abdolhussein shakurnia

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease and a major public health problem globally. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of asthma and related symptoms in schoolchildren in Dezful city, southwest Iran.

In this cross-sectional descriptive analytical study, the prevalence of asthma symptoms was measured using a randomized cluster sampling method among 2,978 schoolchildren aged 6-14 years. A validated questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was used from January to February 2020. The chi-square test was used to determine the relationship between variables, which were expressed as percentages, with a p‐value <0.05 considered statistically significant.

The overall prevalence of asthma was 4.7% (CI=3.98 - 5.54), significantly higher among 13-14-year-olds compared to the 6-7-year-old age group (6.4% vs. 3.1%, p<0.001) and in males versus females (6.9% vs. 2.5%, p<0.001). The total prevalence of wheezing in the last year, the main symptom of asthma, was 7.2% (CI=6.31 - 8.20), significantly higher among 13-14-year-olds (8.4% vs. 6.1%, p<0.009) and male schoolchildren (9.6% vs. 4.7%, p<0.001).

According to our findings, and compared to the previous ISAAC study in Iran, the prevalence of asthma symptoms was relatively low among Dezful schoolchildren. Further epidemiological studies are needed to investigate factors affecting this disease, such as indoor and outdoor environments, as well as their effects on gene expression over time.

Anatomy is very important as a cornerstone in medical education. The opinions of medical students as the main source of information for the quality and effectiveness of anatomy teaching methods can be used to improve this course. This study was conducted to investigate the opinions of medical students about anatomy teaching methods at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences.Materials &  This cross-sectional study was performed on 180 medical students. The opinions of medical students were investigated using a researcher-made questionnaire containing 16 questions about anatomy teaching methods. The validity and reliability of this questionnaire was confirmed in a preliminary study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-test. Out of 180 medical students, 113 (62.8%) were girls and 67 (37.2%) were boys. The average age of the students was 25.95 ± 1.7 years. The students stated that the level of their learning from the current teaching methods of anatomy is average (3.35 out of 5). Among the teaching methods, presentation of clinical tips (4.35), use of moulage (4.33) and the combined method of basic and clinical education (4.11) had the greatest effect on the satisfaction, while online teaching (2.82) and the use of PowerPoint (2.53) had the least effect. There were no significant differences between students by gender and academic performance in relation to teaching methods (p>0.05). Considering the relative satisfaction of medical students toward the current teaching methods of anatomy, it is suggested that medical teachers use modern teaching methods and combined basic and clinical methods at the same time as practical training to increase the quality of anatomy teaching by revising their teaching methods.

Burnout is a common psychological state among medical residents, which may affect their training, safety, and clinical performance. This study aimed to examine burnout, and its associated factors among the medical residents in university hospitals of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 300 medical residents from teaching hospitals in March 2021, using a web-based questionnaire. The validated Persian version of Maslach Burnout Questionnaire was used to collect the data. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to identify factors significantly associated with burnout.

From 300 medical residents, 291(97%) responded. The participants’ mean age was 32.9± 4.4, and over half (60.1%) were females, and 140(48.1%) were married. Burnout was reported by 77.3% of the medical residents. As far as emotional exhaustion (EE) was concerned, 25.1% reported high levels of burnout. In addition, high levels of depersonalization (DP) were reported by 19.9% of the participants, and 32.3% indicated a sense of low professional accomplishment (PA). There were notable differences in burnout and its dimensions among medical residents specializing in various fields, with surgical-specialty residents reporting the highest levels (p=0.000). Moreover, burnout was significantly associated with age (p=0.036), residency year (p=0.001), and specialty type (p=0.000). Based on multiple linear regression model, higher burnout scores were predicted by age (p=0.001), and specialty type (p=0.001).

Based on our findings, there is a relatively high rate of burnout among medical residents. Therefore, it is essential that stakeholders urgently take effective measures to protect medical residents’ mental health.

The present research was conducted in order to determine and identify the educational needs of the academic faculty members of Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, in order to plan the necessary programs for teaching professors and improving their theoretical knowledge and practical skills with the aim of improving the quality of university education.

The current study is a descriptive-analytical needs assessment study. The research population was all academic staff members of Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, and sampling was done by census method. The data collection tool includes a researcher-made questionnaire with confirmed validity and reliability, and the results were analyzed through SPSS software.

