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BACKGROUND: Studies have documented that utilizing peer feedback can enhance students English academic writing skills. Little is known, however, about the effects of incorporating peer feedback to enhance English as a second language (L2) medical students academic writing performance. METHODS: This longitudinal interventional study examines Chinese medical students English academic writing skills development via peer feedback in four parallel classes over an 18-week semester between the experimental and control groups (n = 124). RESULTS: Significant increases in the experimental groups performance in the post-test were found after 18-week instructions (pre- vs. post-test: overall score, p

Abstract Background Medical students are known to be at a greater risk of psychological disorders compared to the general population. However, their rate of help-seeking behavior is low. The purpose of this study was to explore the influencing factors of attitudes towards psychological help-seeking among Chinese medical students and to examine its gender differences. Methods A total of 3,453 medical students from three medical colleges in Hainan Province, China, completed anonymous questionnaires that included socio-demographic attributes, the Family APGAR Index, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20), and the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Short Form (ATSPPH-SF). Associations between predictor variables and attitudes towards help-seeking were explored using multivariate linear regression, and regression models with interaction terms were employed to test gender difference. Results The mean score on ATSPPH-SF Scale was 15.04 ± 3.45, with males scoring significantly lower than females (14.34 vs. 15.64, P

Abstract Background Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus and is increasingly recognized as a serious public health concern worldwide. Our aim was to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of Chinese medical students regarding monkeypox. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 8,897 college students from China. An e-questionnaire was used to collect data on knowledge (17 items), attitudes (12 items), and baseline criteria. The relationships between a range of factors and knowledge and attitudes were studied using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results A total of 79.33% of the study participants were female, 89.10% were of Han ethnicity, 72.50% were from rural areas, 50.39% were in their first year, and 80.65% were medical majors. A total of 50.88% had good knowledge of monkeypox, and 57.11% had a positive attitude towards monkeypox knowledge. Univariate analysis revealed that origin and major were the factors affecting the knowledge level of monkeypox among participants. Rural students had more knowledge of monkeypox than urban students, and nonmedical students had greater awareness of monkeypox than did medical students. Moreover, sex and grade were the factors influencing participants’ attitudes towards monkeypox; men had more positive attitudes than women did, and senior students had more positive attitudes than junior students did. Multivariate analysis revealed that major and the origin of the students independently influenced the monkeypox knowledge of Chinese medical students, while sex, grade and monkeypox knowledge were significantly related to attitudes towards monkeypox. Conclusion This study revealed that nearly half of the Chinese medical students had good knowledge and a positive attitude towards monkeypox. Student origin and major independently influenced the knowledge of Chinese medical students of monkeypox, while sex, grade and knowledge were independently related to the attitudes of Chinese medical students towards monkeypox.

Background: Medical students are known to be at a greater risk of psychological disorders compared to the general population. However, their rate of help-seeking behavior is low. The purpose of this study was to explore the influencing factors of attitudes towards psychological help-seeking among Chinese medical students and to examine its gender differences. Methods: A total of 3,453 medical students from three medical colleges in Hainan Province, China, completed anonymous questionnaires that included socio-demographic attributes, the Family APGAR Index, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20), and the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Short Form (ATSPPH-SF). Associations between predictor variables and attitudes towards help-seeking were explored using multivariate linear regression, and regression models with interaction terms were employed to test gender difference. Results: The mean score on ATSPPH-SF Scale was 15.04 ± 3.45, with males scoring significantly lower than females (14.34 vs. 15.64, P < 0.0001). For both male and female groups, psych knowledge, mental health status, family function and help-seeking utility perception significantly influenced attitudes toward psychological help-seeking. Furthermore, having more than once psycho-help experiences was positively correlated with women’s attitudes. Significant interactions were found between gender and mental health status. Conclusion: Attitude towards seeking psychological help was relatively negative among Chinese medical students. The implementation of interventions should take into account the at-risk population, especially the males and individuals with poor mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus and is increasingly recognized as a serious public health concern worldwide. Our aim was to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of Chinese medical students regarding monkeypox. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 8,897 college students from China. An e-questionnaire was used to collect data on knowledge (17 items), attitudes (12 items), and baseline criteria. The relationships between a range of factors and knowledge and attitudes were studied using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: A total of 79.33% of the study participants were female, 89.10% were of Han ethnicity, 72.50% were from rural areas, 50.39% were in their first year, and 80.65% were medical majors. A total of 50.88% had good knowledge of monkeypox, and 57.11% had a positive attitude towards monkeypox knowledge. Univariate analysis revealed that origin and major were the factors affecting the knowledge level of monkeypox among participants. Rural students had more knowledge of monkeypox than urban students, and nonmedical students had greater awareness of monkeypox than did medical students. Moreover, sex and grade were the factors influencing participants' attitudes towards monkeypox; men had more positive attitudes than women did, and senior students had more positive attitudes than junior students did. Multivariate analysis revealed that major and the origin of the students independently influenced the monkeypox knowledge of Chinese medical students, while sex, grade and monkeypox knowledge were significantly related to attitudes towards monkeypox. Conclusion: This study revealed that nearly half of the Chinese medical students had good knowledge and a positive attitude towards monkeypox. Student origin and major independently influenced the knowledge of Chinese medical students of monkeypox, while sex, grade and knowledge were independently related to the attitudes of Chinese medical students towards monkeypox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectiveWhile Physical Literacy has been highlighted as a determinant in health in recent study, there is a dearth of studies examining its effect on physical health, and there is a little in the way of empirical data linking Physical Literacy to health outcomes. Accordingly, further empirical research is needed to clarify the mechanisms by which Physical Literacy affects physical health. The purpose of this study was to verify the role of medical students’ Physical Literacy on Health-related quality of life as well as to explore the chain mediating role of Physical Activity and Subjective Well-being in it.MethodsThis study utilized a cross-sectional study design. The Physical Literacy, Health-related Quality of Life, Physical Activity ratings, and Subjective Well-being of students at Shanxi Medical University were all measured using an online survey administered in September 2023. A total of 1968 valid questionnaires were returned. First, descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were performed using SPSS software. Second, PROCESS was used to test the mediating role. Finally, we used structural equation modeling (Amos) to test the model fit.ResultsThere is a significant correlation between all variables. After mediation effects analysis, we found that there were three indirect pathways of physical literacy on health-related quality of life: a single mediating effect of physical activity, a single mediating effect of subjective well-being, and a chained mediating effect of physical activity-subjective well-being.ConclusionThe mediating role of physical activity and subjective well-being on the relationship between physical literacy and health-related quality of life has been confirmed. Our research results support the integration of physical literacy into physical education teaching and the modification of curriculum content by physical education teachers as part of efforts to enhance students’ physical activity levels, subjective well-being levels, and overall health. This study provides a new perspective for intervention in improving the health of medical students.

