Do Saudi medical schools consider the core topics in undergraduate medical curricula?

BACKGROUND: Most of the medical schools in Saudi Arabia are currently evolving their curricula in accordance with the most recognized medical education trends worldwide. Undergraduate medical school's curriculum should be compatible with community health needs. Therefore, the study aims to explore the current contents of Saudi undergraduate medical curricula and to check if the core topics that were internationally recognized were implemented in their curriculum. METHODOLOGY: An online questionnaire was designed and sent to 37 deans of medical schools in Saudi Arabia. The deans or the vice-deans in charge of the curriculum were asked to complete the pre-designed questionnaire, which assessed the status of inclusion of the core topics in the curriculum of their affiliated schools. Each listed core topic was evaluated according to five options for each subject: not included, separate required course, part of the required course, separate elective course, and part of an elective course. RESULTS: Twenty four out of 37 (65%) Saudi medical schools completed the survey questionnaire. Almost all core topics, such as communication skills, evidence-based medicine, patient safety, professionalism were included in the curricula of Saudi medical schools as separate required courses or as part of required courses or elective courses. Complementary and alternative medicine and the history of medicine were the topics least taught in Saudi medical colleges, as 25% of the schools did not include them in their curricula. CONCLUSION: The majority (65%) of the internationally recognized core topics were included in the Saudi undergraduate medical curricula. Evidence-based medicine, complementary medicine, the Saudi healthcare system, patient safety, and professionalism/medical ethics should be part of compulsory credited courses in all Saudi undergraduate medical curricula.

Do various personal hygiene habits protect us against influenza-like illness?

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported an association between improvements in hand hygiene and the reductions in rates of intestinal parasitic diseases. However, only a some have addressed its link to the frequency of influenza-like illness. The current study aimed to find the correlation between personal hygiene habits and the frequency of influenza-like illness. METHODS: A cross-sectional study targeting 3000 participants conducted in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. A systematic random sampling methodology was applied for participant from different part of Riyadh city using a computer generating system. The researcher first started by calling each participant. A full explanation was given to each participant in details (from the purpose of the research, consent to answer the questionnaire, to the explanation of the outcome definition). Each point of the questionnaire was explained to them to make sure they had excellent comprehension, and therefore, respond accurately. Descriptive statistics and Odds Ratio and its 95% confidence intervals were used to determine the association between frequency of influenza-like illness and the studied variables. RESULTS: Two thousand eighty-two (69.4%) completed the questionnaire. The participants who spent 5-10 s in handwashing with soap and rubbing were at increased risk of more frequent influenza-like illness (odds ratio = 1.37, 1.08-1.75). Handwashing with soap and rubbing after handshaking is an independent protective habit against frequent influenza-like illness (adjusted OR = 0.59, 0.37-0.94). CONCLUSION: The decrease of the frequency of influenza-like illness could be done through the following: getting the influenza vaccine annually, washing hands with soap and hand rubbing not less than 15 s after getting out of the bathroom, before and after handshaking and before eating. Soap companies should invent soaps that take less rubbing time to kill bacteria, and subsequently may maximize compliance in the community.

Strategic directions for university hospitals in Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently witnessing a massive support for its healthcare services. This year's fiscal budget for health care is by far the largest in the history of the kingdom. While pursuing the conventional goals of healthcare delivery systems, such as equity, affordability and availability of services, the ministry of education (MOE), formerly called ministry of higher education (MOHE), is also seeking to achieve certain excellence standards, which are expected to set the bar for other countries in the region to follow suit. Almost all, under construction, university hospitals were adopting a paradigm shift in the standard of health care and training provided. This report summarizes these standards.

Public health education in Saudi Arabia: Needs and challenges.

In the last decade, public health (PH) has come to the frontlines in Saudi Arabia. The recent outbreak of a novel corona virus (MERS-CoV) highlighted the importance of PH services and the need for a competent PH workforce. The urgency and panic induced by infectious disease outbreaks explain the heightened interest. Decision makers' interest in public health was observed through a series of decisions, including creating a position for Deputy Minister for Public Health, changing the name of "Directorate of Primary Healthcare Centers" to "Directorate of Public Health" in all health regions and initiating a special scholarship program to prepare health administration professionals in collaboration with US-based universities. A distinguished group of PH leaders in Saudi Arabia was gathered in a structured workshop that was organized by the Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, college of medicine to discuss the current status and future needs of PH education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The workshop highlighted the need for PH education development and outlined the challenges ahead. The main challenges laid out by participants in the workshop were the development of an appropriate PH curriculum, appropriate training spots for practical placement, the development of research priorities for PH to satisfy the needs of PH programs and agencies, attracting the most qualified academic staff, the enrolment of highly motivated students and finally, the establishment of a quality assurance program to ensure the quality of PH education programs. The development of a framework for graduate competencies in PH was perceived to be a top priority. Moreover, setting a PH workforce surveillance system, building partnership between PH academic institutions and PH services providers, implementing national campaigns to explain what PH is about and illuminating the role of PH workers were also of utmost importance.

