scholarly journals Empathy among Medical Students Studying Different Curricula: A Comparative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Shezadi Sabah Imran ◽  
Ariba Umer ◽  
Asifa Khan ◽  
Bushra Bibi ◽  
Aqsa Zainab ◽  
...  

Objective: To determine and compare empathy among medical students, studying two different curricula.Study Design: Cross Sectional.Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at the Department of Community Medicine of WahMedical College, Wah Cantt from January 2018 to June 2018.Materials and Methods: The study was carried out on second and fourth year MBBS students. The sample sizewas 90, calculated by Open Epi calculator and the students were selected by using stratified random samplingtechnique. A data collection tool comprised of two parts; demographic information about the individual wascollected in the first part and second part was based on Toronto Empathy Questionnaire. The questionnaire had16 questions and scored between 0-64. The questions were responded on a Likert scale of never, rarely,sometimes, often and always. The data was analyzed by using software program of SPSS version 20. Descriptivestatistics and Mann-Whitney U test was applied to compare the mean scores of empathy of students studyingdifferent curricula.Results: Mean score of empathy among students was 42.89+ 8.535. Mean empathy score of 2 year studentsth nd was 45.58 +7.203 and 4 year students came out to be 40.20 +8.981. Empathy was statistically significant in 2 year students and in female students; female students' empathy score was 46.38 while male students score was 39.40.Conclusion: It is concluded that 2 year students who studied integrated curriculum showed higher empathyth scores than 4 year students studying traditional curriculum. Moreover, female students showed significantlyhigher empathy scores as compared to the male students.

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-151
Author(s):  
Saad Ahmed Ali Jadoo ◽  
Ilker Dastan ◽  
Ammar Adnan Jawdat

Background: Turkey has a marked increase in the proportion of female medical students and graduates doctors compared to males. However, females are still underrepresented in some disciplines and grouped in other branches of medicine. It is essential to regularly assess the medical students' trends toward the specialty and avoid the shortage and maldistribution in some critical specialties. This study aims to investigate the gender differences in Turkish medical students’ specialty preferences and influencing factors. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among final year students at the Bezmialem Vakif University (BVU), Faculty of Medicine in Istanbul, Turkey. Data collected from March to April 2018 using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics of the population, first choices for specialization, and the factors influencing those choices. An independent sample t-test performed to test the gender differences in different influencing factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results:  A total of seventy (70) students (response rate of 69.5 %) included in the data analysis. The mean age of total respondents was 24.9 ± 0.96 (ranged 23-27), and the male to female ratio of students was approximately 1:1.4. Out of nineteen (19) factors, statistically significant gender differences noted in the mean scores of six factors. Male students were more influenced by family expectations (2.76 ± 0.87, p=0.008), geographical consideration (2.97 ± 0.91, p=0.053), and high income expectations (2.90 ± 0.90, p=0.024) compared to female students. However, female students were more influenced by personal interests (3.61 ± 0.49, p=0.041), personality characteristics (3.59 ± 0.55, p=0.010) and malpractice (2.73 ± 1.03, p=0.015) compared to male students. Conclusion: There is a significant difference between the sexes in terms of priorities; family, income, and geographical distribution significantly impacted on men, while women were more concerned with lifestyle, well-being and avoiding responsibility.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tore Gude ◽  
Reidar Tyssen ◽  
Tor Anvik ◽  
Hilde Grimstad ◽  
Are Holen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Attitudes towards learning clinical communication skills at the end of medical school are likely to reflect the students’ training and motivation for the continued development of their skills as doctors. Students from two Norwegian medical schools, one with a traditional, and the other with an integrated curriculum, were approached in 2003 and 2015; with regard to changes in students’ attitudes towards acquiring communication skills in two diverse learning environments. This comparison might reveal the effects of the training programs from a long-term perspective, as neither of the medical schools made any major curriculum changes within the study period. Methods The samples comprised final-year medical students. Two separate cross-sectional surveys performed 12 years apart (2003 and 2015) used items from the Communication Skills Attitude Scale in addition to age and gender. The traditional curriculum included only theoretical teaching and no contact with patients was made during the first 2 to 2.5 years of medical school. However, the integrated curriculum combined training in theoretical and clinical communication skills with early patient contact from the beginning. Results Attitudes improved from the first to the second survey at both schools, however, students from the integrated school reported more positive attitudes than those from the traditional school. Female students from the integrated school contributed the most to the difference in attitudes in both surveys. Conclusions Students in both traditional and integrated curricula improved their attitudes from the first to the second assessment. However, compared with the traditional curriculum, the integrated one fostered even higher levels of positive attitudes towards acquiring communication skills, and a pronounced influence was observed on female students. These findings suggest that an educational program with greater emphasis on improving attitudes among male students may be required.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamdi Al Shenawi ◽  
Rami Yaghan ◽  
Amer Almarabheh ◽  
Noor Al Shenawi

