Perceptions Of Medical Students Research Articles

Perceptions of Medical Teachers and Students about Barriers and Capacities in Distance Learning

Background: Currently, distance learning is booming and requires adaptation from students, teachers, and faculty. Identifying constraints is essential as inputs for faculty development. Purposes: to identify teacher and medical student perceptions of barriers and capacity in distance learning. Methods: This research was conducted using a cross-sectional survey of 42 medical teachers and 613 students Faculty Medicine and Health, Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta students. It utilized secondary data from the Quality Assurance Unit in October 2020. Six variables were studied in this research, i.e., technical constraints of distance learning, teachers' perceptions of the essential components in distance learning, student self-perceptions, teachers' and students' perceptions of web conference effectiveness, and teachers' self-perceptions and students' satisfaction. Results: The top 5 technical constraints of distance learning complained were signal interference, internet data plan, limited e-literatures, and lack of communication with the faculty. According to the teachers, the essential components were faculty commitment (90%), regulation (85%), technical support (79%), course management, and teaching-learning guidelines (77%). Most students experience learning difficulties during distance learning. However, only 45% of students felt their independent learning method is effective. Teachers and students agreed that web conferencing is ineffective for learning clinical skills but disagreed on cognitive knowledge. 74% of teachers stated that the presentation was engaging. Meanwhile, more than 25% of students were dissatisfied. Conclusion: The top 4 technical constraints were signal interference, internet data plan, limited e-literatures, and lack of communication with the faculty. The important components of distance learning were faculty commitment (90%), 83% of students experienced learning difficulties during distance learning.

COVID-19 Pandemic Psychological Impact and Volunteering Experience Perceptions of Medical Students after 2 Years.

Undergraduate healthcare students were mobilized to support healthcare systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we have scarce information regarding their experience and its impact on their wellbeing. An anonymous online survey was conducted among undergraduate students and recently graduated physicians of a medical university in Spain, regarding their symptoms and volunteering experience during the initial months of the Spanish COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents showed a high prevalence of perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, measured by the PHQ-9 and GAD-7. 14.5% reported healthcare-related volunteering tasks. Volunteering was a satisfactory experience for most of the respondents and the majority felt ready to do volunteering tasks (66.6%). Yet, 16.6% acknowledged not getting appropriate specific-task education before starting, 20.8% reported not having appropriate supervision, and 33.3% feel they did not have proper protective equipment. More than half of volunteers feared getting infected, more than 70% feared infecting their relatives or friends, and 54.2% reported stigmatization. Volunteers showed significantly higher stress, anxiety, and depression scores than the rest of the respondents, and 32% reported a highly traumatic event during volunteering, with high scores on the IES-R in the 16% of volunteers. Our results should help guide future potential volunteering processes in emergencies, enhance academic programs at medical schools and provide valuable data for psychological support services.

Openness toward the use of telemedicine among medical students in Romania: A cross-sectional study

Openness toward the use of telemedicine among medical students in Romania: A cross-sectional study

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in a Medicine Program in Colombia: Results of a Perception Survey in Students

This study collected the perception of medical students about the use of English for teaching through the use of a strategy based in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach at Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira (UTP) Colombia. A descriptive observational quantitative research was conducted in a group of 128 students of medicine who agreed to participate in the strategy called “Strategy for Paper’s Bilingual Presentation (SPBP)” in the subjects of Surgical Clinic I and II. Of this group, 98.5% (126) considered learning English important in their training and 86% (110) essential to advance without difficulties in their studies. In addition, there was a 52.3% (67) of students who stated that the University should foster the use of English integrated with contents in specific programs. In reference to the teaching of English at the University, 85.9% (110) of the students considered that it should be integrated into the content of the academic programs. The didactic strategy was positively evaluated by 86.7% (111), and 61% (78) used English exclusively or preferentially. Scenic fear and lack of knowledge of technical language were arguments for the preferential use of Spanish in the session. Among the recommendations made by the students were the extension of the preparation time for the activity, the inclusion of clinical cases, and the selection of the assigned topics with the teacher. The didactic strategy used proved to be very useful and replicable in other semesters and training levels of the Medicine program. It is imperative to design and promote bilingual spaces that allow the use of English as a strategy to integrate contents and language in the teaching of Medicine.

