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This document discusses the legal background and implications of the end of affirmative action in higher education and the need to intensify efforts to diversify the medical field. It highlights the historical challenges and bans on race-based affirmative action in education, as well as the recent court ruling that overturned the use of race as a factor in admission decisions. The document also addresses the underrepresentation of historically underrepresented groups (HUGs) in undergraduate and medical school enrollment and emphasizes the benefits of diversity in the medical workforce. It suggests various mitigation strategies to improve diversity, such as alternative admission processes, targeted outreach, and diversity training. The document concludes by emphasizing the importance of a diverse medical workforce in providing equitable healthcare and calls for innovative actions to create change. [Extracted from the article]

Background: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of burnout in dental students at the Dentistry School of University of Qadisiya, Iraq. All students at the dentistry school were invited to participate in the study. Medical and dental education is a highly demanding endeavor. Burnout is associated with anxiety, depression, and stress levels. Addressing these psychological factors and manage them early will improve the well-being of students. Material and methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted with the participation of 147 dentistry school students. The students completed a sociodemographic data form, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Results: The DASS-21 scale scores for all three components (depression, anxiety, and stress) were high in 74.1%, 90.4%, and 98% of the respondents, respectively. The results also showed that high scores of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment were reported in 50.3%, 67.3%, and 89.8% respectively. MBI revealed a significant association with presence of an established diagnosis of a mental illness or a chronic illness, but not with sociodemographic characteristics. Students had a high stress perception but had relatively lower than depression and anxiety. Almost half of the students reported that they were moderately or severely depressed or anxious. Conclusion: All MBI subscales had statistically significant correlation with scores of mental health or chronic physical illnesses. The respondents reported high percentages of all components of MBI. Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress is much higher in dental students compared to the general population. They also have a very high prevalence of all components of the MBI. Further research is warranted to explore additional factors contributing to burnout and mental health issues among dental students and to develop effective strategies for prevention and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Association of Social Work Boards (2022a) released a report evidencing test-taker demographics as the strongest predictor of professional licensure exam pass-rates. The purpose of this study was to examine statistical predictors of social work professional licensure exam pass rate disparities between first-time Black/African American and White test-takers. The study addressed the following research question: To what extent do institutional and state licensure characteristics predict race-based disparities in social work licensure exam pass rates? To answer this question, the authors built a data set in an Excel spreadsheet comprised of institutional and state licensure variables using publicly available and reliable sources. States requiring more clinical supervision hours and imposing higher licensure fees tended to report higher overall pass rates on the ASWB exam. Additionally, a notable correlation was found between states with a higher proportion of Black/African American residents and increased pass rates. Conversely, states that had established a larger number of licensure tiers typically saw lower overall pass rates. Furthermore, it was noted that schools located in the Southern U.S. demonstrated significantly lower ASWB pass rates compared to schools in other regions of the country. Recommendations are made regarding future research efforts and professional licensure and regulation standards. Pass rate disparities have implications for individual exam-takers and their families; for clients and constituencies; and for social work practice, research, ethics, and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Menstrual disorders are among the most prevalent health issues among young female students studying in health science faculties. This study aimed to provide insights into the menstrual patterns among medical faculty students and determine whether stress can be a risk factor for its various disorders. Methods: This cross‐sectional study was conducted in the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy at the Syrian Private University, Damascus, Syria, between October and November 2022. A total of 980 female students anonymously completed the identification of menstrual problems and the perceived stress scale (PSS) questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS‐25. Results: The mean age of students was 21.52 ± 2.06 years. The most common menstrual disorders in this study were dysmenorrhea (88%), and premenstrual syndrome (87%). A total of 82% had mild to moderate stress, 10% had high stress, and 8% had low stress. Moderate to high perceived stress was associated with an increased risk of PMS (OR = 1.79, P = 0.0037). Conclusion: These findings stress the importance of universities, especially health science faculties, establishing protocols for early detection and intervention in students with stress and menstrual disorders. Implementing stress reduction education and timely counseling, along with preventive measures, is crucial for students' well‐being. Further research is needed to refine interventions for this group. Synopsis: Moderate to high perceived stress was associated with an increased risk of PMS (OR = 1.79, P = 0.0037), 88% had dysmenorrhea, and 87% had PMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of integrated community-based maternal neonatal and child health (MNCH) programmes is essential to address the gap in coverage of universal health care in sub-Saharan Africa, which bears the highest burden for poor MNCH outcomes globally. However, to assess their impact in practice requires the design and implementation of increasingly complex evaluation approaches in 'real-world' settings frequently characterised by underserved health and civil registration systems. This commentary introduces the series titled "Lessons Learned from Operationalising Impact Evaluations of MNCH Interventions". Based on a 20-year collaboration between the Kintampo Health Research Centre in Ghana (KHRC) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom (LSHTM), the series brings together an international group of authors responsible for the design and conduct of seminal MNCH trials of community health worker-led interventions, including policy-relevant trials of vitamin A supplementation conducted since 1995. Underpinning the research was a long running surveillance system following up 120,000 women and infants each month—the largest research surveillance system on the continent at the time. The papers in this series provide honest and practical accounts of lessons learned in the design of quantitative and qualitative systems to track key MNCH outcomes, supported by sustainable strategies to maximise engagement with study communities. This commentary offers a retrospective overview of the collaboration and its many achievements, and highlights key messages from the series relevant for future research in MNCH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc., v. Harvard College is likely to result in the matriculation of fewer students from historically excluded racial/ethnic groups at more selective colleges and universities and matriculation of more students at less selective colleges and universities. Because of this, it is important to understand how resources for pre-health advising, a modifiable factor that can help increase the diversity of the health workforce, vary across institutions with differing levels of selectivity. Colleges are known to vary in resources, structure, and investment in pre-health advising but data are lacking and there is no estimate of any pre-health advising resource gap. Purpose: To quantify availability of advising resources and identify perceived challenges in pre-health advising in California's highly diverse public and select private undergraduate institutions. Methods: Structured 60-minute Zoom interviews from June 2022 –October 2022 at 18/23 CSU (California State Universities), 9/9 University of California (UC) institutions and 6 select private institutions with varying levels of selectivity. Two investigators independently analyzed interviews using a Grounded Theory Approach. The full study team reviewed transcripts and themes. Key results: Pre-health advisor capacity varied greatly across the three types of institutions. CSU: mean = 1 FTE advisor: 24,620 graduates (range: 1: 1,059–1: 150,520); UC mean = 1 FTE advisor: 4,526 graduates (range: 1: 1,912–1: 10,920); private institutions mean = 1 FTE advisor:1,794 graduates (range: 1: 722–1: 5,300). Participants reported common challenges: advising capacity, lack of advisor training, advisor turnover, and student difficulties in accessing clinical opportunities and required coursework. CSU and UC participants noted that these had greatest impact for first generation and racially/ethnically underrepresented students for whom lack of informal professional networks, lack of other mentors, and financial responsibilities complicate college navigation and professional school application. Conclusions: Students at CSU campuses had 5 times less access to pre-health advising per graduate than UC students, and 13 times less than students at private institutions. Much greater investment is needed in California's public institutions, particularly CSUs, to increase equity in access to advising for pre-health professional students. Research should examine pre-health advising resource capacity in other states, especially those that are now facing race-neutral admissions policies at undergraduate institutions and health professions schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of the Article: Health professions graduate students have experienced substantial increases in stress and anxiety in recent years. This can result in decreased academic performance, poor retention, and burnout. Interventions to help students cope are therefore a critical need for academic institutions. The current study sought to demonstrate the effectiveness of a brief multimodal intervention in reducing student distress. Method: The study was a randomised controlled design that evaluated a brief intervention of cognitive‐behavioural therapy, mindfulness, and healthy lifestyle choices. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale‐21 was administered to participants at baseline and two post‐intervention time points. Control participants did not participate in any intervention. Participants were recruited from graduate students in first‐year classes within the School of Health Professions at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Results: Analysis revealed an overall mild to moderate decline in Depression Anxiety Stress Scale‐21 total scores over three assessment periods for both treatment and control groups, with no statistical differences noted between groups; however, the treatment group's scores declined approximately 6 weeks before the control participants' scores declined. Conclusion: The pattern of change in the two groups suggests that our intervention facilitated the reduction in student anxiety more quickly than would have occurred normally and with sustained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a rapid shift towards online education worldwide. This study examines the psychological state and factors associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and perceived tendency to cheat during online assessments among pharmacy students in a university during the early stages of the epidemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate pharmacy students between March and September 2020. Data collected via Google Forms included demographics, study-related parameters, psychological status assessed by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), and perceptions regarding cheating and plagiarism during online assessments. Comparison between groups was analysed using t-test and Chi-square test. Results: Among 214 students who responded to the survey, most spent 6 to 10 hours daily on online learning (72.4%) and faced internet-related issues (39.7% limited capacity, 60.3% unstable connection). Depressive symptoms affected 51.9% of students, anxiety symptoms 59.8%, with stress mostly mild to moderate. Limited internet capacity is associated with depressive symptoms (p=0.027) and anxiety (p=0.02), and unstable internet connections are correlated with anxiety (p=0.014). Most students (72.0%) believed online assessments facilitated cheating. Primary reasons included the desire for good grades, increased academic workload, and unpreparedness for exams. Conclusion: This study highlights a significant prevalence of pharmacy students experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms during the early COVID-19 pandemic, which is linked to internet-related issues. This study provides valuable insights for improving the academic structure and supporting the psychological well-being of pharmacy students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The given text is a summary of the growth and development of the Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health (JWBH) over the past year. The journal received its first Impact Factor of 1.5 and is now categorized under Public Environmental and Health. There has been an increase in global representation, with more authors, board members, peer reviewers, and readers from around the world. The journal received a total of 146 research articles and 17 brief reports, covering topics such as personality diversity, emergency-worker burnout, and COVID-19. The publication process has been expanded to ensure immediate online publication of accepted articles. The first issue of 2024 includes a range of content, including measurement development, new methods, occupation-specific research, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)-focused brief report. The journal has welcomed new members to its editorial board and expressed gratitude to retiring members and program managers. There has been an increase in article downloads and submissions, with a higher volume and caliber of articles published. The top three regions with the highest downloads are North America, Europe, and Asia. The journal is committed to maintaining high-quality scientific standards and appreciates the efforts of its reviewers and editorial board members in ensuring the integrity of the publication. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the world has experienced many changes, including increased computer and internet usage. Spending more time on computers can lead to the development of various postural problems, resulting in pain and inefficiency in the workplace. Aim: To assess the knowledge of computer ergonomics among third and final year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students at VSPM's dental college in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, questionnairebased study was conducted on third and final year students between November 2020 and February 2021 in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology at VSPMDCRC, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethical Committee (IEC/VSPMDCRC/15/2020). A self-administered questionnaire, formulated and validated by independent subject experts, was used. A total of 216 students were included in the study over a two-month period. Informed consent was obtained from the students. The questionnaire consisted of 34 questions on computer usage and knowledge of ergonomics, and the responses were recorded. Descriptive statistics were performed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 for Windows. Quantitative data were expressed as mean and standard deviation. The association between categorical variables was checked using the Chi-square test, with a significance level set at 5%. Results: The mean age of the students was 22.20 years total of 216 students, including 158 females and 58 males, were included in the study. The results showed that 20.37% of third year students (44/96) and 31.48% of final year students (68/96) were aware of the term "ergonomics". The majority of students were unaware of the principles of ergonomics. However, 169 (78.2%) students knew the correct position of the head and neck while using a computer. Additionally, 164 (75%) students were aware of the need for lower back support, 167 (77.3%) were aware of the placement of input devices, and 174 (80.6%) were aware of the alignment of devices. Moreover, 168 (77.8%) subject knew that the monitor and working surface should be glare-free, and 120 (55.6%) were aware that a sloped desk surface is required for reading or writing. Furthermore, 157 (72.7%) subjects used a headset or speakerphone while writing, typing, or talking on the phone, and 164 (75.9%) subjects took regular eye breaks. Conclusion: The present study highlights a lack of practical knowledge and application of ergonomics among the participants. There is a need to prioritise creating awareness and developing healthy ergonomics practices among dental students through Continuing Dental Education programs (CDE). The authors also recommend that the curriculum for healthcare courses should incorporate healthy ergonomics practices as a part of the curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Pharmacy students about self-medication in Turkey. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey study was conducted to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Pharmacy students regarding selfmedication between 22 September and 22 October 2022. Results: The questionnaires were answered by 336 students (76%). Most of the students (79.2%) correctly defined self-medication and 9.5% of students declared that self-medication was a part of self-care. Only 4.2% of students reported that they recommended self-medication to others. Female students had better knowledge and more negative attitudes about self-medication than male students (p<0.05). Approximately 79% of the students stated that they used self-medication in the last 6 months. About half of the participants (54.4%) stated that they had taken painkillers without a prescription in the last 6 months. The students declared that they had used drugs without a prescription for headache (36.3%), common cold (14.8%) and menstrual problems (10.4%) in the last 6 months, respectively. Conclusion: Most of the students had good knowledge about self-medication, but the majority of them had negative attitudes. The study also showed that self-medication was common among these students. Pharmacists make an important contribution to the public health system. Pharmacy students should continue to be educated about responsible self-medication as future pharmacists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Program evaluation is an essential function for public health professionals that is necessary to acquire funding for public health programs and support evidenced-based practice, but coverage of program evaluation principles and methodology within the master of public health (MPH) curriculum is inconsistent and may not adequately prepare students to conduct program evaluation activities postgraduation, especially on culturally responsive program