Journal of Medical Education
Volume:21 Issue: 1, Dec 2022

 Due to the important role played by knowledge in controlling and managing diabetes in most educational interventions, the assessment of the individuals’ levels of knowledge is regarded as a key variable when planning the given interventions.

 This study aimed to design and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Diabetic Knowledge Questionnaire for Iranian diabetic patients.

 This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2020 to May 2021 in Yazd, to examine 400 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by adopting the simple random sampling method. Exploratory factor analysis was carried out to evaluate the validity, and 2 methods of test-retest and internal consistency were used to evaluate the reliability. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 and Amos 21 software.

 The questionnaire’s items were classified into 6 factors based on factor analysis method; that is, a total of 23 questions with the dimensions of general, hypoglycemia, complications, nutrition, physical activity, and insulin were included. Questions 1 to 20 were allocated to patients with oral therapy, and questions 21 to 23 were allocated to patients under insulin therapy. These factors altogether accounted for 78% of the total variance. The internal correlation coefficient (icc) for the knowledge questionnaire as a whole was 0.85, which demonstrated an acceptable level of reliability. Also, Pearson correlation coefficient of reliability between test times (test-retest) was found to be 0.92.

 The instrument was a valid scale designed to assess the awareness of patients with T2DM about various aspects of the disease. However, it was suggested that further studies should be conducted to investigated the patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) as well as patients with different age groups and education levels.

In recent years, universities have widely adopted e-learning tools for educational purposes. Learning Management Systems (LMS) have been the core of this new paradigm due to the opportunities that interaction and collaboration tools within LMS provide for educators to enhance the effectiveness of e-learning.

The purpose of this study was to combine flipped classrooms with e-learning facilities to investigate how it influences students' satisfaction with learning. It also investigated the leading and restrictive factors of interactive learning in an e-flipped classroom and the impact of the e-flipped classroom on students.

This paper reports a mixed-method study, following the Levin Model steps, to examine learning satisfaction in the e-flipped classroom. Participants were 12 Master students experiencing flipped classrooms in an e-learning platform in two subsequent semesters in 2019.

Students were interviewed and filled out questionnaires to reflect their experience of an inverted teaching method using LMS. Thematic analysis was adopted to analyze interviews. Two subcategories, "individual achievements" and "educational achievements," and one category, "learning satisfaction," were obtained. The t test was applied to analyze the questionnaire results at the p value of 0.05 as the significance level. The response rate to the questionnaire was 83%.

Students were significantly satisfied with the program and reported no dissatisfaction. Further, the pedagogical and motivational factors and LMS features were the leading factors of an effective e-flipped paradigm. However, individual limitations, infrastructure deficiencies, and ethical considerations may restrict the effectiveness of an e-flipped program.

The study aimed to explore the nursing/midwifery students’ experiences of clinical learning processes in Kebbi State Training hospital.

A qualitative cross-sectional descriptive design was adopted using a phenomenological approach. The study population included the second and third-year nursing/midwifery students of the School of Nursing and Midwifery Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State, Nigeria. Twenty students were purposively selected to participate in individual interviews for data collection.

The results were characterized by mixed reactions and experiences from different respondents. The emerged themes were students’ supervision, students’ encouragement, communication with students, respecting students, students’ learning support, and ethical practice. The respondents’ experiences mainly were both positive and negative.

Nurses and midwives need to put more effort into clinical learning and training of nursing and midwifery students for professional development. Clinical teaching and professionalism should be part of staff nurses' and midwives’ conferences and mandatory continuous development programs.

 Peer learning has shown to be beneficial among other teaching and learning modalities to encourage learners to achieve these expected attributes. “Consultoid” is a peer-assisted and student-directed proctoring program to improve clinical competencies.

 This paper focuses on the participants’ self-perceived impact of “Consultoid” and additional factors required to create a sustainable framework.

 A mixed-method analysis was utilized. Thematic analysis was used as a qualitative method that features open comments based on four factors to determine the outcome of its execution: Timing of activities allowing adaptability, peer teachers’ ability to engage with the learners, promoting participants’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and relevance of program content. The quantitative method involved the five-point Likert scale in which participants assessed their self-perceived clinical competencies pre- and post-self-assessment, with 1 being unconfident and 5 being most confident. Paired t-test was used to make the comparison between the two tests.

