Co-editors' notes

Abstract

This issue covers numerous and diverse topics related to health professions education and policy development. Contributions are truly global as we are publishing papers of authors from Africa, Argentina, Canada, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and the United States. Of interest in this issue is that the scope goes beyond medicine alone, and in the spirit of health professions as a whole brings in disciplines such as dentistry and physiotherapy, as well as focus on the community. In the article, “Is Emotional Intelligence Related to Objective Parameters of Academic Performance in Medical, Dental and Nursing Students: A Systematic Review,” Singh et al. present the results of a systematic review aimed to address the question of the influence of emotional intelligence (EI) on objective parameters of academic performance in undergraduates in three disciplines. Databases were systematically searched for empirical studies which measured the EI of medical, nursing, or dental undergraduate students and compared it with academic performance. Findings of the review showed that EI has a greater role in the academic success of clinical year medical and dental students. In the paper, “Assessing Perceptions of Professionalism in Medical Learners by the Level of Training and Sex,” Spiwak et al. looked at male and female perceptions of 16 vignettes related to such items as lapse in excellence, inappropriate dress, lack of altruism, disrespect, shirking duty, and abuse of power. They found significant differences on many items, with females more likely to rate items as more severe. The authors conclude that more work is needed in the area of professionalism and sex. This is especially important in light of changing conceptions of gender. Rashid et al. – “Doctor, Teacher, Translator: International Medical Students' Experiences of Clinical Teaching on an English-language Undergraduate Medical Course in China”– offer a description of student experiences related to participation in and completion of an English language program. Nonnative English-speaking students indicate that while English proficiency was variable in their clinical teachers, they were able to navigate the challenges of studying clinical medicine from teachers with limited English skills. The students felt that other attributes such as enthusiasm, interactivity, and a desire to teach superseded English proficiency of the clinical teacher. The authors call for future study of clinical teacher perceptions of working with non native English-speaking students and graduate outcomes of students participating in the course. In “Rural Stream: An Effective Alternative to the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship Model for Small Rural Communities,” Carson et al. provide insight into a regionalized medical program where students spend the first two and one-half years of their undergraduate degree in district hospitals. The authors emphasize the importance of immersion and community engagement. While a challenge, Carson et al. show that effective medical education can occur locally, in small rural communities. There are four Letters to the Editor in this issue. Abu-Zaid (“Where do Medical Students Submit Their Work?”) replies to an Education for Health paper contending that main stream journals should encourage publication of student research work. Kuntz et al. (“Video Review with Sports Performance Software Improves Trainee Endotracheal Intubation Time, Performance, and Confidence”) where the researchers take success from one sector and apply it to another. Gali et al. (“Introducing a Communication Skills Course in an Indian Dental Institution: An Academic Experience”) where the educators share their experience in introducing a communication skills module to preclinical undergraduates. Finally, Paraskevopoulos and Papandreou (“Physiotherapy Clinical Placement during the COVID-19 Pandemic”) propose an alternative method of clinical education delivery through an online platform. Please feel free to submit a Letter to the Editor to Education for Health in response to any topics in this issue that spark your interest or attention.