3.21, p < 0.001). Student and faculty responses for all other questions were not different. Many of these responses suggest student and faculty support for stronger COI policy at academic medical centers. Students and faculty perceptions regarding COI and COI policy are largely similar, but differ in terms of the perceived effectiveness of COI disclosure. This study also suggests that medical students and medical school teaching faculty support for stronger COI policy at academic medical centers.

Qualitative Literature Review of the Prevalence of Depression in Medical Students Compared to Students in Non-medical Degrees.

PubMed

Bacchi, Stephen; Licinio, Julio

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study is to review studies published in English between 1 January 2000 and 16 June 2014, in peer-reviewed journals, that have assessed the prevalence of depression, comparing medical students and non-medical students with a single evaluation method. The databases PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched for eligible articles. Searches used combinations of the Medical Subject Headings medical student and depression. Titles and abstracts were reviewed to determine eligibility before full-text articles were retrieved, which were then also reviewed. Twelve studies met eligibility criteria. Non-medical groups surveyed included dentistry, business, humanities, nursing, pharmacy, and architecture students. One study found statistically significant results suggesting that medical students had a higher prevalence of depression than groups of non-medical students; five studies found statistically significant results indicating that the prevalence of depression in medical students was less than that in groups of non-medical students; four studies found no statistically significant difference, and two studies did not report on the statistical significance of their findings. One study was longitudinal, and 11 studies were cross-sectional. While there are limitations to these comparisons, in the main, the reviewed literature suggests that medical students have similar or lower rates of depression compared to certain groups of non-medical students. A lack of longitudinal studies meant that potential common underlying causes could not be discerned, highlighting the need for further research in this area. The high rates of depression among medical students indicate the continuing need for interventions to reduce depression.

Medical School Research Pipeline: Medical Student Research Experience in Psychiatry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balon, Richard; Heninger, George; Belitsky, Richard

2006-01-01

Objective: The authors discuss the importance of introducing research training in psychiatry and neurosciences to medical students. Methods: A review of existing models of research training in psychiatry with focus on those providing research training to medical students is presented. Results: Two research-training models for medical students that…

Medical Students' Impressions and Satisfactions from Medical Professional Skill Education Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ongel, Kurtulus; Mergen, Haluk; Kayacan, Hacer; Yildizhan, Alpaslan

2008-01-01

(Background) To help us understand the medical students' reflections about professional skill educations we conducted a study on medical students' conceptions of selected medical phenomena, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR. (Methods) The study was conducted in January 2008, using a sample consisting of medical students from one of the…

Bullying of medical students.

PubMed

Mukhtar, Fatima; Daud, Seema; Manzoor, Iram; Amjad, Ibtesaam; Saeed, Kamran; Naeem, Mehvish; Javed, Mehwish

2010-12-01

To assess the frequency and forms of bullying experienced by medical students, and the associated factors. Cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey. The study was conducted at a private Medical College of Lahore, from January to February 2010. All the students of first and fourth year classes were included in the study with voluntary and anonymous participation. Self administered-questionnaires were given to the students which were completed by them in the presence of the surveyor. A modified version of the British Medical Associations (BMA) medical student's welfare and education survey form was used for data collection. The data was recorded and analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences version 16.0. Data was described in the form of frequencies and percentages. Chi-square test and Fisher exact test were used to test statistical significance between categorical variables at p < 0.05. More than half the students 70 (66%) had experienced some form of bullying in the past 6 months at the Medical College. It was found that 70% (49) of the students who were bullied were females. Sixty-seven percent of students reported experiencing a bullying episode at least once in a month, 26% less than once in a month and 7% at least once in a week. The most common forms were verbal abuse (n=44, 63%) and behavioural gestures i.e. making faces (n=36, 51%), followed by having been ignored or excluded (n=20, 29%). The common perpetrators of all types of bullying were fellow students followed by Professors. Feeling lonely or sad (p=0.024), not having a close friend (p=0.049) and knowledge amongst respondents regarding the availability of support services in their college (p=0.019) were significantly associated with being bullied. Most medical students reported of having been bullied in the last 6 months at the College, with verbal abuse being the commonest form of maltreatment and fellow students followed by Professors being the frequent perpetrators. A history of

A Couples Group of Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Kenneth; And Others

1976-01-01

An experiment at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine with a short-term medical student couples' workshop designed to foster increased sensitivity between medical students and their partners resulted in recommendation that such workshops be offered to medical students. (JT)

MD/MBA Students: An Analysis of Medical Student Career Choice.

PubMed

Sherrill, Windsor Westbrook

2004-12-01

An increasing number of medical schools are offering dual degree MD/MBA programs. Career choices and factors influencing students to enter these programs provide an indicator of the roles in which dual degree students will serve in health care as well as the future of dual degree programs. Using career choice theory as a conceptual framework, career goals and factors influencing decisions to enter dual degree programs were assessed among dual degree medical students. Students enrolled at dual degree programs at six medical schools were surveyed and interviewed. A control group of traditional medical students was also surveyed. Factors influencing students to seek both medical and business training are varied but are often related to a desire for leadership opportunities, concerns about change in medicine and job security and personal career goals. Most students expect to combine clinical and administrative roles. Students entering these programs do so for a variety of reasons and plan diverse careers. These findings can provide guidance for program development and recruitment for dual degree medical education programs.

Recruiting medical students to rural practice

PubMed Central

Jutzi, Leah; Vogt, Kelly; Drever, Erin; Nisker, Jeff

2009-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To explore the strategies used by rural recruitment programs and their perceived influence on medical students. DESIGN Two original questionnaires delivered electronically, one to medical students and the other to recruiters in rural Ontario communities. SETTING Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS All 525 medical students enrolled in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario in London and physician recruiters in 71 rural communities in Ontario were invited to participate in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The factors that influence medical students to consider rural practice, strategies used by recruiters, and student perceptions of the ethical appropriateness of both. RESULTS The questionnaire was completed by 42.1% of medical students. Lifestyle considerations were an important influence for 93.1% of students. Themes from the qualitative analysis included the ethical appropriateness of financial considerations, economic forces, perceived disadvantages of rural practice, competition between communities, and lack of altruism. Responses were received from recruiters in 43.7% of communities; of those, 92.9% offered financial incentives to attract prospective physicians. CONCLUSION Financial and lifestyle considerations are important influences on medical students’ choice to practise in rural communities. Most medical students felt incentive programs offered by rural communities were ethically appropriate. PMID:19155375

Evaluation of the medical student research programme in Norwegian medical schools. A survey of students and supervisors

PubMed Central

Hunskaar, Steinar; Breivik, Jarle; Siebke, Maje; Tømmerås, Karin; Figenschau, Kristian; Hansen, John-Bjarne

2009-01-01

Background The Medical Student Research Programme is a national education and grant scheme for medical students who wish to carry out research in parallel with their studies. The purpose of the programme is to increase recruitment of people with a standard medical degree to medical research. The Research Programme was established in 2002 and underwent a thorough evaluation during the spring of 2007. The evaluation should investigate if the programme had fulfilled its objectives of increased recruitment to medical research, in addition to the students' and supervisors' satisfaction of the programme, and unwanted differences between the universities. Methods Data was collected from students, supervisors and administrative staff via web-based questionnaires. Information about admission, implementation, results achieved and satisfaction was analysed and compared between the four Norwegian medical schools. In addition, the position of the scheme in relation to the national Quality Reform of Higher Education was analysed. Results At the end of 2006, the Medical Student Research Programme had recruited 265 medical students to research. These consisted of 214 active students, 35 who had completed their studies and only 17 who had dropped out. Both students and supervisors were generally very satisfied with the scheme, including the curriculum, the results achieved and the administrative service. The majority of students wanted to continue their research towards a PhD and, of those who had completed the Medical Student Research Programme, practically all had published one or several scientific papers. The survey showed only small differences between the four medical schools, despite their choice of somewhat different solutions in terms of administration and organisation. The Medical Student Research Programme satisfies the majority of the demands of the Quality Reform, however as an integrated research programme aimed at a PhD it presupposes access to PhD courses before the

Motivating medical students to learn teamwork skills.

PubMed

Aarnio, Matti; Nieminen, Juha; Pyörälä, Eeva; Lindblom-Ylänne, Sari

2010-01-01

This study examined teaching teamwork skills to first-year medical students. Teamwork skills focused on verbal communication in PBL-tutorial sessions and in healthcare teams. The aim was to find out how to teach teamwork skills to first-year medical students and how to motivate them to learn these skills. Three consecutive classes of first-year medical students (N = 342) participated in teamwork skills module in the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. After the first year, the introduction to the topic was revised in order to be more motivating to medical students. After each module data were collected with a feedback questionnaire containing numerical and open questions. By analyzing the students' numerical answers and the content of students' open answers regarding the module, we examined how the revised introduction affected students' perceptions of the usefulness of the module. Medical students' feedback in the years 1 (n = 81), 2 (n = 99) and 3 (n = 95) showed that the students found the module in the second and third years significantly more useful than in the first year. These results support earlier findings that clearly stated clinical relevance motivates medical students. When introducing multidisciplinary subjects to medical students, it is important to think through the clinical relevance of the topic and how it is introduced to medical students.

Medical Humanities Coursework Is Associated with Greater Measured Empathy in Medical Students.

PubMed

Graham, Jeremy; Benson, Lauren M; Swanson, Judy; Potyk, Darryl; Daratha, Kenn; Roberts, Ken

2016-12-01

The primary focus of the study was to determine whether coursework in the medical humanities would ameliorate students' loss of and failure to develop empathy, a problem known to be common during medical education. Students were offered an elective course in the Medical Humanities for academic credit. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy Student Version (JSE-S) was administered at the beginning and end of an academic year in which humanities courses were offered. Changes in JSE-S scores among students who studied Medical Humanities were compared with changes in student who did not take any humanities coursework. Medical humanities coursework correlated with superior empathy outcomes among the medical students. Of students not enrolled in humanities courses, 71% declined or failed to increase in JSE-S score over the academic year. Of those who took humanities coursework, 46% declined or failed to increase in JSE-S scores. The difference was statistically significant (P = .03). The medical humanities curriculum correlated with favorable empathy outcomes as measured by the JSE-S. Elective medical humanities coursework correlated with improved empathy score outcomes in a group of US medical students. This may reflect a direct effect of the humanities coursework. Alternately, students' elective choice to take medical humanities coursework may be a marker for students with a propensity to favorable empathy outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between overweight and characteristics of young adult students: support for nursing care1

PubMed Central

Santiago, Jênifa Cavalcante dos Santos; Moreira, Thereza Maria Magalhães; Florêncio, Raquel Sampaio

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: to verify associations between overweight and the characteristics of young adult students to support nursing care. METHOD: case-control study conducted with young adults from public schools. The sample was composed of 441 participants (147 cases and 294 controls, with and without excess weight, respectively). Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected together with exposure factors and anthropometrics. Multiple logistic regression was used. The study received Institutional Review Board approval. RESULTS: statistically significant association with overweight: non-Caucasian, having a partner; weight gain during adolescence, mother's excess weight, the use of obesogenic medication, augmented diastolic blood pressure, of abdominal circumference and waist/hip ratio. In addition to these, schooling and weight gain during childhood were also included in the multivariate analysis. After adjustment, the final model included: having a partner, weight gain during adolescence, augmented diastolic blood pressure and abdominal circumference. CONCLUSION: the analysis of predictor variables for excess weight among young adult students supports nurses in planning and developing educational practices aimed to prevent this clinical condition, which is a risk factor for other chronic comorbidities, such as cardiovascular diseases. PMID:26039295

A Comparative Study of Obsessionality in Medical Students, Law Students, and Controls.

PubMed

Harries, Michael D; Kim, Suck Won; Grant, Jon E

2017-09-01

Understanding obsessive-compulsive behavior in medical students and law students is necessary for administrators and educators to properly work with students struggling with obsessionality. We aim to compare the differences in obsessive symptoms between medical students, law students and a control population. A total of 100 third-year medical students, 102 third-year law students and 103 control subjects drawn from the general population completed the Leyton Obsessional Inventory (LOI). Subjects were examined on all three sections (symptoms/traits, resistance and interference) of the LOI. Obsessional symptom scores for medical students (14.29 ± 7.33) and law students (13.65 ± 6.61) were significantly greater than for the control group (11.58 ± 7.45). Medical and law students were both more likely to report checking, order, routine and attention to detail as obsessive symptoms. Medical students were more likely than law students to possess the obsessive symptoms of cleanliness and conscientiousness, while law students were more likely than medical students to possess obsessive symptoms related to difficulty in making up their mind and doubting themselves. While medical students and law students are more obsessional than the control population, each group is more likely to report different obsessive symptoms.

Brain drain: final year medical students' intentions of training abroad.

PubMed

Bojanic, Ana; Bojanic, Katarina; Likic, Robert

2015-06-01

In Croatia, a new European Union (EU) member state since July 2013, there is already a shortage of around 3280 doctors to reach the European average. To investigate the emigration intentions of the current cohort of final year medical students at Zabreb School of Medicine. An electronic questionnaire was used in June 2013 to assess the attitudes of 232 final year medical students towards working conditions abroad and expectations for career opportunities in Croatia following accession to the EU. With an overall response rate of 87%, more than half of the surveyed students (106/202, 53%) intended to travel abroad, either for specialty (52/202, 26%) or subspecialty (54/202, 27%) training. More female students (58/135, 43%) than male students (17/62, 27%) indicated they would not emigrate. Most attractive emigration destinations were: Germany (34/121, 28%), USA (19/121, 16%), the UK (19/121, 16%), Switzerland (16/121, 13%) and Canada (11/121, 9%). The most important goals that respondents aimed to achieve through training abroad were to excel professionally (45/120, 38%), to prosper financially (20/120, 17%) and to acquire new experiences and international exposure (31/120, 26%). Students' motivating factors, goals for and positive beliefs about training abroad, as well as negative expectations regarding career opportunities in Croatia, may point towards actions that could be taken to help make Croatia a country that facilitates medical education and professional career development of young doctors. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

[Medical students and psychiatry. A survey of students' opinion].

PubMed

Giberti, F; Corsini, G; Rovida, S

1994-06-01

In the last years research on the didactics of Psychiatry and opinions of medical students on Psychiatry has gained great interest. The authors think that this research could be useful for the improvement of didactics, for better understanding the meanings of professional choice, the identity of psychiatrist and their relationship with colleagues in other medical field. The goal of this research work was a preliminary survey of Genoese University Medical Student's opinions about psychiatry didactics, and choice of specialization. A questionnaire was submitted to all the students who passed Clinical Psychiatry examination in the period from November 1987 to December 1988. The students were divided in two randomized groups: the first group of students (224) was submitted to the questionnaire immediately after Clinical Psychiatry examination; while to the second group of students (66) the questionnaire was mailed. The aim of the questions was to assess the student's opinions on psychiatry, psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, the career they wanted to take up, and the difficulties of studying psychiatry: 69% of the students of the first group and 42% of the students of the second group answered the questionnaire. Female students answered that they preferred psychiatric specialization more than their male colleagues did, but the difference has no statistical importance. In most cases, the students who answered that they have taken into account psychiatry as a choice of specialisation, are more interested in medical specialties (primary care, etc.) than in surgical specialties. Most of the medical students declare some emotional troubles (anxiety, sleeplessness, problem in social relations).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Peculiarities of medical students' nutrition.

PubMed

Skemiene, Lina; Ustinaviciene, Rūta; Piesine, Loreta; Radisauskas, Ricardas

2007-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the peculiarities of medical students' nutrition, to compare the dietary habits between first-year and third-year students, to compare male and female students' nutrition, and to evaluate the tendencies of its change. An anonymous survey using a specially designed questionnaire was carried out on 349 first- and third-year students of the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy at Kaunas University of Medicine. Students' factual nutrition was evaluated by the number of meals per day, the time of eating, and the frequency of consumption of food products. The findings of the questionnaire-based study were stored in a database and analyzed using Excel software. Statistical relationships were determined using EPI Info software by applying the nonparametric chi(2) criterion. Statistical significance was determined using Student's criterion. The nutrition of first- and third-year students is irregular and differs in the time and number of meals. Only 20% of students daily ate 400 g of fruit and vegetables as recommended by the World Health Organization. Medical students, especially males, used excessive amounts of animal fat. Every seventh student consumed too salty food. Medical students consumed insufficient amounts of bread, potatoes, cereals, and other products that constitute the basis of the pyramid of healthy nutrition. Twenty-three percent of males and nearly as many females used alcohol once per week. Nearly one-half of students did not exercise at all, and 9.1% of third-year female and 14.5% of third-year male students were overweight. The majority of students did not follow the dietary regimen and consumed the majority of food products during the second half of the day. Students' nutrition was not balanced - medical students consumed too much fat, especially those of animal origin. Students consumed insufficient amounts of vegetable fats and fish products, fruit and vegetables, and thus their food may lack soluble dietary

Research-oriented medical education for graduate medical students.

PubMed

Deo, Madhav G

2013-01-01

In most parts of the world, medical education is predominantly geared to create service personnel for medical and health services. Training in research is ignored, which is a major handicap for students who are motivated to do research. The main objective of this study was to develop, for such students, a cost-effective 'in-study' research training module that could be adopted even by medical colleges, which have a modest research infrastructure, in different regions of India. Short-duration workshops on the clinical and laboratory medicine research methods including clinical protocol development were held in different parts of India to facilitate participation of students from various regions. Nine workshops covering the entire country were conducted between July 2010 and December 2011. Participation was voluntary and by invitation only to the recipients of the Indian Council of Medical Research-Short-term Studentship programme (ICMR- STS), which was taken as an index of students' research motivation. Faculty was drawn from the medical institutions in the region. All expenses on students, including their travel, and that of the faculty were borne by the academy. Impact of the workshop was judged by the performance of the participants in pre- and post-workshop tests with multiple-choice questions (MCQs) containing the same set of questions. There was no negative marking. Anonymous student feedback was obtained using a questionnaire. Forty-one per cent of the 1009 invited students attended the workshops. These workshops had a positive impact on the participants. Only 20% students could pass and just 2.3% scored >80% marks in the pre-workshop test. There was a three-fold increase in the pass percentage and over 20% of the participants scored >80% marks (A grade) in the post-workshop test. The difference between the pre- and post- workshop performance was statistically significant at all the centres. In the feedback from participants, the workshop received an average

Attitudes toward live and postmortem kidney donation: a survey of Chinese medical students.

PubMed

Ge, Fangmin; Kaczmarczyk, Gabriele; Biller-Andorno, Nikola

2014-12-01

As the gap between supply and demand for donor organs is increasing, we sought to clarify the knowledge and attitudes regarding living-organ donation among Chinese medical students and analyze their incentives and influencing factors. Data were collected from Chinese medical students using a standardized questionnaire. Of 320 surveyed participants, 261 participants (81.6%) said they would consider donating their live kidney organ, and 262 participants (81.9%) were willing to donate posthumously. Although 177 participants (55.7%) confirmed current regulations on posthumous organ donation, only 85 participants (26.7%) could correctly identify the regulations on live organ donation in China. Gender differences were not significantly associated with willingness to donate a kidney, whereas religion and socioeconomic status of the respondents were significantly associated with willingness to donate a live or posthumous kidney. Among well-informed, young, healthy, and economically well-off Chinese male and female medical students, most were willing to be live kidney donors. Religion and socioeconomic status may affect the decision-making process for organ disposition.

Transition: health professionals as medical students.

PubMed

Gallagher, Peter; Hoare, Kath

2016-06-01

It has long been acknowledged that health professionals who retrain as doctors make a significant contribution to the medical profession. Having a background as a health professional sets this group apart from the other medical students, including mature students. It is therefore important to understand more about how health professionals adapt to their role as medical students. A qualitative approach was adopted, in which interviews were conducted with 12 of the possible 30 medical students who met the inclusion criterion: namely that they were or had been registered health professionals. The most common driver to retrain was a desire to seek a fresh challenge, and they described their previous roles as limited; however, returning to student status after life as an autonomous health professional was initially very uncomfortable. Once they loosened their grip on their previous role and embraced life as a medical student the students eventually realised that, irrespective of their previous health profession, they had a set of core professional abilities that they could bring to their role as a doctor. There has been considerable focus on the support required for mature students, graduate students and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Little attention has been afforded to the experience of health professionals as medical students. This category of individual already possesses a wealth of experience, knowledge and attitudes relevant to health care work. This experience should be built upon so that the transition from 'expert' to 'novice' is as comfortable as possible for all parties. Health professionals who retrain as doctors make a significant contribution to the medical profession. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Differences of smoking knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors between medical and non-medical students.

PubMed

Han, Min-Yan; Chen, Wei-Qing; Wen, Xiao-Zhong; Liang, Cai-Hua; Ling, Wen-Hua

2012-03-01

Previous studies in the world reported inconsistent results about the relationship of medical professional education with medical students' smoking behaviors, and no similar research had been published in China. This paper aims to explore whether the differences of smoking-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors existed between medical and non-medical undergraduate students. Eight thousand one hundred thirty-eight undergraduate students sampled from a university in Guangzhou were investigated with a self-administered structured questionnaire about their smoking-related knowledge, attitude and behaviors, and other relevant factors. General linear model and multinomial logistic regression were conducted to test the differences in smoking-related knowledge, attitude, and behaviors between medical and non-medical students while controlling for potential confounding variables. There was no difference in smoking-related knowledge scores between medical and non-medical freshmen, but medical sophomores and juniors had higher scores of smoking-related knowledge than their non-medical counterparts. The medical sophomores had higher mean score of attitudes towards smoking than non-medical ones. Before entering university, the difference in the prevalence of experimental and regular smoking between medical and non-medical college students was not significant. After entering university, in contrast, the overall prevalence of regular smoking was significantly higher among male non-medical college students than among male medical students. Stratified by current academic year, this difference was significant only among male sophomores. Medical students have higher smoking-related knowledge, stronger anti-smoking attitude, and lower prevalence of regular smoking than non-medical college students of similar age, which may be associated with medical professional education.

Near-peer medical student simulation training.

PubMed

Cash, Thomas; Brand, Eleanor; Wong, Emma; Richardson, Jay; Athorn, Sam; Chowdhury, Faiza

2017-06-01

There is growing concern that medical students are inadequately prepared for life as a junior doctor. A lack of confidence managing acutely unwell patients is often cited as a barrier to good clinical care. With medical schools investing heavily in simulation equipment, we set out to explore if near-peer simulation training is an effective teaching format. Medical students in their third year of study and above were invited to attend a 90-minute simulation teaching session. The sessions were designed and delivered by final-year medical students using clinical scenarios mapped to the Sheffield MBChB curriculum. Candidates were required to assess, investigate and manage an acutely unwell simulated patient. Pre- and post-simulation training Likert scale questionnaires were completed relating to self-reported confidence levels. There is growing concern that medical students are inadequately prepared for life as a junior doctor RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed by 25 students (100% response rate); 52 per cent of students had no prior simulation experience. There were statistically significant improvements in self-reported confidence levels in each of the six areas assessed (p < 0.005). Thematic analysis of free-text comments indicated that candidates enjoyed the practical format of the sessions and found the experience useful. Our results suggest that near-peer medical student simulation training benefits both teacher and learner and that this simplistic model could easily be replicated at other medical schools. As the most junior members of the team, medical students are often confined to observer status. Simulation empowers students to practise independently in a safe and protected environment. Furthermore, it may help to alleviate anxiety about starting work as a junior doctor and improve future patient care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Students' approaches to medical school choice: relationship with students' characteristics and motivation.

PubMed

Wouters, Anouk; Croiset, Gerda; Schripsema, Nienke R; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke; Spaai, Gerard W G; Hulsman, Robert L; Kusurkar, Rashmi A

2017-06-12

The aim was to examine main reasons for students' medical school choice and their relationship with students' characteristics and motivation during the students' medical study. In this multisite cross-sectional study, all Year-1 and Year-4 students who had participated in a selection procedure in one of the three Dutch medical schools included in the study were invited to complete an online survey comprising personal data, their main reason for medical school choice and standard, validated questionnaires to measure their strength of motivation (Strength of Motivation for Medical School-Revised) and autonomous and controlled type of motivation (Academic Self-regulation Questionnaire). Four hundred seventy-eight students participated. We performed frequency analyses on the reasons for medical school choice and regression analyses and ANCOVAs to study their associations with students' characteristics and motivation during their medical study. Students indicated 'city' (Year-1: 24.7%, n=75 and Year-4: 36.0%, n=52) and 'selection procedure' (Year-1: 56.9%, n=173 and Year-4: 46.9%, n=68) as the main reasons for their medical school choice. The main reasons were associated with gender, age, being a first-generation university student, ethnic background and medical school, and no significant associations were found between the main reasons and the strength and type of motivation during the students' medical study. Most students had based their medical school choice on the selection procedure. If medical schools desire to achieve a good student-curriculum fit and attract a diverse student population aligning the selection procedure with the curriculum and taking into account various students' different approaches is important.

Sharp Injuries Among Medical Students.

PubMed

Ghasemzadeh, Iman; Kazerooni, Mitra; Davoodian, Parivash; Hamedi, Yaghoob; Sadeghi, Payam

2015-03-30

Sharp injuries threaten the health of healthcare employees. They cause the transmission of many diseases such as hepatitis B and C, AIDS, etc., which can increase the associated costs associated with them. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of sharp injuries among the students of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences. This cross-sectional study was conducted during 2012-2013 in Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, IR Iran. The target population consisted of the medical, nursing, midwifery, operating room technician, and medical laboratory students in the 2012-2013 academic year. Census sampling was conducted, and accordingly, 500 students participated in the study Data was collected using modified questionnaire of the University of San Diego's injury report form. The collected data were entered into SPSS V.19 and analyzed using descriptive statistical tests. Finally 377 students (75.4%) returned the questionnaire. Among the studied students, 184 students (39.3%) had had sharp injuries. The frequency of damaging Vein puncture was the most common mechanism of injury The prevalence of sharp injuries is high among students which can increase the risk of disease and its subsequent risks, and thus, increase the cost and stress among students. It seems that holding workshops and increasing students' awareness and skills to face these risks can be effective in mitigating them.

'Soft and fluffy': medical students' attitudes towards psychology in medical education.

PubMed

Gallagher, Stephen; Wallace, Sarah; Nathan, Yoga; McGrath, Deirdre

2015-01-01

Psychology is viewed by medical students in a negative light. In order to understand this phenomenon, we interviewed 19 medical students about their experiences of psychology in medical education. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Four main themes were generated: attitudes, teaching culture, curriculum factors and future career path; negative attitudes were transmitted by teachers to students and psychology was associated with students opting for a career in general practice. In summary, appreciation of psychology in medical education will only happen if all educators involved in medical education value and respect each other's speciality and expertise. © The Author(s) 2013.

Medical students' online learning technology needs.

PubMed

Han, Heeyoung; Nelson, Erica; Wetter, Nathan

2014-02-01

This study investigated medical students' online learning technology needs at a medical school. The study aimed to provide evidence-based guidance for technology selection and online learning design in medical education. The authors developed a 120-item survey in collaboration with the New Technology in Medical Education (NTIME) committee at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIUSOM). Overall, 123 of 290 medical students (42%) at the medical school participated in the survey. The survey focused on five major areas: students' hardware and software use; perception of educational technology (ET) in general; online behaviours; perception of ET use at the school; and demographic information. Students perceived multimedia tools, scheduling tools, communication tools, collaborative authoring tools, learning management systems and electronic health records useful educational technologies for their learning. They did not consider social networking tools useful for their learning, despite their frequent use. Third-year students were less satisfied with current technology integration in the curriculum, information sharing and collaborative learning than other years. Students in clerkships perceived mobile devices as useful for their learning. Students using a mobile device (i.e. a smartphone) go online, text message, visit social networking sites and are online during classes more frequently than non-users. Medical students' ET needs differ between preclinical and clinical years. Technology supporting ubiquitous mobile learning and health information technology (HIT) systems at hospitals and out-patient clinics can be integrated into clerkship curricula. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Encouraging Student Interest in Teaching Through a Medical Student Teaching Competition.

PubMed

DeSimone, Ariadne K; Haydek, John P; Sudduth, Christopher L; LaBarbera, Vincent; Desai, Yaanik; Reinertsen, Erik; Manning, Kimberly D

2017-08-01

Clinician educators have realized the value not only of assigning teaching roles to medical students but also of offering explicit training in how to teach effectively. Despite this interest in the development of medical students' teaching skills, formal teaching instruction and opportunities for practice are lacking. To encourage medical student interest in teaching, the authors developed and implemented a medical student teaching competition (MSTC) at Emory University School of Medicine during the summers of 2014, 2015, and 2016. Each year, eight student finalists were each paired with a physician "teaching coach" and given one month to prepare for the MSTC. During the competition, each finalist delivered an eight-minute presentation to a panel of seven physician and resident judges. The authors describe the development, implementation, and assessment of the MSTC. Approximately 150 medical students and faculty members attended the MSTC each year. The students in attendance felt that the MSTC made them more likely to seek out opportunities to learn how to teach effectively and to practice teaching. Additionally, some students are now more interested in learning about a career in academic medicine than they were before the MSTC. Given the need for more formal initiatives dedicated to improving the teaching skills of doctors-in-training, including medical students, innovative solutions such as the MSTC may enhance a medical school's existing curriculum and encourage student interest in teaching. The MSTC model may be generalizable to other medical schools.

Depression in medical students: current insights.

PubMed

Moir, Fiona; Yielder, Jill; Sanson, Jasmine; Chen, Yan

2018-01-01

Medical students are exposed to multiple factors during their academic and clinical study that have been shown to contribute to high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The purpose of this article was to explore the issue of depression in the medical student population, including prevalence, causes, and key issues, along with suggestions for early identification and support from one medical school in New Zealand. After establishing that the prevalence of depression is higher for medical students than the general population, the key issues explored include assessment used in the program, characteristics of the student population (such as Type A personality and perfectionism), resilience, selection procedures, students' motivation, and the nature of the clinical environment. This review includes several recommendations to improve students' psychological health such as positioning well-being within an overarching comprehensive workplace wellness model and integrating peer and faculty-led support into the day-to-day running of the institution. It also highlights the advantages of the addition of a well-being curriculum, as skills to prevent and manage distress and depression are relevant in supporting the competencies required by medical practitioners. It concludes that medical schools need wide-ranging strategies to address the complexities associated with the particular student population attracted to medicine and calls for educators to act, by noticing opportunities where they can introduce such initiatives into their medical programs.

Association Between Perceived Medical School Diversity Climate and Change in Depressive Symptoms Among Medical Students: A Report from the Medical Student CHANGE Study.

PubMed

Hardeman, Rachel R; Przedworski, Julia M; Burke, Sara; Burgess, Diana J; Perry, Sylvia; Phelan, Sean; Dovidio, John F; van Ryn, Michelle

2016-01-01

To determine whether perceptions of the medical school diversity climate are associated with depression symptoms among medical students. Longitudinal web-based survey conducted in the fall of 2010 and spring of 2014 administered to a national sample of medical students enrolled in 49 schools across the U.S. (n = 3756). Negative diversity climate measured by perceptions of the institution's racial climate; exposure to negative role modeling by medical educators; frequency of witnessing discrimination in medical school. Depression symptoms measured by the PROMIS Emotional Distress-Depression Short-Form. 64% of students reported a negative racial climate; 81% reported witnessing discrimination toward other students at least once, and 94% reported witnessing negative role modeling. Negative racial climate, witnessed discrimination, and negative role modeling were independently and significantly associated with an increase in depression symptoms between baseline and follow-up. Adjusting for students' personal experiences of mistreatment, associations between depressive symptoms and negative racial climate and negative role modeling, remained significant (.72 [.51-.93]; .33 [.12-.54], respectively). Among medical students, greater exposure to a negative medical school diversity climate was associated with an increase in self-reported depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2016 National Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Anti-rubella, Mumps and Measles IgG Antibodies in Medical Students of Tehran University.

PubMed

Keshavarz, Maryam; Nicknam, Mohammad Hossein; Tebyanian, Majid; Shahkarami, Mohammad Kazem; Izad, Maryam

2016-06-01

Measles, mumps and rubella are viral infectious diseases that may result in serious complications. Since the production of vaccines, the number of cases of these diseases has been dropped. Nevertheless, these infectious diseases are still one of the major health problems in developing countries. In this study, in order to evaluate the protective responses against measles, mumps and rubella, the level and avidity of virus-specific IgG antibodies were measured in 53 medical students of Tehran University, aged between 20-30 years. Except for mumps vaccine, all the students had been vaccinated against measles and rubella according to Iran's nationwide mass vaccination protocol for all persons aged 5-25 in 2003. Our results showed that 96.2% of the volunteers had a protective level (>15 IU/ml) of IgG against rubella, 79.2% had a protective level (>11 IU/ml) of IgG against measles and 64.16% had a protective level (>11 IU/ml) of IgG against mumps. Over ten years after nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign, most young adults aged 20-30 had protective levels of humoral immunity against measles and rubella. However, Iranian young population is still unvaccinated against mumps, and therefore relatively large number of young adults had no protective level of IgG against it. This finding may be due to reduction in circulating of wild strain. We recommend screening of medical students for immunity against infectious agents such as measles, mumps, rubella, because they are at a high risk of these infectious agents.

Intercultural training of medical students.

PubMed

van Wieringen, J.C.M.; Schulpen, T.W.J.; Kuyvenhoven, M.M.

2001-01-01

Until recently the Utrecht Medical School had a traditional curriculum with a predominantly biomedical orientation and strong emphasis on curative medicine. In 1997 an experimental 'Multi-cultural Family Attachment Course' started at the Utrecht Medical School with 20 second-year medical students. Each student was attached to a native Dutch and an ethnic minority family with a newborn or chronically ill child. In a period of 1.5 years students had to visit each family at home four times. The students monitored growth and development of the child and discussed several aspects of health and disease with the parents according to a structured schedule. In regular group sessions students reported back their experiences. In this way, the influence of socioeconomic circumstances, culture and environment on health becomes a real-life experience. This paper aims to describe some aspects of this pilot-course and the reactions of the students.