Abstract Background Studies have documented that utilizing peer feedback can enhance students’ English academic writing skills. Little is known, however, about the effects of incorporating peer feedback to enhance English as a second language (L2) medical students’ academic writing performance. Methods This longitudinal interventional study examines Chinese medical students’ English academic writing skills development via peer feedback in four parallel classes over an 18-week semester between the experimental and control groups (n = 124). Results Significant increases in the experimental group’s performance in the post-test were found after 18-week instructions (pre- vs. post-test: overall score, p

Abstract Background Digital health is important for sustainable health systems and universal health coverage. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, many countries, including China, have promoted the introduction of digital health in their medical services. Developing the next generation of physicians with digital health knowledge and skills is a prerequisite for maximizing the potential of digital health. Objective We aimed to understand the perception of digital health among Chinese medical students, the current implementation of digital health education in China, and the urgent need of medical students. Methods Our cross-sectional survey was conducted online and anonymously among current medical students in China. We used descriptive statistical analysis to examine participant demographic characteristics and the demand for digital health education. Additional analysis was conducted by grouping responses by current participation in a digital health course. Results A total of 2122 valid responses were received from 467 medical schools. Most medical students had positive expectations that digital health will change the future of medicine. Compared with wearable devices (85.53%), telemedicine (84.16%), and medical big data (86.38%), fewer respondents believed in the benefits of clinical decision support systems (CDSS) (63.81%). Most respondents said they urgently needed digital health knowledge and skills, and the teaching method of practical training and internship (78.02%) was more popular than the traditional lecture (10.54%). However, only 41.45% wanted to learn about the ethical and legal issues surrounding digital health. Conclusions Our study shows that the current needs of Chinese medical students for digital health education remain unmet. A national initiative on digital health education, is necessary and attention should be paid to digital health equity and education globally, focusing on CDSS and artificial intelligence. Ethics knowledge must also be included in medical curriculum. Students as Partners (SAP) is a promising approach for designing digital health courses.

