College In Nepal Research Articles

Student attitudes towards communication skills training in a medical college in Western Nepal

Previous studies have shown that students have both positive and negative attitudes towards communication skills training. However, studies in Nepal are lacking. The present study was carried out to determine the positive and negative attitudes of student respondents using the previously validated communication skills attitude scale (CSAS) (see Appendix). The study was carried out among third- and fourth-semester students at the Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal. These students are in the pre-clinical part of their course and learn the basic science subjects through an integrated, system-based curriculum. Gender, age, nationality of the respondents, occupation of parents, medium of instruction at school, attitude towards communication skills training during the clinical years, and self-rating of communication abilities were recorded. Association of the positive and negative attitudes with these variables was determined using appropriate statistical tests (p < 0.05). A total of 123 students participated in the study; 74 (60.2%) were male, and 104 (84.5%) had studied in English-medium schools. The median positive attitude score was 51 (inter-quartile range 7). Nationality and attitude towards communication skills training during the clinical years showed a significant association. The mean negative attitude scale score was 31.18 (SD = 4.96). A significant association was noted with attitude towards communication skills training during the clinical years. Both scales range from 13-65, with higher scores indicating stronger attitudes. Communication skills training should be modified and strengthened. Formal courses during the clinical years are required. Training sessions for the faculty and further studies across different semesters and in different medical colleges in Nepal are needed.

Conventional teaching remains effective in teaching medical biochemistry in BPKIHS, Nepal, although students enjoy supplementary computer teaching

AbstractA computer program down loaded from the Internet was used as a tutorial to teach the structure‐function relationship of MHC molecule to MBBS students of BPKIHS, a medical college in Nepal. The computer‐aided teaching session, with a facilitator from the biochemistry faculty, was found to be more interesting to the students although learning outcomes were not enhanced by comparison to sessions using only conventional tools. A non‐subject expert presenting the computer tutorial failed to generate interest in the topic, and the achievement of learning objectives by the students was inferior. We conclude that the interaction with a biochemistry subject expert was crucial for success in our use of computer‐aided teaching sessions on the structure‐function relationship of proteins. The results are discussed with attention to the role of computer‐aided instruction in medical colleges in a developing country (Nepal). © 2001 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conventional teaching remains effective in teaching medical biochemistry in BPKIHS, Nepal, although students enjoy supplementary computer teaching

A computer program down loaded from the Internet was used as a tutorial to teach the structure–function relationship of MHC molecule to MBBS students of BPKIHS, a medical college in Nepal. The computer-aided teaching session, with a facilitator from the biochemistry faculty, was found to be more interesting to the students although learning outcomes were not enhanced by comparison to sessions using only conventional tools. A non-subject expert presenting the computer tutorial failed to generate interest in the topic, and the achievement of learning objectives by the students was inferior. We conclude that the interaction with a biochemistry subject expert was crucial for success in our use of computer-aided teaching sessions on the structure–function relationship of proteins. The results are discussed with attention to the role of computer-aided instruction in medical colleges in a developing country (Nepal).

Combination of didactic lecture with problem-based learning sessions in physiology teaching in a developing medical college in Nepal.

Physiology teaching as an essential part of medical education faces tremendous criticism regarding curriculum design, methods of implementation, and application of knowledge in clinical practice. In the traditional method of medical education, physiology is taught in the first year and involves little interdisciplinary interaction. The Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal (affiliated with the Kathmandu Univ.) started in 1994 and adopted an integrated curriculum drawn along the lines of the student-centered, problem-based, integrated, community-based, elective-oriented, and systematic (SPICES) medical curriculum. Here, physiology is taught for the first 2 yr of the 4.5-yr Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery course. Methodology adopted is as follows. For a particular topic, objectives are clearly defined and priority content areas are identified. An overview is given in a didactic lecture class to the entire batch of 100 students. Tutorial classes are conducted thereafter with smaller groups of students (25/batch) divided further into five subgroups of five students each. In these sessions, a problem is presented to the students as a focus for learning or as an example of what has just been taught. Each problem was accompanied with relevant questions to streamline the students' thought processes. A tutor is present throughout the session not as an instructor but as a facilitator of the learning process. A questionnaire sought students' opinion on the usefulness of this approach, relevance of the combination of problem-based learning (PBL) sessions and didactic lectures in understanding a particular topic and relating clinical conditions to basic mechanisms, and improvement of performance on the university final examination. The majority of the students opined that the combination of didactic lectures and PBL sessions was definitely beneficial regarding all the above-mentioned aspects of learning. The university results corroborated their opinion. Thus it may be considered that a judicious mixture of didactic lectures and PBL sessions is beneficial as a teaching module of physiology in medical schools.