Journal of Medical Education Development
Volume:17 Issue: 56, Winter 2025

Professional Identity (PI) is essential in medical education to prepare students for interprofessional collaboration. The study analyses medical students' professional identity and the internal factors that influence it.

This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2023. Total sampling was conducted on fourth-year academic level and second-year professional level students. Questionnaires were distributed via Google Form and only completed questionnaires were analyzed. Professional identity was measured using Tagawa's Development Scale.

The study was conducted at Hasanuddin University's Faculty of Medicine in Makassar, Indonesia. The total number of respondents was 492, consisting of 203 undergraduate and 288 second-year clerkship students. Students in both education levels showed positive results in self-control, awareness as a doctor, and reflection on the role of a doctor. However, social responsibility and self-external and self-internal internalization indicated lower scores. Age showed varying results for self-control, self-awareness as a doctor, and reflection on the role of a doctor. Living independently demonstrated differences only in the ability to self-externalize and self-internalize. The school of origin did not indicate significant differences for all development scale factors. At the same time, parent occupation exhibited distinct effects on self-control, awareness as a doctor, reflection on the role of a doctor, and social responsibility. Motivation showed differences only in the factor of self-control.

Regarding self-control, self-awareness, and self-reflection, medical students' professional identities are better developed at the professional than academic levels. Integrity, internalization of external and internal influences, and social responsibility components are still low and do not vary. Age, parents' educational backgrounds, and reasons for enrolling in medical school influence professional identity formation.

One of the most considerable concerns of higher education systems is how to enhance students’ academic engagement and flow. The present study aimed to examine the roles of emotional and autonomy support provided by teachers in students’ academic engagement and flow.

The study sample included students enrolled at Kashan University of Medical Sciences in winter 2023. A total of 356 students were chosen as participants using proportional stratified random sampling technique. The data collection instruments were Black and Deci’s Perceived Autonomy Support Questionnaire, Sakiz’s Teacher Emotional Support Questionnaire, Reeve and Tseng’s Academic Engagement Questionnaire, and Martin and Jackson’s Academic Flow Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in Amos-22 software.

The SEM results indicated that the proposed model had a good fit. Perceived autonomy support predicted academic engagement (ß =.692, p <0.01) and academic flow (ß = 0.335, p < 0.01), and perceived emotional support predicted academic engagement (ß = 0.226, p < 0.01) and academic flow (ß = 0.312, p < 0.01).

The results highlight the importance of the roles of perceived autonomy and emotional support in students’ academic engagement and flow. Therefore, medical science universities are recommended to improve the quality of students’ learning to achieve higher levels of academic success by giving professors essential guidelines on how to provide students with more autonomy and emotional support.

The concept of academic procrastination among nursing students holds significant importance due to the sensitive nature of the field and the necessity to attain adequate educational and clinical competence. The purpose of this research therefore was to determine the correlation between nursing students’ learning styles and academic procrastination.

This study with the nature of a correlational descriptive method took place in 2023 and the population sample included 253 students from first to sixth semesters enrolled in Abhar School of Nursing, associated with Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, employed by the census method. Participants filled in three questionnaires, namely demographic, learning style according to Kolb, and academic procrastination.

According to the survey, the most and least common learning styles were convergent (15.9%) and divergent (32.1%). The mean procrastination score in academia was 70.89 ± 8.34. The findings of the ANOVA test showed a substantial correlation between students' academic procrastination and their learning styles. Study showed that students with divergent and assimilator learning styles were more likely to procrastinate academically than those with convergent and accommodator learning styles (p < 0.05). Additionally, among nursing students, academic procrastination was predicted by both accommodating and divergent learning styles (P<0.05).

The results of this study showed a connection between nursing students' academic procrastination and their learning styles. It is recommended that vulnerable students be identified, and workshops be planned and implemented to enhance their learning styles and reduce procrastination.

With increased interest in understanding the role of the Learning Environment (LE) in effective teaching and learning, this study explores how medical students in Nigeria perceived their LE and its impact on their education.

