Future Medical Doctors Research Articles

Behavior Risk Factors Among Russian Students.

Purpose To analyze the prevalence of risk factors among Russian students. Methods In this study, 834 students were included from five Federal universities which were localized in four Federal regions of Russian Federation. Future doctors, school teachers, and wellness trainers were included in this study. Students were specifically asked about smoking, physical activity International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and food preference. Waist, hip, weight, and height were measured. Results The region of study and ethnic group were not influenced with respect to age and body mass index ( p > .1), while all other factors had a significant influence ( p < .05). High levels of smoking, hypodynamia, and motivation to intake of unhealthy food were found in medical students in comparison with those in future teachers and wellness instructors ( p < .05). The indicators of central obesity (due to levels of body mass index and waist-hip ratio) were found in medical students. Perspective Special programs to prevent the most common behavior risk factors in future medical doctors have to be designed.

A Gram Stain Hands-On Workshop Enhances First Year Medical Students' Technique Competency in Comprehension and Memorization.

BackgroundLaboratory diagnostic tests have an essential role in patient care, and the increasing number of medical and health professions schools focusing on teaching laboratory medicine to pre-clinical students reflects this importance. However, data validating the pedagogical methods that best influence students’ comprehension and interpretation of diagnostic tests have not been well described. The Gram stain is a simple yet significant and frequently used diagnostic test in the clinical setting that helps classify bacteria into two major groups, Gram positive and negative, based on their cell wall structure.Methods and FindingsWe used this technique to assess which educational strategies may improve students’ learning and competency in medical diagnostic techniques. Hence, in this randomized controlled study, we compared the effectiveness of several educational strategies (e.g. workshop, discussion, or lecture) in first year medical students’ competency in comprehension and interpretation of the Gram stain procedure. We demonstrated that a hands-on practical workshop significantly enhances students’ competency in memorization and overall comprehension of the technique. Interestingly, most students irrespective of their cohort showed difficulty in answering Gram stain-related analytical questions, suggesting that more emphasis should be allocated by the instructors to clearly explain the interpretation of the diagnostic test results to students in medical and health professional schools.ConclusionThis proof of principle study highlights the need of practical experiences on laboratory medical techniques during pre-clinical training to facilitate future medical doctors’ and healthcare professionals’ basic understanding and competency in diagnostic testing for better patient care.

Factors associated with professionalism in Chinese medical students: an exploratory cross-sectional study

BackgroundProfessionalism is a central part of medical practice, and medical organisations worldwide have mandated training on this topic for future medical doctors. In China, national guidelines were developed to make explicit expectations that were once implicit. Medical education reform over the past decade has emphasised topics such as medical humanities, life-long learning, and patient-centered learning in an effort to increase the professionalism of future physicians. Although the importance of teaching professionalism has been well recognised, few studies have evaluated its implementation at Chinese medical schools. MethodsWe recruited medical students from three medical schools deemed to be representative of different regions in China (Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai (national); Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu (provincial); Qiqihar Medical University, Heilongjiang (local)). We used the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy- Student Version (JSPES), Chinese version of the General Health Questionnaire, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome assessment, and other personality and social status instruments to collect cross-sectional data. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS (version 20). Ethical approval was obtained by the Institutional Review Board of National Yang-Ming University. FindingsWe recruited 914 participants to the study. The mean JSPES score of the total population was 105 (SD 20). National university (Tongji) medical students (109 [18]), female medical students (107 [20]), and medical students who had not yet reached their third year of medical school (110 [17]) had significantly higher levels of professionalism than those in their third year or above (99 [17]). Professionalism and empathy were significantly associated with chronic fatigue syndrome: those who had higher scores in professionalism scored less for chronic fatigue syndrome (Pearson Correlation, −0·203; p<0·0001. Professionalism was synergistically associated with personality, general health, and depression (p<0·0001). Statistically significant differences in personality (p<0·0001), general health (p=0·002), depression (p=0·001), and chronic fatigue syndrome (p<0·0001) were also found between students from the three universities. InterpretationChinese medical students in general have a positive disposition towards professionalism. Level of professionalism is highly associated with chronic fatigue syndrome, so medical educators should pay attention to curricular burden and provide support mechanisms aimed at reducing student stress. FundingRepublic of China Ministry of Science and Technologygrant MOST104-2511-S-010-003.

