Tbilisi State Medical University Research Articles

Rosacea awareness among med students: In-depth survey analysis

Objectives: The main aim of this cross-sectional study is to assess the knowledge of medical students of Tbilisi State Medical University for creating awareness about rosacea among healthcare professionals and the community. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study in an online survey style was conducted over 2 months among international medical students to assess rosacea awareness. Participants (n = 86) answered questions covering etiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical expression, treatment modalities, and personal encounters with rosacea patients. Statistical analysis categorized responses by gender, academic year, and awareness levels. Results: Survey results revealed varying awareness levels among participants. While most recognized rosacea and its symptoms exist, knowledge gaps exist in identifying types, severity signs, genetic links, dietary influences, and treatment modalities. Clinical-year students exhibited superior awareness compared to their preclinical counterparts, indicating the influence of clinical exposure. Conclusion: The study highlights inconsistent awareness of rosacea among medical students, emphasizing the need for comprehensive education. Limited exposure to real-world cases underscores the importance of clinical training. Bridging knowledge gaps through updated curricula and practical training can enhance future health-care professionals’ preparedness to diagnose and manage rosacea effectively, thereby improving patient outcomes and quality of life. Further, research and educational interventions are warranted to address these gaps and promote a better understanding of and management of rosacea.

Functional disorders in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Background. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease of the parts of the nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. In ALS, motor neurons (nerve cells that control muscle cells) are gradually lost. As this happens, the muscles they control become weak and then nonfunctional, thus leading to muscle weakness, disability, and eventually death. ALS is the most common form of motor neuron disease. Recent studies widely demonstrated that the pattern of progression in sporadic ALS patients is unsolved mystery, especially what factors influence the progression of the disease. Therefore, we conducted a study using ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) for disease progression and investigated factors contributing to its rapid rate in The First University Clinic of Tbilisi State Medical University in 2019–2022. Materials and methods. A total of 60 patients with ALS were examined, among them 31 male (51.67 %), 29 female (48.33 %) aged 21–84 years. Riluzole takers, patients with sporadic ALS underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging, and electrophysiological studies were done in all patients. Participants were diagnosed using the Gold Coast criteria and examined with the ALSFRS-R. Survey for factors affecting disease progression was performed with a help of the patient’s caregiver (a disease-specific questionnaire was invented for this purpose, investigating probable progression modifiers). Results. It has been found that recent falls, trauma, surgery, and infection have a drastic impact on disease progression. ALS was found to be a not linear progressive disease and can vary. We have found that 5 % of patients had improvement оn ALSFRS-R, not explained by medication, nor lifestyle change. Conclusions. The rate of ALS progression appears to be a mystery by itself. Predicting the progression rate, and the factors affecting it would be beneficial for ALS patients and may even bring chances to slow or halt the progression. Further research is essential.

The Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms Among Medical Students of Tbilisi State Medical University in Georgia

The Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms Among Medical Students of Tbilisi State Medical University in Georgia

Protective role of sars-cov-2vaccine against severe disease and mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19

Vaccination is the major source of specific prevention of COVID-19. It is important to assess its efficacy in terms of protecting infected patients from com-plicated disease and death. We aimed to study the protective role of the vaccine in hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19 to assess its efficacy in de-creasing the need of prolonged stationed care, impact on the disease severity and mortality. We conducted a retrospective randomized cross-sectional study on the patients of the First University Clinic of Tbilisi State Medical University. Only 17.5% of randomly chosen 325 hospitalized patients were found to be vaccinated. About half of this vaccinated patients had not received second dose. The duration of hospitalization period was 1.2 times longer in fully vaccinated patients compared to unvaccinated ones. Mortality rate was 3.73 % in unvaccinated patients, while the same value equals 0 in the patients that received at list one dose of any vaccine. Unvaccinated patients are at relatively higher risk for getting severe infection and being hospitalized. During the hospitalization period positive history of vaccination was associated with decreased prevalence of various complications, the need of intensive care and mortality.

