Integrating Psychological Care Training in Trauma Care for Medical Students: the Need and the Strategies.

Trauma, whether arising from accidents, violence, or medical emergencies, generally has a substantial impact on the lives of victims, their family members, the society, and the healthcare delivery system. The purpose of the article is to justify the need to train medical students in trauma-related psychological care, explore the significance of simulation-based training, and identify coping strategies to augment the resilience of medical students. As healthcare professionals are the ones who are executing trauma care-related interventions, it is essential that medical students are trained to offer psychological care to the victims and family members of trauma to enable healing of both the body and the mind. If medical students learn about psychological care pertaining to trauma, they will be well equipped to handle sudden traumatic events by being more adaptable and resilient. Medical students can be trained in multiple ways to improve their psychological preparedness while delivering trauma care. As a part of the psychological training related to the management of trauma victims, medical students must be trained in developing coping strategies and resilience. In conclusion, facilitating learning among medical students in the psychological aspects of trauma care is a crucial domain for developing competent healthcare professionals. It is a priority to integrate into medical education a comprehensive learning about psychological care that will empower medical students to respond effectively to the complexities of trauma with empathy, resilience, and effective communication.

Challenges and Barriers to Medical Research Among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND:  The pivotal role of research in medicine is undeniable, as it is vital for the progress of healthcare methods and patients' well-being. This notwithstanding, medical and dental students in Saudi Arabia face many barriers that prevent them from participating in research activities. This research aims to reveal the impediments that are particularly relevant, with select challenges and barriers being mentioned, such as time issues, the inadequate supply of resources, and insufficient training and guidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS:  By using a cross-sectional study, the researchers have provided a questionnaire for medical students across multiple Saudi Arabian medical colleges via the online platform. The IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23 (Released 2015; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) was used for data analysis, which leaned clearly on the descriptive statistical part, using a chi-square test to investigate the association between two categorical variables. RESULTS:  There were 469 total participants, and data analysis clearly showed that lack of statistical skills (74.2%), time constraints (73.3%), and research topic selection (71.4%) were the most major obstacles to research participation. Even though the same barriers existed, a significant percentage of students (75.5%) definitely showed interest in the research, with 89.6% of the students recognizing the importance of research in the medical field. Furthermore, it should be highlighted that the female students showed a stronger positive attitude toward research than the male students (70% vs. 58.3%). CONCLUSION:  The results highlight the necessity for the improvement of the medical education curriculum within Saudi Arabia, including the creation of a research participation system for the students. Through learning strategies emphasizing the importance of research, mentorship programs, and providing resources to the students, there will be an increase in their participation and success in the research. This will lead to an enriching medical research environment.

The measurement of the quality of educational services provided to medical students of Semnan University of Medical Sciences based on the SERQUAL model.

Introduction: The SERQUAL model is a model that measures quality by comparing the level of expectations and perceptions of service recipients to identify gaps. Since students are the main recipients of services in universities, this study was conducted with the aim of the measurement of educational services from the viewpoint of medical students of Semnan University of Medical Sciences based on the SERQUAL model. Materials and Methods: The present study was based on a cross-sectional study, and its statistical population included 180 medical students. The SERQUAL questionnaire has two parts; the first part has demographic information including gender and age, and the second part has 24 questions with two parts (including the performance part and the importance part) about the quality of educational services in the form of a 5-item Likert rating list. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS-24 software. Results: In all five evaluated areas, the scores of the male group were significantly higher than the scores of the female group (P < 0.05). In all five evaluated areas, the scores of the age group less than 25 years old were significantly higher than the scores of the 25-30-year-old group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that in general, according to the points of view of students of all different educational levels, there is a gap between the student's perception and their expectations of quality in all five dimensions of educational services. Based on this issue, it seems that educational services need to be revised and reviewed in all studied courses and in all dimensions.

Empathy in undergraduate medical students: a multi-center cross-sectional study in China.