A thematic analysis approach was adopted for this qualitative study, using focus group discussion to gather data on students’ experiences. Purposive sampling was used to choose participants after considering the representation of different subgroups and genders in the study population. Four focus groups were conducted to ensure data saturation. Each focus group consisted of eight participants, each with at least two females, a ratio similar to what was obtained in the study population. An interview guide based on some concepts of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) and other areas of interest was employed to navigate the interviews. An inductive thematic analysis involving a line-by-line examination of the transcripts was conducted to generate codes and identify various sub-themes and themes from the data.

Three main themes were identified. The first theme—pedagogical bedrock includes basic necessities, resource sufficiency, and expectations versus realities. These elements contribute to an effective teaching and learning environment, while their absence impedes learning. The second, the Promoters, encompasses factors in the learning environment that facilitate learning and comprises two sub-themes: the learning atmosphere and social perception. The third theme, Proficiency appraisal, focuses on students’ perceived achievement of learning outcomes and the relevance of their learning experiences, incorporating both alignment and strategies.

This research provided a sound understanding of the strengths and challenges in the LE and how these may influence the overall learning outcomes. Focused interventions can ensure an enhanced LE that will ultimately translate to enhanced teaching and learning outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of male medical sciences students at Yazd University regarding the positive aspects of dormitory life and its impact on academic quality during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Using a qualitative and phenomenological method, 11 Yazd University dormitory students were chosen for the study using a criterion-based purposive sample technique. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to gather data, and they were conducted until data saturation was achieved. The Smith method was used for data analysis, and triangulation was used to ensure the accuracy of the results.

Three primary topics and seventeen supporting themes on students' experiences living in dorms and how it affected the quality of their education were found in the study. These themes, which were acknowledged as beneficial aspects of living in a dorm, included: Having a supportive atmosphere; Developing personal and professional capacities; and Ease of education and life.

Research indicates that policymakers and planners can improve the quality of education and create more capable graduates for society by capitalizing on the advantages of living in dorms for medical students.

Professional socialization can improve nursing students' performance and learning. In their final year, nursing students will likely attain professional socialization through adequate social support. Thus, the purpose of this study was to look at how final-year nursing students' professional socialization was impacted by their perceptions of social support.

In 2022, this cross-sectional correlational study was conducted in Hamadan, Iran, at the Hamadan School of Nursing and Midwifery. The study involved 128 final-year nursing students in total. Toit's professional socialization questionnaire, Zimet's perceived social support questionnaire, and demographic information forms were the data gathering instruments used in this study.

A relationship was discovered (r = 0.237, p < 0.001) between the professional socialization of nursing final-year students and their social support. The family dimension was identified as the most influential predictor of professional socialization among final-year nursing students within the social support variable (p < 0.001, β = 0.447). Furthermore, various factors had significant negative predictive effects on the socialization of final-year nursing students. The study found that several factors were associated with certain career choices. Choosing a mandatory field and family pressure (p < 0.001, β = -0.278), picking a field based mainly on earnings (p = 0.017, β = -0.209), the mother's occupation as a homemaker (p = 0.009, β = -0.220), and the father's work in the private sector (p = 0.037, β = -0.175) were among these factors.

These findings highlight the critical role that family-related factors play in influencing how nursing students socialize professionally, which is important information for nursing education and support programs.

The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the Persian version of the Academic Major Satisfaction Scale (P-AMSS) among Iranian Nursing Students.

A cross-sectional study was carried out from January to March 2023. A total of 231 undergraduate nursing students completed demographic information and the P-AMSS. The data were analyzed using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

The mean (± SD) score of academic major satisfaction among nursing students was 25.47 ± 6.4. The EFA results revealed a single factor that accounted for 63% of the total variance. The CFA results indicated a good fit (χ2(6) = 8.53, p = 0.202, CMIN/DF = 1.422, CFI = 0.99, NFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, RMSEA (90% CI) = 0.043 [ 0.00;0.1]). The P-AMSS demonstrated good internal consistency and reliability (α=0.907; ω=0.921). Measurement invariance was confirmed across gender.

The P-AMSS, consisting of 6 items, is a brief scale with strong psychometric properties suitable for evaluating academic major satisfaction among Iranian nursing students.

