ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the relationship between the performances of students in non-cognitive skills in Multiple Mini Interview [MMI] and Integrated Practical Examination [IPE] of the first year of medical school. Study Design: Cross-sectional observation study with statistical support. Place and Duration of Study: Shifa College of Medicine/Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad between December 2015 and March 2016
Methodology: Student performance in communication skills, domain of the 8-station Multiple Mini Interview, was compared with their scores in communication skills in the first Integrated Practical Examination taken at the end of first block. Descriptive statistics were calculated for student demographics, scores in communication skills in MMI as well as IPE. Pearson's Correlation was calculated to investigate the relationship between the two scores. A p-value of <0.05 was taken as significant
Results: The mean score in MMI was 130.38 +/-9.90 as compared to a score of 79.96 +/-19.74 in the IPE. This relationship has a statistically significant [p<0.001] positive correlation, with a Pearson's correlation of 0.52
Conclusion: Student performance shows a positive correlation in non-cognitive skills between Multiple Mini Interview and Integrated Practical Examination
ABSTRACT
Objective: To measure mean empathy scores of Pakistani medical students and to explore any association of empathy scores with gender, medical school year and future career choice. Study Design: Cross-sectional survey. Place and Duration of Study: Shifa College of Medicine, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, during the academic year 2015-2016
Methodology: The student version of Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy [JSPE] was distributed to the students electronically via the student portal. Response that were completed in full were included in the study. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse student demographic data. The student score on the JSPE was reported as the mean [out of 7] of each item. Independent samples t-test was employed to check the significant differences between genders. Empathy score with advancing year of study was investigated using ANOVA. ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey's test was used to study the relationship between career choice and empathy score
Results: The response rate was 70.94%. The mean score was 4.51 +/-0.69. Females obtained greater, but statistically insignificant [p=0.08] empathy score [4.58] as compared to the male students [4.45]. No statistically significant difference was seen between scores on the survey across the five academic years [F=0.88, p=0.47]. Students who selected medicine and allied as career choice showed a significantly higher empathy score than those who opted for surgery. The internal consistency reliability [Cronbach's alpha] was 0.78
Conclusion: There were low levels of empathy in Pakistani medical students. Students with interest in medicine and allied showed higher empathy scores compared to surgical or technical specialties. No association of empathy scores with gender and medical school year was observed
ABSTRACT
Objective: To measure central corneal thickness in Pakistani population and determine its relationship to intra-ocular pressure, age, gender and ethnicity
Study Design: Cross-sectional observation study
Place and Duration of Study: Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan, between December 2013 and February 2015
Methodology: The right eyes of 1000 cases [496 males and 504 females] were recruited for this study. Inclusion criteria were Pashtun or Punjabi ethnicity, intra-ocular pressure < 22 mmHg, gonioscopically open angles, cup-disk-ratio < 0.5, and age matched normal visual fields. Cases with prior ocular surgery, contact lens use, corneal pathologies, myopia or hypermetropia > +/- 3.0 diopters, astigmatism of > +/- 1.0 diopters were excluded. Central corneal thickness was measured using a TopCon non-contact specular microscope. Intra-ocular pressure was measured using Goldmann applanation tonometer. Frequency distribution, test of significance, and regression analysis was carried out using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0
Results: Mean age was 47.31 +/- 11.78 years. Ethnic composition was 51.6% [n=516] Pashtun and 48.4% [n=484] Punjabi. The mean central corneal thickness was 503.96 [ +/- 12.47] urn, while the mean intra-ocular pressure was 15.61[ +/- 2.68] mmHg. Regression analysis showed a significant association between central corneal thickness and intra-ocular pressure [p=0.00] and age [p=0.00]. A +/- 100 u change in central corneal thickness was associated with change in IOP of +/- 3.30 mmHg, whereas central corneal thickness decreased by 0.12 urn per year. No significant association could be established between central corneal thickness and ethnicity [p=0.19]
Conclusion: Central corneal thickness of the studied races was comparable to non-Caucasians which affects intra-ocular pressure measurements, and decreases with increasing age. No relationship was observed between central corneal thickness and ethnicity or gender
ABSTRACT
To compare the recurrence of pterygium between free conjunctival auto-graft and conjunctival rotation flap following simple surgical excision of pterygium. Quasi-experimental study. Shifa Foundation Community Health Clinic, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, from January to November 2012. Fifty seven cases aged above 18 years, with a pterygium corneal encroachment of >/= 2 mm which was responsible for visual disability or was cosmetically undesirable were recruited for the study and randomly assigned to conjunctival auto-graft group and conjunctival rotation flap group. Cases with a history of glaucoma or glaucoma suspect, prior pterygium surgery, pterygium with concurrent ocular surface and lid disease, conjunctival inflammation and scarring, pseudo-pterygium or collagen vascular disease were excluded. After simple pterygium excision conjunctival auto-graft group [n=26] cases received a free conjunctival flap was transplanted, while conjunctival rotation flap group [n=31] cases received a conjunctival rotation flap. All cases were followed-up for 6 months after surgery for recurrence and complications. Frequency distribution and significance of association of recurrence using Fisher's exact test and Mann- Whitney U-test was carried out using Statistical Package for Social Sciences [SPSS] version 20. The median [and inter-quartile range] age and surgery duration in conjunctival auto-graft group and conjunctival rotation flap group were 60 [51.50 - 63.00] and 57 [45.00 - 60.00] years, 28.50 [27.00 - 30.50] and 16.00 [15.00 - 17.00] minutes respectively. Recurrence was seen in 2 [7.96%] and 3 [9.76%] cases in auto-graft and rotation flap groups respectively. No significant difference was seen in postoperative complications between the two groups [p=0.60]. The surgical time for conjunctival rotation flap procedure is less as compared to free auto-graft, while their recurrence and complications are comparable
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Recurrence , Postoperative Period , Conjunctiva , Autografts , Surgical FlapsABSTRACT
Silicone band was used to form a double rhomboids. Twenty five cases of ptosis were operated upon, 15 [60%] cases were male and 10 [40%] were female. Male to female ratio was 1.5:1. Most of the cases [85%] were having ages between 8 to 25 years. Amount of ptosis varied from 3 mm to 6 mm. in all the cases, levator function was poor and bell's phenomenon was intact. 75% of the cases had good results i.e. within 2 mm of normal, 15% had fair results i.e. within 1.5 mm of normal and 105 were 01 mm under corrected but there was much cosmetic improvement. The method proved to be very simple and effective, material used was not expensive. Complication rate was low. No recurrence has been noted after 2 years follow up