Medical Colleges In Pakistan Research Articles

Perception of faculty towards e-learning vs. traditional learning in a public sector medical college.

Objective: To evaluate the perception of medical teaching faculty of a public sector medical college in Pakistan and the barriers in e-learning methodologies according to faculty’s opinion. Study Design: Analytical Cross-Sectional Study. Setting: Department of Medical Education, Sahiwal Medical College Sahiwal. Study Period: 1st April 2020 to 30th April 2020. Material & Methods: The questionnaire was sent to all the faculty members through Whatsapp due to COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan. Mean scores were calculated by using SPSS-26. Results: A total of sixty six faculty members responded to the questionnaire while it was sent to all 72. So the response rate of our study is 91.66%. According to our results, external sources barrier questions were found to be of highest mean value of 10.64 with standard deviation of 4.64. Internal source barriers were found to have least of the means value of 5.39 with standard deviation of 2.41. Motivation related to e-learning was with highest mean score of 2.67 and with standard deviation of 0.591. Lack of central policy was found to be of major concern by the respondents with mean value of 1.15 and standard deviation of 0.361. Conclusion: This study found that motivation towards e-learning as the most dominant factor. Also external sources barriers were predominately revealed in the college such arrangements are required to speedily guarantee that fast web get to and dependable systems are accessible at the higher education institutions.

Challenges to Online Medical Education during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Medical Colleges of Pakistan

Background The Covid-19 pandemic have forced the education sector of every country to adopt a relatively unconventional method of teaching i.e., Online Education. However, it faces many challenges of its own. Aim: To discuss the challenges to online medical education during the Covid-19 pandemic in medical colleges of Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional type of quantitative study using a self-administered online questionnaire using Google Forms® was administered to 508 students from all the medical colleges of Pakistan. Results: Majority of subjects preferred face-to-face learning (70.9%) before Covid-19 pandemic and had beginner level online exposure (60. 6%). Overall, 85.8% of participants found the impact of shifting to online learning as negative. A variety of challenges were faced by the students with decreased attention span being most common followed by strain on mental health, problem in communication and taking exams. Conclusion: Covid-19 related lockdown led to new culture of education. Medical students had difficulty adapting to this but a faction of student wanted to use and discover online learning more. Key words: Covid 19, Online Medical Education, Challenges

Online assessments during COVID-19 pandemic - A paradigm shift in educational strategy

Introduction: Covid-19 pandemic has instigated changes in the teaching and assessment practices of institutions in many parts of the world, resulting not only in online teaching but also in online assessments. The present study analyzes the perceptions of students regarding the first online assessments conducted at a medical college in Pakistan.
 Materials and Methods: This Mixed method cross-sectional study was conducted in Wah Medical College, National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan from July to November 2020. The questionnaire was developed after the collaboration of the authors and a review of the pertinent literature on online examinations. Universal sampling was done and all students of WMC were invited to participate in the study. Data collection was done by google forms and analysis was performed on SPSS.
 Results: Students from all five years of the MBBS program participated almost equally in the study. Students of 1st, 3rd and 4th year were not contented with their performance in online exams whereas students of 2nd and 5th year were satisfied. Most students considered technological issues as a basis for their poor performance and proposed technical training before online exams. They also provided suggestions related to the improvement of examination formats and tools.
 Conclusion: The majority of the students found the online assessment more effective and helpful in improving their performance in exams. Student perceptions provided valuable insights for improving the online examinations system at Wah Medical College.

Blood Pressure and anthropometry obesity indices in first professional medical students at a private medical college of Pakistan-a cross-sectional study

