Future of Medical Education Journal
Volume:2 Issue: 4, Dec 2012

Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is one of the best methods of evaluating the achievement of domains such as educational objectives and cognitive, emotional, and psycho-motor aspects of medical students. According to available evidences, no study has been conducted on the evaluating of OSCE in midwifery students. The main purpose of this study was the evaluation of knowledge and clinical practices of midwifery students in the courses of physiopathology, infectious, and internal diseases and surgery based on OSCE method, compared with traditional and with the final clinical traineeship score. This study was performed on 39 midwifery students at the end of the third year of their education in Islamic Azad University of Karaj. The OSCE was performed in 10 different stations based on five practical purposes. A week later, traditional evaluation was performed using multiple choice questions and essays. Then final clinical examination was applied in next semester, when they passed their traineeship course. The scores in three evaluation methods were compared and correlation between the scores were reported. The mean (Standard deviation) score of OSCE, traditional, and clinical exams were 85.29 (8.90), 62.76 (10.80) and 81.50 (3.22) respectively. Based on the results of Pearson correlation test, there was no significant difference between the three evaluation methods mutually. There was a poor correlation between scores obtained from traditional and clinical (r=0.30, P Value=0.068), traditional and OSCE (r=0.19, P Value=0.123) and clinical and OSCE (r=0.06, P Value=0.728) evaluations. Mixed mode analysis showed a significant difference in the average scores when three evaluation methods of OSCE, traditional and clinical were compared (P<0.001, F (2, 83) =91.8). This study showed that OSCE is a good way to evaluate midwifery students'' clinical skills.

Emergency contraception (EC) has been available in Iran, however there has been little research into the extent of knowledge of the actions, effectiveness and attitudes of students about it. The aim of this study was to detect the Knowledge and attitudes of university students towards emergency contraception. A survey of 130 university students was conducted at Shahrekord university of Medical Sciences in Iran during the 2009- 2010. A predesigned questionnaire was distributed to students who had passed the family planning subject and asking about their knowledge and attitudes towards emergency contraception. Ninety-four of students had heard of emergency contraception. About of 85% of them, explained the contraceptive pills and 10% stated the intra uterine device (IUD) for EC. Seventy-one percent didn,t know the mechanism of action of EC pills and 29% believed that EC worked by disrupting a newly implanted ovum and would interrupt an ongoing pregnancy. Kind of method was reported OCP in 85.2%, OCP and IUD in 5.3% of students. Finally, The awareness of students was insufficient in 15.4% of them. 76.9% of them had moderate and 7.7% had sufficient knowledge. More than 80% of students had positive attitudes towards emergency contraception. The level of knowledge in university students'' about emergency contraception was low and there is a clear need for ECP as a pregnancy prevention method among university students and for better education about it with considering the details for each method and insertion of IUD for emergency contraception.

This study was designed in order to review the client''s usage rate of central library information facilities at Birjand University of Medical Sciences. This is a descriptive - analytical study that was conducted on all facualty members and free members through Census method and on student and clerks through random systematic sampling. A questionnaire was prepared and completed based on the rate of using information service and facility receiving. After data collection and encoding, it was analyzed with Chi-Square test under SPSS software. Participants having diploma with 9.6 included the lowest percentage of participants and experts with 8.57 included the highest percentage of the research community. The highest percentage of useage belonged to of Irandoc database (8.66%) and the lowest to the Ovid database (54%). Among the demographic variables measured, a significant relationship was observed between the average scores of people with field (P= 0/01), degree (P= 0/02), rank (P= 0/002) and jobs (P= 0.001). Considering the availability of information, number of computers, considered time range, predictive duration for Internet using, and print costs were optimum and proper.The overall evaluation of the information and use of services and facilities Birjand University of Medical Sciences was relatively low.

Continuous improvement of quality in higher education is the ultimate goal of any medical school. Evaluation of research and educational status makes it possible to judge about the quality of educational achievements in a system. Thus we evaluated the educational and research status of Microbiology and Virology Department، faculty of medicine in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. This cross-sectional study was conducted during 2012 in the Department of Microbiology and Virology. The study population included the head of the department، members of the Evaluation Committee، nine faculty members of the Department، postgraduate students and some undergraduate students، several alumni، as well as educational staff of the department. A questionnaire was utilized to evaluate 8 fields by questions based on a 3-point Likert scale. This questionnaire has been previously assessed and confirmed in terms of reliability and validity. Descriptive statistics were calculated using appropriate software. The best scores were obtained in the area of faculty members، students، and dissertations while the minimum points were achieved in the areas of educational facilities، educational programs (curricula) and alumni. According to the results، curricula، educational and research facilities and spaces which were identified as the weakest areas need to be considered and paid more serious attention. Planning to develop the effective communication with alumni can improve the quality of education in the department.

