Professional Medical Students Research Articles

Medical students' professionalism attributes, knowledge, practices, and attitudes toward COVID-19 and attitudes toward care provision during pandemic amidst the COVID-19 outbreak according to their demographics and mental health.

This study examines various aspects related to medical professionalism in medical students during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, focusing on their medical professionalism attributes, KPA (knowledge, practices, and attitudes) toward COVID-19 and attitudes toward provision of care in pandemic. We assessed whether these aspects related to medical professionalism were varied by their demographics and mental health level. Six questionnaires related to medical professionalism were distributed online to medical students in six grades at a single medical school. A one-way analysis of variance was used to examine differences in scores related to medical professionalism based on their demographics, for examples, gender, grade, residence, religion, as well as their mental health levels. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine correlations between each variable. Female students scored higher on medical professionalism attributes and attitudes toward duty-to-care than male students. Medical professionalism attribute scores were higher with higher relationship satisfaction and resilience levels but lower with higher anxiety levels. Furthermore, these scores were significantly associated with attitudes toward COVID-19 preparedness. However, COVID-19 knowledge and practice scores were negatively associated with attitudes toward COVID-19 preparedness and careers after graduation. Meanwhile, students who took the leave of absence related to 2020 doctors' strike had significantly lower scores on attitudes toward COVID-19 preparedness and duty to care than those who did not. Our findings suggest that mental health of medical students is strongly related to their various aspects related to medical professionalism, especially their attitudes toward COVID-19 preparedness. Good mental health was positively linked to medical professionalism attributes and attitudes toward COVID-19 preparedness. However, knowledge and practice of COVID-19 were negatively associated with willingness to participate in the pandemic response. Additionally, the experience of the 2020 leave of absence impacted the attitudes of medical students toward COVID-19 preparedness (p=0.015) and their duty to care (p=0.012) negatively.

Assessing the Professionalism Levels of Undergraduate Medical Students at a Medical College.

Objectives: To evaluate the professionalism of medical students at Bahria University Medical and Dental College (BUMDC), at the same it will let us know the range of differences among students in different classes (1-5 years). Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study conducted on 583 students of BUMDC, ranging from 1st year to 5th year (academic session 2021-2022). A validated tool was utilized to collect data. The tool assessed 6 aspects of professionalism: excellence, respect for others, altruism, duty, accountability, honor, and integrity, using a 5-point Likert scale. Results: The results indicated a notable variance in the overall professionalism score (p=0.000), altruism (p=0.000), duty (p=0.000), accountability (p=0.000), excellence (p=0.000), honor and integrity (p=0.000), and respect for others (0.001) based on the clinical status of students. Conclusion: It is evident from the study that the level of professionalism among the graduating 5th year class is significantly below the ideal standard. Additionally, it is concerning to observe a notable decline in professionalism from 1st year to 5th year medical students. It is crucial to educate medical students on all essential skills required to deliver top-notch healthcare services efficiently during their practice. Key Words: Professionalism, medical students, undergraduate, attitude, behavior.

Interprofessional socialization of first-year medical and midwifery students: effects of an ultra-brief anatomy training

BackgroundInterprofessionalism is considered a key component in modern health profession education. Nevertheless, there remains ongoing debate about when and where to introduce interprofessional trainings in the curriculum. We identified anatomy, a subject commonly shared among health professionals, as a practical choice for initiating early intergroup-contact between first-year medical and midwifery students. Our study examined the effects of a four-hour block course in anatomy on interprofessional socialization and valuing, as well as long-term effects on intergroup contact.MethodsBased on different concepts and theories of learning, we implemented 12 interprofessional learning stations. Several measures were taken to foster group cohesion: (1) self-directed working in interprofessional tandems on authentic obstetric tasks, (2) competing with other tandems, (3) creating positive interdependencies during task completion, and (4) allowing room for networking. In a pre-post design with a three-month follow-up, we assessed the outcomes of this ultra-brief training with qualitative essays and quantitative scales.ResultsAfter training, both groups improved in interprofessionalism scores with strong effect sizes, mean difference in ISVS-21 = 0.303 [95% CI: 0.120, 0.487], P < .001, η² = 0.171, while the scales measuring uniprofessional identity were unaffected, mean difference in MCPIS = 0.033 [95% CI: -0.236, 0.249], P = .789. A follow-up indicated that these positive short-term effects on the ISVS-21 scale diminished after 12 weeks to baseline levels, yet, positive intergroup contact was still reported. The qualitative findings revealed that, at this initial stage of their professional identity development, both medical and midwifery students considered interprofessionalism, teamwork and social competencies to be of importance for their future careers.ConclusionThis study advocates for an early implementation of interprofessional learning objectives in anatomical curricula. Young health profession students are receptive to interprofessional collaboration at this initial stage of their professional identity and derive strong advantages from a concise training approach. Yet, maintaining these gains over time may require ongoing support and reinforcement, such as through longitudinal curricula. We believe that an interprofessional socialization at an early stage can help break down barriers, and help to avoid conflicts that may arise during traditional monoprofessional curricula.