In this study, the highest priority from the professors' point of view includes: the field of research in education and health system (how to formulate and implement a research plan) 77/7%, the field of curriculum planning (lesson plan, course plan and curriculum revision) 68%, In the field of educational guidance and counseling (communication skills) it was 60/2%, professional ethics 57/2%, teaching methods and techniques 56/7%, evidence-based 56/2%, program evaluation 48% and student evaluation 43/7%.

According to the teachers' training needs for most of the studied components, it is suggested to revise and revise the training programs in this direction. And training courses to empower teachers should be held in a more practical way.

The main responsibility of medical teachers is teaching and training of students. Knowing the teaching styles of teachers and modifying their educational strategies can be effective in improving the quality of education. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the teaching style of basic and clinical medical teachers in ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2021.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 131 medical teachers in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences from April to June 2021. The data collection instrument was Grasha-Riechmann's questionnaire, which includes 40 questions in 5 sections. Data was analyzed by SPSS 18 software.

The average age of the study population was 46.56±8.65 years, with more than half being females (57.6%), and clinical teachers (56.5%). The preferred teaching style of medical teachers was as follows: Expert style (28.2%), facilitator style (26.7%), Formal Authority (20.6%), Delegator (14.5%), and Personal Model (9.9%). There was a significant difference between the teaching styles of basic and clinical teachers and basic teachers use more the facilitator style; while clinical teachers use more expert style (p=0.001). There was no significant difference between the teaching styles by age, gender, teaching experience, and academic rank.

This study showed that medical teachers prefer expert and facilitator teaching style. These findings can help medical teachers to modify their teaching styles for effective learning.

Human brucellosis is one of the most common zoonosis infections, with a high prevalence in some regions of the world. It is considered one of the vital health and economic problem worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the trend of seroprevalence of brucellosis among Suspected Patients attending a medical center, in Ahvaz over an 11-year period.

In this cross-sectional descriptive retrospective study, the data of all suspected brucellosis patients between 2011 and 2021 were extracted and analyzed. Wright's serological test 1/80 and above; and the titer of 2ME and Combs' Wright test of 1/40 and above were considered criteria for seropositive of brucellosis. Data were analyzed using SPSS-22.

Out of 25241 suspected patients, 645 were seropositive of Brucellosis (seroprevalence rate, 2.6%). The frequency of seropositive cases in men with 193 cases (2.7%) was higher than in women with 452 cases (2.5%) (p=0.14). The highest frequency of positive cases was observed in the age group of 11-20 with 59 cases (3.4%) and the lowest frequency was observed in the age group 1-10 years with 14 cases (1.5%) (p=0.001). The changes trend of seroprevalence of brucellosis in this period of time did not have a constant trend; and were in a zigzag pattern. There is a statistically significant difference between the frequency of positive cases in different years (p=0.001).

The findings of this study can be of great value to health care policy makers in understanding the epidemiology of Brucellosis in this region.

 Today, colonoscopy is used as a tool for early diagnosis of important gastrointestinal findings such as colorectal cancer. The present study was conducted to investigate and analyze the diagnostic findings of patients undergoing colonoscopy in the teaching hospitals of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS) in Ahvaz in 2021.

 A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on the medical records of all patients referred to the colonoscopy departments of Imam Khomeini and Golestan hospitals, affiliated with AJUMS, in 2021. After applying exclusion criteria, 1526 cases were included in the analysis. Data on demographics, patient symptoms, and laboratory and diagnostic findings were collected using a dedicated questionnaire.

 A cohort of 1526 patients was studied, with 54.1% being male and 45.9% female. Their ages ranged from 14 to 97 years, with a mean age of 51.77 years. Rectal bleeding (32.3%) and abdominal pain (23.6%) were the primary reasons for colonoscopy. Hemorrhoids (25.5%) and polyps (12.5%) were the most common findings, while single rectal ulcer (2.3%) and anal fissure (2.7%) were least frequent. Patients aged 45 years and older constituted a higher proportion of referrals and exhibited a greater frequency of abnormal colonoscopic results. Although colorectal cancer was more prevalent in males (56.6% versus 43.4% in females), this difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0.881).

 The most common causes of colonoscopy were rectal bleeding and abdominal pain, and the most pathological findings in these patients were hemorrhoids and polyps. The frequency of polyps and colorectal cancer was significantly higher in age groups above 45 years. Therefore, colonoscopy seems to be a suitable diagnostic tool for this age group.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Increasing the knowledge of this disease in medical students can be effective in treatment and prevention of its mortality. This study aims to assess the knowledge of CRC and its related factors among medical students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS) in Iran.