Steps towards establishing a new medical college in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: an insight into medical education in the Kingdom.

BACKGROUND: The percentage of Saudi physicians practicing in the public health sector did not exceed 22.6% in 2009, and did not reach 20% in 2006. This is despite the fact that more than 80% of the Saudi population seeks health care in the public health sector. Such a low percentage of Saudi physicians is even significantly lower in the private health sector. With a fast growing population, and a low percentage of Saudi nationals practicing medicine, the need to establish new medical colleges in the Kingdom became a must. This study reflects on the steps followed in establishing the College of Medicine at Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, and provides a comprehensive insight into medical education in the Kingdom. METHODS: A sub-committee derived from the Saudi Medical Colleges Deans' Committee was created and chaired by the founding dean of Al-Imam College of Medicine. The main goals of the sub-committee were to analyze the status of medical education in the Kingdom, and to produce an action plan to be followed when establishing a new medical college in the country. RESULTS: The sub-committee produced a working document, which included recommendations and action plan. A medical college yet to be established should take into consideration right from the beginning both institutional and program accreditation. To achieve this goal, there are five main pillars to be planned by six main task forces. Embedded among these pillars are twenty-one domains. The analysis of the status of medical education in the Kingdom revealed some interesting observations, which are discussed in details in the manuscript. CONCLUSIONS: Establishing a new medical college should not be about just increasing the number of medical colleges as a response to the shortage of doctors. It is a lengthy "surgical operation" that requires careful and timely planning in order to anticipate and prevent any damage, and to ensure optimal outcomes. In this regard, a detailed analysis of what already exists and what needs to be done is crucial.

Prevalence and risk factors of gastro-esophageal reflux disease among college students at a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders worldwide. It manifests when the lower esophageal sphincter malfunctions, causing the stomach's contents to reflux into the esophagus, lead to discomforting symptoms. Heartburn and regurgitation are the typical symptoms of GERD. This study aims to determine the prevalence of GERD and assess its risk factors. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at IMSIU, Saudi Arabia. An online survey was distributed to the students' email addresses to determine the prevalence of GERD, its related risk factors, and understanding of its symptoms. Results: One thousand five hundred and thirty-three (1533) students participated in the survey. The prevalence of GERD was 34.6%. The majority (79.7%) of the respondent students had heard of GERD. Stress is believed to be a factor in developing GERD by 35.7% of students. Heartburn was the predominant symptom of GERD (76.2%). No association existed between the socio-demographic traits of those with GERD except for age and academic year. Conclusions: It is imperative to raise public awareness of the disorder's characteristics and its modifiable risk factors to prevent the emergence of GERD and its complications.

Atopy and allergic diseases among college students at a Saudi Public University.

Background: Despite its significant prevalence worldwide, atopy and allergic diseases continue to need more studies, with a need for published articles describing the prevalence of atopy and allergic diseases in Saudi society. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of atopic dermatitis diseases among college students at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. Methods: The Cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia among college students at Imam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh based on self-report Asthma and Allergies questionnaires (ISSAC questionnaire, atopic dermatitis part). Results: Seven hundred ninety-seven (797) students from 11 colleges participated in the study. About half (47.6%) aged between 21 and 24, and 73.7% were females. More than one-third (34.8%) had atopic dermatitis during the last six months, while 30.7% of the participants reported having itchy rash in the past 12 months, and 33.8% were diagnosed with eczema in any life interval. Age is not one of the significant factors affecting the prevalence of atopic dermatitis. However, the prevalence of atopic dermatitis slightly increases with age (P = 0.062). Atopic dermatitis was significantly higher among female students (39.7%) than 21.0% among male students (P = 0.000). College level nor GPA had no significant impact on the prevalence of atopic dermatitis (P = 0.238 and 0.884, respectively). Conclusion: Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University students have a high prevalence of atopic dermatitis, which may indicate a higher prevalence of allergens. Females and older participants were more liable to reported atopic dermatitis.

