Perceptions Of Medical Students Research Articles

"I really liked the chance to talk about it": Students' Reflections on the Process of Completing Paper Puzzles, a Novel Active Learning Activity.

Research shows active learning is an effective teaching method. However, few qualitative studies explore medical student perceptions of the active learning process. The present study explored what students thought about while completing paper puzzles, an active learning tool used at the University of Utah School of Medicine, to understand what and how medical students think while engaged in active learning. To investigate second-year medical students' attitudes toward these active learning exercises, three Zoom-based focused groups were held and recorded throughout the course. Recordings were transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. Students reported that peer interactions were of high value, and that while some interactions and thought processes were action-oriented, others were more metacognitive. Other benefits of the activity included promotion of learning, provision of structure, and designation of high-yield concepts. Challenges included feelings of confusion, problems with timing or difficulty of the tasks, and low utility without adequate preparation. These findings reflect student-acknowledged pros and cons of active learning described in education literature and add further insight into the thoughts and conversations students have during active learning activities. These include practicing metacognitive skills, triaging information, and learning from peers. These data further elucidate student perceptions of active learning activities in medical education. Though focused on a specific activity, the data can help medical educators understand what students appreciate about active learning and what they think about while engaged in such activities. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01682-y.

Checklist-based active learning in anatomy demonstration sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic: Perception of medical students

Human anatomy is an essential component of the medical curricula. Anatomy education has been significantly affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to explore student's perceptions on a blended learning approach using Checklist-based Active Learning in Anatomy Demonstration Sessions (CALADS) as a method in comparison to the two previously used methods; namely face-to-face Structured Problem-Related Anatomy Demonstrations (SPRAD) and online anatomy learning. A comparative, cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted. The survey was composed of 13 questions that explored preference of learning anatomy in demonstration sessions of 4th year pre-clerkship students who have had their anatomy learning through face-to-face SPRAD in year 2 (before the COVID-19 pandemic), online in year 3 (during the COVID-19 pandemic), and CALADS method in year 4. Descriptive statistics were used, and the level of significance was set at P<0.05. The survey exhibited high internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.953). Validity of the survey was established through exploratory factor analysis. The preferred method for more than half of the students was the CALADS method. Face-to-face SPRAD came next and lastly came the online method. However, more students preferred the online method in comparison to face-to-face method for "learning radiological anatomy". There were no statistically significant differences between male and female students regarding any of the survey questions. CALADS method, as a hybrid, student-centered, interactive learning method of learning practical anatomy, was preferred by pre-clerkship students as a more effective method in understanding anatomy than face-to-face and online learning methods.

Are online mock interviews an effective method of preparing for medical specialty applications?

Medical specialty applications typically include a structured interview or series of interviews. Since 2021, due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, these interviews have been conducted online, using a range of platforms. This has necessitated changes to the format of some of the interviews and may require interviewees to develop a new skill set compared to what they require for traditional face-to-face interviews. Studies looking at the USA residency matching programme demonstrate that interviewees prefer face-to-face interviews and feel they are more likely to be able to present themselves to their satisfaction [1]. Online interviews have several intrinsic disadvantages: transmission of non-verbal cues are limited; the possibility of poor audio-visual coordination can disrupt the natural flow of conversation; and the combination of these issues can negatively impact application impression and interviewer rating [2]. With this in mind, we developed a programme of online mock interviews, aimed at foundation doctors and clinical fellows applying for CT/ST1 level training posts. The programme was offered in January 2021, just before the core interview period. All foundation doctors and clinical fellows in the Trust were given the opportunity to sign up for an online mock interview. The interviews were conducted via Teams, followed the format specified by the relevant Royal College, and were conducted by consultants or registrars from that specialty. Following the interview, the interviewers gave feedback and advice on performance. Interviewees were invited to give feedback via an online survey. Thirty-two mock interviews were conducted, and twenty participants gave feedback. 100% of respondents stated they were ‘Very likely’ to recommend the mock interviews to a colleague; 100% felt the mock interview and feedback were ‘Quite helpful’ or ‘Very helpful’ in preparing for their interview. Qualitative comments from interviewees included: that they valued the mock interview following the same format as the actual interview; that the feedback was beneficial; and that it was useful to have two interviewers. Suggestions for improvements included: allowing more time for feedback; and providing two mock interviews to allow interviewees to implement suggested changes. Overall, this mock online interview programme was a valued and beneficial method for potential applicants to practise for their interviews. We hope to continue this programme in the future and will incorporate the above suggestions. 1. Seifi A, Mirahmadizadeh A, Eslami V. Perception of medical students and residents about virtual interviews for residency applications in the United States. PLoS One. 2020;15(8):e0238239 2. McCain C, Kemp B, Baier MB, Zea AH, Sabottke C, Schachner ER, Pirtle C, McLean A, Maupin R, Detiege P, Spieler B. A Framework for the Virtual Medical Interview Process: Considerations for the Applicant and the Interviewer. Ochsner J. 2022;22(1):61–70.