Background: Digital health is important for sustainable health systems and universal health coverage. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, many countries, including China, have promoted the introduction of digital health in their medical services. Developing the next generation of physicians with digital health knowledge and skills is a prerequisite for maximizing the potential of digital health. Objective: We aimed to understand the perception of digital health among Chinese medical students, the current implementation of digital health education in China, and the urgent need of medical students. Methods: Our cross-sectional survey was conducted online and anonymously among current medical students in China. We used descriptive statistical analysis to examine participant demographic characteristics and the demand for digital health education. Additional analysis was conducted by grouping responses by current participation in a digital health course. Results: A total of 2122 valid responses were received from 467 medical schools. Most medical students had positive expectations that digital health will change the future of medicine. Compared with wearable devices (85.53%), telemedicine (84.16%), and medical big data (86.38%), fewer respondents believed in the benefits of clinical decision support systems (CDSS) (63.81%). Most respondents said they urgently needed digital health knowledge and skills, and the teaching method of practical training and internship (78.02%) was more popular than the traditional lecture (10.54%). However, only 41.45% wanted to learn about the ethical and legal issues surrounding digital health. Conclusions: Our study shows that the current needs of Chinese medical students for digital health education remain unmet. A national initiative on digital health education, is necessary and attention should be paid to digital health equity and education globally, focusing on CDSS and artificial intelligence. Ethics knowledge must also be included in medical curriculum. Students as Partners (SAP) is a promising approach for designing digital health courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of depression continues to increase among medical students in China, and higher than that of other majors, which is a potential risk for medical students and their patients. This study aimed to observe the prevalence of depression in Chinese medical students and also the correlation between them. All cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of depression in Chinese medical students were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CNKI, and Wanfang. An 11-item checklist recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was adopted to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. Software Stata 12.0 was used to analyze the data. Registration: PROSPERO, CRD42020169681. The prevalence of depression among medical students in China was 27%. The subgroup analysis showed significant differences in the prevalence of depression in different regions. The sleep quality was a significant heterogeneous source of depression. Medical students with sleep disorders were more than three times as likely to report depression. The prevalence of depression in Chinese medical students is relatively high, and medical students with sleep disorders are more likely to have depression problems. Regular screening and appropriate intervention are recommended for these mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adapts a Medical English Language Anxiety Scale (MELAS) based on Horwitz’s Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and examines students’ anxiety in medical English vocabulary, listening and speaking, communication, literature reading, and academic paper writing. The biographical factors related to medical English language anxiety (MELA) were also tested. The questionnaire sets including five dimensions were distributed to the students from a medical university in Sichuan, China, and were statistically analyzed by using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 21.0. By employing the adapted MELAS, it was found that 85.2% of the medical students surveyed suffered moderate and higher anxiety. Among all dimensions, students with listening and speaking anxiety recorded the highest (89.3%), followed by literature reading anxiety (86.6%), English academic writing anxiety (85.9%), communication anxiety (81.9%), and vocabulary learning anxiety (81.2%). We also found that the anxiety of rural medical students in each dimension was higher than that of urban medical students. This study suggests that English teachers should be fully aware of their students’ language anxiety situation, design interesting class activities, and create a relaxed English learning atmosphere in classroom teaching to make students less nervous when learning medical English in class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Critical thinking (CT) is an essential competency for medical students. This study’s aim was to evaluate Chinese medical students’ disposition for CT and to explore the impact of current trends in medical education on students’ CT development. Methods We used multistage stratified cluster sampling to recruit a total of 1241 medical students among five different years of training and from three medical institutions in China. The Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version (CTDI-CV) and self-reported information were used to collect cross-sectional data. Based on the data from the CTDI-CV, 112 medical students in clinical course training from a single institution continued one-year follow-up. Their one-year CTDI-CV score changes were collected regarding various medical education variables. Results The mean CTDI-CV score of the 1241 medical students was 287.04 with 729 (58.7%) students receiving a score of 280 or higher. There were statistically significant differences in schools attended(F = 3.84, P

Introduction: Students worldwide are at marked risk of suicidal ideation/behavior, depression, and low positive mental health (PMH). Medical students are suspected to be a particularly burdened group. On this background, the aim of the present study was to determine prevalence rates of suicidal ideation/behavior, depression and PMH, among Chinese medical students compared to students from other disciplines. Methods: A total of 2,695 Chinese students (41.2% women; age: M = 18.86, SD = .60, range: 18–21), including 461 medical students, filled out self-report measures on suicidal ideation/behavior, depression, and PMH. Results: Twelve-month suicidal ideation was reported by 10.2% of the medical students and by 11.5% of the other students. Medical students had significantly lower levels of depression symptoms and significantly higher levels of PMH than students from other disciplines. Complete mental health – according to the dual-factor model of mental health – was reported by more than 84% of the total sample. Limitations: Data were assessed by a self-report survey that is prone to social desirability. Conclusions: Students in the present study displayed high rates of complete mental health – although the survey was conducted in the midst of the Corona pandemic. No evidence was found that medical students are particularly stressed.

Background: Sleep is a necessary physiological process, which is closely related to cognitive function, emotion, memory, endocrine balance, and immunity. The prevalence of sleep problems continues to rise in Chinese medical students, which has a potential influence on living and work. Objective: This study aimed to observe the prevalence of sleep problems among medical students in China. Method: The included cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of sleep problems of medical students in China were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CNKI, and Wanfang database. An 11-item checklist recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was adopted to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. Software Stata 12.0, SPSS 26.0, and R were used to analyze the data. Registration: PROSPERO, CRD 42021237303. Result: The prevalence of sleep problems among Chinese medical students was 27.38%. The subgroup analysis showed significant differences in the prevalence of sleep problems among different regions, educational backgrounds, grades, and University types. The region, latitude, and gross domestic product (GDP) were significant heterogeneous sources of sleep problems. The prevalence is positively correlated with latitude and negatively correlated with GDP per capita. Regular screening and appropriate intervention are recommended for these mental health problems. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display%5frecord.php?ID=CRD42021237303, identifier: CRD42021237303. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundSleep is a necessary physiological process, which is closely related to cognitive function, emotion, memory, endocrine balance, and immunity. The prevalence of sleep problems continues to rise in Chinese medical students, which has a potential influence on living and work.ObjectiveThis study aimed to observe the prevalence of sleep problems among medical students in China.MethodThe included cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of sleep problems of medical students in China were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CNKI, and Wanfang database. An 11-item checklist recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was adopted to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. Software Stata 12.0, SPSS 26.0, and R were used to analyze the data. Registration: PROSPERO, CRD 42021237303.ResultThe prevalence of sleep problems among Chinese medical students was 27.38%. The subgroup analysis showed significant differences in the prevalence of sleep problems among different regions, educational backgrounds, grades, and University types. The region, latitude, and gross domestic product (GDP) were significant heterogeneous sources of sleep problems. The prevalence is positively correlated with latitude and negatively correlated with GDP per capita. Regular screening and appropriate intervention are recommended for these mental health problems.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021237303, identifier: CRD42021237303.