Obesity, a significant public health issue, requires immediate attention to prevent obesity-mediated health concerns such as hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and adverse coronary and circulatory events. The present study aimed to determine blood pressure (BP) and anthropometric obesity indices (including BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and mid-upper arm circumference) of 1st Professional MBBS students in a private medical college in Pakistan, and also to find the association of BP with anthropometric indices. It was a cross-sectional survey conducted at Lahore Medical and Dental College. Institutional Review Board approval was acquired before the study commencement. The duration of the study was from May to August 2022. The study population included all students registered in first-year MBBS who agreed to participate in the study. The present study included 120 participants. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) age of participants was 19.05±0.82 years. Mean systolic and diastolic BP was 116.05±13.21 and 74.85±9.81 respectively. Sixty-seven (56%) participants were having their BP ≥ 120/80 and were identified as pre-hypertensive or hypertensive respectively. Mean ± SD BMI was 22.18±4.31 kg/m2; 67 (55.8%) were having normal BMI, 20(16.7%) were overweight and 33 (27.5%) obese. On the basis of waist circumference; 39 (70.9%) male subjects were normal and 16 (29.1%) centrally obese, whereas 47 (72.3%) females were normal and 18 (23.7%) obese. Overall central obese subjects were 35 (29%). Logistic regression analysis was applied; hypertension was taken as a dependent variable and all-other independent covariates such as anthropometry indices (BMI, waist circumference), gender, age, and residential status were controlled; association of hypertension was significant with gender (p=0.001) and waist circumference (p=0.000). Students need to modify lifestyle strategies for preventing obesity and hypertension.

Emotional Intelligence and perceived stress against the backdrop of the Covid-19 Pandemic among students of a medical college in Pakistan: A cross-sectional correlational study

Introduction:There is scant knowledge about emotional intelligence and pandemic perceived stress scores of medical students in Pakistan. The Covid-19 Pandemic has underscored the reality of a myriad of problems in medical education, academic stress amongst them. This study aims to find the corelation between emotional intelligence and pandemic perceived stress scores of students in a medical college in Pakistan. Socio-demographic factors are used tofind possible correlations and divergences between pandemic perceived stress scores and emotional intelligence in undergraduate medical students.
 Objective:The primary objectives are an exploration of the demographic attributes of participants, an assessment of students’ levels of perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and emotional intelligence, and an exploration of a correlation between pandemic perceived stress scores and emotional intelligence
 Methods:The present study utilizes a descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational design. A convenience sample of 86 medical students in the first and second years of MBBS were recruited for the study. The participants completed a self-report questionnaire, covering three sections: demographic factors, pandemic perceived stress (the Perceived Stress Scale) and, emotional intelligence (the MindTools test).
 Results:The results demonstrated that majority of the participants (86%) had an average level of emotional intelligence. Only 14% had high levels of emotional intelligence. A negative non-significant correlation was noted between Pandemic perceived stress scores and emotional intelligence. While a significant difference (P< 0.01) was noted between the Pandemic perceived stress scores of males and females, with females exhibiting more stress than males. A slightly less significant difference (P<0.05) for Pandemic perceived stress was also found between students of first and second years medical students. Second year students were observed to exhibit greater stress.
 Conclusion:The study findings demonstrate that emotional intelligence does not significantly differ by educational year or gender while greater levels of Pandemic perceived stress was noted to differ across genders and educational years. However, lower levels of Pandemic perceived stress were associated with higher (although non-significant) levels of emotional intelligence. It is thus, important to impart pertinent information about emotional intelligence to medical students. It is also essential to teach them to identify and therefore, overcome stressors. Information and guidance about stress and emotional intelligence should be incorporated into the curricula of health-related fields.
 
 KEYWORDS:
 Emotional intelligence, Pandemic, perceived stress, correlational study, medical students

Effect of Covid-19 on Medical Education and Examination: A Cross-Sectional Survey across Medical Colleges of Pakistan

Background: COVID-19 outbreak was first reported in the Wuhan city in 2019, causing the whole world to undergo a period of lockdown to curtail the disease. This affected education and examination of medical students across the world including Pakistan. Objective: To know the impact of COVID-19 on the medical education and future of medical examination, from medical students’ perspective. Methods: An online qualitative survey was conducted among the medical students of different medical colleges of Pakistan from 20th October 2021 to 15th November 2021. Google forms were used to collect data. Informed consent was obtained at the start of the survey. SPSS version 22 was used for data analysis. Results: Our study had a response rate of 99.7% with 4548 respondents, ranging from the first year to final year MBBS. The highest number of respondents were from 1st-year MBBS and accounted for 25.4% (n=1153 responses). 93% (n=4254) of the respondents agreed that lockdown had impacted their education, 85.1% (n=3870) were having online classes and only 9.6% (n=436) were satisfied with online education. 65% (n=2998) considered online education to be an ineffective teaching method. Only 25% of the respondents (n=1137) wanted to be examined online whereas 34.5% (n=1571) were of the view that online viva was an ineffective method of examination. 41% (n=1897) of the respondents considered that students should be promoted without examination during the COVID-19 pandemic and 41.5% (n=1886) thought that students who had passed the written exam should be promoted without viva. 46% (n=2117) favored the rational method of exam. Conclusions: Our data showed that the majority of students having online classes were not satisfied with this mode of education due to financial constraints, connectivity issues and quality of lectures and these problems need to be resolved.

