Medical Students In Turkey Research Articles

Factors associated with substance use among preclinical medical students in Turkey: a cross-sectional study.

Medical students experience high levels of stress due to their rigorous training, which can negatively affect their mental health. This study aimed to investigate substance use habits of medical students at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa and the association on their mental health and demographic factors. This cross-sectional survey study was conducted in March-April 2022 among preclinical medical students (years 1-3 of a 6-year program). A confidential, anonymous online survey consisting of four sections on sociodemographic and educational characteristics, nicotine use and dependence [Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND)], alcohol use [Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)], mental health status [12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)], was distributed to 1131 students via WhatsApp and Telegram text messages. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests compared variables' distribution in the questionnaire categories. Spearman's correlation assessed associations between scales. Significance was p < 0.05. The study included 190 medical students. A total of 26.3% of the participants were smokers, with 8.4% showing moderate to high levels of nicotine dependence. An estimated 45.8% and 8.4%reported low-risk consumption and risky usage of alcohol, respectively. There were statistically significant associations between substance use and demographic factors such as sex, GPA, and religious belief. The study found a statistically significant correlation between FTND scores and GHQ-12 scores, and, between FTND scores and AUDIT scores. The findings of this study will inform the development of interventions to improve the mental health and academic performance of medical students at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa. Furthermore, it will raise awareness about the importance of addressing substance use among medical students in Turkey.

Incidence of the exposure to blood and blood products and its relationship with the medical education accreditation among last grade medical students in Turkey

Abstract:&#x0D; Backgrounds: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the blood contact and needle-stick injury rates of final-year (year-6) medical students receiving their education and training at medical schools in different regions of Turkey and to analyse the relationships between blood contact and needle-stick injury and the personal variables of students and accreditation certifications of medical schools.&#x0D; Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, self-reporting questionnaires were completed anonymously by consenting final-year medical students. The study population (N = 7900) included all final-year medical students attending the 76 medical schools of Turkey. Of the 76 medical schools, 13 were selected by stratified random sampling, according to their accreditation certification and geographical location, which resulted in 2786 final-year medical students being contacted for participation. The dependent variable was percutaneous contact and the timing of the contact. The independent variables were the personal characteristics, occupational health and safety knowledge, invasive medical procedure skills, and blood-borne disease knowledge of final-year medical students, as well as, the accreditation certification of medical schools. Comparisons between groups were analysed using Cox proportional hazards regression.&#x0D; Results: 83.8% (n = 2334) of 2786 final-year medical students contacted, consented to participate. Blood contact rates of 75.2% for intact skin contact, 20.0% for mucosal contact, and 35.4% for percutaneous contact were reported; with27.0% of medical students reporting contaminated blood contact. The average percutaneous time-to-contact was 8.95 ± 0.09 months, with the percutaneous contact rate approaching 50% in the 12th month of the hazard analysis. Percutaneous contact was significantly higher in students who received no formal occupational health and safety training (OR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.11-1.50) and who attended non-accredited medical schools (OR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.26-1.66). Percutaneous contact increased significantly in medical students with increasing invasive medical procedure applying scores (OR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.04-1.09).&#x0D; Conclusion: The final year of medical education and training is a high-risk period for percutaneous contact, with the evidence suggesting that the high risks could be mediated by implementing appropriate occupational health and safety education and training. The accreditation certification of medical schools is a significant independent variable in exposure risk. The low blood-contact reporting rate among medical students is a serious concern that requires the implementation of appropriate interventional measures.&#x0D; Key words:blood contact,needle-stick injury, medical students, accreditation, occupational health and safety

Validity and reliability of the Professionalism Assessment Scale in Turkish medical students.

Medical professionalism is a basic competency in medical education. This study aimed to adapt the Professionalism Assessment Scale, which is used to evaluate the professionalism attitudes of medical students, into Turkish and to assess its validity and reliability. First, the scale's translation-back-translation was performed and piloted on 30 students. Then, the final scale was applied to medical students to ensure the scale's validity. The Penn State University College of Medicine Professionalism Questionnaire was used for external validation to assess criterion validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed for structure validity. Test-retest, item correlations, split-half analysis, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were evaluated to determine the scale's reliability. SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 24.0 package programs were used for statistical analysis. The statistical significance level was accepted as P<0.05. The mean age of the participants was 21±2 years, and 50.5% (n = 166) were female. Three hundred thirty-five students were invited, and 329 participated in the study. The response rate was 98%. The mean total Professionalism Assessment Scale score was 96.36±12.04. The three-factor structure of the scale, "empathy and humanism," "professional relationship and development," and "responsibility," was confirmed. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.94, and both the Spearman-Brown and Guttman split-half coefficients were 0.89. The three-factor structure of the scale, consisting of 22 items, explained 59.1% of the total variance. The intraclass correlation coefficient between test-retest measurements was 0.81. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a model suitable for the original version of the scale (χ2/sd = 2.814, RMSEA = 0.074). The Turkish version of the Professionalism Assessment Scale is a valid and reliable tool to determine the professionalism attitudes of medical students in Turkey.