Prevalence of Insomnia and Factors Influencing Its Incidence in Students of Tbilisi State Medical University: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Sleep is essential for overall health and well-being, however, medical students often face challenges in the form of insomnia or sleep-related disorders. This cross-sectional study investigates the factors influencing the incidence of insomnia in medical students at Tbilisi State Medical University during the 2022-2023 academic year. Using an online questionnaire, data was collected from 174 respondents with self-reported insomnia, and processed with spreadsheet software. The questionnaire collected demographic information, and data regarding sleeping patterns, and asked respondents to choose 'yes' or 'no' for each factor and its effect on their self-reported insomnia. After applying inclusion and exclusion factors, 122 responses were used for analysis. A chi-square analysis was conducted to verify the statistical significance of the data (p = 0.002002).The study revealed a high prevalence of 70.11% of respondents reporting sleeping difficulties. A total of 71.30% of respondents reported excessive workload as the most significant factor contributing to the incidence of their insomnia. Sixty-eight percentof respondents reported mental health issues(including anxiety and depression), and 65.5% reported improper sleep hygiene (including daytime napping and irregular sleep schedules) to play a role in the incidence of their insomnia. Social media and entertainment platform usage (59.8%) and stimulant consumption (48.4%) were comparatively less prominent but still noteworthy contributors to insomnia. The study also found that the majority of respondents (59.8%) experience onset-related insomnia, while 40.4% experience maintenance-related insomnia.This study found excessive workload to be the factor that most influenced the incidence of insomnia in medical students at Tbilisi State Medical University. This can be attributed to the increased academic load a medical student has to face and the worry about academic performance.Proper sleep hygiene, mental health support, and workload adjustments are suggested to decrease the incidence of insomnia among medical students at Tbilisi State Medical University.

COVID 19 – THE MODERN CHALLENGE OF HIGHER MEDICAL EDUCATION

Background: The COVID 19 pandemic created problems for the population not only in terms of health,  also in terms of education, especially in the field of medical education.  In order to prevent the spread of the virus in our country, regulations were adopted, including the so-called online teaching mode. The method of online learning is not new in the World, although this method of teaching in the field of medicine is associated with certain difficulties. Objectives: The  aim of our  study  was     In the conditions of the COVID 19 pandemic, in the field of medical education, the so-called Scientific evaluation of the role of online teaching. Methods: The research was prospective, based on the principle of the so-called snow team. through a questionnaire. In order to determine the peculiarities of distance learning of medical subjects, only a survey of students was conducted. In order to compare the results of the research, the following aspects were distinguished: To what extent is it possible to study the clinical skills of the so-called online format and In the clinical discipline, with the so-called on-line survey format, how much is it possible for the student to demonstrate the acquired knowledge as much as possible. The questionnaire intended for students included 25 closed questions. The content of the questions was behavioral, measuring mood and assessing knowledge. 102 respondents, 6th year students of Tbilisi State Medical University, were included in the research. All of them were involved in the distance learning process and they were interviewed in a telephone format. Conclusions: As a result of summarizing the results of our research, it was found that it is difficult to provide complete medical education in an online format under the conditions of a pandemic. According to the results of our survey, 44.1% of students consider online learning format justified in clinical disciplines. Also, the majority of students /65.6%/ believe that It is possible to reveal the maximum of knowledge in online mode. In the conditions of the epidemic, Online teaching is an alternative method and ensures the continuity of the teaching process. In addition, distance learning has many positive aspects (for example, financial and time savings during transportation), which can be used even after the end of the epidemic.

