Zohreh Poudeh; Fatemeh Karami Robati; Atefeh Ahmadi; MahmoudReza Dehghani; Masoomeh Shahsavari; Bagher Amirheidari; Vahid Yazdi Feyzabadi
Abstract
Background: Internationalization in medical education (ME) creates new potentials, and links among countries.Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the current outlook on the internationalization of ME in Pakistan.Methods: This case study had an outlook on the internationalization of ME in ...
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Background: Internationalization in medical education (ME) creates new potentials, and links among countries.Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the current outlook on the internationalization of ME in Pakistan.Methods: This case study had an outlook on the internationalization of ME in three top universities in Pakistan. The most significant components, characteristics, and variables related to ME were identified and categorized. The reports regarding the educational, research and health system performance of this country were collected by reviewing the grey literature, and visiting the official websites of these universities.Results: To improve their competitive capacities Pakistan’s top universities have considered some research parameters, unique strategies (motivational mechanisms for target groups of students, and professors, educational mechanisms and empowering students and professors, mechanisms for communicating with other pioneering universities, and mechanisms for communicating with the industry and exchanging intellectual capital), and short-, medium- and long-term plans for attracting capital, exchanging scientific products, and sharing experience.Conclusion: Pakistan’s success in internationalization depends on factors, such as concentrating on science and technology, the enhanced role of the local government and the privatization of HE institutes, including modern ideas and making changes in the country’s cultural structure, using English as the primary language in universities, designing web portals based on international criteria, receiving tuition fees from international students, designing programs for international students, hiring foreign faculty members, and sending professors abroad to take part in specialized courses, and making efforts to monitor international initiatives and ensuring quality.
Saurabh Bihari Lal Shrivastava; Kevin Jonathan Pradipta
Abstract
The journey of medical students can prove to be extremely challenging and tough owing to academic pressures, parental expectations, peer pressure, and students’ inability to adapt to the environment in a medical school. Academic resilience among medical students refers to their ability to persevere, ...
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The journey of medical students can prove to be extremely challenging and tough owing to academic pressures, parental expectations, peer pressure, and students’ inability to adapt to the environment in a medical school. Academic resilience among medical students refers to their ability to persevere, adjust, and sustain encouraging learning outcomes despite the challenges, obstacles, and varied stressors they encounter during their period of undergraduate training. Self-efficacy can be regarded as one of the key factors in strengthening academic resilience, and accordingly, we must take specific measures to develop and improve the same among them. The learning environment in a medical school significantly impacts and determines the academic resilience levels of medical students. In conclusion, acknowledging the challenges and problems that medical students have to experience during their undergraduate training period, it is quite essential that specific measures be taken to augment the academic resilience among medical students. The need of the hour is to adopt a comprehensive approach that addresses self-efficacy and the learning environment simultaneously and helps them promote their overall well-being and academic success.
Harshita Reddy.B; Prattilohi. S. Rajlaxmi; Sudha Vani Damarla; Sudharani Chintagunta; Manmohan Gavvala; Neetha Kundoor; Srilatha Bashetti
Abstract
Background: The assessment blueprint is a calibrated dossier, which is a meticulously designed document that proactively compiles all educational content and its anticipated outcomes comprehensively. This blueprint is a powerful tool that integrates subject matter, learning objectives (including skills, ...
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Background: The assessment blueprint is a calibrated dossier, which is a meticulously designed document that proactively compiles all educational content and its anticipated outcomes comprehensively. This blueprint is a powerful tool that integrates subject matter, learning objectives (including skills, knowledge, and attitude), tools, and methods to assess the content.Objectives: The primary goal of this study was to develop a blueprint for clinical skill competencies within the Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprosy (DVL) for medical undergraduates at the Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (AIMSR) in Hyderabad, India.Methods: The faculty of DVL and the curriculum coordinator developed a blueprint for the mentioned department at AIMSR in collaboration with Gandhi and Osmania Medical College. Faculty members provided feedback on the blueprint.Results: The feedback results are presented in terms of percentages. Notably, 70% of the faculty members expressed the view that blueprint assessments enhance the validity of assessments and appropriately assign weightage to topics of public health significance.Conclusion: Incorporating blueprints into both summative and formative assessments enhances quality, validity, and reliability. It represents one of the most acceptable approaches for medical students to balance learning and practical application of concepts.
Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava; Prateek Sudhakar Bobhate
Abstract
Assessments in medical education play an indispensable role in the making of competent medical graduates, who are knowledgeable and skilled enough to meet the changing needs of the healthcare practice. For the assessment of the cognitive domain in medical education, paper-based assessments have been ...
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Assessments in medical education play an indispensable role in the making of competent medical graduates, who are knowledgeable and skilled enough to meet the changing needs of the healthcare practice. For the assessment of the cognitive domain in medical education, paper-based assessments have been used for generations together, but these assessments have their own set of limitations, and we must look for alternative options to overcome these limitations. Electronic question banks (EQBs) have been linked with multiple benefits for medical students, beginning with easy accessibility, that too at their times of convenience. The process of initiating an EQB in a medical college has its challenges and we must adopt a comprehensive approach to overcome these challenges. In conclusion, electronic question banks can ensure that medical education is delivered in an innovative manner, which in turn becomes crucial in developing competent healthcare professionals. The need of the hour is to overcome the hurdles that can impact the implementation of EQBs, and thereby augment the benefits to medical students.
Anzor Anatolievich Khaniev; Zhukova Aleksandra Nikolaevna; Ardavova Amina Anatolievna
Abstract
Background: In the Russian Federation, dentistry has become a very popular career choice among applicants, leading to a significant increase in the number of graduates from dental faculties and universities, as well as a growth in the number of educational institutions providing higher medical education ...
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Background: In the Russian Federation, dentistry has become a very popular career choice among applicants, leading to a significant increase in the number of graduates from dental faculties and universities, as well as a growth in the number of educational institutions providing higher medical education in dentistry.Objectives: The aim of this study was to review the current status, requirements, and prospects of dental education in the Russian Federation.Methods: Statistical, informative, and analytical official reports in Russia, as well as foreign information sources, cross-sectional studies, and the data on official websites of higher education institutions were analyzed.Results: In the Russian Federation, there has been an increase in the number of dental universities and faculties, as well as the number of dentistry students over the past 10 years. There is a surge in the number of admitted students, the number of dentists graduating from universities, and clinical residents of dental specialties. At the same time, the tuition fees are the highest for all specialties and are going up every year. There is also an increase in the total number of dentists, and they are concentrated in Moscow and other big cities in the country.Conclusion: Currently, in the Russian Federation, we can speak of the skewness of medical education toward dentistry. To meet the challenges facing dentistry, it seems reasonable to match the future dental workforce with the future needs of the population. The current situation in the healthcare system of the Russian Federation needs to be improved for medical dentistry education and dental health staffing, and all these issues can only be solved by introducing fundamental changes.
AmirAli Moodi Ghalibaf; Hamid Yazdaninejad; Radman Amiri; Amir Hossain Karimi; Zahra Safari; Ali Akbar Khosravi-Larijani; Keivan Lashkari; Amir Mohammad Parsanahad; Mohammad Javad Ghapanchian; Sina Yousefian; Ali Madadi-Mahani; Ali Mohammad-Hassani; Mahla Khayat-Rasouli; Aeen Mohammadi
Samane Babaei; Sara Bagheri; Somaye Sohrabi; Masomeh Kalantarion
Neetha Kundoor; Faiz Hussain; Sridhar Lingam; Venkat Narsimha Reddy; Rekha Arcot; Harshita Bondugula; Srilatha Bashetti
Abstract
Background: Assessment is the requisite or essential part of medical education. A Blueprint is a calibrated or quality document that compiles the entire educational content and its outcome.Objectives: The present study was done to develop an assessment blueprint for clinical skill competencies in the ...
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Background: Assessment is the requisite or essential part of medical education. A Blueprint is a calibrated or quality document that compiles the entire educational content and its outcome.Objectives: The present study was done to develop an assessment blueprint for clinical skill competencies in the Department of General Surgery for medical undergraduates.Methods: Blueprint was developed as an assessment tool for undergraduate medical students attending the third stage of general surgery, part 2. The feedback form was circulated among the departmental faculty to obtain their perception/ opinion about the designed blueprint. The feedback was then analysed.Results: Feedback was 73- 83% satisfactory from the faculty’s opinion, and they stated that it aligned with learning objectives and public health. Important topics were considered, and they can be used to assess in-depth knowledge to improve clinical skills and be considered an integral part of assessments.Conclusion: Blueprint could be an essential tool to conduct unbiased, ethical, and consistent examinations because it has a structured format that reflects the competencies that can be assessed. This may help quality medical education by improving assessment standards.
