Medical Aptitude Research Articles

Deafness and depression in the workplace: is there an association?

IntroductionChronic exposure to damaging noise can lead to hearing loss . People suffering from hearing problems find it increasingly difficult to communicate and become withdrawn. This lack of contact can lead to the onset of anxiodepressive disorders .ObjectivesTo study the epidemiological and clinical particularities of hearing loss in patients with psychoaffective disorders.To study the impact of this association on the medical aptitude for work.MethodsRetrospective descriptive study of depressive patients with hearing loss who consulted the Occupational Medicine Department at Charles Nicolle Hospital over a six-year period from January 2016 to November 2022.ResultsOut of 150 patients with hearing loss who consulted our service, 10 patients had an axio-dépressive disorder . Seven were men and three were women. The mean age was 43 ± 5 years and the mean job seniority was 11 years [3-20]. they belonged to the telecommunications (n=6), industry (n=2), printing(n=1), and transport sectors (n=1) . The job positions were : teleconsultant (n=6), operator machine (n=3) and driver (n=1) the symptoms presented by the patients were hearing loss (n=4), otalgia (n=1) , diziness (n=1), tinnitus(n=1) . The average time to onset of symptoms was 13±8 years [1-35] . The hearing deficits presented by the patients were: sensorineural hearing loss (n=7), mixed hearing loss (n=1) and conductive hearing loss (n=2). The mean of Hearing loss were 34±9 dB in the right ear and 34±6 dB in the left ear . A declaration of the deafness as an occupational disease was indicated in two of the cases. the univariate statistical study showed that anxiety-depressive disorders were associated with tinnitus (p=0,036,OR=4,2[0,99-17,659]) and the position of teleconsultant (p=0,009,OR=5,622[1,338-23,627] . Eviction from exposition to noise was indicated in seven casesConclusionsAccording to our study, hearing loss in patients with anxio-depressice disordes is associated with tinnitus and teleconsultant job position . Early screening early screening of people at risk is recommended.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

The Delicate Balance: Aptitude of Physicians with Psychiatric diseases

Introduction The delicate balance between the need to ensure quality patient care and the reality of physicians dealing with psychiatric diseases poses a major challenge within the medical field. This issue raises fundamental ethical, legal, and medical questions, highlighting the complexity of decision-making regarding professional aptitude for practitioners affected by mental disorders.ObjectivesTo examine the impact of psychiatric diseases on the medical aptitude of physicians.MethodsThis was a retrospective descriptive study that focused on physicians with psychiatric diseases referred to the occupational pathology clinic at Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis for medical evaluations of their work aptitude between January 1, 2021, and September 15, 2023.ResultsDuring the study period, we collected data from 20 patients. The mean age was 38 ± 11 years, with a sex-ratio (F/M)of 4.5. Five examined physicians had family histories of psychiatric disorders. Medical specialties were the most represented (N=17), including three general practitioners, two family medicine practitioners, and two anesthesiologists. The study population included 10 residents, eight hospital assistants, and two medical interns. The most common psychiatric diagnosis was depression (N=7), followed by bipolar disorder (N=5). The medical treatment prescribed was combinations of antidepressants and anxiolytics in seven cases, antipsychotics in five cases, and antidepressants in two cases. Medication adherence was noted in 10 physicians. Fourteen physicians had taken long-term sick leave, with an average duration of 203 days. Five physicians were declared fit to continue their regular professional activities, seven physicians were declared fit with restrictions on night work, and one physician was declared fit with workplace accommodations.ConclusionsThis study highlights the challenges surrounding the medical aptitude of physicians with psychiatric diseases. However, it is imperative to promote mental health awareness and to implementsupport measures to ensure both compassion for physicians and patient safety.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Nurses firefighters in medical fitness at the departemental fire and rescue service

Therecruitment of firefighters is subject to physical and medical fitness conditions. Firefighter doctors and nurses are responsible for carrying out induction, recruitment, tenure and maintenance visits in pairs. The management of medical aptitude is done within the Health and Medical Relief Service, newly named Health Sub-Directorate. The firefighters nurses are responsible for carrying out screening procedures, diagnostic assistance, conducting nursing interviews health in service and monitoring the state of health of the agents.