Evaluation of the Training Program on Participatory Rural Appraisal Methods Targeting Undergraduate Medical Students from the First Professional Phase

ABSTRACT Background: Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods have been acknowledged as important tools to involve members of the community in the process of identification of their problems, the factors contributing to the development of these problems, and ways by which these problems can be resolved. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental study will be conducted in two stages among first professional phase medical students. In the first stage, these students will be trained on PRA methods by the trained teachers, while in the second stage, these students will implement PRA methods in the local community. The entire training process and its different components will be evaluated using validated study tools (semi-structured questionnaire), which will be administered using Google Forms. The statistical analysis will be performed using frequency and percentages, and a paired t-test will be used to compare the change in knowledge before and after training. Conclusion: In conclusion, first professional phase medical students must be trained in PRA methods and subsequently supervised to monitor their change in behavior. However, as the success of the entire program will depend on the quality of training imparted to medical students, the training program must be evaluated from the perspective of students, community, and teachers.

Paying attention to attention: a program evaluation of faculty-delivered mindfulness-based attention training to optimize wellness and professionalism in medical students

BackgroundAs physician distress rises, medical schools must provide programs to counter such distress at the earliest stages of training. Mindfulness training (MT) is one intervention that can alleviate stress during medical school. However, framing MT around wellness alone misses the opportunity to connect core cognitive and psychological capacities strengthened by MT to professional goals and skill acquisition inherent to successful medical training. Here, we highlight how the attentional components of MT align with students’ goals of becoming attending physicians while promoting academic, psychological, and interpersonal flourishing. MT courses that focus on strengthening attentional capacities can intuitively link academic and professional development with wellness, appealing to a wide array of students.MethodsWe iteratively recontextualized an existing short-form mindfulness training program for high-stress pre-professionals, known as Mindfulness Based Attention Training (MBAT), to the medical school context (MBAT-Rx). MBAT-Rx was offered by physician trainers to first-year medical students at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University as a tool for improving study habits and focus in addition to the development of both self-care and patient care strategies. MBAT-Rx consists of weekly, two-hour sessions over four weeks, with 10–15 min of daily mindfulness practice between sessions. At the end of the four weeks, students submitted voluntary program evaluation responses detailing their experience of the program.ResultsOptional program evaluation responses (n = 67) highlight that students found the program to be useful for their academic success and ability to pay attention, their interpersonal relationships, and their psychological health. By framing MT as an opportunity to boost core attentional capacities and connecting this to professional and academic goals in addition to wellness, MBAT-Rx appealed to a wide variety of students.ConclusionsOur ongoing work suggests that framing MT as both a professional development and wellness promotion tool, taught by physicians themselves, and structured around students’ time demands, may be a successful model for medical schools looking to increase the impact of their mindfulness offerings. Such programs are needed to equip medical students to navigate the demands of a challenging healthcare training landscape.