Early community-based family practice elective positively influences medical students' career considerations--a pre-post-comparison.

PubMed

Deutsch, Tobias; Hönigschmid, Petra; Frese, Thomas; Sandholzer, Hagen

2013-02-21

Demographic change and recruitment problems in family practice are increasingly threatening an adequate primary care workforce in many countries. Thus, it is important to attract young physicians to the field. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of an early community-based 28-h family practice elective with one-to-one mentoring on medical students' consideration of family practice as a career option, their interest in working office-based, and several perceptions with regard to specific aspects of a family physician's work. First- and second-year medical students completed questionnaires before and after a short community-based family practice elective, consisting of a preparatory course and a community-based practical experience with one-to-one mentoring by trained family physicians. We found a significantly higher rate of students favoring family practice as a career option after the elective (32.7% vs. 26.0%, p = 0.039). Furthermore, the ranking of family practice among other considered career options improved (p = 0.002). Considerations to work office-based in the future did not change significantly. Perceptions regarding a family physician's job changed positively with regard to the possibility of long-term doctor-patient relationships and treatment of complex disease patterns. The majority of the students described identification with the respective family physician tutor as a professional role model and an increased interest in the specialty. Our results indicate that a short community-based family practice elective early in medical education may positively influence medical students' considerations of a career in family practice. Furthermore, perceptions regarding the specialty with significant impact on its attractiveness may be positively adjusted. Further research is needed to evaluate the influence of different components of a family practice curriculum on the de facto career decisions of young physicians after graduation.

Conscientious objection in medical students: a questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Strickland, Sophie Lm

2012-01-01

To explore attitudes towards conscientious objections among medical students in the UK. Medical students at St George's University of London, Cardiff University, King's College London and Leeds University were emailed a link to an anonymous online questionnaire, hosted by an online survey company. The questionnaire contained nine questions. A total of 733 medical students responded. Nearly half of the students in this survey stated that they believed in the right of doctors to conscientiously object to any procedure. Demand for the right to conscientiously object is greater in Muslim medical students when compared with other groups of religious medical students. Abortion continues to be a contentious issue among medical students and this may contribute to the looming crisis in abortion services over the coming years. This project sheds some light on how future doctors view some of their ethical rights and obligations. Using empirical evidence, it reveals that conscientious objection is an issue in the UK medical student body today. These data could help anticipate problems that may arise when these medical students qualify and practise medicine in the community. Clearer guidance is needed for medical students about the issue of conscientious objection at medical school.

A program using medical students to teach high school students about AIDS.

PubMed

Johnson, J A; Sellew, J F; Campbell, A E; Haskell, E G; Gay, A A; Bell, B J

1988-07-01

In the spring of 1987, 20 medical students from the Eastern Virginia Medical School of the Medical College of Hampton Roads were involved in a pilot program to teach about the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) to high school senior students in Norfolk, Virginia. The medical students received instruction about AIDS from basic science and clinical faculty members at the medical school in preparation for the project. All participating high school seniors completed a 15-item knowledge test about AIDS prior to the intervention and an equivalent posttest one week after the program was completed. T-test analysis revealed a significant increase in knowledge by students at all five high schools. Responses to 10 subjective posttest questions indicated that the high school students were interested in learning about AIDS and having medical students as their teachers. This program provides an example of how medical institutions can develop a collaborative community education project that contributes to the education of medical students.

Strategies for enhancing medical student resilience: student and faculty member perspectives.

PubMed

Farquhar, Julia; Kamei, Robert; Vidyarthi, Arpana

2018-01-12

To improve programs aimed to enhance medical student resiliency, we examined both medical student and faculty advisor perspectives on resiliency-building in an Asian medical school. In two separate focus groups, a convenience sample of 8 MD-PhD students and 8 faculty advisors were asked to identify strategies for enhancing resilience. Using thematic analysis, two researchers independently examined discussion transcripts and field notes and determined themes through a consensus process. They then compared the themes to discern similarities and differences between these groups. Themes from the student suggestions for increasing resilience included "Perspective changes with time and experience", "Defining effective advisors," and "Individual paths to resiliency". Faculty-identified themes were "Structured activities to change student perspectives," "Structured teaching of coping strategies", and "Institution-wide social support". Students described themselves as individuals building their own resilience path and preferred advisors who were not also evaluators. Faculty, however, suggested systematic, structural ways to increase resilience. Students and advisors identified some common, and many distinct strategies for enhancing medical student resilience. Student/advisor discrepancies may exemplify a cultural shift in Singapore's medical education climate, where students value increased individualism and autonomy in their education. As medical schools create interventions to enhance resilience and combat potential student burnout, they should consider individually-tailored as well as system-wide programs to best meet the needs of their students and faculty.

Role of Religiosity in Psychological Well-Being Among Medical and Non-medical Students.

PubMed

Saleem, Shemaila; Saleem, Tamkeen

2017-08-01

Religion has been generally considered as a protective factor for the psychological health of the people. As many studies have publicized a high prevalence of psychological morbidities among the medical students during their academic stages of medical schools, it is significant to investigate whether religiosity functions as a protective factor, to explore religiosity as a predictor of psychological well-being in a sample of medical students, and to compare the results of medical students as well as non-medical students with respect to religiosity and psychological well-being. The study is carried out in Federal Medical and Dental College and International Islamic University, Islamabad. The present study examined a sample of 120 medical students from Federal Medical and Dental College and 120 non-medical students from International Islamic University, Islamabad. Purposive sampling was used. The respondents completed religious orientation scale and scale of psychological well-being scale along with a demographic data sheet. In order to measure the study variables, linear regression and t test were used. The findings revealed that religiosity is a strong predictor of psychological well-being. Extrinsic and intrinsic religiosity predicts psychological well-being among the students. The results indicated a significant difference in psychological well-being between medical and non-medical students. No significant difference was found in religiosity of medical and non-medical students. The gender differences in religiosity and psychological well-being were found to be insignificant. The results emphasize that psychological well-being is prophesied by religiosity. The present research suggests further investigations and also endows with trends for psychological evaluation, development of religious beliefs, and interventions for augmenting psychological well-being among the medical students.

Medical student attitudes about mental illness: does medical-school education reduce stigma?

PubMed

Korszun, Ania; Dinos, Sokratis; Ahmed, Kamran; Bhui, Kamaldeep

2012-05-01

Reducing stigma associated with mental illness is an important aim of medical education, yet evidence indicates that medical students' attitudes toward patients with mental health problems deteriorate as they progress through medical school. Authors examined medical students' attitudes to mental illness, as compared with attitudes toward other medical illness, and the influence of the number of years spent in medical school, as well as of several key socio-demographic, ethnic, and cultural variables. A group of 760 U.K. medical students completed a nationwide on-line survey examining their attitudes toward patients with five conditions (pneumonia, depression, psychotic symptoms, intravenous drug use, long-standing unexplained abdominal complaints), using the Medical Condition Regard Scale (MCRS). Students were also asked whether they had completed the psychiatry rotation or had personal experience of mental disorders themselves or among their friends or family members. They were also asked about their ethnic group (using U.K. national census categories), religious affiliation, and how important religion was in their lives. Independent-samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA were used to compare differences between groups on the MCRS. Students showed the highest regard for patients with pneumonia and lowest regard for patients with long-standing, unexplained abdominal complaints. Although attitudes toward pneumonia were more positive in fifth-year students than in first-year students, attitudes toward unexplained chronic abdominal pain were worse in fifth-year students than in first-year students. Personal experience of mental health treatment, or that among family and friends, were associated with less stigmatizing attitudes. Men showed more stigmatization than women for nearly all conditions; Chinese and South Asian students showed more stigmatizing attitudes toward delusions and hallucinations than their white British counterparts. Medical students in this survey

The Australian Medical Schools Assessment Collaboration: benchmarking the preclinical performance of medical students.

PubMed

O'Mara, Deborah A; Canny, Ben J; Rothnie, Imogene P; Wilson, Ian G; Barnard, John; Davies, Llewelyn

2015-02-02

To report the level of participation of medical schools in the Australian Medical Schools Assessment Collaboration (AMSAC); and to measure differences in student performance related to medical school characteristics and implementation methods. Retrospective analysis of data using the Rasch statistical model to correct for missing data and variability in item difficulty. Linear model analysis of variance was used to assess differences in student performance. 6401 preclinical students from 13 medical schools that participated in AMSAC from 2011 to 2013. Rasch estimates of preclinical basic and clinical science knowledge. Representation of Australian medical schools and students in AMSAC more than doubled between 2009 and 2013. In 2013 it included 12 of 19 medical schools and 68% of medical students. Graduate-entry students scored higher than students entering straight from school. Students at large schools scored higher than students at small schools. Although the significance level was high (P < 0.001), the main effect sizes were small (4.5% and 2.3%, respectively). The time allowed per multiple choice question was not significantly associated with student performance. The effect on performance of multiple assessments compared with the test items as part of a single end-of-year examination was negligible. The variables investigated explain only 12% of the total variation in student performance. An increasing number of medical schools are participating in AMSAC to monitor student performance in preclinical sciences against an external benchmark. Medical school characteristics account for only a small part of overall variation in student performance. Student performance was not affected by the different methods of administering test items.

[Level of tobacco smoking amongst 6th year students of Wroclaw Medical University].

PubMed

Kurpas, Donata; Wojtal, Mariola; Bielska, Dorota; Rogalska, Monika; Steciwko, Andrzej

2009-01-01

Prevention of tobacco smoking amongst youths and young adult could limit deaths because of illness tobacco related to 2050. The assessment of the level of smoking was the aim of examinations amongst medical students. An anonymous questionnaire containing questions on the subject of tobacco smoking was carried amongst 6th year students of the Medical Department of Wroclaw Medical University in the academic year 2008/2009. Two hundreds then students took part in the study. 62% of examined came from the provincial capital, the 11.4% from the town with the population above 100 hundred of inhabitants, 22.4% of towns with the population below 100 hundred of inhabitants and 3.8% of students--from country centers. 14.8 % respondents admitted to smoking cigarettes, 75.2% were non-smoking persons, 10% were smokers but ceased smoking cigarettes in the sequence of a few last years. Amongst smokers--the most (59% of students and 71% of students) is smoking to 5 cigarettes per day. The most students (56% of women and 60% of men) began smoking in the secondary school. In studied group 67.6% (142) examined is claiming that the anti-tobacco advice should give family doctors, and 43% thinks that a patient which isn't able to cease the smoking in spite of strong motivation should be seen by a family doctor. The percentage of smokers amongst medical students didn't take turns in the sequence of two last years, however amongst smokers--biggest percentage is smoking to 5 cigarettes per day. The students most often begin smoking in the secondary school. The straight majority of the medical students is paying attention, that family doctors should take up giving the anti-tobacco advice and helping patients which isn't able to cease the smoking in spite of strong motivation. The ones smoking the small number of cigarettes and which began smoking in the secondary school are predominating amongst smokers. Overbalancing percentage of examined is located anti-tobacco therapy into competence of

A student-initiated and student-facilitated international health elective for preclinical medical students.

PubMed

Vora, Nirali; Chang, Mina; Pandya, Hemang; Hasham, Aliya; Lazarus, Cathy

2010-02-15

Global health education is becoming more important for developing well-rounded physicians and may encourage students toward a career in primary care. Many medical schools, however, lack adequate and structured opportunities for students beginning the curriculum. Second-year medical students initiated, designed, and facilitated a pass-fail international health elective, providing a curricular framework for preclinical medical students wishing to gain exposure to the clinical and cultural practices of a developing country. All course participants (N=30) completed a post-travel questionnaire within one week of sharing their experiences. Screening reflection essays for common themes that fulfill university core competencies yielded specific global health learning outcomes, including analysis of health care determinants. Medical students successfully implemented a sustainable global health curriculum for preclinical student peers. Financial constraints, language, and organizational burdens limit student participation. In future, long-term studies should analyze career impact and benefits to the host country.

Medical students' child oral-health-related knowledge, practices and attitudes.

PubMed

AlYousef, Y; Damiano, P; Weber-Gasparoni, K; Qian, F; Murph, J; Nothwehr, F

2013-11-01

This study evaluated medical interns' oral health knowledge, and other factors influencing their ability and willingness to perform oral-health-related practices for high-caries-risk children. A 15-item survey was emailed to all eligible graduating fifth-year medical students at King Khalid University Hospital to address these areas of interest. Chi-square statistics and logistic regression models were used to analyse data. One-hundred and twenty-one (49%) usable surveys were returned from two mailings. On questions regarding comfort levels when performing oral-health-related practices on children under age 3, physicians noted high levels of comfort with all specified oral health practices. Regarding satisfaction of students with medical training, the majority of respondents (87.5%) rated their medical training as fair or poor in preparing them for oral health assessments compared to only 35%, 29% and 7% of respondents giving fair or poor ratings to child abuse identification, caring for special needs patients and primary care paediatric practice, respectively. Additionally, although 90% of respondents noted that the role of primary physicians in counselling/referring children with oral health was important, 60% did not agree with the AAPD and AAP guidelines that state that all children should be referred to a dentist by 12 months of age. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed several statistically significant variables that predict the likelihood of performing various oral-health-related practices. The choice of public-health-oriented future clinical goals, the level of oral health knowledge, how interns rated their oral health training in medical school and the average number of children seen per week, all--to varying degrees--proved important predicator variables for the likelihood of performing them once in practice. More oral-health-related training of medical students seems warranted and could improve their interest in providing oral

Hazardous Health Behaviour among Medical Students: a Study from Turkey.

PubMed

Nacar, Melis; Cetinkaya, Fevziye; Baykan, Zeynep; Yilmazel, Gulay; Elmali, Ferhan

2015-01-01

Hazardous health behaviour in young people is an important factor that affects the individual risk for non-communicable diseases and other disorders later in life. This study aimed to determine the hazardous health behaviour of first and last class medical students of Erciyes University. This descriptive study was carried out with 240 medical students from the first and 130 students from the last (sixth) class. Data were obtained by questionnaire between March-April 2012. In total, 339 students were included with a response rate of 91.6%. Socio-demographic characteristics, school success, self-reported economic difficulties, health perceptions, hazardous health behaviour related to chronic disease, tobacco, alcohol, substance use, body weight, height, traffic, violence and nutrition were assessed in line with the literature. Of the participants; 64.0% were from first and 36.0% were from the last class. Mean ages for the first and last classes were 19.4 ± 1.5 and 24.0 ± 1.5 years, respectively. In the current study, males exhibited more hazardous behaviour than females. Sime 19.8% of the students in the study group used alcohol, 35.4% used a waterpipe, and 24.8% used tobacco at least once. These rates increased in both genders in the last class and the increase in males was significant. Some 3.8% of the students in the current study used pleasure-inducing illegal substances at least once. All the students participating in the current study were single, the number of males reported not using condoms (8.6%) was 4.56 times higher compared to females. Some 64.0% of the students did not perform physical activity lasting at least 30 minutes for five times a week, 13.0% did not sleep for mean 7-8 hours daily, males having a 2.9 times higher risk. More than 1/3 of the students did not consume cooked vegetable dishes and 1/4 did not consume fresh fruits and salads, the rates were higher among males. In the current study, hazardous health behaviour was prevalent among

[Depression and stress management in medical students. A comparative study between freshman and advanced medical students].

PubMed

Jurkat, H B; Richter, L; Cramer, M; Vetter, A; Bedau, S; Leweke, F; Milch, W

2011-05-01

International studies have indicated a high prevalence of depression and a lack of coping with stress in medical students. Freshman and advanced medical students were investigated using a specific questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) with a response rate of 100%. Of the subjects studied 81.1% did not have any depression, 13.1% slight and 5.8% clinically relevant symptoms of depression. The severity of symptoms was highly associated with subjective appraisal of stressors. Coping skills of first year students significantly influenced the depression symptoms calling for preventative measures even in freshman medical students.

Medical Student Documentation in the Electronic Medical Record: Patterns of Use and Barriers.

PubMed

Wittels, Kathleen; Wallenstein, Joshua; Patwari, Rahul; Patel, Sundip

2017-01-01

Electronic health records (EHR) have become ubiquitous in emergency departments. Medical students rotating on emergency medicine (EM) clerkships at these sites have constant exposure to EHRs as they learn essential skills. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), and the Alliance for Clinical Education (ACE) have determined that documentation of the patient encounter in the medical record is an essential skill that all medical students must learn. However, little is known about the current practices or perceived barriers to student documentation in EHRs on EM clerkships. We performed a cross-sectional study of EM clerkship directors at United States medical schools between March and May 2016. A 13-question IRB-approved electronic survey on student documentation was sent to all EM clerkship directors. Only one response from each institution was permitted. We received survey responses from 100 institutions, yielding a response rate of 86%. Currently, 63% of EM clerkships allow medical students to document a patient encounter in the EHR. The most common reasons cited for not permitting students to document a patient encounter were hospital or medical school rule forbidding student documentation (80%), concern for medical liability (60%), and inability of student notes to support medical billing (53%). Almost 95% of respondents provided feedback on student documentation with supervising faculty being the most common group to deliver feedback (92%), followed by residents (64%). Close to two-thirds of medical students are allowed to document in the EHR on EM clerkships. While this number is robust, many organizations such as the AAMC and ACE have issued statements and guidelines that would look to increase this number even further to ensure that students are prepared for residency as well as their future careers. Almost all EM clerkships provided feedback on student documentation indicating the importance for

[Chemical and behavioural addiction of medical students. Comparative study in Lebanese students].

PubMed

Moaouad, J; Kazour, F; Haddad, R; Rouhayem, J; Chammai, R; Richa, S

2012-12-01

Evaluate chemical and behavioural dependence of medical students, and compare it to a control group (students in non-medical faculties), in order to underline the harmful effect of university on medical students' dependence. A three-part questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 140 medical students at the Saint-Joseph university of Beirut (USJ), and to 140 students in many other USJ faculties, and filled in anonymously. The first part is about demographic criteria and the second and third parts are respectively about chemical and behavioural dependence, based on DSM IV criteria. There is no statistically significant difference between the two studied populations concerning the dependence on alcohol, cannabis, sedatives, opiates, amphetamines, workaholism, gambling and Internet. However, the prevalence of addiction to caffeine, cocaine, nicotine; sexual addiction, and compulsive buying are significantly lower in medical students when compared to the control group. Men, compared to women, did not show significantly higher levels of dependence on chemical substances. Workaholism is not significantly more prevalent in women. Sexual addiction and compulsive buying are not significantly higher in men. However, pathological gambling and Internet addiction are significantly more prevalent in men. Finally, this study does not show a variation in dependence through the years of medical studies. Most studies show that medical students have high levels of dependence on alcohol, opiates and sedatives. The results of our study show greater dependence on caffeine followed by nicotine, alcohol and sedatives. Medical students in our population did not reveal higher dependence rates compared to other university students. Overall, substance addiction in medical students may be related to the stress of medical studies, and easy access to drugs and prescriptions. These factors may be balanced by perfectionist traits, ethical standards and knowledge of adverse effects seen in

Supporting Scientific Experimentation and Reasoning in Young Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varma, Keisha

2014-01-01

Researchers from multiple perspectives have shown that young students can engage in the scientific reasoning involved in science experimentation. However, there is little research on how well these young students learn in inquiry-based learning environments that focus on using scientific experimentation strategies to learn new scientific…

General practitioner teachers' job satisfaction and their medical students' wish to join the field - a correlational study.

PubMed

Meli, Damian Notker; Ng, Angie; Singer, Sarah; Frey, Peter; Schaufelberger, Mireille

2014-03-24

There will be increasing competition for young physicians worldwide as more and more physicians retire. While enthusiasm towards GP work is important for GP teachers as role models, satisfaction within the profession has declined. This study aims to determine if medical students' desire to become GPs is related to the job satisfaction of their teaching GPs and explore the factors tied to this job satisfaction. In this cross-sectional, correlational study, teaching GPs of the University of Bern and the fourth year medical students completing internships with them filled in separate questionnaires. Whether or not the GP teacher is perceived by a student to be satisfied with her/his job is correlated to that student's satisfaction with the internship, which in turn, is correlated with student's wish to be a GP after the internship. Results show which factors are most related to GP job satisfaction and the effect of working hours and their composition. Medical students' perception of their GP teachers' job satisfaction positively affect their wish to become GPs, and their satisfaction with their internships adds to this. Enhancing the positive aspects of GP work, such as recognition, and improving negative ones, such as administrative duties, are necessary to attract medical students into the GP field.

Emotional disorders among medical students in a Malaysian private medical school.

PubMed

Zaid, Z A; Chan, S C; Ho, J J

2007-10-01

A study was done between December 2005 and January 2006 to determine the prevalence of emotional disorders among medical students in a private medical school in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia and to determine the demographical characteristics, contributing factors and the key person consulted for emotional problems. Medical students in the private medical school completed the 12-item English version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and a demographical questionnaire. A cut-off point of 3/4 for the GHQ was used to determine negative and positive scores for emotional disorders. Out of 292 medical students, 86.6 percent completed the questionnaires. A total of 117 students (46.2 percent) were found to have emotional disorders. There was no significant association of ethnicity, gender, age group, number of examinations sat, examination performances, past medical conditions and relationships with parents, siblings, course-mates and lecturers with positive GHQ scores. A significant association, however, was found between positive GHQ scores for emotional disorders and the year of study, pressure faced due to examinations, and not having a love relationship. 39 percent of the students stated friends as their main preference for consultation of any emotional problem. The prevalence of emotional disorders among medical students was high. Further studies and diagnostic measures are recommended, including a more systematic screening and counselling programme by the medical school for early diagnosis and treatment to prevent complications.

Becoming a general practitioner - Which factors have most impact on career choice of medical students?

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In Germany, there is a shortage of young physicians in several specialties, the situation of general practitioners (GP) being especially precarious. The factors influencing the career choice of German medical students are poorly understood. This study aims to identify factors influencing medical students' specialty choice laying a special focus on general practice. Methods The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. In 2010, students at the five medical schools in the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg (Germany) filled out an online-questionnaire. On 27 items with 5-point Likert scales, the students rated the importance of specified individual and occupational aspects. Furthermore, students were asked to assign their intended medical specialty. Results 1,299 students participated in the survey. Thereof, 1,114 students stated a current choice for a specialty, with 708 students choosing a career in one of the following 6 specialties: internal medicine, surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, paediatrics, anaesthetics and general practice. Overall, individual aspects ('Personal ambition', 'Future perspective', 'Work-life balance') were rated as more important than occupational aspects (i.e. 'Variety in job', 'Job-related ambition') for career choice. For students favouring a career as a GP individual aspects and the factor 'Patient orientation' among the occupational aspects were significantly more important and 'Job-related ambition' less important compared to students with other specialty choices. Conclusions This study confirms that future GPs differ from students intending to choose other specialties particularly in terms of patient-orientation and individual aspects such as personal ambition, future perspective and work-life balance. Improving job-conditions in terms of family compatibility and work-life balance could help to increase the attractiveness of general practice. Due to the shortage of GPs those factors should be made explicit at an

Becoming a general practitioner--which factors have most impact on career choice of medical students?

PubMed

Kiolbassa, Kathrin; Miksch, Antje; Hermann, Katja; Loh, Andreas; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Joos, Stefanie; Goetz, Katja

2011-05-09

In Germany, there is a shortage of young physicians in several specialties, the situation of general practitioners (GP) being especially precarious. The factors influencing the career choice of German medical students are poorly understood. This study aims to identify factors influencing medical students' specialty choice laying a special focus on general practice. The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. In 2010, students at the five medical schools in the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg (Germany) filled out an online-questionnaire. On 27 items with 5-point Likert scales, the students rated the importance of specified individual and occupational aspects. Furthermore, students were asked to assign their intended medical specialty. 1,299 students participated in the survey. Thereof, 1,114 students stated a current choice for a specialty, with 708 students choosing a career in one of the following 6 specialties: internal medicine, surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, paediatrics, anaesthetics and general practice. Overall, individual aspects ('Personal ambition', 'Future perspective', 'Work-life balance') were rated as more important than occupational aspects (i.e. 'Variety in job', 'Job-related ambition') for career choice. For students favouring a career as a GP individual aspects and the factor 'Patient orientation' among the occupational aspects were significantly more important and 'Job-related ambition' less important compared to students with other specialty choices. This study confirms that future GPs differ from students intending to choose other specialties particularly in terms of patient-orientation and individual aspects such as personal ambition, future perspective and work-life balance. Improving job-conditions in terms of family compatibility and work-life balance could help to increase the attractiveness of general practice. Due to the shortage of GPs those factors should be made explicit at an early stage at medical school to increase

Do medical students and young physicians assess reliably their self-efficacy regarding communication skills? A prospective study from end of medical school until end of internship.

PubMed

Gude, Tore; Finset, Arnstein; Anvik, Tor; Bærheim, Anders; Fasmer, Ole Bernt; Grimstad, Hilde; Vaglum, Per

2017-06-30

This prospective study from end of medical school through internship investigates the course and possible change of self- reported self-efficacy in communication skills compared with observers' ratings of such skills in consultations with simulated patients. Sixty-two medical students (43 females) from four Norwegian universities performed a videotaped consultation with a simulated patient immediately before medical school graduation (T1) and after internship (internal medicine, surgery and family medicine, half a year each - T2). Before each consultation, the participants assessed their general self-efficacy in communication skills. Trained observers scored the videos and applied a well-validated instrument to rate the communication behaviour. Results from the two assessment methods were correlated at both time points and possible differences from T1 to T2 were explored. A close to zero correlation between self-efficacy and observed communication skills were found at T1. At T2, participants' self-efficacy scores were inversely correlated with levels of observed skills, demonstrating a lack of concordance between young physicians' own assessment of self-efficacy and observers' assessment. When dividing the sample in three groups based on the observers' scores (low <1/3-, medium 1/3 to 2/3-, high competence >2/3), the group of male physicians showed higher levels of self-efficacy than females in all the three performance groups at T1. At T2, those having a high performance score yielded a low self-efficacy, regardless of gender. The lack of positive correlations between self-efficacy assessment and expert ratings points to limitations in the applicability of self-assessment measures of communication skills. Due to gender differences, groups of female and male physicians should be investigated separately. Those obtaining high-performance ratings from observers, through the period of internship, may become more conscious of how demanding clinical communication with

Strategies for enhancing medical student resilience: student and faculty member perspectives

PubMed Central

Kamei, Robert; Vidyarthi, Arpana

2018-01-01

Objectives To improve programs aimed to enhance medical student resiliency, we examined both medical student and faculty advisor perspectives on resiliency-building in an Asian medical school. Methods In two separate focus groups, a convenience sample of 8 MD-PhD students and 8 faculty advisors were asked to identify strategies for enhancing resilience. Using thematic analysis, two researchers independently examined discussion transcripts and field notes and determined themes through a consensus process. They then compared the themes to discern similarities and differences between these groups. Results Themes from the student suggestions for increasing resilience included “Perspective changes with time and experience”, “Defining effective advisors,” and “Individual paths to resiliency”. Faculty-identified themes were “Structured activities to change student perspectives,” “Structured teaching of coping strategies”, and “Institution-wide social support”. Students described themselves as individuals building their own resilience path and preferred advisors who were not also evaluators. Faculty, however, suggested systematic, structural ways to increase resilience. Conclusions Students and advisors identified some common, and many distinct strategies for enhancing medical student resilience. Student/advisor discrepancies may exemplify a cultural shift in Singapore’s medical education climate, where students value increased individualism and autonomy in their education. As medical schools create interventions to enhance resilience and combat potential student burnout, they should consider individually-tailored as well as system-wide programs to best meet the needs of their students and faculty. PMID:29334480

Patient safety awareness among Undergraduate Medical Students in Pakistani Medical School.

PubMed

Kamran, Rizwana; Bari, Attia; Khan, Rehan Ahmed; Al-Eraky, Mohamed

2018-01-01

To measure the level of awareness of patient safety among undergraduate medical students in Pakistani Medical School and to find the difference with respect to gender and prior experience with medical error. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Lahore (UOL), Pakistan from January to March 2017, and comprised final year medical students. Data was collected using a questionnaire 'APSQ- III' on 7 point Likert scale. Eight questions were reverse coded. Survey was anonymous. SPSS package 20 was used for statistical analysis. Questionnaire was filled by 122 students, with 81% response rate. The best score 6.17 was given for the 'team functioning', followed by 6.04 for 'long working hours as a cause of medical error'. The domains regarding involvement of patient, confidence to report medical errors and role of training and learning on patient safety scored high in the agreed range of >5. Reverse coded questions about 'professional incompetence as an error cause' and 'disclosure of errors' showed negative perception. No significant differences of perceptions were found with respect to gender and prior experience with medical error (p= >0.05). Undergraduate medical students at UOL had a positive attitude towards patient safety. However, there were misconceptions about causes of medical errors and error disclosure among students and patient safety education needs to be incorporated in medical curriculum of Pakistan.

The effect of patient death on medical students in the emergency department.

PubMed

Batley, Nicholas J; Bakhti, Rinad; Chami, Ali; Jabbour, Elsy; Bachir, Rana; El Khuri, Christopher; Mufarrij, Afif J

2017-07-10

The emotional consequences of patient deaths on physicians have been studied in a variety of medical settings. Reactions to patient death include distress, guilt, and grief. Comparatively, there are few studies on the effects of patient death on physicians and residents in the Emergency Department (ED). The ED setting is considered unique for having more sudden deaths that likely include the young and previously healthy and expectations for the clinician to return to a dynamic work environment. To date, no studies have looked at the effects of patient deaths on the more vulnerable population of medical students in the ED. This study examined aspects of patient deaths in the ED that most strongly influence students' reactions while comparing it to those of an inpatient setting. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were carried out with a total of 16 medical students from the American University of Beirut, Medical Center in Lebanon who had recently encountered a patient death in the ED. Questions included their reaction to the death, interaction with patients and their family members, the response of the medical team, and coping mechanisms adopted. The analysis revealed the following as determinant factors of student reaction to patient death: context of death; including age of patient, expectation of death, first death experience, relating patient death to personal deaths, and extent of interaction with patient and family members. Importantly, deaths in an inpatient setting were judged as more impactful than ED deaths. ED deaths, however, were especially powerful when a trauma case was deemed physically disturbing and cases in which family reactions were emotionally moving. The study demonstrates that students' emotional reactions differ as a function of the setting (surprise and shock in the ED versus sadness and grief in an inpatient setting). Debriefing and counseling sessions on ED deaths may benefit from this distinction.

(How) do medical students regulate their emotions?

PubMed

Doulougeri, Karolina; Panagopoulou, Efharis; Montgomery, Anthony

2016-12-12

Medical training can be a challenging and emotionally intense period for medical students. However the emotions experienced by medical students in the face of challenging situations and the emotion regulation strategies they use remains relatively unexplored. The aim of the present study was to explore the emotions elicited by memorable incidents reported by medical students and the associated emotion regulation strategies. Peer interviewing was used to collect medical students' memorable incidents. Medical students at both preclinical and clinical stage of medical school were eligible to participate. In total 104 medical students provided memorable incidents. Only 54 narratives included references to emotions and emotion regulation and thus were further analyzed. The narratives of 47 clinical and 7 preclinical students were further analyzed for their references to emotions and emotion regulation strategies. Forty seven out of 54 incidents described a negative incident associated with negative emotions. The most frequently mentioned emotion was shock and surprise followed by feelings of embarrassment, sadness, anger and tension or anxiety. The most frequent reaction was inaction often associated with emotion regulation strategies such as distraction, focusing on a task, suppression of emotions and reappraisal. When students witnessed mistreatment or disrespect exhibited towards patients, the regulation strategy used involved focusing and comforting the patient. The present study sheds light on the strategies medical students use to deal with intense negative emotions. The vast majority reported inaction in the face of a challenging situation and the use of more subtle strategies to deal with the emotional impact of the incident.

A student-initiated and student-facilitated international health elective for preclinical medical students

PubMed Central

Vora, Nirali; Chang, Mina; Pandya, Hemang; Hasham, Aliya; Lazarus, Cathy

2010-01-01

Introduction Global health education is becoming more important for developing well-rounded physicians and may encourage students toward a career in primary care. Many medical schools, however, lack adequate and structured opportunities for students beginning the curriculum. Methods Second-year medical students initiated, designed, and facilitated a pass–fail international health elective, providing a curricular framework for preclinical medical students wishing to gain exposure to the clinical and cultural practices of a developing country. Results All course participants (N=30) completed a post-travel questionnaire within one week of sharing their experiences. Screening reflection essays for common themes that fulfill university core competencies yielded specific global health learning outcomes, including analysis of health care determinants. Conclusion Medical students successfully implemented a sustainable global health curriculum for preclinical student peers. Financial constraints, language, and organizational burdens limit student participation. In future, long-term studies should analyze career impact and benefits to the host country. PMID:20186283

Risk factors of coronary heart disease among medical students in King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Ibrahim, Nahla Khamis; Mahnashi, Morooj; Al-Dhaheri, Amal; Al-Zahrani, Borooj; Al-Wadie, Ebtihal; Aljabri, Mydaa; Al-Shanketi, Rajaa; Al-Shehri, Rawiah; Al-Sayes, Fatin M; Bashawri, Jamil

2014-04-28

Nowadays, Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) represents an escalating worldwide public health problem. Providing consistent data on the magnitude and risk factors of CVDs among young population will help in controlling the risks and avoiding their consequences. The objective was to estimate the prevalence of risk factors of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) among medical students during their clinical clerkship (4th - 6th years). A cross-sectional study was done during the educational year 2012-2013 at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah. Ethical standards were followed and a multistage stratified random sample method was used for selection of 214 medical students. Data was collected through an interviewing questionnaire, measurements and laboratory investigations. Both descriptive and analytical statistics were done by SPSS version 21. CHD risk percent in thirty years was calculated using Framingham algorithm for each student, then the risk among all students was determined. The commonest risk factors of CHDs were daily intake of high fat diet (73.4%), physical inactivity (57.9%), overweight/or obesity (31.2%) and daily consumption of fast food (13.1%). Hyper-cholesterolemia (17.2%) and hypertension (9.3%) were also prevalent risk factors. Smoking prevalence was low (2.8%). Males had significantly higher mean scores for most of CHD risk factors compared to females (p < 0.05). Systolic Blood pressure was higher among males (119.47 ± 11.17) compared to females (112.26 ± 9.06). A highly statistical significant difference was present (Students't test = 4.74, p < 0.001). Framingham Risk Score revealed that CHD risk percent in thirty-years among all students was 10.7%, 2.3% and 0.5% for mild, moderate and severe risk, respectively. An alarmingly high prevalence of CHD risk factors was prevailed among medical students, especially among males. However, a low prevalence of smoking may indicate the success of "Smoke-free Campus" program. Screening risk

Behaviour and burnout in medical students.

