Strides in Development of Medical Education Journal
Year:2013 | Volume:10 | Issue:1|Papers Count:15

Background & Objective: Evaluating students’ ability in diagnosing and treating patients after graduation has been recognized as a priority for medical education. The aim of this study is to evaluate students’ ability after graduation from Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in diagnosing and treating orthopedic problems.Methods: This is a retrospective, cross sectional study carried out on 115 graduated general practitioners of 2001-2006 academic years. In this study, to evaluate the competency of general practitioners graduated from KUMS in musculoskeletal medicine, participants were asked to complete a standard questionnaire with 36 questions in 9 domains.Results: The total competency of the studied people was 65%. The highest competency level was related to the domains of treatment of fractures and dislocation, the initial treatment of open fractures, and diagnosis of fracture and dislocation (80%, 77%, and 73%, respectively). The lowest competency level was related to the domains of congenital deformity of feet, musculoskeletal system tumors, and congenital dislocation of the hip (47%, 50%, and 52%, respectively). No difference was observed between men and women in the mentioned domains.Conclusion: The results of our study revealed that in general the competency of graduated physicians was average. Accordingly, it is recommended that universities recognize weaknesses of graduated general practitioners according to a compiled program. Moreover, annual education programs can prevent more problems from occurring in the work setting and higher levels of education of these general practitioners.

Background & Objective: The purpose of the present study is to trace the scientific status of researchers’ outputs in the field of parasitology as reflected in science citation databases during 1995-2010.Methods: In this study, outputs of researchers in the field of parasitology were analyzed using scientometric method. 3781 records were downloaded from the online Web of Science and then were exported to the basic dataset created for the study in a personal computer. For analyzing, data were entered into statistical and scientometric soft wares such as Excel and HistCite and Interdisciplinary Research (IDR).Results: Results show that the average growth rate in outputs of the field of parasitology during 1995-2010 is zero. The highest number of productions is in article format (3190), and in English language (3601). The International Journal for Parasitology has the highest number of articles (2521), the University of Melbourne with 122 articles has the highest number of productions among universities, and USA with 976 articles has the highest number of productions among countries. Gasser R.B. with 59 articles has the most articles among authors and “Parasitology Meets Ecology on its Own Terms” by Margolis et al. with 2041 has the highest number of citations. The most important cluster in parasitology field is Infection Diseases (3514) with the following subjects: Parasitology, Veterinary Sciences, Tropical Medicine, Infection Diseases, Microbiology, Immunology, and Virology.Conclusion: This study is a guide for researchers, experts and policy makers in the field of parasitology.

Background & Objective: One goal of education is to prepare students to deal with future issues and to be innovative. Therefore, the issues related to their learning be focused on and strengthened. This study has been done to evaluate the effect of note taking skills training on the students’ academic self–efficacy.Methods: This study was done using test method (Pretest, posttest with control group). The statistical society included the undergraduate students of the School of Literature and Humanities of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran, and the School of Public Health of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran (2009-2010). The study sample included 110 undergraduate students; 55 in the experimental group (30 cases of literature and 25 cases of Public Health) and 55 in the control group (30 cases of literature and 25 cases of Public Health). The samples were selected by a single-stage cluster sampling method. For data collection the Morgan-Jinks Student Efficacy Scale (MJSES) was used. The pre-test was conducted in the two groups before the training. The note taking skills training program was carried out in the experimental group in seven 2 hour sessions once a week. The test groups were given the post-test after completing the course. T-test and the covariance analysis were used for data analysis.Results: Findings showed that academic self-efficacy significantly increased after note-taking training in tested groups (P<0.005). Moreover, the comparison of the two colleges showed that teaching these skills had a significant relationship with academic self-efficacy of students of the School of Health (P<0.005), but no significant relationship was found with the students of the School of Literature and Humanities (P>0.005).Conclusion: Due to the positive impact of note-taking skills training, it seems that educational practitioners must invest more in the training of this skill and university’s professors, as individuals influencing students, should include note-taking skills in their academic courses to facilitate the teaching and learning process of these skills.

Background & Objective: Behavior management of preschool children and disabled children is a challenge for dental students and dentists in dental clinics. This challenge affects the quality and quantity of the treatment options and in some cases the parents are not satisfied with the treatments. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of dental treatment under sedation and general anesthesia, as a novel method, in improvement of quality and quantity of education of dental students. This was achieved by the evaluation of acceptance and satisfaction of the parents of pediatric patients.Methods: In this descriptive and cross-sectional study in Kerman School of Dentistry, Iran, 30 children and adolescents, 4.5 to 16 years of age, who had not been admitted to the dental clinics, received dental treatments under general anesthesia and by use of nitrous oxide at the department of pediatric dentistry. Then, the acceptance and satisfaction of their parents were evaluated by a questionnaire. The data were analyzed by SPSS 16 software and descriptive statistic methods.Results: The data showed more than 80% of the parents were satisfied and believed that their children did not have anxiety in comparison to previous visits (96% of them gave 8-10 scores). Most treatments were tooth restoration and tooth extraction.Conclusion: This procedure, as a novel educational method, is comfortable for pediatric patients and satisfies their parents, so it is recommendable for educational dental clinics.

