The effect of access to electronic resources during examination on medical and dental students scores in summative assessment: quasi experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Access to electronic (E) resources has become an indispensable requirement in medical education and practice. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess the effect of E-resources access during examination on end-course-exam scores of medical and dental students. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study which included two cohorts of medical (n = 106 & 85) and three cohorts of dental students (n = 66, 64 and 69) who took end-course- exams. Each exam was composed of two- parts (Part I and II), that encompassed equal number of questions and duration. Access to E-resources was allowed in part-II only. Items Difficulty Index (DI), Discrimination Index, (DisI), Point Biserial, (PBS) and cognitive level were determined. RESULTS: The study included 390 students. The proportion of items at various levels of DI, DisI, and PBS and the average values for item DI, DisI in both parts of each exam were comparable. The average scores in part-II were significantly higher than part-I (P < 0.001, < 0.001 and 0.04) and lower-order cognitive-level items scores were higher in three exams (P < 0.0001, 0.0001, 0.0001). Higher- order cognitive level items scores were comparable between part I and II in all courses. The significant factor for change in marks were questions cognitive level and type of the course. CONCLUSION: Access to E-resources during examination does not make a significant difference in scores of higher-order cognitive level items. Question cognitive level and course type were the significant factors for the change in exam scores when accessing E-resources. Time-restricted E-resources accessed tests that examine higher cognitive level item had no significant academic integrity drawback.

Virtual Clinical Encounter Examination (VICEE): A novel approach for assessing medical students' non-psychomotor clinical competency.

INTRODUCTION: The Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted medical education across the world. Online teaching has grown rapidly under lockdown. Yet the online approach for assessment presents a number of challenges, particularly when evaluating clinical competencies. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, reliability and validity of an online Virtual Clinical Encounter Examination (VICEE) to assess non-psychomotor competencies (non-procedure or manual skills) of medical students. METHOD: Sixty-one final year medical students took the VICEE as part of the final summative examination. A panel of faculty experts developed the exam cases and competencies. They administered the test online via real-time interaction with artificial intelligence (AI) based virtual patients, along with faculty and IT support. RESULTS: Student and faculty surveys demonstrated satisfaction with the experience. Confirmatory factor analysis supported convergent validity of VICEE with Direct Observation Clinical Encounter Examination (DOCEE), a previously validated clinical examination. The observed sensitivity was 81.8%, specificity 64.1% and likelihood ratio 12.6, supporting the ability of VICEE to diagnose 'clinical incompetence' among students. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that online AI-based virtual patient high fidelity simulation may be used as an alternative tool to assess some aspects of non-psychometric competencies.

Specialty preferences and motivating factors: A national survey on medical students from five uae medical schools.

BACKGROUND: Workforce planning is critical for being able to deliver appropriate health service and thus is relevant to medical education. It is, therefore, important to understand medical students' future specialty choices and the factors that influence them. This study was conducted to identify, explore, and analyze the factors influencing specialty preferences among medical students of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS: A multiyear, multicenter survey of medical student career choice was conducted with all five UAE medical schools. The questionnaire consisted of five sections. Chi-squared tests, regression analysis, and stepwise logistic regression were performed. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 46% (956/2079). Factors that students reported to be extremely important when considering their future career preferences were intellectual satisfaction (87%), work-life balance (71%), having the required talent (70%), and having a stable and secure future (69%). The majority of students (60%) preferred internal medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, or family Medicine. The most common reason given for choosing a particular specialty was personal interest (21%), followed by flexibility of working hours (17%). DISCUSSION: The data show that a variety of factors inspires medical students in the UAE in their choice of a future medical specialty. These factors can be used by health policymakers, university mentors, and directors of residency training programs to motivate students to choose specialties that are scarce in the UAE and therefore better serve the health-care system and the national community.

Transformation to learning from a distance.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. COVID-19 is a strong disruptive force that has not only influenced our global health and economy but also has changed the way we teach, learn and communicate with our students. It has disturbed the regular education pattern and the standard practices that we adapted over many years. The challenge is beyond changing the mode of delivering instructions from face to face to online. The real challenge is in creating a culture that supports the adoption of innovative practices, which require different skills and competences from the teacher, student, mentor and administrator, and at the same time maintaining the quality of the products. In other words, changing what was exceptional to be the norm over a short period of time. This article describes our approach "Open Learning" in managing such change. Our over-riding philosophy is about ensuring that students have high quality resources, and the enthusiasm and learning skills to benefit from them. At the same time we want to optimise the use of the available online applications and learning management system so that their use is within the capability of our faculty. This paper describes the evolution of our approach and the principles upon which it has been based. Our experiences over the past few months will transform the educational experience of our students over the years to come.

A global perspective on the challenges and opportunities in learning about rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases in undergraduate medical education : White paper by the World Forum on Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (WFRMD).

Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) encompass a spectrum of degenerative, inflammatory conditions predominantly affecting the joints. They are a leading cause of disability worldwide and an enormous socioeconomic burden. However, worldwide deficiencies in adult and paediatric RMD knowledge among medical school graduates and primary care physicians (PCPs) persist. In October 2017, the World Forum on Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (WFRMD), an international think tank of RMD and related experts, met to discuss key challenges and opportunities in undergraduate RMD education. Topics included needs analysis, curriculum content, interprofessional education, teaching and learning methods, implementation, assessment and course evaluation and professional formation/career development, which formed a framework for this white paper. We highlight a need for all medical graduates to attain a basic level of RMD knowledge and competency to enable them to confidently diagnose, treat/manage or refer patients. The importance of attracting more medical students to a career in rheumatology, and the indisputable value of integrated, multidisciplinary and multiprofessional care are also discussed. We conclude that RMD teaching for the future will need to address what is being taught, but also where, why and to whom, to ensure that healthcare providers deliver the best patient care possible in their local setting.

A retrospective study of the seasonal pattern of urolithiasis.

This retrospective descriptive study was conducted among patients who presented with variable symptoms of urolithiasis at the Department of Surgery and Urology of Gulf Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (GMCHRC), Ajman, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in order to assess whether the occurrence of urolithiasis differed in relation to season, temperature and humidity. A checklist was used for abstracting the case record and analysis was performed using PASW 17 version. Maximum number of cases was below the age of 40 years, with a male to female ratio of 5.2:1. The present study revealed a higher number of cases during summer compared with the other seasons, but it was not statistically significant. No significant correlation was seen between atmospheric temperature, relative humidity and number of cases with urolithiasis. Our study also revealed that the admission rate for renal colic was higher in the summer season as against the rest of the year, although the difference was not significant. In conclusion, urolithiasis is an important public health issue that predominantly affects people of the productive age groups. Men are affected more commonly than women. No significant seasonal variation in the number of patients with urolithiasis was observed in the study.

Breast self-examination: knowledge and practice among nurses in United Arab Emirates.

This study was conducted to explore the knowledge and practice of nurses regarding breast self-examination (BSE) in the United Arab Emirates. Nurses working in different hospitals constituted the study population. A total of 154 nurses who had come to participate in the breast cancer awareness week programme were the participants. Approval of the Gulf Medical University ethics committee was obtained. A self-administered, pre-tested, structured, close ended questionnaire was used for data collection. Statistical analysis was performed using PASW 17. Age of the participants in this study ranged from 20 to 59 years, with a mean age of 24.1 years. 96.1% of the participants were aware of the ideal age to start BSE, while 87.7% respondents knew that women with regular menstruation should perform BSE monthly on a particular day, preferably on the fifth or seventh day after menstruation. With regard to BSE technique, 68.8% knew that both inspection and palpation were the ideal methods to detect any change in the breast. A high proportion, 84.4% of the respondents, reported performing BSE. Among those married, 87.0% and among single 78.3% were practicing BSE. The results point out that the nurses have a satisfactory knowledge regarding BSE and this is shown in their practice of BSE. Emphasis should be laid on BSE in undergraduate and postgraduate courses, especially for nurses, as they are mostly involved in patient care and education.

Student-Led Seminars as a teaching-learning method- effectiveness of a modified format.

Background and objectives: Student-led seminars (SLS) are being used as a teaching-learning method for undergraduate medical students in the Gulf Medical University, Ajman. Student feedback, however, ranked SLS as a poor teaching-learning method. Objectives were to assess effectiveness of a modified format for student-led seminars in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Methods: SLS was modified into a presentation followed by a quiz, to make it more interactive and student centred. The new format was implemented midway in the academic year. Student perceptions regarding SLS sessions were surveyed using an anonymous questionnaire and scored using a likert-like scale. Statistical significance (p < 0.05) was tested using the Wilcoxon signed ranked test using the SPSS19 software. Results: The new format was reported to be significantly more interesting, interactive, fun and made them feel more like a team. High number of students reported ―gained new knowledge‖, ―enjoyed learning through seminars‖, ―learnt new things from my colleagues in the seminar group‖ and ―enjoyed working with my colleagues for my seminar‖. Scores for ―improvement in communication skills‖, ―learnt to make a formal scientific presentation‖ and ―gained self-confidence after presenting the seminar‖ were also high. Conclusions: Since the main use of SLS as a teaching-learning method in Gulf Medical University, Ajman is to inculcate self-learning, peer-learning, teamwork and communication skills, the new format is significantly better at achieving the outcomes.

