Medical School Websites Research Articles

Explainable Reverse Verification of Goodness of Classification of MRI Images by Clinical Experts.

Radiology offers a presumptive diagnosis. The etiology of radiological errors are prevalent, recurrent, and multi-factorial. The pseudo-diagnostic conclusions can arise from varying factors such as, poor technique, failures of visual perception, lack of knowledge, and misjudgments. This retrospective and interpretive errors can influence and alter the Ground Truth (GT) of Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging which in turn result in faulty class labeling. Wrong class labels can lead to erroneous training and illogical classification outcomes for Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems. This work aims at verifying and authenticating the accuracy and exactness of the GT of biomedical datasets which are extensively used in binary classification frameworks. Generally such datasets are labeled by only one radiologist. Our article adheres a hypothetical approach to generate few faulty iterations. An iteration here considers simulation of faulty radiologist's perspective in MR image labeling. To achieve this, we try to simulate radiologists who are subjected to human error while taking decision regarding the class labels. In this context, we swap the class labels randomly and force them to be faulty. The experiments are carried out on some iterations (with varying number of brain images) randomly created from the brain MR datasets. The experiments are carried out on two benchmark datasets DS-75 and DS-160 collected from Harvard Medical School website and one larger input pool of self-collected dataset NITR-DHH. To validate our work, average classification parameter values of faulty iterations are compared with that of original dataset. It is presumed that, the presented approach provides a potential solution to verify the genuineness and reliability of the GT of the MR datasets. This approach can be utilized as a standard technique to validate the correctness of any biomedical dataset.

Relationship between otolaryngology interest groups and residency match results

BackgroundMany students have limited exposure to otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (OTOHNS) throughout medical school, limiting recruitment of medical students early in their medical careers. ObjectiveTo assess the association between otolaryngology interest groups (OIGs) at medical schools and percentage of students matching into OTOHNS residency programs. To characterize specific aspects of OIGs that may impact the percentage of students matching into OTOHNS residency programs from a given medical school. MethodsData was obtained from web searches of 141 accredited U.S. allopathic medical schools to see if they possessed OIGs. Information on the various activities and opportunities that OIGs participated in was collected through medical school websites. 2020 NRMP® match results data were obtained. ResultsWeb searches found that 73 % (103 out of 141) of U.S. allopathic medical schools have OIGs. Medical schools with OIGs were associated with a 35 % increase in the median percentage of OTOHNS matches (P = 0.022). Of the 103 medical schools with OIGs, 53 % (55) of the schools had information on their websites describing activities and opportunities that their OIGs participate in. OIGs with research and/or mentorship opportunities were associated with increases in OTOHNS matches by 32 % (P = 0.043) and 83 % (P = 0.012), respectively. ConclusionThe presence of an OIG at a medical school is associated with an increased percentage of students matching into OTOHNS from that medical school. OIGs that provide research or mentorship opportunities are associated with an increased percentage of students matching into OTOHNS from those medical schools.

Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Diversity Among Academic Surgical Leaders in the US

Surgical department chairs remain conspicuously nondiverse despite the recognized importance of diverse physician workforces. However, the extent of diversity among non-chair leadership remains underexplored. To evaluate racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of surgical department chairs, vice chairs (VCs), and division chiefs (DCs) in the US. For this cross-sectional study, publicly accessible medical school and affiliated hospital websites in the US and Puerto Rico were searched from January 15 to July 15, 2022, to collect demographic and leadership data about surgical faculty. Two independent reviewers abstracted demographic data, with up to 2 additional reviewers assisting with coding resolution as necessary. In all, 2165 faculty were included in the analyses. Proportions of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity among chairs, VCs, and DCs in general surgery and 5 surgical specialties (neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, and otolaryngology). A total of 2165 faculty (1815 males [83.8%] and 350 females [16.2%]; 109 [5.0%] African American or Black individuals; 347 [16.0%] Asian individuals; 83 [3.8%] Hispanic, Latino, or individuals of Spanish origin; and 1624 [75.0%] White individuals as well as 2 individuals [0.1%] of other race or ethnicity) at 154 surgical departments affiliated with 146 medical schools in the US and Puerto Rico were included in the analysis. There were more males than females in leadership positions at all levels-chairs (85.9% vs 14.1%), VCs (68.4% vs 31.6%), and DCs (87.1% vs 12.9%)-and only 192 leaders (8.9%) were from racial or ethnic groups that are underrepresented in medicine (URiM). Females occupied more VC than chair or DC positions both overall (31.6% vs 14.1% and 12.9%, respectively) and within racial and ethnic groups (African American or Black females, 4.0% VC vs 1.5% chair and 0.6% DC positions; P < .001). URiM individuals were most commonly VCs of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI, 51.6%) or faculty development (17.9%). Vice chairs of faculty development were split equally between males and females, while 64.5% of VCs for DEI were female. All other VCs were predominantly male. Among DC roles, URiM representation was greatest in transplant surgery (13.8%) and lowest in oral and maxillofacial surgery (5.0%). Except for breast and endocrine surgery (63.6% female), females comprised less than 20% of DC roles. Nearly half of DCs (6 of 13 [46.2%]) and VCs (4 of 9 [44.4%]) had no female URiM leaders, and notably, no American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander individuals were identified in any surgical leadership positions. While it is unclear whether promotion from VC to chair or from DC to chair is more likely, these findings of similar gender distribution between chairs and DCs suggest the latter and may partially explain persistent nondiversity among surgical chairs. Female and URiM surgical leaders are disproportionately clustered in roles (eg, VCs of DEI or faculty development) that may not translate into future promotion to department chairs.