Behavior Risk Factors Among Russian University Students Majoring in Medicine, Education, and Exercise Science.

Purpose To analyze the prevalence of select behavioral risk factors among Russian university students majoring in medicine, education, and exercise science. Methods A total of 834 students from five Federal universities located in four federal regions of Russia were included in the study. The purposive sample included future doctors, school teachers, and fitness trainers. Students were asked specifically about smoking, level of physical activity, and food preferences. To calculate body mass indices (BMIs), waist, hip, weight, and height were also measured. Results Smoking rates, level of activity, and nutritional habits were significantly different by age, but BMI was not. Smoking rates and BMI were significantly different by gender, but level of activity and nutritional habits were not. Like the differences found by age, smoking rates, level of activity, and nutritional habits were significantly different by ethnicity, but BMI was not. There were significant difference across all behavioral health risk factors by region. The results show significantly higher levels of physical inactivity, consumption of unhealthy foods, and high BMIs among medical students compared with future teachers and wellness instructors ( p < .05). In the same time, the smoking levels are the highest among future teachers. The highest prevalence of smoking was found to be associated with gender (for females living Moscow and for males in rural regions), and Russian ethnic group. Conclusion Tailored programs to prevent common health behavior risk factors among future medical doctors are urgently needed in the Russian Federation.

Call to Publish in an Undergraduate Medical Course: Dissemination of the Final-Year Research Project

ABSTRACTProblem: Today's medical doctors must not only have the clinical skills to treat patients effectively but also keep current with new advances in medicine and critically analyze evidence to choose the best treatments and explain the risks and benefits of different options. In this article, we aim to share the approach taken at a Portuguese medical school to promote a close connection between research and learning. Intervention: In a blended-learning approach, students studied research and scientific methods and undertook one of three faculty-supervised research and dissemination projects. To support immediate application of new research knowledge, students were offered optional short lectures and problem sets. All course information was featured on a website that also supported a discussion forum. We analyzed 1,350 theses leading to the medical degree, defended in six consecutive academic years (2007–2013). Our aim was to estimate the publication rates and factors associated with publication of the final-year undergraduate research projects. Context: The present research curriculum was developed at the University of Porto Faculty of Medicine as part of the Bologna process curriculum implemented in the 2007–2008 academic year. From May to June 2014 we looked for corresponding articles published over the period of September 2007 to April 2014. We searched PubMed, Scielo, Scopus, and IndexRMP databases to locate publications resulting from student theses. Outcomes: Over 6 years, the diffusion of knowledge produced by medical students, who engaged in clinical practice concurrently with research projects, was fairly low (10.4%). Program modifications that increased student accountability and engagement allowed for an increased rate of publication from 1.0% to 23.9%. Factors associated with publication were research area, publication as a performance assessment criterion, and publication language. Lessons Learned: The results of this study suggest that it is helpful to provide research opportunities that allow aspiring future medical doctors to begin their research careers. Further research is needed to understand difficulties students and supervisors face in project development and to achieve greater balance in topic coverage among projects and, consequently, in departmental involvement in the program.

GHPSS multicenter Italian survey: smoking prevalence, knowledge and attitudes, and tobacco cessation training among third-year medical students.

Healthcare professionals have an important role to play both as advisers - influencing smoking cessation - and as role models. The aims of this study were to examine smoking prevalence, knowledge and attitudes among Italian university students attending medical schools using the Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) approach. A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among University students of 9 Italian medical schools (age ranging between 19 and 29 years). The GHPSS questionnaire was self-administered. A logistic regression model was used to identify possible factors associated with tobacco smoking status. Data were analyzed with the software SPSS 19.0 for Windows. Seven hundred thirty medical students (response rate 100%) were enrolled. The prevalence of current smokers was 20.4% (males 22.4%, females 19.1%). Of the total sample, 87.7% believed that health professionals should receive specific training in techniques to quit smoking, and 65% believed that health professionals had a role in giving advice or information about smoking cessation. However, 89.4% answered that they had not received specific training on smoking cessation techniques. Multivariate analysis showed that students belonging to universities in southern Italy were more likely to be smokers (OR = 2.00; 95% CI: 1.03-3.97). This Italian multicenter survey found that one fifth of future medical doctors are smokers. There is a need to adopt a standard undergraduate curriculum containing comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation training to improve their effectiveness as role models.

