ABSTRACT
Background: Career counseling to medical students is vital for future needs of health care system
Objective: To assess the perception of students in choosing the medical profession and their future career planning
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan Pakistan, comprising 152 medical students. The questionnaire included questions on demographic information like age, sex, and year of study, reasons for choosing medical profession, future plans for specialization and choice of career in Pakistan or abroad, and their plans after graduation. SPSS 16 was used for data entry and statistical analysis
Results: Total number of study subjects was 152. Female participants were 62%. Mean age of participants was 22 +/- 2 year.77 [51%] students said they chose the medical profession because their parents wanted them to be doctors; while 50 [33%] chose the career to serve ailing humanity. Regarding specialization, in this study, 13.2% wanted to specialize in Surgery, 14.5% in Medicine, 3% in Public Health, while 24.3% did not want to pursue the medical profession and applied for positions in civil service by appearing in the Central Superior Services [CSS]. While 68%[103] students wanted to pursue the medical profession in Pakistan, the rest preferred to go to the United Kingdom 18.4%, 10% in America and 4% in Australia
Conclusion: Our study showed that most of the medical students selected medical profession due to parental and peer pressure. It was found that one third wanted to leave the country after graduation and one third wanted to leave the profession after graduation. It shows the lack of career counseling at undergraduate level in country
ABSTRACT
Background: hypothyroidism is one of the common complications among beta thalasemia
Objective: to determine the frequency of hypothyroidism in patients of beta thalassemia major in Thalassemia center, Rahim Yar Khan
Methodology: study design: Single center cross-sectional study. Place and duration of study: This study was carried out in "Thalassemia Center", Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan over a period of one year from 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2015. This study was carried out on 144 patients of thalassemia major aged 5-16 years. The data was collected regarding demographic variables, serum ferritin, T4 and TSH and duration of transfusion. The data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 19
Results: hypothyroidism was found in 45 [31.2%] patients. Of these, 42 [93.3%] had sub clinical hypothyroidism [normal T4 level with elevated TSH] whereas only 3 [6.7%] patients has overt hypothyroidism [decreased T4 level with elevated TSH]. Frequency of hypothyroidism has significant association with patient's age and duration of transfusion
Conclusion: sub clinical hypothyroidism occurs in a significant proportion of thalassemia major patients. Frequency of hypothyroidism has significant association with age and duration of transfusion. Regular follow-up of thalassemic patients to detect and timely treat such complication could improve the quality of life of these patients
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of school children about dental diseases, oral hygiene practices, dietary habits and pattern of visit to dental clinic and also to identify the source of information regarding dental health. This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2012 to June 2012, among students aged between 12 to 16 years studying in schools. Results of the study showed that 100% students believed that caries had negative effect on their dental health and sweets were the most common cause of dental caries. About the question of caries affecting dental health, 76 [25%] acquired knowledge from their dentists while 114 [37.75%] learned from school teacher and rest 113 [37.25%] gained their knowledge from parents? guardians. Moreover, regarding the source of information of soft drink as a hazard to oral health 76 [25%] got the knowledge from their dentists while 110 [36%] of students thought that soft drinks did not affect their dental health and 117 [39%] students said that they had not known the negative effect of soft drinks on their dental health. In the study, 56% responded that caries prompt them to visit dentist whereas only 10.7% visited dentist when they had bleeding gums. School teachers, parents and dentists were the main source of oral health information. The results of the present study showed that majority of the children obtained oral health information from their school teachers. Schools may provide effective settings for oral health screening and oral health educational programs
ABSTRACT
The aim of study was to determine the levels of serum iron and plasma zinc in toddlers with pica. Prospective analytic type of study. Over a span of 6 months. The study was conducted in Pediatrics Outpatient department at Sheikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan. The thirty children of both sexes in age group of 1-3 years, presented with anemia and pica were included in study. They had no other apparent cause of anemia other than nutritional deficiencies. They were physically and mentally well. The clinical history, feeding pattern and .clinical examination were recorded. Their blood was evaluated for iron and zinc to find relation of pica with these micronutrients. The Hemoglobin [Hb%]; blood smears were examined for RBCs morphology. Stool samples were examined for occult blood and intestinal parasites. All children were anemic; milk was the main source of nutrition till 3years of age and iron rich food like meat was deficit .They were involved in earth eating [geophagia]. They belonged to poor socioeconomic conditions. The laboratory reports of their blood smears detected microcytic hypochromic anemia, low serum iron and normal plasma zinc. Hb% level was < llg/dl, BUN and urine examination was normal. Stool examination detected intestinal parasites. Pica [Geophegia] in our study is strongly associated with iron deficiency anemia [IDA]. The zinc deficiency was not found in these children