Health Professions Educator Journal

The Missing Piece in Clinical Assessment: Interdependence and Team Performance

2024-01-01T13:32:40+05:00

Clinical care is a team effort, and teamwork is crucial for
providing effective and efficient patient care. The performance
of medical students or clinical trainees is not only based on their
individual competencies but also on the team they work with
and the supervision they receive, making it interdependent, not
just based on individual traits or competencies. Interdependence
refers to the pattern of interactions between individuals in a
collaborative setting, which can either facilitate or hinder their
performance and impact on the overall practice of healthcare
team(Almoghirah., 2021).

Bridging the Gap Between Humanities and Health Sciences – Practices and Recommendations

2024-01-01T13:32:40+05:00

The article discusses two main points: first, the importance
of teaching humanities in health sciences, and second, local
practices, gaps, and recommendations. The Pakistan Higher
Education Commission initiative to introduce the foundational
courses in undergraduate programs seems promising to promote
acquisition of core foundational knowledge based on the
humanistic principles that transform health students to develop
capabilities and assisting them to become agents for change.

Gender Bias Existence: A Qualitative Exploration of Dental Students’ Perception of the Impact of their Gender on Learning in Clinical Practice

2024-01-01T13:32:40+05:00

Introduction: Gender bias in clinical practice is a topic that has received increasing attention in recent years; however, little is known about how dental students perceive and experience gender bias in their training.
Objective: To explore dental students' perceptions regarding the existence of gender bias and the impact of their gender on their learning in clinical practice.
Methods: The qualitative exploratory research design was used to conduct this study using semi-structured interviews. Data was collected from a diverse group of 15 undergraduate dental students at different stages of their studies. Interviews were transcribed and analysed to form themes.
Results: Dental students perceive that there is a vital role for gender in the mentorship they receive in clinical practice and learning opportunities.
Conclusion: Spreading awareness of gender bias during undergraduate programmes can help supervisors focus on its effects and find ways to reduce it. These findings highlight the need for urgent attention to gender bias in dental education and the importance of creating a fair, just, and inclusive learning environment for all students.
Keywords: Gender Bias, Stereotype, Gender, Dental Student, Clinical Learning

Difficulties faced by Medical Students of Southern Punjab in E-Learning during COVID-19. A Cross-Sectional Study

2024-01-01T13:32:40+05:00

Introduction: Amidst the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this cross-sectional study investigates the specific difficulties encountered by medical students in southern Punjab while navigating the realm of e-learning in their academic pursuits

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to ascertain the challenges faced by MBBS students in southern Punjab while participating in e-learning throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: In May 2020, a cross-sectional study was undertaken during the first wave of COVID-19 lockdown among third and final-year MBBS students attending E-learning sessions. The sample comprised 32 male and 43 female students, totaling 85 in the third year and 18 in the final year, with a targeted response rate of 75 to achieve a 95% confidence interval.

Results: The study findings reveal that a significant proportion of participants, comprising 66%, faced challenges in online classes owing to connectivity issues arising from their residency in less developed regions of southern Punjab. Forty percent of students did not face any difficulties during E-learning. These findings indicate that a noteworthy percentage of students, accounting for 60%, possess a negative perspective concerning online classes.

Conclusion: Our study participants didnot prefer E-learning, with many reporting internet connectivity issues, particularly those from southern Punjab. We thus recommend that the administration and faculty consider implementing asynchronous e-learning activities to enable students in less-developed areas with poor internet connectivity to benefit from online learning.

Keywords: Distance Education, Online Learning, COVID-19, Medical Students

Evaluation of Learners’ attitude towards Medical Professionalism (LAMPS) in a Private Medical & Dental College in Lahore, Pakistan

2024-01-01T13:32:40+05:00

Introduction: Investing in medical professionalism is investing in the future of healthcare if we want next generation to be equipped with values, behaviours, and attitudes that define the relationship between healthcare professionals and patients and also provide compassionate care.
Objective: To conduct a survey among faculty, post-graduate residents, house officers, and students to assess their perceptions of medical professionalism and identify gaps where additional training and support are required within the next three months.
Methods: A descriptive correlational study was conducted among a sample size of 300, including faculty, post-graduate residents, house officers, and students of a private medical college, through convenient sampling. Duration of 3 months was accustomed to collecting prescribed data through a validated self-assessment tool” LAMPS” was used after getting permission. This questionnaire consisted of five attributes: accountability, autonomy, integrity, altruism, and respect. The data was analysed using SPSS version 25.
Results: The comparison of data showed that faculty and house officers have high values of professionalism when compared to postgraduate trainees and medical students.
Conclusion: There are multiple reasons for this attitude. The most probable reason is that faculty and house officers are highly paid among these job titles, and therefore they are more accountable for their actions to the paying body.
Keywords: Health, Professionalism, Dental Students, Faculty