Online learning during COVID-19 pandemic –Medical students’ perception

Introduction and Aim: A sudden shift of medical education from physical class teaching to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic created concern in both the students and teachers. The aim of the study is to evaluate the perception of medical students towards online learning during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Materials and Methods: This observational study included all the MBBS students of our institution. The study was conducted after obtaining ethical clearance from the Institutional Ethics Committee. A validated questionnaire was used to collect the information. The data was analysed using the statistical software SPSS-28. Demographic variables were expressed in terms of frequencies and percentages. Data was analysed using Chi square test and Mann Whitney U test. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Five hundred sixty-five students of both genders out of total 600 (94%) participated. 54.3% experienced online classes for the first time and 48.1% studied online for 3-6 hrs. They liked recorded MP4 videos of their own teachers. Majority felt that online classes should be more interactive. They did not want the online classes to continue after the pandemic and opined that online classes cannot replace classroom teaching. Majority agreed that online learning saved time of travel, saves cost, was flexible but practical knowledge and interaction with teachers and patients was lacking. They experienced additional stress and their examination results are affected. Conclusion: Online learning is a less effective mode for learning practical skills and may be used as a supplementary mode to teach a few elective topics.

Bad things can happen: are medical students aware of patient centered care and safety?

Quality and safety in healthcare are of the utmost importance, but little is known about whether undergraduate students are aware of patient safety concepts. The objectives of our study were to assess the perception of medical students of challenges in patient safety, and collect their perceptions of error management and prevention. This study used an exploratory mixed method strategy. The first study phase collected data from semi-structured interviews of 28 students. Based on this, an online survey was constructed and sent to about 80,000 medical students in Germany. 1053 replies were received and analyzed for responses based on gender, curriculum type (problem based [PBC] vs. science based curriculum [SBC]) and years of training. Most students understand the importance of patient safety, error avoidance, and the challenges of patient safety interventions. Four themes were identified: (a)the culture of patient safety (what is a good doctor? Doctors' responsibility), (b)the working environment (the inevitability of mistakes, high work load, hierarchy, competition, teamwork), (c)the challenges of risk reduction (error avoidance, management, skills), and (d)materialistic issue (income vs. humanistic values). Female students were more risk aware than male students. Sixteen percent of students expect negative effects (e.g. punishment) when medical errors were disclosed in a team. Regardless, >70% regard teamwork as an effective error avoidance measure. Error disclosure willingness was high (89.7%). Although not formally part of the curriculum, students had a positive perspective concerning patient safety. The opportunities and challenges for incorporating patient safety content into the training curriculum were identified and presented.