Reza Dehnavieh; Sara Zare; Parisa Dehghanian
Abstract
Similar to other sciences, medical sciences have witnessed fast progress and changes in the world around them in recent years. This factor, along with the relation of these sciences to the principal issue of health, has led the up-to-datedness of education in the fields of medical sciences to be of a ...
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Similar to other sciences, medical sciences have witnessed fast progress and changes in the world around them in recent years. This factor, along with the relation of these sciences to the principal issue of health, has led the up-to-datedness of education in the fields of medical sciences to be of a particular place and importance. The up-to-datedness of education becomes more prominent, particularly when we pay attention to the fast environmental changes in the future as well. We will witness a more complicated environment for medical science education in the near future because of salient developments in the fields of technology, political and economic evolutions, demographic changes, etc. Therefore, one of the fundamental requirements to deal with these changes appropriately is to recognize the various changes influencing medical science education (1).Some of these changes are related to social and demographic changes, including the increase in aging and the changes in the mean age of various beneficiary groups (service providers and recipients, students, and professors), the expectations of society and the workforce, and the pattern of migrations (2).....
Sohrab Nosrati; Zahra Nouri Khaneghah; Elham Ramezanpor; Eshagh Moradi; Elham Karimi; Shoaleh Bigdeli
Abstract
The most critical issue in a successful educational system is the selection of values, goals, and a coherent philosophy. The reason is that each educational system aims to educate an ideal human being, which cannot be trained without a value system, and goals. Education is a process of changing behaviors, ...
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The most critical issue in a successful educational system is the selection of values, goals, and a coherent philosophy. The reason is that each educational system aims to educate an ideal human being, which cannot be trained without a value system, and goals. Education is a process of changing behaviors, and "philosophy or love of wisdom" is a factor affecting attitude, thinking, research, reasoning, and the general view of the human being of universe (1).Philosophy is a way of thinking appropriately, living wisely, and trying to understand existence. Furthermore, philosophy of education is an interdisciplinary science investigating the relationship between education and philosophy. Moreover, it is the philosophical study of education and its challenges that is an essential requirement for Health Professions Education (HPE) worldwide (2)......
Mahdi Zarei; Maryam Zarei
Abstract
McCarthy initially utilized artificial intelligence (AI) in 1955 (1). AI is a machine endowed with intelligent capabilities, including comprehension, reasoning, processing, learning, and communication, enabling it to execute various professional tasks or assist individuals in their endeavors (2).Products ...
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McCarthy initially utilized artificial intelligence (AI) in 1955 (1). AI is a machine endowed with intelligent capabilities, including comprehension, reasoning, processing, learning, and communication, enabling it to execute various professional tasks or assist individuals in their endeavors (2).Products founded on AI play a crucial role in identifying and resolving human problems, particularly those pertaining to healthcare provision. Presently, AI finds extensive application in various domains such as imaging, pathology, surgery, endocrinology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology, offering healthcare services at reduced costs and time, enhanced accuracy, and broader patient coverage (3)....
Salman Bashzar; Vahid Yazdi Feyzabadi; Atefeh Ahmadi; Fatemeh Karami Robat; Masoomeh Shahsavari; Ali Akbar Haghdoost; Bagher Amirheidari
Abstract
Background: Despite some obstacles, internationalization of medical education can promote the educational, research and clinical level of universities.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the opportunities, challenges, and solutions of the internationalization of higher medical education ...