Exploring the Enigmatic Link: Unraveling the Relationship Between Obesity and Cigarette Smoking Among Diverse College Students at Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is defined as an excess of body fat. This medical condition frequently results in a high BMI and an increased risk of a variety of health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. Cigarette smoking includes inhaling smoke created by the combustion of tobacco. It is linked to a variety of health issues, including lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory ailments, and is a primary cause of preventable disease and premature death worldwide. The association between obesity and cigarette smoking is complex and incompletely understood. This study aims to investigate the intriguing association between obesity and cigarette smoking among diverse college students at Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODOLOGY: The study was conducted as an observational study, specifically an analytical cross-sectional study, to measure the prevalence of cigarette smoking and obesity and their association. This type of study is chosen because of its advantages including targeting a large sample in a short time and inexpensive way, with no loss to follow-up, unlike some other study designs. RESULTS: In this study, we were able to collect data from 603 participants, of which 57.4% were male and 67.8% of them aged between 20 and 24 years old. Moreover, we found that 39.6% had normal weight; however, the prevalence of obesity, overweight, and underweight were 24%, 28.1%, and 8.3%, respectively. Considering the prevalence of smoking, we found that 22.6% of the participants reported being current smokers, while 5.3% were former smokers. There is a significant difference between participants with different BMIs (P=0.001). The prevalence of smoking was significantly higher in obese and overweighted participants (35.1% and 31.3%, respectively) compared with 28.4% in normal-weighted participants. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of smoking and obesity in this study was significantly higher than reported in different studies. Moreover, we found a significant relationship between smoking and obesity; however, further investigation should be conducted to determine the cause of this relationship.

The Relationship Between Motivation and Academic Performance Among Medical Students in Riyadh.

BACKGROUND: Motivation is the process whereby goal-directed activities are initiated and sustained. Motivation is a crucial factor in academic achievement. The study aims to measure students' demographic factors and external environments' effect on their motivation and determine the impact of students' motivation and self-efficacy on their learning engagement and academic performance. METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional study that involved distributing an online digital questionnaire, which was applied in the capital of Saudi Arabia, "Riyadh." The students' motivation was assessed using three scales that are designed to measure the students' intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and learning engagement. RESULTS: In this study, we collected 429 responses from our distributed questionnaire among medical students where males represented 60.1% of the sample. Moreover, we classified the satisfaction level into five subcategories: very satisfied, satisfied, neutral, unsatisfied, and very unsatisfied. We found that most of the students (38.7%) were satisfied with their academic performance, while 17.7% were strongly satisfied. The mean enrollment motivation score in this study was 19.83 (SD 2.69), and when determining its subcategories, we found that the mean intrinsic motivation score was 10.33 (out of 12) and the mean extrinsic motivation score was 10.23 (out of 12). Moreover, the mean self-efficacy score was 9.61 and the mean learning engagement score was 8.97 (out of 12). Moreover, we found that a longer duration needed by the students to reach the college from their residence is significantly associated with lower learning engagement reported by the students (8.54 vs. 9.13 in shorter times, P=0.034). Finally, we found that students who entered medical school as their first choice had significantly higher intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and learning engagement. CONCLUSION: A student's preference for entering medical school will affect their motivation, self-efficacy, and learning engagement. Moreover, intrinsic and extrinsic motivations significantly correlate with self-efficacy and satisfaction with academic performance; however, they have no effect on the grade point average (GPA) of the last semester. The only factor that positively correlates with students' GPA is learning engagement.

The Association Between Nicotine Dependence and Mental Health in the General Population of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study.

Background: High prevalence of mental disorders is associated with psychoactive substances, significantly contributing to morbidity, disability, and premature mortality. Worldwide, individuals who use electronic-cigarettes (EC) and have a mental health diagnosis are more likely to experience stress, depression, and drug use. This study aims to measure the prevalence of both EC use and mental health disorders namely, anxiety and depression additionally to investigate the association between EC use and mental health status among the general population of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted across Saudi Arabia from November 2022 to May 2023. The survey was divided into three sections. The first section focuses on the demographics, while the second part asked about both conventional and EC smoking and their frequency. The third section assessed mental health status using a Patient Health Questionnaire with a 9-item depression scale (PHQ-9) and a 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). Results: The study revealed 21.1% reporting EC use in the past thirty days. While 19.8% reported smoking tobacco one or more days within the last thirty days. Regarding mental health, 36.6% of individuals had minimal anxiety, while 42.4% experienced mild anxiety. Moreover, most of the participant were considered to have mild followed by minimal depression accounting for 36.7% and 31.9%, respectively. The results indicated a positive and significant correlation between perceived depression scores and nicotine dependence among EC users. Additionally, there was a strong relationship between gender and nicotine dependence, with men being more inclined than women. Conclusion: There is a correlation between nicotine use and mental health outcomes; people who use nicotine products are more likely to experience anxiety and depression.