PERCEPTION OF SECOND-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS ON SEMINAR AS A TEACHING-LEARNING METHOD

Objectives: The present study was carried out to assess the perception of 2nd-year medical students on seminar as a teaching-learning method. Methods: This was a questionnaire based and cross-sectional study, conducted in pharmacology department on 2nd-year undergraduate students at a medical college in South India. The study was conducted for a period of 1 month to assess student’s perception of seminars in the teaching learning process. The questionnaire was pre-designed, pre-validated, and self-administered about usefulness of seminar in teaching-learning methods. The feedback was obtained from students immediately after the seminar and the responses received were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Of total 88 students, 82 students were of the opinion that seminars help in better interaction with both teachers and friends. About 97.7% of the students said that seminar is good and informative tool for learning. Eighty-one students (92%) preferred drugs acting on gastrointestinal tract as topic for seminar, followed by drugs acting on blood and blood formation (84%). When opinion on whether the seminar is helpful for theory topics or practical or both, 79.5% of the students said that seminar will more useful for theory topics than practical topics (5.6%). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the most of the students found that seminars are more informative than didactic lectures. Seminar should be considered as a modern teaching-learning tool, as it analyzes all the domains of teaching (cognitive, psychomotor skills, and affective). Seminar can definitely be implemented as a modern teaching learning method on regular basis for higher education like medical education.

Perceptions of First and Second Year Medical Students to Improve Structured Viva Voce as an Assessment Tool

Objective: To determine the perceptions of 1st and 2nd year MBBS Students about structured Viva Voce Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted at Shalamar Medical and Dental College Lahore, on 92 students. Duration of study was from July to December 2018. A questionnaire (based on 5 points Likert scale) was generated in Google forms and link was shared with the participants. The analysis was done by using SPSS version 21, frequencies and percentages were calculated, and Chi-Square Test was applied. Results: Out of total 92 students, 32% belonged to the 1st and 68% to 2nd year MBBS. Majority of the 2nd year students (50.8%) showed their satisfaction regarding fairness and coverage of wide range of critical areas by Viva Voce as compared to the 1st year students. Greater percentage of students from both years consider that viva voce covered wide range of critical areas and were satisfied with level of difficulty and logical sequencing of viva voce questions. More than half of the participants from both classes consider it a valid assessment tool. Majority of 1st (65%) and 2nd year (63.1%) students thought that this tool of assessment highlighted their weaknesses and significantly higher number of 2nd year students consider that viva can highlight their strengths regarding the topic. Conclusion: Majority of students from both years showed their satisfaction regarding various aspects of Viva Voce. However, significantly greater number of 2nd year students were satisfied with the capability of Viva Voce in highlighting their strengths as compared to 1st year students.

Australian medical students' and junior doctors' perceptions of gender discrepancies in obstetrics and gynaecology.

There is currently a gender imbalance 85:15 female/male in the intake into specialist training for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG). To determine the views and perceptions of Australian medical students, and junior doctors in the first five years of practice, toward obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) as a career, including whether there are any perceived barriers to the pursuit of such a career. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed with members of the RANZCOG Gender Equity and Diversity Working Group There were two separate studies: the first involved telephone interviews of medical students across three campuses of a medical school in North Queensland. The second study surveyed junior doctors in Queensland who are members of the Australian Medical Association. Responses were analysed and compared using quantitative and qualitative methods. Both studies found that experiences with O&G as a medical student influenced the decision to pursue O&G as a career. Exclusion from clinical scenarios and difficulty establishing good relationship with midwives within busy birthing suites were some reasons deterring male students from O&G. In addition, students felt poorly informed about the specialty in their preclinical years, affecting their early decisions in choice of specialty. Post-rotation, more female than male students reported positive experiences and were considering O&G as a career. Both groups see medical student experience as critical in attitudes toward the specialty as a possible career. This experience plays a significant role in encouraging female students toward a career in O&G and discouraging male students. More exposure to the specialty in the preclinical years, and attention to improving clinical rotations for all students, is required.

Clinical Competence and Perception of Medical Students after Early Clinical Exposure through Pre-clerckship Education at an Ethiopian Medical School: A Cross-sectional Study.