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Background: Despite some obstacles, internationalization of medical education can promote the educational, research and clinical level of universities.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the opportunities, challenges, and solutions of the internationalization of higher medical education in Iran.Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted with Brown and Clark's thematic content analysis approach. Purposeful sampling was performed using the snowball strategy, and the data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The statistical population included Iranian students and professors residing in universities abroad, experts and key officials working in the Deputy of International Relations in Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education, the Vice-Chancellors of the International Relation Units of the country’s universities of medical sciences, and foreign students studying in Iran’s universities of medical sciences. The data were gathered by conducting 17 interviews with eligible individuals following the principle of data saturation. Finally, the data were subjected to thematic analysis by MAXQDA-10 software.Results: The data extracted from the interviews were categorized into 268 codes, 29 subcategories, and six categories. The themes identified were "specifications of an international higher education center", "advantages of internationalization", and "necessary items and requirements" in the field of requirements and criteria, "weaknesses and challenges of internationalization" in the field of challenges, "operational solutions for addressing challenges" and "successful domestic and foreign experiences of the internationalization of higher medical education centers " in the field of solutions. The subthemes of "weaknesses and challenges at the level of the university" and "hardware specifications" attained the highest frequency among open codes.Conclusion: A need to be responsive to many present and future needs of our country necessities that the higher medical education system moves in parallel with the globalization process and multicultural societies. In this regard, officials should pay attention to the requirements, criteria, challenges, and solutions of the internationalization of higher medical education in Iran based on the evidence disclosed in this study.
Zahra Karbasi; Parisa Eslami; Maryam Zahmatkeshan; Sadrieh Hajesmaeel Gohari
Abstract
Background: The combined use of electronic and traditional education is called blended learning. Anatomy is a major in medical education. Using this method creates flexible learning environments and more interaction in learning.Objectives: The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of ...
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Background: The combined use of electronic and traditional education is called blended learning. Anatomy is a major in medical education. Using this method creates flexible learning environments and more interaction in learning.Objectives: The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of blended learning on teaching anatomy to medical students.Methods: This comprehensive literature review was conducted on December 3, 2022. Our research was conducted by adhering to the PRISMA guidelines. Online databases PubMed, Eric, and Web of Science were systematically searched for relevant articles using predefined keywords. Using EndNote, all relevant literature published within the past five years was retrieved and further analyzed.Results: Our comprehensive search strategy resulted in the retrieval of 351 articles. After screening the articles and selecting the articles based on the inclusion criteria, 22 articles were eligible and included in the study. Most of the studies were conducted in India (n = 5), China (n = 2), United Kingdom (n = 2), and Portugal (n = 2). The majority of studies were conducted in 2022 (n = 7). The most important finding of all reviewed articles was the effectiveness of blended learning, which is mentioned as an effective method for teaching anatomy.Conclusion: Blended learning can improve performance and increase satisfaction and motivation in students. Identifying suitable learning resources with medical students’ abilities improves learners’ knowledge. Applying new learning methods can be very effective as some conditions, such as the COVID-19 crisis, limit access to corpses and physical presence.
Ramin Homayouni-Zand; Masomeh Kalantarion
Abstract
Studying the Pygmalion effect and becoming well-acquainted with the advantages of utilizing it encourages medical educators to consider it a practical approach for motivating students and tapping their enormous potential to benefit their future achievements.
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Studying the Pygmalion effect and becoming well-acquainted with the advantages of utilizing it encourages medical educators to consider it a practical approach for motivating students and tapping their enormous potential to benefit their future achievements.
Leili Mosalanejad; Mehdi Dastpak; Fatemeh Kheshti
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 crisis has created special educational conditions. This challenge has brought about changes in students’ academic lifestyles.Objectives: We aimed to conduct a qualitative study on the students’ academic lifestyle and quality during the COVID-19 crisis.Methods: This is ...
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Background: COVID-19 crisis has created special educational conditions. This challenge has brought about changes in students’ academic lifestyles.Objectives: We aimed to conduct a qualitative study on the students’ academic lifestyle and quality during the COVID-19 crisis.Methods: This is a qualitative method with a phenomenological analysis. The research was conducted within the framework of logic sampling on 50 students with a phenomenological approach to Medical, Health, and Laboratory Sciences students. It was purposeful. Students were asked to describe the style and quality of their academic life in the form of expression of experience during their COVID-19 crisis and quarantine, and then the analysis of the students’ written work was performed using Colaizzi’s seven-step process. Four-dimension criteria were also considered to assess rigor of qualitative research (credibility, dependability, conformability, and transferability).Results: Of 64 codes obtained in the research, five themes and 11 sub-themes emerged. Themes included items such as 1) unknown stress and anxiety, vague future and professional problem, 2) cognitive burden (information literacy, bulk contents, need for self-paced, and need for mastery), 3) interests (following interest and compensation process), 4) skills (self-regulation, self-direction, and time management), and 5) security (available content, exercise, and practice).Conclusion: According to the results, it can be stated that changing the academic lifestyle can provide improved personal skills and information literacy, but changing the academic lifestyle in a negative direction with cognitive burden and fear of the unknown has created many problems in the process of this lifestyle.