CHRONIC STRESS IN MEDICAL STUDENTS

The prevalence and impact of chronic stress on the world's population are quite important. In the modern world, students have to deal with many stressors, and the medical students stand out with the highest stress level. The main causes of stress are academic overload, fear of failure, financial problems, high expectations from others, and many more.             Aim: To study indicators of chronic stress among Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU) students. Materials and Methods. We conducted survey of the TSMU students using the Student Stress Inventory in Georgian and English. Total number of questions was 51 with 40 items in 4 subscales: physical factors, interpersonal relationships, academic activities, and environmental factors. Students were asked to rate how often these events happened in their lives. Stress level was determined based on the summary points. The total number of respondents was 193, 69.95% women, 29.50% men; Faculty of Medicine (English) 23.32%, Faculty of Medicine (Georgian) 56.48%, Faculty of Public Health 20.21%, the mean age 22.45±1.3 years.             Results. Among physical components of chronic stress, the majority of interviewed students reported having the feeling of constant fatigue 54.92% and sleep problems 43.00% often and very often. In the domain of personal relationships, 64.25% of the total number of interviewees believe that parents want success for them. Among the academic factors, students reported stress caused by exams at 53.37%. Among the environmental factors, the majority - 62.17% of respondents mentioned the hot weather.             Conclusion. In general, psychological symptoms are more pronounced among students than physical ones. The overall prevalence of moderate and severe chronic stress among medical university students is 60.62% (Georgians 63.27%, foreigners 51.11%). Most of the female students (63.70%) have moderate stress, while most of the male students (56.14%) have mild stress. Students of the Faculty of Medicine reported higher levels of stress than Public Health students. Obtained results are in line with the international data. It is desirable to conduct the qualitative study as well in order to find more information on the causes of the stress.

Evaluation of proliferative activity of pre-tumor and tumor processes of Barrett's esophagus using AGNOR technology

Esophageal carcinoma is the eighth most common malignancy and the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Adenocarcinomas account for the majority of esophageal carcinomas in the US. The incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas is decreasing every year, while the number of adenocarcinomas has not changed over the last three to four decades. It has been established that there is a strong correlation between proliferative activity and a poor tumor prognosis, so the interest in clinical trials of proliferative potential on various markers is still relevant and increasing every year. Within the framework of our research, a cohort retrograde study was carried out, for which the archival material of the teaching-scientific and diagnostic laboratory of Tbilisi State Medical University for the years 2019-2022 was used. Proliferative activity was determined by AgNOR technology in 35 cases evaluated in the following histological entity: Barrett's esophagus with enteric metaplasia; Barrett's esophagus with foveolar metaplasia; Barrett's esophagus with low-grade dysplasia of the epithelium; Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia of the epithelium; Based on the results of our study, AgNOR technology can be used to evaluate proliferative activity in Barrett's esophagus.

ONE-CARBON METABOLISM GENE POLYMORPHISM CORRELATE WITH LEVELS OF DNA METHYLTRANSFERASES IN PATIENTS WITH MIGRAINE

Migraine is a common, disabling disorder characterized by attacks of 4 to 72 h of severe headache and associated autonomic and neurological symptoms. In the present study we analyzed the expression of DNMT1, DNMT3a, and DNMT3b in patients with migraine compared with healthy controls as well as the association between the levels of DNMTs and the LINE-1 methylation status in migraine patients with MTHFR C677T variant. Materials and Method: A total 48 individuals were enrolled in this study (24 patients with migraine and 24 age-matched healthy controls). The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tbilisi State Medical University. Results: We observed that methylation of LINE-1 were correlated with the levels of DNMT3a in migraine. In addition, levels of DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b in patients with TT genotypes of MTHFR gene rs1801133 polymorphism were significantly lower compared with individuals with CC genotypes. Conclusions: Differential levels DNMTs may play an important role in the pathogenesis of migraine. Further investigation of enzymes involved in DNA methylation with larger number of samples may provide important insight into the development of novel treatments for episodic and/or chronic migraine.

Impact of COVID-19 on University Activities: Comparison of Experiences from Slovakia and Georgia

The paper examines the recent trends in international mobility, attractivity for international students, and the number of publications of two universities (Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia, CPU and Tbilisi State Medical University, Georgia, TSMU) to understand whether the COVID-19 pandemic affected these processes and whether the adverse consequences of the pandemic were still retained after its end. In addition, we examined the influence of EU support for these processes. For this purpose, we analyzed the rates of international mobility (the number of outgoing and incoming students and employees, the number of international students, and the number of publications indexed in SCOPUS and the WoS database of CPU and TSMU before, during, and after the abolishment of administrative restrictions induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The comparison of CPU and TSMU demonstrated the similarity between these universities in the development of international contacts and cooperation. The indexes of international mobility and the number of publications in the EU university CPU were higher than those in the non-EU TSMU. On the other hand, before COVID-19, the indexes of international mobility and the number of publications of TSMU were stable or tended to decline, but in CPU, they increased. COVID-19 had a negative impact on all indexes of international mobility, but the number of international students continued to increase in both universities, even during the pandemic. The use of home offices during the pandemic promoted an increase in the number of international publications among authors from CPU but not among those from TSMU. After the end of the pandemic, in both universities, the indexes of international mobility increased but sometimes did not return to pre-pandemic levels. In the post-COVID-19 period, in both CPU and TSMU, the number of international students continued to grow, and the number of publications declined. These observations highlight the trend of internalization experienced by both universities, the negative impact of COVID on their international mobility, and the importance of EU support for research.