BACKGROUND: Fostering empathy has been continuously emphasized in the global medical education. Empathy is crucial to enhance patient-physician relationships, and is associated with medical students' academic and clinical performance. However, empathy level of medical students in China and related influencing factors are not clear. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study among medical students in 11 universities. We used the Jefferson Scale of Empathy Student-version of Chinese version to measure empathy level of medical students. Factors associated with empathy were identified by the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Based on the variables identified above, the nomogram was established to predict high empathy probability of medical students. Receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration plot and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the discrimination, calibration and educational utility of the model. RESULTS: We received 10,901 samples, but a total of 10,576 samples could be used for further analysis (effective response rate of 97.02%). The mean empathy score of undergraduate medical students was 67.38 (standard deviation = 9.39). Six variables including gender, university category, only child or not, self-perception doctor-patient relationship in hospitals, interest of medicine, Kolb learning style showed statistical significance with empathy of medical students (P < 0.05). Then, the nomogram was established based on six variables. The validation suggested the nomogram model was well calibrated and had good utility in education, as well as area under the curve of model prediction was 0.65. CONCLUSIONS: We identify factors influencing empathy of undergraduate medical students. Moreover, increasing manifest and hidden curriculums on cultivating empathy of medical students may be needed among medical universities or schools in China.

How do stressful life events affect medical students' academic adjustment? Parallel mediating mechanisms of anxiety and depression.

BACKGROUND: Medical students frequently face challenges in academic adjustment, necessitating effective support and intervention. This study aimed to investigate the impact of stressful life events on medical students' academic adjustment, focusing on the mediating roles of depression and anxiety. It also differentiated the impacts between at-risk students (those with academic failures) and their peers respectively. METHODS: This case-control study involved 320 at-risk medical students and 800 other students from a university in western China. Participants anonymously completed the scales of stressful life events, depression, anxiety, and academic adjustment. T-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and structural equation modeling were employed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Depression and anxiety were significantly more prevalent in at-risk students (46.8% and 46.1%, respectively) than in controls (34.0% and 40.3%, respectively). Notably, at-risk students had poorer academic adjustment (t = 5.43, p < 0.001). The structural equation modeling had good fit indices and the results indicated that depression and anxiety fully mediated the effects of stressful life events on academic adjustment. For at-risk students, stressful life events significantly decreased academic adjustment through increased depression and anxiety (p < 0.001). Conversely, anxiety had a positive effect on academic adjustment in other students. CONCLUSION: Targeted interventions focusing on depression and anxiety could reduce the negative impact of stressful life events on medical students' academic adjustment. However, educators have to distinguish the differences between at-risk students and others.

The need for and acceptability of a cancer training course for medical and nursing students in Tanzania: a convergent mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: The cancer burden in Africa is on the rise. A Cancer Training Course on screening, prevention, care, and community education is crucial for addressing a wide range of cancer health issues. When appropriately educated healthcare providers on cancer provide care, patient care improves, and healthcare costs decrease. However, in Tanzania, doctors and nurses receive little or no training in primary cancer care in their bachelor's program. AIM: This study assessed the need and acceptability of a cancer training course for nursing and medical doctor students at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional parallel mixed method study during the 3-month follow-up within the larger study on sexual health training for health professionals. The study was a randomized controlled (RCT), single-blind, parallel trial of sexual health training versus a waitlist control among health students at MUHAS in Tanzania. Descriptive analysis was performed to analyze the participants' demographic information, need, and acceptability of the cancer training courseto determine the frequencies and percentages of their distribution between disciplines. In addition, inductive thematic analysis was performed for the qualitative data. The RCT study was registered at Clinical Trial.gov (NCT03923582; 01/05/2021). RESULTS: Data were collected from 408 students (272 medical doctors and 136 nursing students). The median age of the participants was 23 years. Most (86.0%) medical and 78.1% of nursing students reported receiving little to no cancer training. On the other hand, most (92.3%) medical and nursing (92.0%) students were interested in receiving cancer training. Furthermore, 94.1% of medical and 92.0% of nursing students needed a cancer training course in their undergraduate program. In addition, participants said a cancer training course would be important because it would help them improve the quality of cancer care and enhance the quality of life for patients by ensuring early diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSION: A cancer training course is both highly needed and acceptable to medical and nursing students. Implementation of this cancer training course will improve students' knowledge and skills and eventually improve the quality of cancer care and patients' quality of life by ensuring early diagnosis and management.