Perception Of Medical Students Towards Online Teaching: A Questionnaire Study

Background: The COVID -19, a novel coronavirus disease spreading across the globe, most countries including India have ordered the closure of all educational institutions which has put the academic calendar to a functional standstill. The pandemic forced many institutions to shift to online mode using Google meet, Zoom, Microsoft teams, etc. The teaching-learning methodologies have been revamped globally due to the covid outbreak that many schools and teachers around the world are coping with alternative ways for delivery of instructions. In spite of its multiple advantages, there are quite a few limitations faced by online teaching such as lack of student-teacher interaction, social isolation, network connectivity issues, etc. The deviation from traditional teaching to online teaching prompted this study to assess the perceptions of students towards online learning. Aim: The purpose of the study was to determine the perceptions of medical students towards online teaching during the lockdown Materials and Methods: After obtaining approval from the institutional ethical committee, the questionnaire-based study was conducted on 150 first-year medical students of Adichunchanagiri Institute of medical sciences, B G Nagara. The data obtained were statistically analyzed and tabulated. Results: Responses have clearly shown that students prefer the traditional method of teaching such as lecture, discussion, etc. over online classes due to multiple issues faced during online teaching. Conclusion: Online teaching is the most common method and the best platform to keep learners/students engaged and safe during the lockdown period for Covid-19. Despite being in the technological era, students are still more inclined towards face-to-face teaching rather than e-teaching due to various reasons. Administration and faculty members should take appropriate measures to improve e-teaching quality and help students in better learning. KEY WORDS: Perception, Students, online teaching.

P21. Improving Plastic Surgery Exposure for Medical Students: Creation and Validation of an Online Learning Module

Background: Exposure of medical students to the field of plastic surgery is limited, as most students will not rotate in plastic surgery and almost half of medical schools do not have plastic surgery residency programs. This project aims to validate an online plastic surgery learning module (PSLM) for medical students Methods: This project was funded by an American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons/ Plastic Surgery Foundation Combined Pilot Training grant. An investigator (M.R.) created the PSLM content using Articulate Storyline 360 (2018). Student participants were recruited from a single medical school and administered pre- and post- module surveys via Qualtrics for usability and efficacy. Scores were computed for the general surgical knowledge section (score out of 16), and for each specialty referral question (hand-6, craniofacial/pediatric-6, reconstruction/microsurgery-5, and breast/aesthetic-6) Results: 12 participants completed usability testing. All usability criteria and module pages were rated on average higher than a 4.6/5 on a Likert Scale of 1 (not usable) to 5 (very easy to use). 65 students completed efficacy testing. Average time of completion was 66 minutes. Students were nearly 100% accurate in identifying breast-related referrals in the pre-module survey, unlike pediatric/ craniofacial (avg: 68%), reconstruction/ microsurgery (avg: 64%), and hand/ upper extremity (avg: 30%). Students of all classes exhibited significant improvement in all testing categories except for breast, with the most improvement noted in the hand category. Students with an interest in surgery (59%) achieved higher post-module general surgical knowledge scores (p=0.01). Prior exposure to plastic surgery (57%) correlated with higher pre-module hand (p=0.003) and breast/cosmetic (p=0.01) scores Conclusion: Disparities exist in medical student understanding of the scope of plastic surgery. The plastic surgery learning module (PSLM) is a promising tool to teach plastic surgery to students without access to plastic surgery education, with the highest impact amongst first and second year medical students in the topics of hand, reconstruction, and pediatric plastic surgery. 1. Agarwal, Jayant P., et al. “Medical Student Perceptions of the Scope of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.” Annals of Plastic Surgery, vol. 70, no. 3, 2012, pp. 343–349., doi:10.1097/sap.0b013e31823b6c19.