SURVEY OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE REGARDING TOBACCO SMOKING IN MEDICAL STUDENTS

Introduction. The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year around the world. The young people are the easiest target for the risky behavior. Aim. To assess knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding tobacco smoking among medical students in Georgia. Materials and Methods. KAP questionnaire containing 44 questions was developed in Georgian. Sampling frame consisted of students of the1st and 4th year of the Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU) – Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Public Health Management and Faculty of Public Health. Random cluster sampling was used and total number of participants was 242: 1st year students 39.51% (96), 4th year students 60.08% (146); Faculty of Medicine 62.96% (153), Faculty of Public Health 36.63% (89); female 183 (75.31%), male 59 (24.48%). Mean age was 20.63 (SD=2.2). Cross-sectional study was performed. The survey was anonymous and self-administered. Principles of Declaration of Helsinki were followed. Data analysis was done in Stata 14.0. Results. Based on the knowledge component, most students do not have complete information about tobacco products and the diseases they cause. Statistically higher number of the students of the Medical Faculty and male students had correct information about the harm of tobacco. 20.6% of respondents smoke, male 33.9%, female 16.4%. The main reason for starting smoking was cited as interest and the influence of friends. 32.1% of respondents stopped smoking after the quitting attempt. The maximum length of time to smoking after quitting was 7.9 months on average (SD = 7.8). Conclusion. Obtained results are mainly in line with the international findings. There was seen a statistically significant difference between public health and medical faculties and male and female in responses on knowledge and attitude. Taking into account that we have studied medical students it is less probable that the students of other specializations will be more knowledgeable in this regard. It is advisable to increase awareness activities in this regard.

Comparative analysis of features of microenvironment, stem cell and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of non-invasive papillary bladder carcinoma with invasive carcinoma

Invasive urothelial carcinoma is the most common bladder malignancy, comprising 90% of all primary bladder carcinomas. According to the statistics of Georgia, according to NCDC data, bladder cancer is the third most common cancer among men. It is more common in men than in women. This pathology takes the 9th place among the most common tumors in the world. Within the framework of our research, a cohort retrograde study was carried out, for which the archival material of the teaching-scientific and diagnostic laboratory of Tbilisi State Medical University for the years 2019-2021 was used. The markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation in low- and high-grade non-invasive urothelial carcinomas and invasive urothelial carcinomas, as well as characteristics of the internal tumor microenvironment and stem cell characteristics, were studied. Bladder carcinoma belongs to the heterogeneous group of tumors that have different rates of recurrence, progression and metastasis; It is necessary to develop markers that can be prognostic indicators in bladder tumors, which will greatly improve the clinical management of this type of tumors.

Development of Curriculum for Elective Course “Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”

Introduction.Systematic review permits to summarize the findings of various studies. Meta-analysis permits to combine findings from different independent studies and provide a precise estimate of the clinical effect or diagnostic power. Aim.To develop curriculum for the elective course on systematic review and meta-analysis at the Tbilisi State Medical University. Materials and Methods.The literature review was done. There were also used the materials received during the Summer School in Epidemiology and fellowship funded by DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) to Ulm University, Germany. The opinion of the experts regarding curriculum development was taken into account. Results.The course will be run at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics during 8 days with one day at the computer lab in the library. The course will be equal to 2 ECTS with 26 contact hours. Course admission requirement is some knowledge of English language. Students will be assessed according to the corresponding regulatory rules of Georgia and administrative-legislative acts of the Tbilisi State Medical University with 100-score system. The course will cover fundamentals of systematic review and meta-analysis. Conclusion. Basic knowledge of systematic review and meta-analysis is very important for practical physician, healthcare worker, scientist and academic staff. For successful implementation of the elective course its piloting is advisable.