Exploratory study of nocebo effect in senior medical students.

Background: Νocebo Effect is known to induce adverse symptoms after negative expectations which can be manifested on a physical and psychological level. As 6th year medical students often face a wide range of clinical challenges and may be prone to negative expectations or beliefs affecting their pre-clinical and clinical success, we want to investigate how they are affected by the Nocebo Effect. Objective: To investigate whether a nocebo effect can be induced when exposing final-year students to the clinical context of their training. Methods: We used verbal suggestions as a nocebo mechanism and by using three tools, the Illness Attitude Scales, the Symptom Checklist-90, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, we examined the difference in scores on measures of psychometric parameters in 33 participants who were on their 6th year medical and attended three clinics for the first time during their education. The administrations were given before and after attending each clinic, and negative verbal suggestions were given prior to the first administration. We also measured whether the overall number of clinics, had an effect on psychometric parameters. Results: The results revealed a significant increase in second administration overall in the three clinics in specific psychometric parameters but no statistically significant difference was observed after attending consecutive clinics. Conclusion: Students reported the occurrence of adverse symptoms in the investigated psychometric parameters, which should be noted in order to avoid potential educational clinical failure.

Intrinsic motivation between face-to-face and blended learning in surgical clinical education.

Objective: The variability and opportunistic nature of surgical clinical education is the main problem for effective teaching and training of medical students. Incorporating online mediums including discussion forums, interactive videos/scenarios, static pages, and quizzes is known as blended learning (BL). This study aimed to compare the intrinsic motivation of surgical students enrolled in blended learning to those enrolled in face-to-face teaching (f2f teaching). Methods: A quasi-experimental, cross-over study was conducted in Surgical Unit-I and Surgical Unit-II of Dow University Hospital, Karachi, from March to August 2014. A total of 31 students participated and were exposed to two different teachings. For the first four weeks, Group A was posted in Surgical-I (f2f teaching) and Group B in Surgical-II (BL). Both groups were taught the same contents with the same schedule. The F2F group had clinical exposure to real patients, and small group discussions (SGDs) while The BL group students were exposed to an additional online learning component. Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) was administered at the end of four weeks and groups were swapped. Exchanged groups were again taught the same contents with the same schedule for another four weeks and IMI was administered. Results: Fifty-eight students completed IMI; 28 in f2f and 30 in BL group. There was a significant difference in all four subscales of IMI between the two groups. In three subscales, students in BL were more motivated as compared to f2f (p<0.01). Students in f2f experienced more perceived tension than in BL (p<0.048). Conclusion: This study concluded that blended surgical learning programs keep medical students more intrinsically motivated to learn. By utilizing online learning, superior educational opportunities for students can be cultivated. It can result in enhanced faculty effectiveness and efficiency as well.

Practicing Peer Physical Examination by Medical and Allied Health Professions Students: Why the Hesitation and Where are We Now? A Narrative Literature Review.

Objective: This narrative review aimed to examine the common existing factors that can influence medical students' attitudes and acceptability of peer physical examination, the presence of any variations of such attitudes over the time period included in the review, and provide measures to improve the acceptability of this practice, and directs attention to future research. Methods: This study utilized a systematic and comprehensive search technique to find relevant publications based on pre-defined eligibility criteria. Electronic searches were conducted using two search engines, PubMed and Google Scholar, with an additional manual search on Medical Teacher Journal. In addition, a critical evaluation tool was applied to critically assess each article. Results: Evidence indicated that gender is consistently reported as the most influential factor affecting the acceptance of peer physical examination among healthcare professionals, independent of the presence of other factors. Essentially, conservative cultures, religion, and particular ethnicities are still exerting their impacts on the participant's willingness to participate in this activity. In addition, the current study found no significant variations in accepting this practice by the students over the reviewed period of time. Conclusion: According to the evidence provided by this review, a number of possible recommendations should be considered to boost and optimize the applicability of PPE. These include starting with non-sensitive areas, using single-gender pairing, and considering cultural and religious beliefs. Finally, there is a pressing need for future research, including multi-centric studies with larger and more diverse samples.