Development of medical aptitude amongst fresh medical entrants by way of relevant teaching learning sessions:a cross sectional pre-post study

Background: Medical Science is still one of the most sought after professions. The possession of an aptitude for the profession is a pre requisite, considering its strenuous demands from the candidate. Presently, there is no mechanism in place in India to assess aptitude in students prior to medical college entry. The aims and objectives of the study were to assess the baseline medical aptitude in the new medical entrants, to Introduce Teaching Learning Sessions for Development of Medical Aptitude in new Medical Entrants, to assess the post T/L session medical aptitude in the new medical entrants.Methods: A cross sectional, one group pre- post study was undertaken amongst 150 fresh MBBS students of Adesh Medical College and Hospital, Shahabad, after approval from the IEC. A pre-tested and pre-validated semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection both at baseline and after relevant Teaching learning sessions. Data collected was analyzed by using Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) Version 21.Results: The overall mean aptitude value before and after the T/L session was 102.98±8.47 and 114.51±8.60 respectively (p<0.001). Also, there was increase in the proportion of students having average and above average aptitude and decline in those having below average aptitude in the post T/L sessions as compared to the baseline levels.Conclusions: It can be concluded that medical aptitude can be built up in the new medical entrants by making them aware about it through well crafted teaching learning sessions.

Predictive power of high school educational attainment and the medical aptitude test for performance during the Bachelor program in human medicine at the University of Bern: a cohort study.

Prior high school educational attainment and medical aptitude tests are two of the most frequently used selection procedures for admission to medical school. Both of these have been shown to correlate with future performance. However, there is a need for further analysis of the combined impact of these two admissions tools and comparison of their predictive value for future performance. At present, successful completion of high school (Matura) and an aptitude test (Eignungstest Medizinstudium Schweiz, EMS; Swiss Aptitude Test in Medicine) are used for admission to all medical schools in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The purpose of this study was to explore the predictors that are most decisive for performance in undergraduate medical education. More precisely, we were interested in the contributions of the Matura grade and the EMS score to explanations of performance in the Bachelor program of Medicine at the University of Bern. Matura grades, EMS score and performance in the Bachelor program of Medicine were collected for 730 students from four cohorts. Of these, 277 graduated from high school with a biology-chemistry major. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted for each study year and type of examination to determine which predictors affected performance during undergraduate medical education. These data show that Matura grades are an important predictor for performance in undergraduate medical education. The EMS score had no impact when the Matura grades were part of the analysis. The biology-chemistry major grade was a predictor for performance in the first year of undergraduate study. From the second academic year onwards, past performance in the bachelor’s program was the best predictor for future performance during undergraduate medical education. Students’ Matura grades predicted their subsequent performance in undergraduate medical education in the bachelor’s program of the University of Bern. In contrast, EMS scores do not explain any additional variance in students’ performance throughout the entire bachelor’s program. These findings suggest a need for rethinking the admission process.

Reliability in Healthcare Simulation Setting: A Definitional Review.

The construct of reliability in health professions education serves as a measure of the congruence of interpretations across assessment tools. When used as an assessment strategy, healthcare simulation serves to elicit specific participant behaviors sought by medical educators. In healthcare simulation, reliability often refers to the ability to consistently reproduce a simulation and that reproducing a simulation setting can consistently expose participants to the same conditions, thus achieving simulation reliability. However, some articles have expressed that simulations are vulnerable to error stemming from design conceptualization to implementation, and the impact of social factors when participants interact and engage with others during participation. The purpose of this definitional review is to examine how reliability has been conceptualized and defined in healthcare simulation, and how the attributes of simulations may present challenges for the traditional concept of reliability in health professions education.Data collection and analysis was approached through a constructivist perspective and grounded theory strategies. Articles between 2009-2019 were filtered applying keywords related to simulation development and design. Data winnowing was structured around a framework viewing simulation as a social practice where participants interact with simulation setting attributes.Healthcare simulation setting reliability is not directly defined but described as errors introduced by the interactions between simulation design attributes and tasks performed by simulated participants. Based on the ontology of simulation’s design attributes believed to introduce setting errors, lexical terms related to reliability suggest how simulated participants are trained to refine or maintain their performance tasks that aim to mitigate errors.To achieve reliability in health professions education (HPE) and healthcare simulation, both domains seek to assess the consistency of a construct being measured. In HPE, reliability refers to the consistency of quality measures across a range of psychometric tests used to assess a participant’s medical aptitude. In healthcare simulation setting, reliability refers to the consistency of a simulated participant (SP) performing a task that is tailored to mitigate errors introduced by simulation design attributes. Consequently, inconsistencies in SP performance subject participants to setting errors exposing them to unequal conditions that influence competency achievement.What is already known on this subject: Performance competency assessment using healthcare simulation is increasingly common. The types of design attributes incorporated into a simulation setting. The use of incorporating simulated participants into a simulation setting. Simulated participants require training prior to simulation setting implementation.What this paper adds: Identifies attributes of a simulation setting that are most commonly thought to interfere with setting reliability. Identifies the relationships among setting attributes and simulated participant performances that influence setting reliability. Identifies terms tied to the achievement of simulation setting reliability. Examines simulated participant training processes aimed to mitigate errors introduced by simulation design attributes.