It is essential to cultivate dentists who are not only technically proficient but also socially sensitive in order to reduce oral health disparities. Assessing attitudes has been emphasized in dental education within this context. This study aimed to assess dental students' attitudes toward less privileged populations.

This cross-sectional study utilized the valid Persian version of the “Dental Student Attitude Toward Underserved Population” (DSATU) questionnaire to evaluate the attitudes of first and final year dental students at Mashhad dental school toward deprived populations. The questionnaire consists of 21 Likert scale questions across four domains addressing social expectations, student responsibility, personal efficacy, and access to care. The outcome variables were the overall and domain-specific scores of the DSATU questionnaire. Independent variables included students' gender and academic year. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.

The questionnaire was administered to 52 first-year and 58 final-year students, yielding a response rate of 90%. The majority of participants were final-year students (55.7%) and female (59.6%). First-year students generally exhibited a more positive perspective, scoring 8 points higher than final-year students in the total survey: 85.53 (81%) versus 76.66 (73%) out of a maximum of 105 points. The decline in attitudes among final-year students was statistically significant in total and all domain scores (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant gender difference in total DSATU and subdomain scores, except for access to care (p = 0.037).

This study suggests less favorable attitudes toward underserved populations among final-year students. Longitudinal rigorous evaluation of students' attitudes provides better insights into the effectiveness of dental education.

Faculty members, given their unique position within the university, can significantly contribute to enhancing social responsibility. This study aims to elucidate the experiences of faculty members engaged in voluntary social activities

This qualitative research employed a conventional content analysis approach. The study involved 15 faculty members from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, selected using purposive sampling. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using MAXQDA software.

The data analysis revealed four main categories, including "existential philosophy of social activity", "the actual capabilities of social activity", "the bottlenecks of the path of social activity", and "operational strategies", along with 12 subcategories. These subcategories encompassed various aspects such as "Ensuring the health of society", "responding to spiritual needs", "cultivating responsible students", "the university’s supportive and coordinating role in social activity", "the role of professors", "absence of a unified trustee", "unprofessional behavior of some managers of organizations", "resource and operational limitations", "promotion and promotion of socially active professors", "development in the search for answers and people's participation", "sustained follow-up in social activities" and "society's needs are the cornerstone of actions" were obtained.

The findings underscore the need for an effective system to enhance voluntary social activities among faculty members. By closely collaborating with other organizations, addressing health needs, and cultivating responsible students, viable solutions can be devised and implemented to address societal health issues. Furthermore, fostering public engagement and inquiry related to health is imperative for the success of these initiatives.

Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a crucial component in medical school examinations to assess students’ competency, particularly in clinical skills incorporating cognitive and affective domains. OSCE results are subjected to standard-setting methods, which yield different findings. Hence, in this study, five different standard-setting methods, namely norm reference, Angoff method, borderline group method (BGM), borderline regression method (BRM), and modified Cohen’s method, were compared to determine the cut-off scores and failure rates determined by each method.

Data of 170 second-year medical students who attended OSCE with eight stations for their First Professional Examination at the end of year 2 MBBS was taken for the study following ethical approval. Total scores for each station were standardized to 20 marks, and cut-off scores were determined using each of the five standard-setting methods.

As a comparison of 5 methods, the Norm reference method yielded the highest number of stations with high cut-off scores, followed by BRM. This is reflected in the number of failures, too. On the contrary, using the Angoff method yielded the lowest cut-off scores in maximum stations, resulting in the least number of failed students. The Cochrane’s Q test of the results yielded a p < 0.001, which signifies that the proportion of students who failed a particular OSCE station was significantly different when different methods were used to determine the cut score.

The study, which compared 5 common standard-setting methods employed in medical education assessments, found that norm-referenced and BRM had high cut-off scores and failures, with the opposite determined by the Modified Angoff method. The study concluded that the cut-off score and failure rate differed with different standard-setting methods, and the choice of the method is contextual depending on the available resources.

Aligning faculty members' learning styles with their teaching approaches is a complicated topic in education. Understanding these inclinations can help enhance pedagogical practices and build a more inclusive learning environment. Thus, this study examined the relationship between learning style preferences and teaching technique choices among Iranian faculty members.