PubMed

Cecil, Jo; McHale, Calum; Hart, Jo; Laidlaw, Anita

2014-01-01

Background Burnout is prevalent in doctors and can impact on job dissatisfaction and patient care. In medical students, burnout is associated with poorer self-rated health; however, it is unclear what factors influence its development. This study investigated whether health behaviours predict burnout in medical students. Methods Medical students (n=356) at the Universities of St Andrews and Manchester completed an online questionnaire assessing: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP), personal accomplishment (PA), alcohol use, physical activity, diet, and smoking. Results Approximately 55% (54.8%) of students reported high levels of EE, 34% reported high levels of DP, and 46.6% reported low levels of PA. Linear regression analysis revealed that year of study, physical activity, and smoking status significantly predicted EE whilst gender, year of study, and institution significantly predicted DP. PA was significantly predicted by alcohol binge score, year of study, gender, and physical activity. Conclusions Burnout is present in undergraduate medical students in the United Kingdom, and health behaviours, particularly physical activity, predict components of burnout. Gender, year of study, and institution also appear to influence the prevalence of burnout. Encouraging medical students to make healthier lifestyle choices early in their medical training may reduce the likelihood of the development of burnout.

Behaviour and burnout in medical students

PubMed Central

Cecil, Jo; McHale, Calum; Hart, Jo; Laidlaw, Anita

2014-01-01

Background Burnout is prevalent in doctors and can impact on job dissatisfaction and patient care. In medical students, burnout is associated with poorer self-rated health; however, it is unclear what factors influence its development. This study investigated whether health behaviours predict burnout in medical students. Methods Medical students (n=356) at the Universities of St Andrews and Manchester completed an online questionnaire assessing: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP), personal accomplishment (PA), alcohol use, physical activity, diet, and smoking. Results Approximately 55% (54.8%) of students reported high levels of EE, 34% reported high levels of DP, and 46.6% reported low levels of PA. Linear regression analysis revealed that year of study, physical activity, and smoking status significantly predicted EE whilst gender, year of study, and institution significantly predicted DP. PA was significantly predicted by alcohol binge score, year of study, gender, and physical activity. Conclusions Burnout is present in undergraduate medical students in the United Kingdom, and health behaviours, particularly physical activity, predict components of burnout. Gender, year of study, and institution also appear to influence the prevalence of burnout. Encouraging medical students to make healthier lifestyle choices early in their medical training may reduce the likelihood of the development of burnout. PMID:25160716

Behaviour and burnout in medical students.

PubMed

Cecil, Jo; McHale, Calum; Hart, Jo; Laidlaw, Anita

2014-01-01

Burnout is prevalent in doctors and can impact on job dissatisfaction and patient care. In medical students, burnout is associated with poorer self-rated health; however, it is unclear what factors influence its development. This study investigated whether health behaviours predict burnout in medical students. Medical students (n=356) at the Universities of St Andrews and Manchester completed an online questionnaire assessing: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalisation (DP), personal accomplishment (PA), alcohol use, physical activity, diet, and smoking. Approximately 55% (54.8%) of students reported high levels of EE, 34% reported high levels of DP, and 46.6% reported low levels of PA. Linear regression analysis revealed that year of study, physical activity, and smoking status significantly predicted EE whilst gender, year of study, and institution significantly predicted DP. PA was significantly predicted by alcohol binge score, year of study, gender, and physical activity. Burnout is present in undergraduate medical students in the United Kingdom, and health behaviours, particularly physical activity, predict components of burnout. Gender, year of study, and institution also appear to influence the prevalence of burnout. Encouraging medical students to make healthier lifestyle choices early in their medical training may reduce the likelihood of the development of burnout.

Knowledge and practice of blood donation: a comparison between medical and non-medical Nepalese students.

PubMed

Mamatya, A; Prajapati, R; Yadav, R

2012-12-01

College students form a large and important group of population eligible for blood donation. Studies report that students do not donate much, and medical students' blood donation rate is less as compared to non-medical students. To assess and compare the knowledge, attitude, and practice of blood donation among medical and non-medical Nepalese students. A cross-sectional descriptive study using structured self-administered questionnaire was conducted in students of medical (MBBS) and non-medical programs of different colleges of Nepal. Total 456 students, 177 non-medical and 279 medical, participated; 28.5% students were donors. More medical students donated blood, more often, and were more knowledgeable in all aspects of blood and blood donation related knowledge (p values 0.01 or less). In both groups, proportionately more boys donated than girls. Common reasons for not donating included no request, medically unfit, no information about blood collection services, fear of weakness, and fear related to venepuncture. Moral satisfaction was the commonest reason to donate. Among Nepalese students, medical students donate more and are more knowledgeable than non-medical students. Lack of information and lack of direct requests are important causes of fewer donors in the non-medical group and girls.

Pharmacy Students' Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Medical Marijuana.

PubMed

Moeller, Karen E; Woods, Barbara

2015-08-25

To determine pharmacy students' knowledge of and attitudes toward medical marijuana and to determine if pharmacy students need additional education on the topic. Pharmacy students were asked to complete a survey on medical marijuana that assessed their knowledge of, medical uses of, adverse effects with, and attitudes toward medical marijuana through 23 Likert-scale questions. Three hundred eleven students completed the survey. Fifty-eight percent of the students felt that medical marijuana should be legalized in all states. However, the majority of students did not feel comfortable answering consumers' questions regarding efficacy, safety, or drug interactions related to the substance. Accurate responses for diseases or conditions for permitted medical marijuana use was low, with only cancer (91%) and glaucoma (57%) identified by more than half the students. With an increasing number of states adopting medical marijuana use, pharmacy schools need to evaluate the adequacy of medical marijuana education in their curriculum.

Medical students' learning orientation regarding interracial interactions affects preparedness to care for minority patients: a report from Medical Student CHANGES.

PubMed

Burgess, Diana J; Burke, Sara E; Cunningham, Brooke A; Dovidio, John F; Hardeman, Rachel R; Hou, Yuefeng; Nelson, David B; Perry, Sylvia P; Phelan, Sean M; Yeazel, Mark W; van Ryn, Michelle

2016-09-29

There is a paucity of evidence on how to train medical students to provide equitable, high quality care to racial and ethnic minority patients. We test the hypothesis that medical schools' ability to foster a learning orientation toward interracial interactions (i.e., that students can improve their ability to successfully interact with people of another race and learn from their mistakes), will contribute to white medical students' readiness to care for racial minority patients. We then test the hypothesis that white medical students who perceive their medical school environment as supporting a learning orientation will benefit more from disparities training. Prospective observational study involving web-based questionnaires administered during first (2010) and last (2014) semesters of medical school to 2394 white medical students from a stratified, random sample of 49 U.S. medical schools. Analysis used data from students' last semester to build mixed effects hierarchical models in order to assess the effects of medical school interracial learning orientation, calculated at both the school and individual (student) level, on key dependent measures. School differences in learning orientation explained part of the school difference in readiness to care for minority patients. However, individual differences in learning orientation accounted for individual differences in readiness, even after controlling for school-level learning orientation. Individual differences in learning orientation significantly moderated the effect of disparities training on white students' readiness to care for minority patients. Specifically, white medical students who perceived a high level of learning orientation in their medical schools regarding interracial interactions benefited more from training to address disparities. Coursework aimed at reducing healthcare disparities and improving the care of racial minority patients was only effective when white medical students perceived their

Medical student burnout: interdisciplinary exploration and analysis.

PubMed

Jennings, M L

2009-12-01

Burnout--a stress-related syndrome characterized by exhaustion, depersonalization, and a diminished sense of accomplishment--is a common phenomenon among medical students with significant potential consequences for student health, professionalism, and patient care. This essay proposes that the epidemic of medical student burnout can be attributed to a technocratic paradigm that fails to value medical students as persons with human needs and limitations. After briefly reviewing the literature on medical student burnout, the author uses two theories to elucidate potential causes: unsatisfactory aspects of the learning environment and a feeling one's efforts are meaningless or irrelevant. Cultural factors also facilitate burnout in medical students immersed in a clinical environment that cultivates excessive detachment from patient and self, impairing self-care, damaging a sense of self, and impeding the development of a mature, well-integrated professional identity. The ethical implications of medical student burnout are also addressed. Finally, this paper suggests possible preventive and remediative strategies such as optimizing the learning environment as well as narrative approaches that promise enhancement of both individual and institutional well-being.

Medical professionalism in the formal curriculum: 5th year medical students' experiences.

PubMed

Stockley, Amelia J; Forbes, Karen

2014-11-30

The standards and outcomes outlined in the General Medical Council's publication 'Tomorrow's Doctors' include proposals that medical professionalism be included in undergraduate curricula. Learning the values and attitudes necessary to become a 'doctor as a professional' has traditionally been left largely to the informal and hidden curricula. There remains no consensus or confirmed evidence upon which to base best practice for teaching in this area. In 2010, as part of a revision of the fifth year curriculum the University of Bristol Medical School introduced tutorials which focused on students' achievement of the learning objectives in 'Tomorrow's Doctors Outcomes 3: the doctor as a professional'. This study sought to explore the students' experiences of these tutorials in order to develop the evidence base further. Sixteen medical students participated in three focus-group interviews exploring their experiences of medical professionalism tutorials. A course evaluation questionnaire to all fifth year students also provided data. Data were analysed using the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Four main themes were identified: students' aversion to 'ticking-boxes', lack of engagement by the students, lack of engagement by the tutors and students' views on how medical professionalism should be taught. A curriculum innovation which placed the achievement of medical professionalism in the formal curriculum was not unanimously embraced by students or faculty. Further consideration of the students' aversion to 'ticking-boxes' is warranted. With continued demand for increased accountability and transparency in medical education, detailed check-lists of specific learning objectives will continue to feature as a means by which medical schools and learners demonstrate attainment. Students' experiences and acceptance of these check-lists deserves attention in order to inform teaching and learning in this area. Learner and faculty 'buy in' are imperative

No debt for medical students in Greece.

PubMed

Koussidis, George A; Avgerinos, Efthimios; Bellos, Stefanos; Gourgoulianis, Konstantinos

2002-07-01

Medical education in Greece is government-funded by constitution. Tuition fees are therefore not payable by students. This investigation aims to identify the sources of income of medical students in Greece. This is a questionnaire-based analysis of a sample of 488 students who were asked to state their sources of income. Mean contributions to total student income are parental financial support (93.2%), part-time employment (2.4%), scholarships (2.5%) and other sources including loans (1.9%). The income of medical students in Greece is mostly dependent on parental contributions. Other sources do not represent popular options. This situation differs to that in other countries, where loans make significant contributions to the total income of medical students.

Self-rated Health and Internet Addiction in Iranian Medical Sciences Students; Prevalence, Risk Factors and Complications.

PubMed

Mohammadbeigi, Abolfazl; Valizadeh, Farzaneh; Mirshojaee, Seyede Roqaie; Ahmadli, Robabeh; Mokhtari, Mohsen; Ghaderi, Ebrahim; Ahmadi, Ali; Rezaei, Heshmatollah; Ansari, Hossein

2016-06-01

Self-rated health is a brief measure for general health. It is a comprehensive and sensitive index for prediction of health in future. Due to the high internet usage in medical students, the current study designed to evaluate the self-rated health (SRH) in relationship with internet addiction risk factors in medical students. This cross sectional study conducted on 254 students of Qom University of Medical Sciences 2014. Participants selected by two stage sampling method including stratified and simple random sampling. The Young's questionnaire of internet addiction and SRH question used for data collection. Chi-square, t-test, and logistic regression used in data analysis. More than 79.9% of students reported their general health good and very good. The student's mean score of general health was higher than the average. In addition, the prevalence of internet addiction was 28.7%. An inverse significant correlation observed between SRH and internet addiction score (r=-0.198, p=0.002). Using internet for Entertainment, using private Email and chat rooms were the most important predictors of affecting to internet addiction. Moreover, internet addiction is the most predictors of SRH and increased the odds of bad SRH. The good SRH of medical students was higher than general population but in health faculty' students were lower than others. Due to the effect of internet addiction on SRH and increasing trend of internet use in medical students, as well as low age of participants, attention to psychological aspects and the job expectancy in future, can effective on increasing the good SRH.

Selected determinants may account for dropout risks among medical students.

PubMed

Mørcke, Anne Mette; O'Neill, Lotte; Kjeldsen, Inge Trads; Eika, Berit

2012-09-01

The dropout level from the Danish medical schools is high, but we have only little insight into this problem. The purpose of this study was to qualify the ongoing discussions concerning dropout. In this retrospective cohort study, relevant variables were extracted from the established database of Aarhus University for the 639 students initiating medicine studies between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2000. A multivariate pre-admission and post-admission model was examined. Of the 639 medical students, 20% dropped out. Most students dropped out during their first year. The type of admission exam was a strong predictor of dropout in the pre-admission model, whereas previous higher education protected against dropout. Obtaining leave was a very strong predictor of dropout in the post-admission model, whereas high grades protected against dropout. The dropout rate has been decreasing during the past decade. Young people considering studying medicine could be advised to choose natural science subjects in high school, and a number of research questions concerning preparedness for medical school are worth pursuing. Leave or very low grades during the first and second study years might serve as red flags to supervisors. Study research was funded by Aarhus University. Not relevant, register-based research with no biological human material cannot be notified to the Danish Committee System. The Danish Data Protection Agency allows schools to conduct anonymized, non-sensitive, educational analyses without notification.

Medical students' attitude towards influenza vaccination.

PubMed

Lehmann, Birthe A; Ruiter, Robert A C; Wicker, Sabine; Chapman, Gretchen; Kok, Gerjo

2015-04-15

Influenza vaccination is recommended for all healthcare personnel (HCP) and most institutions offer vaccination for free and on site. However, medical students do not always have such easy access, and the predictors that might guide the motivation of medical students to get vaccinated are largely unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study among pre-clinical medical students in a German University hospital to assess the social cognitive predictors of influenza vaccination, as well as reasons for refusal and acceptance of the vaccine. Findings show that pre-clinical medical students have comparable knowledge gaps and negative attitudes towards influenza vaccination that have previously been reported among HCP. Lower injunctive norms and higher feelings of autonomy contribute to no intention to get vaccinated against influenza, while a positive instrumental attitude and higher feelings of autonomy contribute to a high intention to get vaccinated. The variables in the regression model explained 20% of the variance in intention to get vaccinated. The identified factors should be addressed early in medical education, and hospitals might benefit from a more inclusive vaccination program and accessibility of free vaccines for their medical students.

PowerPoint or chalk and talk: Perceptions of medical students versus dental students in a medical college in India.

PubMed

Seth, Vikas; Upadhyaya, Prerna; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Moghe, Vijay

2010-01-01

To assess students' perceptions of the impact of PowerPoint (PPT) presentations in lectures in comparison to the traditional chalk and talk method and lectures using transparencies and overhead projector (TOHP). The study analyzes the preferences for teaching aids of medical students versus dental students. Second year medical and dental undergraduates were asked to fill in a nine-item questionnaire about their perceptions of the three lecture delivery methods. Following analysis of the questionnaire the students were interviewed further. The results were analyzed separately for medical and dental students to see if there was any difference in their perceptions. The majority of the medical students (65.33%) preferred PPT presentations, while 15.16% of students preferred the lectures using chalkboard, and 19.51% preferred TOHP for teaching (P < 0.001). Of the dental students: 41.84% preferred chalkboard, 31.21% preferred TOHP, and 25.85% students preferred PPT presentations in the lectures (P < 0.05). Some important comments of the students were also recorded on interview which could be valuable for the medical teachers. The medical students clearly preferred the use of PPT presentations while the dental students did not. The study does not bring out evidence based superiority of any lecture delivery method. It appears that in the hands of a trained teacher any teaching aid would be appropriate and effective. This highlights the need for formal training in teaching technologies to develop good presentation skills and thus motivate the students.

Awareness of academic use of smartphones and medical apps among medical students in a private medical college?

PubMed

Shah, Jehanzaib; Haq, Usman; Bashir, Ali; Shah, Syed Aslam

2016-02-01

To assess the awareness of medical apps and academic use of smartphones among medical students. The questionnaire-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2015 and comprised medical students of the Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan. The self-designed questionnaire was reviewed by a panel of expert for content reliability and validity. Questionnaires were distributed in the classrooms and were filled by the students anonymously. SPSS 16 was used for statistical analysis. Among the 569 medical students in the study, 545 (95.8%) had smartphones and 24(4.2%) were using simple cell phones. Overall, 226(41.46%) of the smart phone users were using some medical apps. Besides, 137(24.08%) were aware of the medical apps but were not using them. Also, 391(71.7%) students were not using any type of medical text eBooks through their phone, and only 154(28.3%) had relevant text eBooks in their phones. Medical college students were using smartphones mostly as a means of telecommunication rather than a gadget for improving medical knowledge.

Medical student service learning program teaches secondary students about career opportunities in health and medical fields.

PubMed

Karpa, Kelly; Vakharia, Kavita; Caruso, Catherine A; Vechery, Colin; Sipple, Lanette; Wang, Adrian

2015-12-01

Engagement of academic medical centers in community outreach provides the public with a better understanding of basic terms and concepts used in biomedical sciences and increases awareness of important health information. Medical students at one academic medical center initiated an educational outreach program, called PULSE, that targets secondary students to foster their interest in healthcare and medicine. High school student participants are engaged in a semester-long course that relies on interactive lectures, problem-based learning sessions, mentoring relationships with medical students, and opportunities for shadowing healthcare providers. To date, the curriculum has been offered for 7 consecutive years. To determine the impact that participation in the curriculum has had on college/career choices and to identify areas for improvement, an electronic questionnaire was sent to former participants. Based on a 32% response rate, 81% of former participants indicated that participation in the course influenced their decision to pursue a medical/science-related career. More than half (67%) of respondents indicated intent to pursue a MD/PhD or other postgraduate degree. Based on responses obtained, additional opportunities to incorporate laboratory-based research and simulation sessions should be explored. In addition, a more formalized mentoring component has been added to the course to enhance communication between medical students and mentees. Health/medicine-related educational outreach programs targeting high school students may serve as a pipeline to introduce or reinforce career opportunities in healthcare and related sciences. Copyright © 2015 The American Physiological Society.

Patient safety awareness among Undergraduate Medical Students in Pakistani Medical School

PubMed Central

Kamran, Rizwana; Bari, Attia; Khan, Rehan Ahmed; Al-Eraky, Mohamed

2018-01-01

Objective: To measure the level of awareness of patient safety among undergraduate medical students in Pakistani Medical School and to find the difference with respect to gender and prior experience with medical error. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Lahore (UOL), Pakistan from January to March 2017, and comprised final year medical students. Data was collected using a questionnaire ‘APSQ- III’ on 7 point Likert scale. Eight questions were reverse coded. Survey was anonymous. SPSS package 20 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Questionnaire was filled by 122 students, with 81% response rate. The best score 6.17 was given for the ‘team functioning’, followed by 6.04 for ‘long working hours as a cause of medical error’. The domains regarding involvement of patient, confidence to report medical errors and role of training and learning on patient safety scored high in the agreed range of >5. Reverse coded questions about ‘professional incompetence as an error cause’ and ‘disclosure of errors’ showed negative perception. No significant differences of perceptions were found with respect to gender and prior experience with medical error (p= >0.05). Conclusion: Undergraduate medical students at UOL had a positive attitude towards patient safety. However, there were misconceptions about causes of medical errors and error disclosure among students and patient safety education needs to be incorporated in medical curriculum of Pakistan. PMID:29805398

Medical Students' Affirmation of Ethics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehrmann, Jon A.; Hoop, Jinger; Hammond, Katherine Green; Roberts, Laura Weiss

2009-01-01

Objective: Despite the acknowledged importance of ethics education in medical school, little empirical work has been done to assess the needs and preferences of medical students regarding ethics curricula. Methods: Eighty-three medical students at the University of New Mexico participated in a self-administered written survey including 41 scaled…

Sleep disturbances among medical students: a global perspective.

PubMed

Azad, Muhammad Chanchal; Fraser, Kristin; Rumana, Nahid; Abdullah, Ahmad Faris; Shahana, Nahid; Hanly, Patrick J; Turin, Tanvir Chowdhury

2015-01-15

Medical students carry a large academic load which could potentially contribute to poor sleep quality above and beyond that already experienced by modern society. In this global literature review of the medical students' sleep experience, we find that poor sleep is not only common among medical students, but its prevalence is also higher than in non-medical students and the general population. Several factors including medical students' attitudes, knowledge of sleep, and academic demands have been identified as causative factors, but other potential mechanisms are incompletely understood. A better understanding about the etiology of sleep problems in medical trainees is essential if we hope to improve the overall quality of medical students' lives, including their academic performance. Sleep self-awareness and general knowledge appear insufficient in many studied cohorts, so increasing education for students might be one beneficial intervention. We conclude that there is ample evidence for a high prevalence of the problem, and research in this area should now expand towards initiatives to improve general sleep education for medical students, identify students at risk, and target them with programs to improve sleep. © 2015 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Learning environment, approaches to learning and learning preferences: medical students versus general education students.

PubMed

Ullah, Raza

2016-05-01

The main objective of the study was to see whether medical students use more desirable approaches to studying than general education students. Survey method was used to collect data from both the medical students and the general education students. The survey of the medical students was carried out between January and March, 2012. The survey was administered to all the medical students present in lecture halls on day of data collection, while general education students were randomly selected from four subject areas at two universities. In total, 976 medical students and 912 general students participated in the study. Of the general students, 494(54%) were boys and 418(46%)were girls with an overall mean age of 20.53±1.77 years (range: 17-27 years). The medical students' perceptions of their learning environment and their learning preferences were broadly similar to that of general education students with the exception of workload. The medical students perceived the workload to be less appropriate (Mean = 2.06±0.72) than the students in general education (Mean = 2.84±0.90). The medical students were more likely to use the deep approach to studying (Mean = 3.66±0.59) than the students in general education (Mean = 3.16±0.91). The students in general education were slightly more likely to use the organized studying (Mean = 3.44±0.90) than the medical students (Mean =3.23±0.90). Both medical students and the students in general education tended to use the surface approaches along with other approaches to studying. There was not a great difference between the medical students and the students pursuing general education with regard to perceptions of the learning environment and approaches to learning.

Sleep Disturbances among Medical Students: A Global Perspective

PubMed Central

Azad, Muhammad Chanchal; Fraser, Kristin; Rumana, Nahid; Abdullah, Ahmad Faris; Shahana, Nahid; Hanly, Patrick J.; Turin, Tanvir Chowdhury

2015-01-01

Medical students carry a large academic load which could potentially contribute to poor sleep quality above and beyond that already experienced by modern society. In this global literature review of the medical students' sleep experience, we find that poor sleep is not only common among medical students, but its prevalence is also higher than in non-medical students and the general population. Several factors including medical students' attitudes, knowledge of sleep, and academic demands have been identified as causative factors, but other potential mechanisms are incompletely understood. A better understanding about the etiology of sleep problems in medical trainees is essential if we hope to improve the overall quality of medical students' lives, including their academic performance. Sleep self-awareness and general knowledge appear insufficient in many studied cohorts, so increasing education for students might be one beneficial intervention. We conclude that there is ample evidence for a high prevalence of the problem, and research in this area should now expand towards initiatives to improve general sleep education for medical students, identify students at risk, and target them with programs to improve sleep. Citation: Azad MC, Fraser K, Rumana N, Abdullah AF, Shahana N, Hanly PJ, Turin TC. Sleep disturbances among medical students: a global perspective. J Clin Sleep Med 2015;11(1):69–74. PMID:25515274

A Dissecting Competition for Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samalia, Latika; Stringer, Mark D.

2012-01-01

After repeated requests from medical students for more cadaver dissection opportunities, a voluntary dissecting "competition" was initiated for the third year medical students in 2006. This has been held annually on five occasions since, offering up to 30 dissection stations and accommodating an average of 53 students (range 40-66) per year,…

Influence of medical training on self-medication by students.

PubMed

James, H; Handu, S S; Khaja, K A J Al; Sequeira, R P

2008-01-01

To examine the influence of medical training on the knowledge, attitude and practice of self-medication by medical students. This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study. A self-developed, pre-validated questionnaire containing open-ended and close-ended items was used for data collection. Medical students in the 2nd and 4th year of the medical course at the Arabian Gulf University Bahrain filled in the questionnaire anonymously. Data were analyzed using SPSS and results expressed as counts and percentages. 2-tailed Chi2-test was applied and p < 0.05 was considered significant. The respondents (n = 141) had a mean age of 19.94 A+/- 1.21 years. Overall, they had a fair knowledge about appropriate self-medication but knowledge of the benefits and risks of self-medication was adequate. Self-medication was perceived to be time-saving, providing quick relief in common illnesses, a learning experience, economical, and convenient. Among the perceived disadvantages were adverse drug reactions, inappropriate drug use, and the risk of making a wrong diagnosis. Majority of the respondents had a positive attitude favoring self-medication and read the package insert. The practice of self-medication was common and often inappropriate. The commonest indications for self-medication were cough, cold and sore throat (63.2% in Year 2) and headache (78.3% in Year 4). Mild illness, previous experience, and lack of time were the most frequent reasons for resorting to self-medication. Analgesics were the commonest drugs used, and drugs were mostly obtained from private pharmacies. Students of Year 4 had better knowledge about appropriate self-medication (58.7% versus 35.8%, p = 0.02), had greater awareness of the risks of self-medication and would discourage others from practicing self-medication (58.7% versus 40.4%, p = 0.04). They had a more confident attitude (54.3% versus 35.1%, p = 0.03) and a smaller number of them would seek a prescription (34.8% versus 54.3%, p = 0.03). They

A gender gap in the next generation of physician-scientists: medical student interest and participation in research.

PubMed

Guelich, Jill M; Singer, Burton H; Castro, Marcia C; Rosenberg, Leon E

2002-11-01

For 2 decades, the number of physician-scientists has not kept pace with the overall growth of the medical research community. Concomitantly, the number of women entering medical schools has increased markedly. We have explored the effect of the changing gender composition of medical schools on the present and future pipeline of young physician-scientists. We analyzed data obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the National Institutes of Health, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute pertaining to the expressed research intentions or research participation of male and female medical students in the United States. A statistically significant decline in the percentage of matriculating and graduating medical students--both men and women-who expressed strong research career intentions occurred during the decade between 1987 and 1997. Moreover, matriculating and graduating women were significantly less likely than men to indicate strong research career intentions. Each of these trends has been observed for medical schools overall and for research-intensive ones. Cohort data obtained by tracking individuals from matriculation to graduation revealed that women who expressed strong research career intentions upon matriculation were more likely than men to decrease their research career intentions during medical school. Medical student participation in research supported the gender gap identified by assessing research intentions. Female medical student participation in the Medical Scientist Training Program and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute/National Institutes of Health-sponsored Cloisters Program has increased but lags far behind the growth in the female population in medical schools. Three worrisome trends in the research career intentions and participation of the nation's medical students (a decade-long decline for both men and women, a large and persistent gender gap, and a negative effect of the medical school experience for women) presage a

The Gatekeeper Disparity: Why Do Some Medical Schools Send More Medical Students into Urology?

PubMed Central

Kutikov, Alexander; Bonslaver, Jason; Casey, Jessica T.; Degrado, Justin; Dusseault, Beau N.; Fox, Janelle A.; Lashley-Rogers, Desri; Richardson, Ingride; Smaldone, Marc C.; Steinberg, Peter L.; Trivedi, Deep B.; Routh, Jonathan C.

2010-01-01

Introduction Urology continues to be a highly desirable specialty, despite decreasing exposure of students to Urology in U.S. medical schools. In this study, we set out to assess how U.S. medical schools compare to one another with regard to the number of students that each sends into Urological training and to evaluate the reasons why some medical schools consistently send more students into urology than others. Materials and Methods The authors obtained AUA Match data for the 5 Match seasons from 2005–2009. A survey of all successful participants was then performed. The survey instrument was designed to determine what aspects of the medical school experience influenced students to choose to specialize in Urology. A bivariate and multivariate analysis was then performed to assess which factors correlated with more students entering Urology from a particular medical school. Results Between 2005 and 2009, 1,149 medical students from 130 medical schools successfully participated in the Urology match. Of the 132 allopathic medical schools, 128 sent at least 1 student into Urology (mean 8.9, median 8, SD 6.5). A handful of medical schools were remarkable outliers, sending significantly more students into Urology than other institutions. Multivariate analysis revealed that a number of medical-school related variables including strong mentorship, medical school ranking, and medical school size correlated with more medical students entering Urology. Conclusion Some medical schools launch more Urologic careers than others. Although reasons for these findings are multifactorial, recruitment of Urologic talent pivots on these realities. PMID:21168862

The Effect of Medical Socialization on Medical Students' Need for Power.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kressin, Nancy R.

1996-01-01

Examines whether the individual personality characteristic of power motivation increases during medical school. Recorded interviews with a diverse group of medical students at two points in time were coded for power motivation. Results showed that white students' power motivation decreased, whereas minority students' levels remained the same,…

Awareness of radiation protection and dose levels of imaging procedures among medical students, radiography students, and radiology residents at an academic hospital: Results of a comprehensive survey.

PubMed

Faggioni, Lorenzo; Paolicchi, Fabio; Bastiani, Luca; Guido, Davide; Caramella, Davide

2017-01-01

To evaluate the awareness of radiation protection issues and the knowledge of dose levels of imaging procedures among medical students, radiology residents, and radiography students at an academic hospital. A total of 159 young doctors and students (including 60 radiology residents, 56 medical students, and 43 radiography students) were issued a questionnaire consisting of 16 multiple choice questions divided into three separated sections (i.e., demographic data, awareness about radiation protection issues, and knowledge about radiation dose levels of common radiological examinations). Medical students claimed to have at least a good knowledge of radiation protection issues more frequently than radiology residents and radiography students (94.4% vs 55% and 35.7%, respectively; P<0.05), with no cases of perceived excellent knowledge among radiography students. However, the actual knowledge of essential radiation protection topics such as regulations, patient and tissue susceptibility to radiation damage, professional radiation risk and dose optimisation, as well as of radiation doses delivered by common radiological procedures was significantly worse among medical students than radiology residents and radiography students (P<0.05). Those latter significantly outperformed radiology residents as to knowledge of radiation protection issues (P<0.01). Overall, less than 50% of survey respondents correctly answered all questions of the survey. Radiology residents, radiography students and medical students have a limited awareness about radiation protection, with a specific gap of knowledge concerning real radiation doses of daily radiological examinations. Both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching needs to be effectively implemented with radiation safety courses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Depression in medical students: current insights

PubMed Central

Moir, Fiona; Yielder, Jill; Sanson, Jasmine; Chen, Yan

2018-01-01

Medical students are exposed to multiple factors during their academic and clinical study that have been shown to contribute to high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The purpose of this article was to explore the issue of depression in the medical student population, including prevalence, causes, and key issues, along with suggestions for early identification and support from one medical school in New Zealand. After establishing that the prevalence of depression is higher for medical students than the general population, the key issues explored include assessment used in the program, characteristics of the student population (such as Type A personality and perfectionism), resilience, selection procedures, students’ motivation, and the nature of the clinical environment. This review includes several recommendations to improve students’ psychological health such as positioning well-being within an overarching comprehensive workplace wellness model and integrating peer and faculty-led support into the day-to-day running of the institution. It also highlights the advantages of the addition of a well-being curriculum, as skills to prevent and manage distress and depression are relevant in supporting the competencies required by medical practitioners. It concludes that medical schools need wide-ranging strategies to address the complexities associated with the particular student population attracted to medicine and calls for educators to act, by noticing opportunities where they can introduce such initiatives into their medical programs. PMID:29765261

Medical education changes students' attitudes on psychiatry: survey among medical students in Croatia.

PubMed

Flajsman, Ana Medic; Degmecic, Dunja; Pranjkovic, Tamara; Rogulja, Stanislav; Bošnjak, Dina; Kuzman, Martina Rojnic

2017-12-01

In Croatia, psychiatric disorders are the leading group of disorders by days of hospitalization and they are in second place according to the number of hospitalizations in the period of working age. Nevertheless, psychiatry in Croatia, as well as in the world, is one of the least attractive specialties for medical students. In this paper we determined the impact of compulsory education in psychiatry on the attitudes of medical students of the fourth year of the Zagreb school of medicine and Osijek school of medicine. We tested attitudes toward psychiatry, psychiatric treatment and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help using questionnaires that were filled out twice, at the beginning of psychiatry placement and at the end of psychiatry placement. Questionnaires were completed by 239 students from the Zagreb school of medicine and Faculty of medicine Osijek (response rate 78.4%). After the placement, students had significantly more positive attitudes about psychiatry and psychiatric treatment, as well as the attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Attitudes towards psychiatry, seeking psychological help and attitude towards psychiatric medication and psychotherapy correlated with the evaluation of the quality of psychiatric education. Additional forms of education in psychiatry should be offered, in order to maintain and increase the impact of education on students' attitudes.

