Alfaisal University Research Articles

Interest and perceived barriers toward careers in academic medicine among medical students at Alfaisal University – College of Medicine: A Saudi Arabian perspective

Aims: [1] Identify the percentage of undergraduate students who are interested in academic medicine (AM) careers, [2] Explore the relationship between students’ characteristics, previous experiences and interest in AM careers and [3] Determine students’ perceived barriers toward AM careers at Alfaisal University – College of Medicine.Methods: An online, anonymous, random, self-rating survey was administered during spring 2013–2014 to second-year and third-year students (n = 302). Chi-square test was used to correlate between interest in AM careers and students’ characteristics. Mann–Whitney U-test was used to compare the mean 5-point Likert scale responses between male and female students.Results: A total of 231 students participated in the survey (response rate: 76.5%). A total of 32 students (13.9%) expressed interest in AM careers, and this percentage significantly differed by gender, academic year, interest in teaching and research and previous research experiences (p < 0.05). The top three barriers were “lower income” (77.5%), “competing pressures to fulfill clinical-teaching-research duties” (73.6%) and “lack of career advising” (69.7%). As opposed to males, females achieved higher statistically significant differences of means regarding: “competing pressures to fulfill clinical-teaching-research duties” (p < 0.001) and “lack of same-gender role models in AM careers” (p < 0.000).Conclusions: AM careers were unpopular by students. Curricular, extracurricular and institutional measures should be implemented to rectify this dilemma.

Medical Students' Perception towards Doctor‐Patient Relationship: A Cross‐Sectional Study at AlFaisal University

IntroductionStrengthening the relationship between a doctor and a patient is an essential element for a advancing a healthcare system. As previous studies have ubiquitously demonstrated this phenomenon, studying the perception of medical students towards this relationship in one of the developing countries is highly important. The perception is measured by Patient ‐ Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) which contains both caring items, assessing how much care provided to your patients and sharing items, which reflect the amount of information shared with patients. As PPOS score increases, the practice becomes more towards patient – centeredness and hence, more coherence in doctor‐patient relationship.MethodA total of 132 third year medical students at Alfaisal University were enrolled in this cross sectional study. The quantitative questionnaire was carried out using Patient‐ Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS). The overall scores of patient caring and sharing were calculated and the statistical difference was assessed using the independent samples t‐test. The effect of various factors including gender and academic level (measured by GPA) was measured using independent samples t‐test and one‐way multiple variance of analysis (ANOVA), respectively. The linear regression model was also utilized to determine whether these factors predict the caring, sharing and the overall PPOS scores.ResultsThe mean scores of caring, sharing and overall PPOS were 4.21, 3.98 and 4.10, respectively. Students have demonstrated higher scoring in caring items compared to sharing ones (P&lt;0.01). Male students have scored more in sharing components compared to their female peers (4.20 vs. 3.81, P&lt;0.01). In addition, students with good GPA rated higher in caring items than those with average GPA (P&lt;0.05). None of the factors have really predicted the caring, sharing and overall PPOS scores.ConclusionOur findings suggest that our students' perception towards patient‐centeredness was lower than previous studies and more education along with practice are required to improve this attitude. Moreover, students had lower perception towards the importance of sharing adequate information with the patient, an attitude that needs to be further rectified in order to enhance the advancement of healthcare system in Saudi Arabia.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

PABP and eIF4B Effects Binding Affinity and Kinetic Rates of Genome Linked Viral Protein (VPg) with Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4F