Students' and faculty's perceptions of early patient contact [EPC] program in a university teaching hospital in United Arab Emirates

The Early Patient Contact [EPC] program was introduced as an elective posting for the first year MBBS students in the University in 2010. The objective of the study was to determine the perceptions of medical students and faculty about EPC program. The study sample included 50 first year MBBS students of GMU, Ajman in the academic year 2010-11 and 2011-12 and who consented for EPC posting and faculty members of GMC Hospital. Faculty and Student's feedback were obtained through separate questionnaire's at the end of EPC posting based on Likert scales [SA, A, U, D, SD]. Analysis of responses showed that students perceived EPC program increased their motivation to pursue medical profession [98%], realize the importance of documentation [94%], helped them understand the practical challenges [96%] and helped realize the importance of professional conduct [94%]. Students opined that EPC program made classroom teaching more relevant [80%]. Majority of students recommended EPC to be a part of regular curriculum [76%]. All the faculty felt that EPC makes classroom teaching of communication skills more relevant and makes student's realize the importance of professional conduct. They emphasized the importance of documentation [86%]. The faculty was satisfied with the conduct of the program. Students and faculty had positive perceptions about EPC program due to its influence on student motivation, professionalism and better communication skills

Effect of early patient contact program on performance in examination on communication skills

Good communication is the most important thing, it takes a long time to develop and it is difficult to master. The objective of the present study is to assess whether early patient contact [EPC] program had an effect on performance in examination on communication skills. Summary of work: The study sample included 123 first MBBS students of GMU, Ajman during academic years' 2010-118and 2011-12. The students who consented for EPC posting as elective during Communication Skills Course constituted group A and rest of the students constituted Group B. Group A had 50 students and Group B had 73 students. A validated, pilot-tested Van Dalen et al. 'paper-and-pencil test' and OSCE stations were used to evaluate all the students' clinical communication skills. The data was analysed using SPSS 19. Summary of The mean scores for Group A who underwent EPC and Group B who did not undergo EPC were 81.13% and 73.19% in OSCE, 63.02% and 61.31% in paper-and-pencil' test and 67.2 1% and 64.28% in total scores obtained respectively. The difference in mean scores was statistically significant in the case of scores obtained in OSCE [p < 0.01]. All other differences observed were not statistically significant. EPC program helps students to acquire better communication skills as seen by scores obtained in communication skills test especially in the OSCE. Take home message EPC program should be introduced in first year of medical school to improve communication skills of students

Knowledge, opinion and practice of hand washing among medical students in Ajman, UAE

Thorough hand washing during patient contact significantly reduces transmission of infections. It is a simple, effective and cheap method of preventing infections. Hand washing practice, an important component of universal work precautions, should be imbibed as a habit and way of life among medical students for them to be safe practitioners of the future. The objective of this study was to assess knowledge, opinion and practice about hand washing among medical students during patient contact. Medical students in all five years registered during the academic year 2009/10 participated in this cross sectional study. A structured, open-ended, self-administered, piloted questionnaire was used. Chi-square test was used to assess associations. About 96.4% of students understood the importance of washing hands to prevent infections. 78.5% of students always and 21.1% occasionally washed hands after touching patients; 89.7% always and 1.8% occasionally washed hands after contact with blood and body fluids. Knowledge and attitude about hand washing is satisfactory among medical students; nevertheless hand washing workshops need to be conducted at regular intervals to further improve hand washing compliance among medical students as per universal work precaution protocol

Foot ulcers among diabetic patients visiting surgery department in a university teaching hospital in Ajman, UAE

Diabetes is a very common lifestyle-related metabolic disease in UAE. UAE has the second highest prevalence of diabetes worldwide. Foot problems are one of the commonest reasons for hospital admission among diabetics. The major risk factors for foot disease are peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, poor vision and foot deformities. Development of foot ulceration is preventable. To assess the frequency of foot ulcers among diabetic patients visiting the surgery department in a university teaching hospital in Ajman, UAE especially in relation to gender, nationality and age. This hospital-based retrospective record analysis was conducted for patients with diabetes mellitus visiting department of surgery for a period of 8 years from 2002 to 2010. Among the diabetic patients recruited for this study, 75% were males and 25% were females. Among these diabetic patients, 76.3% of male patients were diagnosed with foot ulcers as opposed to 23.8% of female patients. It was witnessed that majority of diabetic patients were from Asia [53.1%] and Middle East [33.8%] whereas African [12.3%] and European [0.8%] patients made up a minority. Diabetic foot ulcers were reported more in Asian patients [57%] compared to patients from Middle East [29.1%]. The age of majority of the diabetic patients in this study was the range of 30 to 70 years and diabetic foot ulcers were most prevalent in the age group 50 to 59 years [42.5%] and least prevalent in the age group 20 to 29 years [5%]. Asian middle-aged male diabetics are most likely to have foot complications. It is important to educate all diabetic patients about the importance of self-examination of both feet, and physicians should routinely examine the feet of all diabetic patients, which would go a long way in preventing development of foot ulcers