Leili Mosalanejad; Sara Maghsodzadeh
Abstract
Background: Technology acceptance comprises cognitive and psychological elements about using technology.Objectives: This descriptive study evaluated the feasibility and applicability of the LMS acceptance questionnaire in medical sciences students using native LMS during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: ...
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Background: Technology acceptance comprises cognitive and psychological elements about using technology.Objectives: This descriptive study evaluated the feasibility and applicability of the LMS acceptance questionnaire in medical sciences students using native LMS during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: This study was conducted to assess LMS acceptance and the validity of the questionnaires in Iranian society. Ten faculty members and ten students reviewed and evaluated the questionnaires for the validity of translation (content validity). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis methods were used for questionnaire items to determine the constructive validity. Moreover, a technology acceptance questionnaire was distributed among 200 users to determine the convergence validity. Finally, the reliability of the questionnaire was assessed by 30 people before, after, and simultaneously.Results: The results of this descriptive study showed that the average scores of people in finding helpful content for lessons, having a support system for problem-solving, and being convenient to use were high. In another part, confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the criteria and items by four factors. Test reliability on 30 students before and after showed that the questionnaire has good reliability in all factors. Convergence validity with the technology acceptance questionnaire showed that there was a direct and positive relationship.Conclusion: The four factors questionnaire, which comprised performance expectations, effort expectations, facilitative situations, and social influence, with feasibility, and usability, can be used as a valid questionnaire in an Iranian population.
Faranak Salajaghe; Mohammad Reza Lashkarizadeh; Gholam Reza Sedighi; Omid Eslami; Behnam Dalfardi; Afsane Emami Pour; Fatemeh Karimdadi; Batol Torabi
Khalil Tazik
Abstract
Background: Writing in English has always been emphasized in educational programs.Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the effects of direct focused written feedback followed by amendments and group discussions on improving students’ English writing in different fields of medical sciences.Methods: ...
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Background: Writing in English has always been emphasized in educational programs.Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the effects of direct focused written feedback followed by amendments and group discussions on improving students’ English writing in different fields of medical sciences.Methods: The present research employed a quasi-experimental design. The participants were 168 Iranian undergraduate students from seven entire classes (taught by the main researcher), studying at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of medical sciences in 2019-2020. The writing tasks were the topics suggested at the end of each unit of the Inside Reading ("Intro" and "One") series. The length required for each topic was a paragraph with a hundred words at most. After writing each essay, the researcher spotted grammatical errors, recorded their types and frequencies, and gave direct feedback. The students received the corrected essays, and through group discussions and based on extra explanations provided by the researcher, the students became totally informed of their errors and were asked to apply this knowledge on their succeeding works.Results: Wrong tenses ( 30.47%), incorrect articles (23.48%), word order (17.48%), singular/plural nouns (11.59%), prepositions (10.90%), and subject-verb agreement (6.08%) were found to be the most common errors, respectively.Conclusion: Comparing the number of errors in the first essay with the errors spotted in the second and third essays showed that the corrective feedback was effective in improving the medical students’ essay writing.
Masoumeh Safikani; Noushin Kohan; Yunes Jahani; Esmat Nouhi
Abstract
Background: Although virtual training has been considered an educational emergency during the coronavirus crisis, it is still discussed in universities as a capacity. Student learning is the concern of all professors. Self-direction is an efficiency indicator in electronic learning (e-learning) widely ...