Abstract Background Anxiety and depression have been increasing among Chinese medical students. The psychological well-being of Chinese medical students has become a critical focus of attention for the medical education community. Increasing evidence shows that positive psychology interventions can be effective in the enhancement of psychological well-being, and may help to prevent depressive symptoms in university students. In the present study, we aimed to explore the potential effect of positive psychology education on improving the mental health of Chinese medical students. Methods An 8-week classroom-based positive psychology intervention workshop, which was established as an elective course embedded in the regular school curriculum, was conducted at the School of Medicine, South China University of Technology (SCUT), China. Undergraduate medical students of the institute in year-2 or year-3 of academic study participated in this training course voluntarily. The participants’ self-reported data on the hope scale, life satisfaction scale, subjective happiness scale, and depression and anxiety scale were collected and analyzed at pre-course (n = 61) and post-course (n = 49) times. The investigation was also validated with an independent cohort of students who enrolled in the course in the year following the preliminary study. Results The analyses showed that the psychological well-being of the participants were improved after the intervention. Their mean scores on the hope scale, life satisfaction scale and subjective happiness scale were significantly improved (P

Abstract Background Pathology education provides information on pathology and guides students to become pathologists. Recently, the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China required the establishment of the system of ‘High-quality Online and Offline Courses’, which indicates that online courses will play an important role in higher education. Furthermore, the number of pathologists currently cannot satisfy clinical needs. To solve this health issue and implement the policy from the Ministry of Education, it is necessary to improve the current state of pathology education. First, we need to know students’ opinions of the current courses and their professional choices. Methods Online questionnaires covering the quality of traditional courses, attitudes towards online courses, and suggestions for optimizing courses were designed and applied. Whether students want to become pathologists and the underlying reasons for this interest are also included in this survey. Participants are medical students from certain colleges in Nanjing. The collected data were assessed by statistical analyses, and p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results Of the 342 valid responses, 60.94% of undergraduate students showed their interest in pathology courses, and among them, 48.72% expressed that they may become pathologists. However, the corresponding percentage is only 29.59% in the group without interest. To optimize curricula, the top two suggestions are introducing more clinical cases (undergraduate students, 64.45%; graduate students, 79.09%) and making the classes lively and interesting (undergraduate students, 59.77%; graduate students, 62.79%). Approximately 80.00% of students consider online courses to be good supplementary materials to traditional courses, and approximately half prefer an online-offline mixed learning model. Salary, interest, and employment status are the main factors influencing students’ professional choices. Conclusions Students are generally satisfied with traditional pathology courses, and online courses are good supplementary materials in their opinions. It has been suggested that clinical cases be introduced in classes. It is more likely that students who have an interest in pathology will become pathologists. The data from this survey also show that the main causes of the shortage of pathologists are a lack of engaging work and an unsatisfactory salary.

Background/objective: While Physical Literacy has been highlighted as a determinant in health in recent study, there is a dearth of studies examining its effect on physical health, and there is a little in the way of empirical data linking Physical Literacy to health outcomes. Accordingly, further empirical research is needed to clarify the mechanisms by which Physical Literacy affects physical health. The purpose of this study was to verify the role of medical students' Physical Literacy on Health-related quality of life as well as to explore the chain mediating role of Physical Activity and Subjective Well-being in it., Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional study design. The Physical Literacy, Health-related Quality of Life, Physical Activity ratings, and Subjective Well-being of students at Shanxi Medical University were all measured using an online survey administered in September 2023. A total of 1968 valid questionnaires were returned. First, descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were performed using SPSS software. Second, PROCESS was used to test the mediating role. Finally, we used structural equation modeling (Amos) to test the model fit., Results: There is a significant correlation between all variables. After mediation effects analysis, we found that there were three indirect pathways of physical literacy on health-related quality of life: a single mediating effect of physical activity, a single mediating effect of subjective well-being, and a chained mediating effect of physical activity-subjective well-being., Conclusion: The mediating role of physical activity and subjective well-being on the relationship between physical literacy and health-related quality of life has been confirmed. Our research results support the integration of physical literacy into physical education teaching and the modification of curriculum content by physical education teachers as part of efforts to enhance students' physical activity levels, subjective well-being levels, and overall health. This study provides a new perspective for intervention in improving the health of medical students., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yang, Wang, Wang, Zhang, Yang and Zhao.)