The hidden hurdles of clinical clerkship: unraveling the types and distribution of professionalism dilemmas among South Korean medical students

BackgroundTo improve the medical professionalism of medical students, it is essential to understand the dilemmas they face in various situations. This study explored the types and distribution of dilemmas Korean medical students encounter during their clinical clerkships. It then compared these with previous dilemma frameworks and identified the types and distribution of “complexity dilemmas,” wherein two dilemma themes emerge in a single clinical situation.MethodsThe researchers organized and recorded a group discussion with 106 third-year medical students who had completed their clinical clerkships. These students participated in the discussion as part of an assignment, focusing on the dilemmas they encountered during their clerkships. For data analysis and visualization, the researchers employed the MAXQDA software program and utilized the template analysis method, a qualitative research methodology.ResultsA total of seven dilemma themes and sixteen sub-themes were identified. The identity-related dilemma concerning student-doctors had the highest frequency. The themes “mismatch” and “Nun-chi” emerged as new additions not found in previous dilemma frameworks. The complexity dilemmas appeared in the sequence of “identity-dignity,” “identity-abuse,” and “identity-consent”.ConclusionsTo navigate the unique dilemmas present within South Korea’s clinical culture, several key issues need consideration: elevating the role of student-doctors, balancing the primary emphasis of educational hospitals on delivering medical services, and understanding interpersonal strategies, such as “Nun-chi”.

Negative faculty role modelling – is it a reflection of deteriorating societal values?

Background Negative faculty role modelling is an area of growing concern especially due to its implications on medical professionalism. The study aims to explore the impacts of negative role modelling on professionalism of medical students in the context of Pakistan. Methods This qualitative study is part of a larger study exploring impacts of role modelling on professionalism of students. It is based on Constructivist Grounded Theory involving six semi-structured interviews with clinical faculty and three focus group discussions with 22 students. Initial, focused, selective coding and thematic analysis was used to find the core category. Results Three overarching categories were developed: traits observed with negative role models; impact of negative role modelling; factors promoting negative role modelling. Subcategories of impacts included negative impact on professionalism, emotional impact, and its paradoxical positive impact. Negative role modelling, a manifestation of declining professionalism, was attributed to deteriorating societal values; further compounded by the lack of required mechanisms by institutions and the regulatory authority at their respective levels. Conclusions In the absence of a strong moral platform at societal level, the burden of responsibility rests with the faculty and more importantly with institutions and regulatory bodies to discourage negative role modelling and educate students to recognize, reflect on and avoid negative behaviours and adopt strong professional values.

Gaps in sexual health content of healthcare professional curriculum: a systematic review of educational interventions

BackgroundSexual health care, including assessment and patient teaching, is part of comprehensive patient care. Health professional (medical and nursing) students’ education in sexual health lacks uniformity in content and assessment skills.ObjectivesThe current systematic review aimed to assess sexual health educational curriculum for health professional students regarding the educational content, duration, and evaluation of these educational interventions.MethodsThis systematic review followed the preferred reporting guidelines for systematic reviews. A comprehensive search was conducted between May–August, 2023 across four databases (PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE), outlining 614 sources. Following the screening process, 36 educational intervention studies were deemed eligible for inclusion. The quality assessment of these studies was conducted using The Effective Public Health Project tool, which was found appropriate for evaluating this type of research.ResultsThe studies had a global representation, with most studies conducted in the US. Limited nursing educational interventions were found. Three main categories emerged from the analysis of the educational interventions: one-time interventions, workshops, and semester courses. These categories differed in terms of their duration. Upon evaluating the educational intervention programs, it was found that the majority relied on participant self-reporting, while only a few included objective evaluations.ConclusionsThis review revealed inconsistencies in educational content for healthcare professional students and may impact their clinical skills, particularly in sexual health. The variation in content, duration, and evaluation methods created challenges in assessing the interventions. The lack of standardized sexual health education highlighted a significant gap, raising concerns about students’ ultimate proficiency in this area. Bridging this divide is essential by integrating comprehensive sexual health content and assessment skills into the health professional curriculum.

Validation Of An Assessment Tool For Professionalism In Medical Students: A Mixed Method Study.

To develop and validate a tool for the assessment of professionalism in medical students during clerkship. The mixed-method study was conducted from February to September 2018 at the Islamic International Medical College, Riphah University, Islamabad, Pakistan. A preliminary focus group discussion was followed by two rounds of Delphi technique to validate micro-scenarios for the relevance of each item of the instrument alongside its content validity. For content and construct validation of the tool, content validity, cognitive validity, cognitive pretesting, confirmatory factor analysis and reliability assessment was done. Piloting was done on medical students doing clerkship. Data was analysed using SPSS 21 and AMOS 21. A 35-item preliminary tool from micro-scenarios generated after focus group discussion was developed for the first Delphi round. For the second round, a 29-item tool was resent to the experts for validation. After the second round, the content validity scale was 0.94. Removal of 1 item produced a 28-item tool. Pre-cognitive testing of the 28 items resulted in rephrasing of 4, modification of 2, and deletion of 1 and a tool with 27 items. Piloting was carried out and after CFA resulted in a reduced 21 item tool. Cronbach's alpha value was 0.96. A good to excellent model fit was produced after performing confirmatory factor analysis. A tool comprising of 21 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale that had acceptable construct validity and good content validity was developed. It can be used to evaluate the level of professionalism of local medical students doing clerkship.