Nutritional epidemiology and main methods used in the field

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Tbilisi State Medical University. The paper contains definition of the nutritional epidemiology. A short summary of essential methods used in the field is presented: detailed diet records (food diary), food frequency questionnaires, 24-hour diet recall, nutritional biomarkers. Their application modes are given. Advantages and disadvantages of the above-mentioned methods are stated. Main disadvantages are biases, confounding, inaccuracy, motivation and education requirements, cost and duration, etc. The main challenges of nutritional epidemiology as well as the modes to overcome them are presented as well.

Comparative analysis of changes in proliferative-apoptotic and hormonal status of non-invasive papillary urothelial carcinomas with molecular subtypes of invasive carcinomas

Invasive urothelial carcinoma is the most common bladder malignancy, comprising 90% of all primary bladder carcinomas. According to the statistics of Georgia, according to NCDC data, bladder cancer is the third most common cancer among men. As a result of non-invasive urothelial carcinoma, 70% of the operated patients developed a recurrence in the 5-year period after the surgical intervention on the urinary bladder, among which the share of advanced, metastatic cases is 10-20%.Therefore, regardless of the same degree of differentiation and staging, the recurrence and progression of urothelial carcinoma varies in different patients. A cohort retrograde study was carried out, for which archival material of the teaching-scientific and diagnostic laboratory of Tbilisi State Medical University for the years 2019-2021 was used. The results of the study showed that molecular subtypes of urothelial invasive carcinomas express CK20 and CK5 with different intensity. Moreover, there are mixed, hybrid forms with the coexistence of both markers, which indicates the intratumoral heterogeneous nature of invasive carcinomas, which probably depends on the different clinical course and prognosis of tumors of the same histological type. The phenotypic characteristics of low- and high-grade non-invasive papillary urothelial carcinomas are fundamentally different from the characteristics of invasive urothelial carcinoma, which gives reason to assume that they are different tumors and require additional genomic changes to transform into invasive carcinoma.The phenotypic differences between them are likely to determine the risk of recurrence and invasive transformation. CK20, CK5, apoptotic and proliferative characteristics with androgen receptor expression. Together, it can be used to assess the risk of recurrence and transformation to invasive carcinoma of low- and high-grade noninvasive papillary urothelial carcinomas.

Anxiety and depression in patients with chronic urticarial

Urticaria is an allergic and dermatological disease caused by the degranulation of mast cells and clinically manifested by wheals and angioedema [1]. Acute urticaria lasts for six weeks, while chronic urticaria for more time [2]. Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU) deserves special attention from physicians and researchers as it impacts a person’s quality of life and often lasts for several years [3]. This condition is accompanied by itching and psycho-neurological problems [4], which negatively affect a person's daily activities, mood and appearance. Recent studies have shown that 35-60% of patients with chronic urticaria have sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric disorders [5-8]. This study aimed to assess the association between CSU and anxiety and CSU and depression while employing a data mining approach to match CSU patients to gender and age control participants. Were used the database of the Allergology and clinical immunology department clinics of TSMU (Tbilisi State Medical University). This assessment considered demographic and clinical factors (thyroid disease, diabetes, physical urticaria, obesity and smoking). Anxiety and depression rates were assessed using the GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire) questionnaires [25].

Breast Cancer Awareness among Medical Students in Georgia

Background: As awareness is the key tool for better prognosis, it is important for every kind of population. Being one of the most common cancers, also being associated with the high mortality rates, breast cancer awareness should be prevalent. As future doctors, medical students have the responsibility of educating the general population. To carry out such duties, they should possess enough knowledge about the subject. This study probes the extent of their knowledge.Methodology: An online questionnaire containing 15 questions of various formats was made and distributed to the students of Tbilisi State Medical University via E-mails. The collected data were processed in Microsoft Excel sheets. Answers from pre-clinical and clinical year students were analyzed separately.Results: A total of 225 responses were collected. More females (n=167) participated in the survey than males (n=56). A very low number of students selected correct answers to the epidemiological questions regarding the most common cancer among men, women, and the overall Georgian population. Despite attending awareness programs and having close contact with cancer patients, students showed a lack of awareness.Conclusion: There was no significant difference in knowledge or awareness noticed between pre-clinical and clinical students. Lack of knowledge despite having attended previous awareness programs and having close contact with cancer patients shows the lack of cognizance in students and their inability to retain information. This strongly indicates the need for more intensive activities on cancer awareness not only for students but also for the general population

The Role of Urinary Nitrite in Predicting Bacterial Resistance in Urine Culture Analysis Among Patients With Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection.

