MBBS Degree Research Articles

Washing Hands according to the WHO Guideline since the COVID-19 Outbreak in the Context of Medical Undergraduates at a Tertiary Care Center: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Hand washing is an important preventive measure to avoid transmission of Coronavirus Disease of 2019. Medical students should be acquainted with the World Health Organization's hand-washing guidelines and should follow them to break the chain of spread of the virus. This study aims to find the acquaintance of medical undergraduates with the guidelines and to find out if they have started implementing these guidelines since the corona-virus outbreak. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted among MBBS, BSc, and PCL nursing students in their first year to the internship of a tertiary care hospital from May 2020 to August 2020, and ethical clearance was received from the Institutional Review Committee (ref no: IRC-LMC 11-D/020) of Lumbini Medical College and Teaching Hospital. Data collection was done through online questionnaires. Data analysis of the obtained information was done in Microsoft-excel. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. Of 462 respondents, 265 (57.4%) (52.9-61.9 at 95% Confidence Interval) respondents followed the World Health Organization hand-washing guidelines during every hand wash. Among them 172 (37.2%) participants had learned the guidelines through awareness programs. The majority of respondents belonged to 20-25 age groups, 275 (59.5%), and the majority were pursuing an MBBS degree, 360 (77.9%). We conclude that a notable number of medical undergraduates have been acquainted with standard hand-washing guidelines since the corona-virus outbreak, but some of them still do not follow the guidelines practically. Therefore, effective and impactful awareness programs need to be launched to improve hand hygiene practices.

Intention mutability and translation of rural intention into actual rural medical practice.

Rural intention and experience during medical school have been related to subsequent rural work. However, their relative contributions and the timing of their effects are not known. These data are critical to effective educational interventions able to improve rural medical workforce numbers, an international priority. Participants were graduates of an Australian MBBS degree between 2006 and 2016, who completed both entry and exit surveys approved by the Medical Deans of Australia, including workplace intention data. Rural/urban workplace intention changes from entry to exit were analysed using multinomial logistic regression. Binary logistic regression was used to assess actual rural versus urban work, obtained from a public practitioner registration website. Of 547 eligible undergraduates, 169 completed a year-long rural clinical school (RCS). A subset of 93 of the 547 graduates practiced rurally, of whom 42 had completed RCS. Both rural background and RCS predicted rural practice intention; both were also significantly related to actual rural work. Enduring rural intention was associated with nearly sevenfold odds of actually practicing rurally, compared with an enduring urban intention. Those who changed practice intention from entry to exit were more likely to practice in the region of their exit intention. Of special note: Rural Clinical School of Western Australia (RCSWA) exposure particularly affects urban origin students such that the odds of changing from an urban to a rural orientation immediately after their rural experience were more than fourfold higher than those not so participating. Both intention and RCSWA experience are associated with subsequent rural work. The impacts of RCSWA were able to be localised after the rural educational experience. Amongst those with mutable intention, exit intention was that most strongly related to actual work, suggesting this as the most reliable point to select for further rural training.

Perceptions of medical college academics on intercalated MBBS/BSc dual degree program in Nigeria

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of academics on the acceptability of the intercalated medical degree program in an attempt to proffer solutions to breach the gaps in manpower shortages in the medical profession.Methodology: This is a descriptive cross sectional survey. Randomly selected 150 academic staff of various medical colleges spread across Nigeria, who attended an educational programme in Abuja Nigeria in September 2018 completed semi structured questionnaires after consenting to participate in the study. Data from the retrieved questionnaires were collated, entered into Microsoft excel and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Most of the analyzed data were represented in percentages for ease of comparison.Findings: Sixty five percent of the respondents were aware of the intercalated (dual) Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)/ Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree programme, offer it in their institutions and believe it is worthwhile. The merits of the dual degree programme from this study were an additional degree, more experienced medical doctors in terms of research and exit strategy for some medical students who may change their minds half way into the medical programme. The disadvantages reported were prolonged study period and increased cost of study. Majority of the respondents, who were academic staff of medical colleges were aware of, and favoured the establishment of intercalated MBBS degree programme in more Nigerian medical colleges.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: There is scarcity of literature on the intercalated degree programme in Nigeria. This research may influence policy change that will improve medical education. From the results of the study, it is recommended that the stakeholders in medical education should consider giving accreditation to more medical colleges that have the capacity to commence intercalated medical degree programs in Nigerian Universities as an option to interested medical students with good potentials.

