Type 2 diabetes; effects of socio-demographic factors among patients

To determine the effects of various socio-demographic factors upon the prevalence of diabetes mellitus. Type 2 Diabetes is growing at an epidemic scale. Besides genetic predisposition, numerous environmental factors elicit the development of diabetes. An estimated 246 million people are suffering from diabetes worldwide. Majority of diabetics [80%] live in very poor countries of the world, where even the least expensive lifesaving diabetes drugs are not available. Pakistan ranks number seven in terms of global diabetes burden and is projected to reach number five in 2025. Approximately half of the diabetics are aware of their disease status, and most of them are diagnosed with complications and poor metabolic control. This study determines the effects of various socio-demographic factors upon the prevalence of diabetes mellitus. Cross-sectional. National Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology, DUHS, Karachi, Pakistan. March 2008 to December 2009. 1029. The mean age of the study sample was 50.5 +/- 12.1 years. Fifty two percent study participants were males and 48% females. They were from various occupations, educational levels and socio-economic strata. Among these diabetics, 73% had family history of diabetes; 20% were doing exercise, 20% knew self monitoring blood glucose and 6% had knowledge to inject insulin. Only 29% followed diabetes diet. A vast majority of diabetic patients was not doing exercise; had least knowledge of self monitoring blood glucose and did not follow diabetes diet. Various environmental factors, lack of related information and peoples' reluctant attitude played important role in the high prevalence of diabetes

Career related choices of medical students from an international medical college of Karachi, Pakistan

Objectives: to determine the attitudes of international undergraduate medical students in a medical college from Pakistan towards different specialties as career choices and to determine the reasons in making a career choice

Material and methods: a cross sectional study, conducted by distributing a questionnaire to semester 1, 3 and semester 7, 9 students studying at Dow International Medical College, Karachi in January 2012. Questionnaire consist of questions regarding demographic characteristics, specialty choices and reasons that influenced career choice was distributed to 338 students in selected study semesters, however 148 students answered the questionnaire. Students were asked to choose the most preferred career from a list of 14 specialty options that were listed after literature review and faculty feedback. Reasons for specialty preference were also asked from the students

Results: a total of 148 students, [including 54% males and 46% females] responded to the questionnaire. Surgical [31%] and Medical [23%] specialties were the two most frequently selected specialties. Pediatrics was chosen by 18% of the students. Gender also had an influence for the choice of the specialty. Most preferred reasons for choosing a particular specialty were high income potential [37%], influence of a role model in the specialty [32%], inclination for specialty before medical school [30%] and others

Conclusions: surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Dermatology were the most preferred specialty preferences of medical students at Dow International Medical College Karachi. Medical students' career choices regarding various specialties are affected by several factors