 The thematic responses generated were condensed into global themes to reach a conclusion. The results, such as relevance to clinical practice and encouraging team-based reciprocal learning while allowing high flexibility and accountability, fit into the proposed framework of the Consultoid program. Students reported a higher confidence level in their overall clinical competency from the pre-and post-test evaluation (peer learners, P = 0.02 and peer teachers, P = 0.12).

 The Consultoid program encourages participation, motivation, and team building and has shown to be highly adaptive.

Nowadays, students have a vast knowledge of multimedia. Social media is an online platform that allows community building through collaboration.

The present study aimed to understand the use of web-based resources for educational purposes by medical students.

This cross-sectional survey was conducted for three months on the students, interns, and residents of a tertiary care hospital and Government Medical College, Surat, India. Informed consent was taken from the participants, and a pre-approved questionnaire was delivered to all of them for data collection. The data were entered using the Google spreadsheet and were expressed using descriptive statistics.

Out of the study population consisting of 900 individuals, 646 filled the questionnaires and were finally evaluated. Out of 646, 430 individuals were medical students, 335 were female, and 303 were male. The majority (91.9%) of the responders were exposed to computer education in their schools. We found that 549 (86.4%) people were aware of the free internet access provided to them in the college library. Almost 97% (617) of the responders had mobile phones with internet access, and 80.1% connected to the internet more than once a day. The results of this study showed that 94.4% of the participants accepted that they used internet-based media to enhance their academic knowledge, while 66.5% agreed that internet resources are giving much unreliable information. Moreover, 55.8% of the responders were associated with the academic e-learning groups. Only 55 (8.7%) respondents had received formal training for online literature search.

The emergence of various social media applications and web-based resources provides us with more collaborative approaches to medical education. However, implementing new technologies also creates new challenges and opportunities for students and faculties. Training concerning internet search and web-based resources is important to enhance their e-learning skills.

Mental health is a significant component of academic achievement, while psychological distress can reduce academic performance.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on subjective well-being and psychological distress of Kerman University of Medical Sciences students.

In this quasi-experimental study, the study population included all Kerman University of Medical Sciences students in 2020. The study sample consisted of 30 university students randomly divided into two groups: control (n = 15) and experimental (n = 15), using convenience sampling. The experimental group received eight 90-minute MBCT sessions biweekly. The research tools included the Subjective Well-being Scale (SWS) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The data were analyzed with SPSS version 22.

The mean posttest scores of emotional, psychological, and social well-being were 3.56 ± 0.31, 4.46 ± 0.32, and 5.70 ± 0.42 in the experimental group and 2.64 ± 0.40, 4.00 ± 0.37, and 3.11 ± 0.35 in the control group, respectively. Moreover, the mean posttest scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were 1.64 ± 0.16, 1.19 ± 0.41, and 1.67 ± 0.15 in the experimental group and 3.10 ± 0.24, 3.55 ± 0.52, and 3.01 ± 0.24 in the control group, respectively. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy significantly improved the posttest scores of subjective well-being subscales (emotional, psychological, and social well-being). Moreover, depression, anxiety, and stress decreased significantly in the experimental group (P < 0.001).

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy effectively reduced psychological distress and improved subjective well-being in university students.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected all population segments, including students switching to online classes and negligible outdoor activities during the lockdown period. However, the data is limited on medical students’ lifestyle changes regarding physical and mental health during the lockdown.

The present study aimed to determine the effect of lockdown on physical activity, screen time and emotional wellbeing of young medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted on 250 medical students of phase-I MBBS during the lockdown period during October and December 2020. The students self-reported their physical activity, screen time usage, and emotional health status using Google Forms. Physical activity was assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the emotional status was determined using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) Questionnaire. After removing incomplete data, only 174 students’ responses were analyzed using SPSS-20, and P < 0.05 was considered significant.

The physical inactivity of the medical students was 24.7%, and their average screen usage was six hours/day during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical activity in terms of metabolic equivalent scores explains a 5% rise in positive emotions and a 2% decline in negative emotions. Screen time usage expands negative emotions (9% variance) and reduces positive emotions (7% variance).