Background & Objective: Evaluation of prescriptions of doctors and particularly medical interns is an essential method for obtaining information about prescribing patterns and drug consumption. The present study aimed to assess the ability of prescription writing of medical interns and young doctors for common illnesses.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the ability of prescription writing of medical interns and recently graduated doctors was evaluated via objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) on ten common diseases in Sanandaj Medical School, Iran, in 2010.Results: The average number of medicine for each prescription was 2.1 and the average score of participants in all stations was 62%. From the correct prescriptions 81.5% had appropriate medicine and 34.4% accurate dosage, and 21.3% with precise course of treatment. 24.1% had administered wrong drugs for patients. Half of the cases determined the correct treatment period. In terms of related factors the score of girls was better than boys (P=0.03). However, there was no relationship between their ability and age, marital status, average mark of interns, or their medical exam score in pre-internship examination (r=0.1).Conclusion: Prescription writing ability of participants was relatively acceptable, but important issues such as drug dosage, frequency of consumption and course of treatment, which are essential in disease treatment, should be improved. Therefore, it is necessary to review medical education programs and curriculums.

Background & Objective: The general census is that engagement in educational decision making is the students right. To have an effective reform, the students' and faculty members’ involvement are necessary. The aim of this study was to determine the students` perspective of their role in medical education reforms.Methods: In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were performed on 50 students of Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2012. Participants were included in the study by purposeful sampling method and with maximum variation. The data collection stopped when data saturation was achieved. One open-ended question was asked from all of the participants; “what is the student’s role in medical education reform?” The recoded interviews were transcribed line-by-line and analyzed using content analysis method.Results: Student involvement as a key to any change was the main theme which emerged in the study. Participation in educational decision making, reform-oriented thinking, self-directed and critical attitude, the ability to use applied scientific knowledge, creative thinking, and problem-solving ability were the themes which were obtained. Motivated instructors, dynamic environment, and learning opportunities were also mentioned as crucial elements for the students' participation in education reform.Conclusion: For any educational reform to be successful, it requires students’ involvement. By listening to students, we can learn about the ways of improving the classroom or university. Abilities such as criticism, self-directing, and problem solving plus having committed professors and dynamic learning climate, together make reform possible.

Background & Objective: Portfolio is useful as a learning method and an evaluating scale. The goal of this survey was to study the effect of portfolio based evaluation on the accuracy of clinical evaluation of nursing students during their internship in Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.Methods: This educational trial was conducted on all senior nursing students (n=30) of Arak University of Medical Sciences. Their clinical learning was evaluated by routine (first two weeks) and portfolio evaluation (last two weeks). All data were analyzed with SPSS version 17.Results: Mean age of students (14 boys and 16 girls) was 22.7 ± 1.2 years. Mean of scores given by the instructor based on routine (19.4) and portfolio methods (16.5) in nursing management internship course had a significant difference (3 scores) (P=0.0001). Moreover, mean of scores given by the instructor based on routine (19.11) and portfolio methods (16.3) in the internal internship course had a significant difference (3 scores) (P=0.0001). Mean scores of students’ opinions about effective learning in internal wards with routine and portfolio methods had a significant difference (P£0.001).Conclusion: Scores based on routine evaluation forms cannot be real, since they are, subjective not objective. However, scores based on portfolios are more real. In spite of some limitations, portfolio is applicable and user-friendly in clinical fields. Therefore, it is recommended for promoting learning levels and evaluating students’ clinical learning.

Background & Objective: Self-directed learning readiness scale (SLRS) proposed by Fisher et al. (2001) is a self-evaluation tool containing 50 questions. The aim of the present study was to standardize SLRS for use among Nursing and Midwifery students.Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive psychometric study included all undergraduate students of Nursing and Midwifery of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (N=550). Study samples were 224 students (27% males and 73% females). The research instrument was self-directed learning readiness scale. Validity was confirmed by determining content validity and construct validity (exploratory factor analysis) and reliability was confirmed by calculating the coefficient of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha).Results: Three factors of self-management, willingness to learn, and self-control were extracted from the SLRS that could explain 34.5% of the total variance. Cronbach’s alpha for the entire questionnaire and the mentioned factors were respectively 0.92, 0.88, 0.82, and 0.79. The t-test results showed no significant difference between male and female students in regard to the total score. In addition, multi-variant ANOVA demonstrated no significant difference between male and female students in regard to self-directed learning factors. Mean and standard deviation of self-directing for all students were 176.99 and 25.41, respectively.Conclusion: Results showed that self-directed learning readiness scale has the required validity and reliability to identify self-directed learning capabilities in Nursing and Midwifery students.