“METAPAD” (METAbolic PAthways Decoded) – a gaming innovation to ease the complexity of metabolic pathways by promoting self-directed, active, participatory learning in small groups

BackgroundIn medical education, the conventional didactic lectures make the learning process tedious and cause disinterest among students. To overcome this, an effective experiential learning integrated with game-based approach that intends to make the learning process fun filled, interesting and enhance the active participation of students to understand complex topics in a simple and optimum manner should be adopted.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to assess the efficiency of a puzzle-based innovation, METAPAD (METAbolic PAthways Decoded) in understanding the complexity of biochemical pathways by enhancing the self-directed learning of students through active engagement in small groupsMethodsIn this mixed-method study, 103 first professional year medical students in small groups were enrolled for the METAPAD gaming puzzle-based learning activity. The puzzles were integrated with a relevant clinical case study. Decoding the puzzle after identification of the metabolic pathway involved in the case was conducted in level 1,2 and 3 with increasing complexity of puzzles at every level. Following the puzzle activity, A 21-item questionnaire was administered to evaluate the usefulness of the innovation and students’ perceptions towards different learning styles. Also, students’ feedback was obtained through personal interviews for qualitative analysis and thematic analysis was performed.ResultsOne hundred and three first year undergraduate medical students participated in the study. Most of the students perceived the METAPAD gaming puzzle to be an effective and innovative style of learning. There was not any significant association between age, gender and acceptance towards the METAPAD gaming puzzle. The predominant type of learning style among the students was multimodal (49.5%). Also, there was no great influence of the learning styles on the overall perception towards the METAPAD gaming puzzle. However, learners emphasized the need to focus more while solving the puzzles.ConclusionStudents perceive the METAPAD gaming puzzle as an actively engaging teaching-learning method that enhances their creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. It promotes self-directed learning of complex pathways in biochemistry which helps in remembering and recalling information and improves their learning skills.

A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review of Group Reflective Practice in Medical Students.

Used primarily as a pedagogical evaluation tool for didactic teaching and skill development, reflective practice (RP) for its own merits is poorly understood. This study aimed to systematically review the literature regarding the role of group RP in fostering empathy, wellbeing, and professionalism in medical students. Electronic searches of empirical studies published between 1 January 2010 and 22 March 2022 from Medline, Embase, and PsychINFO databases were conducted. Empirical studies of any design (qualitative or quantitative) which included RP (1) involving medical students; (2) with a focus on fostering empathy, or professionalism, or personal wellbeing; and (3) provided in a group setting were included. Duplicates, non-English articles, grey literature and articles using RP to examine pedagogy and specific technical skills were excluded. Both authors screened articles independently to derive a final list of included studies, with any discrepancies resolved by discussion, until consensus reached. Articles were rated for methodological quality using the Attree and Milton checklist for qualitative studies; the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine criteria, and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for quantitative studies. Of 314 articles identified, 18 were included: 9 qualitative; 4 quantitative and 5 mixed methodology. Settings included United States (6), United Kingdom (3), Australia (3), France (2), Taiwan (2), Germany (1), and Ireland (1). Themes were (i) professionalism: bridging theoretical paradigms and practice; (ii) halting empathy decline; (iii) wellbeing: shared experience. Additional themes regarding the "successful" delivery of RP groups in facilitating these outcomes also emerged. This first systematic review of group RP in medical students shows that RP may bring theory to life in clinical dilemmas, while fostering collegiality and mitigating against isolation amongst students, despite the absence of studies directly examining wellbeing. These findings support the value of RP integration focusing on emotive and humanitarian processes into contemporary medical education for medical students. PROSPERO CRD42022322496.