Faculty development program: a guide for medical schools in Arabian Gulf (GCC) countries.

The effective faculty development (FD) program is the most essential component for creating successful educational innovation. The purpose of having any FD program is to enable faculty to accomplish their goals, and through accomplishing these goals, the missions of their departments, colleges, and universities would be accomplished. FD programs will need to provide an extensive set of developmental-educational skills and strategies in order to serve faculty members who come from various disciplines and at different stages of their careers, have different faculty responsibilities, backgrounds, appointments, and bring unique personal circumstances to their work. Although, there are quite a large number of medical schools in Arabian Gulf (GCC) countries, still the FD programs are extremely lacking. To analyze the situation in Gulf medical schools with regards to FD programs, we would emphasize the following needs: (1) FD committees or departments; (2) formal programs in FD for new or junior and for also senior and established faculty members; and (3) funding support has to be devoted to improve the skills of faculty members in academia. This aimed at presenting a proposed FD program to be considered as a tool for qualitative improvement in medical schools of GCC countries.

Awareness and attitudes toward epilepsy among medical students and interns in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a common neurological condition. It affects around 1% of the global population. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional observational study. An online questionnaire was distributed to medical students in their clinical and preclinical years and interns at Riyadh's four public universities. Then a comparison was made to see whether attending more courses in medical school would influence the students' knowledge and attitudes. RESULTS: In the present study, 95% of medical students had heard about epilepsy or convulsive seizures (a significantly larger proportion of clinical students had heard about epilepsy than preclinical students (99.0% versus 92%, P-value = 0.000)). Furthermore, 34.0% believed that epilepsy could be treated. Moreover, 79.1% of those polled claimed that brain disease originated from epilepsy, followed by genetic factors (64.1%) and convulsions (92.3%) as the most common symptoms. CONCLUSION: Regarding medical students' awareness of epilepsy, it turns out that it is good and better than reported in other research, especially among clinical students rather than preclinical students, who have a negative attitude toward epileptic patients. Consequently, there is a need to further development of their knowledge throughout future campaigns and conferences, and curricula that should be tailored to help improve awareness and attitudes toward epilepsy.

Awareness of Gadolinium Toxicity Among Non-radiologists in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction and aim Gadolinium toxicity has been accompanied by side effects among patients scanned with MRI, especially patients with chronic renal insufficiency. The toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of gadolinium-based contrast agents intact blood-brain barriers accumulate in the brain. This study aimed to estimate the awareness about the side effects of gadolinium-enhanced MRI scans among Saudi non-radiologists to improve and raise the level of awareness of all physicians about the side effects of gadolinium-enhanced MRI studies among patients. This improvement will be due to our clarification of the most important issues related to gadolinium contrast in MRI, by illustrating the uses and the major side effects of this contrast. Additionally, we want to find a method that will help with raising awareness of gadolinium toxicity and alert the stakeholders and the head of radiology departments about the need of creating and implementing new official regulations to minimize the abuse of enhanced MRI studies. Materials and methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted among non-radiological doctors in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire based on a literature review was developed and distributed among non-radiological doctors through an online platform. The questionnaire included basic demographic data and a behavioral and awareness assessment about gadolinium. All statistical analyses were carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) IBM Corp. Released 2019. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. Results 460 non-radiological doctors contributed, 65% males vs. 35% females. The most commonly known side effect of gadolinium was acute pancreatitis (92.8%), followed by encephalopathy (90%) and arrythmias (88.9%). Awareness of gadolinium toxicity among the non-radiological doctors was poor in 74.6%, 20.9% were moderate, and only 4.6% were classified into a good awareness level. The factor associated with an increased level of awareness was being an internal medicine doctor (p=0.006). Conclusion The awareness level of non-radiological doctors about gadolinium toxicity was suboptimal. The knowledge of internal medicine physicians was better, but the other specialties need more education. As most of the physicians were not exposed to patients' adverse reactions, this could be one of the reasons why they have a lack of knowledge about the subject. On the other hand, appropriate patient screening and sufficient prophylactic measures can prevent adverse events. Therefore, in knowledge, understanding, and practice, it is important to come up with the most effective response to any gadolinium contrast adverse events.