Conventional medical curriculum is the mainstay in the long history of modern medical education. Innovative integrated medical curriculum attracted significant attention in improving conventional curriculum. In the integrated curriculum, basic sciences are incorporated horizontally with each other, and students are exposed early to clinical settings. This is expected to improve students' knowledge and skills in clinical medicine by the time they start their clerkship rotation. the study aims to make a baseline assessment on the overall knowledge and skills of medical students towards clinical medicine. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April of 2020 using 91 third year medical students (convenience sampling). A three-section self-administered survey instrument, short written MCQ exam, and practical (OSCE) students' examination were used for this survey. participants tend to exhibit better knowledge on basics of history taking and physical examination with an average score of 79%. Comparatively, the score for average physical examination skill was low (56.3%). Students' perception on ECE showed, over 50% of participants believe ECE increases burden on their overall workload. Even then, the majority (92.3%) still think that ECE has positive impact on their clerkship education. Taken together, it appears more hands-on interventions is needed to further improve skills of medical students in physical examination with particular emphasis on the clinical examination of breast, thyroid, musculoskeletal, and neurologic systems.

Will plain packaging of cigarettes achieve the expected? Perceptions among medical students

Plain packaging is one of the critical strategies in eliminating the promotion of tobacco products. Evidence indicates that plain packaging decreases the attractiveness of tobacco products and enhances the effectiveness of health warnings. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of undergraduate medical students of plain packaging and new pictorial warnings before they came into use in Turkey. This qualitative study was carried out among undergraduate students in a Medical School in Istanbul in 2019. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling, and data were collected through focus group discussions. The participants were asked to discuss their perceptions regarding one original branded pack and ten plain package models. All discussions were audiotaped and thematic content analysis was conducted. A total of 72 students participated in the study. None of the students had seen plain packaging before. Most of the students perceived plain packaging as more favorable compared to the branded packs. The terms used to describe plain package were: 'appealing/desirable', 'attractive', 'beautiful', 'cool/eye-catching', 'charming', 'elegant', and 'special'. Some students indicated that they would have preferred plain packs over the branded ones if both types of products had been in the market and provided they were of the same brand. Pictorials had different impacts based on their content. At the same time, outer body deformities were perceived as 'real' and provoked unfavorable feelings; inner organ images were defined as 'imaginary' and had little to no impact. Plain packaging was perceived as a more attractive alternative to the conventional branded packs among most participants. We must be aware of the unforeseen effects of plain packaging among different subgroups in the new generations. We suggest using outer body deformities in the pictorials more frequently due to their higher impact.

Attitude, Perception and Acceptability of Medical Students’ Involvement in Patient Management among Patients Attending Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria

The involvement of medical students in patient clerkship, whether in outpatients or inpatients wards, is an important aspect of the training of medical students. During clinical clerkship, students extend their medical knowledge, practice procedural and communication skills, and develop clinical thinking to build their clinical proficiency. However, this is only possible if there are healthy, consensual, and professional patient–student interactions and when patients show a positive attitude towards student participation. This study aimed to determine the attitude, perception, and level of acceptability of medical students’ involvement in patient management among in-patients of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria. A cross sectional hospital-based study was conducted among 185 patients of ABUTH, Zaria using an interviewer administered questionnaires. One hundred and eighty-five consented respondents aged ≥15 years were enrolled and administered with the doctors during the ward round time questionnaire. Data collected were presented in frequency and percentages. Most of the respondents 169 (91.4%) reported to have history of previous contact with medical students in their previous hospitalization, and 125 (67.6%) showed good attitude, perception and high acceptance level toward involvement of medical student in their clinical management. However, 40 (23.5%) patients raised their concern towards informing them before involving medical students in their clinical care. Hence, it was recommended that patients should be informed and agreed before medical students are allowed to be involved in their care in ABUTH Zaria.