Knowing the ABCs: teaching the principles of radiology to medical students in Turkey

BackgroundRadiology education in Turkey is mainly taught during clinical years of medical school and often lacks main principles. Exposure to the fundamentals of radiology at an early stage of medical education may drastically help students generate a better understanding of radiology and expand their interest in the specialty. With the Principles of Radiology Course that we provided, pre- and post-session tests, and assessment survey at the end of the course, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of such an online course among Turkish medical students.MethodsA total of nine online sessions on imaging modalities principles was developed by radiology professors. Each session was given through Zoom by radiologists from different U.S.-institutions to Turkish medical students from state (n = 33) and private (n = 8) universities. Pretests and post-tests were given to participants via Qualtrics before and after each session, respectively. Paired two-sample t-tests were conducted to detect the variance and p=-.05 was used as the significance level. An evaluation survey was distributed at the end of the course to collect their feedback through SurveyMonkey.ResultsA total of 1,438 predominantly Turkish (99.32%) medical students engaged with this course. An average of 506 students completed both pre-test and post-test. There was a statistically significant (p < .001) increase in the scores in post-test (mean[range]:7.58[5.21–8.53]) relative to pre-test (mean[range]:5.10[3.52–8.53]). Four hundred and thirty-nine participants (F/M:63.33%/35.54%) completed the end-of-course survey. A total of 71% and 69.70% of the participants strongly agreed that the course would be useful in their clinical practice and had increased their understanding of radiology. They also reported that their level of confidence in the subjects had increased 68% and reached a weighted average of 3.09/4. The survey revealed that 396 (90.21%) of the participants strongly or somewhat agree that introductory principles and concepts should be presented in earlier years of medical education. Compared to in-person education, 358 (81.55%) found the course extremely or very convenient.ConclusionOnline lecture series consisting of the principles of the radiological imaging modalities can be offered to Turkish medical students to enhance their grasp of the various imaging modalities and their correct clinical application.

What do Turkish, Spanish, and Pakistani medical students value in specialty training positions? A discrete choice experiment

Background:The aim of this study was to find out specialty training preferences of senior medical students from three medical schools in Turkey, Spain, and Pakistan.Methods:A Discrete Choice Experiment was carried out using an electronic form for students in three countries in 2021–2022 term. Each choice set in the form consisted of two hypothetical specialty training positions. The attributes were location, earnings, working conditions, personal perspective, quality of education, probability of malpractice, and prestige. Conditional logit model was used to estimate participants’ preferences and “willingness to accept” values.Results:The most valued attribute was “personal perspective on specialty area” for Turkish and Spanish students, while this attribute was not meaningful for Pakistani students. Turkish students needed a 204% of change in their income for a swap between the specialty that they like and not like. This tradeoff necessitated a 300% change for Spanish students. The most valued attribute for Pakistani students, which was “working conditions”, necessitated a 97% increase in income to switch from working in good conditions to working in poor conditions.Conclusion:In this first multinational DCE study in the medical education literature, we found the preferences of medical students in Turkey, Spain, and Pakistan are affected to various extents by several factors.