Enhancing professionalism of first-year medical students through early nursing practice training and attitude education

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the attitudes, behaviors, and learning experiences of first-year medical students participating in a nursing practice training aimed at enhancing their professionalism.Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among first-year medical students after their nursing practical training to understand their learning experiences. Descriptive statistics was performed for each questionnaire item. For free-text responses, descriptions were grouped by input data with similar content and meaning, and analyzed qualitatively. Others’ evaluation and self-evaluation were analyzed quantitatively.Results: Most students were actively engaged and fulfilled in the training. The free comments generated these categories: “nursing care,” “roles of nurses,” “patient impressions,” “multidisciplinary cooperation,” “communication,” and “what is required of physicians. On the first day, all items evaluated had higher mean scores in the others’ evaluation than in the self-evaluation. On the second day, for “maintains standards of personal appearance (including uniform, hair, and name tag),” the others’ evaluation means were higher than the self-evaluation means. T-tests showed a significant difference in “maintains standards of personal appearance (including uniform, hair, and name tag)” (t=-2.103, degrees of freedom [df]=71.104, p&lt;0.05) and “attends to patients with a polite manner” (t=-2.087, df=74, p&lt;0.05) for both the high and low groups.Conclusion: Greeting, appearance, communication skills, and attitude were found to be the important bases of attitude education in the nursing training ideally involving multidisciplinary professionals. The medical students were able to grasp what is required of doctors and objectively view such position from the viewpoints of nurses and patients.

Effect of Virtual Learning on Medical Student Professionalism: A Systematic Literature Review

Background: Education is an action to develop a potential of human resources accompanied by learning facilities. Education itself has long been attached and developed in human life until now. The number of Covid-19 transmissions in Indonesia is increasing and causing many victims. To break the chain of spreading this virus, the government has formulated a policy that requires students throughout Indonesia to study from home. So that the learning process is free from these conditions, alternative steps are taken, namely through virtual learning. Objective : The purpose of this study is to compare the literature that has subject matter related to evaluating journals according to the PRISMA and PICO (Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) methods. Some data were taken from ten articles that were included in the inclusion criteria, including year, keywords, research title, population. Methods: This systematic literature review is based on an analysis of the literature available in the Pubmed, Elsevier, and Google Scholar databases in English. Results: From the 10 literatures that have been analyzed, 8 of them state that virtual learning is considered to have the potential to create professional values ​​for medical students Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly had an impact on learning activities and could affect the professionalism of medical students, but this can be overcome if the campus is able to provide adequate facilities.

Evidence-guided approach to portfolio-guided teaching and assessing communications, ethics and professionalism for medical students and physicians: a systematic scoping review

ObjectivesGuiding the development of longitudinal competencies in communication, ethics and professionalism underlines the role of portfolios to capture and evaluate the multiple multisource appraisals and direct personalised support to clinicians....

Assessment of Medical Professionalism: Development and psychometric analysis of Professionalism Assessment Tool (PAT) in Pakistani context using Delphi Techniques.

This study aims to develop and assess the content validity along with the reliability of a Professionalism Assessment Tool (PAT) with an intention to measure professionalism among undergraduate medical students. This psychometric analytical study validation study was carried out at Rawalpindi Medical University from 1st February to 1st June, 2021 after establishing feasibility and obtaining ethical approval. The non-probability convince sampling was employed to collect data. Using Nunnally's, the ratio of e subjects per item was selected, as our preliminary tool has 48 items so 384 sample size was estimated for scale validation. The preliminary 48-item tool with five subscales(cSS) developed through mutual consensus by the Delphi technique namely Communication skill(cSS1),-7 item, Accountability(cSS2)-8 item, Altruism(cSS3)-13 item, Self-Directed Learning (cSS4)-10 item and Ethics(cSS5),-10 item was labelled as Professionalism Assessment Tool (PAT). The tool was administered to 4th year MBBS students, the data obtained was analyzed by calculating Cronbach's alpha to estimate the reliability. The SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis. The 48-item PAT had an overall reliability (Cronbach's alpha) of 0.783. The Reliability of the new Subscales were communication skills (0.405), self-directed learning (0.527), Accountability (0.378), Altruism (0.486) and Ethics (0.715). The final tool developed for assessment of professionalism had 48 items on a seven point Likert like scale, across five Subscales. Results showed that it was determined as a useful tool in assessing professionalism in undergraduate medical students to generate reliable results for valid decision-making.