Medical student perceptions of reflective practice in the undergraduate curriculum

Introduction: Reflective practice (RP) forms a core component of medical professionalism but, despite its benefits, it remains largely undervalued among medical students. The aim of this study was to explore medical students’ attitudes and barriers to engagement with RP in the undergraduate programme at a UK based medical school. Methods: This was a qualitative study based on the methodology of phenomenology. All penultimate year medical students at University College London Medical School (n=361) were approached for this study and altogether thirteen participants were recruited, with data collected through two focus group discussions. Thematic analysis was used to generate the coding framework. Results: Five key themes emerged around student attitudes to RP, which were grouped into three domains: ‘value of RP’, ‘barriers to engagement’, and ‘strategies for enabling RP’. ‘Value of RP’ centred on the themes of humanising medicine and developing empathy, developing professionalism and RP as a tool for sense-making. ‘Barriers to engagement’ centred on the purpose and tokenism of RP and in the third domain, ‘strategies for enabling RP’, the theme of student agency in RP emerged strongly. Conclusion: Overall, the value of RP was not fully appreciated until students began their clinical placements. Potential strategies identified by participants for optimising engagement included student co-design and positioning RP within a broader pastoral role early in the undergraduate curriculum.

Perception of value and effectiveness of cadaveric dissection in human anatomy teaching among undergraduate and surgical post-graduate students in the university of Nairobi

Background: Over the years medical educational approach to the teaching of anatomy has been centered on the use of cadaveric dissection or prosected specimen. However, there is currently a worldwide debate on the value and duration of dissection as a teaching tool in Human Anatomy. Therefore, it was important to determine what the students felt about cadaveric dissection and evaluate its value as a teaching method in learning anatomy. Objective: To investigate the perception of undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental students towards the value and effectiveness of cadaveric dissection in the teaching of Human Anatomy at the University of Nairobi. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted. Questionnaires were distributed among undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental practitioners in the University of Nairobi. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS (Statistics Package for Social Sciences) and presented in tables and graphs Results: Out of the 107 students sampled, 73.33% were against a reduction in cadaveric dissection because it provides 3D perception of the human body (76.36%) and it assists in relating pathology to the relevant anatomy (70.91%). The students who preferred a reduction in cadaveric reported that it was too time consuming (90%) and felt that the time should be allocated to the clinical sciences (45%). Majority of the post-graduate students sampled thought that learning anatomy was relevant to their current profession (70.67). Conclusion: The results demonstrate that students perceive cadaveric dissection to be a valuable tool that should remain at the core of learning anatomy.

Knowledge, attitude and perceptions of medical students towards mental health in a university in Uganda

BackgroundThe prevalence of mental illness among medical students is high. A gap remains on what knowledge should be given to improve the attitudes and perceptions towards mental health. Despite the vast body of literature globally, no study has been conducted in Uganda to assess the levels of knowledge, attitude, and perception among medical students in Uganda.ObjectiveTo determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and perception and their associated factors among medical students in Uganda.MethodsA cross-sectional study was done among 259 undergraduate medical students in a public university capturing information on knowledge, attitude, and perception towards mental health. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with knowledge, attitude, and perception.ResultsAbout 77.72% had high knowledge, 49.29% had positive attitudes, and 46.92% had good perceptions of mental health. There was a significant positive relationship between attitude and perceptions towards mental illness. At multilevel analysis, being in year 4 increased the level of knowledge (β = 1.50 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.46–2.54], p = 0.005) while a positive history of mental illness worsened perceptions towards mental illness (β = -4.23 [95% CI = −7.44–1.03], p = 0.010).ConclusionMedical students have a high level of knowledge about mental illness but the majority had poor attitudes and perceptions of mental illness. Exposure to psychiatry knowledge about mental illness in year four increased students’ knowledge while prior experience with mental illness conditions was associated with poorer perceptions. The information present in this study can be used by policymakers and future researchers to design future studies and interventions to improve knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes especially among students who have a history of mental illness. Improvements in knowledge, attitude, and perception may improve the mental health services for the future patients of these medical students.