evaluation. We examined the effectiveness of an online training course on program evaluation topics. Methods: In July 2021, we recruited current and recently graduated MPH students from accredited US universities to measure the effectiveness of a 1-hour online training course in program evaluation. We distributed pre- and postsurveys to eligible participants. We assessed program evaluation skills on a 4-point Likert scale to determine improvements in knowledge (from 4 = extremely knowledgeable to 1 = not knowledgeable), attitudes (from 4 = strongly agree to 1 = strongly disagree), and self-efficacy (from 4 = strongly agree to 1 = strongly disagree). Results: Among 80 MPH students who completed the survey, respondents indicated mean (SD) increases from presurvey to postsurvey in knowledge (from 2.13 [0.66] to 3.24 [0.54]) and attitudes (from 3.61 [0.51] to 3.84 [0.30]) toward program evaluation and in self-efficacy in conducting program evaluation (from 2.92 [0.71] to 3.44 [0.52]). Conclusion: The course may be an effective approach for training public health professionals about program evaluation. Our results provide a basis for revising the way program evaluation is taught and practical recommendations for integrating program evaluation competencies within public health curricula, such as by incorporating a self-paced training course for continuing education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We evaluated the feasibility of Pitt Moves, a classroom-based, peer-led physical activity break (PAB) intervention developed by graduate students to improve mood, focus, and boredom among students. Participants: One hundred and thirty-two graduate-level students in 10 courses during an academic semester. Methods: Process evaluation with a formative focus involving document review, surveys, and interviews with students and facilitators. Results: Eighty-four percent of eligible students participated in ≥1 of 65 PABs. Participants said Pitt Moves provided a mental break, promoted community building, and increased their physical activity. They recommended increasing accessibility. Organizers’ time was a constraint in running this program. Conclusion: Pitt Moves was feasible based on successful recruitment of participants, delivery of PABs as planned, and participant acceptability. A formal study should evaluate whether Pitt Moves can improve mood, focus, and boredom among graduate students. Organizational encouragement and audiovisuals could enhance marketing and program implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Virtual TBL is an online adaptation of the team-based learning (TBL) instructional strategy, emphasizing collaborative learning and problem-solving. The emergency shift to virtual TBL during the COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges. This study aims to 1) compare overall pharmacy students' perceptions and attitudes toward face-to-face (FTF) TBL vs. virtual TBL in the didactic curriculum and stratify their perceptions and attitudes by various students' characteristics; 2) evaluate students' perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of virtual TBL. Methods: This mixed-methods, pre-post, cross-sectional study utilized an anonymous survey to collect the data. Pharmacy students completed a survey to compare their perceptions and attitudes toward learning, class experience, learning outcomes achieved, and satisfaction with FTF TBL vs. virtual TBL using a 5-point Likert-type scale. Additionally, the survey included two open-ended questions to gather students' perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of virtual TBL. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank exact test, while qualitative survey data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: A total of 117 students (response rate of 59.4%) completed the study survey. Pharmacy students perceived FTF TBL to be superior to virtual TBL in their attitudes toward learning, class experience, learning outcomes achieved, and overall satisfaction across various students' characteristics. While the students identified some unique strengths of using virtual TBL, they also highlighted several weaknesses of using this learning modality compared to FTF TBL. Conclusions: Pharmacy students perceived FTF TBL to be superior to virtual TBL across various students' characteristics. These findings can be helpful to pharmacy programs considering the implementation of virtual TBL in their didactic curricula. Future research should explore whether a purposefully designed virtual TBL environment, as opposed to the pandemic-driven emergency TBL planning, can influence students' perceptions and attitudes toward virtual TBL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the 7th International Conference on Health Professions Education organized by the University of Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan. The Governor of Punjab, Mr. Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman, emphasized the importance of character building, ethics, and morality in medical institutions. He also praised the implementation of a modular curriculum and the use of modern technology in healthcare. The article highlights the need for more specialists in certain areas and the importance of producing good professionals and good human beings. Additionally, the article mentions the extension of admission dates for medical and dental colleges and the Governor's call to verify information on social media before sharing. The article also touches on the ongoing conflict in Palestine and the role of the University of Lahore in medical education. The conference included various sessions, workshops, and presentations by distinguished speakers. [Extracted from the article]

Objective Medical students have a high prevalence of developing acne owing to the increased level of stress they are exposed to, yet the threshold for treatment is still very high. The objective of the current study was to find out the perspective of the medical students suffering from acne vulgaris, as to why they do not seek treatment for their acne. Methods A study on acne was conducted in the Dermatology Department of Punjab Rangers Teaching Hospital. Total number of 70 medical students of Rahbar Medical and Dental college from first year to final year were enrolled in the study. A questionnaire was formulated and circulated among the students addressing the severity, duration of disease and the reasons for not taking any treatment. The data was recorded and the results were interpreted to determine those reasons which the patients mentioned themselves, as to why their acne was not being treated. Results Among total 70 patients, there were 45 females and 25 males between 18 -27 years of age. The maximum number of participants having acne were final year students. According to severity, 37 (52.9%) participants had mild acne, 30 (42.9%) had moderate and only 3 (4.3%) had severe acne. The duration of the acne was between 2 months to 5 years. Variable responses were noted as: 36 (51.4%) patients reported that acne is self-healing; 18 (25.7%) reported that they have occasional eruption; 10 (14.3%) did not feel like taking any treatment; 5 (7.1%) patients believed that treatment would aggravate/worsen their disease while 1 (1.4%) patient thought that treatment was expensive. Conclusion Maximum number of patients believed that acne is self-healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: An estimated 38 million people are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) worldwide. Pharmacists are well positioned to provide care to patients with HIV, but gaps in HIV education among pharmacists exist. Recognizing the need to educate and prepare future pharmacists, a 2-credit advanced HIV elective course was created for Doctor of Pharmacy students at Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in the United States, and Masters of Clinical Pharmacy students from University of Western Cape School of Pharmacy in South Africa. Methods: Course topics included diagnosis and treatment of HIV in children and adults, management of common comorbidities, pre-exposure prophylaxis, pharmacogenetic applications, and antiretroviral drug-drug interactions. Course effectiveness was evaluated using student examination results. Student perceptions were evaluated using pre- and post-course self-assessments involving abilities, confidence, and attitudes toward caring for people living with HIV. Results: Student pharmacists demonstrated competency in HIV knowledge, demonstrated skills in application to clinical-based scenarios, and reported significantly improved confidence and abilities as well as positive changes in attitudes toward people with HIV. Conclusion: This course contributed to student learning across different student cohorts in an institutional program in the United States including successful execution of distance learning and clinical application for students at a program in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study includes two separate parts: the objective for part A was to evaluate the practical manual therapy skills of undergraduate physiotherapy students who had learned manual therapy techniques either online or in classroom depending on the phases of the pandemic. The objective for part B was to evaluate in a randomized prospective design the effectiveness of video-based versus traditional teaching of a manual therapy technique. Cross-sectional cohort study (part A) and randomized controlled trial (part B) University of Luebeck, undergraduate physiotherapy students in years 1–3 In part A, physiotherapy students who had learned manual therapy either online (during the pandemic) or in classroom (prior to and after the lock down periods of the pandemic) were videotaped while performing two manual techniques on the knee joint and on the lumbar spine. Recordings were analyzed independently by two blinded raters according to a 10-item list of criteria. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using Cohen's kappa for each item. Performance across cohorts was analyzed using analysis of variance. In part B, students were randomized to learn a new technique on the cervical spine either from a lecturer or from the same lecturer on a video recording (independent variable). Practical performance of the technique was analyzed by two raters blinded to group allocation according to a 10-item list of criteria (dependent variable). Results were analyzed statistically by using ANCOVA with year of study as a covariate. Sixty-three and 56 students participated in part A and part B of the study, respectively. The inter-rater reliability for video analyses for both parts of the study was moderate (k = 0.402 to 0.441). In part A, there was no statistically significant difference across years of study for the practical performance of the technique on the back F(2,59) = 2.271; p = 0.112 or the knee joint F(2,59) = 3.028; p = 0.056. In part B, performance was significantly better when learned from a lecturer and practiced on a peer than when learned from a video and practiced on a rescue dummy (p < 0.001). Practical skill performance can be acquired from videos but immediate skill reproduction is significantly better when the technique is presented by a lecturer in classroom and practiced on peer students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has played a substantial role in the delivery of education. Despite the fact that technology-mediated interventions open up new avenues for health information dissemination and service delivery, there is concern that a knowledge gap, known as the digital divide, may exist. Need for study: In order to properly use technology and assist learners, educators must have technical abilities. Evidence from the literature suggests that educators lack the knowledge and skills required for ICT, leading to a digital divide. However, there is a dearth of data pertaining to the domains of the digital divide among healthcare educators in Central India. Aim: The observational study is designed to evaluate the status of the digital divide among healthcare educators in Central India. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study will be conducted at Sharad Pawar Dental College and Hospital, along with the School of Health Professions Research in Wardha, Maharashtra, India. Permission will be obtained from Institutional Ethical Committee, Datte Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (DMIHER) Deemed to be University (DU), over a period of two years spanning from July 2023 to June 2025. A minimum of 97 participants, comprising teachers from the healthcare profession in Central India, will participate in the survey to evaluate the status of the digital divide amongst healthcare educators in Central India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study is to measure the knowledge level of materials and equipment for endodontics and pedodontics, as well as sterilization and disinfection procedures, of dental assistants in dental institutions and intern oral and dental health technician students studying at college. Methods: Four hundred ninety-eight people, including dental assistants working in public, private and university institutions, between the ages of 18-65, and students of the Oral and Dental Health Technician School of Universities, participated in the study. A questionnaire was applied to the participants. With the help of the survey consisting of different questions, the participants' knowledge levels about pedodontic and endodontic materials and sterilization procedures were measured. Results: The knowledge level of dental assistants about dental materials was found to be low in 5.2% of the participants, medium in 32.5% of the participants, and high in 62.3% of the participants. There isn't any significant difference between the assistants' knowledge level and their gender (p=0.23), age group (p=0.09), educational status (p=0.41), professional experience (p=0.51), certification (p=0.39), and the institution that they work for (p=0.24). Conclusion: It was found that dental assistants have a lack of knowledge in this subject. It is thought that planning and perform regular training education programmes in terms of both acquiring new information and repeating existing information can be effective for eliminating the deficiencies of dental assistants. Keywords: Dental assistant, Endodontic material, Pedodontics material, Sterilization, Disinfection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public administration researchers have found that passive diversity leads to active diversity. However, whether this relationship holds in schools of social work is uncertain. Understanding this relationship in schools of social work can inform methods used by schools of social work to foster diversity and inclusion. Authors examined the relationship between passive and active diversity representation among 31 randomly selected school of social work websites. Quantitative content analysis revealed that the three most common passive diversity characteristics were (1) having tenure-track faculty of color, (2) images of diverse persons, and (3) faculty with diversity-focused research. The top three active diversity characteristics were (1) no GRE admissions requirement, (2) a woman dean/director, and (3) scholarship/fellowships opportunities. Least represented were student demographics and pronouns in faculty profiles. Most notable bivariate findings were the positive associations between a dean/director of color and tenured faculty of color and the relationship between faculty with diversity-focused research and tenured faculty of color. Greater representation of deans/directors of color in schools of social work is critical for the career advancement of faculty of color. To attract more faculty of color, schools of social work should use their websites to promote hiring opportunities for scholars conducting diversity-focused research. Future research exploring additional diversity characteristics on schools of social work websites and whether these characteristics translate to more inclusive environments is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental/guardian support can be a key input for policy decision-making for sexual health education curriculum development and it is, therefore, critical to examine parental/guardian attitudes towards the principles underlying comprehensive sexual health education. The Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education (SIECCAN, 2019) specify nine Core Principles of Comprehensive Sexual Health Education that should inform the planning and delivery of sexual health education programs. This study examines parental/guardian attitudes towards the Core Principles and determines whether attitudes vary based on demographic and regional variables. Two thousand parents/guardians from across Canada completed an online questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics and overall agreement with each of the Core Principles. There was strong consensus among parents/guardians; 73% to 85% support the inclusion of the nine Core Principles in the planning and development of sexual health education programs. We tested agreement with Core Principles in two ways: first using averaged scores across all Core Principle items, then across individual Core Principles. We found some statistically significant effects based on parent/guardian gender, educational attainment, region of residence, and importance of religion, however all effect sizes were small (between 1%–4% variance accounted for) suggesting these were not particularly meaningful. Therefore, findings demonstrate parental/guardian support across Canada for the Core Principles of Comprehensive Sexual Health Education. Understanding parents'/guardians' attitudes towards the philosophical underpinnings of sexual health education provides policymakers with a firmer understanding of parental perspectives which may be particularly salient as new issues emerge in public discourse about the content of sexual health education in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

He was speaking at a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN) and local pharmaceutical firm PharmEvo last week. Over 75% of pharmacies in Pakistan are without trained qualified pharmacists to dispense medical prescriptions and only about 15% of qualified pharmacists are engaged in community pharmacy. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Stress among students is a growing problem. As emotional stress increases, the limbic structures and hypothalamus are stimulated, activating the gamma efferent system, which ultimately leads to an increase in muscle tone or additional muscle activity that can become repetitive behaviors such as bruxism. The aim of the study was to investigate the stress level that students are exposed to, to determine the difference between students in terms of gender, faculty, and year of study, and to evaluate the possible relationship between stress level and self-reported bruxism in college students during the pandemic COVID-19. Methods: In April 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of students from the Faculty of Dentistry and the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Sarajevo (BiH). The students answered a questionnaire consisting of two parts: The first part contained questions on basic personal data and data on self-reported bruxism and the second part contained questions on the perceived stress scale (PSS). Results: The study included 756 students from both faculties. Analysis of stress levels among students revealed higher stress levels. Female students were more likely to be under stress than male respondents. Students in the Faculty of Pharmacy were more likely to be stressed than students in the Faculty of Dentistry. At the Faculty of Pharmacy, there was no difference in stress levels between the different years of study, while at the Faculty of Dentistry, the individual score for PSS was highest among 1st-year students. A high prevalence (46.8%) of self-reported