Indian Medical Students Research Articles

Technology and tools for easy writing of the medical dissertation and original articles

Medical writing has become an unaccountable alternate subject in the curriculum of doctors. It starts from the undergraduate level where a medical student has to write some projects in the Preventive and Social medicine department. Apart from that, case summaries in the various clinical subjects begin in the final year of undergraduation. At the postgraduate level, Indian medical students have a big task in front of them in the form of a thesis. The protocol writing in the initial 3 months of the tenure seems such a daunting subject and it puts so much of pressure on the naïve mind who is mastering a particular medical field. The focus starts deviating from the learning of the clinical skills to completing the protocol writing without any specific tutorial-based guidance on the technology to write a protocol for the thesis or a complete thesis itself. Nonetheless, this is superseded by one/two compulsory research publications in the postgraduation. The increasing population in our country, increasing workload in the departments, especially surgical fields in the government hospitals, has led to an undue burden on medical students for medical writing. The complete digitalization of the dissertations has warranted a complete knowledge of the computers and writing softwares such as Microsoft word, Excel, and PowerPoint and the various plagiarism tools for an easy and errorless completion of the dissertation during the medical tenure.The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Interpersonal and communication skills, Professionalism, Systems-based practice.

Social media disorder among Indian undergraduate medical students and its association with depression: An institution-based mixed-method study

Background: Social media disorder (SMD) is the current entity in this decade that leads to different screen-related health problems. Despite of tremendous academic pressure, how social media affects the future doctors, is yet unknown. Aims: The aim is to determine the prevalence of SMD among the undergraduate medical students of a tertiary care hospital in West Bengal and to determine its predictors. Settings and Design: A cross sectional analytical mixed-method study was conducted at a tertiary care center of Bankura. Methodology: During April–June 2019, 216 undergraduate medical students were selected through two-stage sampling method. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaire, 9-item SMD scale, and Beck's Depression Inventory Scale. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 16) initially through bivariate analysis using Chi-square test and later logistic regression was used to determine the actual predictor(s). Results: The prevalence of SMD was found to be 11.6%. All of the students were found to be social media users and among them the prevalence of screen-related sleep disturbance, headache, eye problem, musculoskeletal problems, and overweight or obesity was 35.6%, 36.1%, 28.7%, 31.5%, and 50.9%, respectively. However, no significant relationship was obtained between SMD and above health problems. Through logistic regression model, it was found that the students with depression were 6.7 times more prone to develop SMD. Conclusions: Depression being a risk-factor for SMD needs to be addressed as priority by providing appropriate counseling and/or professional consultation.

Exploratory study of attitudes towards counselling among medical students in India

ABSTRACTThe process of professional development during the course of medical education is frequently faced with stressors and setbacks in academic, personal, familial and social domains. The present research explored the attitudes, barriers and perceived benefits of counselling services among 692 undergraduate medical students using the Counselling Need Assessment Questionnaire. It was found that 50% of the participants accepted that there was a need for counselling for both themselves as well as for friends and 75% also felt that that mild stress could be relieved with the help of counselling. The barriers that students faced for approaching counselling services as well as the perceived areas of benefits were also explored.

Factors influencing the career preferences of medical students and interns: a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey from India.

PurposeThe study aimed to identify the motivational factors and demographic variables influencing the career preferences of medical students and interns in India.MethodsWe conducted a questionnaire-based survey at Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. The participants were 368 of the 460 medical students and interns enrolled at the institution from October 2015 to August 2016. We designed the questionnaire to collect demographic data, students’ preferences for career specialties, and the motivational factors influencing them. Then, we analyzed the influence of these factors and demographic variables on career preferences using regression analysis.ResultsOf the 368 respondents, 356 (96.7%) expressed their intention to pursue a residency program (known as postgraduate courses in India) after the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program, and about two-thirds indicated their preference to do so in India. The specialties most preferred by students were general surgery, general medicine (internal medicine), and pediatrics, while the least preferred were anatomy, obstetrics and gynecology, and community medicine (also known as social and preventive medicine). Factor analysis yielded three motivational factors, which we named ‘personal growth,’ ‘professional growth,’ and ‘personal satisfaction’ based on the items loaded in each. The motivational factors were predicted by demographic variables (gender, geographical background, current stage in the MBBS program, and the presence of relatives in the health professions). Demographic variables and the motivational factors also had significant influences on career preferences.ConclusionThis study provides insights into the motivational factors that influence the career preferences of Indian medical students and interns. A robust longitudinal study would be required to study intra-individual variations in preferences and the persistence of choices.