Translation initiation is a critical early step in the viral replication cycle. Interaction of eukaryotic translational initiation factors with VPg of Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) plays an important role in the cap‐independent initiation of protein synthesis. To understand this process in potyviruses, we investigated the equilibrium binding, thermodynamic parameters and rate constants for the interaction of VPg with eIF4F in the presence of PABP and eIF4B using fluorescence and stopped‐flow spectroscopy. Equilibrium studies showed that PABP increased VPg binding to eIF4F about 3‐fold; however, both PABP and eIF4B together enhanced VPg binding to eIF4F about 4‐fold, showing an additive effect rather than the large increase in affinity shown for cap binding. Temperature dependent studies showed the increase in VPg binding to eIF4F in the presence of PABP and eIF4B was enthalpy‐driven and entropy‐favorable. PABP and eIF4B decreased the entropic contribution for VPg binding to eIF4F. The decrease in entropy for the formation of eIF4F·4Bmiddot;PABP‐VPg complex suggested weakened hydrophobic interactions for complex formation and an overall conformational change. Rate constant for eIF4F interaction with VPg in the presence of PABP and eIF4B was 4‐fold faster; and dissociation rate was 3‐fold slower as compared to eIF4F alone. The temperature dependence of the VPg binding to eIF4F was significantly reduced in activation energy in the presence of PABP and eIF4B. When both PABP and eIF4B were present, not only was the energy barrier reduced but the binding rate was faster and dissociation rate was slower for the formation of eIF4F‐4B‐PABP‐VPg complex suggests more stable platform for further initiation complex formation. These results further support the importance of PABP and eIF4B interaction to eIF4F with VPg for efficient viral translation.Support or Funding InformationNational Science Foundation MCB‐1513737 (to D.J.G.) and Alfaisal University Research Support IRG‐16414 (to M.A.K.)This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

The endangered clinician-investigator profession in Saudi Arabia: curricular attention is required

The endangered clinician-investigator profession in Saudi Arabia: curricular attention is required

Measuring the extent and nature of use of Social Networking Sites in Medical Education (SNSME) by university students: Results of a multi-center study

ABSTRACTThere is a sharp rise in the use of social networking sites (SNSs) by university students for various purposes. However, little is known about the use of SNSs for educational purposes. This study aims to determine educational use of SNSs by the medical students of two Saudi and a Kuwaiti medical school. A cross-sectional study was conducted by administering a 20-statement questionnaire to the undergraduate medical and allied health sciences students of two Saudi universities: Taibah University (TU) and Imam Abdulrahman AlFaisal University (IAFU), and one Kuwaiti university, Kuwait University (KU). The data were collected and analyzed by SPSS 20. Of a total of 1312 respondents, 1181 (90%) students used SNSs and 131 (10%) did not use SNSs for any reason. Further, only 442/1181 (37%, p < 0.00) students used SNSs for education and found these sites to be useful. As many as 357 (27%) students used SNSs for sharing education-related information once a day, 306 (23%) 3–5 times a day, and 331 (25%) once a week. A maximum of 678 (52%) used Facebook for educational purpose and most of the students, 469 (38%), used SNSs for sharing lectures. There were significant variations in responses among genders and year of schooling. The use of online social media in medical education is a rapidly evolving arena of scholarship. Low use of SNSs for sharing information and significant variations in perceptions of medical students about social media should draw attention of policy-makers for promoting awareness and educational reforms.

Objectivity in subjectivity: do students’ self and peer assessments correlate with examiners’ subjective and objective assessment in clinical skills? A prospective study

ObjectivesThe qualitative subjective assessment has been exercised either by self-reflection (self-assessment (SA)) or by an observer (peer assessment (PA)) and is considered to play an important role in students’ development....

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF OBESITY IN ARAR CITY, NORTHERN SAUDI ARABIA.

20Jan 2017 EPIDEMIOLOGY OF OBESITY IN ARAR CITY, NORTHERN SAUDI ARABIA. Abdullah Barghash k. Alanazi , HaninHamadAlmdhour , Raghad Mubarak Aljuhaysh , Mohammed Barghash Kareem Alanazi , Tahani Baqqan S Alenezi , Marzook Khalid k. Alshammari , Munif Saleh Alanazi , Afaf Meshal Almajlad , Duaa Mohammed Ali Alahdal and Hasan Mohammed Alarawi. Faculty Of Medicine, Northern Border University. Intern, Faculty Of Medicine, Northern Border University. Internal Medicine Resident At King Fahad Medical city. Finished Internship, Faculty Of Medicine, Northern Border University. Family Medicine Resident At Alquayeyah PHCC. Intern, Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies. Intern, Faculty Of Medicine, Alfaisal University.

Perspectives of students and mentors on a formal mentorship program in Saudi Arabia.

