Strides in Development of Medical Education
Volume:10 Issue: 3, 2013

Several factors play an integral role in the quality of higher education and improving its processes. Professional role modeling is one of the most determining factors in achieving educational goals and fostering better learning. Hence، the aim of this study was to investigate the scientific characteristics of positive and negative role models among medical educators from the viewpoint of the dentistry and pharmacy students in Kerman University of Medical Sciences (Kerman، Iran). In this descriptive، analytical، cross-sectional study، a structured and self-administered questionnaire was completed by 94 senior pharmacy and dentistry students. The questionnaire contained pre-specified items in 3 sections relating to the demographic characteristics of respondents and scientific characteristics of positive and negative role models. The highest mean scores for positive role models were given to features as being respectful to colleagues (8. 75)، being knowledgeable (8. 52)، having teaching competencies (8. 49)، being good tempered (8. 45) and being kind (8. 43). There was not a statistically significant difference between the positive role models [age، gender، education level (basic-clinical)] and the scientific rank. The highest mean scores for negative role models were given to the features as deserving blame (-6. 97)، having no teaching competencies (-6. 41)، not being kind (-6. 09)، not being a good manager (-6. 08) and not being respectful to students (-6. 03). There was only a significant difference between the negative role models and scientific rank (P = 0. 029). Totally، 2 positive and 3 negative characteristics were identified for professional and non-professional role models. These characteristics can be classified into ethical behavior and communication، educational and managerial skills، and scientific competencies. There was not a statistically significant difference regarding the association between the scientific characteristics of positive and negative role models and the general characteristics of the respondents in terms of age variable. Our results suggested that the positive and negative characteristics of teachers formed a significant part in their acceptance and choosing them as role models from the perspectives of students. To achieve the educational goals and improving our higher education system، special attention should be given to these aspects as personality، professionalism and scientific characteristics.

Globalization is one of the most important topics in higher education today، which presents a powerful challenge and an opportunity for medical sciences university and healthcare provider. Nowadays، increasingly faced with healthcare challenges that require an understanding of global health trends and practices، yet little is known about what constitutes appropriate global health training. The main purpose of this research was to review the association between perception of globalization and information mastery and curriculum planning. This was a descriptive-analytical study on medical students. The study population consisted of 180 medical sciences students who were selected with random sampling methods. In order to measure attitudes of students towards globalization، measures were developed and used by researchers. For the purpose of evaluating of the validity of the measures، construct validity was utilized by factor analysis. In order to determine the reliability of the measures Cronbach''s alpha was used، as well. Findings indicated that the total respondents agreed or had positive approach towards globalization. Based on the results of the factor analysis، four factors i. e. personal and social attitude with 15 questions، sociopolitical attitude، and 7 question، two questions for performance and the fourth factor was the resource management concept of globalization which were identified with only one question in the questionnaire. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results showed that there was no statistically significant association the students'' perspective and demographic variables gender، school and age. The positive perception of globalization highlighted the needs of global health educational competencies and approaches used in medical schools and the need to facilitate greater consensus amongst medical educators and students on appropriate global health training for future health care providers. This process led to world integration، density of human awareness and world culture formation

Master of public health (MPH) Course is designed for Increasing competency in family physicians employed in Iran''s health system. The Contents of this course is based on society needs for increasing managing and public health. This study was designed to evaluate the virtual education in MPH Course in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. This research was a qualitative and quantitative study. The evaluation was according Kirkpatrick''s Model. The study was done on 25 family physicians in Shiraz University of medical Sciences. We used questionnaire which included goal attainment، learning assessment، compact disc (CD) quality and Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire. Data was gathered and then analyzed with SPSS software. Also، an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was designed in education development center for third level evaluation according to Kirkpatrick''s Model. For qualitative evaluation، we did a semi structured interview with teachers. Open questionnaires also were designed for students and data were extracted. 15 physicians full filled the questionnaires and 12 of them participated the OSCE. The most interested and practical lessons were about geriatrics diseases out patient management and epidemiology basics. The least interested lessons were about health promotion، case management and managed health cares. In OSCE، the best scores were for obstetrics – gynecology and the least scores for pediatrics lessons. According to participants'' viewpoints، the disadvantages of the course were low quality compact discs، future employment participants، compact course and assessment methods. The best advantages of this course were efficient learning and increasing knowledges of the students.