Support of parenting in undergraduate medical training in New Zealand

Purpose This research assessed support for parents studying undergraduate medicine at a New Zealand medical school and identified requirements for additional support. Method Support documentation was sourced from Student Affairs and university and medical school websites. The Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand Medical Students Outcome and Longitudinal tracking Project was retrospectively examined for data specific to medical student parents. Student parents and medical school staff were also surveyed for their knowledge and perceptions around organisation and effectiveness of available support, and suggestions for additional support. Results Parents and expectant parents formed a consistent, likely growing sub-group studying medicine from 2008 to 2020, yet no formal student parent support policy existed until 2019. Prior to this, 67% of student parents and 47% of staff lacked knowledge of available support. Since 2020, calls for greater visibility of parenting policies and flexibility in the curriculum have been operationalised by the medical school. Conclusion Formalising policies and procedures, maximising access to parenting support resources and introducing flexibility in medical curricula can help students balancing families and medical training. This is relevant for sustainability of medicine as a career option for medical students wanting children, especially considering over half of all medical students are female.

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Medical School Admissions in Canada

Medical schools promote admission pathways as well as diversity and inclusivity to prospective students who are underrepresented in medicine (UIM) primarily via their websites. Research from organizational structures supports the use of instrumental values (which focus on behavior and core beliefs), rather than terminal values (which focus on the end goal), to promote diversity. To characterize the use of instrumental and terminal values to promote institutional diversity and inclusivity on Canadian medical school websites. This qualitative study analyzed the contents and themes of Canadian medical school websites based on a theoretical value framework and an organizational diversity management framework. A literature review was conducted to explore the use of instrumental and terminal values in promoting diversity and inclusivity, and a codebook was created that outlined the characteristics of these values. The content of all application pathway websites for UIM applicants to all Canadian medical schools was coded between July and August 2022. Use of terminal vs instrumental values across the UIM-targeted admission websites of medical schools. Twenty-two websites for 17 Canadian medical schools were included. Content on most of these websites promoted diversity in response to government policies or public accountability and often supported a dominant culture while treating diversity as an exception. The use of terminal rather than instrumental values was also more prominent on websites that targeted Indigenous prospective students compared with Black prospective students and applicants with lower socioeconomic status (11 [50%] websites vs 5 [23%] and 4 [18%] websites). Instrumental values, although seldom used, promoted diversity as a means to improve health care and training for all students in a program. Results of this qualitative study suggested that medical schools in Canada promoted diversity and inclusivity to prospective students primarily as an end goal rather than as a core value. Medical schools should highlight the benefits of diverse lived experiences and reinforce their commitment to diversity and inclusion by aligning their website content with their ongoing work in this area.

