Current State of Compulsory Basic and Clinical Courses in Genetics for Medical Students at Medical Faculties in Balkan Countries With Slavic Languages

Introduction: In this study we aimed to perform the first research on the current state of compulsory basic and clinical courses in genetics for medical students offered at medical faculties in six Balkan countries with Slavic languages (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia).Materials and Methods: The study was conducted from June to September 2021. One representative from each country was invited to collect and interpret the data for all medical faculties in their respective country. All representatives filled a questionnaire, which consisted of two sets of questions. The first set of questions was factual and contained specific questions about medical faculties and design of compulsory courses, whereas the second set of questions was more subjective and inquired the opinion of the representatives about mandatory education in clinical medical genetics in their countries and internationally. In addition, full course syllabi were analysed for course aims, learning outcomes, course content, methods for student evaluation and literature.Results: Detailed analysis was performed for a total of 22 medical faculties in Bosnia and Herzegovina (6), Croatia (4), Montenegro (1), North Macedonia (3), Serbia (6), and Slovenia (2). All but the two medical faculties in Slovenia offer either compulsory courses in basic education in human genetics (16 faculties/courses) or clinical education in medical genetics (3 faculties/courses). On the other hand, only the medical faculty in Montenegro offers both types of education, including one course in basic education in human genetics and one in clinical education in medical genetics. Most of the basic courses in human genetics have similar aims, learning outcomes and content. Conversely, clinical courses in medical genetics are similar concerning study year position, number of contact hours, ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) and contents, but vary considerably regarding aims, learning outcomes, ratio of types of classes, teaching methods and student evaluation.Conclusion: Our results emphasise the need for future collaboration in reaching a consensus on medical genetics education in Balkan countries with Slavic languages. Further research warrants the analysis of performance of basic courses, as well as introducing clinical courses in medical genetics to higher years of study across Balkan countries.

Self-Perceived Skills of Pre Intern Doctors in Sri Lanka

IntroductionThe transition from medical student to intern is a significant and challenging time in a doctor’s training. It can be stressful for the young doctor and there can be varying expectations from employers and supervisors on their capabilities. There is a time gap between graduation and internship for medical graduates in Sri Lanka. Also, there was no proper orientation prior the internship. Thus, the Good Intern Programme was developed as a skills training programme for pre interns who are awaiting internship, and this was conducted in collaboration with Ministry of Health (MOH), Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), Society for Health Research and Innovation (SHRI). This study aimed to explore self-perceived competency of selected skills of pre-interns who were awaiting for internship. Methods Study populationSri Lankan medical Faculties (University of Colombo, Peradeniya, Sri Jayewardenapura, Jaffna, Kelaniya, Ruhuna, Eastern University- Batticaloa, Rajarata University and General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University -KDU), and foreign universities produce approximately 1000 medical graduates per year. In 2020, all pre- interns who joined the Good Intern Programme, Sri Lanka were invited to participate in this questionnaire survey. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 23.0 software. Descriptive data were presented as proportions.Results Mean age was 27.6 (+ SD 1.4). Majority of the pre-interns were females (66.5%). Majority of pre-interns perceived that they were able to performs suturing, cannulation, catheterization, setting up an Intravenous (IV) drip, infusion pump setup, blood and blood products transfusion, venipuncture, venipuncture for blood culture, injections-Subcutaneous (SC)/Intramuscular (IM), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) monitoring, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), arterial puncture for Arterial Blood Gases (ABG), wound dressing, suture removal, bandaging, glucometer use, nebulization, connecting to an ECG (electrocardiogram) monitor competently with or without supervision respectively. Lack of competency perceived on the following skills. Nasogastric tube (NG) insertion, pleural tap, peritoneal tap, removal of an Intercostal tube, lumbar puncture, defibrillation, venous cut down, intubation, CVP (central venous catheter) line insertion, Intercostal (IC) tube insertion were rated by the majority of pre-interns as skills that could be performed competently with supervision or not able to perform the skill but has observed skill. ConclusionAlthough most of the skills were rated by majority of the pre-interns as skills that could be competently performed with or without supervision respectively, there were some skills which needed some improvement. This study suggests that Good Intern Programme in pre-intern period can help to prepare students for the intern role.

COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance among Healthcare Workers and General Population at the Very Beginning of the National Vaccination Program in Poland: A Cross-Sectional, Exploratory Study

The aim of the study was to assess the acceptance level of COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare workers (HCW) and the general population in Poland at the start of the national COVID-19 vaccination program from 18–31 December 2020. A cross-sectional anonymous survey was conducted in a group of 1976 people: 1042 health professionals and 934 non-medical professionals using an on-line questionnaire. The most skeptical about the COVID-19 vaccine were students of non-medical faculties, non-medical professions, and administrative–technical health service staff (26.2%, 38.7% and 41.2%, respectively). The most positive attitude to vaccination was reported by doctors, medical students and pharmacists (80.6%, 76.9% and 65.7%, respectively). Doctors (64.7%) and medical students (63.7%) most often declared confidence in vaccines compared to nurses (34.5%). Distrust about vaccine safety was declared by nurses (46.6%) and pharmacists (40.0%). HCW encouraged others to vaccinate more eagerly (65.8%) than non-medical professions (28.3%). Thus, a considerable proportion of HCW in Poland expressed concern about vaccines just prior to the beginning of the COVID-19 immunization program. The significant decrease in the willingness to vaccinate observed in Poland towards the end of 2021 must be considered in the light of the serious COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in the Polish population.

A Structured Intervention for Medical Students Significantly Improves Awareness for Stigmatisation in Visible Chronic Skin Diseases: A Randomised Controlled Trial

People with skin diseases suffer from stigmatisation. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate an intervention against stigmatisation of people affected for medical students. The new intervention was evaluated using a randomised controlled design. Effectiveness was assessed at three time points. Data from 127 participants were analysed. Regarding the outcome ‘social distance’, a significant difference between the measurement-points was observed for the intervention group (χ2(2) = 54.32, p < 0.001) which also showed a significant effect on the agreement to negative stereotypes (F(1.67, 118.67) = 23.83, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.25). Regarding the outcome ‘agreement to disease-related misconceptions’, a significant difference between the measurement-points was observed for the intervention group (χ2(2) = 46.33, p < 0.001); similar results were found for the outcome ‘stigmatising behaviour’ (F(1.86, 131.89) = 6.16, p = 0.003, partial η² = 0.08). Results should encourage medical faculties to invest in such courses to prevent stigmatisation.

Using Selected Data-Mining Methods in the Analysis of Data Concerning the Attitudes of Students towards the Issue of Vaccination

Preventive vaccination is one of the greatest successes of modern medicine. The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, during which vaccination is the main method of prevention against death and severe disease, gave rise to a resurgence of anti-vaccine (anti-vax) movements. The aim of this study was to analyse the attitudes of students towards vaccination and the COVID-19 pandemic. The statistical analysis was performed with the use of the following data-mining methods: correspondence analysis and basket analysis. The obtained results show that students of medicine are characterized with the highest level of knowledge. Students of other medical faculties, on the other hand, have a significantly less uniform views, as do students of non-medical faculties.

The brain drain: why medical students and young physicians want to leave Egypt

Background: Egypt has a shortage of physicians despite thousands of medical students graduating annually. Aims: This study aimed to explore the reasons for Egyptian medical students and young physicians wanting to emigrate. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted from February to April 2019, included 711 fifth- and sixth-year medical students and 174 residents from two medical faculties in Egypt, Tanta and Kafrelshiekh. A questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic factors, desire to emigrate and motives for wanting to emigrate. Results: Most participant (89.4%) wanted to emigrate, and thought their salary was not compatible with their working hours or risks. About half the participants (52.8%) worked part-time in private hospitals. Only 4.9% of participants felt appreciated by the country. Most participants (75.9%) were not satisfied with their relationship with patients and 40.2% were not satisfied with their relationship with colleagues. Verbal abuse was reported by 55.5% of participants and physical assaults by 35.4%. Most participants who wanted to emigrate (85.1%) said they would change their minds if improvements were made in the health sector. Residents generally had less negative attitudes to workplace and professional factors than students. Conclusion: Physicians emigrate to seek better work and financial incentives. A retention policy needs to be developed to prevent Egyptian physicians from emigrating

Survey on Open Science Practices in Functional Neuroimaging

Replicability and reproducibility of scientific findings is paramount for sustainable progress in neuroscience. Preregistration of the hypotheses and methods of an empirical study before analysis, the sharing of primary research data, and compliance with data standards such as the Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS), are considered effective practices to secure progress and to substantiate quality of research. We investigated the current level of adoption of open science practices in neuroimaging and the difficulties that prevent researchers from using them. Email invitations to participate in the survey were sent to addresses received through a PubMed search of human functional magnetic resonance imaging studies between 2010 and 2020. 283 persons completed the questionnaire. Although half of the participants were experienced with preregistration, the willingness to preregister studies in the future was modest. The majority of participants had experience with the sharing of primary neuroimaging data. Most of the participants were interested in implementing a standardized data structure such as BIDS in their labs. Based on demographic variables, we compared participants on seven subscales, which had been generated through factor analysis. It was found that experienced researchers at lower career level had higher fear of being transparent, researchers with residence in the EU had a higher need for data governance, and researchers at medical faculties as compared to other university faculties reported a higher need for data governance and a more unsupportive environment. The results suggest growing adoption of open science practices but also highlight a number of important impediments.