Medical themes in a literature classroom: An alternate perspective on Medical Humanities pedagogy in India.

This article examines the transferability of conversations in literary studies to a more sensitive, holistic, ethically informed, medical education. The article begins with a discussion of a class assignment on medical humanities in a literature course. The assignment enabled an immersive engagement with medical discourse by diverse students through different modes - through textual analysis, direct, and reflective encounters with communities of patients, caregivers, health professionals. The effort was to suggest that literature and medicine be studied as continuous shared strategies of reading and narrating lived experiences of health and illness. The insights of such learning should ideally be integral to the curriculum of medical students in India. Though the Medical Council of India's mandate for the humanities is inadequately sketched out, it nevertheless provides an opportunity to demand a larger citizenship and broader base of social sensitivity and knowledge for medical humanities.

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices about antibiotic resistance among medical students in India.

Context:To reduce the magnitude of antimicrobial resistance, there is a need to strengthen the knowledge for future prescribers regarding use and prescription of antibiotics. Before that, it is required to have a conclusive evidence about knowledge, attitude, and practices of that group.Aim:To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and the practices of medical students in India with respect to antibiotic resistance and usage.Settings and Design:It was a cross-sectional study which was done online through Google forms for a period of 4 months from July to October 2018.Materials and Methods:A structured questionnaire containing a five-point Likert scale was sent to medical students across India by sharing link through contacts of Medical Students Association of India. Respondent-driven sampling technique was also adopted for the study.Statistical Analysis Used:Descriptive statistics, parametric (Chi-square), and nonparametric (Kruskal--Wallis and Mann--Whitney U) tests.Results:A total of 474 responses were received from 103 medical colleges across 22 states of India. The mean score of knowledge was 4.36 ± 0.39. As compared to first year students, knowledge was significantly higher among students of all the years. As much as 83.3% students have consumed antibiotics in previous year of the survey. Around 45% of medical students accepted that they buy antibiotics without a medical prescription.Conclusion:The knowledge level of medical students was quite satisfactory. As far as attitude and practices are concerned, there is a substantial need for improvements.

Assessment of reliability and adaptation of fisher's 52-item self-directed learning readiness scale among medical students in Southern India

Background: The concept of self-directedness is defined by the active participation of students in all phases of learning, from framing the learning objectives to the assessment process. Various scales have been developed to measure self-directed learning (SDL) among students. Fishers' SDL readiness scale (SDLRS) was validated among nursing students. The present study assessed the reliability of Fisher's SDLRS among medical students in India. Factor analysis was carried out to reduce the total number of items in the scale. Materials and Methods: The SDLRS used in the study consisted of 52 items classified under three domains. The scale was administered to a sample of 367 medical students between the first and seventh semesters. Cronbach's alpha was used to measure the reliability of the scale. For item-reduction and further abridgment, factor analysis was done using principal component analysis. Results: Cronbach's alpha was found to be 0.93 for Fisher's 52-item scale. Satisfactory reliability was observed across each domain (≥0.7). Factor analysis enabled the reduction of scale to 29 items with three domains. Conclusion: Fisher's 52-item SDLRS is a reliable scale for use among medical students in India. We propose the use of a reliable and shortened 29-item scale.

Gaming disorder among medical college students from India: Exploring the pattern and correlates.