Medical Student Attitudes about Mental Illness: Does Medical-School Education Reduce Stigma?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korszun, Ania; Dinos, Sokratis; Ahmed, Kamran; Bhui, Kamaldeep

2012-01-01

Background: Reducing stigma associated with mental illness is an important aim of medical education, yet evidence indicates that medical students' attitudes toward patients with mental health problems deteriorate as they progress through medical school. Objectives: Authors examined medical students' attitudes to mental illness, as compared with…

Prevalence of plagiarism among medical students.

PubMed

Bilić-Zulle, Lidija; Frković, Vedran; Turk, Tamara; Azman, Josip; Petrovecki, Mladen

2005-02-01

To determine the prevalence of plagiarism among medical students in writing essays. During two academic years, 198 second year medical students attending Medical Informatics course wrote an essay on one of four offered articles. Two of the source articles were available in an electronic form and two in printed form. Two (one electronic and one paper article) were considered less complex and the other two more complex. The essays were examined using plagiarism detection software "WCopyfind," which counted the number of matching phrases with six or more words. Plagiarism rate, expressed as the percentage of the plagiarized text, was calculated as a ratio of the absolute number of matching words and the total number of words in the essay. Only 17 (9%) of students did not plagiarize at all and 68 (34%) plagiarized less than 10% of the text. The average plagiarism rate (% of plagiarized text) was 19% (5-95% percentile=0-88). Students who were strictly warned not to plagiarize had a higher total word count in their essays than students who were not warned (P=0.002) but there was no difference between them in the rate of plagiarism. Students with higher grades in Medical Informatics exam plagiarized less than those with lower grades (P=0.015). Gender, subject source, and complexity had no influence on the plagiarism rate. Plagiarism in writing essays is common among medical students. An explicit warning is not enough to deter students from plagiarism. Detection software can be used to trace and evaluate the rate of plagiarism in written student assays.

Are new medical students' specialty preferences gendered? Related motivational factors at a Dutch medical school.

PubMed

van Tongeren-Alers, Margret; van Esch, Maartje; Verdonk, Petra; Johansson, Eva; Hamberg, Katarina; Lagro-Janssen, Toine

2011-01-01

Female students currently outnumber male students in most medical schools. Some medical specialties are highly gender segregated. Therefore, it is interesting to know whether medical students have early specialization preferences based on their gender. Consequently, we like to know importance stipulated to motivational factors. Our study investigates new medical students' early specialization preferences and motivational factors. New students at a Dutch medical school (n = 657) filled in a questionnaire about specialty preferences (response rate = 94%; 69.5% female, 30.5% male). The students chose out of internal medicine, psychiatry, neurology, pediatrics, surgery, gynecology and family medicine, "other" or "I don't know." Finally, they valued ten motivational factors. Forty percent of the medical students reported no specialty preference yet. Taken together, female medical students preferred pediatrics and wished to combine work and care, whereas male students opted for surgery and valued career opportunities. Gender-driven professional preferences in new medical students should be noticed in order to use competencies. Changes in specialty preferences and motivational factors in pre- and post graduates should further assess the role of medical education.

Attitude towards psychiatry among medical students.

PubMed

Srivastava, Ashish

2012-10-01

The proportion of medical graduates opting for psychiatry in career has been observed to be distinctly less compared to those choosing other specialties. The study was undertaken to find out the attitudes of newly entrant medical students towards psychiatry in comparison to other specialties. Sixty-two students of first year MBBS were administered a questionnaire to assess their attitudes towards various specialties. Only 1 student (1.5%) opted for psychiatry as a career choice, another 2 students (3%) considered it as a strong possibility, 71.5% negated psychiatry as a career choice. Students rated psychiatry significantly lower than other specialties in regards to financially rewarding, enjoyable and satisfying work, intellectually challenging, scientific basis, prestige among others, lifestyle. Psychiatry was also rated as poor on prospects of having a bright and interesting future. The present study suggests that new entrants in medical college harbour a negative attitude towards psychiatry, which has not changed over the last three to four decades. A conscious effort in trying to make psychiatry an active and interesting component of medical education and an improved portrayal of this field in society thereby reducing stigma associated with it would be of immense importance in generating interest in this field among newly entrant medical students.

High prevalence of self-medication practices among medical and pharmacy students: a study from Jordan.

PubMed

Alkhatatbeh, Mohammad J; Alefan, Qais; Alqudah, Mohammad A Y

2016-05-01

To assess self-medication practices and to evaluate the impact of obtaining medical knowledge on self-medication among medical and pharmacy students at Jordan University of Science and Technology. This was a cross-sectional study. A well-validated questionnaire that included 3 sections about self-medication was administered to the subjects after introducing the term "self-medication" verbally. 1,317 students had participated in the study and were subgrouped according to their academic level into seniors and juniors. Compared to the general population rate of 42.5%, self-medication practice was reported by (1,034, 78.5%) of the students and most common amongst pharmacy students (n = 369, 82.9%) compared to Pharm.D. (n = 357, 77.9%) and medical students (n = 308, 74.4%) (p = 0.009). There was no significant difference between juniors and seniors (557, 79.1% vs. 477, 77.8%, p = 0.59, respectively). Headache (71.2%) and common cold (56.5%) were frequent ailments that provoked self-medication. Analgesics (79.9%) and antibiotics (59.8%) were frequently used to self-treat these aliments. Reasons for self-medication included previous disease experience (55.7%); minor aliments (55.3%); and having enough medical knowledge (32.1%). Medicines were used according to instructions obtained mainly from the leaflet (28.8%); pharmacist (20.7%); and university courses (19.7%). Senior students were more aware of the risk of self-medication than junior students. The majority of students frequently advise other people about self-medication (83.6%). Self-medication was common among students irrespective to their level of medical knowledge. Obtaining medical knowledge increased the students' awareness of the risk of self-medication which may result in practicing responsible self-medication. However, medical teaching institutions need to educate students about the proper use of medicines as a therapeutic tool.

PowerPoint or chalk and talk: Perceptions of medical students versus dental students in a medical college in India

PubMed Central

Seth, Vikas; Upadhyaya, Prerna; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Moghe, Vijay

2010-01-01

Purpose To assess students’ perceptions of the impact of PowerPoint (PPT) presentations in lectures in comparison to the traditional chalk and talk method and lectures using transparencies and overhead projector (TOHP). The study analyzes the preferences for teaching aids of medical students versus dental students. Methods Second year medical and dental undergraduates were asked to fill in a nine-item questionnaire about their perceptions of the three lecture delivery methods. Following analysis of the questionnaire the students were interviewed further. The results were analyzed separately for medical and dental students to see if there was any difference in their perceptions. Results The majority of the medical students (65.33%) preferred PPT presentations, while 15.16% of students preferred the lectures using chalkboard, and 19.51% preferred TOHP for teaching (P < 0.001). Of the dental students: 41.84% preferred chalkboard, 31.21% preferred TOHP, and 25.85% students preferred PPT presentations in the lectures (P < 0.05). Some important comments of the students were also recorded on interview which could be valuable for the medical teachers. Conclusion: The medical students clearly preferred the use of PPT presentations while the dental students did not. The study does not bring out evidence based superiority of any lecture delivery method. It appears that in the hands of a trained teacher any teaching aid would be appropriate and effective. This highlights the need for formal training in teaching technologies to develop good presentation skills and thus motivate the students. PMID:23745057

Does medical students' clinical performance affect their actual performance during medical internship?

PubMed

Han, Eui-Ryoung; Chung, Eun-Kyung

2016-02-01

This study examines the relationship between the clinical performance of medical students and their performance as doctors during their internships. This retrospective study involved 63 applicants to a residency programme conducted at the Chonnam National University Hospital, South Korea, in November 2012. We compared the performance of the applicants during their internship with the clinical performance of the applicants during their fourth year of medical school. The performance of the applicants as interns was periodically evaluated by the faculty of each department, while the clinical performance of the applicants as fourth year medical students was assessed using the Clinical Performance Examination (CPX) and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). The performance of the applicants as interns was positively correlated with their clinical performance as fourth year medical students, as measured by CPX and OSCE. The performance of the applicants as interns was moderately correlated with the patient-physician interactions items addressing communication and interpersonal skills in the CPX. The clinical performance of medical students during their fourth year in medical school was related to their performance as medical interns. Medical students should be trained to develop good clinical skills, through actual encounters with patients or simulated encounters using manikins, so that they are able to become competent doctors. Copyright © Singapore Medical Association.

Patient understanding of medical jargon: a survey study of U.S. medical students.

PubMed

LeBlanc, Thomas W; Hesson, Ashley; Williams, Andrew; Feudtner, Chris; Holmes-Rovner, Margaret; Williamson, Lillie D; Ubel, Peter A

2014-05-01

With increasing exposure, medical students may forget that technical jargon is unfamiliar to laypeople. To investigate this possibility, authors assessed student perceptions of patient understanding across different years in medical school. 533 students at 4 U.S. medical schools rated the proportion of patients likely to understand each of twenty-one different jargon terms. Students were either in the first month of their first year, the middle of their first year, or the middle of their fourth year of medical school. Fourth-year students were slightly more pessimistic about patients' understanding compared to new first-year students (mean percent understanding of 55.1% vs. 58.6%, p=0.004). Students both over- and under-estimated patient understanding of specific words compared to published estimates. In a multivariate model, other factors did not explain these differences. Students do not generally presume that patients understand medical jargon. In many cases they actually underestimate patients' understanding, and these estimates may become more pessimistic longitudinally. Jargon use in communication with patients does not appear to stem from unrealistic presumptions about patients' understanding or from desensitization to jargon during medical school. Training about patient knowledge of medical jargon may be a useful addition to communication skills curricula. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medical Student Mental Health Services

PubMed Central

Roman, Brenda

2009-01-01

Medical school is a stressful and challenging time in the academic career of physicians. Because of the psychological pressure inherent to this process, all medical schools should have easily accessible medical student mental health services. Some schools of medicine provide these services through departments of psychiatry or other associated training programs. Since this stressful lifestyle often continues through residency training and life as a physician, this is a critical period in which to develop and utilize functional and effective coping strategies. When psychiatrists provide the mental health treatment to medical students, it is important to consider transference and countertransference issues, over intellectualization, and instances of strong idealization and identification. PMID:19724734

Attitudes of medical students towards incentives offered by pharmaceutical companies- perspective from a developing nation- a cross sectional study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background A training physician has his first interaction with a pharmaceutical representative during medical school. Medical students are often provided with small gifts such as pens, calendars and books, as well as free lunches as part of drug promotion offers. Ethical impact of these transactions as perceived by young medical students has not been investigated in Pakistan before. This study aimed to assess the association of socio-demographic variables with the attitudes of medical students towards pharmaceutical companies and their incentives. Methods As part of a cross-sectional survey, a validated questionnaire previously used for assessing attitude of medical students towards pharmaceutical industry, was modified, pre-tested and distributed among consenting clinical year students at DUHS and AKU. Questions included acceptability of pharmaceutically sponsored gifts, events and tuition fee, and their impact on future prescription. Responses were graded as agree, disagree or neutral which were then scored according to the AMSA guidelines of ethical conduct. Results Out of a total of 353 targeted students 303 responded, corresponding to a response rate of 85.8%. Responses indicated that 42.7% students believed in no interaction with drug companies during medical school. However, 81% of students favored pharmaceutical sponsorship of student-body events/seminars at medical colleges. More than one-third of the students were comfortable receiving gifts from drug companies. Overall, the results of this study offer an interesting comparison between the students of a private medical school (AKU) and a public medical school (DUHS); AKU students exhibited a greater degree of mistrust towards drug information provided by pharmaceutical companies compared to DUHS students (p = 0.040). Furthermore, when asked if there was a need to incorporate guidelines in the undergraduate curriculum with regard to interaction with drug companies, 84.2% students at AKU agreed

Intervention for medical students: effective infection control.

PubMed

Calabro, K; Weltge, A; Parnell, S; Kouzekanani, K; Ramirez, E

1998-08-01

Needlestick injuries, which lead to the transmission of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and the AIDS virus, are a potentially serious threat to students during their clinical experiences. Exposure to infectious diseases, blood, and hazardous body fluids is one of the most frequently reported injury events by medical students at a health science center in the southwestern region of the United States. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a customized intervention about infection control for second-year medical students (N = 200). Preparation for the intervention included a needs assessment, which included both qualitative and quantitative research methods that incorporated input from fourth-year medical students, medical staff members, and local hospital infection control specialists. The intervention included a pretest, a lecture, a demonstration of standard precautions and infection control procedure with 2 clinical scenarios, an exercise on proper handwashing, and a posttest. The evaluation of the intervention demonstrated a significant increase in posttest knowledge scores about infection control (from 12.6 +/- 2.1 pretest to 16.5 +/- 1.8 posttest, P < .001). Medical students showed a significant knowledge increase about infection control after participating in the intervention . Thus we recommend that all medical colleges and universities develop and evaluate a similar customized intervention for their medical students.

Postgraduation retention of medical students from Otago and Auckland medical programmes.

PubMed

Shelker, William; Poole, Phillippa; Bagg, Warwick; Wood, Ian; Glue, Paul

2014-01-24

Auckland and Otago medical programmes have different methods for selecting students. This study compared postgraduate retention in New Zealand (NZ) of medical graduates from the two medical programmes, to assess whether different selection methods influenced retention. Other variables assessed included entrance category and age at graduation. Anonymised databases were created of all graduates from the Otago Faculty of Medicine (1999-2011) and the Auckland medical programme (2000-2012). Demographic and entry category data were recorded. Retention was defined as presence on the NZ Medical Register in December 2012. Risk differences (RD) were calculated to compare retention between the two medical programmes using the Mantel-Haenszel method. The influence of medical programme entrance category on retention was also tested. The influence of covariates on retaining graduates on the register was evaluated using a multiple logistic regression model. The postgraduate retention of graduates of the two medical programmes over 13 years was identical (Auckland 74.9%, Otago 73.6%, P=0.48). Retention of graduate and non-graduate entry students from both medical programmes was similar by 6 years after graduation. Age during medical school did not affect retention. University of attendance had no effect on postgraduation retention of students on the NZ Medical Register, suggesting that retention is not influenced by the different student selection methods at each programme. The data presented shows that New Zealand graduates regardless of programme completed show a similar profile in terms of retention.

South African medical schools: Current state of selection criteria and medical students' demographic profile.

PubMed

van der Merwe, L J; van Zyl, G J; St Clair Gibson, A; Viljoen, M; Iputo, J E; Mammen, M; Chitha, W; Perez, A M; Hartman, N; Fonn, S; Green-Thompson, L; Ayo-Ysuf, O A; Botha, G C; Manning, D; Botha, S J; Hift, R; Retief, P; van Heerden, B B; Volmink, J

2015-12-16

Selection of medical students at South African (SA) medical schools must promote equitable and fair access to students from all population groups, while ensuring optimal student throughput and success, and training future healthcare practitioners who will fulfil the needs of the local society. In keeping with international practices, a variety of academic and non-academic measures are used to select applicants for medical training programmes in SA medical schools. To provide an overview of the selection procedures used by all eight medical schools in SA, and the student demographics (race and gender) at these medical schools, and to determine to what extent collective practices are achieving the goals of student diversity and inclusivity. A retrospective, quantitative, descriptive study design was used. All eight medical schools in SA provided information regarding selection criteria, selection procedures, and student demographics (race and gender). Descriptive analysis of data was done by calculating frequencies and percentages of the variables measured. Medical schools in SA make use of academic and non-academic criteria in their selection processes. The latter include indices of socioeconomic disadvantage. Most undergraduate medical students in SA are black (38.7%), followed by white (33.0%), coloured (13.4%) and Indian/Asian (13.6%). The majority of students are female (62.2%). The number of black students is still proportionately lower than in the general population, while other groups are overrepresented. Selection policies for undergraduate medical programmes aimed at redress should be continued and further refined, along with the provision of support to ensure student success.

Psychotropic medication use among adolescents and young adults with an autism spectrum disorder: parent views about medication use and healthcare services.

PubMed

Lake, Johanna K; Vogan, Vanessa; Sawyer, Amanda; Weiss, Jonathan A; Lunsky, Yona

2015-04-01

Psychotropic medications are frequently used to treat mental health and behavioral issues in adolescents and adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although parents of individuals with ASD frequently take on medication management for their child, there is limited literature on parent perspectives of their child's medication use or their views about the healthcare services they receive, particularly in adulthood. The current study examined and compared parents of adolescents and of young adults with ASD regarding their child's psychotropic medication use and their views about healthcare services. One hundred parents of adolescents and young adults with ASD (ages 12-30 years) completed an online survey about their experience with their child's healthcare services and medication use. Parents of young adults were less likely to use nonpharmacological services before using a psychotropic medication than were parents of adolescents. Parents of young adults were also less likely to believe that their prescribing healthcare provider had adequate expertise in ASD, and were less satisfied with how their prescriber monitored their child's medication use. Findings highlight the need to build capacity among healthcare providers supporting individuals with ASD as they transition into adulthood. There is also a need for improved medication monitoring and increased awareness of the different mental health challenges that individuals with ASD encounter as they age.

Relationship between student selection criteria and learner success for medical dosimetry students.

PubMed

Baker, Jamie; Tucker, Debra; Raynes, Edilberto; Aitken, Florence; Allen, Pamela

2016-01-01

Medical dosimetry education occupies a specialized branch of allied health higher education. Noted international shortages of health care workers, reduced university funding, limitations on faculty staffing, trends in learner attrition, and increased enrollment of nontraditional students force medical dosimetry educational leadership to reevaluate current admission practices. Program officials wish to select medical dosimetry students with the best chances of successful graduation. The purpose of the quantitative ex post facto correlation study was to investigate the relationship between applicant characteristics (cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA), science grade point average (SGPA), prior experience as a radiation therapist, and previous academic degrees) and the successful completion of a medical dosimetry program, as measured by graduation. A key finding from the quantitative study was the statistically significant positive correlation between a student׳s previous degree and his or her successful graduation from the medical dosimetry program. Future research investigations could include a larger research sample, representative of more medical dosimetry student populations, and additional studies concerning the relationship of previous work as a radiation therapist and the effect on success as a medical dosimetry student. Based on the quantitative correlation analysis, medical dosimetry leadership on admissions committees could revise student selection rubrics to place less emphasis on an applicant׳s undergraduate cumulative GPA and increase the weight assigned to previous degrees. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Turkish study of medical student learning styles.

PubMed

Kalaca, S; Gulpinar, M

2011-12-01

A good understanding of the learning styles of students is necessary for optimizing the quality of the learning process. There are few studies in Turkey on the subject of the learning characteristics of medical students. The aim of this study was to define the learning patterns of Turkish medical students based on the Turkish version of Vermunts Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS). The Turkish version of the ILS was developed and administered to 532 medical students. Learning patterns were investigated using factor analysis. Internal consistencies of scales ranged from 0.43 to 0.80. The Turkish version of the ILS identified four learning styles among medical students. In comparing the pre-clinical and clinical phases of medical students related to mental models of learning, statistically significant differences (p < .01) were found between the two groups for the learning characteristics: lack of regulation; certificate; self-test and ambivalent orientation; intake of knowledge; and use of knowledge. The Turkish version of the ILS can be used to identify learning styles of medical students. Our findings indicate an intermediate position for our students on a teacher-regulated to student-regulated learning continuum. A variety of teaching methods and learning activities should be provided in medical schools in order to address the range of learning styles.

Smartphone, the New Learning Aid amongst Medical Students

PubMed Central

Khismatrao, Deepak S.; Gavali, Yogesh V; Patil, K.B.

2017-01-01

Introduction The use of smartphone is increasing day by day for personal as well as professional purpose. They are becoming a more suitable tool for advancing education in developing countries. Mobile access to information and many applications are successfully harnessed in health care. Smartphones are also becoming popular as an effective educational tool. Aim The present study was conducted to evaluate the use of smartphones as an educational tool amongst the medical students. The study also aimed at identifying the common medical application used by the students. Materials and Methods It was an observational cross-sectional study carried out amongst medical students of private medical institute in India. A validated 16 point, structured, open-ended, questionnaire regarding ownership and use of smart phones was self-administered to 446 medical students. Data were analysed using SPSS and open ended questions were analysed by summative content analysis. Results Among the study population, 96% owned a smartphone -Android based 72.4%, i phone 13.0%, Windows based Nokia phones 7% and Blackberry 3.6%. Common medical applications used by the students were Anatomy and Medical Dictionary in First MBBS; Medical Dictionary, Medscape and Google/Wikipedia in Second MBBS; and Medscape, Google/Wikipedia and Prognosis/Diagnosis in Third MBBS. More than 90% students, reported to have technological skills to use smartphones, for medical education, communication and instant access during bedside teaching. Advertently, 37.2% students felt if smartphones are used for clinical purposes, they will need to spend less time with patients. Almost 79.4% felt that smartphones should be introduced in MBBS course. Conclusion Smartphone use amongst medical students as learning aid for various medical applications is rapidly advancing. But it will be worthwhile to study whether use of smartphones has any impact on the grades of the students before introducing them in medical schools. PMID

Undergraduate medical research: the student perspective

PubMed Central

Burgoyne, Louise N.; O'Flynn, Siun; Boylan, Geraldine B.

2010-01-01

Background Research training is essential in a modern undergraduate medical curriculum. Our evaluation aimed to (a) gauge students' awareness of research activities, (b) compare students' perceptions of their transferable and research-specific skills competencies, (c) determine students' motivation for research and (d) obtain students' personal views on doing research. Methods Undergraduate medical students (N=317) completed a research skills questionnaire developed by the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Applied Undergraduate Research Skills (CETL-AURS) at Reading University. The questionnaire assessed students' transferable skills, research-specific skills (e.g., study design, data collection and data analysis), research experience and attitude and motivation towards doing research. Results The majority of students are motivated to pursue research. Graduate entrants and male students appear to be the most confident regarding their research skills competencies. Although all students recognise the role of research in medical practice, many are unaware of the medical research activities or successes within their university. Of those who report no interest in a career incorporating research, a common perception was that researchers are isolated from patients and clinical practice. Discussion Students have a narrow definition of research and what it entails. An explanation for why research competence does not align more closely with research motivation is derived from students' lack of understanding of the concept of translational research, as well as a lack of awareness of the research activity being undertaken by their teachers and mentors. We plan to address this with specific research awareness initiatives. PMID:20844608

Career choices of medical students: a national survey of 1780 students.

PubMed

Lefevre, Jérémie H; Roupret, Morgan; Kerneis, Solen; Karila, Laurent

2010-06-01

OBJECTIVES Many factors influence the career specialty decisions made by medical students. The aim of this study was to broaden consideration of the determinants of specialty choice in a large population of medical students in their sixth year of study. METHODS A total of 2588 students distributed across all of the 39 medical schools in France participated in a National Practice Examination in December 2008, after which an electronic questionnaire was administered. Study criteria were: population characteristics; demographics, and motivation for and drawbacks to medical specialty choice. RESULTS A total of 1780 students (1111 women, 62%) responded to the questionnaire (69% response rate). The mean age of respondents was 23.8 years (22-35 years). Of these, 1555 students (87%) stated their preferred medical specialty. Surgical and medical specialties were the two specialties selected most frequently by students (n = 729, 47%). General practice was chosen by 20%. Gender influenced the choice of specialty: 88% of future paediatricians, 82% of gynaecologists and 77% of general practitioners (GPs) were women (p < 0.05). Main motivating factors included interesting diseases, opportunities for private practice and patient contact. Main drawbacks limiting the choice of other specialties were poor quality of life, an exclusively hospital-based career and loss of patient contact. Gender was the criterion most associated with significant differences in factors of motivation for or discouragement from a career. Patient contact and opportunities for private practice were significantly highlighted by future GPs compared with students opting for the medical or surgical specialties (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Students' career choices regarding specialties or general practice result from the interplay among several factors. Career interest in general practice is particularly low. Initiatives to address the factors affecting student career choices regarding less favoured specialties

Relationships between medical student burnout, empathy, and professionalism climate.

PubMed

Brazeau, Chantal M L R; Schroeder, Robin; Rovi, Sue; Boyd, Linda

2010-10-01

Medical student burnout is prevalent, and there has been much discussion about burnout and professionalism in medical education and the clinical learning environment. Yet, few studies have attempted to explore relationships between those issues using validated instruments. Medical students were surveyed at the beginning of their fourth year using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Student Version, and the Professionalism Climate Instrument. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, and Spearman correlation analysis was performed. Scores indicative of higher medical student burnout were associated with lower medical student empathy scores and with lower professionalism climate scores observed in medical students, residents, and faculty. Investigators observed relationships between medical student burnout, empathy, and professionalism climate. These findings may have implications for the design of curriculum interventions to promote student well-being and professionalism.

The failure of medical education to develop moral reasoning in medical students

PubMed Central

Murrell, Vicki S.

2014-01-01

Objectives The goal of this study was to determine differences in moral judgment among students in medical school. Methods This cross-sectional study involved students currently enrolled in undergraduate medical education. Recruited via email, 192 students took an online version of the Defining Issues Test to determine their current stage of moral judgment, as well as their percentage of post conventional thought. Independent variables included year of graduation, which indicated curriculum completion as well as participation in a professionalism course. Data was analyzed primarily using One-Way Analysis of Variance. Results Of the 192 participants, 165 responses were utilized. ANOVA showed no significant differences in moral judgment between or among any of the student cohorts, which were grouped by year of matriculation. Comparisons included students in the four years of medical school, divided by graduation year; students about to graduate (n=30) vs. those still in school (n=135); and students who had participated in a course in professionalism (n=91) vs. those who had not (n=74). Conclusions These results demonstrate a lack of evolution in the moral reasoning of medical students and raise the issue of what might stimulate positive changes in moral judgment during the medical school experience. PMID:25543016

Medical students' research productivity and career preferences; a 2-year prospective follow-up study.

PubMed

Möller, Riitta; Shoshan, Maria

2017-03-03

Linking undergraduate medical education to scientific research is necessary for the quality of future health care, and students´ individual research projects are one way to do so. Assessment of the impact of such projects is of interest for both educational and research-oriented segments of medical schools. Here, we examined the scholarly products and medical students' career preferences 2 years after a mandatory research project course. A prospective cross-sectional questionnaire study. All 581 students registered on a 20-week research project course between September 2010 through September 2012 were e-mailed a questionnaire 2 years after completing the course. In total, 392 students (mean age 27 years; 60% females) responded (67% response rate). 59 students (15%) were co-authors on a scientific paper published in an international journal, 6 students had published in a national journal, and 57 students had co-authored a paper submitted for publication. Totally, 122 scientific papers had been submitted. Moreover, 67 (17%) students had given 107 oral or poster presentations nationally or internationally during the follow-up. Career-wise, 36 students (9%) had been registered as PhD students and an additional 127 students (34%) were planning to register. Those who did not plan doctoral studies were significantly older (p = 0.013) than those who did. However, 35% reported that they would in the coming 5 years prefer to work as clinicians only, and this group was significantly younger than those who envisaged participation in research. There were no significant gender differences. Approximately a third of the students had authored papers and/or public presentations, and a similar fraction had career plans involving a PhD degree. The results indicate that the project course had a positive impact on continued supervisor-student collaboration on a professional level, but also that strategies to encourage young doctors to perform clinical research may be needed.

Medical students' and patients' perceptions of patient-centred attitude.

PubMed

Hur, Yera; Cho, A Ra; Choi, Chang Jin

2017-03-01

Patient-centred care can increase patient satisfaction and lead to better clinical outcomes for them, such as improved physical status and higher health-related quality of life. However, doctors' and patients' views on patient-centred attitude might differ and could be affected by culture and the community environment. To clarify the differences in primary care patients' and senior medical students' perceptions of medical students' patient-centred attitude. A total of 1,025 subjects-827 patients from primary care institutions and 198 fourth-year medical students from a medical college in South Korea-completed the Patient Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS). The students completed the self-reported questionnaire at the end of their clinical clerkship. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and one-way analysis of variances were conducted in SPSS version 21.0. Firstly, sharing subscale scores were higher among patients than among medical students (students, 3.61 vs. patients, 3.76; p<0.001), but secondly, caring subscale scores were higher among medical students (students, 4.18 vs. patients, 3.82; p<0.001). Thirdly, PPOS total scores were higher among medical students (students, 3.90 vs. patients, 3.79; p=0.001). Finally, male students had the lowest sharing scores (F=6.811, p<0.001) and female students showed the highest PPOS total scores (F=5.805, p=0.001). Significant differences between medical students' and patients' perceptions of medical students' patient-centred attitudes suggest the necessity of educational efforts to overcome the gap between the groups.

Factors Modifying Burnout in Osteopathic Medical Students.

PubMed

Lapinski, Jessica; Yost, Morgan; Sexton, Patricia; LaBaere, Richard J

2016-02-01

The purposes of the current study are to examine factors modifying burnout and identify which of these factors place osteopathic medical students at risk for developing burnout. The current study used a cross-sectional study design and an anonymous, web-based survey to assess burnout and depression in osteopathic medical students. The survey included Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Stressors and their impact scale, students' sleeping and studying habits, and students' extracurricular involvement. In total, 1294 osteopathic medical students completed the survey. Burnout was present in 516 (39.9%) osteopathic medical students, and 1006 (77.0%) met criteria for depression. Females were 1.5 times more likely to be burned out in comparison to males. For the burnout subscales, males had lower emotional exhaustion, slightly higher depersonalization, and lower personal accomplishment. Lesbian/gay/bisexual/asexual students were 2.62 times more likely to be burned out compared with heterosexual students. Depression and academic, personal, and family stressors were all strongly linked to overall burnout. Finally, for modifiable factors, average hours of sleep, average hours spent studying, and club involvement appeared to be linked to burnout. The current study suggested that a variety of factors, including non-modifiable, situational, and modifiable, impact burnout in osteopathic medical students. Future research is necessary since burnout in physicians affects the quality of care provided to patients.

Factors influencing medical students' choice of emergency medicine as a career specialty-a descriptive study of Saudi medical students.

PubMed

Alkhaneen, Hadeel; Alhusain, Faisal; Alshahri, Khalid; Al Jerian, Nawfal

2018-03-07

Choosing a medical specialty is a poorly understood process. Although studies conducted around the world have attempted to identify the factors that affect medical students' choice of specialty, data is scarce on the factors that influence the choice of specialty of Saudi Arabian medical students, in particular those planning a career in emergency medicine (EM). In this study, we investigated whether Saudi medical students choosing EM are influenced by different factors to those choosing other specialties. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAUHS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire distributed among all undergraduate and postgraduate medical students of both sexes in the second and third phases (57% were males and 43% were females). A total of 436 students answered the questionnaire, a response rate of 53.4%. EM group was most influenced by hospital orientation and lifestyle and least influenced by social orientation and prestige provided by their specialty. Unlike controllable lifestyle (CL) group and primary care (PC) group, EM reported lesser influence of social orientation on their career choice. When compared with students primarily interested in the surgical subspecialties (SS), EM group were less likely to report prestige as an important influence. Moreover, students interested in SS reported a leaser influence of medical lifestyle in comparison to EM group. When compared with CL group, EM group reported more interest in medical lifestyle. We found that students primarily interested in EM had different values and career expectations to other specialty groups. The trends in specialty choice should be appraised to meet future needs.

Comparing millennial and generation X medical students at one medical school.

PubMed

Borges, Nicole J; Manuel, R Stephen; Elam, Carol L; Jones, Bonnie J

2006-06-01

Two main generational cohorts comprising students enrolled in medical schools today are Generation Xers (born 1965-1980) and Millennial students (born 1981-1999). A subset is Cuspars (born 1975-1980), who share traits with both generations. Population theorists ascribe different personal characteristics, attitudes, and preferences to each group. The authors examined whether selected characteristics describing Generation X and Millennial students were quantifiable using a personality measure. Differences among Generation X, Millennial, and Cuspar medical students were investigated. Eight hundred and nine medical students (399 females and 410 males) who matriculated between 1989-94 and 2001-04 at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine completed the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF). Differences in responses to the 16PF among the three generations were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Analyses showed significant differences for Generation X versus Millennial students on 10 of the 16 personality factors. Millennial students scored significantly higher than Generation X students on factors including Rule-Consciousness, Emotional Stability, and Perfectionism; Generation X students scored higher than Millennials on Self-Reliance. Millennials also were significantly different from Generation Xers on several other factors. Significant differences were noted among Cuspars, Generation Xers, and Millennials. The 16PF is a useful tool to examine differences among these groups and to help understand the factors that constitute their personalities. Given differences among the generational groups, the authors forecast possible educational implications for medical school academic affairs and student services, and suggest areas for future research.

A review of self-medication in physicians and medical students.

PubMed

Montgomery, A J; Bradley, C; Rochfort, A; Panagopoulou, E

2011-10-01

There is a culture within medicine that doctors do not expect themselves or their colleagues to be sick. Thus, the associated complexities of self-diagnosis, self-referral and self-treatment among physicians are significant and may have repercussions for both their own health and, by implication, for the quality of care delivered to patients. To collate what is known about the self-treatment behaviour of physicians and medical students. The following databases were searched: PubMed, PsychInfo, EBSCO, Medline, BioMed central and Science Direct. Inclusion criteria specified research assessing self-treatment and self-medicating of prescription drugs among physicians and/or medical students. Only peer-reviewed English language empirical studies published between 1990 and 2009 were included. Twenty-seven studies were identified that fitted the inclusion criteria. Self-treatment and self-medicating was found to be a significant issue for both physicians and medical students. In 76% of studies, reported self-treatment was >50% (range: 12-99%). Overall, only one of two respondents was registered with a general practitioner or primary care physician (mean = 56%, range = 21-96). Deeper analysis of studies revealed that physicians believed it was appropriate to self-treat both acute and chronic conditions and that informal care paths were common within the medical profession. Self-treatment is strongly embedded within the culture of both physicians and medical students as an accepted way to enhance/buffer work performance. The authors believe that these complex self-directed care behaviours could be regarded as an occupational hazard for the medical profession.

