Journal of Medical Education Development
Volume:17 Issue: 53, Spring 2024

In the medical field, there is a growing emphasis on fostering creativity and innovation in medical students to prepare them for the unpredictable nature of patient care. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of both lecturers and medical students on the current teaching practices and their influence on the development of creative thinking skills

The study was conducted as qualitative research at the Malaysian Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and included a purposeful sample of eight medical students and seven lecturers. Data were gathered through individual semi-structured interviews held via the Google Meet platform and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.

The findings indicate that learner-centred approaches, such as problem-solving exercises and group discussions, seminars, debates, and dramas have a positive impact on enhancing their creative thinking abilities. The use of technology-assisted teaching methods, including e-learning and simulation labs, was also perceived as inspiring, however, limitations in technical infrastructure were noted. Challenging activities like assignments, games, competitions, and online tests encourage creative learning.  Hands-on activities, such as bedside teaching and clinical skill learning, are also valuable in learning clinical skills in unique ways, but their effectiveness could be reduced by environmental and personal factors. Furthermore, practicing para-curriculum activities in a supportive and relaxed learning environment was identified as fostering a culture of original thought.

This study suggests that a comprehensive approach to medical education that integrates creative pedagogy can be instrumental in fostering creativity in medical students. Providing opportunities for creative thinking through workshops and addressing technical infrastructure limitations in technology-assisted teaching methods could be considered in enhancing the creative curricula in the South East region. The findings underline the importance of a learner-centered approach and a supportive learning atmosphere in promoting creative learning.

The increased use of electronic resources in education has necessitated the transformation of traditional teaching methods into modern educational technologies. The present study aimed to compare the effects of inquiry-based learning(IBL) and smartphone-based application learning (SBAL) on clinical performance self-efficacy (CPSE) of undergraduate nursing students in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

This quasi-experimental study was conducted at the NICU of Urmia University of Medical Sciences in Urmia, Iran, between September 2020 and February 2021. A convenience sampling method was used to select 64 undergraduate nursing students who were assigned to three groups. The SBAL group (n=21) and the IBL group (n=22) received six training sessions (60 minutes each session) along with conventional clinical education, while the control group(n=21) received conventional clinical education. All groups completed the CPSE scale before and after their internship. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 24) using statistical tests, including Chi-square, paired t-test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Bonferroni multiple comparisons. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The mean increase in the total CPSE score was significantly different among the three groups (P<0.001). The SBAL (P<0.001) and IBL (P<0.001) groups demonstrated a more marked increase in the CPSE score compared to the control group. In addition, the increase in scores in all CPSE domains was higher in the intervention groups trained by SBAL (P<0.001) and IBL (P<0.01) compared to the control group. Nonetheless, there was no significant difference in the increase in CPSE scores between the SBAL and IBL groups (P>0.05).

The findings of this study suggested that both SBAL and IBL can enhance the CPSE of nursing students undergoing conventional clinical training. Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed between the two methods in terms of improving the self-efficacy of clinical performance. Future studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to compare the effectiveness of these methods.

 Medication errors are one of the most serious concerns in the process of treatment and patient care. According to the conducted studies, the proportion of medication error reporting among nursing students is relatively high. The present study aimed to assess the effect of the peer mentoring method on nursing students' medication errors. 

 In this quasi-experimental study, 63 fifth-semester nursing students (starting in fall and winter semesters) of Abhar Nursing College were selected in 2022 and randomly assigned to two intervention and control groups based on the entry semester. Data collection tools included demographic and Medication Administration Error (MAE) questionnaires. Initially, the mentor students were selected and participated in three sessions of group education. Thereafter, a joint meeting was held with the students, mentors, and clinical instructors, and while explaining the work method, the questionnaires were completed by the students. In the next phase, two mentors were placed in the group for every seven students, and during the three-week internship, they took responsibility for clinical education (with an emphasis on drug administration education) with the instructor. After one semester, the study participants completed the MAE questionnaire again. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 26) using descriptive and inferential statistics.

  After the intervention, the mean score of medication errors in the intervention group decreased significantly, and a significant difference was detected between intervention and control groups. Therefore, students in the intervention group had fewer medication errors than their peers in the control group (P<0.001).

  The obtained results pointed to the effectiveness of the peer mentoring method in the mitigation of medication errors among nursing students. Therefore, it is recommended that this method be used in their clinical education, and future studies assess the effect of the virtual peer mentoring method on the occurrence of medication errors among these students.