Knowledge of Antibiotic Use and Resistance Among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) has placed great importance on providing thorough, hands-on training to medical students regarding responsible and appropriate antibiotic prescription. Accordingly, this study aims to gain a better perspective on the knowledge of antibiotic use and resistance among medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 1 September to 30 November 2023. The categorical variables are presented as frequencies and percentages. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare the outcomes, and generalised linear regression models were constructed to predict the students' knowledge of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. A p-value of < 0.05 was taken to indicate statistical significance. Results: The study included a total of 353 medical students. First-year medical students represented 28.60% of the participants, while females represented 76.80%. Most participants (92.40%) agreed that antibiotics are effective against bacteria, whereas only 25.20% agreed about antibiotics' effectiveness against viruses. More than half of the participants (53.80%) believed that bacterial infections can be resolved without antibiotics. A significant majority (78.20%) agreed that the unnecessary use of antibiotics makes them less effective. More than half of the participants (56.90%) acknowledged that infections caused by resistant bacteria are increasing in Saudi Arabia, and two-thirds (75.10%) believed that healthcare workers could effectively reduce antibiotic resistance in Saudi Arabia. Male students had low knowledge about antibiotics [Beta = -1.429, 95% CI (-2.618, -0.241), P value = 0.019]. Conclusion: Improving the curriculum by incorporating topics like resistance mechanisms and responsible antibiotic usage can address the knowledge gap among male students. This comprehensive training, utilizing various educational methods, is essential for fostering responsible antibiotic practices among future healthcare professionals.

Breakfast consumption, saturated fat intake, and body mass index among medical and non-medical students: a cross-sectional analysis.

Changes in dietary patterns and body weight have become a focus of research in undergraduate students. This study compared breakfast consumption, intake of foods high in saturated fat, and BMI between medical and non-medical students. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in 4,561 Peruvian university students, of whom 1,464 (32.1%) were from the medical field and 3,097 (67.9%) from the non-medical field. We compared the frequency of breakfast consumption (categorized as regular: 6 to 7 days/week; occasional: 3 to 5 days/week; and rarely or never: 0 to 2 days/week) and the frequency of consumption of foods high in saturated fat. We created simple and multiple linear and Poisson regression models with robust variance to evaluate the association of the mentioned variables with academic fields. Non-medical students (Adjusted Prevalence Ratio [PR] = 0.92, 95% CI 0.86-0.99; p = 0.008) were less likely to eat breakfast regularly compared to medical students. Likewise, consumption of foods high in saturated fats was higher in non-medical students (B = 1.47, 95% CI 0.91-2.04; p < 0.001) compared to medical students. Similarly, the mean BMI of these students was significantly higher than that of medical students (B = 0.33, 95% CI 0.12-0.53; p = 0.002). Although medical students reported relatively healthy eating habits and a lower BMI, there is a widespread need to promote improved diet and lifestyle among the entire university population to reduce the risks of communicable diseases and improve quality of life.

Medical students' professionalism attributes, knowledge, practices, and attitudes toward COVID-19 and attitudes toward care provision during pandemic amidst the COVID-19 outbreak according to their demographics and mental health.

PURPOSE: This study examines various aspects related to medical professionalism in medical students during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, focusing on their medical professionalism attributes, KPA (knowledge, practices, and attitudes) toward COVID-19 and attitudes toward provision of care in pandemic. We assessed whether these aspects related to medical professionalism were varied by their demographics and mental health level. METHODS: Six questionnaires related to medical professionalism were distributed online to medical students in six grades at a single medical school. A one-way analysis of variance was used to examine differences in scores related to medical professionalism based on their demographics, for examples, gender, grade, residence, religion, as well as their mental health levels. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine correlations between each variable. RESULTS: Female students scored higher on medical professionalism attributes and attitudes toward duty-to-care than male students. Medical professionalism attribute scores were higher with higher relationship satisfaction and resilience levels but lower with higher anxiety levels. Furthermore, these scores were significantly associated with attitudes toward COVID-19 preparedness. However, COVID-19 knowledge and practice scores were negatively associated with attitudes toward COVID-19 preparedness and careers after graduation. Meanwhile, students who took the leave of absence related to 2020 doctors' strike had significantly lower scores on attitudes toward COVID-19 preparedness and duty to care than those who did not. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that mental health of medical students is strongly related to their various aspects related to medical professionalism, especially their attitudes toward COVID-19 preparedness. Good mental health was positively linked to medical professionalism attributes and attitudes toward COVID-19 preparedness. However, knowledge and practice of COVID-19 were negatively associated with willingness to participate in the pandemic response. Additionally, the experience of the 2020 leave of absence impacted the attitudes of medical students toward COVID-19 preparedness (p=0.015) and their duty to care (p=0.012) negatively.