bruxism was found among students in both faculties. Conclusion: A slight positive correlation between self-reported bruxism and stress suggests that it is important to implement stress management strategies during academic education and to prevent bruxism and its consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bias pervades every aspect of healthcare including admissions, perpetuating the lack of diversity in the healthcare workforce. Admissions interviews may be a time when applicants to health profession education programs experience discrimination. Between January and June 2021 we invited US and Canadian applicants to health profession education programs to complete a survey including the Everyday Discrimination Scale, adapted to ascertain experiences of discrimination during admissions interviews. We used chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression to determine associations between identity factors and positive responses. Of 1115 respondents, 281 (25.2%) reported discrimination in the interview process. Individuals with lower socioeconomic status (OR: 1.78, 95% CI [1.26, 2.52], p = 0.001) and non-native English speakers (OR: 1.76, 95% CI [1.08, 2.87], p = 0.02) were significantly more likely to experience discrimination. Half of those experiencing discrimination (139, or 49.6%) did nothing in response, though 44 (15.7%) reported the incident anonymously and 10 (3.6%) reported directly to the institution where it happened. Reports of discrimination are common among HPE applicants. Reforms at the interviewer- (e.g. avoiding questions about family planning) and institution-level (e.g. presenting institutional efforts to promote health equity) are needed to decrease the incidence and mitigate the impact of such events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the development and preliminary psychometric properties of the TeleWrite, a handwriting assessment tool designed to measure the rate, accuracy, and fluency of children's handwriting for children in first through third grade administered via telehealth. A series of three pilot studies were completed to determine initial interrater reliability, content validity, and clinical utility of the TeleWrite. A study with eight children was used to determine preliminary interrater reliability testing using a beta version of the TeleWrite with (n = 9) raters. The reliability coefficient was obtained using intraclass correlation (ICC) and yielded α = 0.92 for total scores, CI [0.815, 0.983] and the Cronbach's α measure for internal consistency was α = 0.95 (excellent). A clinical utility survey of (n = 55) pediatric occupational therapists was used to obtain their clinical impression regarding the usefulness and accuracy. Representing twelve different countries and twenty-two U.S. states, the respondents indicated that 61% (n = 33) are quite or extremely likely to use the TeleWrite in their practice and most participants (64%; n = 35) indicated that TeleWrite was quite/extremely accurate in measuring handwriting performance. Third, a content validity study with nine handwriting experts reviewed and concluded that all ten subtests of the TeleWrite tool are considered essential. All preliminary studies strengthen the development of the TeleWrite assessment to advance to construct validation of the tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study is to assess the knowledge and opinion of students regarding the off-label use of duloxetine in the treatment of SUI. The Survey questions were provided during the Drug Information Course at Howard University (HU) College of Pharmacy in a class where firstyear pharmacy students learn how to conduct a literature search and a survey. A total of 39 students responded to the survey. There were more females (n=23; 56.1%) with an age range between 18 - 24 years. About two-thirds (n=29; 70.7%) had a four-year degree before starting the pharmacy program. Overall, participants scored less than the passing 70% mark on the knowledge questions, which may call for educators to make a special effort to incorporate off-label and approved indications of medication teaching therapeutic-related courses. For example, more than sixty percent of respondents (n=25; 61%) incorrectly stated that duloxetine is a narrow therapeutic drug. The majority (n=; 34; 82.9%) of the participants responded wrongly that urinary incontinence is more common in women during their childbearing age. The opinion survey showed that most participants (n=25; 61%) did not believe there were many FDA-approved effective drugs for treating UI. Over sixty percent of participants (n=25; 61%) considered UI a severe illness and did not agree to use a non-approved drug such as duloxetine, although several published clinical studies support its effective use. Participants were split in their opinion regarding the non-approved use of medications. Study results suggest that students may need encouragement to explore medications with non-FDA approvals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work education is considered an important venue for advancing the field's commitment to anti-racism. This research employed collective autobiographical methods within a Critical Race Theory framework to explore Black social work students' experiences of anti-Black racism in the learning environment of a Predominantly White Institution. Data was analyzed through a collaborative, inductive approach. Analysis revealed four interrelated themes: 1) racial microaggressions directed at Black students; 2) the perceived complicity of school administration in maintaining a racist environment; 3) the harm that an anti-Black racist learning environment caused to Black students; and 4) a relational approach to challenging anti-Black racism in the learning environment. Findings underscore the need for increased attention to racism in the implicit social work curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latinx populations experience health disparities and are underrepresented among health professionals. One strategy to address these health disparities includes increasing the proportion of Latinx health professionals. The purpose of this study was to examine barriers and facilitators for Latinxs in pursuing health professions careers in a Midwestern state experiencing dramatic increases in Latinx populations, especially in rural areas. We conducted focus groups with Latinx high school, undergraduate, and graduate health professions students in rural and urban settings to examine barriers and opportunities for promoting health professions careers. Although many of our results confirm findings from other studies, novel future directions for this work should include comprehensive interventions that span the health professions education pipeline, including interventions that engage Latinx parents. A need also exists for increased representation of Latinx science teachers, counselors, staff, faculty, and particularly senior administrators in academic settings, from high school to graduate health professions schools to serve as role models, mentors, and advocates for Latinx health professions students. Educational programming of this magnitude requires institutional commitment to diversity, driven by leadership, with an explicit commitment to workforce and student diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore pharmacist alumni perspectives on what topics and how the business of health care should be incorporated into pharmacy school training. Methods. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used. Focus groups were conducted to elicit pharmacist alumni perspectives about business of health care topics and strategies for student learning and curricular implementation. Purposive sampling was used to identify alumni participants who could provide substantive feedback aligned with the needs of this evaluation. Ten alumni attended one of three focus groups over a two-month period. Thematic coding was used to identify themes. Results from the focus groups were used to inform survey development distributed to alumni of the pharmacy school. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results. Findings from the focus groups and survey indicated that the business topics most important for students to learn were communication strategies, health care operations, the health care payer system, managing teams, and career options within pharmacy. Focus group participants recommended a variety of activities to help students learn and apply business topics and emphasized that simulations and realworld experiences were needed to help students learn these topics and assess their understanding. Instructors should be currently or recently employed in the business sector to provide credibility. Barriers to implementation occur at both the student and curricula level. Conclusion. The possession of business skills and knowledge play a critical role in helping the pharmacy profession advance within a dynamic health care environment. Recommendations were provided on key business content important for Doctor of Pharmacy students to learn and strategies to implement within a pharmacy program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. With the integration of the affective domain in the pharmacy accreditation standards, it is important for programs to have methods for formatively assessing student competency in these areas. The objective of this study was to examine the validity evidence for a recently developed situational judgment test to assess the affective domain contained in the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards 2016. Methods. After pilot testing items in multiple pharmacy schools, a revised 15-item situational judgment test instrument was developed measuring the affective domain as it relates to the pharmacy profession. The resulting Pharmacy Affective Domain Situational Judgment Test (PAD-S) was administered to students at three institutions and internal structure validity evidence was examined using item descriptives, Cronbach alpha, and