Students with more physical activity and less screen time usage presented a more positive effect on emotions, and the rear trend was observed for their counterparts. Thus, physical inactivity and increased screen time usage have emerged as major and independent risk factors for students’ emotional health.

Breaking Bad News (BBN) is a multidisciplinary and unpleasant task, and nurses play a vital role in this process as they are often exposed to such situations. It is a critical duty that has not been adequately addressed.

This study investigated the performance of nurses in academic hospitals affiliated with Guilan University of Medical Sciences (GUMS) regarding BBN.

During 2020, eligible nurses were interviewed, and a questionnaire containing 16 items about environmental and psychical support was filled out. The first 10 questions evaluated psychical support, and the next six assessed environmental support. Each question scored 10, "never," to 50, "always."

A total of 384 out of 410 nurses filled out the questionnaires, and a response rate of 93.65% was obtained. As shown, 346 (90.1%) responders were women, and 38 (9.9%) were men. Also, 289 (75.3%) had passed educational courses. A positive association was observed between psychical and environmental support and age (P = 0.007, P = 0.003) and years of experience (P = 0.013, P = 0.004). However, there was no significant difference respecting educational programs (P > 0.05).

This study revealed that the current educational programs are not practical and could not induce a significant difference in nurses’ answers. Effective interventions to improve nurses’ communication skills are strongly warranted.

The foundation course (FC) is proposed for undergraduate medical students in India at the beginning of the curriculum. The present study planned to evaluate the FC conducted at Medical College Kolkata, India, by comparing students’ ratings of pre-course and post-course skills.

This study aimed to assess the self-rated baseline communication skills, interpersonal skills, intellectual skills, selfmanagement skills, learning skills, and management-career skills of recently admitted medical undergraduates and the magnitude of change in self-rated skills by completing the FC.

A random sample of 100 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery students admitted in 2021 were enrolled for this prospective pre-post study. Data collection was electronic by self-administered 39 items on skills in a learning questionnaire. This questionnaire had six subscales, including communication skills, interpersonal skills, intellectual skills, self-management skills, learning skills, and management-career development skills, which were to be rated within 1 - 6, with 1 as the worst and 6 as the best. The outcome was calculated as total and subscale mean with their confidence interval, comparison of mean, and percentage of skill improvement.

In this study, 97 respondents completed the questionnaires. The mean age of the subjects was 19.8 years, and 62.9% of the participants were male. The total score and scores for all subscales improved after the FC, with significant improvement in communication (P = 0.001), interpersonal (P = 0.008), management-career development (P = 0.002), and overall learning skills (P = 0.001). Interpersonal and communication skills were significantly higher for students staying at the campus hostel and having knowledge of the local language (P < 0.05).

Communication and interpersonal skills improved following the FC at the study institute, although the course was only moderately successful in the improvement of overall learning skills. Hostel living and local vernacular reinforced skills are learned in FC.

The use of social media (SM) in health profession education has been shown to be beneficial for the promotion of student collaboration and enhancement of learning. However, this is an evolving area where comparative studies are lacking, and further research is needed to determine the best ways to use SM in medical schools and identify the outcomes.

This study aimed to consider SM application-based discussion groups as a method of using SM in medical education to assess the effect on students’ examination grades and students’ attitudes toward it.

In this quasi-experimental study, 182 fourth-year medical students taking the orthopedics and traumatology course were divided into two groups. In the study group (n = 78), SM-based discussion was adopted as a supplementary learning tool. No additional teaching methods were used in the control group (n = 104). The final grades of the students from the two groups were analyzed, together with the data collected from an online questionnaire completed by the students in the study group.

There was no statistically significant effect of using online discussions on the improvement of examination grades. However, 89.87% of the students felt that SM-based discussionsmotivated them to learn and enhanced their learning; nevertheless, 77.01% of the students believed that it is easier to ask questions in the forum than during outpatient clinics and clinical rounds, and lectures. The rates of students who agreed that this method was a helpful feedback and revision tool were 83.55% and 91.65%, respectively.

