Future of Medical Education Journal
Year:2021 | Volume:11 | Issue:3|Papers Count:9

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has completely changed human lifestyle. Social distancing actions during COVID-19 pandemic switched the dental education to online learning, distance education, and remote learning. The aim of the present study was to determine the quality of virtual education curriculum components and satisfaction rate of dental students during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The present descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 209 dental students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences who were studying in 2019/2020 academic year (second semester). Data collection tool included an online questionnaire consisting of three parts. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and SPSS version 18. 0. Results: The mean age of participant was 23. 7 years old, and 55. 5% of them were female. The mean score of quality of curriculum components including educational objective, content, instructor role, measurement and evaluation, and overall quality were 3. 4± 0. 71, 3. 19± 0. 65, 2. 88± 0. 81, 3. 27± 0. 66, and 3. 18± 0. 58, respectively. Students’ satisfaction in the context of online education including instructor, content, difficulty, attitude, perception, overall satisfaction was 2. 55± 0. 78, 2. 99± 0. 82, 3. 77± 0. 68, 3. 26± 0. 83, 2. 96± 0. 63, respectively. Conclusions: Based on the results, the quality of virtual education curriculum components and satisfaction rate of dental students were at a relatively desirable level. Online education can be a perfect complement for face to face education, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The current study strove to unfold the relationship between interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence types and classroom management strategies among the instructors of teaching English to the students of medical sciences. The study further tried to see if there was any significant difference between language and content instructors in terms of their classroom management strategies in their classes. Methods: A convenient sample of 80 EAP instructors from state universities of Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Mashhad provided responses to the excerpted items related to personal intelligences from McKenzie’ s Multiple Intelligences Questionnaire and Behavior and Instructional Management Scale (BIMS). A Pearson product-moment correlation test was run to determine the possible link between the participants’ personal intelligences and their classroom management strategies. Moreover, an independent sample t-test was used to find out the possible difference between language and content instructors in terms of their classroom management strategies. Results: The results revealed a significant relationship between the instructors’ interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences and their classroom management strategies. Furthermore, a significant difference was found between language and content instructors in terms of their classroom management approaches in English for the students of medical science courses. Conclusion: The findings can raise the EAP instructors’ consciousness to enhance their interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence types in order to improve and promote their classroom management strategies. In addition, the results may enhance the policymakers’ perception of the required considerations for in-service teacher training courses of English for medical science instructors.

Background: Electronic Health is a kind of communication technology that covers a wide range of healthcare activities, from diagnosis to treatment. This study aimed to investigate the conflicts caused by e-health interventions in patients’ attitude and its influence on consequences of the disease in a Meta synthesis study. Methods: Present study is a systematic review and meta-synthesis qualitative research according to articles found by Medline searching the keyword “ e-health” published, collected, and reviewed from 2000 to 2019, . Then the search was narrowed down using the keywords “ qualitative studies” , “ patients’ attitudes” , “ Patients’ view” about e-health. All English texts or abstracts were included in the study. Duplicated remote papers and paper with main and complementary treatment, also, web base, internet, software, and mobile mediated treatment process as an electronic way were included to the search process. All irrelevant, duplicated, and qualitative studies were excluded from study and totally 23 papers were extracted to review. Results: Regarding the effective features of e-health, it has a significant beneficial effect by empowering patients, treatment through supportive networks, changing the traditional therapeutic algorithms in inducing a successful and influential treatment, successful outcomes with functionality, also being flexible and attractive. Patients also referred to its shortcomings in treatment and expressed the ability to implement it with aura, parallel, and non-variable coverage. Conlusions: Due to the perceptions and positive outcomes of the method, it is necessary to consider ways and means to neutralize or minimize the negative effects of technology on treatment, therefore more efficient use of the electronic health system can be achieved.

Background: Providing a proper learning environment promotes motivation, satisfaction, and an overall positive perception in students; therefore it is essential for training skillful proficient doctors. Hence, the present study aims to assess the viewpoints of medical students on learning environment, field of study, career prospects, and the correlation between them. Methods: This study is a descriptive cross-sectional correlational study with a sample size of 165. Data was collected through standard questionnaires of DREEM to assess the learning environment as well as the Hasanloo et al. questionnaire to assess attitudes toward the field of study and career prospects. Data normality was measured using Kolmogrov Smirnov test. Correlation between attitude toward learning environment, field of study, and career prospect was evaluated by Pearson test. Results: The mean total score of 97. 83 obtained in DREEM test, indicated a semi-optimal environment and did not show a significant difference in preclinical, and clinical students. Scores regarding the perception of the field of study and career prospects were 31. 60 and 21. 20, respectively, which indicates the students' optimal perception of the field of study and career prospects. Career prospect' score in preclinical students was higher than clinical students (p <0. 05). Pearson test showed a positive correlation among attitude toward learning environment, field of study, and career prospect. Conclusions The results of this study showed that students' perception of the learning environment is semi-desirable and needs planning for improvement that can be effective in the development of attitudes toward field of study and career prospects too.

Background: In recent years, in order to improve the quality of medical care, physicians have integrated their clinical expertise and best available research evidences to form evidence-based medicine. This study aims to assess the impact of training of evidence-based medicine on knowledge and attitude of medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This experimental study had a before-after design and did not use a control group and was carried out among 244 medical externs in a course of an educational year. During the one-month course of family medicine, a three-day workshop consisting of seven two-hour sessions were held by faculty staff of community medicine department about definition, components, and how to clinically use EBM in practice. SPSS version 16 was used for data analysis. Results: The average attitude (total 5 points) improved from 2. 2 before the workshop to 4. 1, which was statistically significant (P = 0. 001). The attitude regarding the positive effects of evidencebased medicine on patient outcome and its practicality and costeffectiveness for the patient changed drastically. The knowledge of the participants regarding common concepts of EBM improved from 1. 4 points to 2. 4 points (total 3 points) after the workshop, which was statistically significant (P = 0. 001). Conclusions: Considering negative attitude and inadequate knowledge of students regarding evidence-based medicine, and favorable impact of the workshops on the knowledge and attitude of the students, even in the short-term, necessitates more extensive programs to be designed by the educational staff of the university.