Evaluation of Educational Environment: Perceptions of Preclinical and Clinical Year Medical Students from Malaysia

Evaluation of Educational Environment: Perceptions of Preclinical and Clinical Year Medical Students from Malaysia

Awareness, Knowledge of First Aid and First Emergency Behavioral Perception of Medical Students in a University in Southeastern Nigeria

Background: Students are usually exposed to all kinds of injury in schools and with inadequate health care services in most schools; administering first aid is important in such emergency situations. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the awareness, knowledge and behavioral perception of first aid among medical students of a tertiary institution in South-eastern Nigeria.
 Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 medical students of Gregory University Uturu, Abia state, Nigeria. A structured pre-tested validated questionnaire assessing their awareness, knowledge and attitude was used to collect the data. Data was analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Chi-squared test were used to test for associations between socio-demographics, knowledge and attitude of respondents. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant.
 Results: Out of the respondents, 98.4% have heard about first aid before the survey, (52.8%; n=132) have good knowledge of first aid skills, and 94% (n=235) have good attitude towards first aid. 91.2% said they are willing to help if trained while 94% of the respondents felt it was necessary to incorporate first aid in the school curriculum.
 Conclusion: Although the students showed good awareness and attitude towards the concept of first aid, there is a gap in their knowledge and application of basic emergency first aid skills. There is a need to incorporate the training of basic first aid skills and basic life support skills in the school’s curriculum to bridge the gap.

Women in Surgery Events Alone do not Change Medical Student Perceptions of Gender Bias and Discrimination in Orthopaedic Surgery.

AimsThis study investigated the perceptions of medical students regarding the barriers to pursuing a career in trauma and orthopaedics (T&O); and whether these perceptions were altered by attending an event promoting women in T&O.MethodsAn event consisting of presentations and interactive sessions from two female T&O trainees was hosted online. Attendees completed pre and post-event questionnaires. Students were asked about their previous exposure to T&O, perceptions of gender imbalances in T&O and what barriers they perceived prevented women from entering T&O. Univariate analysis was performed to identify changes in perceptions following the event.ResultsPre-event questionnaires were completed by 102 people; and post-event by 52. Although 64/102 respondents were considering a career in T&O, 26/102 were dissuaded by perceived gender disparities. Perceptions of gender disparities were significantly higher in UK based attendees compared to other nationalities (p = 0.047). Attendees were more likely to want to pursue a career in T&O if they had been directly exposed at medical school (p = 0.044), but exposure did not alter perceptions of women in T&O. The most common perceived barrier was the orthopaedic stereotype followed by male dominated workplace culture, and lack of female role models. Pre and post-event responses did not differ significantly for any areas examined.ConclusionThere are significant concerns amongst medical students regarding gender based discrimination within T&O, and these perceptions were not altered by attending a one-off women in T&O event. Early exposure to T&O appears important to improve interest in orthopaedics, whereas negative stereotyping is a barrier.

Embracing uncertainty: medical student perceptions of a pediatric bootcamp developed in response to mandated changes during the pandemic

BackgroundThe start of the COVID-19 pandemic led to both shortened clinical rotations and consequent loss of embedded formal teaching time. In response to these learning gaps, a novel, virtual pediatric bootcamp was developed to provide a consolidated 3-week learning opportunity for clinical medical students. Pre-clinical students were encouraged but not required to participate, given the suspension of clinical patient experiences for all undergraduate medical learners and the uncertainty of when clinical rotations would resume. This group of students were particularly challenged with adapting their learning in response to the pandemic while also preparing to apply their pre-clinical knowledge to solve clinical problems.MethodsA qualitative thematic analysis was used for this study. Ten semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with second-year medical students to explore their experiences and perceptions of the pediatric bootcamp. The six phases of thematic analysis proposed by Braun and Clark guided data analysis. To ensure rigour, the three aspects of rigour—credibility, transferability and confirmability were utilized throughout the project.ResultsQualitative exploration from semi-structured phone interviews of second-year medical students’ perceptions and experiences of this new and unanticipated learning experience revealed four main themes: (a) clinical relevance, describing how students were pushed to think about clinical problems in a new way; (b) timing, which explored conflicts related to competing interests, mental preparedness, and the interval between learning and application; (c) teaching strategies, describing how active learning and interaction were facilitated and challenges that arose; and (d) learning resources, highlighting the curated and accessible resources made available to the students, as well as those resources that learners develop for themselves.ConclusionsA novel three-week online case-based pediatric bootcamp fostered application of knowledge for clinical reasoning at a time when students were transitioning from preclinical to clinical learning. Students were stretched to balance competing priorities, and the bootcamp curated synchronous and asynchronous learner opportunities while allowing them to reflect on their own learning styles and effective virtual learning strategies. While bootcamps are often used to prepare learners for transitions between clinical stages, our findings suggest the bootcamp format can also facilitate transition from preclinical to clinical roles.