Medical students' note-taking in a medical biochemistry course: an initial exploration.

PubMed

Morrison, Elizabeth H; McLaughlin, Calvin; Rucker, Lloyd

2002-04-01

Beginning medical students spend numerous hours every week attending basic science lectures and taking notes. Medical faculty often wonder whether they should give students pre-printed instructors' notes before lectures. Proponents of this strategy argue that provided notes enhance learning by facilitating the accurate transmission of information, while opponents counter that provided notes inhibit students' cognitive processing or even discourage students from attending lectures. Little if any research has directly addressed medical students' note-taking or the value of providing instructors' notes. The educational literature does suggest that taking lecture notes enhances university students' learning. University students perform best on post-lecture testing if they review a combination of provided notes and their own personal notes, particularly if the provided notes follow a 'skeletal' format that encourages active note-taking.

Measuring medical students' empathy using direct verbal expressions.

PubMed

Hur, Yera; Cho, A Ra; Kim, Sun

2016-09-01

Empathy is an important trait in physicians and a key element in the physician-patient relationship. Accordingly, one of the goals in medical education is developing empathy in students. We attempted to practically assess medical students' empathy through their direct verbal expressions. The medical students' empathy was measured using the modified Pencil-and-Paper Empathy Rating Test by Winefield and Chur-Hansen (2001). The students took 15 minutes or so to complete the scale, and it was then scored by one of two trained evaluators (0 to 4 points for each item, for a total score of 40). The subjects were 605 medical students, and the data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, independent t-test, and one-way analysis of variance in SPSS version 21.0. The students' empathy scores were low (mean, 12.13; standard deviation, 2.55); their most common responses (78.6%) registered as non-empathetic. Differences in empathy were observed by gender (female students>male students; t=-5.068, p<0.001), school system (medical school>medical college; t=-1.935, p=0.053), and academic level (pre-medical 1 year < other years; t=-4.050, p<0.001). Our findings lead us to the significant conclusion that there is the need for empathy enhancement training programs with practical content.

Women's Health Curriculum for Medical Students.

PubMed

Sattari, Maryam; Cooke, Erinn; Vorhis, Elizabeth; Marshall, Julia; Daily, Karen

2018-03-01

Knowledge of women's health is important for physicians in various specialties, but training often is inadequate. The objective of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a women's health curriculum for medical students at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. After reviewing previous pertinent literature and assessing institutional factors, we developed an interdisciplinary women's health elective for medical students. We present the curricular design for the course. The 2-week elective explores women's health topics such as disease prevention, screening, breast health, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular health. Teaching methodology includes case-based lectures, reading assignments, and clinic sessions at multiple sites. Senior medical students worked in a variety of clinical settings and were assigned a women's health project, a pretest before starting the elective, and a posttest after completion of the course. A statistically significant increase was seen in the students' mean posttest (98.8%) versus pretest (85.6%) scores (difference 13.1%; 95% confidence interval 7.3-19.0, P < 0.0001). Designing curricula that promote lifelong professional competency in the field of women's health can be challenging. At the University of Florida, we have successfully created and implemented a medical student elective in women's health using local resources and expertise. This elective satisfies important women's health training requirements, has been well received by our students, and has resulted in increased women's health-specific knowledge. The experience at our institution may be useful for other programs interested in developing a women's health curriculum geared toward medical students utilizing minimal resources.

Managing Complexity: Exploring Decision Making on Medication by Young Adults with ADHD.

PubMed

Druedahl, Louise C; Kälvemark Sporrong, Sofia

2018-04-19

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) causes difficulties with hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. Treatment of ADHD includes both medication and non-pharmacological options. Knowledge of treatment preferences by young adults with ADHD is sparse. The objective of this study was to explore the beliefs and experiences of young adults with ADHD related to their medication treatment decisions. Data were collected in Denmark in 2016 through a focus group and individual in-depth interviews. Conventional content analysis was used. Ten young adults with ADHD (22-to 29-year-old) participated. Three major themes were identified: (1) the patient’s right to choose concerning ADHD medicine; (2) the patient’s decision of whether or not to treat ADHD with medication; and (3) factors affecting the patient’s decision on whether to take ADHD medication or not. The latter theme contained 15 factors, which were distributed across three levels: individual, between-individuals, and societal. The dominant factors were increasing quality of life and improving oneself e.g., improving social skills. For counselling at the pharmacy and by prescribers, it is important to be aware of the different factors that affect young adult patients’ decisions on whether to take ADHD medication or not. This knowledge will aid to understand reasons for non-adherence and to determine appropriate treatment for the individual patient.

Depression and stigma in medical students at a private medical college.

PubMed

Vankar, Jagdish R; Prabhakaran, Anusha; Sharma, Himanshu

2014-07-01

This study aimed to assess prevalence rate of depression and perceptions regarding stigma associated with depression amongst medical students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 331 undergraduate medical students at a private medical college in Gujarat. Data was collected, which comprised of socio-demographic details, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and a 22-item semi-structured questionnaire to assess personal, perceived, and help-seeking stigma. Univariate analysis and chi-square tests were used to test for association between variables. Overall prevalence of depression was found to be 64%. Highest level of depression was seen in first year. Moderate to severe depression was found in 26.6% students. 73.3% students felt that having depression would negatively affect their education, and 52.3% saw depression as a sign of personal weakness. Females more strongly believed that students would not want to work with a depressed student (50.9% v/s 36.2%) and that if depressed, they would be unable to complete medical college responsibilities (61.9% v/s 44.1%). With increasing academic year, there was increase in stigma about disclosing depression to friends (P = 0.0082) and increase in stigma about working with a depressed student (P = 0.0067). Depressed students felt more strongly than non-depressed students on 10 items of the stigma questionnaire. High stigma exists among students about the causation of depression, and there exists an environment in which students discriminate fellow colleagues based on the presence of depression. This raises need for increasing awareness and support from peers and faculty.

Supporting Scientific Experimentation and Reasoning in Young Elementary School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varma, Keisha

2014-06-01

Researchers from multiple perspectives have shown that young students can engage in the scientific reasoning involved in science experimentation. However, there is little research on how well these young students learn in inquiry-based learning environments that focus on using scientific experimentation strategies to learn new scientific information. This work investigates young children's science concept learning via inquiry-based instruction on the thermodynamics system in a developmentally appropriate, technology-supported learning environment. First- and third-grade students participate in three sets of guided experimentation activities that involve using handheld computers to measure change in temperature given different types of insulation materials. Findings from pre- and post-comparisons show that students at both grade levels are able to learn about the thermodynamics system through engaging in the guided experiment activities. The instruction groups outperformed the control groups on multiple measures of thermodynamics knowledge, and the older children outperform the younger children. Knowledge gains are discussed in the context of mental models of the thermodynamics system that include the individual concepts mentioned above and the relationships between them. This work suggests that young students can benefit from science instruction centered on experimentation activities. It shows the benefits of presenting complex scientific information authentic contexts and the importance of providing the necessary scaffolding for meaningful scientific inquiry and experimentation.

E-learning program for medical students in dermatology

PubMed Central

Silva, Cristiana Silveira; Souza, Murilo Barreto; Filho, Roberto Silveira Silva; de Medeiros, Luciana Molina; Criado, Paulo Ricardo

2011-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Dermatological disorders are common in medical practice. In medical school, however, the time devoted to teaching dermatology is usually very limited. Therefore, online educational systems have increasingly been used in medical education settings to enhance exposure to dermatology. OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to develop an e-learning program for medical students in dermatology and evaluate the impact of this program on learning. METHODS: This prospective study included second year medical students at the University of Technology and Science, Salvador, Brazil. All students attended discussion seminars and practical activities, and half of the students had adjunct online seminars (blended learning). Tests were given to all students before and after the courses, and test scores were evaluated. RESULTS: Students who participated in online discussions associated with face-to-face activities (blended learning) had significantly higher posttest scores (9.0±0.8) than those who only participated in classes (7.75±1.8, p <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that an associated online course might improve the learning of medical students in dermatology. PMID:21655756

Introversion and medical student education: challenges for both students and educators.

PubMed

Davidson, Bernard; Gillies, Ralph A; Pelletier, Allen L

2015-01-01

Introversion is one of the personality factors that has been shown to be associated with performance in medical school. Prior cross-sectional studies highlight performance evaluation differences between introverted and extraverted medical students, though the mechanisms and implications of these differences remain relatively unexplained and understudied. This gap in the literature has become more salient as medical schools are employing more interactive learning strategies into their curricula which may disproportionately challenge introverted learners. In this article, we provide an overview and working definition of introversion as a valid construct occurring on a continuum. We apply a goodness of fit model to explore how various medical training contexts may be more or less challenging for introverted students and the potential consequences of a poor fit. As preliminary support for these hypothesized challenges, we share observations from students self-identified as introverts. Examples include introverted students feeling at times like misfits, questioning a need to change their identity to succeed in medical school, and being judged as underperformers. We offer pragmatic suggestions for improving the fit between introverted students and their training contexts, such as teachers and students pausing between a question being asked and the initial response being offered and teachers differentiating between anxious and introverted behaviors. We conclude with suggested areas for future qualitative and quantitative research to examine how medical school curricula and the teaching environment may be differentially impacting the learning and health of introverted and extraverted students. Extraverted behaviors will continue to be an important part of medical training and practice, but the merits of introverted behaviors warrant further consideration as both medical training and practice evolve. Educators who make manageable adjustments to current teaching practices

Student and faculty perceptions on the rapid scale-up of medical students in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Mengistu, Brittney S; Vins, Holly; Kelly, Caitrin M; McGee, Daphne R; Spicer, Jennifer O; Derbew, Miliard; Bekele, Abebe; Mariam, Damen Haile; Del Rio, Carlos; Blumberg, Henry M; Comeau, Dawn L

2017-01-13

Ethiopia is a country of over 94 million people that has a severe physician shortage with approximately only 2.5 physicians per 100,000 persons. Recently, the Ethiopian government implemented a "flood and retain" initiative to rapidly increase the quantity of physicians in Ethiopia. Consequently, medical student enrollment at Addis Ababa University (AAU) School of Medicine increased from 100 to approximately 300-400 students per class. This study evaluated the impact of the rapid scale-up in the number of medical students on the quality of medical education at AAU and the impact of the U.S. government-funded Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) grant awarded to AAU to provide resources to strengthen the quality of medical education at AAU. Qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 key informants including faculty members, administrators and medical students at AAU. The audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and interview data were analyzed with thematic analysis. Four key themes emerged from the data. Overall, participants perceived a decrease in the quality of medical education at AAU due to challenges created by the rapid scale-up in the number of medical students. Positive learning environments were described as difficult to achieve due to overcrowding in classrooms and the limited numbers of textbooks. Overall, participants stated that infrastructure improvement is needed to provide adequate medical student training. The medical education initiatives implemented and funded by MEPI have provided significant resources to support the medical student curriculum but additional resources are required to accommodate a large student body. The unprecedented rapid scale-up of medical students has impacted multiple facets of medical education at AAU. It is important to consider the perspectives of students and faculty in order to focus future medical education policies, MEPI programming and the allocation of resources.

Exploring Young Students' Collaborative Argumentation within a Socioscientific Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evagorou, Maria; Osborne, Jonathan

2013-01-01

Argumentation has been the emphasis of many studies during the last decade. However, previous studies have not identified why some students are more successful than others, and what are students' characteristics of argumentation, especially when working collaboratively. The purpose of this study was to identify how young students construct…

Analysis of medical student's book reports on Cronin's The Citadel: would young doctors give up ideals for prestige and wealth?

PubMed

Hwang, Se Won; Kim, Hun; Kim, Ae Yang; Hwang, Kun

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study is to find what medical students think the reward for their future work should be and whether they would keep their ideals or abandon them for prestige and wealth by analyzing the book reports of Cronin's The Citadel. Participants were 50 medical students of junior class. A month before the classroom lecture, the book and digital video disk were provided. Students had discussions in groups of seven and wrote book reports which include answers of three questions. Regarding what should be the reward for the medical doctor, two-thirds of students (66.7%) answered with spiritual compensation, while one-third (33.3%) chose material reward. In the situation presented to Manson, three-fifths (60.0%) answered they would keep their ideals (idealist), while the remaining two-fifths (40.0%) decided they would abandon them. Less than one-third of students (30.0%) answered they would reveal the corruptions of the doctor's society, while two-thirds (64.0%) would not. The larger number of idealists who prefer spiritual reward rather than a material reward represents the innocence of youth as in portrayed in The Citadel.

Students' Conceptions of Underlying Principles in Medical Physiology: An Interview Study of Medical Students' Understanding in a PBL Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fyrenius, Anna; Silen, Charlotte; Wirell, Staffan

2007-01-01

Medical physiology is known to be a complex area where students develop significant errors in conceptual understanding. Students' knowledge is often bound to situational descriptions rather than underlying principles. This study explores how medical students discern and process underlying principles in physiology. Indepth interviews, where…

Rising levels of New Zealand medical student debt.

PubMed

Verstappen, Antonia; Poole, Phillippa

2017-06-16

There is little recent data on the debt levels accrued by New Zealand medical graduates. We aimed to quantify the level of student loan debt accrued by medical graduates upon completion of their medical degree, and to investigate the association of New Zealand Government Student Loan (GSL) debt with gender and age. At graduation each year from 2006-2015, students from one New Zealand medical programme were invited to complete a career intention survey that included information on levels of GSL debt and the number of income sources used. The overall response rate was 83.8%. On average, 92% of domestic students reported having some student loan debt, with 28% a debt of $90,000 or more. The proportion of students reporting a student loan debt of $90,000 or more increased over the period of the study (P<0.0001). While older students were more likely to have a larger student loan debt than younger students, there was no difference in debt levels by gender. Students with larger student loans were more likely to rely on a larger number of financial sources to fund their studies. New Zealand medical students are carrying higher levels of student loan debt year on year. The effect of this on the future medical workforce is not certain; however, this could be negative if graduates choose to enter careers that are more highly paid over areas of high need. The full impact of large loans on individuals and the health system will take years to determine.

Adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in medical students: a longitudinal investigation.

PubMed

Enns, M W; Cox, B J; Sareen, J; Freeman, P

2001-11-01

The personality of medical students may have an important impact on both their academic performance and emotional adjustment during medical school. There has been little systematic study of the impact of perfectionism on medical students. The present study sought to compare the perfectionism profile of medical students with that of a general arts student group and to examine the relationship among perfectionism, distress symptoms and academic expectations and satisfaction. Medical students (n=96) and arts students (n=289) completed a baseline assessment including two multidimensional perfectionism scales. The medical students also completed measures of distress symptoms, personality (neuroticism, conscientiousness) and questions about their perceptions of their academic performance. Of the medical students, 58 completed a second set of questionnaires 6 months later (time 2). First-, second- and third year medical students and first-year arts students. In comparison with arts students, the perfectionism profile of medical students showed higher personal standards, lower doubts about actions and lower maladaptive perfectionism scores. In the medical students adaptive perfectionism (achievement striving) was significantly correlated with baseline academic performance expectations and conscientiousness and was predictive of dissatisfaction with academic performance at time 2. Maladaptive perfectionism (excessive evaluative concerns) was significantly correlated with baseline distress symptoms and neuroticism and was predictive of symptoms of depression and hopelessness at time 2. Perfectionism in medical students differs systematically from perfectionism in general arts students. Distinguishing adaptive and maladaptive aspects of perfectionism is important in understanding the cross-sectional and longitudinal implications of perfectionism for medical students.

Norwegian medical students' attitudes towards the pharmaceutical industry.

PubMed

Lea, Dordi; Spigset, Olav; Slørdal, Lars

2010-07-01

Whereas there is a considerable body of information on the interaction between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry, little is known about the pharmaceutical industry-medical student relationship. We have assessed the extent of contact between Norwegian medical students and the pharmaceutical industry as well as the attitudes of these students towards the pharmaceutical industry. A self-assessment questionnaire was distributed to fifth- and sixth-year students attending the four medical schools in Norway and to Norwegian medical students attending selected universities abroad. A total of 65.8% of all eligible students returned a completed questionnaire. Of these, 73.9% had been exposed to various levels of contact with the pharmaceutical industry, but only 17.5% reported having a generally positive attitude towards the industry. The level of exposure did not correlate in students' attitudes; rather, it correlated positively to a feeling of competence in terms of being able to handle such interactions. A majority of students responded that while they would decline accepting monetary gifts, they would welcome receiving reimbursements for meeting expenses, meals and educational material. Students favoured a practice of full disclosure of potential industry-related conflicts of interest among the university teaching staff. There were considerable differences in the students' attitudes between universities, suggesting that medical students are prone to influence from university lecturers. Norwegian medical students are opinionated, critical and curious with respect to pharmaceutical industry relations. This interest can be explored and probably also modified by educational initiatives.

Relationship between student selection criteria and learner success for medical dosimetry students

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baker, Jamie, E-mail: jabaker@mdanderson.org; Tucker, Debra; Raynes, Edilberto

Medical dosimetry education occupies a specialized branch of allied health higher education. Noted international shortages of health care workers, reduced university funding, limitations on faculty staffing, trends in learner attrition, and increased enrollment of nontraditional students force medical dosimetry educational leadership to reevaluate current admission practices. Program officials wish to select medical dosimetry students with the best chances of successful graduation. The purpose of the quantitative ex post facto correlation study was to investigate the relationship between applicant characteristics (cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA), science grade point average (SGPA), prior experience as a radiation therapist, and previous academic degrees)more » and the successful completion of a medical dosimetry program, as measured by graduation. A key finding from the quantitative study was the statistically significant positive correlation between a student's previous degree and his or her successful graduation from the medical dosimetry program. Future research investigations could include a larger research sample, representative of more medical dosimetry student populations, and additional studies concerning the relationship of previous work as a radiation therapist and the effect on success as a medical dosimetry student. Based on the quantitative correlation analysis, medical dosimetry leadership on admissions committees could revise student selection rubrics to place less emphasis on an applicant's undergraduate cumulative GPA and increase the weight assigned to previous degrees.« less

Medication calculation skills of graduating nursing students in Finland.

PubMed

Grandell-Niemi, H; Hupli, M; Leino-Kilpi, H

2001-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe the basic mathematical proficiency and the medication calculation skills of graduating nursing students in Finland. A further concern was with how students experienced the teaching of medication calculation. We wanted to find out whether these experiences were associated with various background factors and the students' medication calculation skills. In spring 1997 the population of graduating nursing students in Finland numbered around 1280; the figure for the whole year was 2640. A convenience sample of 204 students completed a questionnaire specially developed for this study. The instrument included structured questions, statements and a medication calculation test. The response rate was 88%. Data analysis was based on descriptive statistics. The students found it hard to learn mathematics and medication calculation skills. Those who evaluated their mathematical and medication calculation skills as sufficient successfully solved the problems included in the questionnaire. It was felt that the introductory course on medication calculation was uninteresting and poorly organised. Overall the students' mathematical skills were inadequate. One-fifth of the students failed to pass the medication calculation test. A positive correlation was shown between the student's grade in mathematics (Sixth Form College) and her skills in medication calculation.

Prevalence, perceptions, and consequences of substance use in medical students.

PubMed

Ayala, Erin E; Roseman, Destiny; Winseman, Jeffrey S; Mason, Hyacinth R C

2017-01-01

Research regarding the health and wellness of medical students has led to ongoing concerns regarding patterns of alcohol and drug use that take place during medical education. Such research, however, is typically limited to single-institution studies or has been conducted over 25 years ago. The objective of the investigation was to assess the prevalence and consequences of medical student alcohol and drug use and students' perceptions of their medical school's substance-use policies. A total of 855 medical students representing 49 medical colleges throughout the United States participated in an online survey between December 2015 and March 2016. Data showed that 91.3% and 26.2% of medical students consumed alcohol and used marijuana respectively in the past year, and 33.8% of medical students consumed five or more drinks in one sitting in the past two weeks. Differences in use emerged regarding demographic characteristics of students. Consequences of alcohol and drug use in this sample of medical students included but were not limited to interpersonal altercations, serious suicidal ideation, cognitive deficits, compromised academic performance, and driving under the influence of substances. Forty percent of medical students reported being unaware of their medical institution's substance-use policies. Findings suggest that substance use among medical students in the US is ongoing and associated with consequences in various domains. There is a lack of familiarity regarding school substance-use policies. Although there has been some progress in characterizing medical student alcohol use, less is known about the factors surrounding medical students' use of other substances. Updated, comprehensive studies on the patterns of medical student substance use are needed if we are to make the necessary changes needed to effectively prevent substance-use disorders among medical students and support those who are in need of help.

How medical students use the computer and Internet at a Turkish military medical school.

PubMed

Kir, Tayfun; Ogur, Recai; Kilic, Selim; Tekbas, Omer Faruk; Hasde, Metin

2004-12-01

The aim of this study was to determine how medical students use the computer and World Wide Web at a Turkish military medical school and to discuss characteristics related to this computer use. The study was conducted in 2003 in the Department of Public Health at the Gulhane Military Medical School in Ankara, Turkey. A survey developed by the authors was distributed to 508 students, after pretest. Responses were analyzed statistically by using a computer. Most of the students (86.4%) could access a computer and the Internet and all of the computers that were used by students had Internet connections, and a small group (8.9%) had owned their own computers. One-half of the students use notes provided by attending stuff and textbooks as assistant resources for their studies. The most common usage of computers was connecting to the Internet (91.9%), and the most common use of the Internet was e-mail communication (81.6%). The most preferred site category for daily visit was newspaper sites (62.8%). Approximately 44.1% of students visited medical sites when they were surfing. Also, there was a negative correlation between school performance and the time spent for computer and Internet use (-0.056 and -0.034, respectively). It was observed that medical students used the computer and Internet essentially for nonmedical purposes. To encourage students to use the computer and Internet for medical purposes, tutors should use the computer and Internet during their teaching activities, and software companies should produce assistant applications for medical students. Also, medical schools should build interactive World Wide Web sites, e-mail groups, discussion boards, and study areas for medical students.

Medical Student Interest in Flexible Residency Training Options.

PubMed

Piotrowski, Madison; Stulberg, Debra; Egan, Mari

2018-05-01

Medical residents continue to experience high rates of burnout during residency training even after implementation of the 2003 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty-hour restrictions. The purpose of this study is to determine medical student interest in flexible residency training options. Researchers developed an 11-question survey for second through fourth-year medical students. The populations surveyed included medical students who were: (1) attending the 2015 American Academy of Family Physicians National Conference, the 2015 Family Medicine Midwest Conference, and (2) enrolled at University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, Drexel University College of Medicine, and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The survey was completed by 789 medical students. Over half of medical students surveyed indicated that they would be interested in working part-time during some portion of their residency training (51%), and that access to part-time training options would increase their likelihood of applying to a particular residency program (52%). When given the option of three residency training schedules of varying lengths, 41% of male students and 60% of female students chose a 60-hour workweek, even when that meant extending the residency length by 33% and reducing their yearly salary to $39,000. There is considerable interest among medical students in access to part-time residency training options and reduced-hour residency programs. This level of interest indicates that offering flexible training options could be an effective recruitment tool for residency programs and could improve students' perception of their work-life balance during residency.

Medical students' views on thoracic surgery residency programs in a Japanese medical school.

PubMed

Morishita, Kiyofumi; Naraoka, Shu-ichi; Miyajima, Masahiro; Uzuka, Takeshi; Saito, Tatsuya; Abe, Tomio

2003-09-01

There has been a decline in the number of medical students applying for thoracic surgery training programs. We obtained knowledge of medical students' views on thoracic surgery residency programs. After completion of thoracic surgery clerkship, 17 students were asked to fill out questionnaires on first-year thoracic surgery residency programs. The majority of students considered thoracic surgery to be held in high regard by the general public, and felt that the salary was sufficient. However, only one student chose a thoracic surgery training program. The main reason for not applying for thoracic surgery residency was lifestyle issues. The factors in determining career choice included quality of education and work hours. Medical students are likely to select specialties other than thoracic surgery. Since the main factor influencing medical students' career is the quality of education in a residency program, efforts should be made to improve the quality of education.

America-Israel Young Ambassadors Student Exchange Program. Orientation Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neeson, Eileen; And Others

This orientation manual for the America-Israel Young Ambassadors Student Exchange Program is written for the exchange of high school students between these two countries. The goal is to familiarize American students with the history, politics, economy, religions and society of Israel. Thirteen training sessions are suggested on the following…

A simulated emergency department for medical students.

PubMed

Johnson, Patricia; Brazil, Victoria; Raymond-Dufresne, Éliane; Nielson, Tracy

2017-08-01

During their training, medical students often undertake a rotation in an emergency department (ED), where they are exposed to a wide variety of patient presentations. Simulation can be an effective teaching strategy to help prepare learners for the realities of the clinical environment. Simulating an ED shift can provide students with the opportunity to perform a range of clinical activities, within their scope of practice, in a supervised and supportive learning environment. Medical students often undertake a rotation in an emergency department CONTEXT: There is limited literature describing the structure, syllabus, feasibility and perceived usefulness of simulating a typical ED for medical student training. We developed a simulated ED (simED) teaching session for medical students at our university. Students were informed of the purpose and learning tasks of the session prior to attendance. At the start of their 2-hour simED shift students were allocated 'patients' by the Triage nurse. At the completion of their shift, students attended a debriefing discussion. Student feedback indicated that they felt that the simED: provided a good opportunity to practise skills and apply theory to practice; was realistic and challenging; highlighted the importance of teamwork; and enabled them to identify skills requiring further practise. Suggestions for improvements included a longer time spent in the simED and the opportunity to see more patients. The simED approach seemed to be well received and perceived by medical students as useful preparation for the ED. An overview of the structure, materials and resources used is provided to assist educators seeking to implement similar ED clinical scenarios in their curriculum. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

How the elderly and young adults differ in the decision making process of nonprescription medication purchases.

PubMed

Sansgiry, S S; Cady, P S

1996-01-01

The study compared elderly and young adults in their behavior and involvement in the decision making process of over-the-counter (OTC) medication purchases. Elderly subjects were more involved in the decision making process to purchase OTC medications compared to young adults. The elderly not only purchase and spend more money on medications but also read OTC labels completely. They requested help from the pharmacist more frequently than young adults. Needs of the elderly in making an OTC medication purchase were different compared to young adults. The two age groups differed on importance rating for several attributes regarding OTC medications, such as; ease of opening the package, child resistant package, side effects of medicine, manufacturer of medicine, print size on package labels, and greater choice of medicine.

Analyzing Medical Students' Definitions of Sex

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talley, Heather; Cho, Janice; Strassberg, Donald S.; Rullo, Jordan E.

2016-01-01

An inaccurate definition of what constitutes sex can negatively impact the sexual health and wellbeing of patients. This study aimed to determine which behaviors medical students consider to be sex. Survey questions about various sexual behaviors were administered to medical students. All participants agreed that penile-vaginal penetration is sex.…

Teaching Medical Students about Treatment Compliance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackwell, Barry; And Others

1978-01-01

To demonstrate poor patient compliance, medical students who preregistered for a conference on patient compliance were asked to adopt the role of "patient" and to take "medication" (Vitamin C) for one week, to observe certain dietary restrictions, and to complete an attitude and health beliefs questionnaire. Student attitudes resembled those of…

Role of a medical student: patient perspectives.

PubMed

Evans, David; Owen, Stephanie; Green, John

2017-08-01

Medical students form an important part of the medical team; however, patients may not be fully aware of their role. Identifying students in the clinical setting is difficult because of their similar attire to other health care professionals. This parity may introduce unethical scenarios where patients may be speaking and consenting to individuals whom they do not recognise as students. A single-sided questionnaire was given to hospital in-patients during a 12-week period. Questions focused on the role of students. With their opinions, patients were given a list of clinical skills and asked whether or not they would allow a student to carry out these skills on themselves. The list included both required and non-required clinical skills by the General Medical Council (GMC). In total, 101 patients participated in the study: 34 males and 67 females. Age at admittance was 63.4 ± 18.0 years; 74.3 per cent of patients were able to identify a student, although 87.1 per cent believed that students should have a designated uniform. Patients were significantly more likely to allow a student to perform required skills on them, as opposed to non-required skills (p < 0.0001); however, previous contact with a medical student made no difference in the likelihood of consenting to a skill being performed. Identifying students in the clinical setting is difficult CONCLUSIONS: The apparent trade-off between patient safety and providing students with learning opportunities has been of long standing concern. Patients consider GMC-required skills as largely appropriate; however, patients feel that students should be more identifiable, and increasing the awareness of the role and capabilities of a student in patient care is important. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Medical students' use of Facebook for educational purposes.

PubMed

Ali, Anam

2016-06-01

Medical students use Facebook to interact with one another both socially and educationally. This study investigates how medical students in a UK medical school use Facebook to support their learning. In particular, it identifies the nature of their educational activities, and details their experiences of using an educational Facebook group. Twenty-four medical students who self-identified as being Facebook users were invited to focus groups to attain a general overview of Facebook use within an educational context. A textual analysis was then conducted on a small group of intercalating medical students who used a self-created Facebook group to supplement their learning. Five of these students participated in semi-structured interviews. Six common themes were generated. These included 'collaborative learning', 'strategic uses for the preparation for assessment', 'sharing experiences and providing support', 'creating and maintaining connections', 'personal planning and practical organization' and 'sharing and evaluating educational resources'. Evidence from this study shows that medical students are using Facebook informally to enhance their learning and undergraduate lives. Facebook has enabled students to create a supportive learning community amongst their peers. Medical educators wishing to capitalize on Facebook, as a platform for formal educational initiatives, should remain cautious of intruding on this peer online learning community.

Irish Medical Students Understanding of the Intern Year.

PubMed

Gouda, P; Kitt, K; Evans, D S; Goggin, D; McGrath, D; Last, J; Hennessy, M; Arnett, R; O'Flynn, S; Dunne, F; O'Donovan, D

2016-04-11

Upon completion of medical school in Ireland, graduates must make the transition to becoming interns. The transition into the intern year may be described as challenging as graduates assume clinical responsibilities. Historically, a survey of interns in 1996 found that 91% felt unprepared for their role. However, recent surveys in 2012 have demonstrated that this is changing with preparedness rates reaching 52%. This can be partially explained by multiple initiatives at the local and national level. Our study aimed evaluate medical student understanding of the intern year and associated factors. An online, cross-sectional survey was sent out to all Irish medical students in 2013 and included questions regarding their understanding of the intern year. Two thousand, two hundred and forty-eight students responded, with 1,224 (55.4%) of students agreeing or strongly agreeing that they had a good understanding of what the intern year entails. This rose to 485 (73.7%) among senior medical students. Of junior medical students, 260 (42.8%) indicated they understood what the intern year, compared to 479 (48.7%) of intermediate medical students. Initiatives to continue improving preparedness for the intern year are essential in ensuring a smooth and less stressful transition into the medical workforce.

Turkish Final Year Medical Students' Exposure to and Attitudes Concerning Drug Company Interactions: A Perspective from a Minimally Regulated Environment for Medical Students.

PubMed

Beyhun, Nazim Ercument; Kolayli, Cevriye Ceyda; Can, Gamze; Topbas, Murat

2016-01-01

Interactions between drug companies and medical students may affect evidence-based medical practice and patient safety. The aim of this study was to assess drug company-medical student interactions in a medical faculty where limited specific national or institutional regulations apply between drug companies and medical students. The objectives of the study were to determine the exposure and attitudes of final year medical students in terms of drug company-medical student and physician interactions, to identify factors affecting those attitudes and to provide data for policymakers working on the regulation of interactions between drug companies and medical students. This anonymous questionnaire-based study of 154 medical final year medical students at the Karadeniz Technical University Medical Faculty, Trabzon, Turkey, in April and May 2015 attracted a response rate of 92.2% (n/N, 154/164). Exposure to interaction with a pharmaceutical representative was reported by 90.3% (139/154) of students, and 68.8% (106/154) reported experiencing such interaction alongside a resident. In addition, 83.7% (128/153) of students reported an interaction during internship. Furthermore, 69.9% (107/153) of students agreed that interactions influence physicians' prescription preferences, while 33.1% (51/154) thought that a medical student should never accept a gift from a drug company and 24.7% (38/154) agreed with the proposition that "drug companies should not hold activities in medical faculties". Students with rational prescription training expressed greater agreement with the statement "I am skeptical concerning the information provided by drug companies during interactions" than those who had not received such training, and this finding was supported by logistic regression [O.R.(C.I), p -3.7(1.2-11.5), p = 0.022]. Acceptance of advertisement brochures was found to significantly reduce the level of agreement with the proposition that "A physician should not accept any gift from a

Professional identity in medical students: pedagogical challenges to medical education.

PubMed

Wilson, Ian; Cowin, Leanne S; Johnson, Maree; Young, Helen

2013-01-01

Professional identity, or how a doctor thinks of himself or herself as a doctor, is considered to be as critical to medical education as the acquisition of skills and knowledge relevant to patient care. This article examines contemporary literature on the development of professional identity within medicine. Relevant theories of identity construction are explored and their application to medical education and pedagogical approaches to enhancing students' professional identity are proposed. The influence of communities of practice, role models, and narrative reflection within curricula are examined. Medical education needs to be responsive to changes in professional identity being generated from factors within medical student experiences and within contemporary society.

Procedural and interpretive skills of medical students: experiences and attitudes of third-year students.

PubMed

Wu, Edward H; Elnicki, D Michael; Alper, Eric J; Bost, James E; Corbett, Eugene C; Fagan, Mark J; Mechaber, Alex; Ogden, Paul E; Sebastian, James L; Torre, Dario M

2006-10-01

Recent data do not exist on medical students' performance of and attitudes toward procedural and interpretive skills deemed important by medical educators. A total of 171 medical students at seven medical schools were surveyed regarding frequency of performance, self-confidence, and perceived importance of 21 procedural and interpretive skills. Of the 122 responding students (71% response rate), a majority had never performed lumbar puncture, thoracentesis, paracentesis, or blood culture, and students reported lowest self-confidence in these skills. At least one-quarter of students had never performed phlebotomy, peripheral intravenous catheter insertion, or arterial blood sampling. Students perceived all 21 skills as important to learn and perform during medical school. Through the third year of medical school, a majority of students had never performed important procedures, and a substantial minority had not performed basic procedures. Students had low self-confidence in skills they rarely performed, but perceived all skills surveyed as important.