Evaluating Medical Student Perceptions of Family Planning and Personal Life During General Surgery Residency

Evaluating Medical Student Perceptions of Family Planning and Personal Life During General Surgery Residency

Students, faculty perceptions and effectiveness of the early introduction of clinical skills teaching in the medical curriculum

ObjectiveWe hypothesized that the early introduction of clinical skills (CS) would help students to develop and apply clinical skills appropriately during the clinical years. Evaluating the perceptions of medical students and faculty regarding the early introduction of CS teaching and its effectiveness are important. MethodsThe CS curriculum was designed by integration with the system-oriented problem-based curriculum in years 1 and 2 at the College of Medicine, KSU, from January 2019 to December 2019. Students and faculty questionnaires were also designed. The impact of CS teaching effectiveness was assessed by comparing OSCE results for year-3 students who received early CS sessions with those who did not. The total number of student respondents was 461/598; and 259 (56.2%) were male and 202 (43.8%) were female. The first- and second-year respondents were 247 (53.6%) and 214 (46.4%), respectively. The number of faculty respondents was 35/43. ResultsThe majority of students and faculty were satisfied that the early introduction of CS increased student confidence when dealing with real patients, provided the opportunity to master skills, consolidated theoretical knowledge and clinical skills, motivated learning, and increased the enthusiasm of students to become doctors. The third-year students who received CS teaching in years 1 and 2 (during 2017–2018 and 2018–2019) showed a significant increase in mean grades (p value; 0.00) in OSCE tests during their courses in surgery (from 32.6 to 37.4 for females; 35.2 to 35.7 for males) and medicine (31.2–34.1 for females; 34.3 to 37.7 for males), respectively, when compared to students who did not receive CS teaching during the academic year 2016–2017 (in surgery, 22.2 and 23.2; in medicine 25.1 and 24.2) for females and males respectively. ConclusionEarly exposure of medical students to CS is a positive intervention that bridges the gap between basic sciences and clinical practice.

Change in the Perception of Oral Antibiotics Among Medical Students After Participating in a Parenteral-to-Oral Conversion Program for Highly Bioavailable Antibiotics.

Appropriate conversion of antibiotics from a parenteral to the oral route can lower the risk of catheter-associated infections, reduce medical costs, and shorten hospitalization. This study investigated the effect of a parenteral-to-oral conversion program for highly bioavailable antibiotics on the perceptions of medical students regarding oral antibiotics. In 2021, the parenteral-to-oral conversion program was implemented as one of the activities of an antimicrobial stewardship program at a tertiary-care hospital in South Korea. This program was also implemented for fifth-year medical students in the hospital's infectious diseases department as a core clinical practice course. Medical students reviewed the medical records of patients taking antibiotics with a high oral bioavailability and wrote a recommendation for oral conversion after confirmation by an infectious disease specialist. A survey on the perception of oral antibiotics was administered to medical students before and after clinical practice to evaluate the educational effect of the program. A total of 923 cases were reviewed, and more than one-fifth of the antibiotics with a high oral bioavailability were administered parenterally despite their oral conversion (20.6%, 190/923). Of these, 24.2% (46/190) accepted the written proposal within 48 hours, and 43.7% (83/190) declined the proposal. Through this program, students gained a proper perception of oral antibiotics. The parenteral-to-oral conversion program demonstrated an acceptance rate of oral antibiotic conversion in the hospital of 24.2% and had significant educational benefits for medical students, giving them the ability to construct an appropriate perception of oral antibiotics.

A Study on the Performance and Perception of Medical students in Online Spotter versus Traditional Spotter Examinations.