Background: Freshman medical students experience high levels of distress which may affect their learning ability. The present study assessed the effectiveness of a psychological-educational supportive package on the psychological well-being and the academic performance of freshman medical students. Methods: All the first-year medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences were included in the educational year of 2018-2019 in the present study, using the census method. The first-year medical students of autumn semester 2018 formed the control group and those in winter semester 2019 formed the intervention group. 102 students among the control and 129 students (divided into 13 groups) among the intervention group completed the study voluntarily. The intervention was a psychological-educational supportive package designed to provide a supportive environment for freshmen to enhance peer-group interactions, increase emotional intelligence, cope with problem-solving strategies. It consisted of 6 weekly group sessions for first-year medical students followed by follow-up sessions until the end of the first semester. The outcome measures were Grade Point Average (GPA) of the first and second semesters as the indicators of academic performance and the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) at the beginning of the first semester, as well as at the end of the semesters to quantify the level of psychological well-being. Results: The mean GHQ-28 changes in the intervention group were significantly higher than the control group (pre-test/post-test: P= 0. 013, post-test/follow-up: P<0. 0001). In the intervention group, GPA was significantly higher than the control group in both the first and second semesters (P=0. 016, P<0. 0001, respectively). Conclusions: Psychological-educational intervention improved the level of psychological well-being and academic performance of freshman medical students.

Background: Considering controversial results about the role of emotional intelligence and tendency toward critical thinking in academic success, the present study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between emotional intelligence and tendency toward critical thinking with academic success in nursing students. Methods: The present study was an analytic sectional descriptive study using convenient sampling method that was conducted on 120 nursing students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in year 2018-2019. Data was collected with questionnaire; the questionnaire consisted of three parts: demographic characteristics, the Schutte scale, and tendency toward critical thinking questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient and independent t test. Results: Results showed that the mean score of emotional intelligence among nursing students was 109. 15) 9. 23) and the mean score of critical thinking was 116. 96 (12. 79). No significant relationship was found between emotional intelligence and its elements with academic success. Also, there was no significant relationship between critical thinking and its elements with academic success (p > 0. 05). Conclusions: Lack of a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and critical thinking with academic success might be due to the nature of academic achievement tests as well as the specific focus on remembering and memorizing the educational content as a criterion for evaluation. Therefore, it is recommended that, along with focusing on the ability of personal memory learning, development of cognitive and emotional skills of the students would also be attended.

Background: In recent years, virtual education has emerged as one of the important applications of new information and communication technologies in the world. This study was conducted to determine the effect of the virtual training course of nutrition programs in the Health System Evolution Plan on the knowledge and practice of primary health workers in Mashhad, Iran based on the Kirkpatrick Model. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 94 primary health workers in Health Center No. 1 in Mashhad. The sample size was calculated at 45 subjects and the samples were selected using a random number table. According to the staff training criteria, the training course with special conditions was held virtually based on the approved lesson plan. During the course, based on the Kirkptrick Model, a researcher-made questionnaire included four levels (reaction, learning, behavior, and results) was completed and scored based on a Likert scale. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 21). Results: The mean score of the content quality of the course was 4. 61± 0. 45; it means that the participants were very satisfied with the quality of the course content. The mean score of the presentation of the course was 4. 5± 0. 6 indicating the presentation of the course was very good. The mean score obtained from the course exam was 85. 9± 10. 3. Besides, the mean score of skills acquired by the subjects was 4. 75± 0. 34 which is considered a very good level. The mean score of the job performance of subjects was 4. 55± 0. 54 which is also a very good level. Conclusions: The in-service training course of nutrition programs in the Health System Evolution Plan was effective on the knowledge and performance of primary health workers in Mashhad.

Since 1987, there has been a need for change in nursing education programs and now the advancement of the nursing education system and the proportion of curriculum components with the concepts of the field, needs of the society and students, and views of experts are the main concern of nursing schools all over the world. The high volume of curriculum content, predominance of biomedical approaches in nursing education programs, prevalence of behavioral education system, dominance of prescriptive rules, and one-way relationship of professor and student in the clinic, and consequently, creation of an educational environment free of human caring, have all highlighted the need to revise of nursing education (1). In the last two decades, numerous efforts have been made to transform, revise, and improve nursing education and there have been extensive changes, especially in the field of curricula (2). For example, nursing researchers have emphasized the development of concept-based curricula and the need to change the nursing education paradigm so that the concept of caring has been integrated into the nursing domain. They believe that part of the nursing paradigms should be allocated to caring (3, 4). The concept of caring in nursing education has been defined and analyzed in several studies. Caring in nursing education is defined as a teaching and learning strategy that is based on sustained teacher-student interaction and human values. The creation of a supportive environment by the faculty, knowing of the student, reflection on the situation and needs, development of ethical values and compassion, strengthening the critical thinking, development of research-based approaches, and stimulation of the spirit of effort are among the features of the concept of caring in nursing education. In short, the concept of caring in education is highly close to the concept of clinical care and it is assumed that care in the teacher-student relationship is similar to the meaning of patient care. According to such a view, the concept of caring in education is derived from and influenced by the beliefs and values of the profession (5, 6). . .