A study to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on Lifestyle of Medical students.

Background:Stressful situations are often linked with poor health and lifestyle behaviors (e.g., unhealthy diet, limited physical activity, poor sleep quality etc.). Subsequent to the nationwide lockdown in Pakistan due to COVID-19 pandemic, medical students experienced substantial lifestyle changes along with academic stresses. The goal of this study was to measure the impact that the COVID-19 lockdown had on lifestyle like sleep, physical activity and nutrition, substance abuse, dealing with finances, spirituality and family life, with respect to a sample of Pakistani medical students.Methods:This cross- sectional online study involving 1100 medical students (68.7% females) from five medical colleges in Pakistan, used self-administered questionnaire to evaluate the impact of pandemic related restrictions on lifestyle of medical students in Pakistan from August- September 2020. Parameters such as physical activity, sleep, nutrition, smoking and substance abuse, family life, finances, internet use and spirituality were studied.Results:Fifty-nine percent of medical students reported a significant effect of lockdown on their physical activity. Only 5.8% people clearly followed or adhered to a routine during the pandemic. About 54.6% students have found that physical activity and exercise significantly reduced their anxiety. More than half of respondents reported increase in screen time, weight gain and poor sleep with 3.1% of students stating an increased use of sleeping pills to fall asleep Another 18.3% students had an increased worry regarding COVID19 based on the information they received on internet. No significant increase in substance uses and alcohol use or family conflicts among students post pandemic was noted.Conclusion:Our findings underscore that COVID-19 pandemic has led to undesired changes in health and lifestyle habits of medical students, which may, to some extent, be responsible for higher negative impact. Hence it is important for medical colleges to start awareness campaigns to tackle challenges for medical students physical and emotional well-being.

ASSESSMENT OF STRESS, ANXIETY & DEPRESSION LEVELS AMONG MEDICAL FACULTY DUE TO ONLINE TEACHING IN COVID-19

Background: COVID-19 pandemic brought with it new challenges for teaching activities of the faculty, including need to master the basic use of technology to teach online in changed working environment while dealing with the additional health, family, and work-related challenges. This study aims to evaluate the occurrence of psychological parameters of stress, anxiety, and depression among the participants and the factors for coping with the said psychological parameters. Methods: This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted in Jan–Jul 2021. Faculty teaching online classes in different medical colleges of Pakistan were invited through social media platforms to participate in the study. The DASS-21 scale was used to evaluate depression, anxiety and stress. Results: The factors that had significant contribution to stress, anxiety and depression in the faculty of medical colleges teaching include abrupt transition from face to face to online teaching, job insecurity, and personal and family financial situation. Lack of prior training in proper use of technology was associated with depression, while the uncertainty for duration of the lockdown and personal health issues were associated with anxiety. Coping factor that showed significant association with stress, anxiety and depression was increased intake of drugs. Conclusion: There are substantial changes in faculty’s mental state concerning exhaustion, stress, depression, and anxiety after switching to online teaching as a result of COVID-19 quarantine. Appropriate measures need to be taken for training of the faculty with IT support, and to ensure peace of mind for the faculty for maximum output. Pak J Physiol 2021;17(4):55–8

Low-cost peer-taught virtual research workshops for medical students in Pakistan: a creative, scalable, and sustainable solution for student research