WhatsApp and Telegram discussion groups represent a promising way to utilize SM in medical education as they promote students’ connection and learning. The SM applications could also provide valuable feedback and are regarded as revision tools. Nevertheless, there was no significant association between the implementation of this academic activity and better examination grades.

A common recommendation to develop skillful practice is to playback videos during debriefing; however, no study has addressed the advantages of such a technique.

The present study aimed to compare the pedagogical effectiveness of video-assisted debriefing and oral debriefing in simulation-based training. By comparing video-assisted debriefing and traditional oral debriefing, it was hypothesized that videoassisted debriefing would improve medical students’ decision-making skills and professional attitudes.

This quasi-experimental study used a pretest-posttest design. The study encompassed 76 medical students in the fourth year of their seven-year training program. The participants were selected using a census and were then randomly divided into intervention (video-assisted debriefing, n = 36) and control (oral debriefing, n = 40) groups. The required data were collected using a demographic information questionnaire, the Penn State College of Medicine Professionalism Questionnaire, and Lauri and Salantera’s (2002) Clinical Decision-making Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used to describe the participants’ characteristics. Paired t-test and independent t-test were run to compare the medical students’ clinical decision-making and professional attitude scores before and after the intervention within and between the groups.

There was no significant difference in the medical students’ clinical decision-making skills between the two groups before the intervention (P = 0.09); however, significant differences were observed in both groups after the intervention (P < 0.001). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the professional attitude of medical students between the two groups before the intervention (P = 0.03); however, there were significant differences in both groups after the intervention (P < 0.001).

The findings revealed that simulation-based training with video-assisted debriefing was more effective in developing the undergraduate medical students’ decision-making skills and promoting their professional attitudes.

Entry into postgraduate medical training programs should be based on valid selection measures predictive of training performance. A situational judgment test (SJT) is often used during the residency selection process to measure knowledge and behavioral attributes.

This study aimed to test the validity of the International Foundations of Medicine (IFOM) examination and an SJT for predicting performance during multiple mini-interviews (MMI) of the applicants for a family medicine residency program in Oman.

This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) during the application process for the academic year 2021. Data were collected from 80 applicants to the OMSB Family Medicine Residency Program. Before participating in the MMI panels, all applicants underwent pre-interview tests (comprising the IFOM examination and SJT). Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the predictors of the MMI score.

A total of 67 applicants completed the entire selection process cycle and were included in the study. The SJT score was a significant predictor of the MMI score (r = 0.367; P = 0.002), whereas the IFOM score was not a significant predictor (r = 0.105; P = 0.396).

This study supports using SJT as an additional selection measure alongside the MMI panel for entry to OMSB residency training.

 Self-directed learning (SDL) is an essential teaching-learning method for transforming medical students into lifelong learners. In SDL, learners are responsible for undergoing their learning process and gradually shifting learning control from teacher to themselves. However, First-year MBBS students are in need of receiving training and support to become self-directed learners. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of adopting SDL alone as well as supplementing SDL with a lecture for first-year MBBS students in biochemistry.

 Implementation of self-directed learning activity in Biochemistry and evaluation of its outcome for first-year MBBS students.

 A Cohort study was carried out to investigate first-year MBBS students in the Department of Biochemistry at SVIMS, Tirupati. The study was conducted in two sessions. In session one, Lecture cum SDL was implemented; whereas in session two, only SDL was employed. A pre-and post-test was performed before and after completion of both sessions. Pre- and post-test answer sheets were evaluated, and students’ perception forms were analysed.

 There was a statistically significant increase in post-test scores compared to pre-test scores. Moreover, there was a statistically significant increase in post-test scores of Lecture cum SDL session compared to post-test scores of SDL session alone.

 Overall performance of the students was improved when a topic was taken as a didactic lecture followed by an SDL session; this may have been indicative of an improvement in learning outcomes when adopting SDL module.

 Most universities around the world use the multiple-choice question (MCQ) examination format to evaluate medical education. However, the suitability and advantages of traditional MCQs and extended matching questions (EMQs) continue to be debated.

 This study mainly aimed to perform a comprehensive comparative analysis of the performance of the EMQ and traditional MCQ formats in the final MBBS exit examination.