Global health education in Swedish medical schools.

Global health education is increasingly acknowledged as an opportunity for medical schools to prepare future practitioners for the broad health challenges of our time. The purpose of this study was to describe the evolution of global health education in Swedish medical schools and to assess students' perceived needs for such education. Data on global health education were collected from all medical faculties in Sweden for the years 2000-2013. In addition, 76% (439/577) of all Swedish medical students in their final semester answered a structured questionnaire. Global health education is offered at four of Sweden's seven medical schools, and most medical students have had no global health education. Medical students in their final semester consider themselves to lack knowledge and skills in areas such as the global burden of disease (51%), social determinants of health (52%), culture and health (60%), climate and health (62%), health promotion and disease prevention (66%), strategies for equal access to health care (69%) and global health care systems (72%). A significant association was found between self-assessed competence and the amount of global health education received (p<0.001). A majority of Swedish medical students (83%) wished to have more global health education added to the curriculum. Most Swedish medical students have had no global health education as part of their medical school curriculum. Expanded education in global health is sought after by medical students and could strengthen the professional development of future medical doctors in a wide range of topics important for practitioners in the global world of the twenty-first century.

The development of self-regulated learning during the pre-clinical stage of medical school: a comparison between a lecture-based and a problem-based curriculum.

Society expects physicians to always improve their competencies and to be up to date with developments in their field. Therefore, an important aim of medical schools is to educate future medical doctors to become self-regulated, lifelong learners. However, it is unclear if medical students become better self-regulated learners during the pre-clinical stage of medical school, and whether students develop self-regulated learning skills differently, dependent on the educational approach of their medical school. In a cross-sectional design, we investigated the development of 384 medical students’ self-regulated learning skills with the use of the Self-Regulation of Learning Self-Report Scale. Next, we compared this development in students who enrolled in two distinct medical curricula: a problem-based curriculum and a lectured-based curriculum. Analysis showed that more skills decreased than increased during the pre-clinical stage of medical school, and that the difference between the curricula was mainly caused by a decrease in the skill evaluation in the lecture-based curriculum. These findings seem to suggest that, irrespective of the curriculum, self-regulated learning skills do not develop during medical school.

Comparative Study of Professionalism of Future Medical Doctors Between Malaysia and Bangladesh

Md. Zakirul Islam, Abdus Salam, Asadul Mazid Helali, Zaida Rahman, Wan Putri Elena Wan Dali, Salwani Ismail, Nor Iza A Rahman, Mainul Haque Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Eastern Medical College, Comilla, Bangladesh. Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 3 Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Gonoshasthya Samajvittik Medical College & Hospital, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 4 Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Enam Medical College, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 5 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FPSK), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Terengganu, Malaysia.

GHPSS Multicenter Italian Survey: Smoking Prevalence, Knowledge and Attitudes, and Tobacco Cessation Training among Third-Year Medical Students

Healthcare professionals have an important role to play both as advisers - influencing smoking cessation - and as role models. The aims of this study were to examine smoking prevalence, knowledge and attitudes among Italian university students attending medical schools using the Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) approach. A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among University students of 9 Italian medical schools (age ranging between 19 and 29 years). The GHPSS questionnaire was self-administered. A logistic regression model was used to identify possible factors associated with tobacco smoking status. Data were analyzed with the software SPSS 19.0 for Windows. Seven hundred thirty medical students (response rate 100%) were enrolled. The prevalence of current smokers was 20.4% (males 22.4%, females 19.1%). Of the total sample, 87.7% believed that health professionals should receive specific training in techniques to quit smoking, and 65% believed that health professionals had a role in giving advice or information about smoking cessation. However, 89.4% answered that they had not received specific training on smoking cessation techniques. Multivariate analysis showed that students belonging to universities in southern Italy were more likely to be smokers (OR = 2.00; 95% CI: 1.03-3.97). This Italian multicenter survey found that one fifth of future medical doctors are smokers. There is a need to adopt a standard undergraduate curriculum containing comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation training to improve their effectiveness as role models.