Health status of a sample of Beninese seafarers examined on the occasion of medical fitness for work at sea

In view of the considerable risks involved in maritime work, the medical fitness of seafarers is of paramount importance. A study carried out in May 2018 in Benin made it possible to describe the health profile of seafarers who received a medical examination before boarding and to identify the diseases likely to hinder their medical aptitude for this profession. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study that was based on 125 medical files registered from 2013 to 2017 and selected on the basis of the criteria of completeness, readability and non-overload of the entries. The results showed that more than half (63.2%) of the seafarers in our series are over 40 years old. The prevalence of high blood pressure was 28.4% in the seafarer population. Obesity was detected in 21.5% of subjects. Of the moderate cases of hearing loss found, 4 out of 5 worked at the machine station. The unrestricted fitness level was 86.4%. One (0.8%) case of physical restriction and 12.8% of cases of mandatory wearing of medical glasses at work were reported. The "healthy worker effect" may underestimate the risk of marine activity to the health of seafarers when referring to the general population. The study provides opportunities to improve the seafarers' health situation in accordance with international provisions such as the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) ratified by Benin in June 2011.

A chemical ‘explosion’ triggered by an encounter between Indian and Chinese medical sciences: another look at the significances of the Sinhalese Monk Śākyamitra’s (567?–668+) visit at Mount Wutai in 667

ABSTRACTChinese and Indian medical tradition, each had its own merits and their exchange dated back to ancient times and lasted over centuries. And their encounters often produced unexpected fruitful outcomes. This article discusses such an encounter through the life of the Southeast Asian monk Sākyamitra. The case of Sākyamitra reminds us that the exchange between China and India did not take place only in the domain of the religion —and certainly not only within Buddhism. The fact that Sākyamitra could assume the position of the Interior Palace Servitor in the Tang court, not only hinged on (or perhaps was merely related to) his reputation as a Buddhist master, but also depended on his exceptional medical aptitude. This observation is especially true when we consider his pilgrimage to Mount Wutai, which might not have been a pilgrimage simply for his own sake. Nor was he obligated by his role in the priest-patron relationship with China, to fashion Mount Wutai into a central sacred land of the Buddhist world. Circumstantial evidence shows that this pilgrimage was at least partially motived by his goal of looking for an ingredient essential for concocting the immortal elixir for Emperor Gaozong of Tang --- saltpeter, also a key ingredient in the gunpowder, which ranks among the Four Great Inventions of China.

Medical aptitude and its assessment.

The assessment of the suitability of an individual for the profession of medical science is carried out worldwide on the basis of several yardsticks. While a few methods assess domain knowledge of sciences, others focus on evaluating the cognitive aptitude skills of the candidate, while few others assess communicative skills. Though it has been considered that the possession of an aptitude for the profession is a prerequisite, considering its strenuous demands from the candidate, a comprehensive assessment of these areas under the construct of medical aptitude has not been analysed so far, though medical aptitude has been socially defined. This article attempts to develop a comprehensive construct to 'Medical aptitude', meant for the pre-medical student, which has been encapsulated with respect to the areas of its assessment. We did an extensive survey of the literature pertaining to the mode of selection of students towards medical profession and analysed their areas of assessments for admittance. This enabled to identify similarities in the areas of assessment which were then classified under several domains of assessment. Special reference to the keywords involving 'Aptitude' and 'Medical Aptitude' was made. We analysed the definitions to the construct of aptitude from the literature with respect to its relevance in the profession of medical science to be possessed by the pre-medical aspirant-in context. From this, a new construct of medical aptitude was formulated incorporating the existing construct of medical aptitude. Medical aptitude is a comprehensive construct that encompasses the dimensions of a consistent core, a peripheral content and the support of a scaffold. Each of these dimensions have their importance and distinct objective in being assessed in the pre-medical student. A perfect intertwining of these 3 dimensions can prove beneficial in assessing individuals to be fit for the profession of medical science.