 We conducted an item analysis of 80 EMQs, and 200 MCQs administered to 532 examinees across the four campuses of the University of the West Indies during the final MBBS medicine and therapeutics examination of 2019. Exam performance measures included central tendency, item discrimination, reliability, item difficulty, and distractor efficacy.

 For the 532 students who sat the exam, the highest, lowest, and mean (± SD) scores for the EMQs were 93, 41, and 69.0 (± 9.8), respectively; for the MCQs, the respective values were 82, 41, and 62.7 (± 7.4). The predictive value of the EMQ and MCQ grades individually in the overall failure was 0.67 (95% CI = 0.39, 0.87) and 0.89 (95% CI = 0.65, 0.98), respectively. KR-20 coefficients for the EMQs and MCQs ranged from 0.52 to 0.70 and 0.71 to 0.79, respectively. The proportion of questions with two or more functional distractors was consistently higher for the MCQs than for the EMQs in all four cohorts of students.

 The MCQs were more predictive of the overall failure and had higher inter-item reliability, making the MCQ format more suitable for high-stakes examinations.

Shift from medical education to online mode during the coronavirus pandemic started without much preparation. Students’ perception is vital to further improve online medical education.

This study aimed to assess undergraduate medical students' perception of online education and conduct factor analysis of responses to identify latent variables.

This descriptive cross-sectional online survey was conducted among the phase II undergraduate medical students. A structured questionnaire was mailed to 200 randomly selected students. Variables collected were demographics (age, sex, residence, and mother language), academic profile, and perception of online education. Outcome measures were frequencies, percentages, and the degree of agreement to given statements about online education. Factor analysis was done by principal component analysis with varimax rotation to identify latent factors.

Analysis was done for 115 completed questionnaires. The mean age of the respondents was 21.2 yrs, with a male preponderance (82.6%). The students had low satisfaction with online classes and did not consider online education as effective as offline classes. Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors, including 'planning and delivery of online lessons', 'satisfaction with online education,' and 'opportunity to interact.'

Online education was not as effective as in-person education. The reason was mainly changes in student-teacher interaction.

 There has been a substantial shift in the educational curriculum in Indian medical institutes with a more experiential approach toward teaching. One such method is case-based learning (CBL).

 This study aimed to compare CBL with traditional method and gain students’ and teachers’ feedback.

 This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Pathology Department among second-year bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery (MBBS) students. The students were divided into two groups of 75 students: group A was given anemia cases, and group B was given jaundice cases. After covering theory lectures on these topics, the students were given pre-test multiple-choice questions (MCQs). This was followed by this was followed by subdividing students into five groups and conducting three CBL sessions. This was followed by post-CBL test. Data were compared using paired t-test and analyzed using SPSS software version 16.

 Out of 150, 110 students attended the pre-and post-CBL test and completed the feedback form. There was a significant improvement (P < 0.001) in the mean scores of students in both groups A and B from 8.31 and 7.54 to 13.44 and 12.71, respectively. Regarding the student feedback, it was revealed that 87% of the students agreed with the usefulness of CBL in better understanding of the topic and retention in memory. They also acclaimed that it encouraged their critical thinking and decision-making qualities. Among the faculties, all of them agreed with the incorporation of CBL in the routine curriculum.

 CBL improves students’ logical, analytical and clinical skills, which helps bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical skills. Rather than replacing, it serves better as an adjunct to the traditional lectures.

Context: 

Nearly 20 years ago, the family physician program (FPP) was established in Iran in rural areas and was expanded to some cities about 10 years ago. Different studies reported different challenges associated with the efficacy of human resources and their training or educational program.

 This systematic review of the literature was conducted to comprehensively identify and collate the challenges associated with the education of family physicians in Iran.

Evidence Acquisition: 

All published articles related to FPP in Iran were the subject of this study. The eligibility criteria included original articles, case studies, and reports published in English or Persian during 2011 - 2021 related to the challenges in the training and educational system of FPP in Iran. Data were extracted based on the SPIDER (sample, phenomenon of interest, design, evaluation, research type) technique and were reported based on the structure of PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses). International credible scholarly databases were searched. The search strategy was defined based on the search syntax and keywords.