Perspective of Doctors for COVID-19 Pandemic Readiness in Government Hospitals of Nepal.

The study assesses the perspective of doctors working in government hospitals of Nepal regarding hospital preparedness for infection prevention measures, isolation services provisions, critical care service readiness, and training of staff for COVID-19 pandemic management. This cross-sectional study was done in central, provincial, and local level health centers of the Government of Nepal to assess the perspective of medical doctors regarding COVID-19 pandemic readiness in their facility. Nonprobability sampling was used to collect 56 responses from doctors working in different hospitals of Nepal. An online survey was performed using a questionnaire tool, which was adapted from the guidelines of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of the participants were medical officers with an MBBS degree (32) followed by anesthesiologists (10). Thirteen participants worked in central hospitals (23.2%), 24 in provincial hospitals (42.8%) and 19 in local health centers (33.92%). The availability of adequate facemask was 84% in central hospitals, which was higher than provincial hospitals (66.7%), and local level health centers (77.8%). There were only 53.8% trained critical care providers in central hospitals and 29.2% in provincial hospitals. Nearly 38.5% (5) of central hospitals had measures for airborne isolation in place, whereas this was only found in 8.3% (2) of provincial hospitals surveyed for critical care facilities. Overall, only 2 hospitals had the provision of a negative pressure room with air exchanges. Only 8 participants working in central hospitals (61.5%) and 14 working in provincial hospitals (58.3%) had performed hands-on training for donning and doffing personal protective equipment. The majority of medical doctors working in government hospitals of Nepal perceive that provision of facemask distribution, airborne isolation rooms, critical care preparedness, and hands-on training to staff were not adequate.

Essential Workflow and Performance Measures for Optimizing Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment in India.

Essential Workflow and Performance Measures for Optimizing Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment in India.

Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding the use of digital photographs in the examination of the dead and living among doctors practicing forensic medicine in Sri Lanka

BackgroundForensic medical photography alludes to creating images of injuries/ conditions to be used in the legal process. In many parts of the world obtaining digital forensic medical photographs are done by trained police officers. in Sri Lanka, such practice is not seen. Thus, it is not uncommon to see many forensic medicine experts develop skills of taking photographs related to injuries in the living or dead. ObjectivesTo study the knowledge, attitude and practice on medico-legal usage of digital forensic photographs among doctors practicing forensic medicine in Sri Lanka. MethodA cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire among doctors who engage in forensic work in all provinces of Sri Lanka. The study was conducted mainly as an on-line survey from October to December 2018 while some returned the survey via post. ResultsOut of 170 forensic doctors 135 participated the study. Half of them (n=68, 50.4%) were medical officers with basic MBBS degree where 23.6% (n= 36) had more than 10 years of experience. Even though the majority (n=98, 72.6%) stated that they have a Digital SLR camera in their institutions most of them (n=110, 81.5%) didn’t have external light sources. More than half of them (n=73, 54.1%) used camera phones instead of DSLR (n=48, 35.6%) to take forensic photographs. The main purpose of obtaining photographs was for the recording of evidence for later usage (n=126, 93.3%) followed by as reviewable materials for a second opinion (n=120, 88.9%). The study showed 112 doctors (83.0%) used their personal computers to store photographs whereas, 57 (42.2%) saved them in their institutional computers too. Evaluation of basic technical knowledge on exposure triangle and camera sensor showed only 13.5% (n=18) doctors were having satisfactory knowledge. The knowledge of legal aspects showed a significant difference between doctors with postgraduate qualifications and those who are either in PG training or grade medical officers. Further, there was a significant difference in the belief that including photographs in reports will provide unnecessary information to defense lawyers resulting in questioning among PG qualified and Non-PG qualified doctors. ConclusionThis study showed a big gap in the technical knowledge of taking good quality digital photographs by forensic doctors while the usage of camera phones is getting popular. There are many gaps in the practice from storage to usage. There are negative attitudes among doctors of using photographs to courts especially among grade medical officers and PG trainees. A robust educational programme followed by guidelines on quality medico-legal photographs is the need of the hour.