Cigarette smoking among medical students in China and modifiable risk factors for smoking prevention

PurposeThe reduction of tobacco use among medical students is a potentially powerful strategy to reduce tobacco use among future health professionals, who in turn, can have significant impact on tobacco use among patients as well as the general population in China. The goal of this study is to update information on the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Chinese medical students and to assess modifiable factors for smoking reduction.Design/methodology/approachPresented in the paper are descriptive, associative and path model analyses of survey data collected among 758 medical students in year one through year three from Hainan Medical College, Hainan, China.FindingsAmong the total 758 participants, 66.9 percent of males and 26 percent of females smoked and 26.5 percent of males and 1.6 percent of females had smoked in the past 30 days. The median monthly expenditure on cigarettes was 30 Chinese Yuan (approximately US$4.25). The likelihood of smoking increased with male gender, more advanced year group, poor academic performance, perceived peer smoking, and depressive symptoms, after controlling for covariates.Originality/valueFindings reported in this study provide further insight into the smoking prevalence among medical students in China as well as adding to knowledge about several potentially modifiable factors that are related to smoking. Data collected in this study are likely to prove valuable in prioritizing tobacco control among Chinese medical students, as they are future medical doctors, and their smoking behaviors will have strong influence on their patients as well as the general public.

Stigmatising attitudes towards persons with mental illness: a survey of medical students and interns from southern Nigeria.

Stigmatising attitudes towards persons with mental illness are commonly reported among health professionals. Familiarity with mental illness has been reported to improve these attitudes. Very few studies have compared future medical doctors’ attitudes toward types of mental illness, substance use disorders and physical illness. A cross-sectional survey of 5th and 6th year medical students as well as recently graduated medical doctors was conducted in April 2011. The 12-item level of contact report and the Attitude towards Mental Illness Questionnaire were administered. Participants endorsed stigmatising attitudes towards mental illness; with attitudes more adverse for schizophrenia compared to depression. Stigmatising attitudes were similarly endorsed for substance use disorders. Paradoxically, attitudes towards HIV/AIDS were positive and similar to diabetes mellitus. Increasing familiarity with mental illness was weakly associated with better attitudes towards depression and schizophrenia. Stigmatising attitudes towards depression and schizophrenia are common among future doctors. Efforts to combat stigma are urgently needed and should be promoted among medical students and recent medical graduates.

Why should we need a European Federation of Addiction Societies?

Why should we need a European Federation of Addiction Societies?

Future medical doctors need to be informed about CAM to ensure safe and competent patient care

ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine(CAM)remainsacontroversialtopic.Despiteitswidespreadusebypa-tients[1],itsprovisionbyalargenumberofphysiciansandsubstantialstudentinterest[2],[3],itisrarelytaughtbymedicalschoolsinEurope.Bycontrast,intheUnitedStates(US)82medicalschoolshaveincludedCAM-re-lated content in their compulsory curriculum [4] andspecialeducationalmethodsareusedtoteachaboutCAM[5].InadiscussionontheteachingofCAMatuniversities,itisimportanttoclarifywhichmethodsaredesignatedbythetermCAM.CAMcoversabroadvarietyoftreatmentmethods that are not part of conventional medicine(http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/ and http://www.nhsdirectory.org/default.aspx?page=HLReport).Thesemethodscomprisewholemedicalsystems,suchasnaturopathy,Chinesemedicineandhomeopathy,aswellassingleinterventionssuchasaromatherapy[1],[6].TheNationalCentreforComplementaryandAlternat-iveMedicine(NCCAM)intheUSdefineswholemedicalsystemsassystemsthatarebuiltuponcompletesystemsoftheoryandpractice.Suchsystemshaveevolvedpriorto and separate from conventional medicine (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/overview.htm).Althoughsurveydatashowthatdecision-makersatGer-manmedicalschoolsareindeedinterestedinCAM,CAMisintegratedinmedicalcurriculatoaverylimitedextentonly[7].ThisisunderscoredbythefactthatallchairsinCAMatmedicalschoolsareendowedchairs.ApossibleexplanationforthisisthatmedicalschoolsfeelboundtoscientificmedicineandthatscientificevidenceformanyCAMtreatmentsisscarce.However,someuniversitieshavebeeninvolvedinCAMresearchformanyyearsandofferlecturesonCAM[8],[9],[10].Since 2003, naturopathy treatments (German:Naturheilverfahren) have been included in the main-streammedicalcurriculuminGermany,butthenumberofteachinghoursandthecontenttaughtvariesgreatlybetweenuniversities.InGermany,naturopathyisdefinedasacombinationoflifestylemedicineandmind-bodymedicine (German: Ordnungstherapie), hydrotherapy,herbalmedicine,exercisetherapyanddietetictreatment.Itisusedeitherasapreventivemeasureortherapeutic-ally.ItdependsontheuniversitywhethernaturopathyaloneistaughtorwhetherotherCAMtreatments,suchashomeopathyandChinesemedicine,arealsoincludedinthecurriculum.Inadditionsomeuniversitiesofferop-tionalcoursesoncomplementarymedicine.Inthespringof2009,aconferenceonCAMeducationinGermanUniversitieswasorganizedbytheCarstensFoundation,offeringaplatformfordiscussionaboutexperiences,co-operationandstandardizationinrelationtoCAMcourses.InSwitzerlandandAustriaCAMisnotincludedinthecoremedicalcurriculum.Lecturesaremainlyoptionalanddependoninitiativesofindividualuniversities.AtViennamedicalschool,forexample,alectureseriesonthefun-damentalsandthepracticeofCAMisofferedbytheInsti-tuteofGeneralMedicine.Additional,morespecialized,coursesareofferedinhomeopathy,acupunctureandhypnosis.AllmedicalstudentsatViennamedicalschoolhavetoattendacompulsorycase-basedcourseoninter-disciplinary patient management and this course ad-dressestreatmentoptionsfrombothconventionalmedi-cine and CAM (e.g. homeopathy, osteopathy, herbalmedicine,acupuncture,neuraltherapy).AnotherexampleisthemedicalschoolofGrazinStyria,whichoffersanoptionallectureseriesinCAMwiththemainfocusonhomeopathy.InSwitzerland,atthemedicalschoolsofBernandZurich,severalcoursesaretaughtincludinglecturesandpracticalcoursesinnaturopathy,homeo-pathy,Chinesemedicine,anthroposophicalmedicineandneuraltherapy.MostofthesecoursesareofferedaselectivesforinterestedstudentsandtheyarerunbytheKollegialeInstanzKomplementarmedizin(KIKOM)inBern

Future medical doctors need to be informed about CAM to ensure safe and competent patient care

ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine(CAM)remainsacontroversialtopic.Despiteitswidespreadusebypa-tients[1],itsprovisionbyalargenumberofphysiciansandsubstantialstudentinterest[2],[3],itisrarelytaughtbymedicalschoolsinEurope.Bycontrast,intheUnitedStates(US)82medicalschoolshaveincludedCAM-re-lated content in their compulsory curriculum [4] andspecialeducationalmethodsareusedtoteachaboutCAM[5].InadiscussionontheteachingofCAMatuniversities,itisimportanttoclarifywhichmethodsaredesignatedbythetermCAM.CAMcoversabroadvarietyoftreatmentmethods that are not part of conventional medicine(http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/ and http://www.nhsdirectory.org/default.aspx?page=HLReport).Thesemethodscomprisewholemedicalsystems,suchasnaturopathy,Chinesemedicineandhomeopathy,aswellassingleinterventionssuchasaromatherapy[1],[6].TheNationalCentreforComplementaryandAlternat-iveMedicine(NCCAM)intheUSdefineswholemedicalsystemsassystemsthatarebuiltuponcompletesystemsoftheoryandpractice.Suchsystemshaveevolvedpriorto and separate from conventional medicine (http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/overview.htm).Althoughsurveydatashowthatdecision-makersatGer-manmedicalschoolsareindeedinterestedinCAM,CAMisintegratedinmedicalcurriculatoaverylimitedextentonly[7].ThisisunderscoredbythefactthatallchairsinCAMatmedicalschoolsareendowedchairs.ApossibleexplanationforthisisthatmedicalschoolsfeelboundtoscientificmedicineandthatscientificevidenceformanyCAMtreatmentsisscarce.However,someuniversitieshavebeeninvolvedinCAMresearchformanyyearsandofferlecturesonCAM[8],[9],[10].Since 2003, naturopathy treatments (German:Naturheilverfahren) have been included in the main-streammedicalcurriculuminGermany,butthenumberofteachinghoursandthecontenttaughtvariesgreatlybetweenuniversities.InGermany,naturopathyisdefinedasacombinationoflifestylemedicineandmind-bodymedicine (German: Ordnungstherapie), hydrotherapy,herbalmedicine,exercisetherapyanddietetictreatment.Itisusedeitherasapreventivemeasureortherapeutic-ally.ItdependsontheuniversitywhethernaturopathyaloneistaughtorwhetherotherCAMtreatments,suchashomeopathyandChinesemedicine,arealsoincludedinthecurriculum.Inadditionsomeuniversitiesofferop-tionalcoursesoncomplementarymedicine.Inthespringof2009,aconferenceonCAMeducationinGermanUniversitieswasorganizedbytheCarstensFoundation,offeringaplatformfordiscussionaboutexperiences,co-operationandstandardizationinrelationtoCAMcourses.InSwitzerlandandAustriaCAMisnotincludedinthecoremedicalcurriculum.Lecturesaremainlyoptionalanddependoninitiativesofindividualuniversities.AtViennamedicalschool,forexample,alectureseriesonthefun-damentalsandthepracticeofCAMisofferedbytheInsti-tuteofGeneralMedicine.Additional,morespecialized,coursesareofferedinhomeopathy,acupunctureandhypnosis.AllmedicalstudentsatViennamedicalschoolhavetoattendacompulsorycase-basedcourseoninter-disciplinary patient management and this course ad-dressestreatmentoptionsfrombothconventionalmedi-cine and CAM (e.g. homeopathy, osteopathy, herbalmedicine,acupuncture,neuraltherapy).AnotherexampleisthemedicalschoolofGrazinStyria,whichoffersanoptionallectureseriesinCAMwiththemainfocusonhomeopathy.InSwitzerland,atthemedicalschoolsofBernandZurich,severalcoursesaretaughtincludinglecturesandpracticalcoursesinnaturopathy,homeo-pathy,Chinesemedicine,anthroposophicalmedicineandneuraltherapy.MostofthesecoursesareofferedaselectivesforinterestedstudentsandtheyarerunbytheKollegialeInstanzKomplementarmedizin(KIKOM)inBern

Patient-centered curricula at the University of Geneva: opening the door to psychotherapy training

An increasing importance is given today to social and behavioural sciences in medical education in most developed countries. The goal is to ensure that trained medical students are ‘fit to purpose’ as stated in an editorial of the British Medical Journal [1]. We believe that a central component of this task is to promote interest towards ‘patientcentered care’ in future medical doctors. This short paper will focus on two patient-centered medical education initiatives which takes place at the beginning and end of the medical curriculum at the University of Geneva:

Determinants of mental well-being in medical students

Mental disorders constitute an increasingly important public health problem in the general population. Therefore, investigation of the determinants and state of mental health of those who will be treating patients, that is, future medical doctors, is justified. The paper gives an account of a mental health survey of medical students at a university in Hungary. A representative sample of year I-V students (N = 100) filled an anonymous standardized self-administered questionnaire that included demographic and socioeconomic items, mental well-being characterized by a sense of coherence (SOC) and psychological distress, as well as health behaviour. SOC was measured by the 13-item Antonovsky questionnaire and psychological distress was measured by the 12-item general health questionnaire (GHQ). Models for estimating mental well-being in relation to various determinants were built by backward stepwise regression. Almost one-fifth of the students scored above the strict threshold on the GHQ indicating notable psychological distress. SOC showed significant positive correlation with perceived health and significant negative correlation with psychological distress. SOC and psychological distress were determined by different sets of explanatory variables in the regression models. Psychological distress and the use of sedative without medical prescription are inversely related to SOC; whereas social support and female gender show positive correlation to SOC according to our estimation. SOC, as expected, was a strong explanatory variable for psychological distress, forecasting an improvement in the GHQ score. Psychological distress was significantly greater in our sample of Hungarian medical students than in the same age group of the general population. Psychological distress is strongly related to SOC and can be estimated by our proposed models. Both SOC and psychological distress can be used to characterize the mental health of future medical doctors, the improvement of which needs attention even during their training.

Ensino da deontologia, ética médica e bioética nas escolas médicas Brasileiras: uma revisão sistemática

A relevância da educação em ética médica na formação do profissional de Medicina tem sido cada vez mais reconhecida em todo o mundo. No Brasil, a Resolução 08/1969 do Conselho Federal de Educação tornou obrigatório o ensino da deontologia nas escolas médicas. Com o objetivo de avaliar a evolução do ensino da ética em escolas médicas brasileiras, foi realizada uma revisão sistemática dos levantamentos nacionais sobre o ensino da disciplina de deontologia, ética médica ou bioética, publicados nos últimos 30 anos. Foram localizados três estudos, publicados em três diferentes décadas, que mostraram estagnação no número de disciplinas específicas para a ética médica ao longo do tempo, baixa carga horária reservada ao seu ensino e reduzido número de professores exclusivos, em sua maioria vinculados à especialidade de medicina legal. Os temas de responsabilidade profissional e segredo profissional foram os mais abordados, sendo o conteúdo ministrado principalmente em aulas expositivas e discussão de casos. A importância da educação em ética médica nos cursos de graduação exige o seu ensino, em todos os períodos, por docentes com vivência profissional e conhecimentos na área de ciências humanas, de forma integrada com outras instâncias responsáveis por aspectos éticos nas instituições, com o objetivo de for-mar profissionais eticamente competentes para o melhor exercício da ciência e arte da medicina.

Teaching `Race' at Medical School

This essay examines the efforts of social scientists and humanities scholars to teach students at a major US medical school about 'race'. The objectives were to explain that race is no longer considered a biologically legitimate concept and to demonstrate that race remains an influential social classification, causing social and biological harm. That is, these educators sought to reframe the medical significance of race. An examination of the email discussions of those involved in this teaching exercise (which included the author) reveals concerns over the credibility of social scientists and humanities scholars speaking on genetics in the modern medical school. It also indicates the intellectual and curricular marginalization of critiques of racial classification in medical education. In science studies journals one can read convincing deconstructions of the new genetics of race, but it is rare to find an analysis of how ideas about race figure in the mundane practice of educating future medical doctors and researchers. Through examination of an exemplary, wide-ranging discussion of an attempt to teach on race in the medical curriculum, this essay addresses the disciplinary and institutional difficulties of translating critiques of controversial science into pedagogy.

Bioethical aspects of ethnic prejudice

It is assumed that considerable ethnic distance is an empirical manifestation of the ethnonationalistic political pattern still dominant in contemporary Serbian society. The results of our research of ethnic distance on a non-representative sample of Medical School students (University in Belgrade) confirm this assumption. We discuss a specific sample -future medical professionals who are a priori expected to be free from all kind of prejudice, while the physician-patient relation implies a complete and unreserved engagement of the medical professional, disregarding patient?s race, nation, religion, sex/gender, age etc. Nevertheless, the findings indicate considerable distance among students toward certain ethnic, national and racial groups. The authors point to the importance of bioethics in the education of future medical doctors since, among other things, bioethics reflects various dimensions of specific interaction/communication in the physician-patient relation. Finally, the authors emphasize the significance of bioethics in critical reflexion of a priori and unquestionable authority of the "white coat".