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Background: Although virtual training has been considered an educational emergency during the coronavirus crisis, it is still discussed in universities as a capacity. Student learning is the concern of all professors. Self-direction is an efficiency indicator in electronic learning (e-learning) widely used in effective educational systems.Objectives: The present study aimed to determine self-directed learning outcomes and facilitators in virtual course students of medical education.Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study included the graduate of virtual medical education in the universities of medical sciences in Tehran, Iran, in the academic year 2019. The research instrument was the Persian version of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 16), the indicators of descriptive statistics (e.g., mean, frequency, percentage, and standard deviation), linear regression, and Pearson correlation coefficient.Results: Out of 201 individuals, 46 (22.9%) and 155 (77.1%) students were male and female, respectively. The mean age of the students was 39.93±8.25 years. The mean values of the scores of self-directed learning outcomes and facilitators were 71.8±9.4 (out of 95) and 70.4±10.6 (out of 125), respectively. There was a direct and significant relationship between self-directed learning outcomes and facilitators (P<0.001); accordingly, with the increase of the score of facilitators, the score of self-directed learning also increased. Additionally, the variables of outcomes and facilitators had significant relationships with academic achievement (P<0.001).Conclusion: According to the study results, by increasing self-directed learning facilitators, the outcomes of this type of learning, especially students’ academic achievement, increased. Therefore, it is recommended to increase students’ participation and consolidate self-directed activities. Furthermore, by the application of technology and program appropriate to the subject of the course, professors in virtual training should strengthen and nurture students’ self-direction skills and guide them to do various assignments and activities related to their lesson objectives.
Mahboobeh Khabaz Mafinejad; Sadegh Jahan; Kasra Hatampour; Mohammad Reza Ganjedanesh; Negar Sadat Ahmadi; Zahra Valizadeh Samakoosh; Mojtaba Rezaiee; Mahla Khaiat Rasouli; Mobin Moradi; Mohammad Taherahmadi
Abstract
Background: Numerous medical students feel that they are not ready to study medicine at the beginning of entering university. One way to reduce the challenges of entering the university is to provide opportunities to familiarize students with the university.Objectives: This study was conducted to design ...
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Background: Numerous medical students feel that they are not ready to study medicine at the beginning of entering university. One way to reduce the challenges of entering the university is to provide opportunities to familiarize students with the university.Objectives: This study was conducted to design an educational e-learning module for freshman medical students to help a successful transition to university life.Methods: This study was a single-group study with a post-test design at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, within 2018-2019. The transitional e-learning module included content regarding academic integration, social integration, and information integration.The e-learning module for new medical students was implemented as a 20-day course at the beginning of their attendance at the university. After the students completed the e-Learning course or module, a questionnaire was completed to assess students’ attitudes toward the quality of the transitional e-learning module. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22.0).Results: Out of 209 questionnaires, 135 questionnaires were returned. The findings showed that more than 65% of the students believed that the program could prepare them for academic integration into the institution. In total, the highest (8.62±1.15) and lowest (7.07±2.39) scores belonged to the "information integration” and “social integration” sections, respectively.Conclusion: The e-learning module was implemented to provide students with practical support to adapt to the university. The survey findings showed that it helped freshman medical students prepare for academic and information integration into the university.
Abdolhussein Shakurnia; Mahmood Maniati; Nasrin Khajeali; Maryam Barani
Abstract
Background: Empathy is an important component of effective communication of a patientpractitioner relationship. Medical students are expected to know this ability as part of their education.Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effect of a short-training course on the empathy levels of medical students.Methods: ...
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Background: Empathy is an important component of effective communication of a patientpractitioner relationship. Medical students are expected to know this ability as part of their education.Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effect of a short-training course on the empathy levels of medical students.Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study conducted on eighty second-year medical students in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS), Iran, 2019. The intervention comprised of a lecture-based short training course, which was taught by a psychiatrist and was held in two sessions (Two hours each) for two consecutive weeks. Empathy was assessed using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Student version (JSE) before and after the intervention. Students with empathy scores higher than average were considered high empathy group, and those with scores lower than average as low empathy group. Data were analyzed using paired T-tests through SPSS software, version 16.Results: The mean JSE score was 99.66±13.4 and 101.62 ± 16.37, before and after the -intervention, respectively. However, despite the score increased, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.054). Nevertheless, the empathy scores of high-empathy students significantly increased after the-intervention (110.49 Vs 114.15, p=0.002). The empathy level also showed a significant enhancement in female students after training (p=0.006).Conclusion: This study shows that a short training course is somewhat effective in developing medical student empathy. The findings suggest a need for revision of content and implementation of this course training into the existing medical curriculum.
Hakimeh Ansari; Behnam Talebi; Asadollah Khadivi
Abstract
Background: Development of problem-solving skills through policy-making and promotion of physician education can be achieved by establishing specific criteria for policy-making and evaluation of educational policies.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the challenges of assessing medical education ...