The equality and educational justice in educational environment can be effective in students'' morale and academic performance. The aim of present study was considering the impact of educational justice on students’ academic burnout.

This was a cross-sectional descriptive analytical study. The sample included 210 students of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science، Tehran، Iran، selected by non-probability quota sampling. Research instruments included Educational Justice (Golparvar، 2010) and Academic Burnout (Berso et al، 1997) Questionnaires، both had desirable reliability and validity.

There was no significant difference between the male and female students'' perceptions of educational justice in the university. In addition، there was no significant difference between male and female students in the level of academic burnout. Improve educational justice reduced burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion، apathy and inefficiency of school education).

Based on the results، improve educational justice can be associated with lower rates of student’s academic burnout. Thus، university authorities should consider creating equal educational opportunities.

Studies indicated that medical student abuse is likely to have a considerable negative effect. Compared to non-abused students، abused students reported more anxiety، depression، difficulty with learning، thoughts of dropping out، and alcohol use problem. Other studies showed that stress associated with being abused negatively impacted on career decisions. This was a cross-sectional study carried out by Medical Educational Development Office of Kerman University of Medical Sciences، Kerman، Iran. All medical students in clinical course were selected through census method. Students'' viewpoint towards treatment in clinical setting evaluated using a questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire confirmed by a number of experts and its reliability determined using a pilot study with Cronbach’s alpha 0. 67. One hundred sixty eight questionnaires were completed. Medical student abuse was reported by 93% of the respondents. Verbal abuse was the most frequently experienced abuse followed by academic abuse، gender discrimination، and physical abuse. Physician’s residents were the most often reported as abusers. The most frequent emotional response to abuse was sadness (97%). Experience of abuse in clinical setting is common among medical students. To improve the learning environment، medical educators need to take action to resolve this serious issue.

The present study aimed to evaluate student’s skill in identification of intraoral radiographs faults and the way correcting them.

Seven intraoral radiographs included 6 periapical radiographs and 1 bitewing with common errors selected. The slides were showed to each student in standard and same condition. Each student must have passed the relative radiologic courses. The radiographs included 7 technical errors and 4 processing errors. Each student was asked to assess each film for the presence/absence of film fault (s) and to detail how to correct the faults. Descriptive analytical test and t-test were used to assess the data.

The minimum and maximum scores were 9 and 19، respectively out the total score 22. The mean score of the identification film faults was 7. 7 and the mean score of troubleshooting the faults was 5. 8 of 11. The t-test showed no statistically significant difference between the male and female student (P > 0. 05).

The skill of student in identification the film faults is superior to troubleshooting the errors. There was no statistically significant difference between the male and female student.

Most experts of Iranian traditional medicine believe that it is absolutely necessary and inevitable to update the field to utilize evidence in education of Iranian traditional medicine students and treatment of its patients. In this regard، this study attempted to evaluate utilization of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in the curriculum of School of Iranian Traditional Medicine. In this qualitative study، semi-structured، individual، and face-to-face interviews were done to collect Iranian traditional medicine expert’s point of views in regard to EBM. Content analysis was done to analyze the data. The study findings were classified in two major categories including EBM in the curriculum of Iranian traditional medicine، and EBM application in Iranian School of Traditional Medicine. The sub-categories were also mentioned. Although some sections of PhD program in traditional medicine are related to evidence based medicine، it is not satisfying yet. Therefore، the concept and principles of evidence based practice should be included in theory and practice.