 The search strategy yielded 5570 potentially relevant articles and reports, of which 70 studies met the inclusion criteria. Following the full-text review, 58 studies were excluded, and, finally, 11 empirical studies and 1 report were included in the review. The study attempted to identify challenges associated with the educational system; knowledge and awareness of the FPs of the nature, activities, policies, and protocols of the FPP; and also challenges associated with the competencies of the FPs in areas like social conditions, clinical competencies, public health, and managerial skills.

 The current study identified consistent themes associated with the educational system and challenges encountered in preparing physicians for FPP upon graduation. These difficulties are not insurmountable.

 Need and demand modeling is one of the conceptual approaches of health workforce planning. In many models of this field, “need” is not considered. Each country should model according to its context.

 The present study aimed to design a need adjusted with demand model of the health workforce in the fields of specialties and subspecialties.

 Walker and Avant’s synthesis theory method was used for modeling in this study. The concepts of need and demand were chosen as the focal concepts. In addition, to find the components related to the concepts and the relationships between these components, the result of a previous systematic review and a supplementary study of viewpoints of research teams were used. In the last step, the graphic form of the model was presented.

 The need-adjusted demand model was presented in this study. In this model, the types of flows were headcounts. Actual need, willingness, and ability to use health services were considered. Finally, the number of full-time equivalents of physicians was estimated.

 In this model, a series of main components that are headcounts and a series of influential factors that affect the main factors through rates were considered.

 In medical education, innovation and modernization of teaching and learning methods are required to maintain dynamic quality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quiz as one of the innovative teaching-learning methods for first-year MBBS students in the biochemistry subject.

 The study objectives were to sensitize the students regarding the quiz in biochemistry and assess the quiz's effectiveness in subject understanding among students and the learning gained from it.

 Sixty students were divided into five teams of 12 students. There were seven rounds in the quiz based on which the winning team was selected. Teams were selected based on a preliminary test score. The batch of 60 students was divided into five teams of 12 students. A pretest-posttest questionnaire in the form of an MCQ test was taken prior to the quiz. To evaluate views about the quiz, feedback was elicited from the students. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package in Microsoft Excel. Proportion, mean, and standard deviation were determined as appropriate.

 The mean pretest score was 36.6%, whereas the mean posttest score was 87.3%. In the feedback, 70% of the students felt they had an excellent experience through the quiz, and such activities should be conducted more often.

 The study suggested that activities like a quiz stimulate individual and collaborative learning, improve medical students' cognitive level, and retain their interest in the subject.

Around the world, the changing needs of the labor market are met under the umbrella of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The Iran Technical and Vocational Training Organization (ITVTO) plays this role. However, a significant issue in Iran's TVET system is that the targeting of vocational training has been oriented towards industrial professions while society also needs general and specialized training in health sciences. IN response to needs, the National Center for Technical and Vocational Education and Training of Medical Sciences was established by the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education (MoHME) in Iran. This article intends to introduce the TVET system and the National Center for Technical and Vocational Education and Training of Medical Sciences in Iran and discuss its future horizon. Although the beginning of this path is very commendable, the path of evolution for this center will be more difficult because there is a vast world of concepts, phenomena, and problems against the TVET in Iran's medical sciences. However, what can be deduced from the study results is that with a bit of courage, we can say something new and take firm steps to transform.

 Many studies have defined the term ‘virtual university’ as a learner-centered university. Over the past 20 years, the number of virtual universities, especially in medical sciences, has grown rapidly, and the number of online curricula is constantly increasing. On the other hand, regarding the challenges of higher education in the third millennium and considering the 20-Year National Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the potential of information and communication technology, the need to move towards virtual academic education is felt more than ever.

 Accordingly, attempts were made to discover the main and necessary factors affecting the development of a model for virtual university of medical sciences regarding Iran's cultural and social dimensions. Moreover, considering inadequate qualitative research, it was decided to conduct a qualitative study by examining the subjective phenomena and informants’ experiences in the field of virtual university of medical sciences in Iran to reveal their understanding of the main factors affecting the development of the local model for virtual universities of medical sciences.

 This qualitative study adopted a thematic content analysis approach. Seven participants were selected using the maximum-intensity sampling method. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed according to Braun and Clarke's six-step comparative thematic analysis method. To observe data rigor, Guba and Lincoln's four criteria were used.