Professional Identity Formation, Professionalism, Leadership and Resilience (PILLAR) in Medical Students: Methodology and Early Results.

The fundamental role of medical education is the transformation of students to doctors, through a process of education and professional identity formation (PIF), which can be informed by several educational, behavioural and emotional factors. PIF has been deemed to be of equal importance to the acquisition of clinical knowledge and skills and includes constructs such as professionalism, leadership and resilience. We aimed to assess professional identity formation, professionalism, leadership and resilience (PILLAR) in the junior years of medical school in the 2020/2021 academic year and illustrate the potential role of quantitative assessment to demonstrate progression in these areas. In this research, we provide the methods and baseline results for the PILLAR study. We implemented a compulsory assessment in pre-clinical years of graduate entry and direct entry medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland. Validated scales were used to assess students' PILLAR. Descriptive and univariable statistical techniques were used to compare student scores between respective years. A total of 1311 students (92% response rate) provided their consent for research. For the psychometric scales, there were no evident trends among the years on these assessment measures. Results indicated significant differences in all measures, however, these did not correspond to ascending years of seniority. The PILLAR methodology provides important information on the challenges of quantitatively assessing medical students in the four key areas of PIF, professionalism, leadership, and resilience. Our cross-sectional results point to cohort effects, without the expected progression per year in the cross-sectional data, or suggest that the chosen quantitative measures may be problematic for these constructs in pre-clinical students. Therefore, while we believe that PILLAR has potential as a progress test for these constructs, this will only truly be elucidated by repeated measures of each cohort over time.

A Pilot Study to Evaluate the effect of Pre - and immediate Post-Exercise Heart Rate on Physical Fitness in Medical Students

Background: Resting Heart rate is one of the important vital parameters depicting the cardiovascular status. It has been reported that Resting heart rate is low in trained athletes. Higher Resting heart rate is one of the independent factor for all cause mortality in cardiovascular diseases. Health as a profession is challenging and physically demanding. Identifying the fitness level from RHR (Resting Heart Rate) or PEHR(i) (Immediate Post Exercise Heart Rate) may prove as a tool for future cardiovascular and Exercise physiology research.Objectives: The Present study was conducted to observe the association of RHR and PEHR(i) with Physical fitness among 1st Professional Medical students who are physically untrained and sedentary.Materials and Methods: 100 first professional medical students (49 male and 51 female )participated in this study. Subjects underwent the Harvard Step test using the standard protocol. Physical fitness was calculated and relations and predictability of RHR and PEHR(i) were analyzed statistically.Results: Resting Heart Rate and immediate Post-exercise Heart Rate both inversely correlated with Physical Fitness index. PEHR(i) has better predictability towards physical fitness.Conclusion: It was observed that the physical fitness index among the first professional students was poor. Students with higher RHR has poor fitness index. The observation was similar with PEHR(i). Post-exercise heart rate predict the fitness level significantly than RHR.

Oncological big data platforms for promoting digital competencies and professionalism in Chinese medical students: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesAdvancements in big data technology are reshaping the healthcare system in China. This study aims to explore the role of medical big data in promoting digital competencies and professionalism among...

Periodontal health related practice and awareness among undergraduate medical students and interns of Government Medical College Thrissur–A cross-sectional study

Medical students are considered to be representative of the educated, influential and motivated class of individuals and are considered to have a better perception and realization of maintaining oral health when compared to general population. Hence the present study aims to assess the periodontal health practices and awareness among medical professional students. This cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students and interns of Govt Medical College Thrissur using an online proforma and analysis done using SPSS. A statistically significant association was noted between gender and periodontal health practices and also between periodontal health awareness and year of study and posting category. Interns were 2.56 times more aware of periodontal health than students with a p value ˂ 0.01. Clinical students were 2.4 times more aware of periodontal health than preclinical students with a p value ˂ 0.01. Statistically significant mild positive correlation was observed between age and periodontal health awareness with Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.379 and a mild negative, statistically non-significant correlation was observed between age and periodontal health practice. There is a need to further educate and motivate medical students on oral and periodontal health practice so that it improves the future efforts of medical professionals in contributing to oral health as they are often the first contact for patients.

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

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