How do physicians become medical experts? A test of three competing theories: distinct domains, independent influence and encapsulation models.

The distinction between basic sciences and clinical knowledge which has led to a theoretical debate on how medical expertise is developed has implications for medical school and lifelong medical education. This longitudinal, population based observational study was conducted to test the fit of three theories-knowledge encapsulation, independent influence, distinct domains-of the development of medical expertise employing structural equation modelling. Data were collected from 548 physicians (292 men-53.3%; 256 women-46.7%; mean age=24.2years on admission) who had graduated from medical school 2009-2014. They included (1) Admissions data of undergraduate grade point average and Medical College Admission Test sub-test scores, (2) Course performance data from years 1, 2, and 3 of medical school, and (3) Performance on the NBME exams (i.e., Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3). Statistical fit indices (Goodness of Fit Index-GFI; standardized root mean squared residual-SRMR; root mean squared error of approximation-RSMEA) and comparative fit [Formula: see text] of three theories of cognitive development of medical expertise were used to assess model fit. There is support for the knowledge encapsulation three factor model of clinical competency (GFI=0.973, SRMR=0.043, RSMEA=0.063) which had superior fit indices to both the independent influence and distinct domains theories ([Formula: see text] vs [Formula: see text] [[Formula: see text]] vs [Formula: see text] [[Formula: see text]], respectively). The findings support a theory where basic sciences and medical aptitude are direct, correlated influences on clinical competency that encapsulates basic knowledge.

Chronic Electromagnetic Exposure at Occupational Safety Level Does Not Affect the Metabolic Profile nor Cornea Healing after LASIK Surgery.

LASIK eye surgery has become a very common practice for myopic people, especially those in the military. Sometimes undertaken by people who need to keep a specific medical aptitude, this surgery could be performed in secret from the hierarchy and from the institute medical staff. However, even though the eyes have been previously described as one of the most sensitive organs to electromagnetic fields in the human body, no data exist on the potential deleterious effects of electromagnetic fields on the healing eye. The consequences of chronic long-lasting radar exposures at power density, in accordance with the occupational safety standards (9.71 GHz, 50 W/m2), were investigated on cornea healing. The metabolic and clinical statuses after experimental LASIK keratotomy were assessed on the different eye segments in a New Zealand rabbit model. The analysis methods were performed after 5 months of exposure (1 hour/day, 3 times/week). Neither clinical or histological examinations, nor experimental data, such as light scattering, 1H-NMR HRMAS metabolomics, 13C-NMR spectra of lipidic extracts, and antioxidant status, evidenced significant modifications. It was concluded that withdrawing the medical aptitude of people working in electromagnetic field environments (i.e., radar operators in the navy) after eye surgery was not justified.

Dr Solbert Permutt, 1925–2012

It is with great sadness that we report to readers of the European Respiratory Journal and members of the European Respiratory Society the passing of Dr Solbert Permutt (fig. 1), who died at the age of 87 years on May 23, 2012, after a protracted battle with oesophageal cancer. As many already appreciate, Sol was one of the giants of respiratory medicine and physiology, and his passing is an immense loss to our community. He was a remarkable individual with an unbounded level of enthusiasm, creativity and inspiration. Those who had the good fortune to know him had their lives influenced in many positive ways. Figure 1– Solbert Permutt, 1925–2012. Sol entered this world on March 6, 1925, in Birmingham, AL, 9 years after his mother had a tubal ligation. At the time, his mother confided that learning of this unwanted pregnancy seemed worse than finding out she had cancer; however, Sol soon became a treasured child, in no small part because of his clearly superior intelligence. In elementary and high school, he was a brilliant but undisciplined student, who cut school to spend time at the local library and earned some spending money by teaching calculus to undergraduates at the University of Alabama. In 1942, after the onset of World War II and a single year as a student at this university, Sol was drafted into the US Army. His high scores on a medical aptitude test caused him to be assigned to the army's medical school programme, where he completed one year of premed at the …