A call to enhance transparency among Egyptian medical schools

BackgroundMaking accreditation results easily accessible has become a worldwide essential issue, especially after international standards were created for medical education. The Egyptian Society for Medical Education (ESME) expects Egyptian medical schools to be more open about their accreditation results to build trust with students, families, and the community. This will help ensure newly graduated doctors are of high quality. Our literature review found almost no information on how transparent Egyptian medical school websites are with posting their accreditation results. Students and families use these websites to choose schools and be confident in the quality of education, so accreditation results should be easily accessible.MethodsThis study was conducted to estimate the information transparency of Egyptian medical colleges’ websites regarding their accreditation process. Twenty-five official websites of Egyptian medical colleges, as well as official website of the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education (NAQAAE) were reviewed. The websites’ search considers two main criteria for transparency. Each criterion is further divided into several information items. Data was recorded and analyzed using Research Electronic Data Capture software (REDCap). The authors excluded, from the data analysis, newly established schools of less than five years of age that were not required to apply for accreditation yet.ResultsThe results of the research showed that only thirteen colleges registered their credentials on their websites. However, the amount of data available about the process, dates, and documents was very limited. Accreditation information for these thirteen schools is confirmed by information on the NAQAAE website. Other information on other important elements such as accountability and future plans was almost completely missing. Conclusion: The authors concluded that due to the lack of basic information on the websites of Egyptian medical schools about their institutional accreditation status, serious steps should be taken by medical schools and the National Accreditation Authority to encourage openness and ensure transparency towards institutional accreditation.

Conflict of interest policies at Australian medical schools.

Pharmaceutical industry exposure is widespread during medical training and may affect education and clinical decision-making. Medical faculties' conflict of interest (COI) policies help to limit this exposure and protect students against commercial influence. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence, content and strength of COI policies at Australian medical schools and changes since a previous assessment conducted in 2009. We identified policies by searching medical school and host university websites in January 2021, and contacted deans to identify any missed policies. We applied a modified version of a scorecard developed in previous studies to examine the content of COI policies. All data were coded in duplicate. COI policies were rated on a scale from 0 (no policy) to 2 (strong policy) across 11 items per medical school. Oversight mechanisms and sanctions were also assessed, and current policies were compared with the 2009 study. Of 155 potentially relevant policies, 153 were university-wide and two were specific to medical schools. No policies covered sales representatives, on-site sponsored education or free samples. Oversight of consultancies had improved substantially, with 76% of schools requiring preapproval. Disclosure policies, while usually present, were weak, with no public disclosure required. We found little indication that Australian medical students are protected from commercial influence on medical education, and there has been limited COI policy development within the past decade. More attention is needed to ensure the independence of medical education in Australia.

A survey of clinical empathy training at UK medical schools

BackgroundThe benefits of enhancing practitioner empathy include better patient outcomes and improved job satisfaction for practitioners. Evidence suggests empathy can be taught and empathy is listed as an outcome for graduates in the General Medical Council requirements. Despite this, empathy training is not mandatory on medical school curricula and the extent to which medical students are given empathy-specific training is unknown.AimTo conduct a survey of empathy training currently offered to medical students in UK medical schools.MethodsAn invitation to participate in an online survey was sent to all UK medical schools (n = 40). The survey was developed through a consultancy and pilot process to ensure validity and reliability. Questions explored what empathy-focused training is offered, and asked educators whether or not they believed that current provision of empathy training is sufficient. In parallel, medical school websites were searched to identify what information regarding empathy-focused training is described as being part of the degree course. Descriptive statistics were used to describe empathy training delivery from the results of the online materials survey and closed survey questions. Thematic analysis was used to explore free text comments.ResultsResponse rate was 70% (28/40), with 28 medical schools included in the analysis. Twenty-six schools reported that their undergraduate curriculum included some form of empathy-focused training with variation in what, when and how this is delivered. Thematic analysis revealed two overarching themes with associated sub-themes: (i) empathy-focused training and development (considering where, when and how empathy training should be integrated); (ii) challenges presented by including empathy on the curriculum (considering the system, students and faculty). All schools agreed empathy training should be on the undergraduate curriculum.ConclusionThis is the first nationwide survey of empathy-focused training at UK medical schools. While some form of empathy-focused training appears to be provided on the undergraduate curriculum at most UK medical schools, empathy is rarely specifically assessed. Most medical educators do not feel their school does enough to promote empathy and the majority would like to offer more.

Seeking Equity; Pathway Programs in Liaison Committee on Medical Education Medical Schools for Minoritized Students.