This is a cross-sectional study. The study population consists of AJUMS students in clinical medicine in 2022, of whom 210 were included in the study using a convenience sampling method. The data was collected using a valid and reliable researcher-made questionnaire with 25 items measuring the knowledge of CRC and its related factors. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 22 using independent t-test.

Knowledge of CRC was poor in 55.5% of medical students. Knowledge of CRC symptoms was poor in 78%. Knowledge of CRC risk and protective factors was poor in 59% and 54.5%, respectively. However, the knowledge of CRC screening methods was favorable in most of them (82.5%). The knowledge scores were significantly higher in students with higher grade point average (20.91±4.3 vs 17.86±5.1, P<0.001), but there were no significant differences among medical students based on sex, marital status, and course of study (internship/externship).

The knowledge of CRC and its related factors in medical students of AJUMS is not satisfactory. Therefore, appropriate programs should be used to increase their CRC knowledge.

Examining the opinions of medical students about the thesis, its implementation process, and its effectiveness can make the planners, familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the existing conditions and provide the possibility of its correction. The present study was conducted to investigate the opinions of medical students of Ahvaz JundiShapur University of Medical Sciences regarding the process of general medical thesis implementation.

In this cross-sectional study, the opinions of 247 medical students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences were examined through a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity and reliability were confirmed. Questionnaires were distributed and collected face to face and online. Data were analyzed using chi-square and independent t-test through SPSS .

Students with an average score of 1.36 out of 3 stated that the thesis course has little importance and necessity in the curriculum of general medicine course. With an average of 2.5 out of 3, they wanted to replace the clinical course with a thesis course. Students with an average score of 1.85 out of 3 stated that they are relatively satisfied with the ability and cooperation of their guidance teachers. The results showed that there is no statistically significant difference between the students about the importance and necessity of the thesis course by gender (p=0.22, t=1.22) and the grade point average (GPA) (p=0.15, t=1.43). 89 (%79.7) female student and 106 (%85.5) male student stated that if the "thesis" was optional, they would not choose it (p=0.15). No significant difference was observed between the students by GPA with choosing the thesis if it was optional (p=0.41).

According to the results, medical students were relatively satisfied with the ability and cooperation of the supervisors in completing the thesis, but they believed that the thesis unit is not very important in their medical profession and future career, and they wanted to replace it with clinical training courses.

Given the importance of empathy in the process of caring for patients, this study investigated the level of empathy and its associated factors among medical residents at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS).

This cross-sectional study was conducted at AJUMS in 2022. All 473 medical residents who were studying at AJUMS were included in the study using census method. Participants completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy. This scale has 20 items that are scored based on a 7-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient.

The number of medical residents who completed the questionnaires was 290 (response rate 61.3%). These medical residents' mean score of empathy was 102.81±12.75 (out of a total of 140 points). Empathy scores had no statistically significant relationship with sex, marital status, and entry year (p˃ 0.05). Pearson's correlation coefficient showed that there is a significant relationship between the level of empathy and age (r=0.223, p=0.001). Also, there was a significant difference between the empathy scores of medical residents of different specialties (p=0.0001, F=5.249), with the psychiatry residents having the highest mean empathy score (118.31±6.1) and the ophthalmology residents having the lowest (92.85±14.2).

The findings showed that the empathy score of the residents is at a moderate level, and given the significant difference between the empathy scores of residents of different specialties, it can be argued that empathy changes under the influence of the clinical education environment and is a teachable skill.

Background and Objectives Typhoid is a contagious disease transmitted through food and water and is a public health problem worldwide, especially in developing countries. The present study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of typhoid fever in suspected patients referred to the Laboratory of Jahad Daneshgahi, Ahvaz, Iran. Subjects and Methods This retrospective study was conducted on all patients suspected of typhoid fever who were referred to the Laboratory of Jahad Daneshgahi in Ahvaz, Iran, in a 10-year period from 2011-2020. The Widal serological test was considered positive 1.160 and above. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22) and Chi-square test. Results Out of 8,642 patients, 88 (1.02%) cases were seropositive. Despite the trend of changes in positive cases from 0.4% in 2011 to 1.4% in 2015 and its zigzag diagram in different years, no statistically significant difference was observed between the positive cases by year (P=0.08). The lowest and highest seropositive frequencies were in summer and winter seasons (0.8% ver.1.2%); and in October and February months (0.4 ver.1.6%), respectively (P=0.43). Although the frequency of seropositive cases of typhoid fever was higher in women (1.07%) than in men (0.97%), this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.37). The highest frequency of seropositive cases was observed in the age group under 15 years (1.3%) and the lowest in the age group over 65 years [0.6%; P=0.56]. Conclusion The obtained results showed that the changes in typhoid fever in this period of time were zigzag and had no constant trend. Moreover, no statistically significant difference was observed between males and females at different ages. The findings of this study could be helpful for healthcare policymakers in understanding the epidemiology of typhoid fever in this region.