Views of Physicians on the Persistence and Efficiency of Basic Medical Sciences Education

Introduction: In this study, it is aimed to contribute to the persistence of the basic medical sciences education given in medical faculties, how much it can be integrated into clinical science practices and to the development of education. Materials and Methods: The study was planned in a descriptive type and a questionnaire was applied to collect the data. The population of the study consisted of medical faculty graduates and there was no limitation in the selection of the sample. The level of agreement with the statements was graded from 1 to 5 with Likert-type scaling. In the study with a total of 205 participants, numbers and percentages were used for the data. Results: Of the physicians 59.5% stated that the basic medical sciences courses they took were not sufficient and permanent for their professional life, 69.74% of them stated that the course topics in basic medical sciences education are too detailed, 60.48% of them stated they could not integrate the education they received in basic medical sciences into clinical sciences, 82.91% stated that it would be more beneficial to give basic medicine and clinical medical sciences courses simultaneously, and 86.82% of them stated that the technology-adapted auxiliary course tools will increase the quality of basic medical education. Conclusion: In today's world where important developments are experienced in medical education, innovations are needed in order to train physicians in the best way. For this, it is necessary to work on a system in which basic medicine and clinical medical sciences are integrated, the course curriculum is revised and a strong technological infrastructure is provided.

Students' Perspectives on Curricular Ultrasound Education at German Medical Schools

Background: Despite ultrasound being an inherent part of medical education, only a few German medical schools have established a comprehensive ultrasound curriculum. This study aimed to explore medical students' perspectives on ultrasound in medical education (USMed).Results: Between January 1st, 2019 und June 30th, 2019, an online survey was conducted among German medical students via the students' associations and their respective teaching facilities. The survey consisted of 17 items regarding USMed. Statements were rated on a 4-point Likert scale for agreement. In total, 1040 students from 31 German medical faculties participated. The majority (1021, 98.2%) reported a very high to high interest in curricular USMed. Students agreed (n = 945, 90.9%) that USMed would be helpful along their entire course of medical studies. Considering the best starting time for USMed, the opinions of German medical students diverged: students studying in a model curriculum preferred to start in the second year (40.7%) while 49% of the students studying in a traditional curriculum preferred to start in the third year (p ≤ 0.001). An insufficient allotment of time for USMed in the planned curriculum (675, 65%) and a lack of courses run by medical faculty (305, 29.4%) were listed as perceived significant barriers to the participation in USMed. Peer teaching was regarded as an effective method in realizing USMed by 731 (70.3%) students.Conclusion: German medical students are very interested and willing to participate in USMed. There appears to be a high demand for US courses offered by medical schools.

Integration of radiation oncology teaching in medical studies by German medical faculties due to the new licensing regulations

The new Medical Licensing Regulations 2025 (Ärztliche Approbationsordnung, ÄApprO) will soon be passed by the Federal Council (Bundesrat) and will be implemented step by step by the individual faculties in the coming months. The further development of medical studies essentially involves an orientation from fact-based to competence-based learning and focuses on practical, longitudinal and interdisciplinary training. Radiation oncology and radiation therapy are important components of therapeutic oncology and are of great importance for public health, both clinically and epidemiologically, and therefore should be given appropriate attention in medical education. This report is based on a recent survey on the current state of radiation therapy teaching at university hospitals in Germany as well as the contents of the National Competence Based Learning Objectives Catalogue for Medicine 2.0 (Nationaler Kompetenzbasierter Lernzielkatalog Medizin 2.0, NKLM) and the closely related Subject Catalogue (Gegenstandskatalog, GK) of the Institute for Medical and Pharmaceutical Examination Questions (Institut für Medizinische und Pharmazeutische Prüfungsfragen, IMPP). The current recommendations of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Radioonkologie, DEGRO) regarding topics, scope and rationale for the establishment of radiation oncology teaching at the respective faculties are also included.