Risk perception and preventive behaviors among Turkish medical students during early period of the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess COVID-19 related risk perception, preventive behaviors among Turkish medical students within the two weeks after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 646 medical students (1st-6th year) in Pamukkale University with an online questionnaire. Forms were collected between 23rd to 31st of March 2020 via Google form. The questionnaire consisted of 39 questions including 12 items about sociodemographic information, 6 questions regarding COVID-19, 11 items about risk perception and 10 items regarding preventive measures about COVID-19.&#x0D; Results: The mean age of students was 21.77±2.28 years and 413 (63.8%) of them were female. The mean risk perception score of students was 22.70±4.68 (out of 44) and the mean preventive behavior score of students was 32.20±4.70 (out of 40). There was a significantly positive correlation between risk perception and preventive behavior scores. Female students, students with lower income, students whose mothers were highly educated, students who evaluated their health status as poor and who evaluated their knowledge about COVID-19 as insufficient had higher risk perception. Adoption of protective measures were higher in female students, married students, students who have chronic diseases and students who evaluated their health status as poor.&#x0D; Conclusion: Medical students in Turkey had a moderate risk perception and high preventive behaviors about COVID-19. In order to enhance students’ risk perception, educators should be more involved in the process of medical education regarding the pandemic.

Depression, Stress, Burnout and Associated Factors in Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study from a Turkish Medical School

Background: Mental problems are common among medical school students, and these problems affect social and academic functionality. It was aimed to determine depression, stress and burnout levels of medical school students in a university which constitutes 3.25% of the all medical students in Turkey. Methods: 1306 students studying in all classes at Gazi University Faculty of Medicine participated in this cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic data form, CES-Depression Scale (CES-D), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Scale (MBI-SS) were applied to the participants. Results: The mean score of the MBI-SS exhaustion subscale was 15.6, cynicism was 10.4, and the efficacy subscale was 11.7. The mean score of CES- D was 21.2 and PSS was 28.3. The prevalence of depression was estimated as 64.2%. Female participants showed higher scores in PSS, but lower scores in cynicism and efficacy. For exhaustion and cynicism, 1st graders’ scores were significantly lower than all the others. For efficacy, 4th graders’ scores were significantly lower than 1st and 6th graders’. In CES-D; the 4th graders’ scores were significantly higher than the 1st and 3rd graders’. In PSS; 4th graders’ scores were significantly higher than 1sts. Conclusion: Stress, burnout, and depressive symptoms are high in medical students, especially in 4th graders and female students. It is considered to be important to raise awareness and plan preventive services on this issue.

EEP QUALITY OF MEDICAL STUDENTS IN TURKEY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic had physical, social, and psychological effects on individuals. In this process, the psychological effects of the pandemic led to the need to examine the pandemic spiritually. Many studies have reported sleep problems in individuals. Sleep is important for cognitive, psychomotor, and emotional functions as well as physical health. Sleep quality is an important subject that should not be neglected in medical school students. This study aims to evaluate the sleep quality of medical students in Turkey during the pandemic.&nbsp; 424 students studying at Dicle University Medicine Faculty participated in the study between September-December 2020. Sociodemographic data form prepared by us, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) were administered. PSQI scores of the students were 6.77±3.44, STAI-S scores were 40.69±4.84, STAI-T scores were 44.97±5.82, CAS scores were 2.80±4.17. The PSQI score of 72.4% of the students was five and above. 40.8% of the students reported worsening in their sleep. Female gender, having the COVID-19 test or relatives with COVID-19 infection, spending 1 hour or more in a day associated with COVID-19, smoking, using alcohol or sedative medication, and increasing caffeine habits found risk factors for poor sleep quality. PSQI scores were positively correlated with STAI-S and CAS scores. According to our study, medical students had poor sleep quality in the pandemic. We should give more importance to students during and outside the pandemic because they are a risky group for psychological stressors due to young age, student status. Sleep quality in medical students is an important issue that needs to be addressed. Students should be informed about sleep hygiene rules, be supported in giving smoking, alcohol, and other bad habits, and psychosocial support units should be established in universities.

Tıp Öğrencilerinin Tıpta Uzmanlık Tercihlerini Etkileyen Faktörler Üzerine Sistematik Derleme

The aim of this study is to determine how medical students' preferences in specialty in change over time. Studies involving this subject has been compiled about the medical students in Turkey, to determine what factors affecting preferences in speciality in Thus, an overall assessment will be made and an evidence-based policy proposal will be developed regarding the results obtained. Systematic review method was used in this study. For this purpose in Turkish and English languages, ULAKBIM, Google Scholar, Science Direct database in Examination for specialty in Student and Turkey search using keywords have been made. Nine studies compatible with the determined criteria were included in the review. In this review, the factors affecting the preferences of medical students were investigated and it was found that many factors affected the preferences of the students. The result factors were categorized as before specialty education in medicine and after specialty education in medicine. This categorization has made it easier to see the results more clearly and to propose solutions. Before specialty education in process, as the most influential factors of the preferences of specialty, interest / talent in the field of specialization, perception / view of society and family desire / pressure has ben determined. After specialty education in medicine, as the most influential factors of preferences in specialty, financial satisfaction, working conditions (number of shift, working hours, ease of working), academic career opportunity, professional satisfaction, personal development, career chance and malpractice has ben determined. It was observed that the studies discussed in the review have similarities with each other in various aspects, but differed in terms of both scope and content..