Differences in fear of failure and college adjustment by type of medical school entrance extrinsic motivation using a latent profile analysis.

PURPOSE: The decision to enroll in medical school is largely influenced by extrinsic motivation factors. It is necessary to explore the factors that affect pre-med students' motivation to enter medical school and their college adjustment, and to develop measures to help them adjust. METHODS: A total of 407 pre-med students were surveyed regarding their motivation to enter medical school, fear of failure, and college adjustment. We analyzed the latent profiles of extrinsic motivation factors using latent profile analysis. One-way analysis of variance was conducted to examine the differences in fear of failure and adaptation to university life according to the latent groups. RESULTS: After analyzing the latent profiles of entrance motivation, three latent profiles were selected. They were divided into high, medium, and low extrinsic motivation groups. Three profiles scored the highest on job security, followed by good grades and social status. Sophomores were more likely to be high extrinsic motivators than freshmen were. Fear of failure was high in the group with high extrinsic motivation, and adaptation to college life was highest in the group with low extrinsic motivation. CONCLUSION: Job security was the most important extrinsic motivator for entering medical school, and extrinsic entrance motivation influenced fear of failure and college adjustment. Given the high level of extrinsic motivation among medical students, it is meaningful to analyze the extrinsic motivation profile of entering medical students and how it affects failure motivation and college adjustment.

Exploring the responses of preclinical medical students and professors to flipped learning for the development of clinical reasoning.

PURPOSE: This study developed and implemented case-based flipped learning using illness script worksheets and investigated the responses of preclinical students and professors to the intervention in terms of its effectiveness, design, and implementation. METHODS: The study was conducted at a medical school in Korea, where the "clinical reasoning method" course, originally a lecture-oriented course, was redesigned into a flipped learning. In total, 42 second-year medical students and 15 professors participated in this course. After the class, online surveys were conducted, and a focus group interview was held with seven students to explore the students' experiences in more detail. RESULTS: In total, 37 students and seven professors participated in the survey. The mean score for all items is 3.12/4 for the student survey and 3.43/4 for the professor survey. The focus group interview results were categorized as the beneficial aspects and challenges for the development of clinical reasoning. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that their responses to the intervention were generally positive, and it is thought to be an effective instructional method for fostering clinical reasoning skills in preclinical medical students.

Mood and Sleep Quality in Peruvian Medical Students During COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The prolongation and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an uncertain and devastating panorama in many populations, and the evidence shows a high prevalence of mental health problems in medical students. The objective was to evaluate the association between mood disorders and sleep quality (SQ) in Peruvian medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 310 medical students from a private university in Peru. The SQ was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), while mood disorders were evaluated using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). All information was collected by online surveys and then analysed in the R programming language. RESULTS: The SQ results measured by PSQI were poor in 83.9% of the medical students. In the Poison regression analysis, the results of the bivariate analysis in men show that all mood disorders found the prevalence of poor SQ. However, in the multivariate analysis only stress (PRa=1.30; 95% CI, 1.08-1.57; P<0.01) and anxiety (PRa=1.34; 95% CI, 1.09-1.56; P <0.01) increased the prevalence of poor SQ. Women had a similar pattern in bivariate analysis, whereas in multivariate analysis, only severe stress (PRa=1.15; 95% CI, 1.01-1.29; P <0.05) increased the prevalence of poor SQ. CONCLUSIONS: This study allows us to observe the consequences that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on medical students in Peru. It also revealed a population group vulnerable to poor quality of sleep and bad mood, which in the future will impact on health. It is suggested to educate medical students about the importance of proper sleep hygiene and the consequences of poor sleep hygiene practices.