There is a paucity of data on pathway programs that seek to increase underrepresented in medicine (URiM) students in medicine. Therefore, this investigation aimed to describe the status and associations of pathway programs at US medical schools. From May to July 2021, the authors obtained information by (1) accessing pathway programs listed on the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) website, (2) reviewing websites of US medical schools, (3) calling medical schools to obtain further information. The data retrieved from the medical school websites was compiled into a 27-item checklist based on the maximum number of different items that was extracted from any of the medical school websites. The data included program characteristics, curricula, activities, and outcomes. Each program was assessed on the number of categories of which information was available. Statistical analyses determined significant associations of URiM-focused pathways and other factors. The authors identified 658 pathway programs: 153 (23%) listed on AAMC website and 505 (77%) identified from medical school websites. Only 88 (13%) programs listed outcomes and 143 (22%) had adequate website information. URiM-focused programs (48%) were independently associated with AAMC website listing (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.62, P = .001), no fees requirement (aOR = 3.33, P = .001), oversight by diversity departments (aOR = 2.05, P = .012), Medical College Admission Test preparations (aOR = 2.70, P = .001), research opportunities (aOR = 1.51, P = .022), and mentoring (aOR = 2.58., P < .001). Programs targeting K1-12 were less likely to offer mentoring, shadowing or research or include URiM students. Programs with outcomes were more likely to be college programs with longer durations and offer research, while programs listed on AAMC website provided more resources. Although pathway programs are available for URiM students, accessibility issues due to inadequate websites information and early exposure are barriers. Most programs have insufficient data on their website, including a lack of outcome data which is detrimental in today's virtual climate. Medical schools should update their websites to ensure that students requiring support to matriculate into medical school have adequate and relevant information to make informed decisions regarding participation.

Gender Distribution of Deans Among US Medical Schools: Towards Equity in Academic Medicine

Less than half of medical school professorships and decanal ranks are held by women. Our study investigates the gender-based geographical distribution and differences in lifetime peer-reviewed publications, H-index, and grant funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of all allopathic medical school deans in the United States (US). A cross-sectional cohort study utilizing data from US allopathic medical school websites, PubMed, and the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools regarding lifetime peer-reviewed publications and quantity/monetary sum of NIH grants received by medical school deans. Descriptive statistics, independent sample T-tests, and ANOVA were performed with statistical significance defined as P < 0.05. Women occupied 33/157 (21.0%) dean positions overall. Compared to women, men possess higher mean number of lifetime peer-reviewed publications (112.0vs. 55.2, P=0.001) and H-index (43.2vs. 25.7, P=0.001); however, there are no differences in the mean number of NIH grants (27.5vs. 19.1, P=0.323) nor mean total NIH funding received ($18,931,336vs. $14,289,529, P=0.524). While significant differences in mean H-index between all US regions were found (P=0.002), no significant differences exist between major US regions regarding the mean lifetime publication count (P=0.223), NIH grants received (P=0.200), nor total NIH funding (P=0.824) received. A significant discrepancy in the gender distribution, lifetime peer-reviewed publications, and H-index of allopathic medical school deans exists across the US, highlighting the need for adequate support for women in academic medicine. Greater implementation of mentorship, increased institutional support, and diversity training can improve the representation of women in medical school decanal positions.

Hahn-PCNN-CNN: an end-to-end multi-modal brain medical image fusion framework useful for clinical diagnosis

BackgroundIn medical diagnosis of brain, the role of multi-modal medical image fusion is becoming more prominent. Among them, there is no lack of filtering layered fusion and newly emerging deep learning algorithms. The former has a fast fusion speed but the fusion image texture is blurred; the latter has a better fusion effect but requires higher machine computing capabilities. Therefore, how to find a balanced algorithm in terms of image quality, speed and computing power is still the focus of all scholars.MethodsWe built an end-to-end Hahn-PCNN-CNN. The network is composed of feature extraction module, feature fusion module and image reconstruction module. We selected 8000 multi-modal brain medical images downloaded from the Harvard Medical School website to train the feature extraction layer and image reconstruction layer to enhance the network’s ability to reconstruct brain medical images. In the feature fusion module, we use the moments of the feature map combined with the pulse-coupled neural network to reduce the information loss caused by convolution in the previous fusion module and save time.ResultsWe choose eight sets of registered multi-modal brain medical images in four diease to verify our model. The anatomical structure images are from MRI and the functional metabolism images are SPECT and 18F-FDG. At the same time, we also selected eight representative fusion models as comparative experiments. In terms of objective quality evaluation, we select six evaluation metrics in five categories to evaluate our model.ConclusionsThe fusion image obtained by our model can retain the effective information in source images to the greatest extent. In terms of image fusion evaluation metrics, our model is superior to other comparison algorithms. In terms of time computational efficiency, our model also performs well. In terms of robustness, our model is very stable and can be generalized to multi-modal image fusion of other organs.