The Exploratory Study for Medical Aptitude Constructs

Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore the individual traits needed for the successful performance of a doctor's duties as well as to establish primary criteria for the Medical Education Eligibility Test. Methods: This study conducted qualitatively by interviewing 43 persons: medical school professors, residents, and medical reporters. The analysis of data were applied a content analysis. Results: 1) The important intelligent abilities revealed were problem solving, verbal expression, and memory. 2) The personality traits included sincerity, sociability, respectability, gentleness, and reflective thinking. 3) The biology, chemistry, and physics were important in the natural science background knowledge, and 4) linguistics, philosophy, and social science were important in human and social science background knowledge. Conclusion: The medical aptitude could be constructed intelligent ability, personality trits, and background knowledges, and include specific aspects depended on Korean context.

Choosing your specialty

Most of us find choosing a specialty in which we will spend the rest of our lives a daunting task. Every specialty has an attractive side, and choosing among four or five fascinating areas can be difficult. Mentors, older peers, and books have always been useful, but now the internet may help. The medical specialty aptitude test (www.med-ed.virginia.edu/specialties) asks you to rate your attributes and preferences and compares them with those of doctors in each specialty. The test then uses your answers …

Medical Student Performance on a Geriatrics Problem in a Clinical Practice Examination

This article reports the results of postclerkship medical student performance on a primary care geriatrics problem in a clinical skills examination, and the correlates of student performance. Measurements include checklists of medical student history taking and physical examination skills completed by a standardized patient and student responses to a written challenge about case diagnosis and management. Measures of medical student aptitude, achievement, and demographic variables are also reported. Descriptive data about medical student case performance about the geriatrics problem indicate there is much variation in the approach taken by medical students toward a geriatric patient presenting with reported abdominal pain. Correlation coefficients between student case performance and measures of aptitude, achievement, and demographic variables were uniformly low. It is concluded that the clinical curriculum should provide medical students with more opportunity for education in geriatrics.

Development and evaluation of musculoskeletal performance measures for an objective structured clinical examination

This report describes the design, development, pilot testing, and use of a set of four checklists for evaluating selected features of the clinical musculoskeletal examination. The preparation of observational raters to use the checklists in the context of an objective structured clinical examination is also discussed. Data from 480 medical student evaluations over 3 years show that the checklists yield highly reliable data. The checklist data do not correlate with measures of medical student aptitude or with demographic factors. This suggests that the clinically oriented checklists measure a unique feature of medical student achievement.

Troubles in Medical Academe

To the Editor.— I would take issue, in part as Dr Hussey has, with what Dr Davis said in his original comments (236:388, 1976). There is no question that many of the leading medical schools, in addition to Harvard, have taken the position that it is their obligation to allow students of minority groups to enter despite lower than usual grade point averages and performances on medical aptitude tests. Such schools feel that every American, despite his or her racial background, should be fully entitled to receive a medical education. Obviously, they realize that tutoring facilities for such students throughout medical school may be necessary, since these students may not have had the opportunity or motivation to acquire the modus operandi to apply themselves consistently. This often stems from the low socioeconomic, cultural, and scientific milieu in which many have lived for long years, coupled with their own minimal expectation

A Study to Develop a Medical Aptitude Test in Korea

A Study to Develop a Medical Aptitude Test in Korea

DO MEDICAL STUDENTS "FAIL"?

Records of all the medical students who left the Northwestern University Medical School during the 5-year period 1955-1960 were studied. Their average pre-medical grades and medical college aptitude test scores when compared to the same averages of the entire entering freshman classes for those years showed no statistically significant differences. Psychiatric interviews were available in 18 of the 43 students who left and did not return to school. The significance of a student leaving school whether by academic failure or voluntary resignation is discussed. It is suggested that students leave medical school, no matter by what route, as a way of coping with anxiety engendered by their presence in school.

Medical Aptitude

Medical Aptitude