Abstract Background The current study aimed to evaluate the previously unexplored correlation between undergraduate medical students’ attendance during their surgical clerkship and their academic performance. It also aimed to explore any difference in the attendance rate between male and female students and whether this difference, if present, affects the academic performance. Methods A retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study has been conducted on 331 undergraduate medical students during their surgical clerkships at the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences (CMMS) at Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Bahrain from September 2018 to June 2020. Results There was a positive statistically significant correlation between students’ attendance during surgical clerkship and academic performance (r = 0.360, P <  0.01). Mean attendance rate was greater in each increasing category of academic performance: 47.95% in the weak category (less than 65%, n = 42), 57.62% in the good performance category (65% to less than 75%, n = 108), 67.82% in the very good performance category (75% to less than 85%, n = 126), 83.16% in the excellent performance category (85% and above, n = 55). The mean attendance rate of male students was 59.76% (SD = 25.73), compared to 66.92% (SD = 24.30) in the female students. T-test indicated that the difference between the mean attendance of the two groups of the students (male, female) was statistically significant (t = 2.483, p <  0.05). On the other hand, the difference between the mean academic performance for the two groups of students, male & female, (t = 0.284, p = 0.777) was not statistically significant. Conclusions Our study showed a significant relationship between undergraduate medical students’ attendance during their surgical clerkship and their academic performance. Further studies are needed to stratify this correlation according to clinical and theoretical teaching activities. No significant difference was observed in academic performance between female and male students.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-31
Author(s):  
Fatiha Tasmin Jeenia ◽  
Afroza Hoque ◽  
Mehrunnissa Khanom ◽  
Selim Md Jahangir ◽  
Rozina Hoque ◽  
...  

Background: Bangladesh, A country with scintillating beauty of nature burdened with a dense population. Along with infectious diseases, tropical diseases are also prevalent here with a higher trend of non- communicable diseases as a result of industrialization. Practicing and prescribing as a doctor is a quite challenging profession here particularly when to deal with vast rural populations in a low resource facility. Medical education system is well developed in Bangladesh which follows traditional curriculum of teaching learning. Students are not accustomed with problem-based learning as it does not exist in curriculum. In order to confront with diverse disease pattern and overloaded population in this arduous backdrop of Bangladesh, problem- based learning can be a very effective tool for preparing medical students as an efficient, self- directed and insightful prescriber. This study was a primary step to introduce problem- based learning (PBL) to medical students of Bangladesh to evaluate the effectiveness of PBL in context of Bangladesh. Methods: Around 117 students of 4th year from 6 different medical colleges were randomly assigned for this study. Among them, half of the students attended PBL session for three days on a topic of Pharmacology and other students participated traditional lecture class. Following classes, odds ratio of performance was determined. MCQ, SAQ and total scores of assessment were compared. Comparison of scores was also done between male and female students of PBL group. Results: PBL students performed better than the LBL students. Odds ratio of their assessment performance was 252.08; with 95% confidence interval and lower range 53.89 and upper range 1179.28. The odds ratio showed strong association between PBL and student performance in Bangladesh context. Mean of total score was 30.7 ± 4.3 in PBL group and 17.2 ± 4.8 in LBL group. Total score was significantly higher (p= 0.000) in PBL group. Mean SAQ score in PBL and LBL group was 17.2 ± 2.2 and 5.3 ± 1.9 respectively which was extremely significant (p= 0.000). MCQ score mean was 13.4 ± 3.4 in PBL group versus 11.8 ± 3.7 in LBL group which was significantly higher in PBL group (p= 0.02). Among PBL group, total score and SAQ score was significantly higher in female students over male students. Conclusion: Significant findings of this study revealed PBL as an effective tool in Bangladesh context. Thereby, it is recommended from this study to take approaches for further study and initiative to incorporate PBL in curriculum as well. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Education Vol.12(1) 2021: 22-31