Perceptions of medical students and physicians about the role and scope of physiology

Background: The number of medically qualified teachers in physiology is decreasing critically in India due to less inclination of medical students toward basic sciences. This is due to decreased job and research opportunities, promotional avenues, and financial returns. Due to this reduction, the current teaching-learning methods in physiology apparently have an inadequate focus on the clinical importance and relevance. The transition between preclinical and clinical training is very stressful period because of inability of student to apply their preclinical knowledge to solve clinical problems. Aim and Objective: This study aims to analyze and compare the perceptions of medical students and physicians about the role and scope of physiology. Materials and Methods: This questionnaire-based study was conducted from October 2015 to March 2016. Hundred medical students and hundred physicians (with MBBS degree, practitioners) were selected by convenience sampling. Approval was taken from the Institutional Ethical Committee. Informed consent was taken from participants. The study questions were collected from the previous studies and questionnaire was modified according to our study needs. Finally, 15-item questionnaires was distributed to participants to answer. Results: All participants completed questionnaire showing a response rate of 100% which was statistically analyzed. There are positive perceptions of medical students and physicians about the role and scope of physiology. Teaching of physiology would be more effective if taught in integrated fashion. Conclusion: Decreased job opportunities, promotion avenues, academic growth, research opportunities, and financial returns in physiology were some of the main factors for its lower preference.

Attitude of Jordanian Physicians toward Biochemistry and Genetics.

Background Several studies found that physicians develop a negative attitude toward biochemistry and genetics disciplines. Many medical schools adopt an integrated system-based curriculum supplemented with clinical correlations. Medical schools in Jordan switched to the integrated curriculum; however, studies that evaluate the attitude of physicians toward biochemistry and genetics are lacking. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the attitude of physicians toward biochemistry and genetics including the correlation of their curricula with clinical practice. Materials and Methods A structured questionnaire consisting of 40 statements was distributed to a random sample of 616 physicians practicing in private and governmental hospitals in Jordan. Participants earned their MD or MBBS degree from Jordan or other countries and were interns, residents, or specialists. Results More than half of the participants admitted that biochemistry and genetics are intellectually challenging and were among their least favourite subjects (59.1%); however, many of them were familiar with some of the contemporary advances in biochemistry and genetics and their translational potential (64.0%). Most of the participants felt that modifying the medical school curriculum by integrating biochemical and genetic concepts with clinical teaching will motivate the medical students (74%). In univariate analysis, residents showed the most positive attitudes and were the most knowledgeable about the biochemical changes associated with diseases and about the contemporary advances in biochemistry or genetics (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, physicians practicing in the private sector or those with more than five years of experience generally had a more positive attitude toward biochemistry and genetics (P < 0.05). Conclusion Physicians in Jordan showed an overall positive attitude toward biochemistry and genetics. This was more evident among residents, physicians with more than five years of experience, or those practicing in the private sector.