Background and Objectives Empathy plays a social role in interpersonal relationships, including interactionsbetween doctors and patients. This study aims to investigate the level of empathy in students AhvazJundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS) and its relationship with age, sex, and religiosity.Subjects and Methods In this cross-sectional descriptive study, participants were 361 AJUMS students,who were selected using a convenience sampling method in 2020. Jefferson scale of empathy and Glock& Stark religiosity scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test,Pearson correlation test, and linear regression.Results The mean total empathy score of students was 106.42±14.82, and their mean total religiosityscore was 57.04±14.19. A statistically significant relationship was observed only between empathyand the emotions dimension of religiosity (r=0.125, P=0.018). No significant relationship was observedbetween empathy and the total score of religiosity and its other dimensions. The mean empathy score infemale students was significantly higher than in male students (109.15 vs. 103.02, P˂0.001). Regressionanalysis results showed that the emotions dimension of religiosity, age, and sex were able to predict thelevel of empathy in students.Conclusion The empathy in AJUMS students is at a relatively favorable level, and has a positive significantcorrelation with the emotions dimension of religiosity in them. It is recommended to develop plans tostrengthen the empathy of medical students and include an educational course in their curriculum sothat they be able to improve the mental and spiritual health of patients.

Information literacy enables learners to master information content and expand their exploration and control to learn more. Information literacy is an essential element in the development of independent and effective learning in higher education. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the organization and use of electronic information and its relationship with some demographic characteristics of students.

In this descriptive-analytical study, the studied population included all medical students from the third to the seventh year of medicine at Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz in the academic year of 2020-2021. The sample size consisted of 302 people, of which 28 people were dropped. Data was collected by using information literacy questionnaire including 30 items and five skills. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire has been checked. The random sampling method was simple. To analyze the data, descriptive and analytical statistics were used using SPSS software at a significance level of p<0.05.

The mean score of information literacy of medical students was 2.72± 0.56 out of 5. Comparing the mean scores of information literacy between the level of information literacy of medical students in basic, clerkship and internship courses showed that there is a statistically significant difference, as well as in higher levels the level of information literacy of students increases.

The results of this study showed that the average information literacy of medical students was moderate. Since the students were studying for a professional doctorate, it requires special attention to improve their literacy level.

The choice of a medical specialty is an important issue that has implications both for medical students and the healthcare system. This study aimed to explore the Specialty preferences and motivational factors influencing career preferences of medical students in Ahvaz, Southwest Iran.

A questionnaire-based, cross sectional study was performed on 198 medical students during the academic year 2018-2019. Data were collected using a questionnaire scored based on a five-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 19 using descriptive and analytical statistics. P <0.05 was considered significant.

The mean age of the students was 26.8±1.4 years; 71(36%) were male and 134(68.4%) were single. The most popular specialty was radiology (n=45; 22.7%), followed by dermatology (n=35; 17.7%) and ophthalmology (n=31; 15.7%). The least popular specialties were psychiatry (n=1; 0.5%), emergency medicine (n=1; 0.5%), and anesthesia (n=0; 0.0%). Most of the reasons for specialty choice were personal interest (4.54 out of 5), achieving abilities and competence to promote health in the community (4.05), and income and prestige (4.04).

 This study provides insights into the motivational factors that influence the Specialty preferences of Iranian medical students. The most influencing factors in specialty choice were personal interest, achieving abilities and competence to promote community health, and income and prestige, respectively. Identification of factors influencing specialty choice among medical students can help to plan postgraduate training and health manpower programs.

One of the main tasks of educational institutions, in addition to developing students’ professional competencies, is to develop decision‑making and problem‑solving skills, which are themselves influenced by critical thinking that should be developed by instructors at the university. The aim of this study was to compare the level of critical thinking skills in students and faculties of Ahwaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences.