Background & Objective: Motivation is the driving force beyond all human activities. Without motivation, human species are not capable of implementing any planned activity. The more one's motivation is in line with her interests and skill sets, the higher chance the individual has to achieve success in her professional and educational endeavors. This study was performed to determine midwifery students' motivation and related factors about their field.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on all midwifery students who were studying at Islamic Azad University of Rasht in the first semester of academic year 2011-2012. The information was gathered through a questionnaire which has two parts, personal information and questions about motivation for choosing field of study. The data was analyzed by SPSS software version 16 using descriptive and analytical statistics.Results: The mean score of students' motivation for choosing field of study was 49.85 ± 6.14, which was higher than the acceptable score. There no significant relationship between score of motivation and research variables (job and education of parents, marital status, and university entry quotas, living place, diploma score, economic situation and students' age).Conclusion: Our research shows that the students of midwifery are highly motivated and have great enthusiasm for studying this academic discipline. Therefore, it is imperative for the authorities to seize this opportunity and make an all-out effort to improve the educational standards of promising students in order to maximize their productivity.

Background & Objective: Evaluation is an essential process for educational institutions, and one of the most common methods of evaluation of teachers is evaluation by students. Students are the real customers in the educational process; therefore, their judgments should be important variables in determining teaching status of teachers. According to customer-centric principles, the consumer’s satisfaction must be met. This study assessed the validation of the current teacher evaluation form in theoretical courses.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study investigating the validity and reliability of the teacher evaluation form that is completed by students, and identifying some factors affecting student evaluations. To determine content validity of the teacher evaluation form, 20 expert teachers were selected proportional to the number of teachers of each school of the Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. To assess the reliability coefficient of the form, 189 students were selected from different schools by proportional random sampling.Results: According to the results, questions such as rate of adherence to the determined topics, providing practical application of teaching materials and the efficacy of determined assignments did not have the necessary validity score. However, the results indicated that validity of the questionnaire was acceptable. In the present study, the Spearmen-Brown correlation coefficient indicated that the teacher evaluation form did not have an acceptable reliability (r=0.456, P<0.001).Conclusion: The current teacher evaluation form has an acceptable content validity, but it does not seem reliable.

Background & Objective: Medical education institutions have always been looking for training methods that have high efficiency and effectiveness. Thus the present study has been carried out with the aim of identifying the application of blended learning based on the SWOT pattern in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.Methods: This was mixed methods and exploratory research. The statistical population consisted of all the faculty members, students and IT professionals. For the samples 39 were selected from faculty members and 102 from students according to stratified random sampling for quantitative research and 10 from IT professionals according to purposive sampling to be interviewed. The instruments for collecting data in the quantitative part were the researcher-made questionnaire, and in the qualitative part the deep semi-structured interview.Results: The results of the study showed that the areas of weakness and strength in the internal dimension and in the opportunities and threats in the external dimension were statistically significant. The views in the area of strengths were similar; however, they had significant differences in other areas. Moreover, the advantages and opportunities have been more than disadvantages and threats of blended learning outlook.Conclusion: Despite the weaknesses and threats of the blended learning method, all participants in this study were optimistic of the prospects of this method in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.

Background & Objective: The aim of this study was to survey the effect of presenting feedback on improvement of multiple choice questions (MCQ) design in annual residency exams.Methods: In this semi-experimental study, the structure and taxonomy in MCQs of annual residency exams in 2009 were analyzed through Millman’s checklist. Based on this data, an interventional feedback on strengths and weaknesses was presented to question designers who had experience of attending MCQ workshops and designing questions in the past. The principles of giving technical feedback in medical education such as objectivity, right timing, and being direct, respectful and without judgment were considered. After the annual residency exam in 2010, the questions of designers in both years were compared in respect to Millman’s principals and taxonomy before and after the intervention.Results: From 2500 questions, 2035 questions were entered into the study. 65.2% of the questions developed in 2009 had no structural flaw; this increased to 82.8% after the intervention, which was a significant difference (P<0.001). Moreover, there was a significant increase in the percentage of questions with a high taxonomy; from 38% in 2009 to 53.1% in 2010 (P<0.001).Conclusion: Giving interventional feedback, based on its techniques in medical education, to experienced designers of MCQs can affect the improvement of designing quality of questions.