Women doctors and women's hospitals in Madras with notes on the related influencing developments in India in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

At least 30 years before qualified women doctors from Britain, America and Australia came to India to assist in the health care of women, Mary Ann Dacomb Scharlieb living in Madras (now Chennai) graduated with an LMS (Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery) diploma from the Madras Medical College in 1875. She then proceeded to London to earn an MBBS degree from the newly started Medical School for Women. She returned to Madras after completing advanced training in operative midwifery at the Allgemeines Krankenhaus, Vienna, Austria in 1884. The Government of Madras established a women’s hospital in Moore’s Garden – the Royal Victoria Hospital for Caste and Gosha Women (RVH) – which she superintended from 1884 to 1887; the hospital was shifted to its current location in Triplicane, Chennai in 1890. Doctors in Madras, such as Ida Sophia Scudder and Muthulakshmi Reddy, played a major role in taking women’s health care to new heights. While chronicling the lives and works of pioneer women doctors of Madras, this note also enunciates details of the establishment of premier women’s hospitals in Madras: (1) the Maternity Hospital (MH) in Egmore and (2) the RVH in Triplicane, in the backdrop of an overall context of women’s health management in the rest of India, triggered by the Dufferin Association and its sprigs, the Association of Medical Women in India and Women’s Medical Service for India. The MH, at least four decades older than the RVH, performed remarkably on many a score: for example, in starting of a midwife training school and the Diploma in Gynaecology and Obstetrics programme, the latter setting the trend for the rest of India. The MH pioneered in developing a facility to treat infants and children as well in 1949, thanks to the efforts of pediatrician S. T. Achar, thus earning a reputation as the ‘Egmore model’ in medical circles. This note is an appreciation and a token of gratitude to those unforgettable heroines, who worked against odds, including facing resentment and resistance from some Indian men of status and influence.

Perceptions of medical students regarding community-based teaching experiences: an observation from Bangladesh.

Community orientation in medical education, which prepares medical students to become more effective practitioners, is now a global movement. Many medical schools around the world have adopted the concept as the main curricular framework in order to align learning programs with the needs of the community and the learner. Despite many changes over the past few decades, many improvements are still needed in medical education in Bangladesh. This study investigated medical students' perceptions of the community-based learning experiences incorporated into the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree at Uttara Adhunik Medical College, Dhaka (UAMC), Bangladesh. A total of 135 students from three undergraduate year levels of the MBBS degree at UAMC, Dhaka, Bangladesh, undertook study tours (community-based teaching, CBT) as a part of a community medicine course and visited a medical college, two rural health centres and a meteorology centre in the Cox's Bazar district, 400 km from Dhaka city. A questionnaire was used to assess the perceptions of students regarding the administration, organisation and learning experiences of the study tours. Students were required to write reports, present their findings and answer questions in their examinations related to the study tours and CBT. The majority of the students agreed or strongly agreed that the tour was a worthwhile (93%) and enjoyable (95%) learning experience that helped them to understand rural health issues (91%). More than half of the students reported that the study tours increased their awareness about common rural health problems (54%) and provided a wider exposure to medicine (61%). Only 41% of students reported that the study tour increased their interest in undertake training in a rural area. A substantial number of students also expressed their concerns about the planning, length, resources, finance and organisation of the study tours. Overall, the study tours had a positive effect, enhancing students' awareness and understanding of common rural health problems. As study tours failed to increase the motivation of the students (approximately 60%) to work in rural areas, CBT in the medical curriculum should be reviewed and implemented using effective and evidence-based models to promote interest among medical students to work in rural and underserved or unserved areas.

Medical and Legal Interpretation of Injury report: A Physician’s Dilemma

In India a registered medical graduate having MBBS degree is legally authorized to treat a medicolegal case and prepare the injury report. He is also required to opine about the nature of injury, possible weapon of offence and manner of injury to assist the crime investigation. Forensic Medicine is taught in the MBBS curriculum, but the studentsgenerally don’t get enough practical exposure to deal with medicolegal cases of injury reporting and opining. Most of them learn while on service when situation compel them to handle medicolegal cases and are summoned by the court of law to depose the medical evidence. It has to be realized that medical evidence is animportant corroborative evidence for guiding the investigation and the court of law. It needs to be dealtin a prudent way, scientifically and professionally. This article is an attempt to address the dilemma faced by the physicians, dealing with medicolegal cases of injury reporting and giving expert opiningand evidence in the court of law for the deliverance of justice in the state legal system.