Student mentorship is a dynamic reciprocal relationship between an advanced career incumbent (mentor) and a beginner (protege), aimed at promoting the development of both.1 The main goals of any mentorship program include career counselling and development alongside professional enhancement.2-4 While numerous studies highlight the importance of a formal mentorship program at the undergraduate level, no significant reports have emerged from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding such structured programs. There remains a need to identify and evaluate gaps in the efficacy of mentorship programs to establish and measure the effectiveness of such programs in undergraduate medical education. The aim of this perspective is to describe the strengths, weaknesses and challenges of the mentorship program among preclinical medical students at Alfaisal University, Riyadh. Program organization At Alfaisal University a formal mentorship program was introduced in 2012 whereby students were assigned a mentor at the beginning of his/her first year. The same mentor was maintained through the student’s tenure at the University. The program aimed to cover academics, career plans and personal growth. Students were provided with the name, email, office location, contact extension, and office hours. The student mentors were also notified about the program. In a separate email, mentors were advised regarding their responsibilities, and are asked to contact their mentees to arrange an initial meeting. Mentees had the option to change their mentors if they were not satisfied and had to provide a reasonable rationale for this change.

PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS AMONG GERIATRIC POPULATION OF ARAR CITY, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA: PREVALENCE AND DETERMINANTS

20Dec 2016 PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS AMONG GERIATRIC POPULATION OF ARAR CITY, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA: PREVALENCE AND DETERMINANTS. Nagah Mohamed Abo El-Fetoh , Mohammed Faried Mourad , MalakAbdulaziz Almuneef , Waad Abdullah Alotaibi , Othman Mashfi Alshammari4 , AbdrahmanSulaiman Alanazi and Modhi A. Alanizi. Associate Prof. of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, KSA. Intern, Faculty of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, KSA. Intern, Faculty of Medicine, Qassim University, KSA. Student, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, KSA. Intern, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, KSA.

Assessment of first-year medical students' perceptions of teaching and learning through team-based learning sessions.

Team-based learning (TBL) is an emerging teaching and learning strategy being employed in medical schools. The College of Medicine at Alfaisal University has adopted a TBL approach as an instructional method for first-year medical students. The aim of the present study was to describe the TBL method employed at Alfaisal University College of Medicine and to assess first-year medical students' perceptions of this learning modality for the anatomy- and physiology-based blocks/courses in organ systems form of curriculum. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire was structured based on Kirkpatrick's theory and assessed three major domains: reaction, learning, and behavior. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Cronbach's α-coefficient tests were used to assess the validity and reliability of the construct, respectively. CFA showed an adequate validity of the survey and Cronbach's α revealed an acceptable internal uniformity (0.69). A total of 185 respondents rated reaction, learning, and behavior toward introduction of TBL as 3.53 ± 1.01, 3.59 ± 1.12, and 3.57 ± 1.12, respectively. Excellent students rated TBL highly in all major domains compared with borderline students (reaction, behavior, and learning domains with P values of <0.049, <0.035, and <0.031, respectively). Students who had prior teamwork experience rated TBL higher in terms of their learning experience compared with those who were rarely involved in team work. This study demonstrated that Alfaisal University first-year medical students perceived TBL positively as a teaching and learning strategy for functional anatomy, and prior involvement in teamwork and academic performance correlates with higher ratings of TBL.

Medical students' perceptions of the effectiveness of integrated clinical skills sessions using different simulation adjuncts.

Simulation-based integrated clinical skills sessions have great potential for use in medical curricula. Integration is central to simulation efficacy. The aim of this study was to obtain medical students' perceptions toward effectiveness of integrated clinical skills sessions by using different simulation adjuncts and to know the challenges/obstacles encountered toward the implementation of such sessions. A study was conducted to obtain anonymous feedback from male (n = 156) and female (n = 179) medical students in years 2 and 3 during the 2014-2015 academic sessions at Alfaisal University about their perceptions of the effectiveness of integrated clinical skills sessions, uses of simulation adjuncts, and obstacles encountered toward the effective implementation of such sessions. The response rate was 93.4. Factor analysis showed data being valid and reliable. Cronbach's α-values for effectiveness of sessions, use of simulation adjunct, and obstacles encountered were 0.97, 0.95, and 0.95, respectively. We conclude that students perceived positively the effectiveness of integrated clinical skills sessions as well as the use of simulation adjuncts, especially SPs. They suggested overcoming the obstacles and limitations of simulation. They highly valued the role of the facilitators in achieving effective sessions.