results from a Rasch measurement model. Results. There were 559 valid responses included in the study. The items were of varying difficulty, with Rasch results confirming the hierarchy of items and suggesting that items were contributing to the measure. The Cronbach alpha was 0.70, suggesting acceptable reliability. However, the reliability items from the Rasch model were lower (0.65 and 0.66), indicating that the ranking of ability was limited, which may be due to fewer items of high difficulty. Conclusion. Overall, the PAD-S performed well as a measure of the affective domain. The PAD-S may be a useful formative instrument as part of a comprehensive assessment plan and may be less resource intensive than other measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Curriculum Quality Surveys (CQS) are required for programs to distribute and utilize as part of accreditation standards, programs face challenges in survey administration and timing, interpreting data and results, and following up on action plans. Because the CQS surveys are standardized, they can allow for greater comparison among institutions, yet interpretation of the items can vary considerably. Programs have flexibility in determining samples for administration and timing of administration (ie, number of years), but some participants (such as preceptors) can suffer from survey overload if multiple institutions administer in the same year. Determining thresholds for action and providing feedback to stakeholders on improvements made based on data triangulations can be daunting. These are a few of the elements that programs must consider when determining their own approach to the AACP CQS. Thus, the purpose of this Commentary is to describe good practices for using the AACP CQS, discuss challenges associated with the surveys, and recommend how to move the utilization of the surveys from good to great. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarship, required for academic advancement, has traditionally been defined narrowly, not keeping pace with the expansion of faculty academic activities in health professions schools. How can we refine the definition of scholarship so that it better aligns with the scope of current faculty practice within academic health systems? Revision of the academic policies for promotion and tenure at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School afforded an opportunity to redefine scholarship such that a broader platform was available for faculty recognition, aligning with current academic standards, yet providing flexibility for the future. The authors describe the historical context of the definition of scholarship and their institution's process to construct a definition of scholarship with three essential elements: advancement of knowledge, dissemination for critical review, and impact on a discipline, practice, or community. Application of this definition to team science and digital scholarship is also described. Following a widespread continuing education initiative, implementation of the new definition within promotion and tenure processes of the medical, nursing, and graduate schools resulted in broad acceptance across the institution. This forum article provides lessons in leading an academic health sciences institution to reassess academic processes and is a resource for advancing the vigorous debate on the evolving meaning and evaluation of scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To determine whether students' levels of resilience and self-reported wellness behaviors predicted burnout and grade point average at the end of the first fall semester of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. We measured first-year students' resilience, burnout (exhaustion and disengagement), and self-reported wellness behaviors (sleep, nutrition, social time, and self-care activities) at the beginning and end of the fall 2020 semester of pharmacy school. We also collected students' demographic information and end-of-semester grade point average from their academic records. Using multivariable regression, we assessed whether students' resilience and wellness behaviors predicted burnout and grade point average at the end of the semester. We also assessed for changes in burnout and wellness behaviors over time. Results. Resilience was positively associated with older age and was lower among students of color. Exhaustion and disengagement were high at baseline and continued to worsen over time. Students' selfreported wellness behaviors also decreased over time, except for ratings of sleep adequacy. Resilience predicted lower levels of disengagement at the end of the semester, but its relationship with exhaustion was inconsistent. The only wellness behaviors associated with lower burnout were nutrition and sleep adequacy. Students' end-of-semester grade point average was also related to nutrition and sleep adequacy but not resilience or burnout. Conclusion. Resilience offered some protection from burnout, but its relationship to immutable factors suggests that individual-focused interventions to improve student well-being (eg, wellness behaviors such as mindfulness meditation) should be complemented by organizational support, especially for younger students and students of color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To address the need for personal finance education in our school of pharmacy, a finance elective was developed to help students make well-informed choices related to student loan repayment, budgeting, and planning for retirement. Personal finance education could be beneficial to help students improve their future financial well-being. Methods. A mixed-methods research design was used to determine the impact of the course. Retrospective data were collected and analyzed. Data included pre- and post-assessments, assignments, posts from discussion boards, and a follow-up questionnaire. Qualitative data were analyzed through in vivo coding, and quantitative data were analyzed using dependent t tests. Results. Qualitative analysis revealed two themes: students came to feel that personal finance was something that could be managed proactively, and they felt empowered to create a financial plan that included strategies for budgeting, paying off student loans and other debt, saving, and investing. Quantitative analysis of five of the 10 assessment questions with matching counterparts in the pre- and post-assessment showed significant differences. Most students who responded to the follow-up questionnaire had completed activities or planned to complete activities related to making changes to their personal finance habits. Conclusion. Pharmacy students are entering the workforce with high incomes but saddled with debt. A personal finance elective course has the potential to equip students with the knowledge needed to be financially successful. Schools of pharmacy should work toward offering professional development to students to assist them in learning about personal finance due to the high cost of obtaining a pharmacy degree and likelihood of entering the workforce with debt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental health is essential to students' academic success as well as their ability to participate fully and meaningfully throughout all aspects of their lives and throughout their lifespan. Aims: This study aims to determine the psychological health status of Moroccan nursing and technique health students. In doing so, it also seeks to compare differences based on sociodemographic factors. Method: A multicenter cross-sectional study with a convenience sample was conducted with 2,054 participants in the academic year of 2018/2019. A set of socio-demographic information were collected, and The General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) was used. Results: The mean GHQ-12 score was 4.33 ± 2.61, and 58.7% respondents scored 4 and above in the GHQ-12 scores and thus were considered to be in psychological distress. Students' psychological distress was associated with female gender (60.4% for female compared to 52.4% for men, p =.003); living in parental residence (61.6% compared to 54.7% living away parental residence; p =.02), the second and the third training level year respectively (64.6%; 59.2%) compared to first-year (55.2%, p =.001), and midwifery and nursing students (61.6%; 60.3%) as compared to technique health students (43.6%, p =.001). Conclusions: It appears that a substantial number of students have psychological distress and this is likely to have negative effects on students' educational attainment and wider wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Pharmacists can increase patients' knowledge and understanding of their medications and assist them to make appropriate decisions. However, clients' perception is a rate determining step to their accepting such Pharmacists roles. In this study we evaluated clients' perceptions on pharmacists provided medication counseling and education. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted using a 27 item, three sectioned questionnaire among 405 respondents > 16 years old for 10 weeks in secondary Health facility in Lagos state. Nigeria. Using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22, descriptive analysis (frequency), reliability (Cronbach alpha), correlation (spearman's rho), association (chi-square) were conducted with P value < 0.05. Three (3) was used as a logical mid-point and a positive perception was assumed if an overall mean of above 3 was obtained. Results: Majority of the respondents were female 267 (65.9%), 47.4% fall within the age range of 20-39 years, and the highest proportion of respondents (44%) have secondary school educational qualification. About half of the respondents strongly disagreed that pharmacists are responsible for providing information on disease condition and minor ailments 181(44.7%) and strongly agreed that pharmacists always indicate medication use in writing, 278 (68.6%), there was correlation between this and pharmacists usually re-emphasized information in writing using spearman's rho (p=0.000). Most respondents strongly disagreed that pharmacy is only a business and of no benefit to patients 314 (78.9%) and 270 (66.7%) agreed that pharmacists should be an integral part of the health delivery system. Overall mean ± SD was 4.11 ± 0.841, while mean ± SD on patients' knowledge of pharmacists' roles and their opinion on usefulness of pharmacists counseling and education were 4.26 ± 0.839 and 3.95 ± 0.840 respectively. Overall value of 0.66 was obtained for reliability test using Cronbach's' alpha. There is significant association between the patients' age and their perception on need to go back to physician for clarification on medication use after pharmacists counseling (P=0.000), also between respondents' gender and their perception that counseling received from pharmacists has benefits to them. (P=0.007). CONCLUSION: Generally, respondents have positive perceptions on pharmacist provided medication counseling and education. Our study results showed that pharmacists are seen as important professionals in providing medication related information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal quality assurance (IQA) is one of the core support systems on which schools in the health professions rely to ensure the quality of their educational processes. Through IQA they demonstrate being in control of their educational quality to accrediting bodies and continuously improve and enhance their educational programmes. Although its need is acknowledged by all stakeholders, creating a system of quality assurance has often led to establishing a 'tick-box' exercise overly focusing on quality control while neglecting quality improvement and enhancement. This AMEE Guide uses the concept of quality culture to describe the various dimensions that need to be addressed to move beyond the tick-box exercise. Quality culture can be defined as an organisational culture which consists of a structural/managerial aspect and a cultural/psychological aspect. As such this AMEE Guide addresses tools and processes to further an educational quality culture while also addressing ways in which individual and collective awareness of and commitment to educational quality can be fostered. By using cases within health professions education of both formal and informal learning settings, examples will be provided of how the diverse dimensions of a quality culture can be addressed in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Alabama Health Professions Opioid Education project is a statewide initiative to create an interdisciplinary substance use disorder and pain management curriculum for Alabama health professions students. This article provides a brief overview of an external curricula content analysis used to help identify curriculum content for the Alabama Health Professions Opioid Education project. Objectives: Alabama's health professions schools have many common goals when it comes to educating their students about substance use disorder (SUD) and pain, but a statewide consistent SUD and pain management curriculum does not exist in Alabama. The ALAbama Health professionals' Opioid and Pain management Education (ALAHOPE) project set out to create an interprofessional curriculum around SUD and pain management that all Alabama health professions schools can use to promote consistent evidence-based teaching and a patient-centered approach around these two topics. An adapted form of the Kern model of curriculum development was used to guide the project. The first dimension of this model is problem identification, which requires identifying the desired future state. One of many assessments performed to identify the desired future state was an analysis of six external curricula. The purpose of this assessment was to critically document and analyze existing SUD and pain management curricula to inform the ALAHOPE curriculum content. Methods: The learning objectives and detailed content topics of each curriculum were documented and categorized into content topics. These broad topics were used as one piece of a cross-thematic analysis of several future state assessments that led to the development of broad curriculum goals for the ALAHOPE curriculum project. Results: Common trends found in the analyzed curricula included learning objectives not being all-inclusive or not matching the actual curricula content, combining SUD and pain management content, and including the risks of treating pain with controlled substances in content solely created for pain management. Conclusions: These results can be used to help inform other SUD and pain management educational content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral health is essential to human health. Conditions associated with poor oral health involve all organ systems and many major disease categories including infectious disease, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, cancer, and mental health. Outcomes are also associated with health equity. Medical education organizations including the Association of American Medical Colleges and National Academy of Medicine recommend that oral health be part of medical education. However, oral health is not traditionally included in many medical school, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner curricula. Several challenges explain this exclusion including lack of time, expertise, and prioritization; we therefore provide suggestions for integrating oral health education into the health professions school curriculum. These recommendations offer guidance for enhancing the oral health curriculum across institutions. We include key organizational and foundational steps, strategies to link oral health with existing content, and approaches to achieve curricular sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an outlook for the future of higher education in the U.S. in the next 30 years with new educational innovations. It refers to the modernization of career education with continuous innovations in sustainable development. It describes the absence of competition and innovations at elite institutions and professional schools such as law and medical schools, which is expected to lower the costs of education.

Objective: With the completion of the Human Genome Project and swift development of genomic technologies, public health practitioners can use these advancements to more precisely target disease interventions to populations at risk. To integrate these innovations into better health outcomes, public health professionals need to have at least a basic understanding of genomics within various disciplines of public health. This descriptive study focused on the current level of genomics content in accredited master of public health (MPH) programs in the United States. Methods: We conducted an internet search on all 171 Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)–accredited MPH programs in the United States for genomics content in required and elective courses using the search terms "genetics," "genomics," and "molecular." Results: Of the 171 CEPH-accredited MPH programs examined, 52 (30.4%) schools and programs in 34 states offered some type of genomics education. Thirty-five (20.5%) schools and programs had a course in genetic epidemiology, 29 (16.9%) had a course in genetic biostatistics or bioinformatics, and 17 (9.9%) had a course in general public health genomics. The remaining 119 offered no course with a focus on genetics or genomics. In addition, some electives or specifically focused courses related to genomics were offered. Conclusion: We found inadequate training in public health genomics for MPH students. To realize the promise of precision public health and to increase the understanding of genomics among the public health workforce, MPH programs need to find ways to integrate genomics education into their curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Some dental schools depend on the students' academic performance for admission purposes. This research aimed at investigating the correlations between dental students' performance in specific academic courses and their pre‐clinical and clinical counterparts and the correlations between students' performance in the pre‐clinical practical courses and the clinical courses. Methods: Academic and practical pre‐clinical and clinical grades were retrieved for 811 students who graduated from the School of Dentistry, the University of Jordan, between 2016 and 2018. Ten courses (five academic and five practical) were selected. Pearson's rho test was used to calculate the correlations between the courses. Results: Statistically significant weak‐to‐moderate positive correlations were found between each academic course and its pre‐clinical or clinical counterparts and between pre‐clinical and clinical courses. A statistically significant positive moderate correlation (p <.001) was found between students' performance in fourth and fifth year restorative clinics. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the academic performance could partially predict the practical performance in both the pre‐clinical and clinical courses and that the clinical performance could partially be predicted from the pre‐clinical practical performance. Moreover, students who can successfully perform the required clinical procedures in fourth year will successfully perform the required clinical procedures in fifth year. However, other confounding factors should be taken into consideration such as manual dexterity and artistic skills even though their intellectual abilities are average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the minutes of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) 2022 House of Delegates Sessions on July 24-27, 2022 in Grapevine, Texas. Topics covered include the proceedings in the First and Second Sessions, their conduct as per the current House Rules of Procedure and contained agenda, and the recommended policy statements and resolutions. Also noted are amendments to current policies.