ObjectiveThis study aims to determine the relationship between the presence of urinary nitrite and bacterial resistance to antimicrobial therapy in patients with uncomplicated urinary tract infections.MethodsDuring a six-month time period (April-October, 2020), we reviewed the urine samples of 59 adult outpatients from the Urology Department of Tbilisi State Medical University the First University Clinic with the diagnosis of urinary tract infection. The infecting microorganisms and the presence of urine nitrite were recorded. Resistance rates to the antibiotics were compared between the positive and negative nitrite groups. Chi-squared test was used to perform the statistical analysis using Prism software version 9.3.1 (GraphPad Software, Inc., San Diego, California).ResultsWe examined the correlation between the nitrite-positive and -negative groups with the resistance pattern to ceftriaxone, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), ampicillin-sulbactam, fosfomycin, amikacin, doxycycline, cefuroxime, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and nitrofurantoin.A total of 59 outpatients with a mean age of 37 years met the inclusion criteria between April and October 2020. In the positive and negative nitrite groups, there were 23 and 36 patients, respectively. Three (17.6%) of the 17 gram-positive organisms and 20 (62.5%) of the 42 gram-negative organisms yielded positive nitrite results.In nitrite-positive group, resistance rates to ceftriaxone, TMP-SMX, ampicillin-sulbactam, fosfomycin, amikacin, doxycycline, cefuroxime, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and nitrofurantoin were 52.2%, 70.8%, 63.5%, 67.7%, 25.8%, 31.9%, 29.6%, 32.5%, 22.5% and 83.8%, respectively. These values in the nitrite-negative group were 6.5%, 41.3%, 60.7%, 72.9%, 49%, 3%, 2.3%, 3.3%, 4.3% and 81.9%, respectively.Highest relative resistance rate was recorded against cefuroxime (12.9), followed by doxycycline (10.6), cefotaxime (9.8), ceftriaxone (8.03), ceftazidime (5.2), TMP-SMX (1.71), ampicillin-sulbactam (1.05), nitrofurantoin (1.02), fosfomycin (0.93), and amikacin (0.53).The most commonly isolated pathogen was Escherichia coli, which was detected in 35 (71%) isolates. Other bacteria commonly found were Proteus spp in five (12%) isolates, Klebsiella spp in two (5%) isolates, and Enterococcus in five (12%) isolates.ConclusionThe findings revealed that out of 10 antibiotics, nitrite-positive groups demonstrated higher resistance only against ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, cefotaxime, and doxycycline. Other antibiotics showed no statistically significant differences in resistance. Furthermore, the highest relative resistance rate was recorded against cefuroxime, whereas amikacin revealed the lowest. Therefore, we suggest physicians to not adjust antibiotic therapy for urinary tract infections (UTIs) based on the presence of nitrite. Urine bacteriology should be ordered.

STRESS LEVEL AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS IN GEORGIA AND ITS CAUSATIVE FACTORS

The study is aimed to determine the prevalence and the stressors among medical students, as well as to observe an association between the level of stress and its causative agents. A questionnaire, consisting of 2 sections, one defining the stress level and the other - causation, was sent to the medical students from year 1 to year 6 of the Tbilisi State Medical University (USMD Program). Perceived stress varied among the academic years, with the mean of 22.4 (on the scale of 0-40), which indicates the moderate level of stress. The first four years had significantly higher stress levels compared to the last two. The most significant stressors were exams and the studying process, whereas least stressful turned out to be communicative stressors. The findings can be useful for medical school professors and administration to understand the students’ well-being, which will be helpful to create a more comfortable study environment.

Vladimir Alexi‐Meskishvili (1941–2021)

Vladimir Alexi‐Meskishvili (1941–2021)