Content and Functionality of United States Medical School Websites

IntroductionMost medical school applicants use the internet as a source of information when applying for medical school. Previous analyses have evaluated residency and fellowship websites; however, an in-depth analysis of medical school websites is lacking.MethodsWe evaluated 192 United States (US) medical school websites for presence or absence of 39 items relevant to medical school applicants. Items fell into seven general categories: curriculum, research, demographics of incoming class, admissions information, faculty, financial aid, and social.ResultsOf the 192 websites evaluated (152 allopathic and 40 osteopathic schools), websites contained a mean of 23 items (59%) with a standard deviation of 4.2 items.ConclusionOur study examining US medical school websites revealed a lack of online information for medical school applicants. As medical school interviews transition to being online during the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of the medical school website to applicants becomes increasingly crucial. The information contained in our study could be used to improve the functionality and quality of information on medical school websites, which could help both applicants and the medical schools themselves.

P73 LEARN: uroLogical tEAching in bRitish medical schools Nationally - a national retrospective multi-centre audit of urology teaching across British medical schools

IntroductionUrological conditions account for approximately 25% of acute surgical referrals and 10-15% of general practitioner appointments. In 2012, the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) produced ‘An Undergraduate Syllabus for Urology’, advising on common clinical areas of urology that must be covered during undergraduate medical training. However, its uptake nationally remains unknown. This project aims to assess undergraduate urology teaching across UK medical schools.MethodsA targeted advertising drive using social media, medical school societies, websites and newsletters was performed over 4 weeks. Collaborators are responsible for recruiting survey respondents (year 2 medical students to foundation year 1 (FY1) doctors). Survey respondents will complete a REDCap survey retrospectively assessing their urology teaching to date. The primary objective is to compare current urology teaching in medical schools across the United Kingdom with the BAUS undergraduate syllabus.ResultsCurrently, 522 collaborators have registered from 36 medical schools nationally. Of these collaborators, 6.32% (33/522) are FY1s and 93.68% (489/522) are medical students. Each collaborator will be responsible for recruiting at least 15 survey respondents to be eligible for PubMed-indexed collaborator authorship.ConclusionLEARN has recruited successfully to date, with all collaborators from the medical student and FY1 cohort. With the role of collaborators to further recruit survey respondents, LEARN will provide the most representative and thorough evaluation of UK undergraduate urological teaching to date. It will provide evidence to support changes in the medical school curriculum, and allow re-evaluation of the current national undergraduate BAUS syllabus.

Elements of Pregnancy and Parenthood Policies of Importance to Medical Students and Included in a Sample of Medical Schools' Websites and Student Handbooks.

Background: Medical students who are parents or considering parenthood often want information about school policies. An earlier survey of 194 medical students from one U.S. school examined seven “elements that [students thought] should be included in a school policy on pregnancy/maternity leave.” For example, students want to know “how much time a student can take off during medical school and still graduate with their class.” We performed multivariate and multivariable analyses of the University of South Dakota survey to understand its generalizability and usefulness.Methods: The earlier survey also included 35 demographic variables about individual students. We tested empirically for associations between the demographics and the seven policy items, thereby evaluating generalizability of the survey results to different demographic groups. We then surveyed public websites of a sample of U.S. medical schools to evaluate usefulness of the knowledge of the seven items. For the 33 surveyed schools, we documented if each of the items was present on publicly available webpages and handbooks.Results: The seven items had content validity as a necessary and sufficient set of items. There also were no significant associations of the items with demographic variables. Therefore, there is little chance that differences among medical schools in their average demographic would affect the items needed for their websites and student handbooks.Among the surveyed medical school websites, 1 of 33 had all seven items (upper 95% confidence limit: 14% of schools nationally would be expected to have all seven items shown).Conclusions: These findings show that it is known what information students want to know about in a school policy on pregnancy and parental leave. Adding these items to public websites is a necessary and an easily actionable intervention to help current and future medical students.

Poor match rates of osteopathic applicants into ACGME dermatology and other competitive specialties.