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical students in Turkey.

Objective:We aimed to investigate the knowledge of medical students about COVID-19, the effects of the traumatic situation they experienced, the stress they perceived and the factors affecting them. In addition, we aimed to learn the thoughts of the students about the virus due to the uncertainties.Methods:The study was carried out online between April 30, May 5, 2020 with a questionnaire prepared with googleforms. For the study, all students studying at the Faculty of Medicine of Istanbul Yeni Yüzyıl University were called through class representatives and WhatsApp class groups. The questionnaire included sociodemographic information, knowledge and sources of information about the disease, to agreement degree the proposition whether covid 19 is produced as a biological weapon. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) were applied.Results:The total number of participants was 275 students. No student was infected with COVID-19 at the time of the survey. The presence of chronic disease in the participants was found to be a factor that increased anxiety (p = 0.01). Majority of participants (60.40%) stated that they agree with COVID-19 is a biological weapon. The mean scores of women ‘s total PSS and IES-R were higher than men. It was found that the families of the students had a lower monthly income than the minimum monthly wage is increasing the anxiety about getting COVID-19 infection and perceived stress. One-third of the students reported that sleep and appetite were impaired than the before pandemic. The announcements and website of Ministry of Health and the social media was the main source of information of the participants.Conclusions:It was found that medical students were highly worried about being infected with COVID-19. The scores obtained from the pre-clinic students’ anxiety to become infected with COVID-19, PSS and IES-R total scores were found to be significantly higher than their clinical students.

Socially Responsible Leadership: A study with nursing and medical students in Turkey.

This study determined the levels of Socially Responsible Leadership of students studying in the nursing and medical faculties of a public university as well as the influencing variables. The sample of this descriptive and correlational study consisted of the students studying in the nursing and medical faculties of a public university (n = 464). The data were collected using the Socially Responsible Leadership Scale. The total and all subscale scores obtained by the nursing and medical students from the Socially Responsible Leadership Scale were in the middle level. The effects of the department and participation in student clubs were statistically significant in the model when examining the variables affecting leadership level. The results of this study revealed the necessity of improving the Socially Responsible Leadership levels in the basic professional education programs for physicians and nurses.

Study preferences in anatomy education: a descriptive study including preliminary results

Objectives: In anatomical education, there is a lack of consensus about the best or most efficient method used. Additionally, the learning style of students varies, and information related with the medical students’ preferences for learning anatomy is rather limited. Thus, this article aimed to identify the study preferences of medical students in Turkey. Methods: Ninety-seven medical students aged between 19–26 years participated in the study. Participants were asked 16 questions related with the education system and study preferences of anatomy. Nine of the questions were related with the education system of their school in general and in terms of anatomy and seven of the questions were related with their way of studying anatomy, including time spent for studying, preference for a group or individual study, study materials and methods. Results: 88.6% of the respondents indicated that integrated medical education was the education system used in their schools. Systematic anatomy was the main method (93.8%) chosen for anatomy. Plastic models were the most frequent preference for lab studies (90.7%) followed by prosections (58.8%), specimens (30.9%) and cadaver dissections (21.6%). Majority of the respondents preferred studying anatomy alone (86.6%). Furthermore, students stated their preference of study methods as one or more at the same time, and the distribution of these methods were as follows: correlation of structures with relations (53.6%), functions (52.6%), clinical situations (30.9%), memorizing with mnemonics (53.6%) or tables and lists (45.4%), flash cards (7.2%), and regular repetitions (40.2%). Conclusion: Study preferences may lead changes in anatomy curricula in the future.

