A review on cultural competency in medical education.

Cultural competency is a wide notion with a variety of academic bases and differing perspectives on how it should be implemented. While it is widely acknowledged that cultural competency should be an element of general practise, there is a paucity of literature in this area. It has been commonly claimed that cultural competency is a fundamental prerequisite for working well with persons from different cultural backgrounds. Medical students must learn how to connect successfully with patients from all walks of life, regardless of culture, gender, or financial background. Hence, National Medical Council (NMC) has included cultural competence as a course subject in the curriculum of medical education. The opportunities and concept of Competency Based Medical Education, the inclusion of cultural competency in medical course by NMC, various models and practice skill of cultural competence in medical education are discussed in this paper. This study will be useful to researchers who are looking at cultural competency as a research variable that influences study result.

Effect of body mass index on cardiorespiratory parameters among medical students: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a global crisis due to its significant contribution to mortality and morbidity. This study discovered an association between body mass index (BMI) with pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and aerobic capacity (VO2 max) in medical students of Zydus Medical College and Hospital, Dahod, Gujarat. AIM: The study aimed to determine the effect of obesity on cardiopulmonary health of medical students. OBJECTIVES: The study objectives were as follows: 1. To compare PFT parameters and VO2 max between obese and non-obese students. 2. To study the correlation of BMI with PFTs and VO2 max. MATERIAL AND METHODS: BMI was calculated with the formula BMI = weight/height2. PFTs were assessed with computerized spirometry. Aerobic capacity was calculated with Astrand 6-minute Cycle Test. Statistical analysis was done with unpaired t-test. RESULTS: This study found a significant difference in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 minute (FEV1), slow vital capacity (SVC), maximum ventilatory volume (MVV), and VO2 max between obese and non-obese students (P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between BMI and forced mid-expiratory flow (FEF25-75), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), MVV, SVC, expiratory reserve volume (ERV), and MVV and negative correlation with FVC, FEV1, lung age, and VO2 max in non-obese students. There was also a positive correlation between BMI and PEFR, SVC, FVC, FEV1, lung age, MVV, ERV, and a negative correlation with FEF25-75 and VO2 max in obese students. CONCLUSION: As BMI is inversely related to cardiopulmonary function, students having high BMI can be motivated toward a healthy lifestyle.

Clinical applications of EEG as an excellent tool for event related potentials in psychiatric and neurotic disorders.

Electroencephalography is an excellent tool for assessing neurobiological and neurotransmission dysfunction. Event-related potentials (ERPs) are a simple, non-invasive method of studying neurophysiology. ERPs reflect complex activity of neural networks to blame for discriminative behavior of people and recognition of novel stimuli. They are defined as brain voltage fluctuations linked in time with some physical or mental event. EEG is used to assess ERPs, and its use has grown in popularity since the 1960s. This article provides an overview of the ERP methods as well as the properties of the various ERP components (contingent negative variation, namely wave P300, Bereitschafts potential, and mismatch negativity). It also describes ERP alterations linked with neurologic and psychiatric disorders and discusses the possibility of using this technique in experimental psychology. ERPs may reveal psychophysiological characteristics in obsessive compulsive disorder patients, which may have therapeutic and pharmacological consequences. The P3 wave is the most significant and researched component of the ERP record. It is divided into two parts: P3a and P3b. The P3 wave has therapeutic significance, in addition to its application in neurophysiological and psychophysiological research. One neurophysiology indicator of cognitive impairment in depression is the P300 component of the ERPs. The severity of the illness as well as sociodemographic disparities is likely to influence individuals with neurotic disorders' access to psychiatric care in the general community.