There has been a steady increase in the number of osteopathic (DO) medical students in the United States without a corresponding increase in DO representation in competitive specialties. To investigate the trends and impact of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education(ACGME) single accreditation system on DO match rates into dermatology and other competitive specialty programs. Information was collected through public databases (Electronic Residency Application Service [ERAS]; National Resident Matching Program [NRMP]; Association of American Medical Colleges [AAMC]; National Match Service, Inc. [NMS]; and the ACGME) to evaluate the match statistics of competitive specialties, including dermatology, otolaryngology, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, and plastic surgery. Residency program and medical school websites and residency communications were used to confirm whether the match placements were to programs that had traditionally been ACGME-accredited or former American Osteopathic Association (AOA) programs. From 2012 to 2016 (pre-unification), osteopathicgraduates comprised only 0.5% of the matches the specific specialties studied here and only 0.9% of ACGME dermatology positions. Post-unification (2017-2019), DOs comprised 2.0% of the matches into these specialties and 4.4% of the total ACGME dermatology positions. This apparent increase is misleading, as it is solely due to the transition of formerly AOA programs to ACGME status. The true post-unification DO match rate to traditionally ACGME programs is actually 0.6% for all competitive specialties and 0.4% for dermatology. Post-unification, 27.6% of formerly AOA positions in these competitive specialties were filled by allopathic (MD) applicants. DO match rates into dermatology and other competitive specialties were poor prior to GME unification and continue to remain low. This situation, when coupled with the closing of many AOA programs and MDs matching into former AOA positions, threatens the future of osteopathic physicians in competitive specialties. Osteopathic recognition is one way to potentially help preserve osteopathic representation and philosophy in the single accreditation system era. Programs should not be hesitant to consider osteopathic applicants for competitive specialties.

A novel privacy-supporting 2-class classification technique for brain MRI images

Developing automated Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) framework for assisting radiologists in a fast and effective classification of brain Magnetic Resonance (MR) images is of great importance, given plausible usage of Electronic Health Records (EHR) in healthcare system. This work aims at proposing two novel privacy supporting classifiers for automatic segregation of brain MR images. To ensure privacy, our article employs a spatial steganographic approach to hide patients sensitive health information in brain images itself. Proposed methods employ Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) for extracting relevant features from original and stego images. Subsequently, Symmetrical Uncertainty Ranking (SUR) and Probabilistic Principal Components Analysis (PPCA) are used to obtain a reduced feature vector for Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Filtered Classifier (FC) respectively. The experiments are carried out on two benchmark datasets DS-75 and DS-160 collected from Harvard Medical School website and one larger input pool of self-collected dataset NITR-DHH. To validate this work, the proposed schemes are experimented on both original and stego brain MR images and are compared against eight state-of-the-art classification techniques with respect to six standard parameters. The results reveal that the proposed techniques are robust and scalable with respect to the size of the datasets. Moreover, it is concluded that applying steganographic algorithm on brain MR images yield equally satisfactory classification rate.

Classification of Brain MRI for Alzheimer’s Disease Detection Based on Ensemble Machine Learning

Background: Machine learning is now a powerful tool to help improve medical disorders diagnosis. One of its critical applications is the classification or clustering of neurodegenerative disease by pattern recognition methods based on biomedical signals and medical images. Early detection of these diseases is always useful and vital. In this study, we focused on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as a type of dementia leading to problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. This disease was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906 when he inspected a female patient who died of an unusual mental illness. According to recent studies, four stages are introduced for AD, including pre-dementia, early AD, moderate AD, and advanced AD. There are several methods for AD diagnosis that include mental status evaluation, physical exam, and neurological exam, based on different imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Several methods have been introduced until now for the classification and detection of AD using machine learning algorithms, such as the classification of AD with discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and single linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifiers and differentiation of AD from normal based on T2-weighted MRI with shearlet transform (ST) and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) classifiers. Objectives: In this work, we proposed a methodology based on DWT with three-level decomposition feature extraction (Figure 1). Methods: Based on statistics (mean, variance, skewness) of features and principal component analysis (PCA) for dimension reduction, we used five classifiers, including multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) (Figure 2), KNN, support vector machine (SVM) (Figure 3), and naive Bayesian (NB) with the majority vote method to fuse them into one ensemble classifier. Results: The proposed methodology was evaluated using 100 T2-weighted MRI of AD and cognitive normal (CN) subjects, which were chosen from the Harvard Medical School website. The accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity achieved from our methodology were 95%, 90%, and 100%, respectively by using a 10-fold cross-validation strategy. Conclusion: Our study showed that the stacking method for classification of AD and CN was better than using one classifier and comparable with state-of-the-art methods.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Teaching: Evaluation of theTeaching-Learning Process of Integrative Practices in Brazilian Medical Schools