Level of Awareness Regarding Interventional Radiology Among Medical Students at Northern Border University in Arar, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction Interventional radiology (IR) is a highly specialized field of radiology that employs advanced imaging techniques like MRIs, CT scans, X-rays, and ultrasounds to detect and treat a variety of medical disorders. By using minimally invasive procedures, interventional radiologists can access the body's internal organs and tissues with minimal discomfort and reduced risks compared to traditional surgical techniques. Some common IR procedures include angioplasty, embolization, biopsy, and stent placement, among others. Overall, IR is an innovative and effective approach to medical care that offers numerous benefits to patients. As this specialty expands, there is a huge demand for increasing staff. However, due to a lack of awareness, this increased demand could not be fulfilled. Objective The objective is to assess medical students' knowledge regarding IR and compare this knowledge between male and female students. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was carried out at Northern Border University's College of Medicine in Arar, Saudi Arabia. The study aimed to assess the medical students' knowledge of IR. All students enrolled in the clinical years at Northern Border University were included in the study, and a self-administered online questionnaire was used to collect data. The minimum sample size required was 169. Appropriate statistical analysis was applied to the collected data, and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results One hundred and seventy-two participants in all who met the inclusion criteria answered the study's questionnaire. The fourth-year students represented the highest percentage of the sample, with 65 participants (37.8%), followed by 54 (31.4%) fifth-year students and 53 (30.8%) sixth-year students. The study found that 66 participants (38.4%) rated their knowledge of IR as adequate, while only 8 (4.7%) considered it excellent. The participants' self-rated knowledge of IR did not significantly differ across male and female groups. Conclusion The study's findings suggest that medical students have limited knowledge of IR and that there is no discernible difference in the knowledge and interest of males and females in this subject. Further research and targeted educational interventions may be necessary to improve the medical students' overall knowledge and interest in IR.

Cluster analysis of medical students' attitudes regarding people who use drugs: a first step to design a tailored education program.

INTRODUCTION: People with substance use disorder (SUD) deal with stigmatization in various areas of life, including healthcare system. In this study, we investigated the attitudes of final-year medical students towards SUD people and attempted to understand their influence. METHODS: We conducted a two-stage cluster analysis (hierarchical ascending classification followed by K-means clustering) based on the "beSAAS". We administrated this 23-item questionnaire to 923 final-year medical students in Belgium (response rate = 71,1%). Sociodemographic characteristics were compared between the clusters. RESULTS: Four clusters of students with specific characteristics were identified in this study. The first, "The Inclusives" (including 27,9% of respondents) had the least negative attitudes; they wanted to specialize mainly in psychiatry and gynecology. The second, "The Centrists" (23,6%) consisted mainly of male students. They had many private and professional experiences with substance use and considered themselves less healthy than others did. Most wanted to specialize in pediatrics and general practice. Their attitudes were slightly negative towards people with SUD. The third, "The Moralists" (27,6%), were mainly older, from non-European countries, had the least experience with substance use (or contact mainly in hospitals), had the less high mother's level of education and reported excellent health. They were heading toward other specialties. They had the most stereotypes and moralism, and less treatment optimism. The fourth, "The Specialist care-oriented" (20,8%), were the most in favor of specialized treatment. This group had a higher proportion of Belgian, females, and students who had specific contact with this population. They especially intended to specialize in internal medicine. CONCLUSION: This study revealed 4 profiles of medical students with different attitudes towards SUD people. "The Moralists", including more than a quarter of the respondents, were characterized by strong stereotypes and moralism and little treatment optimism. These clusters could contribute to the design of a learner-centered program aimed at addressing stigma within the main curriculum.

