Career Regret and Health-Related Quality of Life among Medical Students: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in Jordan.

OBJECTIVES: Medical students have a lower quality of life (QoL) when compared to the general population. This lower QoL is associated with multiple factors such as burnout and depressive symptoms. QoL can be reflected in the degree of career satisfaction and career regret. We aim to study the prevalence of career regret in Jordanian medical students and its association with QoL and other related factors. METHODS: This national cross-sectional study consisted of an anonymous online survey distributed to medical students enrolled in all six Jordanian medical schools over a period of 6 weeks. A validated tool was used to assess QoL and students were asked a series of questions related to their career satisfaction and career regret. RESULTS: A total of 544 medical students completed the survey. The mean age was 21.5 ± 1.63 years (range 17-29), with 45.6% being males. The overall mean physical health score was 45.9 ± 5.17, and the overall mean mental health score (mental component summary (MCS)) was 42.04 ± 5.52. 76.3% of students have regretted studying medicine, citing stress as the main reason. There was a significant relation between the year of study and the percentage of career regret. Additionally, mean MCS was significantly lower in students who were frequently or always thinking about dropping out of medical school. DISCUSSION: The high percentage of career regret and the low mental QoL in Jordanian students are alarming findings, highlighting an underlying source of psychological distress in Jordanians. This calls for further investigations into the psychological health of medical students, as well as interventions to prevent the development of consequences that can impact both students and their future patients.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the incidence and patterns of toxic exposures and poisoning in Jordan: a retrospective descriptive study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown in Jordan (21 March 2020-21 May 2020) on the incidence and patterns of toxic exposures and poisoning as compared with the same period from the previous year (21 March 2019-21 May 2019). DESIGN: A retrospective descriptive study. METHODS: Call data sourced from Pharmacy One Poison Center from the lockdown period (21 March 2020-21 May 2020) and the same period during 2019 (21 March 2019-21 May 2019) were revised. In addition, a database was established and analysed. RESULTS: We noticed that not only did calls increased, but there was also a noticeable change in call patterns. Calls increased by 91% (544 vs 285 calls) during the lockdown period. Drugs were the most common among types of exposure, and the most prevalent route of exposure was ingestion. There was a notable increase in ocular exposure by 550% (13 vs 2 cases). The majority of exposures were at home and there were no occupational exposures. We found an increase in household cleaner exposure among males and an increase in alcohol exposure in females. Children aged below 5 years are the most affected. Even though there is an increase in the total number of cases, severe cases decreased. CONCLUSION: The lockdown effect on rates of toxic exposures was prominent, whether through the increase in calls or the change in patterns. As people spent more time at home, their exposure to toxic agents increased. Furthermore, cleaning recommendations led to the misuse of cleaning and disinfectant products, increasing exposures related to abating the COVID-19 infection.

Determinants of the willingness of the general population to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in a developing country.

PURPOSE: Vaccination is a cost-efficient intervention to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aims to assess the population's willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine in Jordan and investigate potential determinants of their acceptance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used an online survey distributed in November 2020, before introducing the vaccine, with items investigating socio-demographic characteristics, seasonal flu vaccination history, COVID-19 vaccine acceptance once available, and factors affecting their decision-making. Also, "COVID-19 risk perception" and beliefs toward COVID-19 vaccine benefits and barriers were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 2,208 participants completed the survey with a participation rate of 13.1%. The mean±standard deviation age was 33.2±13.5, and 55.7% were females. Study participants were almost equally distributed between willingness, unwillingness, and indecision to take the COVID-19 vaccine (30.4%, 36.4%, and 31.5%, respectively). Younger adults, males, and those who were not married, do not have children, have a bachelor or higher education, employees or being students, healthcare workers, and those who reported receiving flu vaccine had higher rates of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance compared to their counterparts (p<0.001 for each category). COVID-19 risk perception, and perceived vaccine benefits, and barriers were significant predictors of intention. Among those undecided or unwilling to take the COVID-19 vaccine, its safety and side effects were the most common concerns. CONCLUSION: The low rate of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in a developing country is alarming, and a significant proportion are indecisive. Interventions to elevate vaccine acceptance by addressing its safety and efficacy and targeting vulnerable groups are recommended.