[Educational environment in a Peruvian medical school. A negative trend over the academic years]. / Ambiente educativo en una facultad de medicina peruana: una tendencia negativa a lo largo de los años académicos.

BACKGROUND: Educational environment refers to the material resources and interpersonal relationships of an educational institution. AIM: To describe the educational environment of a Peruvian medical school and to explore a possible association between curricular years and the educational environment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) to evaluate the educational environment of a Peruvian medical school. Data collection consisted in online surveys completed voluntarily by 1st through 6th year medical students between April and October 2015. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 828 of 2,421 (34.2%) students. The mean DREEM score was 117 ± 25.6 of a maximum of 200. A poorer perception of the educational environment was associated with later years in the curriculum, when analysis was adjusted for gender, age and academic status (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The educational environment of this medical school scored positively (> 100 points). However, it was evident that medical students in later curricular years had a more negative perception of the educational environment compared to those in earlier academic years.

Intraarterial autologous implantation of adult stem cells for patients with Parkinson disease.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of intraarterial autologous implantation of adult stem cells for Parkinson disease (PD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 2006 to August 2008, 36 men and 14 women (mean age, 62.5 years +/- 10.4; range, 38-81 y) with PD (mean duration, 9.3 years; range, 1-28 y) underwent autologous implantation of stem cells with superselective arterial catheterization. Patients were evaluated with clinical and neurologic examinations; internationally recognized scales for the evaluation of PD, disability, activities of daily living, depression, and quality of life (QOL); as well as videos, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and MR spectroscopy. Stem cells were implanted in the posterior region of the circle of Willis. Patients were evaluated according to clinical measures. Comparison was made versus data collected from all scales before treatment, as well as videos and spectroscopy in eight patients. RESULTS: In a mean follow-up of 7.4 months +/- 4.5 (range, 1-18 months), patients showed a median improvement of 51.1% and quartile deviation (QD) of 24.8% on the Unified PD Rating Scale. They showed significant improvement in disability, activities of daily living, depression, and QOL (P < .5). No complications were observed. In eight patients, follow-up MR spectroscopy revealed mean improvements in n-acetylaspartate/creatine ratio from 1.805 to 2.07 (12.8%) and from 1.25 to 1.88 (43.56%) in right and left basal ganglia, respectively, versus preprocedural values (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of PD with intraarterial autologous implantation of adult stem cells is feasible and safe and results in improved severity of disease and QOL.

[Psychometric analysis of a questionnaire to measure the educational environment in a sample of medical students in Peru]. / Análisis psicométrico de un cuestionario para medir el ambiente educativo en una muestra de estudiantes de medicina en Perú.

The objective of the study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire in students of a Peruvian medical school. Participants were first-to-sixth-year students, invited to participate through a web platform. In the analysis the alpha coefficient of Cronbach was used to evaluate internal consistency. In addition, a confirmatory factorial analysis was performed to evaluate the construct validity of the subscales of the DREEM. The adjustment quality indexes used were: Root Mean Square Error Approximation (RMSEA), the Index of Benchmarking (CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), and the Standardized Root Mean Residual (SRMR). The results showed that the social self-perception dimension had an alpha of Cronbach of less than 0.70. In addition, the quality indices did not support the five-dimensional structure of the DREEM. In conclusion, the DREEM questionnaire did not perform optimally in this Peruvian sample.

El objetivo del estudio fue determinar las propiedades psicométricas del cuestionario Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) en estudiantes de una facultad de Medicina peruana. Los participantes fueron los alumnos de primero a sexto año, invitados a participar mediante una plataforma web. En el análisis se utilizó el coeficiente alfa de Cronbach para evaluar consistencia interna. Además, se realizó un análisis factorial confirmatorio para evaluar la validez de constructo de las subescalas del DREEM. Los índices de bondad de ajuste utilizados fueron: error cuadrático medio de aproximación (RMSEA), el índice de ajuste comparativo (CFI), índice Tucker-Lewis (TLI) y el residuo estandarizado cuadrático medio (SRMR). Los resultados mostraron que la dimensión Autopercepción Social tuvo un alfa de Cronbach menor a 0,70. Además, los índices de bondad no apoyaron la estructura de cinco dimensiones del DREEM. Como conclusión, el cuestionario DREEM no tuvo un desempeño óptimo en esta muestra peruana.

Ambiente educativo en una facultad de medicina peruana: una tendencia negativa a lo largo de los años académicos / Educational environment in a Peruvian medical school: a negative trend over the academic years

Background: Educational environment refers to the material resources and interpersonal relationships of an educational institution. Aim: To describe the educational environment of a Peruvian medical school and to explore a possible association between curricular years and the educational environment. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) to evaluate the educational environment of a Peruvian medical school. Data collection consisted in online surveys completed voluntarily by 1st through 6th year medical students between April and October 2015. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 828 of 2,421 (34.2%) students. The mean DREEM score was 117 ± 25.6 of a maximum of 200. A poorer perception of the educational environment was associated with later years in the curriculum, when analysis was adjusted for gender, age and academic status (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The educational environment of this medical school scored positively (> 100 points). However, it was evident that medical students in later curricular years had a more negative perception of the educational environment compared to those in earlier academic years.

Análisis psicométrico de un cuestionario para medir el ambiente educativo en una muestra de estudiantes de medicina en Perú / Psychometric analysis of a questionnaire to measure the educational environment in a sample of medical students in Peru

RESUMEN El objetivo del estudio fue determinar las propiedades psicométricas del cuestionario Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) en estudiantes de una facultad de Medicina peruana. Los participantes fueron los alumnos de primero a sexto año, invitados a participar mediante una plataforma web. En el análisis se utilizó el coeficiente alfa de Cronbach para evaluar consistencia interna. Además, se realizó un análisis factorial confirmatorio para evaluar la validez de constructo de las subescalas del DREEM. Los índices de bondad de ajuste utilizados fueron: error cuadrático medio de aproximación (RMSEA), el índice de ajuste comparativo (CFI), índice Tucker-Lewis (TLI) y el residuo estandarizado cuadrático medio (SRMR). Los resultados mostraron que la dimensión Autopercepción Social tuvo un alfa de Cronbach menor a 0,70. Además, los índices de bondad no apoyaron la estructura de cinco dimensiones del DREEM. Como conclusión, el cuestionario DREEM no tuvo un desempeño óptimo en esta muestra peruana.

ABSTRACT The objective of the study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire in students of a Peruvian medical school. Participants were first-to-sixth-year students, invited to participate through a web platform. In the analysis the alpha coefficient of Cronbach was used to evaluate internal consistency. In addition, a confirmatory factorial analysis was performed to evaluate the construct validity of the subscales of the DREEM. The adjustment quality indexes used were: Root Mean Square Error Approximation (RMSEA), the Index of Benchmarking (CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), and the Standardized Root Mean Residual (SRMR). The results showed that the social self-perception dimension had an alpha of Cronbach of less than 0.70. In addition, the quality indices did not support the five-dimensional structure of the DREEM. In conclusion, the DREEM questionnaire did not perform optimally in this Peruvian sample.