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 31-41
Author(s):  
Ashfaq Akram ◽  
Kamran Sattar ◽  
Tauseef Ahmad ◽  
Hamza M. Abdulghani ◽  
Jennesse John ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to compare the male and female medical students’ perceptions of the flipped classroom (FC) using the Zoom online platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixedmodality study proceeded for first-year undergraduate medical students (n = 149). Three topics (learning how to learn, stress management and doctor-patient communication) were flipped using the Zoom platform. Following the flipping, relevant videos and PowerPoint slides were sent to the students. Home assignments were done through the online classroom. The students were then made to answer a questionnaire on their perceptions of FC consisting of 5-point Likert items. In addition, a focus group discussion (FGD) was carried out with voluntary participation (n = 13) for an in-depth discussion of flipped teaching. The quantitative data were analysed using the independent t-test, and Atlas.ti was used to analyse the qualitative data. For most of the Likert statements, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the mean results obtained by the male and female students. For example, for the item “The learning material was available before class time”, both the male (mean [SD] = 1.857 [0.443]) and female (mean [SD] = 1.966 [0.365]) respondents confirmed the learning material’s availability before class time (p = 0.121). However, the mean result obtained by the male respondents for the variable “I understood the topics in lesser time compared to the traditional lecture method” was higher than the mean result obtained by the female participants by 0.236, which was statistically significant (95% CI [0.373, –0.100], p = 0.001). Modified FC teaching for the “learning skills” course is thus an effective teaching method. The male students took significantly lesser time understanding the three included topics compared to the female students.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Vijayalakshmi S. Bhojaraja ◽  
B. K. Manjunatha Goud ◽  
Joan Kumar ◽  
Anand Srinivasan ◽  
Jeevan K. Shetty

Objectives: Our medical school followed the traditional curriculum earlier, and due to a large amount of content embedded in each discipline, which had less scope for active and deep learning. To overcome this, we adopted an integrated curriculum and introduced a few active teaching/learning (T/L) methodologies, which promote deep learning and problem-solving skills. One such T/L methodology we introduced was team-based learning (TBL). Before implementing this active T/L methodology in the integrated curriculum, we evaluated the effectiveness of TBL in medical students from the traditional curriculum and aimed to determine students’ perceptions. Furthermore, we aimed to explore the perception of TBL in students who underwent integrated curriculum to evaluate the difference in their perception compared to the traditional curriculum. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in RAK Medical and Health Sciences University on the 1st year medical students from the traditional and integrated curriculum. Institutional ethical committee clearance and informed consent were obtained before starting the study. A pre-validated 5-item survey questionnaire comprising questions related to the content, process, and teamwork was used to obtain perceptions of students’ on TBL. Results: The students positively perceived the teaching-learning experience using TBL and understood the concepts better. Even the students with integrated curriculum had the same positive impact on their learning attitudes. The majority of students in both cohorts agreed that discussion among their teams helped them to learn better. Around two-thirds (66%) of students from the traditional curriculum and one-third (39%) of students from integrated curriculum wanted TBLs as T/L methodology over didactic lectures. Conclusion: TBL helped to learn better and understand the subject and promoted self and peer engagement, which facilitated their learning by clarifying the doubts with peers. Due to this positive TBL experience, most students from both curriculums recommended its use as a T/L method over lecture. Hence, TBL sessions in medical schools can be used as an effective T/L method to facilitate meaningful learning.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1557-1561
Author(s):  
Aytekin Hamdi Başkan ◽  
Asiye Hande Başkan

Background: Covid-19 pandemic disease, which affects the world, causes serious mortality rates. In addition to medical studies worldwide, various restriction rules have also been developed by countries in order to slow the pace of the pandemic and achieve normal living conditions. In order to reduce the sorrowful consequences of the pandemic process, home quarantines were decided and although social distance rules were applied in outdoor environments, hygiene conditions were tried to be increased at the maximum level and education was suspended for an indefinite period. A total of 39 students participated in this study, which aims to examine the recreation perceptions of sports science students in the Covid-19 process through metaphors. Aim: To analyze the situation of recreation activities in the covid-19 process through literature review, data analysis, and observations. Methods: Qualitative research method was used in this study. In this regard, our study was conducted using a (phenomenological) pattern, which is one of the qualitative research methods. Results: When Table 1 is examined, it is seen that the participants of the study consisted of 9 (23.1%) female students and 30 (76.9%) male students. The majority are around 21 (38.5%) and 22 (35.9) years old, the mean age of the total participant is 21. Only 1 (2.6%) person was infected with the Covid-19 virus, and the rest of 38 (97.4%) people were not infected. 2 (5.1%) of the participants reside in the village, 13 (33.3) in the district, and 24 (61.5) in the province. The situation of doing sports actively, on the other hand, 24 (61.5) people are doing sports actively, 15 (38.5) people are not doing sports actively. Conclusion: When the research results were examined, it was concluded that the participant students were exposed to various negative psychological situations such as their anxiety and stress levels increased, they became intolerant of uncertainty as their recreational activities stopped during the Covid-19 period. Keywords: Covid-19, recreation, metaphor


1970 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 126-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bedanta Roy ◽  
Indrajit Banerjee ◽  
Brijesh Sathian ◽  
Monami Mondal ◽  
Sai Sailesh Kumar ◽  
...  