Regarding the urgent needs of students for an efficient teaching methodology, it is necessary to use self-directed and self-centered teaching methods that encourage the power of reasoning and judgment. This study aimed to investigate the effect of using the game-based Appendectomy Surgical Simulation software on the academic achievement of undergraduate operating room students in Khomein, Iran.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty undergraduate operating room students who were in the second semester of the first year of the operating room undergraduate program participated in this quasi-experimental single-blind study. The participants were assigned randomly to the control and intervention groups after their consent was obtained. Following the use of the game-based Appendectomy Surgical Simulation software for the intervention group and lecture-based classes on a specific academic learning software for the control group, the data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire concerning academic achievement, whose validity and reliability were approved. The data were then analyzed using descriptive and analytical tests in IBM SPSS (version 22) at a significance level of P<0.05.

The average score of academic achievement was significantly higher in the intervention group (58.35±2.38) than in the control group (35.65±4.14) (P<0.05).

Using the game-based Appendectomy Surgical Simulation software has been effective in improving the academic achievement of students during the COVID-19 pandemic and afterward. Therefore, it can be used in academic and educational programs.

It is essential to identify and find solutions to reduce professional misconduct among nurses that affect the satisfaction of patients and nurses, improve the work environment, and guide educational programs. Explaining the experiences of nursing students would also help in future studies of the issue. Therefore, this study was conducted to explain the perception of nursing students towards " professional misconduct " in interaction with nurses.

This qualitative study was conducted with the conventional content analysis design from April to November 2022 at Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Alborz, Iran. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 senior nursing students who were selected by purposive sampling method. The gathered data were analyzed in MAXQDA20 software using the Elo and Kyngas inductive approach.

Data analysis led to the formation of 83 open codes, 12 sub-categories, and 4 categories (themes), namely "conscious omission", "unsympathetic atmosphere", "unfavorable environment", and "ineffective training". Recording unrealistic reports, neglecting patients and their training, and care discrimination belonged to the “conscious omission” category. Enslavement, disrespect, discrimination, lack of organizational trust, and poor interaction with the patient and family formed the subclasses of an "unsympathetic atmosphere". The "unfavorable environment" category was constituted of two subcategories of overcrowded wards and lack of facilities and equipment, and two subcategories of insufficient academic education and lack of role models were the constituents of the "ineffective training" category.

Nursing students are facing professional misconduct at the bedside. Failure to perform professional duties efficiently was the most prominent example of perceived unprofessional behavior. Despite the importance of the influence of the environment and resources in development of unprofessional behavior, the absence of ethical role models in the clinical environment was considered an extremely serious factor in the emergence and incidence of professional misconduct. The findings revealed that creating a favorable environment and continuous training in the principles of professional ethics were effective in reducing the occurrence of professional misconduct.

Simulation training is currently the most widely used training method for practical skills in the field of medicine and treatment. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of personalized video feedback in endotracheal intubation skills and the satisfaction of undergraduate anesthesia students using the video feedback method.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted on anesthesia students of Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz in 2021. A total of 46 students were selected via convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned to two groups (intervention and control) by block method. For the intervention group, a personalized video feedback session was also implemented in addition to a one-session training on endotracheal intubation using a mannequin. To collect data, a questionnaire on students' demographic characteristics, a researcher-made checklist of tracheal intubation skills, and a researcher-made satisfaction questionnaire were used. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 25) using statistical tests. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Based on the obtained results, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of demographic characteristics. The mean scores of endotracheal intubation skill scores before the intervention were 54.45±7.34 and 52.38±6.06 in the intervention and control groups, respectively, demonstrating no statistically significant difference (P=0.32). After the intervention, the mean skill scores reached 65.36±5.66 and 51.90±3.9 in the intervention and control groups, respectively, illustrating a statistically significant difference (P<0.001). After the intervention, the mean scores of satisfaction with endotracheal intubation training were 117.72±11.68 and 60.57±35.28 in intervention and control groups, respectively, pointing to a statistically significant difference (P<0.001).

Considering the effectiveness of personalized video feedback intervention in the endotracheal intubation skill and satisfaction of undergraduate anesthesia students, it is suggested to implement this method in teaching the tracheal intubation skills among undergraduate anesthesia students.

Bullying is a growing concern in the workplace. Medical sciences students, in particular, are vulnerable to bullying behaviors during their clinical placements. This study aimed to explore the phenomenon of bullying among medical sciences students in clinical placements.