Striatin expression is altered during cardiac remodeling and it regulates cardiomyocyte response to adrenergic stimuli

Mounting evidence implicates striatin in regulating cardiac function by virtue of its interaction with regulators of the L‐type calcium channel (LCC), i.e. caveolin‐3, protein phosphatase 2A, and calmodulin. We have previously shown that knockdown (KD) of striatin using shRNA (shRNA‐STRN) in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes reduced the rate of their spontaneous contraction and desensitized them to isoproterenol. We aimed to explore if the expression of STRN is altered during cardiac remodeling using Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR) and if STRN modulates the adrenergic response in cardiomyocytes. Herein, we show that STRN expression is higher in the left ventricle (LV) of SHR when compared to Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats at the age of 4 weeks. Surprisingly, at the age of 18 weeks, the expression of STRN in LV was less in SHR when compared to WKY rats. KD of STRN in cultured cardiomyocytes did not affect the expression of the LCC. However, confocal microscopy revealed that an isoproterenol challenge resulted in less intracellular calcium [Ca2+]i in cardiomyocytes with lower amounts of STRN (KD) when compared to control cells (benign shRNA). Moreover, the rise in [Ca2+]i with respect to the baseline levels, was lower in shRNA‐STRN cardiomyocytes. Collectively, our data show that STRN levels are altered during the development of cardiac pathology. In addition, STRN plays a fundamental role in regulating cardiac [Ca2+]i responses to adrenergic stimuli and emerges as a novel therapeutic target for cardiac diseases.Support or Funding InformationThis work is supported by a KACST operating grant (#13‐BIO1452‐20) to MN and PK, and by Alfaisal University.

Evaluation of a combined approach of clinical skills training utilizing near-peers, in-campus faculty and clinicians: An innovative integrated model

Introduction: Training clinical skills is essential in medicine. Different models of clinical skills courses have been previously suggested. Here, we report an innovative approach adopted to train junior medical students in clinical skills in a multimodal fashion by near-peers, basic scientists with clinical background and senior clinicians.Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted at Alfaisal University College of Medicine at Riyadh. An electronic survey was conducted among year-2 and year-3 medical students seeking their perception about the (a) organization, (b) delivery, (c&d) self- and peer-assessment in clinical skills courses. Total 298 male and female medical students (91%), consisting of 164 from year 2 and 134 from year 3, participated by filling out a questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha 0.93).Results: Out of maximum five, the average ratings for the course were 3.81, 3.72, 3.67 and 3.73 in organization, delivery, self-evaluation and peer-assessment respectively, with no significant difference between both subgroups. The in-campus sessions rated higher than hospital sessions (p < 0.001). As tutors, interns were rated higher than clinicians (p < 0.001). The qualitative analysis suggested high satisfaction.Conclusions: The clinical skills course that was conducted in a multimodal fashion utilizing diverse tutors showed a positive attitude of students toward the organization and delivery of the course.

Perceived influential factors toward participation in undergraduate research activities among medical students at Alfaisal University—College of Medicine: A Saudi Arabian perspective

Aims: (1) To explore correlations between medical students’ participation in undergraduate research (UR) activities and their characteristics, and (2) to explore students’ perceived influential factors toward participation in UR activities at Alfaisal University—College of Medicine, Saudi Arabia.Methods: An online, anonymous, cross-sectional, self-rating survey was administered. Chi-square test was used to correlate between participation in UR activities and students’ characteristics (age, academic year and grade point average [GPA]). Two-tailed Mann–Whitney U-test was used to compare the mean 5-point Likert scale responses between students with and without previous UR activities.Results: About 218 students participated in the survey (n = 218/350; response rate: 62.3%). The top three influential factors to undertake UR activities were “facilitate entry into competitive residency programs,” (88.1%) “improve curriculum vitae” (81.2%) and “publish in peer-reviewed journals” (79.8%). Percentage of participation in previous UR activities significantly differed by gender (p < 0.03825), academic year (p < 0.000003) and GPA (p < 0.02627). Students who had previous UR activities were more positively influenced to participate in future UR activities than those who did not (p < 0.0488).Conclusion: Students demonstrated positive attitudes toward UR activities. The relationships between participation in UR activities and male gender, increased number of years spent at medical college and higher GPA were directly proportional.