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Background: Development of problem-solving skills through policy-making and promotion of physician education can be achieved by establishing specific criteria for policy-making and evaluation of educational policies.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the challenges of assessing medical education policies.Methods: In this systematic review, the Sample–Phenomenon of Interest–Design–Evaluation– Research (SPIDER) model was used to extract data. Scientific databases were searched to find articles in Persian or English language, assessing policy-making and policies in the Iranian medical education during 2010-2019. Of 485 domestic and international studies, 447 studies were excluded, based on the title or abstract, and 38 full-text articles were selected for further investigation. Finally, 11 relevant articles were reviewed as the final sample.Results: The challenges of educational policies in medical education were determined, based on the descriptive content analysis of the reviewed articles. These challenges were classified, based on the policy analysis steps. The main challenges of assessing medical education policies in selected studies were related to setting the agenda, setting policies, policy selection, policy execution, and finally, policy analysis in medical education.Conclusions: Based on the present results, policy-makers can incorporate the conceptual model of this study, which was based on an established theoretical framework and previous research, in the process of policy-making.
Leili Mosalanejad
Abstract
The goal of teaching in medical sciences is to warrant increasing the number of people with professional identities. Teaching medical professionalism within a theoretical field is a means to achieve a goal. The foundations of identity development stipulated in educational psychology, and other related ...
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The goal of teaching in medical sciences is to warrant increasing the number of people with professional identities. Teaching medical professionalism within a theoretical field is a means to achieve a goal. The foundations of identity development stipulated in educational psychology, and other related fields have been recently applied to evaluate the process, in which specialists attain their professional identities (1).Moreover, professionalism must be taught to enhance the performance of physicians in increasingly complex healthcare systems (2). All medical universities have been actively involved in establishing and implementing structured programs of teaching and assessing professionalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students (1, 3). The commonly stated educational objectives in medial universities are to ensure the acquired cognitive base of professionalism, internalize the medical profession in students, and consistently consider professional behaviors in practice.
Habibeh Ahmadipour
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has startled all of us, caused rapid and major changes in the higher education system of Iran, especially in the field of medical education. Although since 2001 the education system is trying to use virtual /distance education (1), until the start of the pandemic, e-learning ...
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The COVID-19 pandemic, which has startled all of us, caused rapid and major changes in the higher education system of Iran, especially in the field of medical education. Although since 2001 the education system is trying to use virtual /distance education (1), until the start of the pandemic, e-learning had a low share in the educational programs of most medical universities and was considered as a less important secondary educational method. Since controlling the pandemic requires avoiding face-to-face training, e-learning is the most important way to provide educational content and holding courses in almost all medical universities of Iran.According to the literature, e-learning is faced with five challenges related to the university, professors, students, e-learning systems, and e-classroom environment (2). However, there are studies which mentioned to four categories of challenges, including technical and technological (weakness in telecommunications infrastructure), teachers and learners (unfamiliarity with the structure and technology used for e-learning), ethical challenges (weakness of existing technologies for fraud detection), and problems related to psychological issues (technology-related anxieties such as power and internet outages and system crashes) (3). Since the onset of the pandemic in Iran was simultaneous with the start of the new educational semester, there was no opportunity for proper planning. Therefore, most of the medical universities focused their planning, policies, and activities on finding proper educational platforms (while having eyes on costs, convenience, etc.) to provide educational content (either online or offline), creating or modifying the infrastructure of distance/electronic/online education, and providing intensive training courses for familiarizing university teachers with these methods of education and Learning Management Systems (LMS). It seems that less attention is paid to students, who are the other side of e-learning systems. We, unfortunately, ignored that a sudden shift from an almost complete face-to-face education to complete e-learning creates challenges for students. It was assumed that, if correct educational content (according to educational objectives) be provided correctly by the professors and through a proper communication path, students would receive the content correctly.Although nowadays students are Millennials or from the Z generation and we name them as digital citizens or the Internet generation, however, their ability to use e-learning systems is different. For face-to-face instruction, it was emphasized that students' differences should be taken into account to increase the effectiveness of the education, butthis has been overlooked in our current e-learning systems, which may be due to the rapid and forced transformation from face-to-face to the electronic methods.Given that likely, the coronavirus will be with us for at least the next two years, so students' challenges in e-learning and related factors should be addressed. If the current situation is properly understood, it would be possible to take timely and effective steps to provide evidence-based interventions for effective electronic training and evaluations.
Maryam Alizadeh; Mahboobeh Khabaz Mafinejad