ABSTRACT Context Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) are unconventional care practices that, according to the World Health Organization, should be implemented in the Health System, particularly in poor regions of the country. In Brazil, they have been adopted by Care Programs and introduced into undergraduate medical education. In this study we were interested in evaluating the teaching-learning process of Integrative Practices in Brazilian medical schools. Methodology A cross-sectional study was carried out at Brazilian medical schools with a self-administered questionnaire for teachers and a secondary data survey was obtained from medical school websites and government database institutions. For the presentation of the variables, frequency distribution and the Pearson coefficient (X2) -Chi-square tests were used. The proportions were compared using the Chi-square test or the Fisher’s Exact Test. When the expected value of a contingency table was equal to or greater than 5, the Chi-square test was used; in all other situations, Fisher’s Exact Test was used. The difference between proportions was estimated by the Odds Ratio, calculated through simple logistic regression (95% CI). Results 57 of the 272 medical schools in Brazil address CAM, with it being proportionally higher in the South and Mid-West regions. The medical schools are highly concentrated in state capitals, and the Northeast region presents a significant concentration of medical schools with CAM in the capitals. The number of schools with active and traditional methodologies in CAM is equivalent. Homeopathy, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine predominate, with a minority using Indigenous Practices, Chronotherapy and Anthroposophic Medicine. The new educational guidelines have not affected the number of schools with CAM. Growth in CAM has been insignificant (p &lt;0.05) in the last ten years. Conclusion There has been no growth in teaching Complementary and Alternative Medicine in undergraduate medical training in Brazil since the introduction of the new curricular guidelines, even in view of the needs of the health system.

Equal Opportunities? Examining Global Health teaching at UK medical schools

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. IntroductionIn an increasingly international and interdependent world, the need for global health teaching is becoming more recognized, both for current and prospective medical students. In this study, we looked to assess available information about global health teaching provision at UK medical schools in the context of the new GMC guidance.MethodsWe collected data about global health teaching in medical schools using three methodologies: 1. Information advertised on medical school websites; 2. Emailing medical school admissions offices; 3. Circulating a survey to medical students through Students for Global Health (then Medsin). We then assessed each university in 5 domains: Student-selected components, intercalated degrees, clearly defined teaching provision within the curriculum, extracurricular activity and dedicated institutes of global health. ResultsThe most common provision was extracurricular activities, the least a dedicated Institute of Global Health. Over half of all UK medical schools offered a Student Selected Component (SSC) option or Masters degree in global health. Only 11 of 33 UK medical schools had specific evidence of global health teaching within the core curriculum. When compared to previous literature regarding professional guidelines, global health teaching provision and information regarding it falls short of the required standards.ConclusionsInformation about global health teaching, both on the curriculum and extra-curricula, at UK medical schools is not universally available for prospective medical students. Although increased teaching within the core curriculum at every medical school may be impractical due to time restrictions, a global health SSC should be available to all students to provide the opportunity of further in-depth study for those who wish to further their knowledge and skills in the area.

Every picture tells astory: Content analysis of medical school website and prospectus images in the United Kingdom.

IntroductionThe decision-making process for students as to which medical schools to apply to is open to many factors and influences. Research has identified several factors which influence prospective students’ choice of medical school and career. There is also evidence that websites and prospectuses may be creating potential barriers to widening access.MethodsThe websites and prospectuses of 33 medical schools in the United Kingdom were searched for relevant images. These images and the people in them were subjected to inclusion/exclusion criteria. Data about the images and people were recorded so that a content analysis could be performed. The relative proportions were compared with pre-existing data relating to the medical profession and society.ResultsFrom 33 medical schools, 650 images were included, with 1,817 people depicted. The largest group for the assumed roles was ‘student’, as expected, with 1,423 people (78%). For the overall theme of the image, community placement themed images made up only 2% of images (14) and hospital placement themed images made up 24% (154). Chi-squared goodness of fit showed statistically significant results for most groups of data when comparing ethnicity, the overall theme of the image and assumed specialty group, but not when comparing gender.DiscussionIn conclusion, for gender, medical schools are accurately reflecting national data. However, for ethnicity medical schools fail to accurately represent national data, leading to incorrect signalling about the ethnic makeup of their students. Additionally, medical schools are signalling to students a strong preference for hospital-based settings, despite a strong national drive to recruit more general practitioners.