Perceived barriers towards participation in undergraduate research activities among medical students at Alfaisal University—College of Medicine: A Saudi Arabian perspective

Background: The importance of undergraduate research (UR) to students is well acknowledged in literature; however, little is known about its perceived barriers. The aim of study is to explore the perceived barriers toward participation in UR activities among students at Alfaisal University—College of Medicine, Saudi Arabia.Methods: An online, anonymous, cross-sectional, self-rating survey was administered. A two-tailed Mann–Whitney U-test was used to compare the average five-point Likert scale responses between male and female students.Results: Two-hundred and twenty-one students (n = 221/350) participated in the survey with a 63.1% response rate. The percentage of participation in UR significantly differed by gender (males vs. females: 68.6% vs. 45.4%; p < 0.0005, Chi-square test). The top three barriers toward participation in UR were “lack of time” (77.4%), “lack of formal UR courses in curriculum” (76%) and “lack of UR mentors” (70.1%). Statistically significant differences of means were identified between male and female students regarding the following statements: “lack of supervising research mentors” (p < 0.01), “lack of interest in research” (p < 0.04), “lack of finding same-gender research mentor” (p < 0.00) and “lack of UR opportunities” (p < 0.00).Conclusion: Our results were fairly comparable to the Western studies. Medical educators should carefully look into all UR barriers and consider implementing applicable solutions.

The Integrated Clinical Anatomy Program at Alfaisal University: an innovative model of teaching clinically applied functional anatomy in a hybrid curriculum.

Anatomy has historically been a cornerstone in medical education regardless of specialty. It is essential for physicians to be able to perform a variety of tasks, including performing invasive procedures, examining radiological images, performing a physical examination of a patient, etc. Medical students have to be prepared for such tasks, and we can assist this by changing the way that we educate students in medical schools. Thus, newer medical curricula need to be designed according to needs of future physicians. In this report, we describe a unique program called the Integrated Clinical Anatomy Program (ICAP). The ICAP was developed at the College of Medicine of Alfaisal University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Here, we describe the unique features of this program, including the structure and facilities of the Anatomy Resource Center. The Anatomy Resource Center plays a pivotal role in engaging the students for faculty-directed structured laboratory sessions as well as peer-assisted uniform student-centered learning. The ICAP has shown great promise, as reflected by early results from a nationwide progress test. Students from all years of the Alfaisal University medical school scored significantly higher than the national average on the anatomy and physiology component of the nationwide progress test examination, with P values of 0.0179 and 0.0015, respectively. We believe that the ICAP can be used as a model for teaching clinically applied functional anatomy to medical students in a hybrid curriculum around the world.

An International Summer Biomedical Research Program for Undergraduate Medical Students

Purpose: The declining physician-scientist number is alarming. Therefore, this study is designed to establish early exposure to undergraduate research interest in science careers and generates physician-scientist workforces. Materials and methods: In this paper, we report the experience and student’s perceptions of an innovative summer research program and examine how it could influence students’ interest in research careers. Results: During the summer of 2012, fourteen undergraduate medical students from Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, attended a month-long summer biomedical research program at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine in Temple, Texas, USA. The program was designed to expose students to four domains: 1) an intensive basic science research experience, 2) extraordinary aspects of clinical medicine, 3) collaborative research projects, and 4) social entertaining activities. At the end of the program, a self-administered questionnaire was used to explore participants’ experiences and evaluate the program. Majority of students reported various research skills and knowledge gains, personal and professional gains, negative insights about research and clarifications of a research career. Moreover, majority were satisfied with the overall summer program and recommended it to others. Conclusion: Participation in such scholarly programs enhances research intellectual and practical skills, supports participation in future research activities and increases interest to pursue physician-scientist careers.

Perceptions of pre-clerkship medical students and academic advisors about sleep deprivation and its relationship to academic performance: a cross-sectional perspective from Saudi Arabia.