Background:In the extant literature, apart from few published case reports describing patients with severe form of gaming disorder (GD), there is a lack of studies describing the pattern and correlates of GD existing in the Indian settings. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the extent and pattern of gaming behavior in a sample of medical college students from India and explore its association with the sociodemographic, psychological (depressive symptoms), and Internet gaming characteristics.Materials and Methods:This Internet-based cross-sectional study was conducted as an online survey among 306 medical students by the Behavioral Addictions Clinic at a tertiary care teaching college in India. The severity of problematic gaming behavior and depressive symptoms was assessed using the Internet GD Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding sociodemographic and Internet gaming characteristics of the participants. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software version 21.0, with two-tailed P < 0.05 taken as significant and P < 0.01 as highly significant results.Results:We identified 173 (55.6%) current gamers, with 11 (3.6%) Internet GD gamers based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders -5 criteria in the current study sample. A preference for multiplayer online gaming pattern (β =0.17, P = 0.005), spending greater amount of time in playing digital games (β = 0.53, P < 0.01), and higher PHQ-9 scores (β =0.25, P < 0.01**) representing greater depressive symptom severity were associated with statistically significantly greater scores on the IGDS9-SF, indicative of a higher risk for having GD.Conclusions:GD is a cause of concern among medical students in India. There is an urgent need to create awareness about it among students and concerned authorities. Further, there is a need to develop effective screening and treatment strategies suited for our population. The risk factors identified in the current study can be utilized to screen those at high risk of developing the same.

A review of 196 suicides among medical students in India from year 2009 to 2018

A review of 196 suicides among medical students in India from year 2009 to 2018

An Anthropometric Study of External Ear of Medical Students in India

An Anthropometric Study of External Ear of Medical Students in India

Comparison of Perceptions Towards Modified PBL and Didactic Lecture among First Year Medical Students in India

Comparison of Perceptions Towards Modified PBL and Didactic Lecture among First Year Medical Students in India

A Sociocultural Perspective on Learning: Arabic And Indian Medical Students Compared

The sociocultural backdrop of international students coming to a foreign country from different cultural and social environments plays a key role in shaping their attitude towards learning. The article explores and compares the motivational drives of international students from the Arab countries and India, which underlie their attitude to academic activities and academic progress. We used the method of systematic literature review, a questionnaire survey, comparative, quantitative, and qualitative analyses to obtain data on the value systems, traditions, and worldview of international students, which will make it possible for educators to appreciate the cultural contexts these students are embedded in. Social and cultural awareness of different aspects of the students’ value systems will enable teachers in host countries to contribute effectively to international student integration into the educational process.

A study of cardiorespiratory efficiency following yoga in healthy Indian medical students

Background: Medical students are confronted with many life stressors from both college and home. Unmanaged stress is now believed to be a contributing and/or causal factor in the development of many physical and mental health problems. Yoga is an ancient Indian philosophic system to reduce stress and achieve psychosomatic harmony through a combination of postural exercises (Asanas), voluntary breathing exercises (Pranayamas), and meditations. Aims and Objectives: The aims and objectives of this study were to better understand the effects of Yoga on healthy individuals and to provide the scientific basis for the possible use of Yoga as preventive and/or alternative therapy for health disorders; the present study was planned. The primary objective was to investigate the effects of Yoga on cardiorespiratory efficiency parameters of healthy Indian medical students. Materials and Methods: A total of 300 medical students were randomly divided into intervention group and control group using simple random sampling. Intervention group was subjected to 4 weeks’ Yoga training by a certified Yoga teacher. Height, weight, resting pulse rate (RPR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fitness index (FI), tidal volume (TV), vital capacity (VC), breath holding time (BHT), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), and 40 mmHg endurance test (40 mmHg ET) were measured in both the groups before and after intervention. Results: In the intervention group, RPR, SBP, and DBP decreased significantly, whereas FI, TV, VC, BHT, MEP, and 40 mmHg ET increased significantly following Yoga. TV increased after Yoga, but the change was not significant. Conclusion: Yoga improves cardiorespiratory efficiency in healthy individuals and can be recommended for patients as well.