Predictive validity of a Uniform Entrance Test for the health professionals.

Objective:To investigate the predictive validity of Uniform Entrance Test for academic performance in the first two years in various health science degree programs.Methods:A retrospective analysis of admissions data and academic performance of students admitted in under-graduate programs of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy of three cohorts was taken. The independent and dependent variables were entry test scores and semester scores respectively. Spearman’s Correlation co-efficient was computed to determine the association between entrance test scores and semester scores for three groups.Results:Majority of the students were from the MBBS degree program (61%) with majority of female students (65%) in all three programs. In MBBS the highest correlation coefficient between entry test and semester scores was observed for semester one rs = 0.334 and lowest in semester four rs= 0.208. In BDS degree program both highest and lowest correlations were in semester one. In the Pharm-D degree program, a significant correlation was only seen in cohort 1 but not in the subsequent cohorts.Conclusion:The uniform entrance test has an incremental predictive validity for the MBBS and BDS programs as compared to Pharm-D. Better performance in the entrance test predicts higher semester scores and more likelihood of achieving higher scores in the first year as compared to the second year.

Medical Students\u2019 Views About Having Different Types of Problem-Based Learning Tutors

BackgroundAt Norwich Medical School, Year 3 or 4 medical students taking a year out of the 5-year undergraduate MBBS degree to do a master’s degree in clinical education worked as near-peer problem-based learning (PBL) tutors for students in Year 2. Peer-assisted learning has been shown to benefit both peer tutors and tutees; in this study, experiences of students with near-peer PBL tutors were compared to students with other types of PBL tutor.MethodsUsing existing student evaluation data, we compared student views about PBL tutor performance, PBL group functioning, and overall satisfaction with PBL learning experience according to whether their PBL tutor/s were (1) a single near-peer tutor (later-year MB BS student), (2) a single staff tutor, (3) multiple staff tutors, or (4) multiple newly qualified doctor tutors.ResultsResults indicated that students’ evaluation of tutor performance was more positive for near-peer PBL tutors compared to both groups of staff tutors for most areas evaluated. Additionally, students’ evaluation of overall satisfaction with PBL was more positive for near-peer PBL tutors compared to multiple staff tutors. Tutor performance for multiple staff tutors was evaluated less positively compared to both single staff and multiple newly qualified doctor groups. But there were no statistically significant differences between the four groups regarding PBL group functioning.ConclusionNear-peer PBL tutors perform comparably or better to staff PBL tutors in salient measures of tutor performance and group functioning. We conclude that medical students find near-peer PBL tutors to be an acceptable addition to the PBL tutor workforce.

Razia Sultana Mir

Razia Sultana Mir was born in Multan in British India (now in Pakistan), the youngest of five siblings. Determined to become a doctor at a young age, she would recount...

Evaluation of pattern and duration of university question papers in anatomy

Abstract: Background and objectives: Assessment drives learning. Theory summative assessment must be aligned to curricular goals. There is wide disparity in the total marks for which the examination is conducted and total duration of time of examination. The main objective of this study is to report differences in summative assessments in anatomy subject conducted by universities with respect to maximum time, maximum marks, syllabus distribution of papers, assessment of diagram drawing abilities and emphasis on clinical anatomy. Methodology: During August 2018, an extensive search for the syllabus/curriculum document will was in the internet. In the respective university websites, the document with names 'MBBS syllabus' or possible documents with syllabus details of medical undergraduate anatomy subject were searched. Results: Information from 25 different universities conducting undergraduate MBBS degree programs were evaluated. Out of these universities, sixteen universities conduct summative exam for 3 hours. Eight universities conduct exams for 2.5 hours. State universities of Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu conduct anatomy exams for 50 marks with 3 hour duration. Whereas, state universities of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam and Odisha conduct exams for 50 marks in 2 lA hours. JIPMER, Pondicherry has two-hour exam for fifty marks. Only Karnataka universities [including Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and three other deemed to be universities] and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh conduct exams for 100 marks in 3 hours. Twenty-one universities have above diaphragm syllabus in paper 1 and below diaphragm in paper 2. Conclusion: It is the need of the hour to have a uniform, structured, objective and rationale summative assessments in anatomy.