BackgroundThe medical student population is believed to be at an increased risk for sleep deprivation. Little is known about students’ perceptions towards sleep deprivation and its relationship to academic performance. The aim of study is to explore the perceptions of medical students and their academic advisors about sleep deprivation and its relationship to academic performance.MethodsThe study took place at Alfaisal University, College of Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An online, anonymous, cross-sectional, self-rating survey was administered to first-, third-year students and their academic advisors. Two-tailed Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the mean 5-point Likert scale responses between students according to gender, academic year and cumulative grade point average (cGPA).ResultsA total of 259 students and 21 academic advisors participated in the survey (response rates: 70.6 and 84 %, respectively). The vast majority of students agreed that sleep deprivation negatively affects academic performance (78.8 %) and mood (78.4 %). Around 62.2 and 73.7 % of students agreed that the demanding medical curriculum and stress of final exams lead to sleep deprivation, respectively. While 36.7 % of students voiced the need for incorporation of curricular separate courses about healthy sleep patterns into medical curriculum, a much greater proportion of students (45.9 %) expressed interest in extracurricular activities about healthy sleep patterns. Interestingly, only 13.5 % of students affirmed that they were counselled about sleep patterns and academic performance by their academic advisors. There were several statistically significant differences of means of students’ perceptions according to gender, academic year and cGPA. Despite almost all academic advisors (95.5 %) asserted the importance of sleep patterns to academic performance, none (0 %) inquired about sleep patterns when counselling students. Nineteen academic advisors (90.5 %) recommended incorporation of sleep patterns related learning into medical curricula; among those, only 1 (n = 1/19; 5.3 %) recommended learning as a separate course whereas the majority (n = 18/19; 94.7 %) recommended learning in forms of extracurricular activities and integration into relevant ongoing courses.ConclusionsOur results showed that students had correct conceptions about the negative impact of sleep deprivation on academic performance and mood. Also, our results highlighted the need for curricular/extracurricular education and counseling about healthy sleep patterns.

The Student-Authored Biomedical Publications at Alfaisal University, Saudi Arabia: a 6-year descriptive analysis.

There are limited numbers of studies which comprehensively explored the research publications authored by medical students. To descriptively analyze the student-authored research publications originating from Alfaisal University—College of Medicine (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) over a 6-year period. All student-authored research publications were retrieved from PubMed® and the College’s publication database. Study inclusion criteria included: (1) at least one medical student author, (2) published and/or accepted in-press PubMed-indexed article from 10 September 2008 to 31 December 2014. Data was transferred to Microsoft Excel Software for descriptive statistical analysis of variable parameters. Seventy-three (n = 73) articles met the study inclusion criteria. They were published by 170 students; the majority were males (79.4 %) and clerkship students (65.9 %). There was a markedly steady increase in number of yearly publications from 1 publication in 2009 to 35 publications by the end of 2014. Fifty (68.5 %), twenty-nine (39.7 %) and thirty-seven (50.7 %) students were first, second and corresponding authors, respectively. The most frequent research areas were clinical science (43.8 %), basic science (23.3 %) and medical education (21.9 %). The most frequent research types were case reports (41.1 %), research articles (32.9 %) and correspondence letters (15.1 %). Fifty-seven (78.1 %) and sixteen (21.9 %) publications took place in local and abroad institutes, respectively. Most publications (71.2 %) had impact factors below 2. The mean ± SD of articles’ impact factors and citations were 3.9 ± 9.9 and 1.9 ± 4.1, respectively. Students demonstrated positive attitudes towards publishing and significantly contributed to the institution’s pool of research publications.

The interplay between academic performance and quality of life among preclinical students.

BackgroundThe high academic performance of medical students greatly influences their professional competence in long term career. Meanwhile, medical students greatly demand procuring a good quality of life that can help them sustain their medical career. This study examines validity and reliability of the tool among preclinical students and testifies the influence of their scholastic performance along with gender and academic year on their quality of life.MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted by distributing World Health Organization Quality of Life, WHOQOL-BREF, survey among medical students of year one to three at Alfaisal University. For validity, item discriminate validity(IDV) and confirmatory factor analysis were measured and for reliability, Cronbach’s α test and internal item consistency(IIC) were examined. The association of GPA, gender and academic year with all major domains was drawn using Pearson’s correlation, independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA, respectively.ResultsA total of 335 preclinical students have responded to this questionnaire. The construct has demonstrated an adequate validity and good reliability. The high academic performance of students positively correlated with physical (r = 0.23, p < 0.001), psychological health (r = 0.29, p < 0.001), social relations (r = 0.11, p = 0.03) and environment (r = 0.23, p < 0.001). Male student scored higher than female peers in physical and psychological health.DiscussionThis study has identified a direct relationship between the academic performance of preclinical students and their quality of life.ConclusionThe WHOQOL-BREF is a valid and reliable tool among preclinical students and the positive direction of high academic performance with greater QOL suggests that academic achievers procure higher satisfaction and poor achievers need a special attention for the improvement of their quality of life.