The Understanding and Perception of the Menstrual Cup Among Medical Students.

Menstruation and menstrual health management remains a challenge worldwide, largely owing to gender inequality, social and cultural stigma, inaccessibility, and poverty. Menstrual cups may offer solutions to the many challenges. The role of medical students in the promotion of women's health cannot be understated. To investigate the understanding and perception of medical students on the use, safety, and efficacy of the menstrual cup as a menstrual hygiene product. This was a prospective, cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted at the University of the Witwatersrand on medical students. Questionnaires were emailed to students. The study was approved by the Wits HREC (M200885). Statistical software SPSS® 23.0 was used. Two hundred and fifteen participants were recruited. One hundred and seventy-eight were included and analyzed; 58.93% had a basic understanding of the menstrual cup as a menstrual hygiene product (p < 0.001). There was an association between the gender of the respondents and knowledge of the device (p < 0.0001). Females were 7.467 times more likely to have heard about it. There was an association between gender and understanding the cost-effectiveness (p = 0.01), the year of study, and understanding of how it works (p = 0.012). The majority perceived the menstrual cup as convenient in terms of use, comfort, hygiene, and safety. It is important that the menstrual cup is not only introduced to society but also promoted and receives endorsement by healthcare workers. There is an understanding regarding the use, safety, and efficacy of the MC and a willingness to advise for use.

Medical student experiences and perceptions of palliative care in a middle eastern country

IntroductionTeaching in palliative care (PC) is an important component of medical education. Yet, studies in many countries document a fragmented and inconsistent approach to PC teaching. The goal of this study is to assess PC education, experience, and comfort levels in providing end-of-life care in recently graduated medical students.MethodsA survey was distributed to medical student applicants to residency programs at a large academic medical center in the United Arab Emirates. Descriptive statistics were used to tabulate variable frequencies.ResultsOf 226 surveys, 183 were completed (80.7% response). Over half of respondents (104/183, 56.8%) did not receive any formal PC education or training in medical school. General introduction to PC (64%), pain management (68%), and non-pain symptom management (56%) were the most common topics. Only 13% (24/183) of medical students participated in PC rotations. Only 25% of participants (46/183) reported assessment of PC knowledge or skills. Gender differences were noted, with women more comfortable discussing prognosis (Pearson Chi-square value 8.67, df 3, p < 0.013) and assessing decision-making capacity (Pearson Chi-square value 15.02, df 3, p < 0.005). Few students expressed comfort with any aspect of PC. The majority of respondents (174/183, 95%) felt that it is important to receive PC education in medical school.ConclusionsMost newly graduated medical students reported limited education in PC, with minimal clinical experience. The vast majority described a lack of comfort in providing care for dying patients and their families. Educational reform is necessary to embed PC knowledge and skills into medical school curricula.

Perspectives on Consumer and Clinical Genetic Testing Education among Medical Students in West Texas.