Background Career choice of medical students plays a vital role for health care system of a country. It also plays a crucial role to bring medical specialties into mainstream focus. Materials and Method A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study has been performed at Manipal College of Medical Sciences, during the period of 1st May to 31st August–2011. A self reported questionnaire was given to the undergraduate medical students of Basic sciences. Questionnaire included career choices, nature of career, reason for choice, and education level and occupation in their parents. Results Data was collected from 269 medical students, among them 145 males and 124 female students participated in the study. The mean age of Indian (85, 31.6%), Nepalese (110, 40.9%) and Sri Lankan (74, 27.5%) students were 18.3 ± SD 0.7, 18.6 ± SD 0.8 and 18.0 ± SD 1.5 years respectively. Education and Occupation of parents seems to influence the determination of career choice in case of Medical students (p<0.01). Females have 2.19 times preference of choosing Medicine and 0.22 times Surgery compared to males (p<0.01). In case of Nepali male students, Surgery (60.3%) was the most preferred Postgraduate subject followed by medicine (20.6%) and in female students, medicine (44.7%) and OBG (31.9%). But in case of Indian male students 58.0% & 31.4% female students want to choose surgery as their career. 53.1% of the Sri-Lankan male students want to choose medicine as their post graduation and apart from these 50% of the female students also, which is followed by surgery 46.9% (male) and 21.4% (female) respectively. Conclusion Our study supports that Post-graduation in clinical specialties is always preferred over Basic sciences due to more interaction with patients and the practical aspects of medical profession. The relatively less popularity of some streams may show long-term impact on the health of health system of Nepal. Medical Universities have to modify their academic intervention activities to improve the basic science teaching learning programme in Nepal to turn around the deficiency of post graduates in this stream.http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nje.v1i4.5754 Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 2011;1(4):126-134


2018 ◽  
Vol 94 (1112) ◽  
pp. 325-329
Author(s):  
Thomas Wallbridge ◽  
Angela Holden ◽  
Aled Picton ◽  
Janesh Gupta

IntroductionMedical graduates should be competent in gynaecological examination as well as associated skills including speculum use and swabbing. Male and female medical students may have different opportunities to practise these skills in clinical environments, potentially impacting on confidence and competence. This study explores this further via reviewing students’ learning experience in genitourinary medicine (GUM) and obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) clinics.MethodsCross-sectional study of 759 year 4 and year 5 University of Birmingham medical students via an online questionnaire. This explored degree of participation, impact of gender and self-reported confidence.ResultsOverall response rate was 31% (233/759). Students of either gender who observed an examination being performed by a clinician were more likely to perform the same examination. Female students reported more opportunities to practise gynaecological examination and associated skills. Female students were more likely to be granted consent to perform speculum examinations, vaginal swabbing and vaginal bimanual examinations. Sixty-five per cent of male students felt that their gender affected their learning experience with female patients. Despite this, there was no significant difference in self-reported confidence level in performing gynaecological examinations between genders at the end of placement.ConclusionThe majority of male students perceived that their gender impacted their clinical experience in O&G and GUM. Self-reported confidence levels were unaffected, which could reflect varying approaches to competence between genders. The link between observing examinations and subsequent opportunities to practise is key. This could demonstrate students developing rapport and trust with patients, and clinicians’ roles as gatekeepers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Saeed Almalki ◽  
Abdullah Almalki ◽  
Abdullah Kokandi ◽  
Bandar Aldosari ◽  
Abdulaziz Bin Baz ◽  
...  

Background: Depression, which is characterized by persistent sadness, is a highly prevalent and serious medical disease that affects more than 300 million individuals worldwide. It is hypothesized that the onset of depressive symptoms in medical students occurs due to prolonged exposure to the stressful environment of medical colleges. Hence, we aimed to determine the presence of depressive symptoms and compare the level of depression between the first-year and fifth-year medical students in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed with convenient sampling from 2 medical colleges in Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from October to November 2017. The English version of Beck’s Depression Inventory questionnaire was used in this study. Statistical analysis was administered using SPSS via chi-square test, and P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The questionnaire was answered by 241 participants. The age variable shows a bimodal distribution. The mean age of first-year and fifth-year students was 19±0.8 years and 23±2.1 years, respectively. Fifth-year students comprised 53.5% of the total sample, and male students accounted for 63.1% of the total sample. After analysis, the results show that male students scored higher than female students on the lower side of the scale in both years. Most of the first-year female students scored a higher level of depression compared with male students (P=0.001), whereas no difference between males and females (P=0.04) was found in the fifth-year students’ data. Conclusion: Our study shows a new pattern of reported depressive symptoms among first- and fifth-year medical students. In addition, the study suggests that depression is more common in female medical students as compared with their male counterparts. For future studies, we recommend using randomized sampling in a cohort study including all levels of medical students to further investigate and confirm the findings.[GMJ.2019;8:e1497]


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