Perception of Undergraduate Students about Bedside Teaching: Experience at a Private Medical College

2024-01-01T13:32:40+05:00

Introduction: Bedside teaching is an essential tool for clinical skill demonstration in undergraduate medical education. Recently, a shift away from bedside teaching has been seen, which can lead to a decline in students' clinical performance.
Objective: To understand the student perception of bedside teaching among undergraduate medical students in their fourth and final year of MBBS.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was done using an online Google form of a validated questionnaire after getting permission from authors from 4th and 5th-year MBBS students of Sharif Medical and Dental College, Lahore, in March 2023. The questionnaire tested the four domains, which included the physical environment and the patient’s comfort and attitude toward the patient, the teaching task of the teacher, and group dynamics. Each domain has further 5, 7, 9, and 4 questions using a Likert scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree.
Results: The age range of the participants was between 20 and 25. The response rate was 90% for 4th year and 93 % for the final year. The adequacy of the space and the noisy place were barriers in the physical environment. Patient comfort, attitude toward the patient, and bedside teaching ethics were followed adequately.
Conclusion: Bedside teaching is an important skill to enhance clinical skill practice, communication skills, and management skills. The decline in bedside teaching can compromise patient management skills for future doctors. Appropriate steps should be taken to rectify the barriers to adequate provision of BST.

Emotional Intelligence: An Overlooked Element of Dental Education

2024-01-01T13:38:02+05:00

ABSTRACT:

Introduction: Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to a collection of abilities connected to self-control, self-motivation and the capacity to identify emotions. In order to treat patients with a special, tailored approach, the dentist must also be skilled in comprehending the impact of the patient's behavior.

Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the level of EI in dental students and to relate the domains of emotional intelligence with gender discrimination.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a e-based questionnaire at a dental teaching hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 110 students participated in the study by answering 30 questions of trait emotional intelligence questionnaire (TEIQUE-SF). The data was evaluated using SPSS version 26 from 93 completely filled questionnaires.

Results: On the basis of the mean and standard deviation of data, the majority of responses appeared to fall within the range of neutral or agree on Likert scale. (Linkert’s scale: strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree strongly agree). The coefficient alpha (α) values for EI factors of overall data set range from small (0.46) to large (0.72), with no gender related differences. The Spearman's correlation test indicated statistically significant results between the EI factor traits except emotionality and sociability.

Conclusion: It is important for dental students and faculty to understand the concept of EI and emphasize the likelihood of this to be included in the curriculum and clinical training.

Keywords: Behaviour, Dental Students, Emotional Intelligence, Social Intelligence

Perception of Medical Students Toward the Impact of Online Education on their Academic Performance and Emotional Wellbeing

2024-01-01T13:32:40+05:00

Introduction: Online education was used to some extent in all fields before COVID 19 pandemic. Its use has markedly increased during the pandemic, with a major shift from traditional teaching methods to online and hybrid teaching. Due to advancements in medicine and technology, the use of e-learning and artificial intelligence in health education is compulsory.

Objective: This study aims to determine the perceptions of medical students toward the impact of online education on their academic performance and emotional well-being.

Methods: A 31-item questionnaire was devised on Google Forms and disseminated through WhatsApp groups of the fourth- and final-year MBBS students of Allama Iqbal Medical College. The survey was administered from April 4th, 2023, to April 30th, 2023. The questionnaire consisted of mixed-style questions. The medical students were asked about their perceptions of online education and its impact on academic performance and emotional well-being. Results: More than 50 percent of students reported a positive impact of online education on their academic performance, but it negatively affected their practical skills. Many students experienced anxiety, stress, and difficulty focusing during online education. A significant difference is observed due to student status and residential status in their academic performance and emotional well-being.

Conclusion: Students have positive perceptions of their academic performance in terms of formative and summative assessment scores but experience negative effects on their practical skills. It is associated with various degrees of emotional disturbance, including stress, anxiety, less motivation, and an attention deficit.

Keywords: Online Education, Academic Performance, Emotional well-being