Supporting medical students with learning disabilities in Asian medical schools

PubMed Central

Majumder, Md. Anwarul Azim; Rahman, Sayeeda; D’Souza, Urban JA; Elbeheri, Gad; Abdulrahman, Khalid Bin; Huq, M Muzaherul

2010-01-01

Learning disabilities (LDs) represent the largest group of disabilities in higher education (HE) institutes, including medical schools, and the numbers are continuing to rise. The worrying concern is that two-thirds to half of these students with LDs remain undiagnosed when they start their undergraduate education and may even graduate without having their disabilities diagnosed. These students struggle with their academic abilities, receive poor grades and, as a result, develop lower perceptions of their intellectual abilities than do those students without LDs. All these ultimately hamper their professional practice, employment, and career progression. Appropriate and adequate educational policies, provisions, and practices help students to progress satisfactorily. In Asian countries, public and professional awareness about LDs is low, supportive provisions are limited, legislations are inadequate, data are scarce, and equal-opportunity/widening-participation policies are not implemented effectively in the HE sector. This article discusses the issues related to LDs in medical education and draws policy, provision, and practice implications to identify, assess, and support students with LDs in medical schools, particularly in an Asian context. PMID:23745060

A history of medical student debt: observations and implications for the future of medical education.

PubMed

Greysen, S Ryan; Chen, Candice; Mullan, Fitzhugh

2011-07-01

Over the last 50 years, medical student debt has become a problem of national importance, and obtaining medical education in the United States has become a loan-dependent, individual investment. Although this phenomenon must be understood in the general context of U.S. higher education as well as economic and social trends in late-20th-century America, the historical problem of medical student debt requires specific attention for several reasons. First, current mechanisms for students' educational financing may not withstand debt levels above a certain ceiling which is rapidly approaching. Second, there are no standards for costs of medical school attendance, and these can vary dramatically between different schools even within a single city. Third, there is no consensus on the true cost of educating a medical student, which limits accountability to students and society for these costs. Fourth, policy efforts to improve physician workforce diversity and mitigate shortages in the primary care workforce are inhibited by rising levels of medical student indebtedness. Fortunately, the current effort to expand the U.S. physician workforce presents a unique opportunity to confront the unsustainable growth of medical student debt and explore new approaches to the financing of medical students' education.

Refractive errors in medical students in Singapore.

PubMed

Woo, W W; Lim, K A; Yang, H; Lim, X Y; Liew, F; Lee, Y S; Saw, S M

2004-10-01

Refractive errors are becoming more of a problem in many societies, with prevalence rates of myopia in many Asian urban countries reaching epidemic proportions. This study aims to determine the prevalence rates of various refractive errors in Singapore medical students. 157 second year medical students (aged 19-23 years) in Singapore were examined. Refractive error measurements were determined using a stand-alone autorefractor. Additional demographical data was obtained via questionnaires filled in by the students. The prevalence rate of myopia in Singapore medical students was 89.8 percent (Spherical equivalence (SE) at least -0.50 D). Hyperopia was present in 1.3 percent (SE more than +0.50 D) of the participants and the overall astigmatism prevalence rate was 82.2 percent (Cylinder at least 0.50 D). Prevalence rates of myopia and astigmatism in second year Singapore medical students are one of the highest in the world.

Predictors of leadership styles of medical students: implications for medical education.

PubMed

Sriratanaban, J; Chiravisit, M; Viputsiri, O

1999-09-01

Providing effective health care services for a population involves a great deal of team-work among health care workers and leadership of physicians. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the leadership styles of medical students, and to explore factors that may be associated with them. Leadership questionnaires were used to assess leadership styles of 97 sixth-year medical students of the 1995 class at Chulalongkorn University attending the community medicine III program which was designed to introduce basic knowledge and skills in health care management. The baseline leadership styles of the students were more people-oriented than task-oriented. Multivariate analyses revealed that administrative experiences from extracurricular activities and perceived importance of a health administration course were significantly associated with leadership styles. Medical students should be encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities during their medical studies, taking leader positions, in order to develop an optimal leadership style to be effective health team leaders.

Perceptions, experiences and expectations of Iraqi medical students.

PubMed

Lafta, Riyadh; Al-Ani, Waleed; Dhiaa, Saba; Cherewick, Megan; Hagopian, Amy; Burnham, Gilbert

2018-03-27

The environment for medical education in Iraq has been difficult for many years. The 2003 invasion of Iraq accelerated a steady emigration of faculty and graduates. Kidnappings and deaths of doctors became commonplace. To understand current career plans, expectations and perceptions of medical students, three Baghdad medical schools were surveyed. Written questionnaires were completed by 418 medical students variously in their 4th, 5th and 6th (final)years of training. We asked about perceptions of the quality of their medical education, the quality of health services in Iraq generally, and about deaths, injuries and migration of faculty, classmates and family. The average age of students was 22 years, with 59% women. Most students (90%) were originally from Baghdad. Although there were some positive responses, many students (59%) rated the overall quality of their medical education as fair or poor. Three-fourths of students believed the quality of hospital care in Iraq to be only fair or poor. A majority of students (57%) stated they were thinking frequently or all the time about leaving Iraq after graduation. Reasons given for leaving included the desire for further education, seeking a better lifestyle and fleeing conflict. Leading reasons for staying included the pull of friends and family, familiarity with the health system, and a sense of responsibility to the country. Nearly one in five (18%) students reported the death of a family member attributable to intentional violence, and 15% reported the violent death of a medical school classmate or faculty member since the 2003 invasion. Half the students reported at least one school faculty members had left Iraq because of the war. Medical students hold a mediocre view of the quality of their medical education and of Iraq's health system. Many of their faculty members have left the country. The majority of students may leave Iraq after graduation, afforded the opportunity. This poses a significant problem for

Factors associated with the choice of general medicine as a career among Japanese medical students

PubMed Central

Kawamoto, Ryuichi; Ninomiya, Daisuke; Kasai, Yoshihisa; Kusunoki, Tomo; Ohtsuka, Nobuyuki; Kumagi, Teru; Abe, Masanori

2016-01-01

Background In Japan, there is a shortage of young physicians in various specialties; the present situation of general medicine or family medicine (GM/FM) in particular is risky. The factors influencing the career choice of Japanese medical students are poorly understood. This study aims to identify factors related to choosing GM/FM as a career. Methods The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. Students at one medical school in Japan filled out a questionnaire. Students were asked to state their intended medical specialty, and they rated the importance of specific individual and occupational aspects using a 4-point likert scale. Factor analysis was performed on the variables. Reliability of the factor scores was estimated using Cronbach‘s alpha coefficients; biserial correlations between the factors and career choices were calculated. Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis was performed using career choice (GM/FM vs. others) as the criterion variable and the factors plus demographic characteristics as confounding variables. Results Factor analysis produced six factors that explained future career plans. Medical students in this study had a positive and realistic idea about GM/FM, but only 18.8% of them chose GM/FM first as a career. The significant variables associated with choosing GM/FM first as a career were: ‘Admission from hometown’ (β=0.189, P=0.001), ‘Student preparing for the entrance exam’ (β=0.172; P=0.001), ‘Intent for rural practice’ (β=0.123, P=0.016), and ‘Work–life balance’ (β=0.126, P=0.013). While significant variables that were negatively associated with choosing GM/FM were ‘Presence of medical relatives’ (β=−0.107, P=0.037) and ‘Scientific orientation’ (β=−0.125, P=0.013). Conclusions Strategies have been suggested, such as recruiting medical students with significant variables that were associated with choosing GM/FM first as a career. By engaging students early in their choice of career

Factors associated with the choice of general medicine as a career among Japanese medical students.

PubMed

Kawamoto, Ryuichi; Ninomiya, Daisuke; Kasai, Yoshihisa; Kusunoki, Tomo; Ohtsuka, Nobuyuki; Kumagi, Teru; Abe, Masanori

2016-01-01

Background In Japan, there is a shortage of young physicians in various specialties; the present situation of general medicine or family medicine (GM/FM) in particular is risky. The factors influencing the career choice of Japanese medical students are poorly understood. This study aims to identify factors related to choosing GM/FM as a career. Methods The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. Students at one medical school in Japan filled out a questionnaire. Students were asked to state their intended medical specialty, and they rated the importance of specific individual and occupational aspects using a 4-point likert scale. Factor analysis was performed on the variables. Reliability of the factor scores was estimated using Cronbach's alpha coefficients; biserial correlations between the factors and career choices were calculated. Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis was performed using career choice (GM/FM vs. others) as the criterion variable and the factors plus demographic characteristics as confounding variables. Results Factor analysis produced six factors that explained future career plans. Medical students in this study had a positive and realistic idea about GM/FM, but only 18.8% of them chose GM/FM first as a career. The significant variables associated with choosing GM/FM first as a career were: 'Admission from hometown' (β=0.189, P=0.001), 'Student preparing for the entrance exam' (β=0.172; P=0.001), 'Intent for rural practice' (β=0.123, P=0.016), and 'Work-life balance' (β=0.126, P=0.013). While significant variables that were negatively associated with choosing GM/FM were 'Presence of medical relatives' (β=-0.107, P=0.037) and 'Scientific orientation' (β=-0.125, P=0.013). Conclusions Strategies have been suggested, such as recruiting medical students with significant variables that were associated with choosing GM/FM first as a career. By engaging students early in their choice of career, we may be able to increase

Factors associated with the choice of general medicine as a career among Japanese medical students.

PubMed

Kawamoto, Ryuichi; Ninomiya, Daisuke; Kasai, Yoshihisa; Kusunoki, Tomo; Ohtsuka, Nobuyuki; Kumagi, Teru; Abe, Masanori

2016-01-01

In Japan, there is a shortage of young physicians in various specialties; the present situation of general medicine or family medicine (GM/FM) in particular is risky. The factors influencing the career choice of Japanese medical students are poorly understood. This study aims to identify factors related to choosing GM/FM as a career. The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. Students at one medical school in Japan filled out a questionnaire. Students were asked to state their intended medical specialty, and they rated the importance of specific individual and occupational aspects using a 4-point likert scale. Factor analysis was performed on the variables. Reliability of the factor scores was estimated using Cronbach's alpha coefficients; biserial correlations between the factors and career choices were calculated. Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis was performed using career choice (GM/FM vs. others) as the criterion variable and the factors plus demographic characteristics as confounding variables. Factor analysis produced six factors that explained future career plans. Medical students in this study had a positive and realistic idea about GM/FM, but only 18.8% of them chose GM/FM first as a career. The significant variables associated with choosing GM/FM first as a career were: 'Admission from hometown' (β=0.189, P=0.001), 'Student preparing for the entrance exam' (β=0.172; P=0.001), 'Intent for rural practice' (β=0.123, P=0.016), and 'Work-life balance' (β=0.126, P=0.013). While significant variables that were negatively associated with choosing GM/FM were 'Presence of medical relatives' (β=-0.107, P=0.037) and 'Scientific orientation' (β=-0.125, P=0.013). Strategies have been suggested, such as recruiting medical students with significant variables that were associated with choosing GM/FM first as a career. By engaging students early in their choice of career, we may be able to increase enthusiasm for this specialty.

[Learning strategies of autonomous medical students].

PubMed

Márquez U, Carolina; Fasce H, Eduardo; Ortega B, Javiera; Bustamante D, Carolina; Pérez V, Cristhian; Ibáñez G, Pilar; Ortiz M, Liliana; Espinoza P, Camila; Bastías V, Nancy

2015-12-01

Understanding how autonomous students are capable of regulating their own learning process is essential to develop self-directed teaching methods. To understand how self-directed medical students approach learning in medical schools at University of Concepción, Chile. A qualitative and descriptive study, performed according to Grounded Theory guidelines, following Strauss & Corbin was performed. Twenty medical students were selected by the maximum variation sampling method. The data collection technique was carried out by a semi-structured thematic interview. Students were interviewed by researchers after an informed consent procedure. Data were analyzed by the open coding method using Atlas-ti 7.5.2 software. Self-directed learners were characterized by being good planners and managing their time correctly. Students performed a diligent selection of contents to study based on reliable literature sources, theoretical relevance and type of evaluation. They also emphasized the discussion of clinical cases, where theoretical contents can be applied. This modality allows them to gain a global view of theoretical contents, to verbalize knowledge and to obtain a learning feedback. The learning process of autonomous students is intentional and planned.

Headache among medical and psychology students.

PubMed

Ferri-de-Barros, João Eliezer; Alencar, Mauricio José de; Berchielli, Luis Felipe; Castelhano Junior, Luis Carlos

2011-06-01

Headaches occur frequently and thus are a key component of sociocentric medical education. To study headaches among students of medicine and psychology in a single university. This was a questionnaire-based survey of a cohort of students of medicine and psychology. The overall lifetime prevalence of headache was 98% and over the last year, 91%. Tensional headache accounted for 59% and migraine 22% in medicine; and 48.5% and 32% respectively in psychology. Forty-five percent reported that headaches had a variable sporadic impact on their productivity. The self-medication rate was 77%. Thirty-six percent reported worsening since admission to the university. The prevalence of headaches was very high. Tension-type headaches predominated in males and migraine in females. Tension-type was more frequent among medical students than among psychology students; migraine was more frequent in psychology (more females) than in medicine. Both kinds of students reported that headaches caused low interference with daily activities. The students reported that their symptoms had worsened since admission to the university.

Starting a Medical Technology Venture as a Young Academic Innovator or Student Entrepreneur.

PubMed

Manbachi, Amir; Kreamer-Tonin, Katlin; Walch, Philipp; Gamo, Nao J; Khoshakhlagh, Parastoo; Zhang, Yu Shrike; Montague, Charles; Acharya, Soumyadipta; Logsdon, Elizabeth A; Allen, Robert H; Durr, Nicholas J; Luciano, Mark G; Theodore, Nicholas; Brem, Henry; Yazdi, Youseph

2018-01-01

Following the footprints of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, there has been a misconception that students are better off quitting their studies to bring to life their ideas, create jobs and monetize their inventions. Having historically transitioned from manpower to mind power, we live in one of the most rapidly changing times in human history. As a result, academic institutions that are supposed to be pioneers and educators of the next generations have started to realize that they need to adapt to a new system, and change their policies to be more flexible towards patent ownership and commercialization. There is an infrastructure being developed towards students starting their own businesses while continuing with their studies. This paper aims to provide an overview of the existing landscape, the exciting rewards as well as risks awaiting a student entrepreneur, the challenges of the present ecosystem, and questions to consider prior to embarking on such a journey. Various entities influencing the start-up environment are considered, specifically for the medical technology sector. These parties include but are not limited to: scientists, clinicians, investors, academic institutions and governments. A special focus will be set on the seemingly unbridgeable gap between founding a company and a scientific career.

The attractiveness of family medicine among Polish medical students.

PubMed

Gowin, Ewelina; Horst-Sikorska, Wanda; Michalak, Michał; Avonts, Dirk; Buczkowski, Krzysztof; Lukas, Witold; Korman, Tomasz; Litwiejko, Alicja; Chlabicz, Sławomir

2014-06-01

In many developed countries tuning supply and demand of medical doctors is a continuous challenge to meet the ever changing needs of community and individual patients. The long study period for medical doctors creates the opportunity to observe the current career preferences of medical students and evolution in time. To investigate the career choices of Polish students in different stages of their medical education. Medical students at five Polish medical universities were questioned about their career aspirations in the first, third and sixth year. A total of 2020 students were recruited for the survey. Among first year students 17% preferred family medicine as final career option, compared to 20% in the third year, and 30% in the sixth year (significant trend, P < 0.0001). In particular, female students prefer family medicine: 71% women versus 62% women in the group with a preference for a non-family medicine orientation (P = 0.008). Medical students rejecting a career as a family doctor stated that the impossibility to work in a hospital environment was the determining factor. The opportunity for professional development seems to be an important determining factor in the choice of a medical specialty in Poland. The proportion of Polish students choosing family medicine increases during their progress in medical education, with one third of students interested in a career in family medicine by year six.

Survey of medical students' use of social media.

PubMed

Kang, James; Djafari Marbini, Hosnieh; Patel, Prabir; Fawcett, Nicola; Leaver, Laurence

2015-12-01

Medical students are not sufficiently knowledgeable about the dangers of online social media, and education about how to use it responsibly may be beneficial. We conducted an online questionnaire to assess whether or not medical students in years 2-6 of study at the University of Oxford would intuitively know what doctors should and should not do on social media. We also assessed whether the study intervention of sending out guidance about appropriate use of social media published by the UK General Medical Council (GMC) would improve students' knowledge of how to use social media correctly. We found that, although social media use was widespread among medical students, the majority were unaware of GMC guidance on this issue. Administration of GMC guidance significantly improved the proportion of GMC-correct responses in four of 16 questionnaire items. Medical students are not sufficiently knowledgeable about the dangers of online social media It is possible that educating medical students about the dangers of online social media, and how to use it appropriately, could be worthwhile. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Creativity in Medical Education: The Value of Having Medical Students Make Stuff.

PubMed

Green, Michael J; Myers, Kimberly; Watson, Katie; Czerwiec, M K; Shapiro, Dan; Draus, Stephanie

2016-12-01

What is the value of having medical students engage in creative production as part of their learning? Creating something new requires medical students to take risks and even to fail--something they tend to be neither accustomed to nor comfortable with doing. "Making stuff" can help students prepare for such failures in a controlled environment that doesn't threaten their professional identities. Furthermore, doing so can facilitate students becoming resilient and creative problem-solvers who strive to find new ways to address vexing questions. Though creating something new can be fun, this is not the main outcome of interest. Rather, the principle reason we recommend devoting precious curricular time to creative endeavors is because it helps medical students become better doctors.

Body-art practices among undergraduate medical university students in dar es salaam, Tanzania, 2014.

PubMed

Chacha, Chacha Emmanuel; Kazaura, Method R

2015-01-01

Body-art practices are increasing among adolescents and young adults. Although substantial data are available in developed countries, little has been documented about body-art practices in developing countries. To determine the magnitude, types and reasons for practicing body-art practices among undergraduate medical University students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducteed among undergraduate University students in Dar es Salaam involving 536 respondents from two Universities. We used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data. Analyses were based on summary measures and bivariate analyses. While 7.5% of undergraduate students reported having tattoos, 20% reported having body puncturing or piercing. Body piercing is reported more among female university undergraduate students than their male counterparts. Reported main reasons for undergoing body-art include "a mark of beauty," 24%, "just wanted one," 18% and "a mark of femininity or masculinity," 17%. The majority (98%) of students were aware that unsafe body-art practices may lead to contracting HIV and more than half (52%) reported awareness of the risk of Hepatitis B infection. Despite high awareness of the potential risks involved in unsafe body arts that include tattoo and piercing, these practices are increasing among adolescents and young adults. There is need to have educational and counseling efforts so as to minimize associated health risks.

Perceived Medical School stress of undergraduate medical students predicts academic performance: an observational study.

PubMed

Kötter, Thomas; Wagner, Josefin; Brüheim, Linda; Voltmer, Edgar

2017-12-16

Medical students are exposed to high amounts of stress. Stress and poor academic performance can become part of a vicious circle. In order to counteract this circularity, it seems important to better understand the relationship between stress and performance during medical education. The most widespread stress questionnaire designed for use in Medical School is the "Perceived Medical School Stress Instrument" (PMSS). It addresses a wide range of stressors, including workload, competition, social isolation and financial worries. Our aim was to examine the relation between the perceived Medical School stress of undergraduate medical students and academic performance. We measured Medical School stress using the PMSS at two different time points (at the end of freshman year and at the end of sophomore year) and matched stress scores together with age and gender to the first medical examination (M1) grade of the students (n = 456). PMSS scores from 2 and 14 months before M1 proved to be significant predictors for medical students' M1 grade. Age and gender also predict academic performance, making older female students with high stress scores a potential risk group for entering the vicious circle of stress and poor academic performance. PMSS sum scores 2 and 14 months before the M1 exam seem to have an independent predictive validity for medical students' M1 grade. More research is needed to identify potential confounders.

Adherence to antidepressant medications: a randomized controlled trial of medication reminding in college students.

PubMed

Hammonds, Tracy; Rickert, Krista; Goldstein, Carly; Gathright, Emily; Gilmore, Sarah; Derflinger, Bethany; Bennett, Brooke; Sterns, Anthony; Drew, Barbara L; Hughes, Joel W

2015-01-01

To determine if medication reminding via smartphone app increases adherence to antidepressant medications in college students. College students (N = 57) enrolled at a state-funded institution who had a current prescription for an antidepressant and regularly used a smartphone device. Participants were randomized to either a reminder group or a control group. Both groups were asked to complete a survey and undergo a manual pill count at the beginning of the study and 30 days later. There was a strong trend suggesting that the use of a medication reminder app was beneficial for adherence to antidepressant medication regimens. Factors influencing medication adherence in college students included health beliefs, use of illicit drugs, and type of professional care received. Use of a medication reminder may increase adherence to antidepressant medications in college students.

Medical Training Experience and Expectations Regarding Future Medical Practice of Medical Students at the University of Cape Verde.

PubMed

Delgado, Antonio Pedro; Soares Martins, Antonieta; Ferrinho, Paulo

2017-10-31

Cape Verde is a small insular developing state. Its first experience of undergraduate medical education began in October 2015. The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the professional expectations and profile of the first class of medical students at the University of Cape Verde. A piloted, standardized questionnaire, with closed and open-ended questions, was distributed to registered medical students attending classes on the day of the survey. All data were analyzed using SPSS. Students decided to study medicine in their mid-teens with relatives and friends having had significant influence over their decisions. Other major reasons for choosing medical training include "to take care of other people", "fascination for the subject matters of medicine" and "I have always wanted to". The degree of feminization of the student population is extremely high (20/25; 80.0%). Medical students are in general satisfied with the training program, and have expectations that the training received will allow them to be good professionals. Nevertheless, they consider the course too theoretical. Medical students know that this represents an opportunity for them to contribute to public welfare. Nonetheless, their expectations are to combine public sector practice with private work. Medical students come mostly from Santiago Island where the Capital of the Country is located. They still do not know about their future area of specialization. But all of those who want to specialize want to do so abroad. They mostly expect to follow hospital careers rather than health administration or family and community medicine. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge about medical students' difficulties and expectations regarding medical schools or curriculums in lusophone countries. The decision to invest in the training of local physicians is justified by the need to be less dependent on foreigners. Local postgraduate medical training programs are already

Vocabulary Learning Strategies of Medical Students at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seddigh, Fatemeh

2012-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the use of vocabulary learning strategies among medical students at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) in Iran as an EFL context. A questionnaire was administered to 120 medical students (53 males, 67 females) to identify; 1) the effective types of vocabulary learning strategies used by the learners and 2)…

Medical student abuse: perceptions and experience.

PubMed

Bourgeois, J A; Kay, J; Rudisill, J R; Bienenfeld, D; Gillig, P; Klykylo, W M; Markert, R J

1993-07-01

A questionnaire containing 18 vignettes of common clinical educational situations with potentially abusive treatment of medical students and a 10-item attitude assessment about abusive behaviour were administered to the first- and fourth-year medical students at a mid-west US university medical school. The first- and fourth-year groups did not differ significantly on perceived abusiveness of most of the vignettes, although several of the individual vignettes were perceived significantly differently by the two groups. As hypothesized, the fourth-year students had experienced such situations more frequently. Attitudes towards abusive behaviour did not differ between the two groups. The authors contrast teaching interactions perceived as educationally useful and not abusive with those seen as abusive and not useful and offer explanations for the differences observed. Finally, the possible implications of the results for medical education are discussed.

Medical students' perceptions of emerging learning communities at one medical school.

PubMed

Rosenbaum, Marcy E; Schwabbauer, Marian; Kreiter, Clarence; Ferguson, Kristi J

2007-05-01

In 1999, the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine (UICCOM) established a student management model consisting of four student-style learning communities (LCs), each comprising one quarter of the students from each class, with the goal of fostering student connection, excellence, learning, leadership, and service. The authors present results of a prospective evaluation of medical students' perceptions of emerging LCs and their impact on medical student life at UICCOM. A two-page questionnaire, administered in 1999 and again in 2003 to all second-through fourth-year and MD/PhD students, assessed connections among students from different years of study, students' participation in activities, anticipated/perceived benefits of LCs, concerns about LCs, and the impact of LCs on students' perceptions of the learning environment. Questions were open ended or Likert scaled; statistical analyses were descriptive, parametric, and nonparametric. Comparison of results between 1999 and 2003 demonstrated increased connections between students and participation in LC activities, positive perceptions of the overall learning environment, increased access to faculty and staff, and increased involvement in leadership and service activities. Student concerns included continued obstacles to involvement in LCs for third- and fourth-year students. This prospective evaluation demonstrates that LCs can contribute to more positive perceptions of the learning environment and increased interaction between students throughout medical school. LCs seem to increase student leadership development and engagement in the broader community. Further investigation is needed to determine how these potential benefits of LCs can be maximized and made more accessible to all students.

Psychometric properties of the Medical Student Well-Being Index among medical students in a Malaysian medical school.

PubMed

Yusoff, Muhamad Saiful Bahri; Yaacob, Mohd Jamil; Naing, Nyi Nyi; Esa, Ab Rahman

2013-02-01

This study evaluated the convergent, discriminant, construct, concurrent and discriminative validity of the Medical Student Wellbeing Index (MSWBI) as well as to evaluate its internal consistency and optimal cut-off total scores to detect at least moderate levels of general psychological distress, stress, anxiety and depression symptoms. A cross sectional study was done on 171 medical students. The MSWBI and DASS-21 were administered and returned immediately upon completion. Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, ROC analysis and Pearson correlation test were applied to assess psychometric properties of the MSWBI. A total of 168 (98.2%) medical students responded. The goodness of fit indices showed the MSWBI had a good construct (χ(2)=6.14, p=0.803, RMSEA<0.001, RMR=0.004, GFI=0.99, AGFI=0.97, CFI=1.00, IFI=1.02, TLI=1.04). The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.69 indicating an acceptable level of internal consistency. Pearson correlation coefficients and ROC analysis suggested each MSWBI's item showed adequate convergent and discriminant validity. Its optimal cut-off scores to detect at least moderate levels of general psychological distress, stress, anxiety, and depression were 1.5, 2.5, 1.5 and 2.5 respectively with sensitivity and specificity ranged from 62 to 80% and the areas under ROC curve ranged from 0.71 to 0.83. This study showed that the MSWBI had good level of psychometric properties. The MSWBI score more than 2 can be considered as having significant psychological distress. The MSWBI is a valid and reliable screening instrument to assess psychological distress of medical students. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Burnout in medical students: a systematic review.

PubMed

Ishak, Waguih; Nikravesh, Rose; Lederer, Sara; Perry, Robert; Ogunyemi, Dotun; Bernstein, Carol

2013-08-01

Burnout is a state of mental and physical exhaustion related to work or care-giving activities. Distress during medical school can lead to burnout, with significant consequences, particularly if burnout continues into residency and beyond. The authors reviewed literature pertaining to medical student burnout, its prevalence, and its relationship to personal, environmental, demographic and psychiatric factors. We ultimately offer some suggestions to address and potentially ameliorate the current dilemma posed by burnout during medical education. A literature review was conducted using a PubMed/Medline, and PsycInfo search from 1974 to 2011 using the keywords: 'burnout', 'stress', 'well-being', 'self-care', 'psychiatry' and 'medical students'. Three authors agreed independently on the studies to be included in this review. The literature reveals that burnout is prevalent during medical school, with major US multi-institutional studies estimating that at least half of all medical students may be affected by burnout during their medical education. Studies show that burnout may persist beyond medical school, and is, at times, associated with psychiatric disorders and suicidal ideation. A variety of personal and professional characteristics correlate well with burnout. Potential interventions include school-based and individual-based activities to increase overall student well-being. Burnout is a prominent force challenging medical students' well-being, with concerning implications for the continuation of burnout into residency and beyond. To address this highly prevalent condition, educators must first develop greater awareness and understanding of burnout, as well as of the factors that lead to its development. Interventions focusing on generating wellness during medical training are highly recommended. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Are medical students satisfied with rural community posting? A survey among final year students in medical schools of south-east Nigeria.

PubMed

Ossai, Edmund N; Azuogu, Benedict N; Uwakwe, Kenechi A; Anyanwagu, Uchenna C; Ibiok, Ntat C; Ekeke, Ngozi

2016-01-01

The aim of the study was to determine whether final year medical students in medical schools of south-east Nigeria were satisfied with rural community posting. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. All final year medical students in the six medical schools in south-east Nigeria who had completed their rural community posting and were willing to participate were included in the study. The students were interviewed using a pretested, self-administered questionnaire. A total of 457 medical students participated in the study, representing a response rate of 86.7%. Only a minor proportion of the students (22.5%) were satisfied with rural community posting. The most common reason for dissatisfaction among the students was lack of interest in rural communities. Most students (68.7%) were of the opinion that a good rural community posting could influence the students to practise in a rural area after graduation. Factors associated with satisfaction with rural community posting included being a student in a federal institution (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=0.6, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.4-0.9), being a male student (AOR=2.4, 95%CI=1.5-3.9) and intention to specialize in community medicine after graduation (AOR=2.7, 95%CI=1.2-6.0). Most students were dissatisfied with rural community postings and the major reason for dissatisfaction was lack of interest in rural communities. A properly organized rural community posting is capable of changing the negative attitude of the students towards life and medical practice in the rural area. Adequate orientation of the students on the relevance of the posting, good community exposure and enhanced student lecturer interactions during the posting period could ensure satisfaction of the students. There should be a targeted evaluation of the rural community posting at the various medical schools in the country with the aim of strengthening and modifying the posting where necessary so as to ensure its purpose is realized.

Biomedical research competencies for osteopathic medical students

PubMed Central

Cruser, des Anges; Dubin, Bruce; Brown, Sarah K; Bakken, Lori L; Licciardone, John C; Podawiltz, Alan L; Bulik, Robert J

2009-01-01

Background Without systematic exposure to biomedical research concepts or applications, osteopathic medical students may be generally under-prepared to efficiently consume and effectively apply research and evidence-based medicine information in patient care. The academic literature suggests that although medical residents are increasingly expected to conduct research in their post graduate training specialties, they generally have limited understanding of research concepts. With grant support from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and a grant from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) is incorporating research education in the osteopathic medical school curriculum. The first phase of this research education project involved a baseline assessment of students' understanding of targeted research concepts. This paper reports the results of that assessment and discusses implications for research education during medical school. Methods Using a novel set of research competencies supported by the literature as needed for understanding research information, we created a questionnaire to measure students' confidence and understanding of selected research concepts. Three matriculating medical school classes completed the on-line questionnaire. Data were analyzed for differences between groups using analysis of variance and t-tests. Correlation coefficients were computed for the confidence and applied understanding measures. We performed a principle component factor analysis of the confidence items, and used multiple regression analyses to explore how confidence might be related to the applied understanding. Results Of 496 total incoming, first, and second year medical students, 354 (71.4%) completed the questionnaire. Incoming students expressed significantly more confidence than first or second year students (F = 7.198, df = 2, 351, P = 0.001) in their ability to understand the

Mental illness stigma among medical students and teachers.

PubMed

Janoušková, Miroslava; Weissová, Aneta; Formánek, Tomáš; Pasz, Jiří; Bankovská Motlová, Lucie

2017-12-01

Medical school curriculum contributes to future doctors' attitude formation towards people with mental illness. The purpose of this study was to compare stigmatizing attitudes between medical students and faculty, analyse stigmatizing attitudes among students from different years of study and identify factors predicting stigma. A cross-sectional study with the use of scales measuring attitudes and social distance was designed. Online questionnaires were distributed to all students and teachers at a medical faculty in the Czech Republic. The response rate was 32.1% ( n = 308) among students and 26.7% ( n = 149) among teachers. Teachers had a greater prevalence of stigmatizing attitudes than students. Increased tolerant attitudes in students were detected after the fourth year, that is, following introduction to psychiatry. Preferred specialization in psychiatry and attending two psychiatry courses predicted more tolerant attitudes. Among both students and teachers, men possessed more stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental illness. Age was an important predictor of stigmatizing attitudes among teachers. Educators should pay closer attention to the role of medical psychology and communication training implementation, which may be beneficial to improving skills and increasing medical students' self-esteem and feeling of competence throughout their psychiatry rotation.

Teaching communications skills to medical students: Introducing the fine art of medical practice.

PubMed

Choudhary, Anjali; Gupta, Vineeta

2015-08-01

Like many other people based professions, communications skills are essential to medical practice also. Traditional medical teaching in India does not address communication skills which are most essential in dealing with patients. Communication skills can be taught to medical students to increase clinical competence. To teach basic communication and counseling skills to fourth-year undergraduate students to increase their clinical competence. A total of 48, fourth-year MBBS students participated in the study. They were given training in basic communication and counseling skills and taught the patient interview technique according to Calgary-Cambridge guide format. Improvement in communication was assessed by change in pre- and post-training multiple choice questions, clinical patient examination, and Standardized Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (SPSQ) scores. About 88% of the students in the sample were convinced of the importance of learning communication skills for effective practice. Almost 90% students were communicating better after training, as tested by improved SPSQ. As judged by Communication Skill Attitude Scale, student's positive attitude toward learning communication skill indicated that there is a necessity of communication skill training during undergraduate years. The ability to communicate effectively is a core competency for medical practitioners. Inculcating habits of good communications skill during formative years will help the medical students and future practitioners. Regular courses on effective communication should be included in the medical school curriculum.

Assessment of Research Interests of First-Year Osteopathic Medical Students.