Background and

Teaching is a mutual and cooperative process in which the learner and teacher both get affected، thus its effectiveness should be studied from the viewpoint of students and teachers so that by approximating the viewpoints، more effectiveness can be achieved in education، therefore we aimed to study the characteristics of effective teaching from the viewpoint of students and instructors of Yazd Shahid Sadooghi University of Medical Sciences.

This study is analytical – descriptive. The participants included 256 students and 70 instructors of the University of Medical Sciences. Data collection tool was a questionnaire which reliability and validity had been confirmed in previous studies. Sampling was done through multi-staged stratified. Data was analyzed by SPSS using statistical tests، Chi square، ANOVA and T-test.

The results of this study showed that the priorities of effective teaching from the students'' viewpoint were interpersonal relationship، actor''s viewpoint they were teaching skills، interpersonal relationship، personal attributes، assessment skills and respecting education rules respectively and totally the most important characteristics of effective teaching from the students'' viewpoint were mastery of the topic of the lesson (2. 76)، respectful tone and speech (2. 73)، and respecting students'' self esteem and ego (2. 7)، and from instructors'' viewpoint they were meaningful and constant presentation (2. 97)، paying attention to students'' feedback (2. 91)، and involving students in discussing class lesson topics (2. 90).

According to the opinions of students and instructors it is suggested to pay attention to the development of interpersonal skills along with new teaching skills in empowering instructors program and instructors should master the topic of the lesson، do organized and meaningful presentations، and talk with students respectfully.

Computers and Internet play an ever- increasing and important role in medical education.This research was performed to determine the rate of knowledge, attitude, and performance of the students of Birjand University of Medical Science in the case of computer and Internet use. This descriptive – analytical study was performed on 425 students of Birjand University of Medical Science selected by random systematic classification sampling. Knowledge, attitude, and performance of the students were evaluated by using a self – structured questionnaire that had already been completed by faculty members of Birjand University of Medical Sciences and its reliability was confirmed. The data entered into SPSS software and was analyzed by using the Chi- Square test in level (). Of 425 Students studied, 227 (53.4%) were female. In the field of measuring computer knowledge of the students, 56.9% had minimal computer knowledge. In the field of attitude, 69.4% had a good attitude and 30.1% had an average one. In the area of skill, 49.6% did not have enogh skills in using software and 38.8% in using internet facilities.The students were mostly skilled in using Word (54.6%) and Power point (52.7%). There was a statistical significant relationship between performance (Using internet Services) and gender and between awareness and education level of the students (P< 0/05). Considering the limited knowledge and skill and the positive attitude of the students regarding computer and Internet, designing and compiling the training programs related to the computer in the form of scheduled workshops with repeatability and preparing the computer centers of the university are suggested.

Teaching of theoretical and practical first aids are important courses for medical sciences students. If these courses are taught with Evidence Based Medicine(EBM), they will be learned better by students. The objective of this study was the determination of the effect of evidence based medical education on learning of first aids. This study had been performed inthe planning of educational course, as across-sectional study. The cource was in accordance with the Iran’s Mininstery of Helth Carriculum for teaching first Aids to Medical Students. The study was performed in Mashhad University of Medical Sciencesin in 2011. Medical students randomly devided to two groups. In group 1 First aids was taught in traditional style. The students’ score in final exam was compand between 2 study groups. The mean score of theoretical first aids in group 1 was 18.83±1.16, the minimum was 16.50 and the maximum was 20, in group 2, it was 19.28±0.40, the minimum was 18.25 and the maximum was 20 with t=-1.563 and P=0.134 without any significant differences. The mean theoretical first aids score of two groups were not significantly different (group1: 18.25±1.116 min 16.5 max: 20 vs. group2: 19.28±0.40 Min: 18.25 Max: 20, t: -4.52 P:0.001).The mean grade of practical first aids in group 1 was 18.88±0.94, the minimum was 17 and the maximum was 20, in group 2 it was 19.92±0.23, minimum 19 and maximum 20 with t=-4.515 and P=0.001 with significant differences. Evidence based medical education might beneficial for the learning of practical and some subjectof theoretical first aids.