Development of Critical Thinking Transfer Practice Construct and Sub-Constructs: A 9-steps Approach

The study aimed to develop critical thinking transfer practice (CTTP) construct and sub-constructs relevant to medical undergraduates. The study used a 9-step qualitative case study approach. The prior relationship of construct and sub-constructs were conceptualised to produce the initial thematic framework (Step 1 to 3). Then, a qualitative study confirmed the sub-constructs that were relevant for the undergraduates, as the new data were fitted into the initial framework to become an evolving framework (Step 4 to 5). Next, the construct and sub-constructs were defined operationally (Step 6) and evaluated (Step 7). After that, the evolving framework was revised (Step 8) and developed to become the final construct and sub-constructs (Step 9). Based on the literature, the study conceptualised an initial framework that described the theoretical relationship of the prior construct and six sub-constructs. From the qualitative findings, 37 codes were fitted into the initial framework. The fitting resulted in an evolving framework that contained a theme (the medical undergraduates’ CTTP), 6 categories and 26 sub-categories. A 100% of participants agreed that the data were generated from them. Then, the team members and the expert panels accepted the theme (Cohen Kappa value > 0.80). The maintained and revised theme, categories and sub-categories were used to develop the CTTP construct and 6 sub-constructs. The study discussed in detail the included subconstructs for CTTP. The study also addressed the similarities and differences of the construct and sub-constructs for medical education and general studies. The study concluded that the construct and sub-constructs were theoretically proven to represent the medical undergraduates’ CTTP.

Knowledge Acquisition and Satisfaction of Virtual Microscopy Usage Among Medical Students of Universiti Sains Malaysia

The virtual microscope has been employed as an adjunct tool to teach optical microscopy for histology learning in medical schools. However, there is no reliable evidence in the literature that virtual and optical microscopy impacts students’ learning. This study focuses on comparing two different methods in learning histology in Universiti Sains Malaysia, namely virtual microscopy and optical microscopy, with regard to medical students’ knowledge acquisition and satisfaction levels. A total number of 120 medical students, consisting of 53 first-year and 67 second-year students, were recruited. The students were divided into virtual microscopy and optical microscopy groups. During the one-day intervention, all students attended a pre-requisite lecture on “Histology of the Eye”, a slide demonstration and a hands-on session using a designated microscope. Students’ knowledge acquisition was evaluated through a pre- and post-practical evaluation and their satisfaction level on learning histology using respective learning tools was measured. The study revealed that the optical and virtual microscopy groups showed significant improvement from the pre- to post-practical tests scores with p < 0.001, respectively. However, the mean increment was higher in virtual microscopy (38.51%) than in optical microscopy (35.08%). Furthermore, the virtual microscopy group had a significantly higher satisfaction score towards the learning tool than the optical microscopy group, p = 0.008. The knowledge acquisition of the virtual microscopy group was equal to the optical microscopy group as they were shown to have a similar improvement in the test scores, comprehension level and learning ability. However, students were nonetheless satisfied with the usage of virtual microscopy as a learning tool.

Restructuring Clinical Dental Specialty Examination: A Call for National Standard

This commentary encompassed present clinical dental specialty training and assessments in Malaysia. Specifically, no uniform examination and assessment are identified within the dental specialty training programmes provided by local dental schools. Candidates who underwent the same specialty programme might be trained and evaluated differently (depending on the institution). Despite the standard Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) guideline for dental specialty training programmes (initially published in 2019), the aforementioned standards were established as a national reference for present and future Malaysian dental specialty programmes with no indication of standardised national dental specialty programme assessments. As such, a national reference for dental specialty assessments under the guidance of dental and MQA authorities is urgently needed to ensure standard quality and competent graduates of the programmes.

Medical Students’ Mental Health Status and Coping Strategies in Their Quarantine Period During COVID-19 Pandemic in Universiti Putra Malaysia

Movement control order (MCO) was enforced by the Malaysian government on 18th March 2020 due to sudden increase in the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases. University students, including medical students, were among the group of the population which were significantly affected. This study was conducted among medical students in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to compare the mental health status and coping strategies, between gender and phase of the clinical study related to their quarantine status between 18th March 2020 to 9th June 2020. This was a cross-sectional study involving the undergraduate medical students in UPM in the academic year of 2019/2020 during the MCO. A stratified random sampling method was used; a total of 173 respondents which includes students of Year 1 to Year 5 participated. The study was conducted after five months since the first day of MCO, for one week period of data collection. The mental health status was assessed using Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21-item (DASS-21) questionnaire. Four-point Likert scale was scored to determine the degree of severity. The coping strategies was assessed using Brief-COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced) in which four-point Likert scale was used as well, and the total marks were grouped into four coping strategies. This study found higher scores of DASS-21 in the non-quarantined group and approach method was considered as a favourable coping strategy in both groups. In the quarantined group, female and clinical students showed higher scores of DASS-21. In the non-quarantined group, clinical students showed a significantly higher score of stress while male students significantly used their humour as coping strategies.