In this cross‑sectional descriptive study, the sample consisted of 81 medical students and 52 faculty members of the medical school who were teaching and studying in 2021. The research method was descriptiveanalytical and the data collection tool was the California Critical Thinking Questionnaire Form B. SPSS‑18 software and t‑test were used to analyze the data.

The mean score of students’ critical thinking skills was 12.49 ± 4.43 and that of faculties was 12.44 ± 3.76 and no significant difference was observed between the scores of the two groups (P = 0.94).

The findings of the study show that the level of critical thinking skills in both faculties and students is below the standard and poor. The results of the study indicate the weakness of critical thinking in students and faculties in all dimensions, which indicates the need to teach critical thinking skills at the university level. Therefore, educational planners and faculty officials should pay more attention to developing critical thinking skills in their educational programs.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmissible infection, which has a key role in the development of cervical cancer.

This study aimed to assess the level of awareness/knowledge among medical, nursing and midwifery students about HPV infection and its vaccine in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS) in 2020.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 181 medical, nursing and midwifery students who were selected based on convenience sampling. Students' awareness/knowledge were assessed through a validated questionnaire consisted of 15 correct and incorrect questions with a score range of 0-15. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test and logistic regression by SPSS-18.

The mean (SD) of age of the participants was 25.4 (1.84) years, and the majority of them were female (60.2%) and single (79.6%). Overall, the students' awareness/knowledge score about HPV was 66.92 (22.8) (out of 100). The mean (SD) of awareness/knowledge of female students was higher than male students 68.8 (18.5) vs 64.1 (28.1), but there was no statistically significant (p=0.210). The awareness/knowledge among the medical students was significantly higher than that of the nursing and midwifery students (t179=7.17, p˂0.001). Significant odds ratio (OR) for predictors to good awareness/knowledge were higher age (OR=0.76, p = 0.023), higher grade point average (OR=1.49, p=0.030), and medical students' group (OR=17.31, p˂0.001).

Although the awareness/knowledge of students in this study was above average, which highlights the need for education measures to improve awareness/knowledge of students regarding HPV, since they will be future health care providers in society.

Teaching styles, refer to the methods teachers use to instruct their students, has a significant role in education and frequently reflects the opinions of the teachers. This study aims to ascertain the preferred techniques of instruction employed by the faculty members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2020. It does so because of the significance of teaching methods in students' learning.Materials &

In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 172 faculty members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences were included in the study using a stratified sampling method. The 40-question Grasha-Richman standard teaching questionnaire was used to obtain the data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test and Pearson correlation by SPSS-18 software.

The 172 faculty members who took part in the survey had an average age of 45.95±8.8 years, with 90 (52.5%) men and 82 (XMRformal authority style (27.9%) and the expert style (23.8%) than other types (p = 0.007). The delegator style and the personal model were the least used styles by the faculty, each with 15.1% and 12.2%, respectively. The facilitator approach was also used by 20.9% of the participants. According to Pearson's correlation coefficient, there is no statistically significant relationship between an instructor's teaching style with their age, gender, academic standing, or teaching experience (p>0.05).

The results showed that faculty members mostly use teacher-centered formal authority and expert styles in their teaching, which are non-interactive and inflexible. Given the importance of teaching strategies in the learning process and the need to increase instructors’ awareness of interactive approaches, it is advisable to enroll in training programs in this area.

Fostering critical thinking is one of the most important goals of higher education in any country. Considering the controversial issues regarding the role of religious beliefs in human life and reports on the impact of critical thinking on religious beliefs, the present study aimed to investigate the Relationship between critical thinking and religious beliefs in medical students in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2020.

This descriptive-correlational study was performed on 154 (79 female and 75 male) medical students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2020 by convenience sampling method. The California Critical Thinking Skills Test  (Form B) and  Glock and Stark's questionnaires were used for data collection. To investigate the Relationship between critical thinking skill and religiosity, the data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 18) using the Pearson correlation coefficient. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Regarding gender, 75 (48.5%) students were male, and 79 (51.5%) cases were female, with a mean age of 23.1±3.2 years. The mean scores of students' critical thinking skills and religious beliefs were obtained at 12.95±4.7 and 76.88± 17 17.4, respectively. The results demonstrated no statistically significant relationship between the mean scores of critical thinking skills and religious beliefs (r = -0.01, P= 0.455).