 Out of the seven participants, three cases were male, and four persons were female. The analysis of the data resulted in 520 primary codes, 38 subcategories, and 13 categories. According to the participants' experiences, the four main themes extracted in this study were educational manifestation, technological appearance, Iranian context, and institutional virtual medical education.

 The data analysis revealed that the virtual university model could be developed by considering curriculum design based on learners’ cognitive needs as well as the effects of technologies on the formation of virtual education culture. Moreover, theories underpinning the traditional education system are no longer responding to the new changes in virtual education, and there is an urgent need for scientific theories tailored to virtual education to manage technology.

With the emergence of the COVID-19 crisis and the closure of universities, the incremental trend of loading courses on the learning system shows that the spread of the coronavirus has intensified the move towards using new approaches in education in above 70 universities and research institutes. During and at the end of the crisis, the goal is to measure the status and consequences of the rapid growth of blended learning, including students and teachers’ satisfaction and the quality of learning.

 Medical education has experienced a significant shift from traditional teaching styles to online, distance, or electronic learning, which applies electronic technology to support teaching strategies and engage learners in the learning process more effectively.

 This study aimed to investigate educators’ and trainees’ viewpoints on virtual education for community health workers (CHWs) at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences.

 Using the consensus method, we conducted this cross-sectional study among 50 instructors and 150 CHW trainees of education programs at the Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences during 2020 - 2021. Educational materials were provided for learners virtually according to weekly scheduled programs. District Behvarz training center (DBTCs) tried to share educational videos during the period to provide practical training. In addition, clinical placements were considered for learners to facilitate gaining experience in the work environment. During the third trimester of a combined educational program, a 32-item questionnaire including six dimensions of educational design: Learner-instructor interaction, learner-learner interaction, course content, learning opportunities, and course evaluation was used to collect data. The tool was developed based on the criteria for evaluating the quality of e-learning in medical education mentioned by Hakimzadeh and Afandideh. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0.

 The participants were quite satisfied with almost all aspects of education. According to the trainers’ and learners’ perspectives, the greatest and lowest scores were in learner-instructor and learner-to-learner interactions, respectively. Students’ scores on online education were higher.

 It is critical to move to hybrid courses and online learning to take advantage of virtual education and improve the learning process through learning strategies, as well as provide trainees with flexibility through distance learning.

 Learning experiences help learners achieve educational goals and are usually related to the educational context that occurs in teaching groups, teacher-student relationships, and teaching-learning activities.

 The current study aimed to explain the views of non-Iranian students on the quality of learning experiences at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

 This was a qualitative study with the directional content analysis method. The participants were 12 non-Iranian students studying in the last year or before the last year in medicine, nursing, and paramedical faculties of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences who were randomly selected from non-Iranian students for semi-structured oral interviews. The interviews continued until data saturation.

 After content analysis, 85 initial codes were extracted. Based on the relationship between the codes, 14 subcategories were obtained and placed into 4 main categories. The main categories were available resources, available content, learning flexibility, and the quality of professors’ relationships with students.

 Based on the results, the quality of learning experiences plays a critical role in effective learning. Paying attention to the experiences and viewpoints of non-Iranian students studying at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences is very important to improve the quality of learning experiences and attract non-Iranian students.

Context: 

Evaluating systems is one of the essential items affecting faculty member performance. Using an appropriate evaluating system is essential for performing different proper roles for faculty members.

 This study aimed to systematically review the models, tools, and challenges of evaluating the performance of clinical faculty members.

 This systematic review investigated eight international and four national electronic databases in 2019. Descriptive and thematic analyses were done to extract the most relevant information about the models, tools, and challenges of evaluating the performance of clinical faculty members.

 In total, 15163 articles were identified, of which 25 met the inclusion criteria. The findings were demonstrated in four main categories of the model of evaluating the performance of clinical faculty members, education, data gathering tools, and challenges of evaluating the performance of clinical faculty members. The main subthemes for evaluating the performance of the clinical faculty member model were systems, structure, indicators, and process.

 This study recommends policymakers and educational managers to design an appropriate evaluating tool. Further research should be conducted to develop a practical system for solving the mentioned challenges.