Ph. D by research is one of the highest post-graduate education degrees in Iran. There are educational and research-based courses in this program. There was a need for revision in these courses because of some controversies in running the program. This study aimed to determine the required courses، their credit and objective of each course in the program. The study was done by the Delphi approach in two rounds. In the first round، the current program was evaluated by an internet survey and an expert panel. The expert panel consisted of professors and PhD by research students of medical sciences universities in Iran. At the end of the first round، the curriculum of the program was prepared. The curriculum consisted of course titles، credits، objective and core or non-core curriculums. In the second round، the curriculum was sent to PhD by research supervisors and students and their feedbacks were collected via e-mail. At the end of the study، the list of current courses (per credit) was confirmed. Advanced statistics (3)، advanced research (2)، ethics in research (1) and documentation (2) were considered as core courses. This was suggested to change project management (2) and research projects (4) to non-core courses. The electronic data management (2)، knowledge transfer (2)، laboratory techniques (2) and course thesis were suggested to consider as non-core courses. The essential courses that students need for their research were considered as core and the courses which require the educational center point of view were considered as non-core courses.

Many years ago conventional teaching ways have been used to train psychiatry in medical students. Videotape training is a newer teaching way and has many usages such as taking feedback and students evaluation، training disorders diagnosis and psychopathology، improve psycho education، psychopathology and etc. Videotape was prepared for twelve psychiatric symptoms. Medical students were divided into two groups and either conventional training or videotape training was used for each group. Finally، the questionnaires were distributed among the students to determine its effectiveness 43 students were in conventional and 37 students were in videotape training group. Age، gender، marital status and academic grade were similar in both groups. Global score was significantly higher in videotape training group. Score of five symptoms were significantly higher in this group i. e. delusional memory، delusional mood، intermetamorphosis syndrome، double orientation، and passivity feeling. Results were similar with previous studies and showed that videotape training is more effective than conventional training. Effectiveness of videotape training depends upon multiple factors such as teaching objectives، videotapes quality and the way those are prepared.

One of the most important factors in students learning is their learning style whose identification helps to produce an optimal and effective learning program. This study aimed to determine the learning styles in medical students and providing an appropriate teaching method based on their views. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2011 on 276 medical students who were chosen by proportional to size method. The means of data collection was a questionnaire، which included three parts i. e. demographic factors، Kolb’s learning styles and questions about teaching methods. Then the data were collected and analyzed. Learning style of most of the students was assimilator (47. 1%) and the order afterwards was divergent style (26. 8%)، convergent (18. 5%)، and accommodator (7. 6%)، respectively. The most appropriate teaching methods from the viewpoints of students were concept attainment، ward report and case-conference methods. No statistically significant association was found between the learning style and the variables of age، gender، academic year and material status. There was a statistically significant association between the habitat of students and their wish to continue study; however، in urban students was accommodator and in students who wanted to study in postgraduate levels، learning style was divergent. Considering note that medical students، have chosen concept attainment، ward report and case-conference methods as appropriate pattern of teaching for their training، this results are helpful for medical education system so that to improve students’ learning. The lecturers had better bring student-centered approach -in which learners have an active role to learn- rather than uniform teaching method such as lectures.

Identifying clinical education problems is a challenge in training staffs and professional role acceptance. This study aimed to identify nursing faculty perception from student evaluation challenges in medical surgical wards. This was a descriptive qualitative study. Participants were 14 nursing faculty members and purposeful sampling was used until data saturation. Interview was done for data collection. All the interviews were recorded and then transcribed and analyzed. Software One Note 2010 was used for documentation of interviews and extracted codes. Manifest content analysis was used for data analysis. Four themes and 14 categories were emerged including superficial evaluation (face evaluation، evaluation with invalid instrument، modeless evaluation، and detail center evaluation)، unreal center evaluation (theory based evaluation، unprofessional based evaluation، tact based evaluation، and help to average rise based evaluation)، bet-based evaluation (conservative evaluation، student recompense-based evaluation of teacher، and cliché type evaluation) and incomplete evaluation (unintegrated evaluation، unclear evaluation، and to digress of criterion reference evaluation). Modeless and non-instrumental evaluation was reported as important subjects that emphasized by faculty members. Some interventions for fair evaluation were recommended as using valid instrument and proper approaches based on short and long goals for competent graduated to health care system entry.