From May to July 2022, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted among faculty members at Iranian medical universities via the Porsline website. Virtual snowball sampling was used to recruit 526 individuals. The VARK questionnaire was translated into Persian and showed excellent reliability, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.94. The final data collection tools included the translated VARK questionnaire, self-assessment questions about teaching methods, university resources, and digital media center equipment. Analytical methods included descriptive statistics, logistic regression analysis, and chi-square testing for data evaluation.

The survey found that clinical teachers preferred reading and writing (54%), whereas fundamental science educators preferred visual-auditory and reading-writing. The effect of gender, field of study, learning style, age, and professional academic factors on the dependent variable, teaching method, was investigated using chi-square tests and logistic regression. The findings revealed that while there was no significant relationship between the variable gender and teaching method, significant associations were found with the variables field of study, learning style, age, and professional academic. Notably, it was observed that the effect size of field of study, age, and professional academic on teaching method is small, while for learning style, it is medium in magnitude.

The study uncovers a significant correlation between learning styles and teaching methods, suggesting that their learning backgrounds may shape teachers' teaching methods.

Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion and affects diverse professionals, with healthcare students at high risk due to academic and clinical stressors. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory–Student Survey (CBI-SS) has not been studied in healthcare students in the Indian context. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the English version of the CBI-SS.

This cross-sectional study, conducted in 2022, included 416 undergraduate and 107 postgraduate students from health profession institutions at a private university. The response rate was 65.45%. Descriptive and inferential statistics were evaluated for the CBI-SS with 25 items via JMP software. The tool was subjected to content and face validity. The interitem correlation was tested before the scale was subjected to Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The EFA indices considered were Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin test (KMO) and the Bartlett test of specificity. The CFA fit indices included the degree of freedom, Tucker Lewis index (TLI), freedom ratio (χ²/df), Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Root Mean Square Error Of Approximation (RMSEA), and Normed Fit Index (NFI).

The content validity index averaged 0.9, and face validity was favorable. The Cronbach's alpha scores were between 0.7 and 0.8. The EFA yielded KMO values above 0.9, and Bartlett's test yielded chi-square = 8880.727, df = 300, p < 0.0001. The fit indices for CFA were the Tucker and Lewis indices, with a score of 0.919 and an RMSEA score of 0.068, demonstrating a relationship between the items and the constructs.

This study highlights the usefulness of the CBI-SS in assessing burnout in allied health science and dental student populations. The results indicate that the CBI-SS is a reliable and valid instrument for identifying student burnout and developing strategies to prevent burnout among potentially vulnerable student populations in the Indian context.

Nursing students require a positive attitude and empathy towards the elderly in order to provide high-quality healthcare services. This study aimed to assess the effect of a serious aging game on the attitude and empathy of nursing students toward aging.

This study utilized a quasi-experimental design involving 72 nursing students who were divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group engaged in a serious game focused on aging, while the control group received traditional training courses. The students' attitudes toward aging were evaluated using Kogan's attitude towards aging and Jefferson's empathy questionnaires. Data analysis included descriptive statistics (Mean ± SD) and inferential tests (independent and paired t-test).

The students’ score of attitude towards aging in the intervention and control groups before intervention was (139.72 ± 6.43) and (139 ± 6.43) respectively. After the intervention, a significant difference was reported between the attitude scores of the students in the intervention (153.42 ± 14) and control (137.18 ± 10.67) groups (p < 0.0001). In addition, the mean scores of empathy towards old age in students of the intervention (103.54 ± 16.41) and control groups (99.90 ± 15.11) before the educational intervention. A significant difference between the scores of the intervention (113.42 ± 10.07) and control (94.42 ± 14.24) groups was reported (p < 0.0001).

The serious game of the elderly has been associated with the improvement of attitude and empathy in nursing students. The serious game of the elderly was suggested as one of the teaching methods in the nursing curriculum.

Teaching professionalism is one of the foundations of professional development for medical students. The present study aimed to explain the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of professionalism in medical education.

In this study, Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis approach was used. The search was performed using the keywords "professionalism", "medical education" and similar words in PubMed, Scopus, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Magiran databases and search engine Google Scholar. Literature published in English and Persian was included in the study. 59 articles were analyzed using the content analysis approach and attributes, antecedents, and consequences of professionalism in medical education were identified.