The study utilized a conventional qualitative content analysis method, conducting sixteen semi-structured individual interviews and six focus group discussions (FGDs) with medical sciences students from four fields of medicine. Data were collected for 3 months from November 2020 to February 2021.

The findings revealed that medical sciences students faced various challenges during their clinical education, including failure to meet clinical educational expectations, experiencing violence in clinical placement, and unsafe clinical environments. These challenges negatively impacted the students' learning experiences and overall well-being.

This study provides valuable insights into the phenomenon of workplace bullying among medical sciences students, emphasizing the importance of promoting a positive and supportive learning environment in clinical placements.

In dental education, understanding optimal assessment methods and factors like stress and confidence is essential. This research assessed second-year dental students' performance in fixed prosthodontics using multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and pre-clinical practical exams, examining impacts of gender, stress, and confidence.

Using a quasi-experimental design, 495 students from a single faculty underwent assessment. Selected via convenience sampling, they were exposed to MCQs and practical exams in fixed prosthodontics. An expert-reviewed questionnaire gauged their stress and confidence. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and Pearson's correlation. Additionally, a balanced sub-set of 176 students (88 males and 88 females) was chosen for gender-based analysis.

Findings indicate statistical parity between MCQ and practical exam performances (p>0.001). Females slightly outperformed in MCQs, while males excelled in practicals, without reaching statistical significance (p>0.05). Stress correlated with practical exam outcomes (r=0.34, p=0.001), and confidence with MCQ scores (r=0.41, p<0.0001).

The research underscores near-equivalence of MCQs and practical exams for student assessments in fixed prosthodontics. Recognizing the roles of stress and confidence in assessments offers insights for balanced evaluations. Dental faculties should integrate these findings, and future work should pivot towards tool validations for enriched learning.

The Epidemic Act invoked during COVID-19 pandemic restricted the use of traditional methods of face-to-face teaching and learning and entailed a drastic transition of teaching histology by the time-tested traditional mode in the laboratory to that on a virtual platform. Implementation of this virtual platform as the teaching methodology in histology which evolved as a result of the pandemic can now be continued as an important new teaching-learning modality even after COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted. Hence, this article explores the effect of the use of appropriate technology on students for teaching and learning.

The study undertaken at Department of Anatomy, Goa Medical College employed a non-interventional (cross-sectional) design. First year medical students participating in the online histology sessions were subjects in this study (n=144).  The data collected comprised of perceptions regarding the new teaching-learning study tool which were recorded as a self-administered questionnaire imparted to them through a Google form. The responses were analyzed using chi-square test and p-values were obtained using SPSS.

Results indicated that virtual teaching provided the students with accessibility, flexibility, additional data and better retention of concepts. But the students ultimately were of the opinion that virtual teaching followed by laboratory teaching was the most preferred approach to learning. This preference of the integrated approach used in this study as compared to traditional classroom teaching was confirmed and found to be statistically significant as the p-value = 0.001< 0.05.

While the study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the newly implemented integrated method as a preferred tool in current day teaching-learning versus the traditional teaching method, it also highlights the potential grey areas faced by the students using this virtual learning environment.

In the field language, teaching Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) has attracted considerable attention as a beneficial pedagogical technique. The present study aimed to determine the short-term and long-term effectiveness of WCF strategies for ameliorating English for Specific Purposes (ESP) nursing students' writing ability in English nursing reports.

In this quasi-experimental study, the researcher employed convenience sampling to select 93 intermediate-level learners from three intact classes at a university of medical sciences in Iran as participants based on their results on the Oxford Placement Test. The researcher then assigned these classes to three experimental groups, including direct WCF, indirect WCF, and meta-linguistic WCF groups. He administered a writing pre-test to all groups.  Subsequently, each of these groups received their pertinent WCF treatment in 10 sessions. Following the completion of the treatment, a post-test was administered to all of the groups. The researcher conducted a follow-up test one month after the post-test. Finally, SPSS 24 was used to analyze the data.

The results highlighted the fact that the meta-linguistic WCF proved more effective than the direct and indirect WCF strategies (p < 0.05. Furthermore, the direct WCF strategy had a more positive effect on the ESP nursing students’ writing ability in comparison with the indirect WCF strategy (p < 0.05).

These results may provide the ESP teacher educators, syllabus designers, and instructors guiding principles regarding the use of WCF in ESP nursing students’ writing courses.

As the healthcare landscape undergoes transformation and information technology and digital health continue to advance, the significance of nursing informatics has come to the forefront. This has emphasized the need to enhance the quality of the curriculum, required competencies, and to draw comparisons with successful programs globally. The study aimed to compare the master's curriculum in nursing informatics at Tehran University of Medical Sciences with that of the University of Maryland.