Smoking Cessation and Attitudes, Belief, Observation, and Education of Medical Students, in Turkey

Tobacco use is an important public health problem around the world.Aim of this study is to assess attitudes,belief and observation of the students on smoking cessation and medical education. This study is part of a multi-country study called "Global Health Profession Student Survey". The study population consisted of third year medical students in Turkey. The sample consisted of a total of 1834 medical students from randomly selected 12 medical schools. Of the students, 1209 (92.1%)thought that health professionals should get specific training on cessation techniques, and that health professionals should serve as "role models" for their patients and the public. The percentage of the students who answered "Health professionals should routinely advise their patients who smoke to quit smoking" was 1211 (93.3%). Of the students, 1204 (60.8%) responded that health professionals who use other tobacco products were less likely to advise patients to stop smoking. The percentage of the students who had received a formal training on smoking cessation approaches was 48.2% (1196). Of the students, 91.5% (1203) had heard of nicotine replacement therapies in tobacco cessation programs. More than half of smokers tried to quit smoking last year, and majority of them did not take professional help or advice. Majority of students are aware of health professionals' role on smoking cessation. Most of the students are willingness to take specific formal training on tobacco. Student's behaviours and attitudes were different by gender and smoking status.Improvement of tobacco cessation issues in medical curricula will be beneficial.

Knowledge of, perceptions of, attitudes and practices regarding epilepsy among medical students in Turkey.

Medical practitioners' attitudes have a significant impact on the quality of care for patients with epilepsy. This study was conducted to assess the current level of knowledge about epilepsy and treatment together with attitudes and perception toward patients with epilepsy among medical students in Turkey. The study was conducted using a structured questionnaire to assess knowledge, awareness, and practices about epilepsy among medical students at Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey. Eight hundred and ninety subjects were interviewed, and 73.5% reported their awareness about epilepsy. Of these, 38.1% knew someone who had epilepsy, and 38.5% had witnessed an epileptic seizure. Although most of the students had heard about epilepsy, 38.4% of the students believed that epilepsy was primarily a genetic disease. About one-fifth of the students attributed the causes of epilepsy to vitamin deficiency (8.8%) and psychiatric (19.1%), infectious (19.5%), mental (4.4%), and hematological disorders (3.4%). According to 4.8% of the students, epilepsy could be a punishment from God, and 2.1% of students thought that it could be caused by an evil spirit. Eighty-eight percent considered epilepsy as a dangerous disease, and most of them thought that epilepsy is a lifelong condition. Fifty point six percent indicated that putting an object into the patient's mouth to prevent tongue-biting during a seizure is appropriate while 91.9% stated that drug therapy was the only treatment available for epilepsy. The most common negative attitudes toward people with epilepsy were students' objection to marrying someone with epilepsy and patients with epilepsy having children. Misconceptions about the causes, treatment, and nature of epilepsy are common among medical students at a Turkish medical school. Negative attitudes toward patients with epilepsy still exist. Medical school training programs should be designed to increase awareness of students about epilepsy.

Preparation for a Postgraduate Specialty Examination by Medical Students in Turkey: Processes and Sources of Anxiety

Phenomenon: Interns in Turkey must endeavor to study for a specialty exam during their internship. The preparation process for the specialty exam and the effect of this process on the students’ anxiety has not been studied comprehensively. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interns’ preparation time for the specialty exam, their perception of how the preparation process affects their training, and which factors are related to their test anxiety. Approach: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 6th-year students (interns). A questionnaire asked participants to report health status, academic achievement, exam-related anxiety, and trait anxiety. Two open-ended questions asked about views regarding the specialty exam. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the significant predictors of anxiety level due to the exam. Findings: The average duration of exam preparations of participating interns (n = 214) was 16.8 months and 14.3 hours/week. Participating interns’ health status, economic level, perception of academic achievement, time allocated to study for the exam, time remaining until the exam, and trait anxiety level demonstrated a relationship with anxiety level due to the exam (R =.35, R2 =.13, p <.001). In the open-ended questions, the most frequent opinion regarding the importance of the Examination for Specialty in Medicine was “Value attributed to specialization” (43%). The most frequent response regarding the contribution of studying for the specialty exam to their general professional skills was “Rehearsal/recall.” Insights: Participating interns spent an appreciable amount of time preparing for the specialty exam. Although participating interns value this exam, they appear to believe that preparing for it will contribute only moderately to their professional competencies, while increasing their anxiety level. The internship curriculum, requirements, and timing of the specialty exam should be reconsidered.