Lack of association between religiosity/spirituality and mental well being among medical students and interns

Background: High subjective well-being causes better health and longevity. Religiosity has been shown to be positively associated with subjective well-being of medical students. The composition and content of religion is different in India, and hence the role of religiosity and spirituality on mental well-being of Indian medical students requires exploration. The present study was conducted to assess the relationship of religiosity and spirituality with mental well-being among medical students and interns. Methods: Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS), and Intrinsic Spirituality Scale (ISS) were administered to medical students at a private medical college in South India. The association of religiosity and spirituality with mental well-being was analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis. Results: There was no correlation between WEMWBS and CRS scores. Similarly, there was no correlation of WEMWBS score with ISS score. Among Christian and Muslim medical students, there was a significant correlation between WEMWBS and ISS scores. No such correlation was found among Hindu medical students. Conclusion: Overall, there was no association of mental well-being with religiosity and spirituality among medical students. However, there were significant differences in this association among students with different religious affiliations. Among Christian and Muslim medical students, there was a positive association of mental well-being with spirituality but not with religiosity. No such association was found among Hindu medical students.

Prevalence of overweight/obesity among medical students at Suraram, India

Background: Overweight/obesity is a critical public health problem in both developed and developing nations, has nearly tripled since 1975. In 2016, more than 1.9 B were overweight and 650 M obese. Studies from different parts of India have reported a rise in prevalence of obesity (11 to 37.5%). To date, there are not many studies on the prevalence of obesity among medical students in India. Hence this study was conducted with an objective to assess the prevalence of overweight/obesity and its associated factors among young medical students.Methods: VI Semester MBBS students of the year 2013 batch of Malla Reddy Medical College for Women were interviewed in March and April 2016.Results: Out of 150 participants, 125 responded (83%). Overall prevalence of obesity/overweight was 45%. Mean age of the sample was 20 years (±0.75); more belonged to upper than lower strata (61.6% vs. 38.4%); 86.4% were from nuclear family, means better food and care. Chi-squared test revealed significant differences for age, higher socio-economic status, diet, physical inactivity and co-morbidities associated with obesity/overweight (p&lt;0.05). There was significant positive correlation values between BMI and waist circumference at p&lt;0.01 level. The correlation of BMI with waist circumference is (r=0.675).Conclusions: It is crucial to establish cost-effective strategies like promotion of healthy foods, introducing extra-curricular activities at institutional level, avoiding junk food are likely to have a major effect in reducing obesity among these young medicos. This would also enable them to maintain normal weights, avoid immediate and long-term complications associated with overweight/obesity.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Studies Conducted Amongst Medical Students of India

Background: Assessment of published original “KAP” based research studies conducted amongst Indian medical undergraduate students. Methods: A systematic evaluation was undertaken using keywords “KAP” or “knowledge” or “awareness” or “attitude” or “practices” and “MBBS students” or “medical students” or “health students” or “undergraduate student” or “university students” and “India” through search engines, PUBMED and Google scholar under certain criteria. Results: Highest, “KAP” based articles amongst MBBS students published during one-year period were related to Pharmacovigilance (15.6%) followed by organ/blood donation (11.7%) and self-medication (9.8%), tobacco (5.8%), and basic life support (5.8%) etc; 48 (94.1%) article was one-time cross-sectional descriptive studies while 03 (5.8%) had intervention based research design. Average no. of authors per article was 3.5 (±1.3); Medical student was co-author in 04 (7.8%) research papers. Corresponding author was largely dominated by faculties from pre and para-clinical departments with highest from pharmacology (29.4%) and community medicine (27.4%). The studies covered an average sample size of 225.8 MBBS students (45-648, range) per research article. Avg. no. of references used/article was 18.6 (±7.4); Out of all the references used in research articles, only 60.2% were of recent-10 year time frame (2007-2016) origin while the rest were from older time-frame and only 36.1% of all the references were of Indian origin. Conclusions: Probably, first of its kind systemic synthesis undertaken in the country concludes that diverse topics of “KAP” research have been conducted by the teaching faculties on MBBS students in India and this study provides the over-view of the same.