There is a popular trend for genetic test companies to market genetic screenings to identify detrimental mutations directly to consumers. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of patients wanting to discuss the results of their personal genetic tests with their physician. In turn, the medical education community has recognized a need to provide medical staff and patients with resources to interpret and act on personal genetic data. Most medical students and residents lack the requisite knowledge to interpret and manage patient-provided individualized genetic testing. This has prompted a growing interest among medical students in learning more about genetic testing and how to counsel their patients on this information. Consequently, early educational exposure to clinical genetic testing and counseling would benefit medical education training programs. In this study, we examine the perceptions of medical students in West Texas with regard to clinical genetic testing.

Response: Attitude and Perception of Medical Students Towards Histology Subject at Wollo University, Ethiopia [Letter

Response: Attitude and Perception of Medical Students Towards Histology Subject at Wollo University, Ethiopia [Letter

Second Year Medical Students Learning by Teaching Pregnant Women About Physiological Changes During Pregnancy

Classroom‐based lectures are commonly used for teaching Basic sciences in many medical schools. It is difficult to keep the students motivated to learn with only didactic lectures during the preclinical years. We need to constantly explore teaching methods to keep the learning enthusiasm consistent, improve understanding and enhance students’ performance. Studies are important to prove students' achievement will increase when active methodologies are properly applied, either in isolation or in conjunction with lectures. This study aimed to assess the performance and perceptions of Second‐year medical students who were put through an activity that included the involvement of students in educating pregnant women on physiological changes during pregnancy. At first, the students completed a pretest after the lectures on the physiology of pregnancy. Next, the students visited the Ante Natal Care Out Patient Department (ANC OPD) and educated the pregnant mothers using various teaching tools like flip charts, models, pamphlets and diagrams prepared by themselves. Then completed a posttest. In addition, feedback regarding this teaching‐learning approach was obtained from the students. The results showed that the mean (SD) scores after the activity were greater compared to before (MCQs, P‐Value 0.01, True/False questions 0.001 and combined total, &lt;0.001). From the feedback, we found that 94.11% of the students improved their understanding of the physiology of pregnancy, 85.28% of students were positive about the motivation to learn the physiology of pregnancy and 94.2% of the students were eager to have similar activities in the future. Therefore, this active learning method not only improved understanding of the physiological concept but also increased the performance of the students and provided motivation to learn. Such learning strategies can be applied in other Biological and Biomedical sciences embracing relevant clinical scenarios.

Learning Anatomy in a developing country under COVID‐19 lockdown measures: How did the learners perceive it?

IntroductionAcknowledging the fundamental role anatomy education plays in medical training and taking into consideration the nascence of online anatomy education in Nigeria, we evaluated the current and future perceptions of medical and allied‐health students towards online anatomy education during the COVID‐19 lockdown in Nigeria.MethodsGoogle Form questionnaires were distributed via different social and academic platforms to medical and allied‐health students in Nigeria between September 28 –December 17, 2020, using a purposive sampling. 954 students responded to questions on what they felt about the online anatomy teaching including how it could affect their academic performance in anatomy. Additionally, they were asked to give their opinion of the future of e‐learning in anatomy in Nigeria. The data collected from the study were analyzed using descriptive and inferential techniques.ResultsOut of a total of 954 students who participated in the study, 947 valid responses were recorded. From the responses, most of the students (77.6%) had computer/IT skills. Unexpectedly, many ofthe students (60%) did not favor online learning approaches as effective tools for instructions in the anatomical sciences while more than a half of the students (55%) did not find the online classes in anatomy interesting. On the other hand, a majority (84%) believed that physical classes would have improved their performance in anatomy. Almost all the students (91.5%) believed anatomy educators in Nigeria need advanced skills for online education and that anatomy online teaching needs more advanced technology to be implemented in Nigeria(94.2%).ConclusionAfter evaluating online anatomy education experience during the COVID‐19 lockdown in Nigeria from medical and allied‐health students’ position, it was observed that there was an inclusive negative perception about the suitability and effectiveness of online education with regards to the anatomical sciences in Nigerian medical/health training. Majority of the students indicated that there is need for the enhancement of online teaching and quality training of the anatomy educators. Addressing the challenges that were presented during online anatomy education at the heat of the pandemic is recommended. This will incline science education towards the development and implementation of a workable and sustainable online education model in anatomical sciences for Nigeria.