Exploring first grade medical students’ professional identity using metaphors: implications for medical curricula

BackgroundAlthough professional identity development is an important concept in medical education, the process has not been well-investigated from a student perspective.PurposeThis study examines the metaphorical images formulated by first grade medical students in Turkey to describe physicians in the context of establishing a professional identity, along with its limitations.MethodParticipants (N=148) completed the prompt: A physician is like _____ because _____ to indicate their conceptualizations of physician. The data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively.ResultsAltogether, 71 well-articulated metaphorical images were identified – comprising six conceptual themes.ConclusionsWhile subject to some limitations, the use of metaphors to formulate and describe professional identities can be helpful in reflecting the personal beliefs and values of matriculants to medical school, as well as providing some guidance and feedback to curriculum development efforts.

Knowledge and attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine among medical students in Turkey

ObjectiveThis study aims to examine knowledge and attitudes towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine among medical students in Turkey, and find out whether they want to be trained in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out between October and December 2010 among medical students. Data were collected from a total of seven medical schools.FindingsThe study included 943 medical students. The most well known methods among the students were herbal treatment (81.2 %), acupuncture (80.8 %), hypnosis (78.8 %), body-based practices including massage (77 %) and meditation (65.2 %), respectively. Acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbal treatment and meditation were better known among female participants compared to males (p < 0.05). Females and first year students, generally had more positive attitudes. A larger proportion of female students compared to male students reported that a doctor should be knowledgeable about CAM (p = 0.001), and this knowledge would be helpful in their future professional lives (p = 0.015). Positive attitudes towards and willingness to receive training declined as the number of years spent in the faculty of medicine increased.ConclusionsMajority of the medical students were familiar with the CAM methods widely used in Turkey, while most of them had positive attitudes towards CAM as well as willingness to receive training on the subject, and they were likely to recommend CAM methods to their patients in their future professional lives. With its gradual scientific development and increasing popularity, there appears a need for a coordinated policy in integrating CAM into the medical curriculum, by taking expectations of and feedback from medical students into consideration in setting educational standards.

Migraine prevalence, alexithymia, and post-traumatic stress disorder among medical students in Turkey

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of migraine, alexithymia, and post-traumatic stress disorder among medical students at Cumhuriyet University of Sivas in Turkey. A total of 250 medical students participated in this study and answered the questionnaires. The study was conducted in three stages: the self-questionnaire, the neurological evaluation, and the psychiatric evaluation. In the first stage, the subjects completed a questionnaire to assess migraine symptoms and completed the three-item Identification of Migraine Questionnaire, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version Scale. The subjects who reported having a migraine underwent a detailed neurological evaluation conducted by a neurologist to confirm the diagnosis. In the final stage, the subjects with a migraine completed a psychiatric examination using the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV-R Axis I. The actual prevalence of migraine among these medical students was 12.6 %. The students with a migraine were diagnosed with alexithymia and post-traumatic stress disorder more frequently than those without migraine. The Migraine Disability Assessment Scale scores correlated with the post-traumatic stress disorder scores. The results of this study indicate that migraine was highly prevalent among medical students in Turkey and was associated with the alexithymic personality trait and comorbid psychiatric disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder. Treatment strategies must be developed to manage these comorbidities.

High Clonal Diversity ofStaphylococcus aureusIsolates in Nasal Swab Samples of Medical Students in Turkey

High Clonal Diversity of<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>Isolates in Nasal Swab Samples of Medical Students in Turkey

An overview of undergraduate physiology education in Turkish medical faculties

Physiology education, which occupies an important place in undergraduate medical education, exhibits diversities across the world. Since there was no specific source of information about physiology education in Turkish medical faculties, the authors aimed to evaluate the general status of undergraduate physiology teaching of medical students in Turkey. A questionnaire designed for the program used for medical students was sent to the physiology departments of 38 faculties that had academic personnel and had carried out medical education for at least 3 years. It questioned the educational load, content, and duration of the lectures, written materials, techniques, assessment methods, basic equipments, and subjects used in practical sessions. All 38 departments answered the questionnaire. This study investigating 38 faculties showed that the content and time devoted to lectures and practical sessions (169 and 35 h) differed, as it does throughout the world, and teaching laboratories constituting 17% of total physiology education were performed and assessed by all of the departments. The practical hours correlated with the number of teaching staff. Our results indicated an insufficient number of teaching staff with a heavy educational load. This survey showed that the number of teaching staff is critical for practical sessions. Considering that the actual number of medical schools is 61 schools, with some established but not yet admitting students and educating with their own staff, if the requirements for teaching staff are not met, physiology education in Turkey will face important problems in the coming years.