Purpose: To assess knowledge, attitudes, and social responsiveness toward COVID-19 among Chinese medical students.Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from 889 medical students in three well-known Chinese medical universities. The questionnaire was comprised of three domains which consisted of demographic characteristic collection, seven items for knowledge, and eight items for attitudes and social responsiveness toward COVID-19. Data from different universities were lumped together and were divided into different groups to compare the differences, including (1) students at the clinical learning stage (Group A) or those at the basic-medicine stage (Group B) and (2) students who have graduated and worked (Group C) or those newly enrolled (Group D).Results: Medical students at group B had a weaker knowledge toward COVID-19 than did students at group A, especially in the question of clinical manifestations (p < 0.001). The percentage of totally correct answers of COVID-19 knowledge in group C was higher than that in Group D (p < 0.001). There were significant differences between groups C and D in the attitudes and social responsiveness toward COVID-19. Surprisingly, we found that the idea of newly enrolled medical students could be easily affected by interventions.Conclusions: In light of this information, medical education should pay attention not only to the cultivation of professional knowledge and clinical skills but also to the positive interventions to better the comprehensive qualities including communicative abilities and empathy.

Background: Critical thinking (CT) is an essential competency for medical students. This study's aim was to evaluate Chinese medical students' disposition for CT and to explore the impact of current trends in medical education on students' CT development. Methods: We used multistage stratified cluster sampling to recruit a total of 1241 medical students among five different years of training and from three medical institutions in China. The Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version (CTDI-CV) and self-reported information were used to collect cross-sectional data. Based on the data from the CTDI-CV, 112 medical students in clinical course training from a single institution continued one-year follow-up. Their one-year CTDI-CV score changes were collected regarding various medical education variables. Results: The mean CTDI-CV score of the 1241 medical students was 287.04 with 729 (58.7%) students receiving a score of 280 or higher. There were statistically significant differences in schools attended(F = 3.84, P < 0.05), year of school attended(F = 10.32, P < 0.001), GPA(F = 6.32, P < 0.01), weekly time spent learning after class(F = 14.14, P < 0.001), attitude toward medicine(F = 28.93, P < 0.001), desire to be a doctor after graduation(t = − 3.35, P < 0.001), familiarity with CT(F = 20.40, P < 0.001), and perception of importance of CT(F = 22.25, P < 0.001). The participants scored the highest on the CTDI-CV subscales of "inquisitiveness" and the lowest on "truth seeking." The 112 students in the longitudinal study had significantly lower total CT scores after one academic year follow-up. Conclusions: Chinese medical students generally exhibited positive CT dispositions. The cross-sectional survey and one-year longitudinal study indicated that students' CT disposition diminished as they progressed through traditional medical training. Our study contributes to understanding the status of Chinese medical education of and influential factors on medical students' CT disposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits and long‐term effects of extracurricular scientific research on undergraduate students in many countries have been intensively investigated, but it remains obscure for Chinese medical students. In this study, we investigated the outcome of 60 medical students who have participated in extracurricular scientific research at Jinan University Medical School over a period of 7 years (2011–2018). The results revealed that these students have contributed to 31 biomedical science articles in reputable academic journals, as first‐ or co‐authors. Furthermore, they also independently procured various funding based on their research achievements, and smaller awards for achievements in conferences and competitions. Assessment of the grade point average score of these students revealed that conducting extracurricular scientific research did not affect their routine medical study and exam grades (P>0.05). The students benefited from participating in extracurricular research, by acquiring the ability to think scientifically and enhancing their communication skills. In addition, the medical students were motivated to enlist for postgraduate studies so that they could further embark in scientific research. In sum, Chinese medical students are capable of participating in scientific research and make a significant contribution to science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Medical students struggle with a heavy workload during their comparatively long course of study in China. The future of medical science depends largely on whether or not medical students become qualified. This study aims to explore whether medical students’ academic adaptability affects learning outcomes. This paper will not only provide scientific evidence for educators and administrators of medical schools but will also benefit students by improving their aptitude and adaptability through a thorough discussion on their educational environment. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey from September to December 2016. A total of 1977 respondents completed the questionnaire with a response rate of 79.08%. A cross-sectional survey was used in this study. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, General Linear Model (GLM) analysis, standard multiple regression, and hierarchical multiple regression were performed for data analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS Version 19.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results Out of the 1977 students, 1586 (80.2%) had mean academic adaptability levels over 3. Findings suggested that academic adaptability (Mean = 3.32), immersion in learning (Mean = 3.20), and academic performance (Mean = 3.39), were at the middle level while academic burnout (Mean = 2.17) was at a low level. Academic adaptability of medical students showed a significant negative relation to academic burnout (Beta = − 0.705, P