Exploring the Quality of Life (QOL) of medical students in Karachi, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: The pursuit of medical and dental education is challenging and can affect the overall quality of life of medical students. Assessing the quality of life of medical students is the first step in the preparation of efficient future health care professionals. This study used the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) to evaluate the quality of life of medical and dental students in Karachi, Pakistan. OBJECTIVES: The study objectives include: assessing the QoL of medical and dental students and their general health satisfaction and self-satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 344 medical and dental students from different medical and dental schools in Karachi, Pakistan. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire was used to assess QOL, which included 26 items covering four domains: physical, psychological, social, and environmental. All scores for the domains ranged from 4 to 20. Scoring was done according to the WHOQOL-BREF procedure manual. The questionnaire was disseminated to medical students using Google Forms. SPSS software was used to analyze the data. Cronbach's alpha and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test were used to evaluate the reliability and sampling adequacy of the data for factor analysis. Descriptive statistics were computed for each variable and QoL domain, including frequencies, percentages, averages, and standard deviations. Domain scores were compared using a t-test and one-way ANOVA, with p-values less than 0.05, indicating statistical significance. RESULTS: Among the 344 medical students, 56.7% (n = 195) were female and 43.3% (n = 149) were male. The WHOQOL-BREF demonstrated excellent reliability, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.918. Most medical students rated their overall QOL (62.2%) and health satisfaction (46.8%) as good, and were able to get around well (71.3%). No significant sex differences were found across the various QOL domains. Marital status significantly affected QOL scores (p < 0.005). Single students had significantly higher QOL scores than married/separated/divorced students did. Overall, the environmental domain had the highest mean score (26.81 ± 6.17), while social relationships had the lowest mean score (9.68 ± 2.93). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the QoL of medical and dental students. Most participants reported moderate satisfaction with their physical health and lower satisfaction with the psychological, social, and environmental components of QoL. Marital status was found to significantly impact the QoL as compared to single students with greater QoL. These findings can help form targeted interventions to enhance medical students' quality of life and prepare efficient future healthcare professionals.

Sports-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Medical Students.

Background: Little attention is paid to the problem of sports-related injuries in amateur or nonathletes or recreational student athletes. We investigated the prevalence of sports-related musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries in medical students and attempted to identify the risk factors for these injuries. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based observational study on medical students of a tertiary care teaching hospital in central India. A total of 500 medical students were approached; the questionnaire consisted of details, such as age, gender, height, weight, predominant sport played or the sport during which they sustained an injury, estimated time spent playing every week, if they had undergone any formal training for the sport, any preexisting MSK condition, details of the injury and the treatment taken, if any, after joining medical school, and duration from getting injured to return to studies and sports. The odds ratio (OR) and logistic regression were calculated for multiple parameters. Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: Seventy-four of the 402 students who responded reported sustaining a sports-related injury; 33 and 41 students reported injury while playing contact and noncontact sports, respectively. Of these, 58 students reported that they had received formal training in sports. Football, volleyball, cricket, and kabaddi were the sports during which most injuries occurred. The injury rate was 3.7 per 1000 playing or practice hours. Conclusions: Almost one-fifth of the students reported sustaining a sports-related MSK injury after joining medical school. The risk factors identified for these injuries were male gender, participation in team sports, participation in noncontact sports, and lack of adequate preparation or practice.

Teaching Conflict Management Skills to Medical Students: A Scoping Review.

Background: Conflict management skills include the ability of team members to actively use appropriate methods and strategies in different conflict situations. Considering the necessity of effective training in conflict management skills for medical students as a member of healthcare teams, this scoping review study aimed at reviewing the appropriate methods for teaching conflict management to medical students. Methods: In this scoping review, PubMed, Eric, ProQuest, Web of Science (WoS), and Scopus databases were systematically searched until May 21, 2023. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened separately by 2 researchers. The quality of the articles was assessed using the Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) tool. Then, a descriptive synthesis was performed, and the results were reported. The Kirkpatrick model was used to evaluate the educational outcomes assessment. Results: Out of 2888 retrieved studies, 19 studies were included. Although active and interactive teaching methods such as roleplay, group discussion, and interactive workshops were the most frequently used methods, the results did not pronounce the superiority of one method over others. Conclusion: Based on the results of this scoping review, further research should evaluate the effectiveness of conflict management training methods by focusing on the randomized controlled trial design and using standard and valid tools to assess educational outcomes.