Introduction: Medical institutions around the world are exploring various newer modes of teaching and assessment methods to incorporate into the teaching curriculum. In this changing situation, e-learning methods are being widely used. For determining the effectiveness of a new learning method, assessment should be done since learning and assessment are intricately associated. One such newer method of testing practical anatomy knowledge is online spotter examination. The present study was conducted to correlate the students’ performance between traditional and online spotter exam and analyse the students’ perception about both exam patterns.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 120 first year medical students after obtaining ethical approval from the Institute Research and Ethics committee. Students were selected using simple random sampling method. Two modes of practical examination, traditional and online spotter, were conducted. After the examination, mean scores of OSE and TSE were compared using independent sample t-test. A questionnaire was given to collect data on their perception about the exam pattern, and the responses were scored using Likert scale.Results: The performance mean score in online spotter exam was higher compared to traditional spotter exam. Analysis of the students’ perception about the exam pattern revealed that they preferred the online examination. This could be attributed to advantages of online teaching and learning using audio-visual aids with good quality images (84=70%), easy to answer in multiple choice question (78=65%), quick results (108=90%), absence of bias in evaluation (108=90%), easy for future online postgraduate entrance exams (114=95%), and overall time limit and its advantages (84=70%);the only drawback was anxiety about internet connectivity (96=80%).Conclusion: Online spotter exam can be conducted for routine formative assessment under controlled conditions to improve the students’ knowledge and enhance their confidence and adaptability for future online exams.

Leadership Curriculum in Medical Education: Exploring Student and Faculty Perceptions in a US Medical School in Qatar.

PurposeLeadership has long been recognized as a core competency required to excel in medical practice. This qualitative study investigates the extent to which leadership competencies are incorporated in the curriculum of a US medical college in Qatar and examines the perceptions of medical students and faculty about leadership in the medical curriculum.MethodsThe study uses a student survey, faculty interviews, and a student focus group to gather data.ResultsThe study found that 79% of the survey respondents perceive leadership as a core competency while 55% feel that leadership skills are not adequately taught to students. The focus group and interviews revealed that students believe more importance should be given to leadership training whereas faculty assert that, while leadership can be beneficial, leadership training is implicit, and more research is required for further implementation.ConclusionThis study shows the need for an increased emphasis on developing leadership curricula in undergraduate medical education and highlights ways to address certain obstacles to implementation. Further research on exploring medical alumni’s perceptions and optimal teaching methods to implement leadership training is needed.

Perception of undergraduate medical students regarding civic responsibility through service learning by visiting persons with different abilities

&#x0D; Objectives: Addressing various attitudes of students, can be a challenging task for educationists, so it is generally &#x0D; embedded in the hidden curriculum in most Medical Institutes. The purpose of this study was to build up civic &#x0D; duty among undergraduates, rooted in their learning objectives of the curriculum through a visit to the school of &#x0D; children with different abilities (CFSPF).&#x0D; Materials and Methods: In year 4, students of Shifa College of Medicine during the clerkship of Community &#x0D; Medicine, were taken on a field visit which is part of the curriculum. CFSP is privately run by an NGO, it has 45 &#x0D; enrolled individuals with different mental and physical abilities. The medical students visited CFSPF in small &#x0D; groups for 8 months (Sep 2019 to April 2020) where they interacted with the individuals with special needs in &#x0D; their environment. Students were able to practice empathy through the general physical examination and other &#x0D; entertaining activities. In this qualitative study, this strategy was assessed by exploring the medical student’s &#x0D; perceptions.&#x0D; Results: Focus Group discussions were conducted with the medical students and themes identified were: &#x0D; interaction with children having different abilities, being thankful to the Almighty, philanthropy, learning to &#x0D; empathize, the feeling of including them in our society, selfless smile, the contribution of services, and developing &#x0D; various attributes.&#x0D; Conclusion: Students found the visit to a school for children with different abilities useful. The interaction in a &#x0D; different environment has revealed opportunities for a wider scope of learning. &#x0D; Keywords: Civic responsibility, Empathy, Persons with different abilities, Service learning.&#x0D; &#x0D;