Does medical students' empathy change during their 5-year MBBS degree?

Research evidence over the past 20 years has established that doctors' ability to empathize with their patients is a crucial component of effective health care. Consequently, teaching and reinforcing empathy has entered undergraduate medical education curricula; however, there have been mixed results in terms of its effectiveness. While there is evidence that empathy fluctuates during undergraduate medical training, there has been very little longitudinal research looking at medical students' empathy levels over their full course of study. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether medical students' empathy changed during their 5-year MBBS degree. Students completed the medical student version of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) at the start of Year 1 and then near the end of Years 2, 3, 4, and 5 during 2009-2015. Total empathy score for students who had completed the JSPE in all 5 years of medical training was compared over time using nonparametrical statistical analysis. Results indicated that medical students' empathy varies with empathy being highest at the start of the medical course in Year 1, declining to a low in Year 3 and then rising again in Years 4 and 5. There was a tendency for female students to have higher empathy scores compared to male students in each of the 5 years, with scores significantly different in Years 2, 3, and 4. However, there were no differences in empathy scores according to the students' age. The decline in empathy in the early years of undergraduate medical training is a concern. Medical educators should teach and reinforce empathy during early years of undergraduate medical training in a sustainable way to guard against declining empathy levels. Specific interventions targeted at increasing empathy in male students might be warranted in the future.

The variance of knowledge and practices about diabetes mellitus in primary health care physicians of Jazan region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Objective: To assess PHC physicians’ knowledge and practice related to DM. Methods: A total of 109 (PHC) physicians in Jazan Region were interviewed using a questionnaire that comprised personal characteristics data and PHC physicians’ assessment of knowledge (15 questions), and practice (10 questions). Results: Regarding PHC physicians’ knowledge, 27.5% had poor grade, 48.6% had satisfactory grade while 23.9% had good grade. Regarding their practice, 53.2% had poor grade, 22% had satisfactory grade while 24.8% had good knowledge grade. PHC physicians’ knowledge grades differed significantly according to their age groups (p=0.041), with highest percentage of “good” knowledge grade among those aged>40 y. PHC physicians’ practice grades differed significantly according to their age groups (p=0.009), with least percentages of “good” grade among those aged<30 y. Practice grades also differed significantly according to nationality (p=0.005), with none of the Saudi physicians having “satisfactory or good” grades. Practice grades differed significantly according to qualification (p<0.001), with least percentage of “good” grade among those with MBBS degree. Practice grades differed significantly according to duration of experience after graduation (p<0.001), with least percentages of “good” grade among those having least experience. Conclusions: PHC physicians’ knowledge and practice grades in Jazan Region are suboptimal. Better knowledge and practice grades about DM are present among older, non-Saudi, more experienced and higher qualified PHC physicians. Therefore, continuing medical education and training should be enforced for all PHC physicians, especially Saudi, younger, newly graduated PHC physicians.

