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Perceptions of teachers and students about curriculum viability inhibitors are equally important yet may differ. Divergence can lead to destructive friction and adversely affect curriculum viability. Our team aimed to find the perceptions of teachers and students on inhibitors affecting the viability of an implemented medical curriculum, report their convergence or divergence, and explore approaches to reduce divergence. Through a mixed-method approach, using valid and reliable questionnaires, we found the curriculum under review had no clear inhibitors. Whereas teachers exhibited complete agreement that no educational programme inhibitors existed, students did not fully agree. Upon qualitative inquiry, using focus group discussion with students and teachers, we found that 'improving the communication gap', 'enhancing the role of faculty and students in curriculum', and 'improving the assessment process' can reduce the friction between teachers and students. This study provides an approach that identifies the curriculum viability inhibitors and solutions to address them.

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Objective: To explore problems faced by struggling undergraduate medical students and their impact on student's academics. Methods: A qualitative case study was carried out from March to August 2019. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of sixteen struggling students. The interview questions were validated and then piloted to ensure clarity. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Due to sensitive nature of the data, confidentiality and anonymity was ensured. Thematic analysis was employed to get meaning with in the data set. All authors ensured analytical triangulation by independently analyzing the data before developing consensus on the codes and themes. Results: Eleven sub-themes under four major themes emerged from the transcripts. Participants were found to be struggling with emotional, academics and family related problems. Psychological distress was caused by factors such as fight with friends, one-sided love, and hard financial times. Time management, lack of attention and commitments at home were few of the other problems. Problems had an impact on students as they were demotivated, lost focus in their studies, could not perform good and few participants even failed in examinations. Conclusions: Students were struggling more with emotional and family related problems and less with academics related problems. They were impacting student's academics. The study site had a robust mentoring program however, struggling students need timely identification and more dedicated time to help them manage their problems. Stress relieving activities and counselling sessions may frequently be added, and academically underachieved students should also be given extra care, support, and guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on introducing precision medicine (PM) education for medical residents in Rwanda. Topics discussed include purpose of suggesting educating physicians about PM, lessons included in the blended learning curriculum, and lessons learned from PM-based education.

Objective: To explore supervisors' perceptions about the utility of E-Log system used for monitoring postgraduate training. Study Design: Interpretivist qualitative research. Place and Duration of Study: Military teaching hospitals (Military and Combined Military) and Institutes (Armed Forces Institutes of Radiology, Cardiology, Ophthalmology, Mental Health, Urology, Pathology) at Rawalpindi, from Jul to Dec 2016. Material and Methods: Maximum variation purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from postgraduate training supervisors from various specialties with more than four years teaching experience. Participants were interviewed using a semi structured interview guide. The interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data was carried out using software NVivo 7. Tree nodes (codes) were developed and arranged in different categories leading to discrete themes. Results: Data were collected from 16 postgraduate training supervisors, three of them being females. A total of 101 codes were developed, leading to 17 sub-themes which gave rise to four distinct themes elaborating awareness about the importance of E-log system as a tool for monitoring of postgraduate training, its utility, factors affecting the working of this system followed by suggestions to improve the system and thus its utility. Conclusion: The E-Log system was considered a convenient means of monitoring postgraduate training and had conditional acceptability among supervisors. It was felt that there was a need to enhance awareness regarding the importance and utility of this system. Key suggestions offered were organizing mandatory medical education workshops, arranging teaching videos, improving the software and the way of its checking, introducing faculty committees, limiting number of trainees per supervisor, taking steps against password sharing and a better communication between the monitoring body and supervisors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The primary objective of our study is to assess the existing level knowledge and attitudes towards scientific research amongst medical students of a medical college in Lahore. Study Design: Quantitative descriptive questionnaire-based survey. Period: June to September 2017 on fourth year and final year students of MBBS. Setting: Medical College in Lahore. Methods: After informed consent and briefing, the questionnaire was distributed to the participants. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS. Results: A total of 200 students were contacted out of which 102 responded (response rate51%). The result showed that the knowledge assessment score of final year was lower than fourth year but the difference was not statistically significant. The knowledge was low in both the groups. Attitude score was slightly higher in 4th year as compared to 5th year. Conclusion: The study indicated less knowledge but positive attitude of medical students towards scientific research. Moreover, the culture of research needs to be developed in our undergraduate medical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of Test-Enhanced learning as a learning tool in lectures for undergraduate medical students. Method: This quantitative, randomized controlled trial included eighty-four students of 4th year MBBS from Yusra Medical & Dental College, Islamabad. The duration of study was from March 2016 to August 2016. After obtaining the informed consent; participants were equally assigned to interventional and noninterventional study groups through stratified randomization. Single best answer MCQs of special pathology were used as data collection instrument after validation. A pre- and post-test was taken from both groups, before and after the intervention, respectively and their results were compared using SPSS version 21. Results: There were 13 male (31%) and 29 female (69%) participants in each study group who showed an equivalent baseline performance on pre-test (p=0.95). Statistically significant difference was found among mean scores of interventional and non-interventional study groups at exit exam (p=0.00). Interventional group also showed a significant improvement in their post-test scores (mean: 17.17±1.59) as compared to pre-test scores (mean: 6.19±1.81). Conclusions: Test-enhanced learning has significant effect on improving the learning of course content delivered to undergraduate medical students through lectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is an emphasis on identity formation to complement the competency-based medical education in tomorrow's doctors, with a focus from "doing" to "being," to deeply learn the role as a health professional. Medical students spend a considerable time on internet-based online social networking platforms. These internet-based avenues can have certain implications in the formation of their identity. Methods: The aim of this article is to discuss a highly significant way to form the professional identity that is through online social networking, which can be labeled as digital professional identity (DPI). Results: DPI is defined as "professional identity that develops through internet-based social interactions by utilizing online platforms and communication tools." Medical students develop certain constituents of professionalism as part of their lifelong professional identity during the course of their graduation. They learn the professional ways and means to communicate on internet-based social media platforms, which affect their professional identities. Discussion: We suggest to provide institutional guidance for the medical students regarding the usage of social networking sites and forming their DPIs as a medical professional by explaining the related advantages and disadvantages. In addition, accreditation bodies need to incorporate the aspect of DPI in their competencies for professionalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]