 The important central theme in the career is one’s professional self-concept based on attributes, beliefs, values, motives, and experiences regarding the professional identity. Recently, there has been a growing interest in how a physician's professional identity is shaped by education and experience.

 This study aimed to illuminate the role of experience in shaping the professional identity of Tehran University of Medical Sciences medical residents.

 Eighteen 26 - 40 years old residents (male and female) in four Major specialty groups, including obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, and internal medicine, participated in this qualitative content analysis study. Sampling was done in four specialty hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Data were gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed by conventional content analysis.

 Results showed four main categories of effective experiences in Shaping of residents' professional identity formation, including interpersonal communication experiences, independent professional work, general medical education course, knowledge, and educational background.in this study also, sub-categories extracted from the findings were: (1) Forced scheme; (2) symbolic events; (3) learnt competencies of GP; (4) beneficial reforms and integration in general medical education; (5) the education quality level among families; and (6) the education quality level among schools and institutes.

 This study demonstrated that the previous unique constructive experiences of assistants are one of the most important underlying factors in shaping their professional identity. Interpersonal communication experiences, independent professional work, general medicine training courses, and knowledge and educational background are the unique experiences of any assistant. By creating constructive experiences, it is possible to positively affect the formation of the professional identity of the assistants so that they can be accountable to society.

Context:

 Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have much potential in higher education, including medical education. This paper explores the challenges and potential solutions through planning, developing, and integrating MOOCs into the medical curriculum.

Evidence Acquisition:

 A non-systematic review study was conducted in March and April 2021. A comprehensive literature search was done on Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and websites to retrieve articles on MOOCs and medical education using relevant search terms.

 With their wide availability, open access, and affordability, MOOCs have attracted the attention of several educationalists and learners. Indian medical undergraduates face several problems, such as introducing the new competency-based curriculum, information overload, the COVID-19 pandemic, and increased health care demand. The advantages of MOOCs can be leveraged to solve some of the problems in medical education. They can be effectively used to educate and empower the general public and provide patient education and continuous professional development.

 With embedded advanced interactive tools, MOOCs have the potential to reshape medical education. Sustained commitment, promotion competition, and collaboration can help overcome the common barriers to MOOC development and integration into the undergraduate medical curriculum.

 This paper presents the results of a modified team-based learning (MTBL) in the Orthopaedic Department of the Omdurman Islamic University. It is a modification of the team-based learning (TBL) developed by Dr. Larry K. Michaelson, who explored the benefit of small group learning within large classes. TBL differs from other forms of small group work, which involves developing and using learning teams in large settings as an instructional strategy.

 The main difference between conventional TBL and MTBL is that students learn in small groups in a single large class with a single facilitator in conventional TBL. In contrast, in MTBL, students learn in separate small classes with different facilitators. In this study, we investigated the impact of MTBL on the learning of students in an orthopaedic course. Students’ satisfaction and grades, following the MTBL for an orthopaedic class, were analyzed and compared to another batch of students in a conventional lecture learning strategy. The two batches were taught by the same faculty members.

 The MTBL was implemented as a teaching method in orthopaedics and traumatology course in 2020. A total of 282 students were surveyed for their satisfaction with this new pedagogical approach, and 153 students responded to the questionnaire. We adopted a self-administered questionnaire answering on a five-option Likert scale. The five options represented the levels of agreement. At the end of the course, students’ exam scores were compared to the results of their previous batch, in which teaching was carried out utilizing conventional lectures only (a total of 128 students).

 The results showed that the majority of the students involved in the study (66.5%) were satisfied with the MTBL. The students thought that it increases the long retention of knowledge and should be used more frequently in the curriculum, and they recommend it to other students. The analysis of the examination results using the Chi-square test revealed a significant difference between the results of the students who studied the course in the form of MTBL and those who studied the course in the form of a traditional lecture with a clear improvement in the results following MTBL orthopaedic course (P-value = 0.0000).

 We, therefore, conclude that the MTBL where students are divided into separate small groups with different instructors improves the performance and the grades of the students in the exam. It also reveals that the students feel satisfied with the learning technique. We recommend it be more frequently used in the curriculum.