BackgroundPakistan has not been a major contributor to medical research, mainly because of the lack of learning opportunities to medical students. With the increase in online learning systems during COVID-19, research related skills can be taught to medical students via low-cost peer taught virtual research workshops.Aim of the StudyTo assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive low-cost peer-taught virtual research workshops amongst medical students in Pakistan.MethodsThis quasi-experimental study assessed the effectiveness of five virtual research workshops (RWs) in improving core research skills. RWs for medical students from across Pakistan were conducted over Zoom by medical students (peer-teachers) at the Aga Khan University, Pakistan, with minimal associated costs. The content of the workshops included types of research, ethical approval and research protocols, data collection and analysis, manuscript writing, and improving networking skills for research. Improvement was assessed via pre-and post-quizzes for each RW, self-efficacy scores across 16 domains, and feedback forms. Minimum criteria for completion of the RW series was attending at least 4/5 RWs and filling the post-RW series feedback form. A 6-month post-RW series follow-up survey was also emailed to the participants.ResultsFour hundred medical students from 36 (/117; 30.8%) different medical colleges in Pakistan were enrolled in the RWs. However, only 307/400 (76.75%) medical students met the minimum requirement for completion of the RW series. 56.4% of the participants belonged to the pre-clinical years while the rest were currently to clinical years. The cohort demonstrated significant improvement in pre-and post-quiz scores for all 5 RWs (p < 0.001) with the greatest improvement in Data Collection and Analysis (+ 34.65%), and in self-efficacy scores across all domains (p < 0.001). 166/307 (54.1%) participants responded to the 6 months post-RWs follow-up survey. Compared to pre-RWs, Research involvement increased from 40.4 to 62.8% (p < 0.001) while proportion of participants with peer-reviewed publications increased from 8.4 to 15.8% (p = 0.043).ConclusionVirtual RWs allow for a wide outreach while effectively improving research-related knowledge and skills, with minimal associated costs. In lower-middle-income countries, virtual RWs are a creative and cost-effective use of web-based technologies to facilitate medical students to contribute to the local and global healthcare research community.

OSPE (Objective structured practical examination): Perception of the faculty and students at A Public Sector Medical College in Pakistan.

Objective: Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) is a growing way of assessing the students of medical universities particularly. This study is targeted to compare and assess different perceptions of the faculty and the students towards OSPE at a public sector medical college. Study Design: Cross Sectional Survey. Setting: Sahiwal Medical College Sahiwal. Period: 1st July 2020 to 15th July 2020. Material &amp; Methods: The questionnaire was sent to all the participants by Whatsapp because of COVID-19 pandemic. All the undergrad students of MBBS (500) and all the faculty members (65) of clinical and basic medical sciences were included in the study. Results: The response rate of faculty members was 78.46% and that of undergraduate students was 70.80%. Out of 51 members who responded, 23 (45.10%) were males while 28 (54.90%) were female. Female students were having majority of participation (71.20%). Most of the faculty and students agreed with the fact that ‘The questions asked in the OSPE stations were appropriate and related to the curriculum’ (60.10% and 45.10% respectively). Response to a question ‘OSPE is more transparent, fair and objective as compared to traditional practical examination’ got a nod from faculty members (49%). Almost 76% of the students (strongly agreed and agreed) thought that OSPE was tiring and stressful for them but their respected faculty members thought the opposite. Conclusion: Our study concludes that there is satisfaction of both students and the faculty regarding their perceptions of OSPE at public sector medical college. In our study while comparing, the majority of both the groups were having almost same opinions.

Online versus Traditional Learning: Outcomes of First Online Learning Experience

Aim: To evaluate the learning outcomes of first experience with online learning in a medical college in Pakistan. Study design: Retrospective cross-sectional study Place and duration of study: Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan from 1stJanuary 2021 to 30th May 2021. Methodology: This study compared the module exam scores of pre-clinical first-year MBBS students of the year 2019 (group A) and year 2020 (group B). Group A was taught in 2019 through the traditional method of teaching while group B was taught online in 2020. Results: The mean score of group B online teaching was significantly higher than that of group A, studied through the traditional method in all three modules, foundation module, locomotor module, and blood module. Group B secured a significantly higher mean score than that of group A with a significant p-value of &lt;0.001, 0.043, and 0.001respectively. Conclusion: The score gained by online learners using virtual teaching methods was significantly higher than those who were taught by traditional method. The results of this study imply that using online educational teaching and learning can lead to the promotion of educational level and enhancement of score levels in students. Keywords: Online learning, Traditional learning, Medical education

Comparison of Online Assessment with Traditional Assessment of Ophthalmology Students: Experience from Public Sector Medical College in Pakistan