Conducted in 2022, this comparative study utilized the Bereday model across four stages: description, interpretation, juxtaposition, comparison. The University of Maryland was selected for comparison due to its global reputation as a leading institution in nursing informatics. The study encompassed an examination of the overall structure, curriculum, mission, professional roles, and admission conditions.

The curricula of both universities exhibited substantial similarities in more than half of the cases. Consistencies were observed in mission-vision statements and student acceptance criteria. However, variations between the two institutions emerged in terms of class types, details regarding the number of courses, and the definition of professional roles.

Recognizing the critical role of nursing informatics training, suggested reforms to enhance professional roles, course content, and planning for flexibility, including diverse teaching methods both in non-attendance (e-learning) and face-to-face formats, can contribute to the enhancement of the curriculum in Tehran. Given the extensive history of this specialized field globally, there is a pressing need to enhance university education in nursing schools in Iran. It is recommended that, in addition to the master's degree in Iran, the program development in the form of short-term courses should be considered—either one year or fellowships—tailored to current needs.

Dear Editor                                                            
Evaluating faculty performance is essential for promoting effective education in academic environments. This process faces significant challenges due to factors such as the diversity of faculty roles, the subjectivity of evaluations, and potential biases (1). Various evaluation methods have been developed to address these challenges, including administrator observations, student academic progress, teacher portfolio, self-evaluation, and peer- and student evaluation (2). However, controversies still arise from differences in the evaluation process, attitude and characteristics of raters, methods, and tools used in the evaluation process (3, 4). To overcome these challenges and provide a more comprehensive picture of teacher performance, studies suggest using multiple evaluation methods simultaneously, which can reduce errors and increase the validity and reliability of the collected results during the evaluation process (1).
Students and peers play a significant role in evaluating professors' performance (2). There are two main perspectives regarding student evaluations of professors: (a) student evaluations are essential for the official faculty evaluation process, as students have direct experience with the professor's knowledge, skills, and teaching abilities; (b) faculty tenure and promotion committees should not rely solely on students' opinions, as students might favor more popular professors who focus on entertaining rather than educating (5). It is important to note that younger students may focus on the personal traits of professors instead of their actual performance, leading to a halo effect in teacher evaluations. This effect can also be seen in peer evaluations, as personal relationships may influence the evaluation scores (6-8). This cognitive bias, the halo effect, affects evaluations by students and peers, and can be considered as the "Dr. Fox Effect."
The Dr. Fox Effect, first identified by Naftulin et al. in 1973, occurs when a charismatic speaker despite delivering low-quality content, receives high evaluation scores. In their study, a professional actor, Myron Fox, posed as an invited professor and delivered a lecture filled with contradictory statements, fake words, and irrelevant content. Surprisingly, he received high scores from the audience, who were unaware that it was an experiment (9). Later studies addressing the initial study shortcomings confirmed the Dr. Fox Effect. These studies found that an engaging speaker using enthusiasm, varied voice and tone, humor, and other teaching techniques could create a halo effect on evaluation scores, even when the content quality is poor (10-12).
Students and peers are essential resources in the faculty member evaluation process, and to prevent the "Dr. Fox effect," an appropriate evaluation tool is required. Additionally, it is recommended to educate faculty members through faculty development programs and inform students about the Dr. Fox effect as a prerequisite to the faculty member evaluation process. Professors should aim to deliver their content expressively without compromising quality. In this regard, we offer four types of content coverage and teacher expressiveness (Table. 1): Type A represents the best mode, in which the professor presents high-quality content with engaging expressiveness. Type B occurs when the professor is an expert in the relevant content but has weak expressiveness. Type C (Dr. Fox Effect) refers to situations where the professor presents poor content with engaging expressiveness. Lastly, Type D represents the worst possible mode for the teacher, which consists of both vague content and weak expressiveness.

Table. 1. Four types of content coverage and teacher expressiveness






Rich Content Coverage
Poor Content Coverage


                           Strong Teacher Expressiveness
Type A
Type C (Dr. Fox Effect)


                             Weak Teacher Expressiveness
Type B
Type D




In conclusion, it is essential for faculty and student development programs to educate stakeholders about the Dr. Fox Effect. The faculty promotion and recruitment committees should consider teacher expressiveness, content knowledge proficiency, and the potential impact of the Dr. Fox Effect when making decisions about teacher promotion, tenure, and recruitment policies.