As evidenced by the results of this study, there was no significant relationship between critical thinking skills and the religiosity of students. That is to say, critical thinking and religious beliefs are not inherently incompatible, and religious beliefs do not create a barrier to students' critical thinking.

Critical thinking (CT) is essential in medical education and improves physicians' clinical ability and competency. The present study aimed to determine the CT level and the trend of its changes in medical education at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, in 2021.

In this cross-sectional descriptive study, the CT levels of 165 medical students in three curricular phases, namely basic sciences, externship, and internship courses were examined. The data collection tool was the California Critical Thinking Skills Questionnaire Form B. Data were analyzed by SPSS (version 20) using t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient.

The mean score of medical students’ CT was 12.07 ± 4.48 out of a total score of 34. The mean scores of students’ CT in basic sciences, externship, and internship courses were 12.75 ± 4.47, 12.82 ± 5.10, and 10.67 ± 3.49, respectively. There was a significant difference between students' mean scores of CT in different curricular phases (P=0.010). In addition, there was a significant difference between the mean scores of students' CT based on gender, and the mean scores of CT of male students were significantly higher (P=0.049).

The mean scores of CT of medical students were low and did not improve during their university years. Since CT plays an essential role in clinical decision-making, it is necessary for medical teachers and university officials to pay more attention to the medical students' CT development.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most important causes of cervical cancer. It is essential to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of people about HPV infection in the community, especially among midwifery students who will act as health professionals in the society. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and attitude of midwifery students toward HPV infection and cervical cancer.

This cross-sectional study was done on midwifery students at Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz (Iran) in 2019. 141 midwifery students were recruited through census. The knowledge and attitude of 112 eligible midwifery students toward HPV infection were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed. Data were analyzed in SPSS16 using the chi-square test and the Pearson’s correlation coefficient at statistical significance of 0.05.

Mean age of midwifery students was 21.6±2.4 years. Of 112 students, only 38 (33%) had desirable knowledge about HPV infection. The majority of students (77.7%) had a positive attitude towards HPV infection. The knowledge and attitude of midwifery students in different academic years did not differ significantly (P>0.05).

There is insufficient knowledge about HPV infection and cervical cancer prevention among midwifery students at the Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz. Therefore, it is recommended to incorporate HPV-related educational programs in order to increase students' awareness.

The development of medical education is one of the categories that has been considered in recent years with the expansion and increasing influence on the teaching and learning processes. In recent decades, various universities around the world have purposefully used summer schools to develop and strengthen the capabilities of students. The aim was to investigate the effect of summer school training medical education by team-based learning and gamification on knowledge, satisfaction of medical students in the country.  The target group was medical students across the country who were surveyed by census method. In this quasi-experimental one-group method, pre-test-post-test was used. delivering a blended learning course with an enriched model with a combination of theoretical education, reviewing content with Kahoot software, providing individual and group seminars, and solving daily problems on social networks and through the Skyroom platform. The comparison of pre-test and post-test showed that the training course had a positive effect on increasing students' knowledge and the satisfaction score of the training course was more than expected. The results of the present study showed that the summer school of medical education could have a positive effect on improving students' knowledge and satisfaction compared to before the course. Therefore, selective and short-term purposeful courses using new teaching methods such as game-base and team-based learning, is a good way to strengthen the abilities and meta-abilities of students, which can also be used in formal education.

Critical thinking is one of the important skills required for medical students. It is considered as a main component in medical education and training competent physicians. The current study aimed to investigate the trend of critical thinking disposition of medical students and its association with their academic performance.

This descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in 2019 on 315 medical students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical sciences. A two‑section questionnaire was used for data collection. The first section dealt with demographic characteristics and the second section included Ricketts critical thinking disposition inventory using t‑test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficient.

Mean and standard deviation of critical thinking disposition of medical students was 121.85 ± 11.32. No significant difference was observed between the mean score of critical thinking disposition and years of study (P = 0.74, F = 0.590). Pearson correlation test also showed no significant association between critical thinking disposition and the students’ grade point average (P = 0.89, r = 0.007).

The results of the current study showed that medical students’ level of critical thinking disposition is above average, and there is no significant correlation between critical thinking disposition and years of study and academic performance of the students. It seems that the educational process in medical school has not been effective in improving the level of students’ critical thinking disposition.

Empathy is an important component of effective communication of a patientpractitioner relationship. Medical students are expected to know this ability as part of their education.

This study aimed to assess the effect of a short-training course on the empathy levels of medical students.