Association of Migraine and Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Saudi Arabia: A Nationwide Survey.

Migraine is a primary headache disorder with a prevalence of 11.6% globally and 27% in Saudi Arabia. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has a prevalence of 9.2% worldwide. The prevalence of IBS has not been established nationally. However, provincial studies for migraine and IBS have been conducted nationwide. There is a significant link between migraine and IBS globally. Migraineurs had a considerably greater prevalence of IBS than nonmigraineurs (OR = 2.49, 95% CI 2.22-2.78). Patients with IBS have 60% higher odds for migraines. This identifies an association that needs to be investigated in a nationwide manner. The study has two main aims. The first is to measure the prevalence of migraine and irritable bowel syndrome in Saudi Arabia. The second is to observe the association and the relationship between migraine and irritable bowel syndrome in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population of Saudi Arabia between March 2021 and June 2021, whose ages are 15 years old or greater. Participants filled an online self-administered survey. The data collection tools included the Migraine Screen Questionnaire (MS-Q) for migraine symptoms, migraine severity (MIGSEV) scale for severity of migraine, and the IBS module of the Rome IV Diagnostic Questionnaire (R4DQ) for IBS symptoms and their subtype. With 2802 participants, the majority of the study samples were males, who constituted 52.5%. Among the study's sample, the prevalence of migraine consisted of 27.4%, and the prevalence of IBS was 16.4%. The odds of having IBS in migraineurs were much higher than in those without migraine (OR 4.127; 95% CI 3.325-5.121), and the association was statistically significant (p < 0.001). In conclusion, there is a strong association between migraine and irritable bowel syndrome in Saudi Arabia.

Investigation on the Factors Associated with the Persistence of Anosmia and Ageusia in Saudi COVID-19 Patients.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) resulted in a worldwide pandemic of a highly infectious disease. The difficulty of dealing with COVID-19 is the broad spectrum of clinical manifestations that involves various pathophysiological mechanisms, severities, duration, and complications. This study aims to help emphasize the factors related to the persistence and duration of anosmia (loss of smell) and ageusia (loss of taste) as part of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome in Saudi COVID-19 patients via a retrospective cross-sectional design. Eight hundred and eighty-one participants were recruited between March and April 2021. Those participants were 18 years or older, recovered from the COVID-19 infection, and completed 14 days after the onset of the acute phase of the disease. Among the 881 recruited participants, 808 have submitted eligible responses and were included in data analyses. The most common persistent symptoms in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome were anosmia (33.8%) and ageusia (26.4%). The data also showed a significant association between female sex and the incidence and the persistence of anosmia and ageusia. In multivariable analysis, anosmia during the acute phase was associated with BMI, asthma and shortness of breath, while anosmia during the post-acute phase was associated with sex. Ageusia during the acute phase was associated with sex, myalgia and arthralgia, while ageusia in the post-acute phase was associated with sex.

Anxiety and Stress among Day Traders in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: People nowadays are more concerned about their financial status and how to improve their quality of life; one method is day trading. This study aims to investigate the association between stress or anxiety and day trading among day traders in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: We collected the data through DASS-21, a set of three self-report scales designed to measure the emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress. It tells if the person has mild, moderate, severe, or extremely severe emotional status. Our study will focus on two domains: stress and anxiety. Day traders scoring between 0 and 7 on the anxiety scale were classified as normal anxiety. Scoring between 8 and 9 on the anxiety scale, mild anxiety, and between 10 and 14 on the anxiety scale as moderate anxiety. Those scoring between 15 and 19 were classified as severe, and those scoring >20 as extremely severe. RESULTS: Our results showed that out of 387 valid surveys, day traders scoring < 14 on the stress scale were classified as everyday stress (N = 249, 64.3%), and those scoring between 15 and 18 as mild (N = 49, 12.7%) and those scoring between 19 and 25 as moderate (N = 46, 11.9%), those scoring between 26 and 33 as severe (N = 34, 8.8%), and those scoring > 34 were classified as extremely severe (N = 9, 2.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of anxiety and stress is considerable among day-traders. Therefore, it is fundamental to develop more effective health promotion strategies for the target population to make them aware of and learn how to control and prevent these harmful emotional feelings.

Future Dreams of Junior and Senior Medical Students at a Public Saudi Medical School.