The present study explored whether the two psychosocial resources including resilience and social support serve as moderating factors in the process between academic burnout and depression among medical students, and investigated factors that associated with depression. We applied Learning Burnout Scale of Undergraduates, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Social Support Rating Scale as tools for an investigation with 1722 Chinese medical students. Academic burnout positively correlated with depression while resilience and social support negatively related to depression. Hierarchical regression implied that resilience moderated burnout and depression while social support did not show a buffer effect between the same variables. Building resilience and enhancing their social support are essential for preventing depression in their college life. It is also worth noting that resilience can still work against depression even when academic burnout emerged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Depression symptoms are closely related to inadequate sleep and are experienced by medical students at an increased rate. Bedtime procrastination is considered a new, important predictor of sleep deficiency. However, whether there is a correlation between bedtime procrastination and depression symptoms remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the impact of bedtime procrastination on depression symptoms among medical students. Methods: A total of 419 Chinese medical students were invited to participate in this study, and 401 participants (mean age, 19.48 years; range, 17–23 years) were included in the final statistical analysis. Depression symptoms and bedtime procrastination were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Bedtime Procrastination Scale (BPS), respectively. Results: The prevalence of depression symptoms in Chinese medical students was 26.9%. The mean BPS scores were significantly higher in the depressed group than in the non-depressed group. Binary logistic regression analysis identified that bedtime procrastination was an independent contributor to the prevalence of depression symptoms. Further correlation and multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that the BDI scores were significantly and positively associated with the BPS scores in students without depression, while the BDI scores correlated with male students experiencing depression. Conclusions: Depression symptoms, which become more prevalent among Chinese medical students, are found to independently associate with bedtime procrastination. In particular, the severity of depression symptoms shows a positive correlation with increased bedtime procrastination before developing into depression, and it shows correlation with sex only in a state of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pathology education provides information on pathology and guides students to become pathologists. Recently, the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China required the establishment of the system of 'High-quality Online and Offline Courses', which indicates that online courses will play an important role in higher education. Furthermore, the number of pathologists currently cannot satisfy clinical needs. To solve this health issue and implement the policy from the Ministry of Education, it is necessary to improve the current state of pathology education. First, we need to know students' opinions of the current courses and their professional choices. Methods: Online questionnaires covering the quality of traditional courses, attitudes towards online courses, and suggestions for optimizing courses were designed and applied. Whether students want to become pathologists and the underlying reasons for this interest are also included in this survey. Participants are medical students from certain colleges in Nanjing. The collected data were assessed by statistical analyses, and p-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Of the 342 valid responses, 60.94% of undergraduate students showed their interest in pathology courses, and among them, 48.72% expressed that they may become pathologists. However, the corresponding percentage is only 29.59% in the group without interest. To optimize curricula, the top two suggestions are introducing more clinical cases (undergraduate students, 64.45%; graduate students, 79.09%) and making the classes lively and interesting (undergraduate students, 59.77%; graduate students, 62.79%). Approximately 80.00% of students consider online courses to be good supplementary materials to traditional courses, and approximately half prefer an online-offline mixed learning model. Salary, interest, and employment status are the main factors influencing students' professional choices. Conclusions: Students are generally satisfied with traditional pathology courses, and online courses are good supplementary materials in their opinions. It has been suggested that clinical cases be introduced in classes. It is more likely that students who have an interest in pathology will become pathologists. The data from this survey also show that the main causes of the shortage of pathologists are a lack of engaging work and an unsatisfactory salary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of the biological-psychological-social medicine model, an ideal of modern medicine is to enhance the humanities in medical education, to foster medical talents with humanistic spirit, and to promote the integration of scientific spirit and humanistic spirit in medicine. Throughout the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), other Western countries, and some Asian countries like Japan, many medical universities have already integrated the learning of medical humanities in their curricula and recognized their value. While in China, although medical education reform over the past decade has emphasized the topic of medical humanities to increase the professionalism of future physicians, the integration of medical humanity courses in medical universities has lagged behind the pace in Western countries. In addition, current courses in medical humanities were arbitrarily established due to a lack of organizational independence. For various reasons like a shortage of instructors, medical universities have failed to pay sufficient attention to medical humanities education given the urgent needs of society. The medical problems in contemporary Chinese society are not solely the purview of biomedical technology; what matters more is enhancing the humanities in medical education and fostering medical talents with humanistic spirit. Emphasizing the humanities in medical education and promoting the integration of medical scientific spirit and medical humanistic spirit have become one of the most pressing issues China must address. Greater attention should be paid to reasonable integration of humanities into the medical curriculum, creation of medical courses related to humanities and optimization of the curriculum, and actively allocating abundant teaching resources and exploring better methods of instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of problem-based learning (PBL) and the development of critical thinking disposition (CT) and academic achievement in Chinese medical students using a cross-sectional randomized design. Medical students from China Medical University (CMU) were randomized to PBL or non-PBL teaching at the commencement of the study. After five years of study, CT was scored by a Chinese version of the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI-CV). The score achieved on a Computer Case Simulation (CCS) test evaluated academic performance. Total CT score was higher in PBL students (n=170) than non-PBL students (n=83) (304.7±36.8 vs. 279.2±39.4, p < 0.01). Subscale CT-scores were significant in favor of PBL in six of the seven subscales (truth seeking, open-mindedness, analyticity, systematicity, inquisitiveness, maturity). There was no significant difference in terms of gender on the total CT score, though minor differences were seen in subscales favoring female PBL students. PBL students had higher CCS scores than non-PBL students, but not significantly (112.8±20.6 vs. 107.3±16.5; p=0.11). There was no significant correlation between CCS scores and CCTDI-CV results. Male students scored slightly higher on the CCS test compared to female students (male 113.4±18.9 vs. female 109.7±19.7), but the difference was not significant. This study concludes that in Chinese medical students, PBL teaching was related to a higher disposition of critical thinking, but not to improved academic skills.