Curriculum development in undergraduate clinical pharmacology

Background Education in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) is fundamental for the successful practice of medicine. Medical education is moving away from distinct pre-clinical/clinical phases and evolving curricula are largely integrated with early clinical experience. Integrated curricula require careful mapping of the different components to ensure coherent coverage of individual subjects. We developed a new Clinical Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Prescribing (CPTP) strand and mapped this onto the five year MBBS (Medicine and Surgery) degree programme at Newcastle University UK. This strand aimed to include more experiential learning to provide students with an experience which more closely mirrors the clinical workplace. Methods A range of new educational tools and strategies were developed and employed in the CPTP strand. These included flipped classroom sessions, team and case based learning, online quizzing, interprofessional education and high-fidelity simulation using the sophisticated virtual patient SimMan. SimMan simulations of medical emergencies were delivered both in the lecture theatre, and in an interprofessional education conference for pharmacy and medical students. At a series of key clinical points throughout each scenario the students are asked to vote on the most appropriate course of action (e.g. which drug should be administered). The option with the most votes is applied to SimMan and the students then observe the physiological effects this has in real time. Results Following CPTP strand implementation, overall student satisfaction with CPTP units was amongst the highest of any MBBS course, ranging from 90-97% satisfaction. Mixed method evaluation of simulations and interprofessional education activities highlighted high satisfaction and a vast range of knowledge (e.g. 'how to choose the right antibiotics for different scenarios') and skills gained (e.g. 'how to complete a prescription'), and reflections induced (e.g. 'importance of good communication in an interprofessional team). Conclusions Interprofessional education and simulation are educational approaches which can be used in early year undergraduate pharmacology education to contextualise the importance of basic pharmacology principles for clinical practice. These pedagogies enable students to develop clinical decision making, problem-solving, team-working and critical evaluation skills.

Evaluation of pattern and duration of university question papers in anatomy

Background and objectives: Assessment drives learning. Theory summative assessment must be aligned to curricular goals. There is wide disparity in the total marks for which the examination is conducted and total duration of time of examination. The main objective of this study is to report differences in summative assessments in anatomy subject conducted by universities with respect to maximum time, maximum marks, syllabus distribution of papers, assessment of diagram drawing abilities and emphasis on clinical anatomy. Methodology: During August 2018, an extensive search for the syllabus/curriculum document will was in the internet. In the respective university websites, the document with names ‘MBBS syllabus’ or possible documents with syllabus details of medical undergraduate anatomy subject were searched. Results: Information from 25 different universities conducting undergraduate MBBS degree programs were evaluated. Out of these universities, sixteen universities conduct summative exam for 3 hours. Eight universities conduct exams for 2.5 hours. State universities of Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu conduct anatomy exams for 50 marks with 3 hour duration. Whereas, state universities of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam and Odisha conduct exams for 50 marks in 2 hours. JIPMER, Pondicherry has two-hour exam for fifty marks. Only Karnataka universities [including Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and three other deemed to be universities] and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh conduct exams for 100 marks in 3 hours. Twenty-one universities have above diaphragm syllabus in paper 1 and below diaphragm in paper 2. Conclusion: It is the need of the hour to have a uniform, structured, objective and rationale summative assessments in anatomy

Unknown facets of “not so well-known scientist” Dr. Y Subbarow: A great scientist, who did not receive the Nobel Prize

Dr. Subbarow (January 12, 1895–August 08, 1948) had obtained admission to MBBS course but was awarded Licentiate of Medicine and Surgery instead of the MBBS degree. He went to the USA in October 1923 where he was admitted to the Harvard School of Tropical Medicine. After receiving a diploma from the school, he became interested in biochemistry. He discovered the function of adenosine triphosphate as an energy source in the cell. Despite the path-breaking discovery, Subbarow was denied tenure at Harvard. Subbarow felt that the giant pharmaceutical firms might offer greater scope for research than universities. Hence, in 1940, he joined the world-renowned Lederle Laboratories as Director of Research and spent the rest of his life in the USA. He would lead some of America's most important medical research during World War II. His output and contributions to human biology and medicine are seminal and phenomenal. His creativity is evident in the trail-blazing discoveries in the fields of biochemistry, nutritional science, pharmacology, microbiology, and oncology. Subbarow had craved for fame but was never in the limelight. He pushed into limelight those whose dedication most nearly matched his own. He was proud of the brilliant members of his research teams. He was quick to share successes with colleagues and was known for his acts of generosity. Subbarow said, “Victories of science are rarely won single handedly. No one man should get the (entire) credit.”