Background: Medical education is a challenging profession requiring students to acquire various skills and develop them continuously before and after graduation. The study aimed to assess the students' preference toward specialty and determine their preferred residency program and future ambitions regarding administrative and leadership positions. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional self-administered survey that included medical students in 1st year, and 5th year and internship at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU). The questionnaire consisted of demographic information and questions about the student's choices regarding plans. Results: Four hundred and fifty-eight (458) medical students out of 583 students (55.5% junior and 44.5% senior students) enrolled themselves in the study and completed the survey. Findings revealed that medical students' top five preferred future general medical specialties were surgery (34.5), followed by internal medicine (18.3), family medicine (17.2), dermatology (14.6), and emergency medicine (15.9). The junior students were found to be more inclined toward dermatology, medical genetics, and surgical general specialties. The findings showed that 63% of the students were interested in becoming future leaders, with 52.8% of them wishing to become head of a medical department. When asked about their desired qualifications, 85.8% preferred the Saudi Board. Conclusion: Surgery was the most favorable specialty among medical students, followed by internal medicine, family medicine and dermatology, and emergency medicine. The study showed a significant difference between males and females and seniors and juniors in preference of specialty and medical qualification, the female medical students prefer to specialize in dermatology (p=0.027), neurology (p=0.028), and obstetrics and gynecology (p=0.001) as a general specialty significantly more than male medical students. It shows that students are interested in future leadership goals.

Smoking Habits among College Students at a Public University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Tobacco smoking is one of the leading risk factors for ill health and death worldwide. Adolescence is the starting age of smoking for most current smokers worldwide. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of tobacco, the habits of different types of former smokers, and their relationship to other specialties and sociodemographic data. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was sent to students' emails to assess their smoking prevalence and tobacco and nicotine product habits. Results: Of the 895 students in IMSIU who participated in our survey, most reported having never used/tried tobacco, representing (76.4%). Most of the students who smoke began to smoke within the last five years (46.4%), which strongly indicates that they started to smoke when they entered the university. When students were asked about the time they like to smoke, most reported that they smoke when they feel stressed/under pressure (57.1%). There was a strong relationship between having a family member who smokes and being a smoker (53.1%). Conclusions: The prevalence of cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and Shisha was 18.3%, 5%, and 11%, respectively. Anti-smoking regulations at the university level should be periodically reviewed to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of tobacco control strategies.

The Effect of Short Treatment with Nigella Sativa on Symptoms, the Cluster of Differentiation (CD) Profile, and Inflammatory Markers in Mild COVID-19 Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blind Controlled Trial.

The current study investigated the impact of different doses of Nigella sativa seeds on the symptoms, the cluster of differentiation profile group, and inflammatory markers of mild COVID-19 cases. METHODS: The study was a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Patients with mild and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection patients were randomly subdivided into seven subgroups: Group (GP) 1: received charcoal capsules as a control group, and GP 2: received three capsules of whole Nigella sativa seeds daily, two capsules in the morning and one in the evening; GP 3: received three capsules of whole Nigella sativa seeds every 12 h, GP 4: received five capsules in the morning and four capsules of whole Nigella sativa seeds in the evening, GP 5: received one capsule of Nigella sativa powder every 12 h; GP 6: received two capsules of Nigella sativa powder every 12 h; GP 7: received three capsules of Nigella sativa powder every 12 h; all treatment course was for ten days. Inflammatory parameters were assessed before and after interventions. RESULTS: 262 subjects were included in the final analysis. No significant difference was detected regarding age, gender, and nationality. No significant differences were detected between the inflammatory marker in all groups. The WBCs showed a significant difference between before and after the intervention. While for procalcitonin, a significant difference was demonstrated in groups 1,4, and 6. CONCLUSIONS: The current randomized clinical trial did not reveal a significant effect of ten days of treatment with various doses of Nigella sativa on symptoms, differentiation profile, and inflammatory markers of patients with COVID-19. As a natural product, the effect of Nigella sativa on disease requires weeks to manifest itself.

Saudi Meds: a competence specification for Saudi medical graduates.

A national competence framework has been developed by medical schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The framework has seven domains - approach to daily Practice, Dr and patient, Dr and community, communication skills, professionalism, Dr and information technology, Dr and research. The framework will guide curriculum development and assessment in the Kingdom and ensure that medical education adapts to changing needs. The creation of a national framework promises the delivery of equivalent standards between medical schools while at the same time guaranteeing the schools' autonomy.