Implementation of stress coping skills programme in dental students’ curriculum to improve the validity of their assessment.

The key dictum to build reliability (and validity) for any assessment is to have multiple tests on multiple content areas by multiple examiners using multiple tools in multiple settings. Moreover, stress coping skills will have positive impact on all the domains which in turn give a boost to positive tendencies, viz., increasing their attentiveness in class, concentration, and learning and thereby reduce the altered performance due to stress. As a result, the CIV (noise in the assessment) is reduced and hence the validity of assessment is improved. Psychologist and Psychometricians are to be appointed in every institute.

Impact of gibberish meditation on students learning in a dental school.

Background: Gibberish meditational technique claims to reduce the stress and decrease unnecessary thought currents helping the practitioner to be relaxed and attentive. Aims & Objective: The aim of the present study was to know the effect of this technique, just prior to a learning session, on the student’s academic performance, perception and pulse rate. Material and Methods: 87 dental students were divided into two groups by systematic allocation. One group practiced Gibberish meditation technique and the other was control group. Both groups attended a one hour lecture as a part of their regular lecture series. Results: Results did not show any significant difference between the groups in academic performance, although meditation group scored higher. Significant number of students in gibberish group reported to be more attentive, comfortable, relaxed and had better memory and had significant reduction in mean pulse rate. Students expressed a feeling of relaxation and of having a fun filled learning atmosphere after meditation. Conclusion: This simple and easy technique of meditation could be adopted to enhance student learning.

Screening of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus in patients attending dental teaching Hospital.

Introduction : MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a major health care associated and community associated problem . Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the commensal organisms found in normal healthy individual’s anterior nares, throat and axilla. It is multi drug resistant organism and involved as one of the major cause of hospital acquired infections (HAI). Objectives : The present study was undertaken to know the prevalence of MRSA in patients attending dental Out Patient Department (OPD) in a teaching dental hospital. Material and methods : Total 100 patients were included with mean age 33.6 + 13.9, out of which 51 were female patients and 49 were male patients .Swabs collected from anterior nares and throat were plated on Mannitol Salt Agar which showed no growth for MRSA. Conclusion:Prevalance of MRSA in our Dental college is nil , so pre-requisite for screening MRSA before any dental procedure is not necessary.

Study of microbiota inside the automobile cars.

Introduction :The bacteria are transmitted through contact, inhalation, ingestion, inoculation etc . The health care professionals are aware of preventive measures but unaware of most widely used cars as an inanimate/fomite in spite of all preventive measures, the respiratory and skin infections are prevalent in health care professionals , the present study is concerned with the isolation of pathogenic microbiota inside the cars. Material Method : Total 30 cars are include in the study. The samples were collected by swab method in Department of General Pathology & Microbiology, Sinhgad Dental College and Hospital Pune. Result :The study revealed that the pathogenic microbiota were found in the cars especially Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Discussion :These microbes are documented as the potential source of respiratory , skin , soft tissue, urinary tract infection. To conclude the cars needs to be cleaned frequently with disinfectants.