ABSTRACT
To compare baseline general and scientific knowledge between undergraduate and postgraduate medical students and to explore reasons for its deterioration, if any, over time. Sequential mixed method. Combined Military Hospital and CMH Medical College Lahore; and Dermatology Departments of Mayo Hospital, Services Institute of Medical Sciences and Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan from Aug to Sept 2011. Thirty undergraduate medical students and 30 postgraduate medical students were selected on the basis of purposive convenience sampling, after taking informed consent and ensuring confidentiality and anonymity. In the first phase, a questionnaire consisting of 50 general and basic scientific questions was distributed among 30 first year medical and 30 postgraduate students of dermatology. Two examiners marked these questionnaires using the same key and awarded marks from 1 to 5 for each question. In the second phase 5 postgraduates, who secured minimum marks, were invited for a confidential structured interview to explore reasons for their low score. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 and the interviews were analyzed through quasi-statistical approach. The mean score of postgraduate students was 151.60 as compared to 170.96 for undergraduates. Out of all framed questions, the postgraduates passed only in 35% of questions whereas undergraduates passed in 59%. There was no question in which all postgraduates could pass whereas there were 6 questions in which all undergraduates passed. There were 10 questions in which more than 80% of postgraduates had failed but there were 7 questions in which more than 80% of undergraduates could not do well. During the interview, 100% of postgraduates blamed mainly themselves for their low scoring and 75%, in addition held the system of rote learning responsible. Also 100% of the interviewees admitted, lack of habit of revising previously learnt concepts. The basic and important general and scientific concepts deteriorate in medical students with advancing level of their respective postgraduate studies, which may lead to hampered construction of knowledge for future studies. A better and rational system of concept building, by improving instructional strategies may help these students to retain important knowledge for future construction of knowledge
ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to compare the frequency of anti thyroid peroxidase antibody in patients suffering from vitiligo with healthy control group.Type of Study: Case control study. Dermatology Department, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from 20th March 2010 to 20th July 2011. Fifty clinically diagnosed patients of vitiligo, age >/= 18 yrs and both genders with no history of thyroid disease, past or current use of drugs for thyroid disorder or thyroid surgery were included as cases [Group A]. Fifty healthy individuals with no evidence of vitiligo or thyroid disorder on history and physical examination and with no family history of vitiligo, matched for age and gender with cases, were included as control [Group B]. Serum anti thyroid peroxidase [anti TPO] antibodies were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] in both cases and control. Eight [16%] patients in Group A were anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody positive and forty two [84%] patients were negative while one [2%] patient was anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody positive in Group B and forty nine [98%] patients were negative [p = 0.001]. Anti TPO antibody is significantly more common in patients of vitiligo as compared to general population