Eating Attitudes, Weight Control Behaviors, Body Image Satisfaction and Depression Level Among Indian Medical and Nursing Undergraduate Students

This was a cross sectional descriptive study carried out among Medical and Nursing students to assess the presence of eating disorders. Data was collected using self administered 'Sick, Control, One, Fat, Food' (SCOFF) and 'Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26)' questionnaires. It was found that 34.1% and 10.4% of the participants were at high risk to suffer from eating disorders on SCOFF and EAT-26 scales. Further, age, gender and education found to have significant association on SCOFF and EAT-26 scores (p < 0.05). Thus, the findings suggest the need for effective interventions to prevent depression and eating disorders among the future health professionals.

Cheiloscopy – a diagnostic and deterministic mirror for establishment of person identification and gender discrimination: a study participated by Indian medical students to aid legal proceedings and criminal investigations

Cheiloscopy – a diagnostic and deterministic mirror for establishment of person identification and gender discrimination: a study participated by Indian medical students to aid legal proceedings and criminal investigations

Attitude of Indian Medical Students Towards Homosexuality

It is important to understand the attitude of medical students towards homosexuality, as this may affect patient care. Year 2 and 3 students at Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, India were asked to selfadminister an 18-item questionnaire anonymously. Internal consistency of the questionnaire statements was high (Cronbach's alpha of 0.91). There were five responses for each statement: strongly agree, generally agree, unsure, generally disagree, and strongly disagree. Of 290 students, 270 (93.1%) [148 males and 122 females] completed the questionnaire and were included in the analysis. Overall, 55.6% strongly disagreed that homosexuality was an illness; 70.8% agreed that homosexuals were capable of forming stable relationships. Only 31.1% believed that homosexual doctors would better understand homosexual patients. About 71.8% reported that talking about homosexuality did not embarrass them, and 81.8% believed that problems associated with homosexuality could be reduced if society was more liberal. Nonetheless, negative attitudes were reflected in the stereotypical image of homosexuality. About 15.9% of respondents believed that homosexuality was an illness; 24.8% considered homosexuals neurotic, 28.1% considered homosexuals promiscuous; and 8.2% thought that they posed a danger to children. Although the overall attitude of Indian medical students towards homosexuality is positive, the percentage of students with negative attitudes remains quite high. Further work on the medical curriculum is needed to change these negative attitudes so that patients receive appropriate care.

Self-directed learning readiness of Indian medical students: a mixed method study

BackgroundSelf-directed learning (SDL) is defined as learning on one’s own initiative, with the learner having primary responsibility for planning, implementing, and evaluating the effort. Medical education institutions promote SDL, since physicians need to be self-directed learners to maintain lifelong learning in the ever-changing world of medicine and to obtain essential knowledge for professional growth. The purpose of the study was to measure the self-directed learning readiness of medical students across the training years, to determine the perceptions of students and faculty on factors that promote and deter SDL and to identify the role of culture and curriculum on SDL at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.MethodsGuglielmino’s SDL Readiness Scale (SDLRS) was administered in 2015 to six student cohorts (452 students) at admission, end of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year of training, and at the beginning of internship in the undergraduate medicine (MBBS) program. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare SDL scores between years of training. 5 student focus groups and 7 interviews with instructors captured perceptions of self-direction. Transcripts were coded and analyzed thematically.ResultsThe overall mean SDLRS score was 212.91. There was no significant effect of gender and age on SDLR scores. There was a significant drop in SDLRS scores on comparing students at admission with students at subsequent years of training. Qualitative analysis showed the prominent role of culture and curriculum on SDL readiness.ConclusionsGiven the importance of SDL in medicine, the current curriculum may require an increase in learning activities that promote SDL. Strategies to change the learning environment that facilitates SDL have to be considered.