Purpose: To perform online assessment of undergraduate ophthalmology students and compare the online examination results with conventional in-person examination during COVID-19 pandemic.&#x0D; Study Design: Comparative, cross-sectional study.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Department of Ophthalmology, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan. From October 2019 to December 2020.&#x0D; Methods: We used online Google Assessment Forms to administer the online ophthalmology send-up examination to 4th-year MBBS students. The exam consisted of 50 test items with varying difficulty levels and pictures were incorporated into them. The examination results were compared with the conventional face-to-face send-up ophthalmology examination conducted a year ago, which consisted of 50 multiple-choice questions (MCQs).&#x0D; Results: There were 50 questions in the online examination with categorization into C1:C2:C3 levels of cognition. A total of 336 students submitted their responses for online assessment with a mean score of 36.28 out of 50 marks (73.0%) (Range: 7 – 45 marks). C1, C2, and C3 questions were correctly answered by 95.3%, 45.1%, and 11.0% of the students, respectively. The conventional examination was taken by 326 students and consisted of 50 MCQs with C1:C2:C3 questions. The online exam yielded more mean scores than the in-person exam (73.0% versus 56.0%, p-value: 0.001). The rate of failure with scores less than 50% marks was significantly higher in students appearing in conventional exam versus online exam (16.6% versus 1.5% respectively, p-value: 0.0412).&#x0D; Conclusion: Online assessment of undergraduate ophthalmology students is a possible alternative to the conventional examinations during this pandemic.&#x0D; Key Words: Ophthalmology, COVID-19 Pandemic. Medical education.

QUALITY ASSURANCE IN ASSESSMENT SYSTEM OF MEDICAL COLLEGES OF PAKISTAN: FACULTY PERSPECTIVE “A QUALITATIVE STUDY”

 Background: The study aimed to describe the procedures implemented by medical colleges in Pakistan to assure quality in their assessment system. Method: A qualitative study was conducted from March 2015-December 2017 in medical colleges of Pakistan using grounded theory design. The medical colleges were selected by using non-probability convenient sampling technique. Out of the total 93 PMDC (Pakistan Medical and Dental Council) recognized medical colleges, 49 were selected from all four provinces of Pakistan as well as Azad Kashmir. An open-ended questionnaire was filled by one faculty member from each participating medical college after obtaining informed consent. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21 (IBM). Results: Majority participants appreciated their institution�s assessment policy and wished improvement in terms of comparability to national organization�s assessment systems. For about 1/3rd of participants developing standardized tools, their grading (e.g. SEQs), and faculty�s unwillingness to devote time for quality MCQ were the challenges. Recommendations by > 1/3rd to overcome barriers included one assessment per year, improvement in teaching methods, standardized assessment, and structured viva exams. In >1/2 institutions no audit of assessment process was conducted. Around 1/3rd confirmed audit was an irregular unplanned activity and no report published. Around 1/4th of participants highlighted that a formal audit report stemmed in improving teaching & examination methods. Conclusions: Overall Quality Assurance (QA) procedures in assessment system in Pakistan were poorly implemented. Lack of QA and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E), feedback mechanism, benchmarks for assessors, and formal auditing was noted. Student�s involvement, & semester system was recommended.

The Impact of Covid-19 Lockdown on Metamemory among Medical Students

Background: The lockdown due to Covid-19 has impacted certain aspects of cognition among medical students. Aim: To explore the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on metamemory among medical students studying in a private medical college in Pakistan. Study design: Experimental study. Methodology: This study with enrolled students (n=233) was carried out after ethical review committee’s (ERC) approval at CMH Kharian Medical College (CKMC), Physiology Department, Kharian-Pakistan. Both male and female medical students were enrolled. In phase 1, the students reported to the Physiology laboratory where age and gender were recorded. Metamemory was measured using the Multi-factorial Memory Questionnaire (MMQ)-Satisfaction scale using the Baycrest Centre protocols for its administration and scoring. Data was analyzed by SPSS software, version 21. MMQ-Satisfaction score was presented as mean±SD. Statistical significance was taken at p value &lt;0.05. Results: Among males mean±SD for Pre Covid-19 MMQ was 43.24±9.58 while mean±SD for Post Covid-19 MMQ males was 55.32±6.01. Significant difference was seen between Pre &amp; Post Covid-19 MMQ scores with p-value of &lt;0.000. Conclusion: We concluded that significant difference was seen between Pre &amp; Post Covid-19 MMQ scores with p-value of &lt;0.000. However, means among all age groups were significantly equal with the others in Pre &amp; Post COVID-19 MMQ. Similarly, means were significantly equal among both genders for Pre &amp; Post COVID-19 MMQ. Keywords: Covid-19 lockdown, Medical students, Metamemory, Age and Gender.