Perception of Medical Faculty and Students About Online Teaching During the Covid-19 Pandemic in a Tertiary Care Teaching Institute

Background: Classroom teaching has been found to be the most common modality used for teaching. The unusual situation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the shutdown of all educational institutions across the country. To limit the spread of the coronavirus, classroom teaching had to be abandoned and online teaching was sought for to continue the learning process. The study was conducted with the aim of assessing the perception of faculty as well as undergraduate medical students toward online teaching and learning methodology. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study using two separate pretested, structured questionnaires for faculty and students was conducted. The questionnaire had a total of 45 questions for collecting data on demographic information, awareness, perception and knowledge toward online teaching, perception about establishing connect between teachers and students through online portal, and operational and technical aspects. These questionnaires were mailed to faculty and students using Google forms (Google Survey platform). Results: A total of 47 teaching faculty and 386 students responded to the questionnaires. More than 70% faculty availed the training and guidance provided for online teaching. The move to switch over to online mode of teaching during lockdown was appreciated by majority (95%) of respondents. The faculty members made use of online polls, surveys, and educational videos for making online lectures interesting. In addition, online assessments (72%) and use of an interactive software (70%) were found worthy and useful. Majority of (80%) students missed direct and in person contact with instructor. Majority of the students (60%) felt isolated and alone during online teaching sessions. One-third of the students believed that instructors were able to generate interest in the topic and 63% of students were satisfied with the explanations delivered with regard to queries during online lectures. The major disadvantages that surfaced were limited options for two-way communication (55%), technical glitches (70%), social isolation (63%), eye strain, and other health-related issues (62%). Internet connectivity emerged as the biggest limitation by faculty members. Conclusion: Overall, the respondents were of the opinion that online teaching was a useful modality during COVID-19 and can be used as a complementary aid to regular teaching in. Adequate infrastructure and uninterrupted internet connectivity is vital for smooth conduct of online teaching.

Burnout and Perception of Medical School Learning Environments Among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Medical Students

The perspectives of gay, lesbian, bisexual (sexual minority [SM]) students about their medical school learning environment and how they relate to burnout is poorly understood. To understand SM medical students' perceptions of the medical school learning environment and how this is associated with reported burnout. This cross-sectional study included medical students graduating from Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)-accredited allopathic US medical schools in 2016 and 2017 and responding to the AAMC Graduation Questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted from June 2021 to March 2022. Sexual orientation, based on self-identification, and categorized as bisexual, gay or lesbian, or heterosexual or straight. Primary outcomes included burnout as measured by Oldenburg Burnout Inventory for Medical Students (OLBI-MS; two 24-point scales [range, 0-48], with higher scores indicating greater burnout) and student perceptions of the medical school learning environment (0-5-point scales for emotional climate [range, 0-20] and student-faculty interactions [range, 0-15], with higher scores indicating more positive perceptions). Logistic regression was used to model the association between burnout, SM status, and learning environment while controlling for demographic characteristics. A total of 25 757 respondents (12 527 [48.6%] women; 5347 [20.8%] Asian; 2255 [8.8%] underrepresented in medicine; 15 651 [60.8%] White; 10 726 [41.6%] aged ≤26 years) were included in the analysis: 568 (2.2%) self-identified as bisexual, 854 (3.3%) as gay or lesbian, and 24 335 (94.5%) as heterosexual or straight. Both bisexual students and gay or lesbian students reported less favorable perceptions of their learning environments than heterosexual students (mean [SD] emotional climate score, bisexual students: 8.56 [3.29]; gay or lesbian students: 9.22 [3.33]; heterosexual or straight students: 9.71 [3.20]; P < .001; mean [SD] faculty-student interaction score, bisexual students: 13.46 [3.69]; gay or lesbian students: 14.07 [3.45]; heterosexual or straight students: 14.32 [3.37]; P < .001). Bisexual and gay or lesbian students were more likely to be in the top quartile for burnout scores (bisexual: odds ratio [OR], 1.71; 95% CI, 1.42-2.07; P < .001; gay or lesbian: OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.31-1.79; P < .001). This association was attenuated when accounting for student perceptions of the learning environment (bisexual: OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.11-1.67; P < .001; gay or lesbian: OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.19-1.68; P < .001), with poorer perceptions of the medical school learning environment associated with higher burnout symptoms. In this cross-sectional study, SM students had less favorable perceptions of the medical school learning environment compared with heterosexual students. Results suggest the medical school environment may be associated with higher rates of burnout in SM students. Future research should explore interventions to improve the learning environment for SM students.

