case study of multidimensionality of organizational culture

The right kind of institutional culture enhances its effectiveness that ultimately leads towards achieving its missions, objectives and goals. This case-study was conducted in the University of Health Sciences, Lahore to identify the Institutional Culture in the University. Academic Culture Inventory [ACI] and Values Survey Module [VSM] 08 were used as survey questionnaires. Fifty ACI questioners were distributed among grade 16 - 20 officials, 10 in each grade. Hundred VSM 08 Questionnaires were distributed among the garde 1-15 employees. Ten questionnaires from each category and fifty six VSM 08 questionnaires were retuned and institutional culture was identified. Responses and behaviors of the people on different social and job situations were determined on the findings of VSM 08 through Chi-Square Test. Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences [SPSS] were used to generate the results. A p-value of = 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Developmental Culture' and 'Virtual Culture' were identified as the strongest institutional cultures by the higher and lower grade officials respectively. 'Tangible Culture' was identified as the weakest institutional culture in both cases. In the VSM 08 questionnaires, the response rate was 56%. Various demographic variations within the culture were identified based on the VSM 08 questionnaire survey. Communication gap between the Higher-grade officials and lower-grade employees should be bridged by holding various meetings, conferences and seminars where the lower-grade staff gets the opportunity to interact with their officers and share their own ideas about the policies and strategies of their institutes

Medical colleges admission test in Punjab, Pakistan

Nearly 18,000 candidates securing 60% and above marks in Higher Secondary School Certificate [HSSC] examination contest for admission in Medical Colleges, in Punjab, Pakistan by sitting in the Medical College Admission Test [MCAT] each summer. This cross-sectional study was conducted to identify patterns related to demographic, economic and educational backgrounds, over a two-year-period, in this population, and how HSSC and MCAT marks predict future performance of the selected candidates. Marks obtained by candidates in HSSC, MCAT, and 1st Professional MBBS [Part-I] Examinations over two years 2008-2009, were analysed using parametric tests in SPSS. Total 18,090 candidates in 2008 and 18,486 in 2009 sat in the MCAT. National HSSC candidates scored higher marks in HSSC and MCAT but lower marks than their foreign qualified HSSC counterparts [e.g., Advanced-Levels from Cambridge University, UK] in Part-I overall and in all its subcomponents individually [p<0.05]. Female students scored higher marks than males in HSSC [p>0.05], MCAT [p>0.05] and Part-I theory, practical, viva voce, continuous assessment and Objective-Structured Performance Evaluation [OSPE] components [p<0.05]. In both years, students from the Dera Ghazi Khan District scored the highest marks in the HSSC Examinations [p<0.05] but least marks in MCAT in 2008 [p<0.05] and in Part-I in 2008 and 2009 [p<0.05]. Students from 'tougher' Boards like Rawalpindi in 2008 and the Federal Board in 2009 who scored least marks in HSSC scored highest marks in MCAT, and in Part-I Examinations [p<0.05]. Linear regression on Part-I by taking HSSC and MCAT marks as independent variables showed that the MCAT marks exerted the greatest positive influence consistently at 0.104 [2008] and 0.106 [2009]. In 2009 HSSC marks were shown to exert a negative influence [-0.08] on Part-I. There is need to standardise HSSC education and examination across all Intermediate Boards. MCAT is a better predictor of Medical Students' future performance

effect on student performance of scrambling questions and their stems in medical colleges admission tests

Assessment is an indispensable part of an educational program. Multiple Choice Questions [MCQs] is an objective tool of assessment provided cheating is controlled. A method employed to reduce the chance of cheating is to scramble the sequence of the MCQs and responses in multiple papers having the same content. It is assumed that the performance of students is mainly dependent on the difficulty of the items and not the order in which they are placed within the instrument. The marks obtained by 1,02,211 candidates sitting in Medical Colleges Admission Test [MCAT] from 2008 to 2011 and given similar-content but scrambled-sequence question paper codes were analyzed using parametric tests. A significant difference amongst the mean marks of candidates in the different codes of MCAT 2008 [F = 22.15, p < 0.001] and MCAT 2011 [F = 3.85, p = 0.009] was identified. No significant difference was found in the mean marks of the candidates' each year for different codes in each centre.

Assessment in medical education in Pakistan: evaluating evaluation

Over the past decade, Pakistan has seen phenomenal growth in Health Profession Education. As the products of these newer medical colleges join the industry, we have received anecdotal accounts of considerable variations in competency, knowledge and attitudes towards the profession, peers, patients and the industry. The question addressed in this article is whether the assessment techniques used in medical education in Pakistan evaluate higher order critical thinking. A review of published literature in four international medical education journals, Medical Teacher, Medical Education, Journal of Pakistan Medical Association and Journal of Phy-sicians and Surgeons Pakistan was conducted through systematically searching their databases using keywords. This review covers only the methods used for assessment in medical education in Pakistan at present and their contextual relationship to measurement of critical thinking. Multiple tools used to assess each of the three domains, cognitive, psychomotor and affe-ctive were identified. Each one of these tools in relation to the context can effectively evaluate cri-tical thinking but requires careful planning and proper application. Tools used elsewhere [outside Pakistan] were holistic in their measurement with high contextual relevance. Critical thinking sets higher education apart. Currently the tools of assessment emplo-yed to evaluate knowledge, skills and attitudes in medical education in Pakistan are sound but re-quire a critical analysis and review in their construct and applicability in relation to the context. Better tools are also available that can be used to 'teach' as well as 'assess' critical thinking