The current study discussed the effects of parenting styles and self-esteemon subject well-being among Chinese medical students. A self-administered survey was conducted to collect data from Wei Fang, a middle city in the north part of China. The results showed that parenting styles could affect the subjects’ well-being, and their self-esteem was positively related to subject well-being. In addition, self-esteem also demonstrated moderating effects in some of the parenting styles and subject well-being relationships. The implications of these findings are discussed. This empirical study can provide a reliable theoretical foundation to medical students and promote their subject well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A web-based survey was conducted among 238 Chinse medical students to examine their acceptance and use of e- Health services. Chinese medical students are found to have limited experience and low satisfaction with current e-Health services, which indicates an urgent need to improve e-Health practice training based on a consumer-centered model of health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adapts a Medical English Language Anxiety Scale (MELAS) based on Horwitz's Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and examines students' anxiety in medical English vocabulary, listening and speaking, communication, literature reading, and academic paper writing. The biographical factors related to medical English language anxiety (MELA) were also tested. The questionnaire sets including five dimensions were distributed to the students from a medical university in Sichuan, China, and were statistically analyzed by using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 21.0. By employing the adapted MELAS, it was found that 85.2% of the medical students surveyed suffered moderate and higher anxiety. Among all dimensions, students with listening and speaking anxiety recorded the highest (89.3%), followed by literature reading anxiety (86.6%), English academic writing anxiety (85.9%), communication anxiety (81.9%), and vocabulary learning anxiety (81.2%). We also found that the anxiety of rural medical students in each dimension was higher than that of urban medical students. This study suggests that English teachers should be fully aware of their students' language anxiety situation, design interesting class activities, and create a relaxed English learning atmosphere in classroom teaching to make students less nervous when learning medical English in class., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Deng, Zhou and Al-Shaibani.)

A web-based survey was conducted among 238 Chinse medical students to examine their acceptance and use of e-Health services. Chinese medical students are found to have limited experience and low satisfaction with current e-Health services, which indicates an urgent need to improve e-Health practice training based on a consumer-centered model of health care.

Summary: Although medical students are known to be at risk for bloodborne infections, there have been no systematic studies, effective intervention programmes, or guidelines for them in China. We developed prevention guidelines, implemented an intervention, and evaluated the effectiveness of knowledge among medical students. This study was designed as a cluster randomised controlled trial. All those who completed a consent form were randomly assigned either to an intervention or to a control group. The intervention group underwent an educational intervention programme consisting of a series of lectures and videos following a baseline survey. The control group completed the same intervention programme after the study was completed. A questionnaire of 25 items was sent to participants three months and nine months after the initial intervention programme. Outcomes measured before and after intervention included knowledge of transmission route, first-aid care, and post-exposure prophylaxis. Pearson''s χ2-test was used, and the efficacy of students was analysed to control for bias. Intervention in the form of a one-time bloodborne pathogen educational prevention programme for Chinese medical students had little effect on knowledge. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We studied the attitudes and personal experiences with traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) use in Chinese medical students. Medical students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong were asked 13 questions according to an anonymous survey. Six hundred and eleven of 780 medical students (47% males, 52% females) returned the questionnaire; 199 (33%) of the participants used TCM at least once in the past year, and 85% had ever tried various TCM. The attitude was positive in 41%, neutral in 52% and negative in only 6%. The majority (70%) reported no change in attitudes towards TCM after studying Western medicine (WM). Of the 199 participants who had used TCM in the past year, upper respiratory infections were the most common circumstance leading to TCM usage, with 31% immediately using TCM without any TCM practitioner consultation. The most common modality of TCM used by 85% of participants was herbal decoction, and nearly one-quarter had used over-the-counter Chinese medicine. Although 78% reported they knew of the TCM practitioner or treatment from family members or friends, 14% stated they randomly selected the practitioner. "Effectiveness of TCM," "fewer side effects than WM," "illness not completely treated by WM" and "recommendation from family/friends" were common beliefs held by participants for TCM usage. Forty-five percent reported that they had not been told of any side effects of TCM. Pre-clinical students had more positive attitudes towards TCM and consulted TCM practitioners more often in the past 12 months (OR 9.1, CI 3.16–28.18; p<0.001) compared to students in clinical years, who tended to become more negative towards TCM after studying WM. TCM usage is common among medical students in Hong Kong. It is important to note that nearly half of the students were not aware of any possible side effects from TCM. Students appear to become more negative towards TCM after studying WM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess knowledge, attitudes, and social responsiveness toward COVID-19 among Chinese medical students. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from 889 medical students in three well-known Chinese medical universities. The questionnaire was comprised of three domains which consisted of demographic characteristic collection, seven items for knowledge, and eight items for attitudes and social responsiveness toward COVID-19. Data from different universities were lumped together and were divided into different groups to compare the differences, including (1) students at the clinical learning stage (Group A) or those at the basic-medicine stage (Group B) and (2) students who have graduated and worked (Group C) or those newly enrolled (Group D). Results: Medical students at group B had a weaker knowledge toward COVID-19 than did students at group A, especially in the question of clinical manifestations ( p < 0.001). The percentage of totally correct answers of COVID-19 knowledge in group C was higher than that in Group D ( p < 0.001). There were significant differences between groups C and D in the attitudes and social responsiveness toward COVID-19. Surprisingly, we found that the idea of newly enrolled medical students could be easily affected by interventions. Conclusions: In light of this information, medical education should pay attention not only to the cultivation of professional knowledge and clinical skills but also to the positive interventions to better the comprehensive qualities including communicative abilities and empathy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Yang, Zheng, Yu, Cheng, Zhu, Liao, Chen, Wu and Wang.)