Predictors of Medical Students' Perceptions About Medical Cannabis.

Background: There has been a recent uptick in interest regarding the therapeutic properties of cannabis. Evidence exists to support the role of medical cannabis (MC) in chronic illness management for conditions such as posttraumatic stress, pain, and cancer. The majority of physicians in the United States report not knowing how to prescribe or answer questions about MC and receive minimal education about it during training. As MC becomes more socially acceptable with federal legalization in process, new physicians will encounter patients looking for information on the utility and safety of MC. The goal of this research was thus to assess the perceived knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions of medical students towards MC, and to obtain a better understanding of factors that may influence their attitudes.Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was used to investigate the medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding MC. Quantitative data were collected from 526 medical students (years one to four) via an anonymous, online, 32-item questionnaire to determine if perceived knowledge, concerns about the potential negative effects of cannabis, and certain beliefs would significantly contribute to their attitudes toward MC. Hypothesis testing was conducted using Spearman-rank order correlation and multivariate linear regression analyses.Results: A statistically significant regression equation was found: (F(4, 428)=114.826, p<.001 with an R2=0.518 [adjusted R2 =0.513]) indicating greater perception of knowledge about MC, lower concern for possible negative effects of MC use, greater belief in federal legalization of MC, and greater belief in the federal legalization of recreational cannabis significantly contributed to a higher score on positive attitudes and perceptions toward MC. Moreover, while many participants reported physicians should be able to prescribe MC, they reported that little if any MC education had been provided.Conclusions: This study identified the knowledge, concerns, and perceptions of medical students regarding MC as well as several factors contributing to their attitudes about it. Favorable attitudes toward MC among patients exist and as its popularity and acceptance among patients continue, more may be asking their physicians about symptomatic and curative treatment with cannabis-based products. Results from this research have the potential to assist medical educators in understanding students’ perceptions about MC to help guide innovative and contemporary curricular advances as a public health imperative.

Antimicrobial Prescribing Confidence and Knowledge Regarding Drug Resistance: Perception of Medical Students in Malaysia and the Implications.

Background: Worldwide, microbes are becoming more challenging by acquiring virulent skills to adapt and develop antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This is a concern as AMR increases morbidity, mortality, and costs. Consequently, physicians need to be trained on appropriate antimicrobial prescribing, starting as medical students. Objective: To evaluate medical students’ confidence in antimicrobial prescribing and AMR. Methods: Cross-sectional study assessing medical students’ knowledge, perception, and confidence in prescribing antimicrobials and AMR in a Malaysian University. A universal sampling method was used. Results: Most responding students believed that educational input regarding overall prescribing was sufficient. Regarding the principle of appropriate and accurate prescriptions, female medical students had less knowledge (odds ratio (OR) = 0.51; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25–0.99; p = 0.050). Year-IV and Year-V medical students had more excellent knowledge than Year-III students regarding confidence in potential antibiotic prescribing once qualified. Year-V students also showed an appreciably higher confidence in the broad principles of prescribing, including antibiotics for infectious diseases, compared to those in other years. Conclusion: Overall, medical students gain more knowledge and confidence regarding the potential prescribing of antimicrobials as their academic careers progress. This is important given concerns with the current excessive use of antimicrobials in Malaysia.