Educational Research in Medical Sciences
Volume:12 Issue: 1, Jun 2023

 Psychological distress is an unpleasant mental state characterized by stress, low mood, anxiety, and depression that impairs people’s mental health and their functioning.

 This study aimed to evaluate the effects of stress management training on the psychological distress and academic achievement of university entrance exam applicants.

 This quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study with follow-up was conducted on all the students preparing for the Iranian University Entrance Exam in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2022. A total of 30 eligible participants were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups (15 per group). The intervention group received eleven 120-minute sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)-based stress management training, whereas the control group received no training. The Educational Performance Test and Psychological Distress Questionnaire were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25 software and descriptive and inferential statistics.

 Stress management training improved the treatment group’s psychological distress and academic achievement at the post-test and follow-up stages (P < 0.001). The results showed significant differences between the intervention and control groups following stress management training (P < 0.001).

 Based on the results, stress management training could improve the psychological distress and academic achievement of people facing stressful events such as university entrance exams.

 According to the 21st-century cooperative learning framework, skills and competencies include critical thinking skills, problem-solving, communication skills, creativity and updating skills, information and communication technology literacy skills, and media literacy skills. Increasing critical thinking skills is a basic necessity in the world's modern and advanced educational systems.

 This study aimed to evaluate the critical thinking skills of medical students.

 This descriptive and analytical-cross-sectional study was conducted on 271 medical students in the basic science section of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2023 who were selected by census method. The data were collected by demographic characteristics and California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyze the data using SPSS software version 21.

 The total critical thinking skills score in the studied students was 8.89 ± 3.60, equivalent to 25% of the total score. The highest and lowest areas were related to comparative reasoning and inference, with an average of 4.35 ± 1.94 and 2.59 ± 1.56, respectively. There was no significant difference between the average critical thinking skills score regarding age, gender, academic semesters, and living in a dormitory or non-dormitory.

 Based on the results, medical students' critical thinking skills are weak and lower than the exam average. The educational system of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences should be reviewed in designing a curriculum that can foster critical thinking.

 This study aimed to determine the effect of multimedia-based and traditional teaching methods on the quality of dental student preparation by evaluating its smoothness, occlusal reduction, and the presence of undercut in the pre-clinic period.

 This study was conducted on 60 pre-clinical dental students, who were divided into two groups of A and B. Group A was trained through Multimedia-based teaching methods, including PowerPoint, instructor demonstration, and procedural videos, and group B was trained by traditional education methods, which only included instructor demonstration. The computer-aided design (CAD) system was used to evaluate the preparation factors of smoothness, presence of undercuts, and occlusal reduction on the second premolar and first molar teeth.

 A significant difference was found between the frequency of smoothness in two education groups for teeth 5 and 6 (P = 0.026, P = 0.022). However, there was no significant difference between the frequency distribution of occlusal reduction in the two education groups (P = 0.383 and 0.168, for teeth 5 and 6, respectively) and was no significant difference between the undercut frequency in the two education groups (P = 0.365 and 0.078 for teeth 5 and 6, respectively).

 Based on the results, multimedia-based education can effectively promote two challenging preparation factors, including occlusal reduction and smoothness among pre-clinical students.

OrganizationalCommitment(OC) isanattitude or orientationtowardthe organization that connects the individual’s identity to the organization.

This study aimed to determine the OC level of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS) faculty members.

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 177 faculty members of KUMS in western Iran. The samples were randomly selected among faculty members. The data were collected by self-reporting using a standard Balfour and Whechler questionnaire and analyzed in SPSS software version 16 using t-tests and Pearson correlations.

The mean score of OC was 28.12 (SD: 4.82), ranging from 9 - 45. There was no significant difference between gender and OC (P = 0.239). OC had a positive and significant correlation with age (r = 0.192 & P = 0.011). The relationship between job history and OC was positive but insignificant (r = 0.147 & P = 0.057).

According to the OC score, emphasizing the subjects and areas of OC can effectively increase faculty members’ dedication to the university

Academic burnout is a severe problem associated with poor academic performance. Few studies have dealt with the role of stress and time perspective in academic burnout despite significant attention paid to this issue.

The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between stress and time perspective with academic burnout in paramedical students.

This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on all paramedical students of Ahvaz, Iran, in 2022. A total of 292 students were selected as the sample through multistage random cluster sampling. The research instruments included the Academic Burnout Questionnaire, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, and the Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression.

There was a significant positive relationship between stress and academic burnout but a significant negative relationship between time perspective and academic burnout (P = 0.001). Stress and time perspective predicted 42% of the variance of academic burnout.

Stress had a positive relationship, and time perspective had a negative relationship with academic burnout. Based on the results, paying attention to the role of stress and time perspective in students' academic burnout is more critical than ever. 

Appropriate clinical evaluation methods correct educational errors, improve clinical training, and better judge students’ skills.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of using objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and mini-clinical evaluation exercise (Mini-CEX) on operating room students’ performance and satisfaction.

One group was evaluated by the Mini-CEX method and the other by the OSCE method after random allocation. Feedback was subsequently collected, and data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics.

No significant difference was observed between the 2 groups regarding main demographic variables. The percentage of satisfaction with the evaluation method was higher in the Mini-CEX group, but this difference was insignificant (P > 0.05). The highest satisfaction was obtained for “fairness” in the OSCE group and “skill promotion” in the Mini-CEX group. The least satisfaction in both groups was related to “stressfulness.” The mean of final performance scores was significantly higher in the Mini-CEX group (P < 0.05).

Although both the OSCE and Mini-CEX evaluation methods achieved acceptable satisfaction, the Mini-CEX evaluation method improved the operating room students’ performance in the clinical field. Therefore, this evaluation method is suggested to enhance the operating room students’ clinical skills. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected educational processes and methods. Identifying and sharing educational experiences helps policymaking and educational decision-making and planning to face similar situations at the national and international levels.

This study aimed to explore medical students' lived experiences about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on their clinical education.

The main question of the research was, “what were the experiences of medical students from training in the clinical environment during the days of COVID-19?” Therefore, this descriptive phenomenological study was conducted at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Mazandaran, Iran, in 2021. The semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted with 18 medical students. Data were analyzed using Colaizz's method.

Most participants were female (N = 10), and their average age was 23.71 ± 2.06. The essential experiences were related to three themes and 20 sub-themes. Themes highlighted teaching and learning methods, educational planning and management disruptions, and assessment methods. Virtual teaching and learning included virtual journal clubs, conferences, tumor boards, case reports, morning reports, skill labs, small groups, flipped classroom methods, etc. Disruption in educational planning was mainly observed in rounds and significant rotations. OSCE, logbook, and activity in e-learning were the predominant assessments.

Based on the results, three themes were based on medical students’ experiences. According to these themes, COVID-19 was an accelerator for shifting the paradigm in Iran's medical education and students' learning and assessment strategies. Therefore, some departments used COVID-19 as an opportunity and adapted to this shift. However, several departments were disturbed in their planning and management. requiring support and training to face similar situations.