The Influence of Covid-19 Lockdown on Body Mass Index, Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Medical Students

The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc throughout the world, with 150 million cases to date and over 3 million lives claimed worldwide. Objectives: To explore the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on psychological health parameters i.e. depression, anxiety and stress as well as on body mass index among medical students studying in a private medical college in Pakistan. Study Design: Experimental study. Methodology: This study with enrolled students (n=233) was carried out after ethical review committee’s (ERC) approval at CMH Kharian Medical College (CKMC), Physiology Department, Kharian-Pakistan. Both male and female medical students were enrolled. In phase 1, the students reported to the Physiology laboratory where age and gender were recorded. The pre-lockdown readings of BMI and DASS-21(Depression, Anxiety, Stress) scale were taken. In phase-2, the post-lockdown readings of BMI and DASS-21 scale were taken once the students returned to campus. Statistical analysis: Data was analyzed by SPSS software, version 21. BMI and DASS-21 score were presented as mean + SD. Statistical significance was taken at p value &lt;0.05. Results: In present study, results showed that there was a decrease in level of depression post-Covid-19-lockdown among enrolled subjects with significant p-values (0.019*) in the pre and post covid-19-lockdown comparison. Conclusion: We concluded that significant difference was seen between Pre &amp; Post Covid-19-lockdown depression with p-value of &lt;0.019. However, insignificant difference was seen between Pre &amp; Post Covid-19-lockdown anxiety and stress with p-value of &gt;0.05. Key Words: Covid-19 lockdown, Medical students, Depression, BMI and Anxiety.

STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE ON ONLINE MEDICAL EDUCATION DURNG LOCKDOWN AS A RESULT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC

ABSTRACT:&#x0D; Objective: In this study the perceptive of undergraduate medical students regarding e-learning were explored in the MBBS students across various medical colleges in Pakistan during COVID pandemic.&#x0D; Study type, settings and duration: It was descriptive study conducted as multisite survey in medical students of Pakistan. The study was conducted from 1st October to 30th October 2020.&#x0D; Methodology: A questionnaire was developed and disseminated via what’s app to MBBS students of medical institutes in Pakistan. The data was cleaned and study sample was selected from ten medical colleges with maximum response rates. The responses of 10 students from each professional year were selected randomly for even distribution of students in the MBBS course. Out of 500 students, 492 students’ replied with valid data. The percentages of the responses were calculated and data was analyzed graphically.&#x0D; Results: The mean age of respondents was 22± 2.1. 64.4% of respondents were female and 43.6% male. Only 5 % of total students were of the opinion that online teaching was good substitute for learning than face to face sessions. 43% students responded that ZOOM software was major platform used for e-learning during lockdown. Internet connectivity was the major hurdle in e-learning and health issues in family (27%) was major stress factor. 31% students responded that online classes were not effective and 29 % responded that they were about 25 % effective while 21% were of the opinion that these were 50% effective as compared to face to face campus learning.&#x0D; Conclusion: The perception of medical students regarding online teaching was not promising in our study. Most of the indicators were negative.

Advances in medical education; comparing the perceptions of the faculty and the students towards e-learning vs. traditional learning in a public sector medical college in Pakistan.

Objective: E-learning is a growing need of modern day education generally and of medical universities particularly. This study is targeted to compare and assess different perceptions of the faculty and the students towards e-learning at a public sector medical college. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Department of Medical Education, Sahiwal Medical College, Sahiwal. Period: 1st May 2020 to 31st May 2020. Material &amp; Methods: The questionnaire was sent to all the participants by Whatsapp because of COVID-19 pandemic. MBBS students of 4th year and final year MBBS and all the faculty members of clinical and basic medical sciences were included in the study. The participants had to choose among options of ‘agreed, neutral and disagreed‘. Results: The response rate of faculty members was 91.66% and that of undergraduate students was 91%. Among faculty members, 34 (51.50%) were males while 32 (48.50%) were females. Female students were having majority of participation (60.40%). Most of the faculty and students were disagreed with the fact that ‘E-learning is a suitable means of education for students in Pakistan’. Though there was an overwhelming agreement of students (80%) and staff (88%) with agreement on the point that ‘information and communication technologies (ICT) play an effective role in promoting education’. Fifty three percent of students and 67% of the faculty members agreed that ‘E-learning systems can fulfill the challenging needs of present times’. Conclusion: Our study concludes that there are some reservations of both students and the faculty regarding usage of e-learning over traditional learning at public sector medical college. In our study while comparing, the majority of both the groups were having almost same opinions related to implementation of e-learning methodology.