The attributes of professionalism in medical education were identified in "the emergence of the professional role models" and "the institutionalization of the culture of professionalism in education". The "manner" and "competence" of professors and "university policy in achieving professionalism" were determined as an antecedent, and the consequences for health stakeholders in "community" and "student" dimensions were defined as the consequences of professionalism in medical education.

Professionalism in medical education involves the presence of professional role models and the establishment of a culture of professionalism within educational environments. This includes professional character and competencies and moral qualities such as tolerance, fairness, and respect for human values. The antecedents of professionalism include the manner and competence of professors and the university's plans to achieve professionalism. The consequences of professionalism in medical education include improved health outcomes for the community, enhanced patient satisfaction, and the development of positive attitudes and behaviors in students. Professionalism in medical education aims to train professional students and provide high-quality services to ensure society's health.

Letter to the Editor The idea of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) or educational scholarship, is a complex and interconnected concept that needs more exploration and understanding. Imagine educational scholarship as a river that should flow continuously; this river has its origin, route, and destination. The similarity is that if their movement and continuity are interrupted, which can lead to turmoil, this is not surprising. To understand the process conditions and success factors, knowing about the beginning and end of the path is necessary. Details of this pathway are provided. SoTL involves meeting specific requirements at individual and activity levels. Therefore, it requires prerequisites and agreements. Evidence indicates that this concept needs more explanation and attention, especially in Iran. Educational scholarship brings individual, institutional, and professional benefits. However, one major challenge it encounters, especially in the field of educational research, is the mistaken belief that the two concepts are similar, despite certain similarities. Here, we will explore the fundamental characteristics of SoTL, namely those that distinguish it from educational research, with the intention of providing guidance to those who work in this field.

Uncertainty is a natural and inevitable part of the medical field (1). In the clinical setting, doctors frequently deal with issues that have several possible interpretations (2). Lately, there has been a focus on the necessity of acknowledging ambiguity and uncertainty in educational programs by medical schools, educators, and students (2). After graduation, medical students must possess the professional competency of being able to accept and manage uncertainty, according to the UK's General Medical Council (GMC) (3). In a similar vein, one of the most crucial skills for physician candidates is the capacity to tolerate uncertainty, according to the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in the USA (4). As medical students progress in their training, they will encounter numerous clinical uncertainties in all aspects of medical practice (5). Therefore, assessments should authentically address uncertainty to help students prepare for real-world clinical challenges (6). But there is a question that deserves attention: Are the current assessment tools appropriate enough to support uncertainty tolerance among medical students, particularly the written assessment tools? In undergraduate medical education, medical schools still widely use multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with a best-answer approach (A-type MCQs) (7). Despite their popularity, this examination format may inadvertently suggest to students that there is always a single correct answer, which may not align with real clinical experiences (7). Sam et al. recently created the Clinical Prioritization Questions (CPQs), an innovative assessment instrument (8). Students must rank potential diagnoses in CPQs from most likely to least likely, based on likelihood (8). The outcomes show how well this Question format works to support students' growth in clinical reasoning abilities. CPQs also significantly contribute to cultivating students' competence in managing clinical uncertainty (8). One of the existing challenges that educators face is the different marking system of CPQs, which, unlike A-type MCQs, learners can get a range of marks. Therefore, faculty development in terms of the nature and marking system of CPQs can play an important role in dealing with this challenge. Also, students' lack of familiarity with the CPQs is another challenge. So, it is suggested that before using CPQs, educational sessions should be held with the students concerning the format of CPQs. Given the significance of managing uncertainty and ambiguity in their future medical careers, it is imperative to incorporate specific strategies into the curriculum to equip medical students to deal with clinical uncertainty. It is recommended that CPQs be used as a valuable formative assessment tool, due to their capability to meet this demand. Iranian medical schools may find implementing CPQs more practical and useful than other clinical reasoning assessment tools. However, before any embedment in the curriculum, pilot studies for revealing utility aspects of CPQs (e.g., validity, reliability, educational impact, acceptability, and feasibility) in Iranian settings are needed.