Role of Community Placement Programmes in Development of Professional Basic Skills Among First-Year Medical Students

Various methods have been implemented in the medical field to foster professional basic skills among students. Nevertheless, the contribution of a community placement programme (CPP) with regard to first year of medical students is still unclear. The study objective is to explore how CPP contributes to the development of professional basic skills among students within this group. This qualitative study was conducted between January 2017 and March 2018. Two batches of the first-year medical students with a total of 24 students were involved in the study. The data were gathered using reflective journals which were written from a one-day English camp that was held at the Universiti Sains Malaysia’s School of Medical Sciences. A total of 24 reflective journals have been used as data sources which were then analysed using ATLAS.ti software version 8.0 based on the open, axial and selective coding process. The result has shown that professional skills were established through three themes and eight categories. The themes were personal skills (e.g., time management, self-management, self-confident, social adjustment, internal motivation and communication skill), leadership skills (e.g., teamwork) and scientific skills (e.g., proposal writing skills). CPP is an agenda to nurture the medical students’ professional basic skills. Therefore, such an agenda must continue to be included in medical education.

The Use of Different Technological Methods for Teaching Basic Suturing Skills to Medical Students: A Literature Review

Suturing skills are usually acquired by medical students through observation and then practice. There is a pressing need to develop more efficient teaching methods as students are often unprepared to perform suturing in clinical practice. This study therefore aims to investigate the benefits and limitations of different technological teaching methods and determine if technological methods are superior to conventional teaching. The search was conducted using ScienceDirect, PubMed and Scopus with different combinations of the key terms “suturing”, “suture”, “knot-tying”, “suturing skill”, “surgical skill”, “teaching methods” and “medical students”. Overall, 19 relevant articles were shortlisted, discussing the use of virtual reality, augmented reality, videos and programmes in teaching suturing skills. The use of instructional videos is a good alternative to the traditional lab-based method while video self-reflection was found to be an effective enhancement. Integration of these methods could be a valuable addition to the current curriculum.

“Heroic Medicine” in the Management of a Child with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1: A Fair Choice of Treatment?

Medicine is a rapidly changing field. The use of new drugs has given hope for patients’ survival and comfort for the family, especially in cases of children with life-limiting conditions. This has influenced the clinical decision on the options of care and treatment by either the caregivers or healthcare professionals. Medical management for these patients is threaded on many ethical discussions to determine the best choice for these patients. We illustrated a case of a baby with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1 who was started on a new medication, leading to a renewed hope for the family but a challenging task for the managing team to decide on the highest ceiling of care for the patient.

Audit on Clinical Competency of Fresh Medical Graduates in a Malaysian Private University Using Kirkpatrick Level-1 Evaluation Model

Clinical competency is the core of the medical curriculum. Careful ongoing evaluation of clinical competency is required to ensure continuous reviewing for curriculum development. The objective of this study was to investigate self-perceptions of clinical competency of fresh medical graduates using the Kirkpatrick framework – the most convenient and widely used model for measuring clinical competency. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 50 fresh medical graduates of Widad University College, Malaysia in 2019 using a standardised questionnaire containing 43-items of competency. Respondents were asked to rate self-perceptions of his/her competency in these attributes using a five-point Likert scale against each attribute, where 5 = always competent and 1 = never competent. The response rate was 92%. Out of 43 items, graduates were always competent in taking clinical history and examining a patient thoroughly; frequently competent in eight attributes; sometimes competent in 29; and occasionally competent in four. The graduates have not yet started their houseman-training; and thus, got fewer chances to practice all the procedures. It is expected that graduates’ competency will improve during their houseman training. There is scope for improvement, as faculty need to pay more attention to improving student competency by arranging additional training. The teaching of clinical competency also needs integration with the pre-clinical phase for early exposure. The findings have direct implications for faculty development towards competency-based education that would bridge the gap between education and practice. This study offers other medical schools a window towards comprehensive use of competency tools to assess the competency of their graduates.

Exploring the Viability of Online Problem-Based Learning Through the Lens of Students and Teachers

This study aimed at exploring the perceptions of students and teachers regarding the viability of the online problem-based learning (PBL) approach. The study also aimed to report the perceived merits and demerits of online PBL and offer suggestions to improve it further. To achieve these objectives, a qualitative exploratory study was conducted at the College of Medicine, The University of Lahore from July 2020 to November 2020. Employing purposive sampling, 12 students and 11 teachers were recruited, with experience in both online and face-to-face PBL. The perceived merits and demerits of online PBL were inquired in focus group discussions. Moreover, suggestions to improve the online PBL environment were elicited from both stakeholders. The data was recorded, and then inductively coded and thematically analysed using Atlis.ti software. Students displayed active participation, improved learning and self-regulation during online PBL. The participants valued online PBL as a resourceful, convenient and flexible learning strategy. Some demerits of online PBL were also reported, including student passivity, low motivation and poor concentration, which were mainly attributed to the lack of physical presence. Suggestions to improve the online PBL environment included virtual use of simulation patients and infographics, faculty development, student orientation and technical support. We conclude that online PBL can be used as an effective strategic alternative to face-to-face modality. However, certain challenges exist in online PBL that can jeopardise students’ learning processes. Efforts need to be made to fully capture the essence of the online PBL environment.

Challenges of e-Mentoring Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the current pandemic scenario, the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia had adopted an e-mentoring system to help undergraduate medical students acclimatise to new subjects, improve academic performance and decrease attrition. The authors highlight the challenges of e-mentoring, including aspects of interpersonal dynamics, slow development of relationships in e-mentoring and the requirement of specific skills in technology for useful online mentoring, are the few challenges discussed. Some possible solutions were also shared. This article is beneficial to institutions implementing or planning to implement an e-mentoring system.