PubMed

Carter, John; McClellan, Nicholas; McFaul, Derek; Massey, Blaine; Guenther, Elisabeth; Kisby, Glen

2016-07-01

According to a 2014 survey, 59% of students entering allopathic medical school reported previous research experience. However, limited data exist on the amount of research experience that students have before entering osteopathic medical school. A strong understanding of the research skills and level of interest of first-year osteopathic medical students is essential for developing research programs at osteopathic medical schools. Limited data exist on the amount of research experience that students have before starting osteopathic medical school. A strong understanding of the research skills and level of interest of first-year medical students is essential for developing research programs at osteopathic medical schools. To determine the amount of previous research experience of first-year osteopathic medical students, their level of interest in participating in research during medical school, the factors influencing their interest in research, and their research fields of interest. First-year osteopathic medical students (class of 2019) at the Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, California (WesternU/COMP), and Pacific-Northwest in Lebanon, Oregon (WesternU/COMP-Northwest), campuses were surveyed about their previous research experiences and whether they were interested in participating in research during medical school. Surveys were administered through an anonymous online portal. Responses were evaluated for evidence of interest in conducting research. Of the 346 osteopathic medical students invited to participate in the study, the response rate was 77% (N=266). A total of 167 from WesternU/COMP and 99 from the WesternU/COMP-Northwest responded. More than 215 students (81%) reported they had participated in research before entering medical school. In addition, 200 students (75%) either expressed a strong interest in participating in research during medical school or were currently conducting research

Key Factors that Influence Recruiting Young Chinese Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Zhenmin

2007-01-01

The discussion in this paper is based on the assumption that international education is equated to recruiting and educating international students, even though its true concept goes far beyond this narrow understanding. The purpose of this research is to look at the key factors that influence recruiting young Chinese students, and make sure all…

The Role of Medication in Supporting Emotional Wellbeing in Young People with Long-Term Needs

PubMed Central

Gray, Nicola J.; Wood, Damian M.

2017-01-01

Young people frequently use and access prescribed medications for a range of health problems. Medications aimed at treating both common health problems and long-term physical and mental health needs in adolescence can have a significant effect on a young person’s emotional well-being. We use a series of case studies to illustrate the challenges for healthcare professionals supporting young people with medication use. The studies illustrate the efficacy and limitations of medication on improving emotional well-being by alleviating illness and distress, and how this efficacy must be balanced against both the adverse effects and the burden of treatment. There are specific challenges for medication management during adolescence including issues of adherence/concordance, facilitating autonomy and participation in decision making, and promoting independence. PMID:29099742

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder in medical students residing in hostel and its association with lifestyle factors

PubMed Central

Mishra, Amrita; Banwari, Girish; Yadav, Priyanka

2015-01-01

Context: There is scant research on premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and its more severe counterpart, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in Indian females. This study aimed to evaluate symptoms of PMS in medical students and to find the association of sociodemographic variables and lifestyle factors with PMDD. Subjects and Methods: A total of 179 medical students residing in the hostel of an Indian medical college and its affiliated teaching hospital were approached, of which 100 (55.8%) returned the completed questionnaires. Data related to lifestyle factors was collected. Self-screening quiz for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-Text Revision PMDD and Shortened Premenstrual Assessment Form were used for diagnosis of PMDD and detection of symptomatology, respectively. Results: PMDD was present in 37% of the respondents. It was found at a higher rate in older and postgraduate students. PMDD was significantly associated with lifestyle factors, namely, sleep, physical activity, total tea/coffee intake, and change in tea/coffee and food intake under stress. The most common physical and psychological symptoms were body ache/joint pain and feeling depressed/blue, respectively. Conclusions: PMDD is fairly common in Indian medical students residing in hostel although cultural factors may influence symptom expression. This study suggests that PMDD is associated with lifestyle factors in young, professional, urban women. Modification in lifestyle may thus be an important approach for management of PMS/PMDD. Prospective studies with larger representative samples are needed to validate these findings. PMID:27212819

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder in medical students residing in hostel and its association with lifestyle factors.

PubMed

Mishra, Amrita; Banwari, Girish; Yadav, Priyanka

2015-01-01

There is scant research on premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and its more severe counterpart, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in Indian females. This study aimed to evaluate symptoms of PMS in medical students and to find the association of sociodemographic variables and lifestyle factors with PMDD. A total of 179 medical students residing in the hostel of an Indian medical college and its affiliated teaching hospital were approached, of which 100 (55.8%) returned the completed questionnaires. Data related to lifestyle factors was collected. Self-screening quiz for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-Text Revision PMDD and Shortened Premenstrual Assessment Form were used for diagnosis of PMDD and detection of symptomatology, respectively. PMDD was present in 37% of the respondents. It was found at a higher rate in older and postgraduate students. PMDD was significantly associated with lifestyle factors, namely, sleep, physical activity, total tea/coffee intake, and change in tea/coffee and food intake under stress. The most common physical and psychological symptoms were body ache/joint pain and feeling depressed/blue, respectively. PMDD is fairly common in Indian medical students residing in hostel although cultural factors may influence symptom expression. This study suggests that PMDD is associated with lifestyle factors in young, professional, urban women. Modification in lifestyle may thus be an important approach for management of PMS/PMDD. Prospective studies with larger representative samples are needed to validate these findings.

Medical professionalism on television: student perceptions and pedagogical implications.

PubMed

Weaver, Roslyn; Wilson, Ian; Langendyk, Vicki

2014-11-01

Previous research has pointed to the role television can play in informing health practices and beliefs. Within the academic setting in particular, some educators have raised concerns about the influence of medical dramas on students. Less research, however, draws on the perspectives of students, and this study therefore explores medical students' perceptions of medical practice and professionalism in popular medical television programmes. Qualitative data from surveys of Australian undergraduate medical students showed that students perceived professionalism in dichotomous ways, with three main themes: cure-care, where a doctor's skill is either technical or interpersonal; work-leisure, where a doctor is either dedicated to work or personal life; and clinical-administration, where work is either direct patient care or administration. There continue to be imagined divisions between curing and caring for students, who express concerns about balancing work and leisure, and expectations that doctors should have little administrative work. Given students were able to identify these important contemporary issues around professionalism on television, there is pedagogical value in using popular images of the medical world in medical education. © The Author(s) 2014.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Self-Medication Among Basic Science Undergraduate Medical Students in a Medical School in Western Nepal.

PubMed

Gyawali, Sudesh; Shankar, P Ravi; Poudel, Phanindra Prasad; Saha, Archana

2015-12-01

Studies have shown self-medication to be common among medical students. These studies are however, few in Nepal. The present study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practice of self-medication among second and fourth semesters' undergraduate medical students and studied differences in knowledge and attitude (if any) among different subgroups of the respondents. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire among basic science medical students of Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Nepal. Semester of study, gender, age, nationality, and the profession of their parents were noted. Students' knowledge and attitude about self-medication was studied by noting their degree of agreement with a set of 40 statements using a Likert-type scale. The average scores and frequency of occurrence of particular behaviors among different categories of respondents were compared using appropriate statistical tests. Two hundred and seventy-six of the 295 (93.6%) students participated. The mean (SD) knowledge, attitude, and total scores were 74.54 (6.92), 67.18 (5.68), and 141.73 (10.76) with maximum possible scores 100, 100 and 200, respectively. There was no significant difference in scores according to respondents' gender, age, and the profession of their parents. However, the mean knowledge, attitude and total scores were significantly different among students of different nationalities. Mean scores of fourth semester students were significantly higher compared to second semester students. There were differences in knowledge and total scores among students of different nationalities. Eighty two percent of respondents had self-medicated during the one year period preceding the study; 149 respondents (54%) shared that previous experience with the medicine was one of the information sources for self-medication. Prevalence of self-medication among respondents according to semester of study, gender, age, and profession of the parents was not significantly different. The

Andragogy and medical education: are medical students internally motivated to learn?

PubMed

Misch, Donald A

2002-01-01

Andragogy - the study of adult education - has been endorsed by many medical educators throughout North America. There remains, however, considerable controversy as to the validity and utility of adult education principles as espoused by the field's founder, Malcolm Knowles. Whatever the utility of andragogic doctrine in general education settings, there is reason to doubt its wholesale applicability to the training of medical professionals. Malcolm Knowles' last tenet of andragogy holds that adult learners are more motivated by internal than by external factors. The validity of this hypothesis in medical education is examined, and it is demonstrated that medical students' internal and external motivation are context-dependent, not easily distinguishable, and interrelate with one another in complex ways. Furthermore, the psychological motivation for medical student learning is determined by a variety of factors that range from internal to external, unconscious to conscious, and individual to societal. The andragogic hypothesis of increased internal motivation to learn on the part of adults in general, and medical trainees in particular, is rejected as simplistic, misleading, and counterproductive to developing a greater understanding of the forces that drive medical students to learn.

Child psychiatry: what are we teaching medical students?

PubMed

Dingle, Arden D

2010-01-01

The author describes child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) undergraduate teaching in American and Canadian medical schools. A survey asking for information on CAP teaching, student interest in CAP, and opinions about the CAP importance was sent to the medical student psychiatry director at 142 accredited medical schools in the United States and Canada. The results were summarized and various factors considered relevant to CAP student interest were analyzed statistically. Approximately 81% of the schools returned surveys. Most teach required CAP didactics in the preclinical and clinical years. Almost 63% of the schools have CAP clinical rotations; most are not required. Twenty-three percent of all medical students have a clinical CAP experience during their psychiatry clerkship. The majority of schools have CAP electives, and approximately 4.8% of students participate. Child and adolescent psychiatry leadership, early exposure to CAP, and CAP clinical experiences were related to student CAP interest, but these relationships were not statistically significant. The time allotted to teaching CAP in the undergraduate medical curriculum is minimal, consistent with previous survey results. Most schools require didactic instruction averaging about 12 hours and offer elective clinical opportunities. The survey findings should help direct future planning to improve CAP medical student education.

Medical students' attitudes towards early clinical exposure in Iran.

PubMed

Khabaz Mafinejad, Mahboobeh; Mirzazadeh, Azim; Peiman, Soheil; Khajavirad, Nasim; Mirabdolhagh Hazaveh, Mojgan; Edalatifard, Maryam; Allameh, Seyed-Farshad; Naderi, Neda; Foroumandi, Morteza; Afshari, Ali; Asghari, Fariba

2016-06-19

This study was carried out to investigate the medical students' attitudes towards early clinical exposure at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. A cross-sectional study was conducted during 2012-2015. A convenience sample of 298 first- and second-year students, enrolled in the undergraduate medical curriculum, participated in an early clinical exposure program. To collect data from medical students, a questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions and structured questions, rated on a five-point Likert scale, was used to investigate students' attitudes toward early clinical exposure. Of the 298 medical students, 216 (72%) completed the questionnaires. The results demonstrated that medical students had a positive attitude toward early clinical exposure. Most students (80.1%) stated that early clinical exposure could familiarize them with the role of basic sciences knowledge in medicine and how to apply this knowledge in clinical settings. Moreover, 84.5% of them believed that early clinical exposure increased their interest in medicine and encouraged them to read more. Furthermore, content analysis of the students' responses uncovered three main themes of early clinical exposure, were considered helpful to improve learning: "integration of theory and practice", "interaction with others and professional development" and "desire and motivation for learning medicine". Medical students found their first experience with clinical setting valuable. Providing clinical exposure in the initial years of medical curricula and teaching the application of basic sciences knowledge in clinical practice can enhance students' understanding of the role they will play in the future as a physician.

Implicit and explicit weight bias in a national sample of 4,732 medical students: the medical student CHANGES study.

PubMed

Phelan, Sean M; Dovidio, John F; Puhl, Rebecca M; Burgess, Diana J; Nelson, David B; Yeazel, Mark W; Hardeman, Rachel; Perry, Sylvia; van Ryn, Michelle

2014-04-01

To examine the magnitude of explicit and implicit weight biases compared to biases against other groups; and identify student factors predicting bias in a large national sample of medical students. A web-based survey was completed by 4,732 1st year medical students from 49 medical schools as part of a longitudinal study of medical education. The survey included a validated measure of implicit weight bias, the implicit association test, and 2 measures of explicit bias: a feeling thermometer and the anti-fat attitudes test. A majority of students exhibited implicit (74%) and explicit (67%) weight bias. Implicit weight bias scores were comparable to reported bias against racial minorities. Explicit attitudes were more negative toward obese people than toward racial minorities, gays, lesbians, and poor people. In multivariate regression models, implicit and explicit weight bias was predicted by lower BMI, male sex, and non-Black race. Either implicit or explicit bias was also predicted by age, SES, country of birth, and specialty choice. Implicit and explicit weight bias is common among 1st year medical students, and varies across student factors. Future research should assess implications of biases and test interventions to reduce their impact. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.

Factors potentially influencing academic performance among medical students.

PubMed

Al Shawwa, Lana; Abulaban, Ahmad A; Abulaban, Abdulrhman A; Merdad, Anas; Baghlaf, Sara; Algethami, Ahmed; Abu-Shanab, Joullanar; Balkhoyor, Abdulrahman

2015-01-01

Studies are needed to examine predictors of success in medical school. The aim of this work is to explore factors that potentially influence excellence of medical students. The study was conducted in the Medical Faculty of King Abdulaziz University during October 2012. A self-administered questionnaire was used. Medical students with a grade point average (GPA) ≥4.5 (out of 5) were included and compared to randomly selected medical students with a GPA <4.5, who were available at the time of the study. A total of 359 undergraduate students participated in the study. 50.4% of the sample was students with a GPA ≥4.5. No statistically significant difference regarding the time spent on outings and social events was found. However, 60.7% of high GPA students spend less than 2 hours on social networking per day as compared to 42.6% of the lower GPA students (P<0.01). In addition, 79% of high GPA students prefer to study alone (P=0.02), 68.0% required silence and no interruptions during studying time (P=0.013), and 47% revise their material at least once before an exam (P=0.02). Excellent medical students have many different characteristics. For example, they do not use social networking for prolonged periods of time, and they have strong motivation and study enjoyment. Further studies are needed to examine whether these differences have a real impact on GPA or not.

Exposure of medical students to body fluids.

PubMed

Ganguly, R; Holt, D A; Sinnott, J T

1999-03-01

Three hundred forty-two students at 3 Florida medical schools were surveyed concerning occupational exposures to blood and body fluids during their 3rd-year clerkship. The 16-item questionnaire was anonymously returned by 150 students, and differences among groups were assessed at p < .05. Most of the students complied with universal precautions guidelines (UVPG); 62 reported 101 exposures, including 9 with HIV-positive blood and body fluids. Most of the exposed students knew about the guidelines but regarded the incidents as irrelevant to their safety or supervision training. Noncompliant students reported significantly more exposures than compliant students. Time constraints, inconvenience of using gloves during procedures, and belief that patients were at low HIV risk discouraged adherence to the guidelines. Common practices following exposure were "no action" or "washed area only" without medical follow-up. Medical students' UVPG adherence should be increased by workload modification, user-friendly safety products, and supervised practice training in clinical exposure settings.

Ireland's medical brain drain: migration intentions of Irish medical students.

PubMed

Gouda, Pishoy; Kitt, Kevin; Evans, David S; Goggin, Deirdre; McGrath, Deirdre; Last, Jason; Hennessy, Martina; Arnett, Richard; O'Flynn, Siun; Dunne, Fidelma; O'Donovan, Diarmuid

2015-03-12

To provide the optimum level of healthcare, it is important that the supply of well-trained doctors meets the demand. However, despite many initiatives, Ireland continues to have a shortfall of physicians, which has been projected to persist. Our study aimed to investigate the migration intentions of Irish medical students and identify the factors that influence their decisions in order to design appropriate interventions to sustain the supply of trained doctors in order to maintain a viable medical system. An online cross-sectional survey was undertaken of all Irish medical students studying in the Republic of Ireland. The survey included nominal, ordinal, and scale items to determine migration intentions, factors influencing their decisions, and understanding of the Irish healthcare system. A total of 2 273 medical students responded (37% response rate), of whom 1 519 were classified as Irish medical students (having completed secondary school in Ireland). Of these, 88% indicated they were either definitely migrating or contemplating migrating following graduation or completion of the pre-registration intern year. Forty percent expressed an intention of returning to Ireland within 5 years. The factors most influencing their decision to leave were career opportunities (85%), working conditions (83%), and lifestyle (80%). The migration intentions expressed in this study predict an immediate and severe threat to the sustainability of the Irish healthcare service. Urgent interventions such as providing information about career options and specialty training pathways are required. These must begin in the undergraduate phase and continue in postgraduate training and are needed to retain medical school graduates.

Medical students' exposure to pharmaceutical industry marketing: a survey at one U.S. medical school.

PubMed

Bellin, Melena; McCarthy, Susan; Drevlow, Laurel; Pierach, Claus

2004-11-01

While much is known about the interactions between the pharmaceutical industry and physicians, very little is known about pharmaceutical marketing directed toward medical students. This study sought to characterize the extent and forms of medical students' exposure to pharmaceutical industry marketing. In 2001-02, an anonymous, 17-item questionnaire was distributed to 165 preclinical and 116 clinical students at the University of Minnesota Medical School-Twin Cities. The main outcome measures were the number and forms of exposures to pharmaceutical industry marketing reported by medical students and whether students had discussed these exposures with teachers or advisors. Preclinical and clinical students were compared using chi(2) analysis (p < .05). One hundred fourteen (69.1%) preclinical students and 107 (92.2%) clinical students responded. Nearly all students reported at least one exposure to pharmaceutical industry marketing. Seventy-six (71.7%) clinical students compared to 38 (33.3%) preclinical students recalled over 20 exposures (p < .005). Clinical students were more likely to have received a free meal (p < .01), textbook (p < .005), pocket text (p < .005), or trinket (p < .005) than were their preclinical colleagues. Most students (68.2%) had not discussed pharmaceutical marketing with an instructor or advisor; 59 (55.7%) clinical students as compared to 87 (80.6%) preclinical students recalled no such discussion (p < .005). Medical students have extensive exposure to pharmaceutical industry marketing during their early years of training. Given existing evidence that such exposure influences physicians' practice and prescribing patterns, the authors propose that medical school curricula include formal instruction to prepare students to critically assess these contacts.

Scientific Skills as Core Competences in Medical Education: What do medical students think?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro, Laura; Severo, Milton; Pereira, Margarida; Amélia Ferreira, Maria

2015-08-01

Background: Scientific excellence is one of the most fundamental underpinnings of medical education and its relevance is unquestionable. To be involved in research activities enhances students' critical thinking and problem-solving capacities, which are mandatory competences for new achievements in patient care and consequently to the improvement of clinical practice. Purposes: This work aimed to study the relevance given by Portuguese medical students to a core of scientific skills, and their judgment about their own ability to execute those skills. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on students attending the first, fourth and sixth years of medical course in the same period. An assessment istrument, exploring the importance given by Portuguese medical students to scientific skills in high school, to clinical practice and to their own ability to execute them, was designed, adapted and applied specifically to this study. Results: Students' perceptions were associated with gender, academic year, previous participation in research activities, positive and negative attitudes toward science, research integration into the curriculum and motivation to undertake research. The viewpoint of medical students about the relevance of scientific skills overall, and the ability to execute them, was independently associated with motivation to be enrolled in research. Conclusions: These findings have meaningful implications in medical education regarding the inclusion of a structural research program in the medical curriculum. Students should be aware that clinical practice would greatly benefit from the enrollment in research activities. By developing a solid scientific literacy future physicians will be able to apply new knowledge in patient care.

Influencing factors of mental health of medical students in China.

PubMed

Yang, Fan; Meng, Heng; Chen, Hui; Xu, Xin-hao; Liu, Zhuo; Luo, Ai; Feng, Zhan-chun

2014-06-01

This study investigated the mental health status of medical students in China, and analyzed the influencing factors in order to provide evidence for mental health education for medical students. A stratified cluster sampling method was used to recruit medical students from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. The questionnaire survey on general information and Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) were used for investigation and analysis. The results showed among the 1137 valid questionnaires, 278 (24.45%) participants had SCL-90 score ≥ 160. The top three mental problems of medical students were obsessive-compulsive disorder, interpersonal sensitivity and depression in terms of the factor score ≥ 2.5 and the number of participants who reflected on the diseases. The third-year medical students had the worst mental health status, and fifth-year medical students had the best mental health status. Students from rural area had more psychological problems than those from urban area; furthermore, students with high professional satisfaction, those who were the single child of the family, non-poor students, and those whose parents had high education level had better mental health status. It was concluded that the mental health of medical students is not optimistic in China. Medical students have some mental health problems of different degrees. Factors that influence the mental health of medical students include academic pressure, professional satisfaction level and family environment.

What Do Medical Students Do for Self-Care? A Student-Centered Approach to Well-Being.

PubMed

Ayala, Erin E; Omorodion, Aisha M; Nmecha, Dennis; Winseman, Jeffrey S; Mason, Hyacinth R C

2017-01-01

Phenomenon: Despite the promotion of medical student health and wellness through recent program and curricular changes, research continues to show that medical education is associated with decreased well-being in medical students. Although many institutions have sought to more effectively assess and improve self-care in medical students, no self-care initiatives have been designed using the explicit perspectives of students themselves. Using concept mapping methodology, the research team created a student-generated taxonomy of self-care behaviors taken from a national sample of medical students in response to a brainstorming prompt. The research team examined how students' conceptualizations of self-care may be organized into a framework suitable for use in programming and curricular change in medical education. Ten clusters of self-care activities were identified: nourishment, hygiene, intellectual and creative health, physical activity, spiritual care, balance and relaxation, time for loved ones, big picture goals, pleasure and outside activities, and hobbies. Using results of the two-dimensional scaling analysis, students' individual self-care behaviors were organized within two orthogonal dimensions of self-care activities. Insights: This concept map of student-identified self-care activities provides a starting point for better understanding and ultimately improving medical student self-care. Students' brainstormed responses fit within a framework of varying levels of social engagement and physical-psychological health that included a wide range of solitary, social, physical, and mental health behaviors. As students' preferred self-care practices did not often include programmatic activities, medical educators may benefit from consulting this map as they plan new approaches to student self-care and in counseling individual students searching for more effective ways to ease the burdens of medical school.

Competency in ECG Interpretation Among Medical Students

PubMed Central

Kopeć, Grzegorz; Magoń, Wojciech; Hołda, Mateusz; Podolec, Piotr

2015-01-01

Background Electrocardiogram (ECG) is commonly used in diagnosis of heart diseases, including many life-threatening disorders. We aimed to assess skills in ECG interpretation among Polish medical students and to analyze the determinants of these skills. Material/Methods Undergraduates from all Polish medical schools were asked to complete a web-based survey containing 18 ECG strips. Questions concerned primary ECG parameters (rate, rhythm, and axis), emergencies, and common ECG abnormalities. Analysis was restricted to students in their clinical years (4th–6th), and students in their preclinical years (1st–3rd) were used as controls. Results We enrolled 536 medical students (females: n=299; 55.8%), aged 19 to 31 (23±1.6) years from all Polish medical schools. Most (72%) were in their clinical years. The overall rate of good response was better in students in years 4th–5th than those in years 1st–3rd (66% vs. 56%; p<0.0001). Competency in ECG interpretation was higher in students who reported ECG self-learning (69% vs. 62%; p<0.0001) but no difference was found between students who attended or did not attend regular ECG classes (66% vs. 66%; p=0.99). On multivariable analysis (p<0.0001), being in clinical years (OR: 2.45 [1.35–4.46] and self-learning (OR: 2.44 [1.46–4.08]) determined competency in ECG interpretation. Conclusions Polish medical students in their clinical years have a good level of competency in interpreting the primary ECG parameters, but their ability to recognize ECG signs of emergencies and common heart abnormalities is low. ECG interpretation skills are determined by self-education but not by attendance at regular ECG classes. Our results indicate qualitative and quantitative deficiencies in teaching ECG interpretation at medical schools. PMID:26541993

Do diseases have a prestige hierarchy? A survey among physicians and medical students.

PubMed

Album, Dag; Westin, Steinar

2008-01-01

Surveys have shown that the prestige of medical specialities is ordered hierarchically. We investigate whether similar tacit agreement in the medical community also applies to diseases, since such rankings can affect priority settings in medical practice. A cross-sectional survey was performed in three samples of physicians and medical students in Norway in 2002. A questionnaire was sent to 305 senior doctors (response rate, 79%), 500 general practitioners (response rate, 65%) and 490 final-year medical students (response rate, 64%). Outcome measures were ratings on a 1-9 scale of the prestige these respondents believed most health personnel would accord to a sample set of 38 different diseases as well as 23 medical specialities. Both diseases and specialities were clearly and consistently ranked according to prestige. Myocardial infarction, leukaemia and brain tumour were among the highest ranked, and fibromyalgia and anxiety neurosis were among the lowest. Among specialities, neurosurgery and thoracic surgery were accorded the highest rank, and geriatrics and dermatovenerology the lowest. Our interpretation of the data is that diseases and specialities associated with technologically sophisticated, immediate and invasive procedures in vital organs located in the upper parts of the body are given high prestige scores, especially where the typical patient is young or middle-aged. At the other end, low prestige scores are given to diseases and specialities associated with chronic conditions located in the lower parts of the body or having no specific bodily location, with less visible treatment procedures, and with elderly patients.

Do medical students really understand plagiarism? - Case study.

PubMed

Badea, Oana

2017-01-01

In the last decade, more and more medicine students are involved in research, either in the form of a research project within specialized courses or as a scientific article to be presented at student international conferences or published in prestigious medical journals. The present study included 250 2nd year medical students, currently studying within the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania. There were collected 239 responses, with a response rate of 95.6%. In our study, the results showed that foreign students within the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova did have some issues understanding plagiarism with fewer foreign students (34%) than Romanian students (66%) recognizing that simply changing words does not avoid plagiarism. In our opinion, there should be put more emphasis upon plagiarism implications and its aspects, as well, with a permanent order to try to prevent future attempts of plagiarizing among medical students as future researchers within the medical science field.

Disparities in Debt: Parents' Socioeconomic Resources and Young Adult Student Loan Debt

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houle, Jason N.

2014-01-01

In an era of rising college costs and stagnant grant-based student aid, many young adults rely on their parents' resources and student loans to pay for their postsecondary education. In this study I ask how parents' income and education are linked to young adults' student loan debt. I develop and test two perspectives regarding the…

Factors associated with stress among medical students.

PubMed

Qamar, Khadija; Khan, Najamus Saqib; Bashir Kiani, Muhammad Rizwan

2015-07-01

To determine the probable factors responsible for stress among undergraduate medical students. The qualitative descriptive study was conducted at a public-sector medical college in Islamabad, Pakistan, from January to April 2014. Self-administered open-ended questionnaires were used to collect data from first year medical students in order to study the factors associated with the new environment. There were 115 students in the study with a mean age of 19±6.76 years. Overall, 35(30.4%) students had mild to moderate physical problems, 20(17.4%) had severe physical problems and 60(52.2%) did not have any physical problem. Average stress score was 19.6±6.76. Major elements responsible for stress identified were environmental factors, new college environment, student abuse, tough study routines and personal factors. Majority of undergraduate students experienced stress due to both academic and emotional factors.

Lectures in medical educaton: what students think?

PubMed

Mustafa, Tajammal; Farooq, Zerwa; Asad, Zunaira; Amjad, Rabbia; Badar, Iffat; Chaudhry, Abdul Majeed; Khan, Mohammad Amer Zaman; Rafique, Farida

2014-01-01

The volume of medical knowledge has increased exponentially and so has the need to improve the efficiency of current teaching practices.With increasing emphasis on interactive and problem based learning, the place of lectures in modern medical education has become a questionable issue. Objectives were to assess the perspective of undergraduate medical students regarding the role and effectiveness of lectures as a mode of instruction as well as the ways and means that can be employed to enhance the effectiveness of lectures. A cross sectional study was carried out among 2nd to final year medical students from five medical colleges including both private and public sector institutions. A total of 347 students participated by completing a structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS-17. Sixty seven percent students considered lectures as a useful mode of instruction (47% males and 77% females), whereas 83% of the students reported that clinical sessions were superior to lectures because of small number of students in clinical sessions, active student participation, enhanced clinical orientation, and interaction with patients. About 64% responded that lectures should be replaced by clinical sessions. Majority of the students (92%) reported not being able to concentrate during a lecture beyond 30 minutes, whereas 70% skipped lectures as they were boring. A significantly greater proportion of male respondents, students from clinical years, and those who skipped lectures, considered lectures to be boring, a poor utilization of time and resources, and could not concentrate for the full duration of a lecture compared to females, students from preclinical years, and those who do not skip lectures, respectively. Lecturing techniques need to be improvised. The traditional passive mode of instruction has to be replaced with active learning and inquiry based approach to adequately utilize the time and resources spent on lectures.

Knowledge of scientific misconduct in publication among medical students.

PubMed

Mubeen, Syed Muhammad; Ghayas, Rabia; Adil Rizvi, Syed Hasan; Khan, Sohaib Ahmed

2017-01-01

Publication is a central element in research dissemination and scientific misconduct in publication is relatively ignored in biomedical research. This study is to assess the knowledge of scientific misconduct in publication among private and public sector medical students. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was carried in four (two public and two private) medical colleges of Karachi in 2015. After ethical approval, data were collected through convenient sampling and analyzed in SPSS 16.0. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the data and Chi-square test was used for cross tabulation with sex, type of medical colleges, and knowledge of scientific misconduct in publication. A total of 592 medical students participated with mean age of 22.2 ± 1.47 years. The majority (491, 79%) of medical students had heard about the word "publication ethics," higher among public sector students than from private sector (P < 0.001). Only 78 (13.2%) reported to had published original articles, and 64 (10.8%) and 53 (9%) medical students had heard of "ICMJE authorship criteria" and "COPE," respectively. Knowledge about fabrication of data and scientific misconduct in publication was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05) among males than female students. Statistically significant differences were also observed between public and private medical students for knowledge regarding salami slicing, ghost author, fabrication, and photomanipulation (P < 0.001) and for plagiarism (P < 0.005). Participants from public sector colleges scored significantly better in all above variables than private medical colleges except knowledge about salami slicing in which participants from latter performed significantly better than public sector students. The study demonstrates deficiencies in knowledge regarding several aspects of publication ethics among medical students of both public and private medical colleges in Karachi. There is a need to increase the awareness of research

[Medical students and their attitude to psychiatry].

PubMed

den Held, O M; Hegge, I R H J; van Schaik, D J F; van Balkom, A J L M

2011-01-01

The attitudes of medical students to psychiatry are important for the future care of patients with psychiatric (co)morbidity. Up till now the attitude of medical students to psychiatry has not been investigated in the Netherlands and the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. To measure the attitude of third year medical students towards psychiatry by means of the ATP-30. This is a validated instrument, used internationally. To determine the extent to which medical students' attitudes were influenced by the psychiatry curriculum and by some sociodemographic determinants and which aspects of a career – according to earlier Dutch research – made students decide to opt for a particular specialism. Our research was of the prospective cohort type; without controls. The design was a pre- and post design. Attitudes to psychiatry were generally positive (n = 262, ATP score: 106.1, sd 10.9, ATP score ≤ 90 was regarded as negative) and improved after students received instruction in psychiatry. Men were less positive than women. Students who previously had positive experiences with the psychiatric services had higher scores. Foreign students, mainly from non-Western countries, had lower scores. After these foreign students had completed their studies in the Netherlands, there was no longer any significant difference between the scores of the two groups. Attitudes to psychiatry are positive within our cohort. Tuition has a positive effect on students' attitudes. The less positive score of the foreign students at the start of their course is probably due to the fact that they were not familiar with psychiatry and psychiatric services.

Go Home, Med Student: Comics as Visual Media for Students' Traumatic Medical Education Experiences.

PubMed

Monk, Jeffrey

2018-02-01

A comic created by a medical student allows the reader to share the student's own unique perception of the medical education experience. Through the process of comic creation, medical students have opportunities to gain insight into how their relationships with patients and supervising physicians have shaped the physician they will become. The comic itself can be a safe space for expression and provides an opportunity for students and educators to share experiences. © 2018 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

Stigma associated with medication treatment for young adults with opioid use disorder: a case series.

PubMed

Hadland, Scott E; Park, Tae Woo; Bagley, Sarah M

2018-05-07

Opioid-related overdose deaths have risen sharply among young adults. Despite this increase, access to evidence-based medication for opioid agonist treatment (OAT) for youth remains low. Among older adults, barriers to OAT include the paucity of buprenorphine-waivered prescribers and low rates of prescribing among waivered physicians. We have increasingly found in our clinical practice significant stigma related to using OAT to treat addiction for young adults. In this series, we describe three cases of young adults who faced significant stigma related to their treatment. The first case is a young male with a history of significant trauma and a severe opioid use disorder. He started buprenorphine and has found a job, stayed abstinent, and began a healthy relationship. At each step in his recovery, he has faced resistance to taking medication from other treatment providers, directors of sober houses, and his parents. The second case is a young woman who presented to a substance use treatment program after a relapse. She was unable to restart buprenorphine despite our calling to ask that it be restarted. Ultimately, she left against medical advice and was stabilized as an outpatient on buprenorphine. The final case is a young woman who stopped buprenorphine after being told she was "not sober" while attending 12-step group but restarted after conversations with her clinical team. In each case, the patient has continued their medication treatment and are stable. Opioid-related deaths continue to rise among all age groups, including young adults. Stigma related to medication treatment can be a substantial barrier for many young adult patients but there are concrete steps that providers and communities can take to address this stigma.

Medical students' evaluation of physiology learning environments in two Nigerian medical schools.