Identification and comparison of factors related to academic failure in medical colleges; A Bi-centre, comparative study.

To evaluate student's perceptions related to their academic failure, and to compare these perceptions with their nationality. The non-interventional, bi-national, comparative study was conducted in medical colleges of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2017 and comprised medical students who had scored less than 50% in their professional examinations. Data was collected using a pre-designed 22-item questionnaire that was scored by the students on a 5-point scale. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. Of the 210 students, 115(55%) were Pakistanis and 95(45%) were Saudis. Common reasons of failure identified were information overload 114(50%), difficult examination 101(48%), poor teaching skills of teachers 82(39%), system of education 75(36%) and unfair examination 78(37%). In terms of nationality, 11 items were found significant (p<0.05). Regardless of cultural and environmental differences in factors contributing towards failure in students of different countries, the risk factors were found to be common, with most students blaming external factors rather than internal ones.

Quality assurance procedures in assessment - a descriptive study of medical colleges in Pakistan.

To identify the quality assurance procedures being implemented in the assessment system of medical colleges in Pakistan. The cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2015 to December 2017 in medical training institutions recognised by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council across Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and comprised individuals designated by the respective institutional administrations. The mixed method technique was employed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. Of the 49 institutions, 20(41%) were in the public sector and 29(59%) were in the private sector. Overall, 35(71.4%) institutions followed a written assessment policy provided by the affiliated university, 9(18%) never did so, 22(44.8 %) had content experts checking if the questions matched the objectives, 42(85.7%) took strict steps to prevent cheating in exams, and 26(53.1%) analysed theory exam statistically. Discrimination index, difficulty index, reliability, and point biserial were 14(28.6%), 13(26.5%), 12(24.4%), and 7(14.3%) of the medical colleges respectively. Only 12(24.5%) institutions provided written feedback on the results, and 15(30.6%) conducted annual internal audit. General issues related to quality assurance procedures in assessments were found to be in place in majority of the colleges. However, a large proportion did not have them.

The effect of whatsapp messenger as e- learning tool on performance of undergraduate students of a Public Sector Medical College in Pakistan.

Objectives: To verify the usability of social media like WhatsApp in delivering knowledge to 4th year and Final year MBBS students and to compare the improvement of knowledge gain through e-learning and didactic lecture. Concurrently, perception of students about e-learning via WhatsApp will also be gathered. Study Design: Prospective Analytical Interventional study. Setting: Department of Medical Education of Sahiwal Medical College Sahiwal. Period: 01.01.2020 to 31.03.2020. Material &amp; Methods: On 4th year and Final year MBBS students two Whatsapp group were made, one for each class. Then the students were taught different topics by WhatsApp. Assessment of knowledge of e-learning through WhatsApp was done by feedback form. Results: The results revealed that technical, educational and instructional advantages of teaching learning activity via WhatsApp out pars disadvantages. Increase in interaction with peers and getting a fair chance to participate in group discussion were top two educational benefits of learning through WhatsApp with 64.10% and 62.80% students agreeing to it. A majority of the students (89.8%) agreed to the facts that the availability of smart phones was not an issue for them and they are very comfortable in using Whatsapp as e learning tool (61.6%). on the other hand 29.5 % of the students were disagreed with the fact that they are getting more chances in clearing their concepts on Whatsapp. Conclusion: Increase in interaction with the peers and getting more chance to discuss a particular topic with group has made WhatsApp a new and convenient tool for teaching/learning activity. Students also found Whatsapp as less time consuming as compared to conventional lectures. A few disadvantages, like lesser chance of clearing the concepts on Whatsapp can be overruled by making small groups and using mobiles with bigger screen.