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) happened in early December and it has affected China in more ways than one. The societal response to the pandemic restricted medical students to their homes. Although students cannot learn about COVID-19 through clinical practice, they can still pay attention to news of COVID-19 through various channels. Although, as suggested by previous studies, some medical students have already volunteered to serve during the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall willingness of Chinese medical students to volunteer for such has not been systematically examined., Aim: To study Chinese medical students' interest in the relevant knowledge on COVID-19 and what roles they want to play in the pandemic., Methods: Medical students at Peking Union Medical College were surveyed via a web-based questionnaire to obtain data on the extent of interest in the relevant knowledge on COVID-19, attitude towards volunteerism in the pandemic, and career preference. Logistic regression modeling was used to investigate possible factors that could encourage volunteerism among this group in a pandemic., Results: A total of 552 medical students responded. Most medical students showed a huge interest in COVID-19. The extent of students' interest in COVID-19 varied among different student-classes ( P < 0.05). Senior students had higher scores than the other two classes. The number of people who were 'glad to volunteer' in COVID-19 represented 85.6% of the respondents. What these students expressed willingness to undertake involved direct, indirect, and administrative job activities. Logistic regression analysis identified two factors that negatively influenced volunteering in the pandemic: Student-class and hazards of the voluntary job. Factors that positively influenced volunteering were time to watch COVID-19 news, predictable impact on China, and moral responsibility., Conclusion: More innovative methods can be explored to increase Chinese medical students' interest in reading about the relevant knowledge on COVID-19 and doing voluntary jobs during the pandemic., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the era of the biological-psychological-social medicine model, an ideal of modern medicine is to enhance the humanities in medical education, to foster medical talents with humanistic spirit, and to promote the integration of scientific spirit and humanistic spirit in medicine. Throughout the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), other Western countries, and some Asian countries like Japan, many medical universities have already integrated the learning of medical humanities in their curricula and recognized their value. While in China, although medical education reform over the past decade has emphasized the topic of medical humanities to increase the professionalism of future physicians, the integration of medical humanity courses in medical universities has lagged behind the pace in Western countries. In addition, current courses in medical humanities were arbitrarily established due to a lack of organizational independence. For various reasons like a shortage of instructors, medical universities have failed to pay sufficient attention to medical humanities education given the urgent needs of society. The medical problems in contemporary Chinese society are not solely the purview of biomedical technology; what matters more is enhancing the humanities in medical education and fostering medical talents with humanistic spirit. Emphasizing the humanities in medical education and promoting the integration of medical scientific spirit and medical humanistic spirit have become one of the most pressing issues China must address. Greater attention should be paid to reasonable integration of humanities into the medical curriculum, creation of medical courses related to humanities and optimization of the curriculum, and actively allocating abundant teaching resources and exploring better methods of instruction.

Background: Over the past few decades, concern about suicide by college students has been on the rise worldwide, in general and in China particularly. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effects of social and psychological factors on the suicidal tendencies of Chinese medical students., Findings: Of the 540 students surveyed, 48 had a suicidal tendency to some extent. The highest rate of suicide was observed for fourth-year students, followed by the fifth-year, first-year, third-year, and second-year students. Female students and students not satisfied with their major had a higher rate of suicidal tendency. However, mature coping strategies had a protective effect on suicide. The stepwise regression analysis shows that academic burden, grade, and introversion/extraversion are the most significant risk factors for the suicidal tendency of Chinese medical students., Conclusion: Suicide is affected by demographic risk factors as well as psychological factors. Our results lend support to a multi-factorial approach to the understanding and prevention of suicide by college students.