Journal of Medical Education and Development
Year:2012 | Volume:6 | Issue:1 (SERIAL NUMBER 4)|Papers Count:10

Introduction: Academic advisors have been proven important in students’ success. Insufficient guidance and counseling can delay professional and educational achievements. Proper counseling can provide opportunities for educational success and also positive change students’ behavioral models. This study was accomplished with the purpose of assigning the function of advisors from the viewpoint of the students.Methods: This descriptive study was done on 385 students of Shahid Sadoughi University. Randomized stratified sampling was used. The data were collected by completing the self-reported questionnaire and then were analyzed by SPSS software. Advisors ’functions in each of the items were evaluated. The significance level of 0.05 was considered.Results: The majority of samples were from Nursing, Midwifery, and Public Health School and a few from Faculty of Medicine. The majority of students (41.8%) agreed to have the same advisor from the first term to the last. Also the results showed that the functions of advisors were poor in the areas of constant supervision and monitoring of students’ educational status (35.8%), preparing the timetable for performing the personal or group counseling (41.8%) and providing counseling sessions according to the timetable (42.3%).But their functions were fair in the areas of acceptable guidance of students in the educational problems (35.1%), and the advisor’s familiarity to educational regulations (43.9%). It is necessary to note that the advisor's ability in making the intimate relationship with students (37.1%), and the advisors’ motivation and tendency to guidance and counseling (30.1%) were the two items evaluated excellent by students.Conclusion: It is necessary that advisors make the students familiar with educational regulations at the first semester of higher education. Also, the policies and regulations for advisors will clarify their activities and will help them to perform better.

Introduction: An insight into the view of academics of Medical Faculty concerning students’ research could inform planners about strengths and weaknesses as well as potential for improvement in student research. The present study aims to better understanding of perception of academics of Medical Faculty about students’ and academics’ research.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on participants from medical faculty members at Semnan University of Medical Sciences. A questionnaire containing demographic data, questions about view of faculty mentor’s concerning students’ researches and satisfaction on their profession was handed in to faculty members. Forty five out of 65 questionnaires were completed by faculty members and returned to the researchers. Data were analyzed using suitable statistical methods.Results: Findings indicated that most of faculty members relatively satisfied with their profession. There was a significant association between job satisfaction level and tendency to research activities. Around 20% of responders showed high interest and about 66% had an average interest in advising students’ research activities. Faculty members believed students showing little inclination toward research works as well as lacking knowledge on research principles. Low income, extended hours of teaching, engagement in private practice, administrative duties, excessive bureaucracy and insufficient research funding are the most frequent challenges in doing students’ research.Conclusion: It is concluded that most medical faculty members possessed a high inclination toward research activities. Students' needs to receive detailed instructions on research methodology and should be encouraged to consider research as part of their educational programs. Faculty members should be motivated to devote more time and energy towards students’ research activities.

Introduction: depression is a common disorder; however students of medical sciences who are involved in providing physical and mental health of society are more vulnerable. Timely diagnosis of this disorder can provide opportunity to prevent progress of and complication of depression.The purpose of this study was to measure prevalence of depression among successful and unsuccessful students of Public Health and Nursing-Midwifery schools of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in 2008.Method: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study, performed on 125 successful and unsuccessful students. Grade point average of previous semester was the selection criterion of students in each group. Data collection tool was a two segments questionnaire. The first segment was related to demographic information of people under study and the second one was related to measuring the amount of depression based on Beck test. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and analytical statistics was used to investigate the relation between variables.Results: 53 out of 125 subjects were suffering from different degrees of depression. Maximum prevalence of depression was identified within unsuccessful students of midwifery and nursing school. Statistical test of X2 showed statistically significant relationship between the amount of depression and three variables of successful and unsuccessful students including: 1) discontent with the field of study, 2) living in dormitory, 3) unsuccessful students of Public Health, Midwifery- Nursing schools.Conclusion: Public Health and Nursing- Midwifery students in Yazd had a high prevalence of depression.Therefore planning is required to support advisory services to control and prevent depression among students.

Introduction: learning cognitive - behavior strategies help students who suffer from exam's anxiety to reduce their anxiety at exam time.Methods: Present research is a quasi-experimental study with the pre-test and post-test as well as control groups. Intervention of experimental group was 6 sessions about cognitive - behavioral strategies training and was compared with control group. Study population includes all students of Yazd Islamic Azad University and the sample size of 60 persons was determined by using multi-stage random sampling. For evaluation of the effect of cognitive - behavioral strategies training in reducing exam anxiety, exam anxiety between pre-test and post-test scores of both groups were analyzed with t-tests.Results: The difference between pre-test and post-test exam anxiety was significant with alpha level of 0.001. There are significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores of experimental and control groups witch show that intervention effects on reduction of exam anxiety.Difference in anxiety scores of post-test and one month follow up shows that the effect was sustained over time and case group has lower difference than the control group.Conclusion: This study suggests that exam anxiety of students will decline by learning cognitive-behavioral strategies.

Introduction: Good family atmosphere is important for successful education. It provides students direct and non-direct incentive to improve themselves.Methods: Descriptive studies of 380 students were carried out in year 12 high school students in Yazd-Iran. Variable to measure achievement motivation scale were extracted from Helm rich questionnaire, and family atmosphere scale were extracted from the Mouse Family Atmosphere Forms (Form R). Multiple regression analysis using SPSS software and step by step approach were performed.Results: Six factors were analyzed as predictors of achievement motivation including (rational, cultural based, ethical, religious circuit, control and organization). None of them were significant predictors.The relationship between gender and achievement motivation were significant. A correlation between gender, family atmosphere and achievement motivation was not observed in this study.Conclusion: The family atmosphere with various aspects of motivation may effect on development of students and educational success in Yazd high school students.

Introduction: Family Physicians project aims to promote healthy families and reduce treatment costs began in rural area and operating in most of rural area of country. The goal of this plan is to organize health insurance for well defined population in rural area.Method: In this descriptive-analytical study 80 family physicians working in rural health centers in Yazd province were questioned about training needs.Result: The most important educational needs of family physicians are environmental hazards in the workplace and identify and manage patients with mental and physical disabilities. Also 54.3% of physicians reported that the gap between theory training in student period and expectation from them in family physicians project is high or very high.Conclusion: The gap between theory and practical training in the GP training is high with the expectation from family physicians and this needs to revised the curriculum of GP training which approved by the ministry of health.

Information grows very fast and transmission of data from one person to another may not be the most efficient way of learning.Virtual education follows this goal as a relatively new and efficient approach.Although, this kind of education, including using computers and internet has prepared golden opportunities for students; problems and barriers exist.Reviewing the benefits and limitations of this method is the aim of present paper. First, introduction, definition, virtual education features and a short history of virtual education are given. Then, their benefits and limitations are considered from different aspects such as economic, time, culture and education. Finally, the changes in role and position of teachers in virtual education are reviewed and also their benefits and limitations are discussed.