PubMed

Anyaehie, U S B; Nwobodo, E; Oze, G; Nwagha, U I; Orizu, I; Okeke, T; Anyanwu, G E

2011-06-01

The expansion of biomedical knowledge and the pursuit of more meaningful learning have led to world-wide evidence-based innovative changes in medical education and curricula. The recent emphasis on problem-based learning (PBL) and student-centred learning environments are, however, not being implemented in Nigerian medical schools. Traditional didactic lectures thus predominate, and learning is further constrained by funding gaps, poor infrastructure, and increasing class sizes. We reviewed medical students' perceptions of their exposed learning environment to determine preferences, shortcomings, and prescriptions for improvements. The results confirm declining interest in didactic lectures and practical sessions with preferences for peer-tutored discussion classes, which were considered more interactive and interesting. This study recommends more emphasis on student-centered learning with alternatives to passive lecture formats and repetitive cookbook practical sessions. The institutionalization of student feedback processes in Nigerian medical schools is also highly recommended.

Burnout and career choice motivation in medical students.

PubMed

Pagnin, Daniel; De Queiroz, Valéria; De Oliveira Filho, Márcio Amaral; Gonzalez, Naira Vanessa Anomal; Salgado, Ana Emília Teófilo; Cordeiro e Oliveira, Bernardo; Lodi, Caio Silva; Melo, Raquel Muniz Da Silva

2013-05-01

Burnout is a stress-induced syndrome, which affects medical students. Some environmental and personal factors can favor burnout onset and its serious consequences as dropping out, sleep disorders, depression, and suicide. The motivation for choosing medicine is a personal aspect that can modulate the distress with academic demands. We applied self-administered questionnaires in 277 medical students to investigate the predictive role of career choice motivations on burnout dimensions. Specifically, we studied the influence of the main reasons for choosing medicine on emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and academic efficacy. Intellectual curiosity, professional autonomy, altruism, and interest in human relationships were the most common reasons for choosing medicine. However, the medical students motivated by personal illness or family member's illness or death revealed a significant greater emotional exhaustion when compared with the students with other motivations. The students who apply for medical school motivated by illness/death experiences are at a great risk for burnout. We suggest that students who are at risk for emotional exhaustion can be identified at the admission of medical school. Primary prevention strategies for burnout should consider this risk group.

Personal and professional correlates of US medical students' vegetarianism.

PubMed

Spencer, Elsa Helene; Elon, Lisa Katz; Frank, Erica

2007-01-01

To determine prevalence and correlates of US medical students' self-identification as vegetarians. Medical students were anonymously surveyed via questionnaire three times: at freshmen orientation, orientation to wards, and during senior year. Medical students in the Class of 2003 (n=1,849) at 15 US medical schools (response rate 80%). We examined self-reported vegetarianism, abstinence from meat items on a food frequency questionnaire, and associations between students' vegetarianism and their health-related outcomes. Bivariate associations were tested with chi(2) tests. During medical school, 7.2% of students self-identified as vegetarians; this percentage declined over time. Those who were vegetarians for health reasons (66% of vegetarians) ate more fruits and vegetables than those who were vegetarians for nonhealth reasons (P=0.02). Vegetarians were more likely (P<0.01) than nonvegetarians to eat more fruits and vegetables (P=0.002); be women (P=0.009); be Hindu, Buddhist, or Seventh Day Adventist (P< or =0.0004); be politically liberal (P=0.007); have a body mass index < or =25 (P=0.008); or, as freshmen, to perceive nutrition counseling as highly relevant to their intended practices (P=0.007). Vegetarian students were no more likely to counsel patients about nutrition than were nonvegetarians. Prevalence of vegetarianism was higher among US medical students than among other US adults, although the prevalence declined during medical school. Medical students and physicians with healthful personal practices are more likely to encourage such behaviors in their patients, although the specific nutrition habit of vegetarianism among medical students was unassociated with their nutrition counseling practices.

Motivation and academic achievement in medical students.

PubMed

Yousefy, Alireza; Ghassemi, Gholamreza; Firouznia, Samaneh

2012-01-01

Despite their ascribed intellectual ability and achieved academic pursuits, medical students' academic achievement is influenced by motivation. This study is an endeavor to examine the role of motivation in the academic achievement of medical students. In this cross-sectional correlational study, out of the total 422 medical students, from 4th to final year during the academic year 2007-2008, at School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 344 participated in completion of the Inventory of School Motivation (ISM), comprising 43 items and measuring eight aspects of motivation. The gold standard for academic achievement was their average academic marks at pre-clinical and clinical levels. Data were computer analyzed by running a couple of descriptive and analytical tests including Pearson Correlation and Student's t-student. Higher motivation scores in areas of competition, effort, social concern, and task were accompanied by higher average marks at pre-clinical as well as clinical levels. However, the latter ones showed greater motivation for social power as compared to the former group. Task and competition motivation for boys was higher than for girls. In view of our observations, students' academic achievement requires coordination and interaction between different aspects of motivation.

WISE-MD usage among millennial medical students.

PubMed

Phitayakorn, Roy; Nick, Michael W; Alseidi, Adnan; Lind, David Scott; Sudan, Ranjan; Isenberg, Gerald; Capella, Jeannette; Hopkins, Mary A; Petrusa, Emil R

2015-01-01

E-learning is increasingly common in undergraduate medical education. Internet-based multimedia materials should be designed with millennial learner utilization preferences in mind for maximal impact. Medical students used all 20 Web Initiative for Surgical Education of Medical Doctors modules from July 1, 2013 to October 1, 2013. Data were analyzed for topic frequency, time and week day, and access to questions. Three thousand five hundred eighty-seven students completed 35,848 modules. Students accessed modules for average of 51 minutes. Most frequent use occurred on Sunday (23.1%), Saturday (15.4%), and Monday (14.3%). Friday had the least use (8.2%). A predominance of students accessed the modules between 7 and 10 PM (34.4%). About 80.4% of students accessed questions for at least one module. They completed an average of 40 ± 30 of the questions. Only 827 students (2.3%) repeated the questions. Web Initiative for Surgical Education of Medical Doctors has peak usage during the weekend and evenings. Most frequently used modules reflect core surgical problems. Multiple factors influence the manner module questions are accessed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mental Well-Being in First Year Medical Students: A Comparison by Race and Gender: A Report from the Medical Student CHANGE Study.

PubMed

Hardeman, Rachel R; Przedworski, Julia M; Burke, Sara E; Burgess, Diana J; Phelan, Sean M; Dovidio, John F; Nelson, Dave; Rockwood, Todd; van Ryn, Michelle

2015-09-01

In this study, authors sought to characterize race and gender disparities in mental health in a national sample of first year medical students early in their medical school experience. This study used cross-sectional baseline data of Medical Student CHANGES, a large national longitudinal study of a cohort of medical students surveyed in the winter of 2010. Authors ascertained respondents via the American Association of Medical Colleges questionnaire, a third-party vendor-compiled list, and referral sampling. A total of 4732 first year medical students completed the baseline survey; of these, 301 were African American and 2890 were White. Compared to White students and after adjusting for relevant covariates, African American students had a greater risk of being classified as having depressive (relative risk (RR)=1.59 [95 % confidence interval, 1.37-2.40]) and anxiety symptoms (RR=1.66 [1.08-2.71]). Women also had a greater risk of being classified as having depressive (RR=1.36 [1.07-1.63]) and anxiety symptoms (RR-1.95 [1.39-2.84]). At the start of their first year of medical school, African American and female medical students were at a higher risk for depressive symptoms and anxiety than their White and male counterparts, respectively. The findings of this study have practical implications as poor mental and overall health inhibit learning and success in medical school, and physician distress negatively affects quality of clinical care.

A Student Authored Online Medical Education Textbook: Editing Patterns and Content Evaluation of a Medical Student Wiki

PubMed Central

Thompson, CL; Schulz1, Wade L.; Terrence, Adam

2011-01-01

The University of Minnesota medical student wiki (UMMedWiki) allows students to collaboratively edit classroom notes to support medical education. Since 2007, UMMedWiki has grown to include 1,591 articles that have collectively received 1.2 million pageviews. Although small-scale wikis have become increasingly important, little is known about their dynamics compared to large wikis, such as Wikipedia. To better understand UMMedWiki’s management and its potential reproducibility at other medical schools, we used an edit log with 28,000 entries to evaluate the behavior of its student editors. The development of tools to survey UMMedwiki allows for quality comparisons that improve both the wiki and the curriculum itself. We completed a content survey by comparing the UMMedWiki with two types of rubric data: TIME, a medical education taxonomy consisting of 1500 terms and national epidemiological data on 2,100 diseases. PMID:22195202

Nurturing virtues of the medical profession: does it enhance medical students' empathy?

PubMed

Schweller, Marcelo; Ribeiro, Diego Lima; Celeri, Eloisa Valer; de Carvalho-Filho, Marco Antonio

2017-07-11

To examine if the empathy levels of first-year medical students are amenable to didactic interventions idealized to promote values inherent to medical professional identity. This is a pretest-posttest study designed to assess the empathy levels of first-year medical students (n=166) comprising two consecutive classes of a Brazilian medical school, performed before and after a didactic intervention. Students attended a course based on values and virtues related to medical professional identity once a week over four months. Every didactic approach (interviews with patients and physicians, supervised visits to the hospital, and discussion of videotaped simulated consultations) was based on "real-world" situations and designed to promote awareness of the process of socialization. Students filled out the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) on the first and last days of this course, and the pretest-posttest analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. The mean pretest JSPE score was 117.9 (minimum 92, maximum 135) and increased to 121.3 after the intervention (minimum 101, maximum 137). The difference was significant (z=-5.2, p<.001.), with an effect size of 0.40. The observed increase was greater among students with lower initial JSPE scores. Empathy is a fundamental tool used to achieve a successful physician-patient relationship, and it seems to permeate other virtues of a good physician. This study's results suggest that medical students' empathy may be amenable to early curricular interventions designed to promote a positive development of their professional identity, even when empathy is not central in discussion.

Discrepancies between perceptions of students and deans regarding the consequences of restricting students' use of electronic medical records on quality of medical education.

PubMed

Solarte, Ivan; Könings, Karen D

2017-03-13

Electronic medical records (EMR) are more used in university hospitals, but the use of EMR by medical students at the workplace is still a challenge, because the conflict of interest between medical accountability for hospitals and quality of medical education programs for students. Therefore, this study investigates the use of EMR from the perspective of medical school deans and students, and determines their perceptions and concerns about consequences of restricted use of EMR by students on quality of education and patient care. We administered a large-scale survey about the existence of EMR, existing policies, students' use for learning, and consequences on patient care to 42 deans and 789 Residency Physician Applicants in a private university in Colombia. Data from 26 deans and 442 former graduated students were compared with independent t tests and chi square tests. Only half of medical schools had learning programs and policies about the use of EMR by students. Deans did not realize that students have less access to EMR than to paper-based MR. Perceptions of non-curricular learning opportunities how to write in (E)MR were significantly different between deans and students. Limiting students use of EMR has negative consequences on medical education, according to both deans and students, while deans worried significantly more about impact on patient care than students. Billing issues and liability aspects were their major concerns. There is a need for a clear policy and educational program on the use of EMR by students. Discrepancies between the planned curriculum by deans and the real clinical learning environment as experienced by students indicate suboptimal learning opportunities for students. Creating powerful workplace-learning experiences and resolving concerns on students use of EMR has to be resolved in a constructive collaboration way between the involved stakeholders, including also EMR designers and hospital administrators. We recommend intense

Medical Students Teaching Medical Students Surgical Skills: The Benefits of Peer-Assisted Learning.

PubMed

Bennett, Samuel Robert; Morris, Simon Rhys; Mirza, Salman

2018-04-10

Teaching surgical skills is a labor intensive process, requiring a high tutor to student ratio for optimal success, and teaching for undergraduate students by consultant surgeons is not always feasible. A surgical skills course was developed, with the aim of assessing the effectiveness of undergraduate surgical peer-assisted learning. Five surgical skills courses were conducted looking at eight domains in surgery, led by foundation year doctors and senior medical students, with a tutor to student ratio of 1:4. Precourse and postcourse questionnaires (Likert scales 0-10) were completed. Mean scores were compared precourse and postcourse. Surgical skills courses took place within clinical skills rooms in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (UK). Seventy students (59 medical, 2 dental, and 9 physician associate students) from a range of academic institutions across the UK completed the course. There was an overall increase in mean scores across all eight domains. Mean improvement score precourse and postcourse in WHO surgical safety checklist (+3.94), scrubbing (+2.99), gowning/gloving (+3.34), knot tying (+5.53), interrupted sutures (+5.89), continuous sutures (+6.53), vertical mattress sutures (+6.46), and local anesthesia (+3.73). Peer-assisted learning is an effective and feasible method for teaching surgical skills in a controlled environment, subsequently improving confidence among healthcare undergraduates. Such teaching may provide the basis for feasibly mass-producing surgical skills courses for healthcare students. Copyright © 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emergency Medical Technician Training for Medical Students: A Two-Year Experience.

PubMed

Blackwell, Thomas H; Halsey, R Maglin; Reinovsky, Jennifer H

2016-01-01

New medical school educational curriculum encourages early clinical experiences along with clinical and biomedical integration. The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, one of the new expansion schools, was established in 2011 with the first class matriculating in 2012. To promote clinical skills early in the curriculum, emergency medical technician (EMT) training was included and begins in the first semester. Along with the early clinical exposure, the program introduces interprofessional health and teams and provides the opportunity for students to personally see and appreciate the wide variety of environments from which their future patients emanate. This report describes the EMT program and changes that were made after the first class that were designed to integrate EMT training with the biomedical sciences and to assess the value of these integrative changes using objective criteria. A two-year retrospective study was conducted that involved the first two classes of medical students. Baseline student data and pass rates from the psychomotor skill and written components of the State examination were used to determine if students performed better in the integrated, prolonged course. There were 53 students in the first class and 54 in the second. Of the 51 students in the first class and 53 students in the second class completing the state psychomotor and written examination, 20 (39%) in the first class and 17 (32%) in the second passed on the initial psychomotor skill attempt; however, more students passed in the first three attempts in the second class than the first class, 51 (96%) versus 45 (88%) , respectively. All students passed by 5 attempts. For the written examination, 50 (98%) students in the first class and 51 (96%) in the second class passed on the first attempt. All students passed by the third attempt. Pass rates on both components of the State examination were not significantly different between classes. Medical students who

A student's perspective on medical ethics education.

PubMed

Terndrup, Christopher

2013-12-01

Despite many efforts to increase ethics education in US medical schools, barriers continue to arise that impede the production of morally driven physicians who practice medicine with ideal empathy. Research has shown that, particularly during the clinical years, medical students lose the ability both to recognize ethical dilemmas and to approach such situations with compassionate reasoning. This article summarizes the current status of ethics education in US medical schools, described through the eyes of and alongside the story of a graduating medical student.

Are medical students accepted by patients in teaching hospitals?

PubMed Central

Marwan, Yousef; Al-Saddique, Muhammad; Hassan, Adnan; Karim, Jumanah; Al-Saleh, Mervat

2012-01-01

Background Worldwide, patients are the cornerstone of bedside teaching of medical students. In this study, the authors aimed to assess patients’ acceptability toward medical students in teaching hospitals of the Faculty of Medicine of Kuwait University. Methods Ninehundred and ninety five patients were approached in 14 teaching hospitals; 932 patients agreed to participate (refusal rate is 6.3%). A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Results In general, higher acceptance of students by patients was found when there is no direct contact between the patient and the student (e.g., reading patients’ files, presenting in outpatient clinic, observing doctors performing examination or procedures) compared to other situations (e.g., performing physical examination or procedures). Pediatrics patients showed higher acceptance of students compared to patients in other specialties, while Obstetrics/Gynecology patients showed the highest refusal of students. Gender of patients (especially females) and students appeared to affect the degree of acceptance of medical students by patients. Majority of the patients (436; 46.8%) believed that the presence of medical students in hospitals improves the quality of health care. Conclusion Patients are an important factor of bedside teaching. Clinical tutors must take advantage of patients who accept medical students. Clinical tutors and medical students should master essential communication skills to convince patients in accepting students, thus improving bedside teaching. Also, using simulation and standardization should be considered to address scenarios that most patients are unwilling to allow students to participate. PMID:22509091

Evaluating the Relationship Between Participation in Student-Run Free Clinics and Changes in Empathy in Medical Students.

PubMed

Modi, Anita; Fascelli, Michele; Daitch, Zachary; Hojat, Mohammadreza

2017-07-01

We explored differences in changes in medical student empathy in the third year of medical school between volunteers at JeffHOPE, a multisite medical student-run free clinic of Sidney Kimmel Medical College (SKMC), and nonvolunteers. Volunteerism and leadership experience at JeffHOPE were documented for medical students in the Class of 2015 (n = 272) across their medical educations. Students completed the Jefferson Scale of Empathy at the beginning of medical school and at the end of the third year. Students who reported participation in other Jefferson-affiliated clinics (n = 44) were excluded from this study. Complete data were available for 188 SKMC students. Forty-five percent of students (n = 85) volunteered at JeffHOPE at least once during their medical educations. Fifteen percent of students (n = 48) were selected for leadership positions involving weekly clinic participation. Nonvolunteers demonstrated significant decline in empathy in medical school ( P = 0.009), while those who volunteered at JeffHOPE at least once over the course of their medical educations did not show any significant decline ( P = 0.07). These findings suggest that medical students may benefit from volunteering at student-run free clinics to care for underserved populations throughout medical school.

Health-related quality of life of medical students.

PubMed

Paro, Helena B M S; Morales, Nívea M O; Silva, Carlos H M; Rezende, Carlos H A; Pinto, Rogério M C; Morales, Rogério R; Mendonça, Tânia M S; Prado, Marília M

2010-03-01

Mental problems such as stress, anxiety and depression have been described among medical students and are associated with poor academic and professional performance. It has been speculated that these problems impair students' quality of life (QoL). The authors aimed to assess the health-related QoL (HRQL) of medical students throughout their 6 years of training at a school with a traditional curriculum. Of a total of 490 students attending our institution's medical school, 38 were surveyed in February 2006 (incoming Year 1 group, surveyed when students were in the second week of Year 1 classes) and 352 were surveyed in February 2007 (students in Years 1-6). Students self-reported their HRQL and depressive symptoms using the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Comparisons were performed according to year in training, presence of depressive symptoms, gender, living arrangements and correlations with family income. The students' ages ranged from 18 to 31 years (median 22.3 years). Students in Years 2, 3, 4 and 6 had lower scores for mental and physical dimensions of HRQL compared with the incoming Year 1 group (P < 0.01), with the largest difference observed for Year 3 students. Students with depressive symptoms had lower scores in all domains of the SF-36 (P < 0.01). Female students had lower HRQL scores than males (P < 0.01). No differences were observed for students living with versus without family and no correlation with family income was found. Major impairments in HRQL were observed among Year 3 students, students with depressive symptoms and women. Medical schools should institute efforts to ensure that students' HRQL and emotional support are maintained, particularly during critical phases of medical training.

Attitude toward mental illness and psychiatry among the medical students and interns in a medical college.

PubMed

Risal, Ajay; Sharma, Pushpa Prasad; Sanjel, Seshananda

2013-01-01

Medical students tend to have a neutral or negative attitude to Psychiatry as a discipline. This study was initiated to explore the attitude towards mental illness and Psychiatry among the medical students and interns in Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences. A cross-sectional questionnaire based study was conducted among the medical students and interns at Dhulikhel Hospital.Two self-rating scales; Attitudes towards Psychiatry-30 and Attitudes to Mental Illnesswere used to assess attitudes towards mental illness and Psychiatryamong the total 159 subjects. Descriptive statistics and independent sample t-test were applied using SPSS- 16 for analysis. Among the total 159 subjects, 44 (27.7%) were interns. Comparison of means of each item in Attitudes towards Psychiatry-30 and Attitudes to Mental Illnesswas done between males and females, medical students and interns, fi rst semester and ninth semester students. Most of the subjects showed neutral attitude towards all the scoring items; though there were a few signifi cant differences in mean scores of some items in group wise comparison. Overall attitudes towards mental illness and psychiatry among the medical students and interns in our medical school were positive or neutral. A further study with medical students from different institutions is needed to get a detail nationwide picture. attitude; interns; medical students; mental illness; psychiatry.

Will they lead by example? Assessment of vaccination rates and attitudes to human papilloma virus in millennial medical students.

PubMed

Afonso, Nelia M; Kavanagh, Maurice J; Swanberg, Stephanie M; Schulte, Jeanne M; Wunderlich, Tracy; Lucia, Victoria C

2017-01-06

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. It is also well established that HPV viruses are responsible for a variety of cancers. Little is known about the prevailing knowledge and attitudes toward the HPV vaccine in our future healthcare providers, a majority of whom were among the first in the target age group to receive the vaccine; the same vaccine that they will in turn be expected to recommend to their patients. The aims of this pilot study were to examine the HPV vaccination rate among medical students and determine their knowledge about HPV and attitudes toward vaccination. To aid in the development of an HPV educational intervention, a needs assessment survey was administered to discover medical students' knowledge and attitudes toward the HPV vaccine. All medical students at a Midwestern US medical school were invited to complete the survey. Two hundred fourteen of 390 medical students completed the survey with 44% having been previously vaccinated. Although 82% of all respondents believed they would recommend the vaccine to family and friends, only 40% felt knowledgeable about the vaccine and 40% felt comfortable counseling patients. More positive attitudes and better knowledge scores were found in fully vaccinated students compared to non-vaccinated students. Provider recommendation was strongly associated with HPV vaccination status. This study revealed the unique perspectives of U.S. millennial medical students as the first group of future healthcare providers to have personally encountered the HPV vaccine. Overall, students' knowledge as well as their comfort level in counseling patients was lacking. This assessment has guided the development of targeted educational interventions to address knowledge gaps and prepare students to appropriately discuss the vaccine with patients and parents and help protect young people from life threatening cancers.

Influence of pharmacy students on the attitudes of medical students following an interprofessional course.

PubMed

Dabaghzadeh, Fatemeh; Zihayat, Bahare; Sarafzadeh, Farhad

2017-01-01

Clinical interprofessional education (IPE) can promote mutual understanding of other health professions and respectful behaviors among health-care professionals. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of IPE on the attitudes of medical and pharmacy students in an inpatient hospital setting and, in particular, the influence of pharmacy students on the attitudes of medical students. The 6th year doctor of pharmacy students and medical students were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. They were paired and each pair was responsible for three beds and all the patients occupying these mentioned beds over the 2-week course. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) questionnaire was used to assess the students' attitudes before and after the course. The attitudes of the medical students changed positively after the IPE course based on RIPLS teamwork and collaboration and professional identity subscales. Changes in the attitudes of the pharmacy students were not statistically significant based on the mentioned scale and subscales. IPE could improve the attitudes of the medical students regarding interprofessional teamwork, communication, and sharing learning experience. Based on the current investigation, IPE did not have an effect on pharmacy students.

Major Values Conflicts of Young, Re-Entry Graduate Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinnier, Richard; Townley, Julie

1986-01-01

Investigates value conflicts among young college students. Results indicate that women are more torn between their career and family roles than are men. Further, security versus the risky pursuit of success and making money versus seeking nonmaterialistic fulfillment were common conflicts among graduate students. (Author/BL)

Social learning: medical student perceptions of geriatric house calls.

PubMed

Abbey, Linda; Willett, Rita; Selby-Penczak, Rachel; McKnight, Roberta

2010-01-01

Bandura's social learning theory provides a useful conceptual framework to understand medical students' perceptions of a house calls experience at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. Social learning and role modeling reflect Liaison Committee on Medical Education guidelines for "Medical schools (to) ensure that the learning environment for medical students promotes the development of explicit and appropriate professional attributes (attitudes, behaviors, and identity) in their medical students." This qualitative study reports findings from open-ended survey questions from 123 medical students who observed a preceptor during house calls to elderly homebound patients. Their comments included reflections on the medical treatment as well as interactions with family and professional care providers. Student insights about the social learning process they experienced during house calls to geriatric patients characterized physician role models as dedicated, compassionate, and communicative. They also described patient care in the home environment as comprehensive, personalized, more relaxed, and comfortable. Student perceptions reflect an appreciation of the richness and complexity of details learned from home visits and social interaction with patients, families, and caregivers.

How Young Students Communicate Their Mathematical Problem Solving in Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teledahl, Anna

2017-01-01

This study investigates young students' writing in connection to mathematical problem solving. Students' written communication has traditionally been used by mathematics teachers in the assessment of students' mathematical knowledge. This study rests on the notion that this writing represents a particular activity which requires a complex set of…

Western medical ethics taught to junior medical students can cross cultural and linguistic boundaries

PubMed Central

Ypinazar, Valmae A; Margolis, Stephen A

2004-01-01

Background Little is known about teaching medical ethics across cultural and linguistic boundaries. This study examined two successive cohorts of first year medical students in a six year undergraduate MBBS program. Methods The objective was to investigate whether Arabic speaking students studying medicine in an Arabic country would be able to correctly identify some of the principles of Western medical ethical reasoning. This cohort study was conducted on first year students in a six-year undergraduate program studying medicine in English, their second language at a medical school in the Arabian Gulf. The ethics teaching was based on the four-principle approach (autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance and justice) and delivered by a non-Muslim native English speaker with no knowledge of the Arabic language. Although the course was respectful of Arabic culture and tradition, the content excluded an analysis of Islamic medical ethics and focused on Western ethical reasoning. Following two 45-minute interactive seminars, students in groups of 3 or 4 visited a primary health care centre for one morning, sitting in with an attending physician seeing his or her patients in Arabic. Each student submitted a personal report for summative assessment detailing the ethical issues they had observed. Results All 62 students enrolled in these courses participated. Each student acting independently was able to correctly identify a median number of 4 different medical ethical issues (range 2–9) and correctly identify and label accurately a median of 2 different medical ethical issues (range 2–7) There were no significant correlations between their English language skills or general academic ability and the number or accuracy of ethical issues identified. Conclusions This study has demonstrated that these students could identify medical ethical issues based on Western constructs, despite learning in English, their second language, being in the third week of their medical school

Western medical ethics taught to junior medical students can cross cultural and linguistic boundaries.

PubMed

Ypinazar, Valmae A; Margolis, Stephen A

2004-07-30

Little is known about teaching medical ethics across cultural and linguistic boundaries. This study examined two successive cohorts of first year medical students in a six year undergraduate MBBS program. The objective was to investigate whether Arabic speaking students studying medicine in an Arabic country would be able to correctly identify some of the principles of Western medical ethical reasoning. This cohort study was conducted on first year students in a six-year undergraduate program studying medicine in English, their second language at a medical school in the Arabian Gulf. The ethics teaching was based on the four-principle approach (autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance and justice) and delivered by a non-Muslim native English speaker with no knowledge of the Arabic language. Although the course was respectful of Arabic culture and tradition, the content excluded an analysis of Islamic medical ethics and focused on Western ethical reasoning. Following two 45-minute interactive seminars, students in groups of 3 or 4 visited a primary health care centre for one morning, sitting in with an attending physician seeing his or her patients in Arabic. Each student submitted a personal report for summative assessment detailing the ethical issues they had observed. All 62 students enrolled in these courses participated. Each student acting independently was able to correctly identify a median number of 4 different medical ethical issues (range 2-9) and correctly identify and label accurately a median of 2 different medical ethical issues (range 2-7) There were no significant correlations between their English language skills or general academic ability and the number or accuracy of ethical issues identified. This study has demonstrated that these students could identify medical ethical issues based on Western constructs, despite learning in English, their second language, being in the third week of their medical school experience and with minimal instruction

Debt crisis ahead for Irish medical students.

PubMed

Haugh, C; Doyle, B; O'Flynn, S

2014-06-01

Internationally medical student debt is a cause of concern. A survey of medical students in UCC (response rate of 191 representing 35% of the EU student cohort) reveals that 34 (26%) of direct entry medicine (DEM) students and 36 (61%) graduate entrants (GEM) have a loan with an anticipated average debt of Euro17,300 and Euro80,000 on graduation respectively. Fifty-three (90%) graduate entrants and 75 (57%) direct entrants revealed that they often worry about their current financial situation. Fifty-three (28%) of students have a part-time job and many were concerned about the degree to which this conflicted with their academic workload. 118 (89%) of school leavers and 48 (81%) graduates received financial assistance from their families to fund their college expenses. Student responses recommended the introduction of a government supported low interest rate loan and other incentives to help service high levels of debt associated with medical education.

Learning styles of postgraduate and undergraduate medical students.

PubMed

Shukr, Irfan; Zainab, Roop; Rana, Mowadat H

2013-01-01

To compare learning styles of undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. Observational, comparative study. Department of Medical Education, Army Medical College, NUST, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, during February and March 2012. A total of 170 students were divided into two equal groups of undergraduate students of Army Medical College, and postgraduate students of Armed Forces Post Graduate Medical Institute, Rawalpindi. Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ) was used to assess and categorize the participants into Honey and Mumford classification of learning styles. The responses of each student ranging from 'very strong,' 'strong', 'moderate', and 'low' preference towards activist, theorist, reflector and pragmatist learning styles were compiled. The two groups were compared using SPSS version 17, using Fisher's exact test and the chi-square test. A p-value of $lt; 0.05 was considered significant. Preferences for all four learning styles were present in both groups. The results reveal an overall statistically significant difference in the 'very strong' preference in learning styles between the two study groups (p=0.002). Among the undergraduate students, 45% had a very strong preference for being an activist, whereas in postgraduate students, 38% had very strong preference for reflector, and 35% for theorist. This was statistically significant for activist, and reflector, and attained a p-value of < 0.001, for activist, and of 0.018 for reflector. The most uncommon 'very strong', and 'strong preference' for learning style was pragmatist in both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Diversity of learning styles at undergraduate and postgraduate level of medical education calls for multiplicity of instructional and assessment modalities to match them. The learning styles amongst the undergraduate medical students are different from the postgraduates. The postgraduates commonly have the reflector learning style while the undergraduates are predominantly activists and

Contraceptive usage patterns in North American medical students

PubMed Central

Rowen, Tami S.; Smith, James F.; Eisenberg, Michael L.; Breyer, Benjamin N.; Drey, Eleanor A.; Shindel, Alan W.

2013-01-01

Background Previous studies indicate that the sexual beliefs and mores of students in medical professions may influence their capacity to care for patients’ sexuality and contraception issues. Students also represent a large sample of reproductive-age individuals. In this study, we examined contraceptive usage patterns in North American medical students. Study Design Students using online medical student social and information networks enrolled in allopathic and osteopathic medical schools in North America between February and July of 2008 were invited to participate via email and published announcements in an Internet-based survey consisting of a questionnaire that assessed ethnodemographic factors, year in school and sexual history. We also collected information about current use of contraceptive and barrier methods. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were utilized to analyze responses. Results Among our 2269 complete responses, at least one form of contraception was being utilized by 71% of men and 76% of women. Condoms were the most popular form of contraceptive, utilized by 1011 respondents (50% of men and 40% of women). Oral contraceptive pills were the contraceptive of choice for 34% of men and 41% of women. Decreased rates of contraception use were associated with being black or Asian, not being in a relationship and having more sexual dysfunction in female respondents. Students who reported comfort discussing sexual issues with patients were more likely to use effective contraceptive methods themselves. Ten percent of this of sexually active medical students was not currently using contraception. Conclusions There are significant differences in contraceptive use based on demographics, even at the highest education levels. The personal contraception choices of medical students may influence their ability to accurately convey information about contraception to their patients. In addition, medical students may personally benefit from improved

Contraceptive usage patterns in North American medical students.

PubMed

Rowen, Tami S; Smith, James F; Eisenberg, Michael L; Breyer, Benjamin N; Drey, Eleanor A; Shindel, Alan W

2011-05-01

Previous studies indicate that the sexual beliefs and mores of students in medical professions may influence their capacity to care for patients' sexuality and contraception issues. Students also represent a large sample of reproductive-age individuals. In this study, we examined contraceptive usage patterns in North American medical students. Students using online medical student social and information networks enrolled in allopathic and osteopathic medical schools in North America between February and July of 2008 were invited to participate via email and published announcements in an Internet-based survey consisting of a questionnaire that assessed ethnodemographic factors, year in school and sexual history. We also collected information about current use of contraceptive and barrier methods. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were utilized to analyze responses. Among our 2269 complete responses, at least one form of contraception was being utilized by 71% of men and 76% of women. Condoms were the most popular form of contraceptive, utilized by 1011 respondents (50% of men and 40% of women). Oral contraceptive pills were the contraceptive of choice for 34% of men and 41% of women. Decreased rates of contraception use were associated with being black or Asian, not being in a relationship and having more sexual dysfunction in female respondents. Students who reported comfort discussing sexual issues with patients were more likely to use effective contraceptive methods themselves. Ten percent of this of sexually active medical students was not currently using contraception. There are significant differences in contraceptive use based on demographics, even at the highest education levels. The personal contraception choices of medical students may influence their ability to accurately convey information about contraception to their patients. In addition, medical students may personally benefit from improved knowledge of effective contraceptive practices

Medical student mental health 3.0: improving student wellness through curricular changes.

PubMed

Slavin, Stuart J; Schindler, Debra L; Chibnall, John T

2014-04-01

Medical education can have significant negative effects on the well-being of medical students. To date, efforts to improve student mental health have focused largely on improving access to mental health providers, reducing the stigma and other barriers to mental health treatment, and implementing ancillary wellness programs. Still, new and innovative models that build on these efforts by directly addressing the root causes of stress that lie within the curriculum itself are needed to properly promote student wellness. In this article, the authors present a new paradigm for improving medical student mental health, by describing an integrated, multifaceted, preclinical curricular change program implemented through the Office of Curricular Affairs at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine starting in the 2009-2010 academic year. The authors found that significant but efficient changes to course content, contact hours, scheduling, grading, electives, learning communities, and required resilience/mindfulness experiences were associated with significantly lower levels of depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress, and significantly higher levels of community cohesion, in medical students who participated in the expanded wellness program compared with those who preceded its implementation. The authors discuss the utility and relevance of such curricular changes as an overlooked component of change models for improving medical student mental health.

Implementation of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative: medical students' perspective.