This is a quasi-experimental study conducted on eighty second-year medical students in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS), Iran, 2019. The intervention comprised of a lecture-based short training course, which was taught by a psychiatrist and was held in two sessions (Two hours each) for two consecutive weeks. Empathy was assessed using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Student version (JSE) before and after the intervention. Students with empathy scores higher than average were considered high empathy group, and those with scores lower than average as low empathy group. Data were analyzed using paired T-tests through SPSS software, version 16.

The mean JSE score was 99.66±13.4 and 101.62 ± 16.37, before and after the -intervention, respectively. However, despite the score increased, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.054). Nevertheless, the empathy scores of high-empathy students significantly increased after the-intervention (110.49 Vs 114.15, p=0.002). The empathy level also showed a significant enhancement in female students after training (p=0.006).

This study shows that a short training course is somewhat effective in developing medical student empathy. The findings suggest a need for revision of content and implementation of this course training into the existing medical curriculum.

One of the important tasks of faculty, in addition to transferring knowledge and skills to learners, is to train students as thoughtful, analytical and critical thinking individuals. The need for critical thinking in medical education in response to the rapidly changing health care environment has been emphasized. One of the main tasks of any medical educational institution, in addition to developing students' professional competencies, is to develop decision-making, problem-solving and self-efficacy skills, which are themselves influenced by the ability to practice critical thinking. The aim of this study was to investigate the critical thinking of the faculty members of the medical school of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2020.

This is a descriptive-analytical study. The sample consisted of 53 faculty members of the medical school of the University of Medical Sciences. The data collection tool was the California Critical Thinking Questionnaire Form B. Independent t-test and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the data.

The mean score of faculties' critical thinking skills was 12.53, which is lower than the average score in the standardization process (15.89). Other findings showed that there is no statistically significant difference between critical thinking and gender, age and academic rank of professors.

The results of the study indicate the weakness of faculties' critical thinking in critical thinking and all its dimensions, which indicates the need to teach critical thinking skills at the university level.

Improving the health is one of the responsibilities of medical universities. Examining the employment status of graduates in universities can help the process of growth and quality development of education. The purpose of this study was to determine the employment status of medical graduates of Ahvaz jundishapur University of Medical Sciences.

This retrospective cross – sectional study was conducted in the medical graduates of 2012-2016. Data gathering instrument was a questionnaire, consisted of personal, employment and job satisfaction details. Data were collected by phone. For data collection a researcher-made questionnaire was used which validity and reliability had been confirmed. Data analysis was performed by spss-18 software and descriptive statistics and Chi-square test.

Examining the employment s tatus of graduates of universities can help the improvement of quality of education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the employment s tatus of medical graduates of Ahvaz jundishapur University of Medical Sciences.

This cross – sectional study was conducted among the medical graduates between 2012 and 2016. Data gathering instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire which validity and reliability had been confirmed. Data were collected through telephone-based interview. Data analysis was performed by SPSS-18 software and descriptive statistics and Chi-square tes t.

Two thirds (66.7%) of participants were female and one third (33.3%) were male with a mean age of 32.2±1.8 years. The results indicated that 42.4% of medical graduated were employed at one of the public or private organization, 13.1% were unemployed and 39.4% admitted for continue in residency training. 5.1% had also emigrated abroad. The majority (84%) of the graduates were satisfied with their occupation in the medical profession and 94.6% evaluated the quality of university education as medium and good. Chi-square test showed that there was no statistically significant difference between employment of male and female graduates (p = 0.10). The success rate of female graduates in the residency entrance exam was significantly higher than male graduates
(p = 0.015).

Medical graduates were in good condition in terms of employment, continuing education and passing the residency entrance exam. The majority of graduates were satisfied with their occupation in the medical profession and the quality of university education.

The access rate to medical graduates was 60%(198/330). Two thirds (66.7%) were female and one third (33.3%) were male with a mean age of 32.2±1.8 years. The mean age of medical graduates was years and their age ranged 29-37 years. The results indicated that 42.4% of medical graduated were employed at one of the public or private organization, 13.1% were unemployed and 39.4% admitted for continue in residency education. 5.1% had also emigrated abroad. The majority (84%) of the graduates were satisfied with their employment in the medical profession and 94.6% evaluated the quality of university education as good and average.

Medical graduates are in good condition in terms of employment, continuing education and passing the residency exam. The majority of graduates were satisfied with their employment in the medical profession and the quality of university education.