Background: In the prevention and treatment of hypertension, patient education is an important measure to improve the awareness rate and control rate of patients. The professional and geographical advantages of community pharmacists enable them to play an important role in the patient education in hypertension. The purpose of this study was to understand the situation of patient education in hypertension conducted in Chinese community pharmacies, and put forward measures according to the problems.Methods: A multi-stage competitive sampling by convenience was used to select community pharmacists working in community pharmacies in China for the study. Based on KAP theory, the first draft of the questionnaire was designed and the Delphi method was used to improve the questionnaire and a pre-study was conducted to test the reliability of the questionnaire. In January 2020, electronic questionnaires were distributed to 143 community pharmacists in Chinese community pharmacies. SPSS24 software was used for descriptive statistics and subgroup analysis of data.Results: One hundred and eight valid questionnaires were collected, and the efficiency rate was 75.5%. Most of the respondents were younger than 30 years old (98.1%), and had bachelor's degree (95.4%). In terms of knowledge, only 15.7% considered themselves "very good" and even 10.2% considered themselves "very bad". Only 35%-55% of respondents answered correctly for patient education content that requires more specialized knowledge, such as treatment and medication. Respondents generally had a positive attitude on the effect of hypertension patient education, but slightly less recognition of their role in patient education. In terms of practice, programs related to patient education have been conducted to different degrees. More than 30% of the community pharmacists interviewed implemented them occasionally or never.Conclusions: Despite a positive attitude, most of the respondents did not have a high level of knowledge or practice. In China, more research evidence and new guidelines are needed to emphasize the importance and responsibilities of community pharmacists. Continuing education should be certificated at the national level and meet the various needs of community pharmacists. And salary incentives can be tried to motivate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An alarming number of social work students indicate experiencing sexual harassment in their field placements; however, very few formally report these experiences. Recent public discussion about the prevalence of sexual harassment at work and the lack of trauma-informed responses have heightened the urgency to provide policy solutions that are effective at eliminating the behavior; social work students placed in field are no different. Field education offices should have a clear policy for how to respond to sexual harassment experienced in field placements. This article reviews the process undertaken by a school of social work to revise the field education policy to include a section of sexual harassment experienced in the field and offers recommendations and lessons learned for other programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Medicine and communicable disease control are embedded in many Islamic teachings as conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through the Al-Quran, Al-sunnah, and Al-hadith more than 1400 years ago. Therefore, when the COVID-19 outbreak hit Malaysia, with the majority of the population being Muslims, the society should have been equipped with knowledge in dealing with this pandemic. This study investigates the knowledge towards dealing with COVID-19 based on the guidance of Al-Quran and Al- Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) among undergraduate students in Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study using self-constructed questionnaires was performed. The questionnaires were pre-validated and distributed to pharmacy and health sciences students via an online survey platform. One of the selection criteria was that the respondent must be a Muslim. RESULTS: The students scored a median of 26 (IQR 4) in the knowledge test. Students' percentage knowledge levels were divided into three categories: poor (n = 42, 15%); moderate (n = 207, 73%) and good (n = 33, 12%). The lowest scored knowledge item was observed on the Islamic terminology, Maqasid Shariah (4.3%), and differences between hadith and sunnah (20.9%). No significant differences in knowledge scores were observed in the pre-determined independent variables such as age, year of study, accommodation, and previous religious school admission. CONCLUSION: The study findings suggest that the students have a good understanding of scientific aspects of COVID-19 but lack knowledge in handling the pandemic as recommended by Al-Quran and Al-Sunnah. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate whether the score on the Pre-Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (Pre-MPJE) predicts pharmacy students' performance on the MPJE, and to determine whether demographics, pre-pharmacy school factors, or pharmacy school factors affect MPJE outcomes. Methods. We performed a retrospective review of pharmacy school graduates' (N = 156) MPJE scores, Pre-MPJE scores, demographics, pre-pharmacy school academic performance factors, and pharmacy school academic performance factors. Bivariate and correlational analyses were conducted along with multiple linear regression models to determine the influence of variables on the MPJE total scaled score. Results. A total of 136 pharmacy school graduates were included, with most being female (59%) and non-Hispanic White students (75%). The score on the Pre-MPJE was not significantly correlated with students' first-attempt MPJE pass-fail outcome or total scaled score. Factors that were correlated with passing the MPJE were a younger age at graduation, a higher pharmacy law course grade, Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) examination scores, specifically scaled total scores and scaled scores for content areas 1-4 and final pharmacy school grade point average (GPA). The MPJE total scaled score was correlated with a higher pre-pharmacy school GPA, pharmacy law course grade, PCOA total and content area 1-4 scaled scores, and final pharmacy school GPA. However, regression models found that the greatest variance in MPJE total scaled score was contributed by the pharmacy law course grade. The total scaled score on the PCOA contributed to some variance for all MPJE takers, but only the pharmacy law course grade significantly influenced the in-state MPJE total scaled score. Conclusion. The findings did not show that the Pre-MPJE score was a predictor for passing the MPJE or for the MPJE total scaled score. The most important determinant of the MPJE total scaled score was a student's performance in the pharmacy law course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although professional pharmacy programs tend to require and focus heavily on applicants' grade point averages and pre-admission test scores, there is noted value in the matriculation of students exhibiting strong leadership and soft skills. Such attributes are advantageous to a pharmacist, particularly when considering the current need to develop trailblazers prepared to adapt to the ever-changing demands of our healthcare system. Pharmacy school applications and enrollments have been declining across the nation for the past decade. Pharmacy job prospects, particularly in community pharmacies, are projected to decline over the next decade, but inpatient and clinical roles are projected to increase in demand. To accommodate this role shift, schools may consider engaging with and recruiting students with unique skill sets from less traditional backgrounds. This commentary explores one student's pharmacy school experience via the lens of a nontraditional background and postulates that pharmacy schools may benefit from altering their admissions approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the office space that he inhabited for years as a clinical faculty member of the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy. He cites the space's expressions of success defined by academic and professional achievements and accolades throughout his career in academic clinical pharmacy. He treats his office space as a sanctuary away from the rigors of clinical practice and the demands of academic pharmacy. He notes the evolution of clinical practice and pharmacy education.