English language proficiency; an important socio-economic factor and its impact on student's performance

Each year, more than 30,000 students sit in the Government sponsored Entrance Test conducted by University of Health Sciences, Lahore for admission in Public and Private Medical and Dental Institutes of Punjab, Pakistan. In this study, we have embarked to seek the relationship of the performance of students in the English component of the test and their sciences components scores and how this English-Science relationship varies amongst the developed and underdeveloped districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Three years from 2008 to 2010. The sciences components scores of the candidates in MCAT, their scores in English portion in the test and their demographic variables were entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences [SPSS] v.16. Parametric tests were applied. Nearly 14% of the question paper tests proficiency of the candidates in the English Grammar. The students from the socioeconomically challenged districts scored less marks in English component as well as in the sciences component of Entrance Test when compared with the scores of the students of more developed districts [p<0.05]. The difference in the mean marks of English and Sciences components of the test when adjusted for weightage was higher in the socioeconomically developed districts [p<0.05]. A steady improvement from 2008 to 2010 in the scores obtained by candidates in English component of the Entrance Test was observed [p<0.05]. For admission in Medical and Dental Colleges in Punjab, candidates scoring more than 60% marks in their Higher Secondary School Certificate Board Examination, have to sit in a uniform Entrance Test in which from the year 2008-2009, candidates from socioeconomically low districts have performed poorly in both English component and sciences components of test in comparison to the candidates from more developed districts. The comparatively lower score is more significant in sciences components of test. The lower scores of the less developed districts, candidates can not therefore be attributed to their low proficiency in the English language but rather to a lower general educational performance

Measuring the medical education environment in undergraduate medical colleges across Punjab, Pakistan

The University of Health Sciences [UHS] is responsible for regulating medical education in all affiliated Private and Public medical colleges in Punjab Province. Measuring the education environment in these institutions will be the initial step in understanding the factors affecting it. In this cross sectional study, the Population was limited to all the students of the Final Year Baccalaureate of Medicine; Baccalaureate of Surgery in Medical Colleges affiliated with UHS in 2008. DREEM questionnaire was collected anonymously from the students. The given data was analysed using parametric tests in Statistical Package for Social Sciences v.16. Significance was taken at p < 0.05. The response rate was 84.14%. The overall average age was 23.5 years with comparable male, female age [23.9 and 23.2 respectively]. The Mean Score of DREEM in the private sector - [M = 137, SD = 21.25] is statistically significantly higher [t = 9.93, df = 410.38, 2 - tailed p

Medical professionalism: a panoramic view through the kaleidoscope of stakeholder perspectives

Background: Recently, over the last couple of decades, great emphasis is being placed on the role of professionalism in medical education. This interest has intensified following the positive relationship identified between unprofessional behaviour in medical schools and subsequent practice. This paper aims to develop an understanding of the perceptions of various stakeholders regarding the subject in the local setting and tries to relate it to the global context. Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted in 2011 involving the faculty and students of the University of Health Sciences Lahore. An open-ended questionnaire was fashioned following brainstorming and utilising Delphi technique involving representatives of the students, faculty and the public. Responses from all the respondents were entered into Microsoft Excel data sheet and then imported into Qualitative Data Analysis Software 'NVIVO 9'. Themes were extracted from the responses. Results: Overall 650 questionnaires were distributed amongst the faculty, students and general public. Response rates were 74%, 68% and 59% respectively. Commonalities and differences in the perceptions of the various stakeholders of medical profession including the medical practitioner, public and the medical students were identified. Conclusion: The product of the healthcare professional education system needs to conform to the global standards applied within local settings. It is the identification of the local setting that is critical to devising a costeffective and efficient curriculum, which amongst others includes teaching/training/learning and practice of professionalism

Determination of medical education environment in Punjab private and public medical colleges affiliated with university of health sciences, Lahore-Pakistan

The main purpose of this study was to identify differences, if any, in the Medical Education Climate between the Private and Public Medical Colleges in the Province of Punjab affiliated with the University of Health Sciences, Lahore and to gather recommendations from students on measures that need to be taken to improve the environment. This Mixed Quantitative and Qualitative Prospective Study was conducted in 2008. The population of the study consisted of 1612 MBBS Final Year Medical Students of both Private and Public Medical Colleges. Stratified Random Sampling was done to ensure representation of both Sectors. Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure [DREEM] was used to assimilate Quantitative Data and a Questionnaire consisting of 10 items was used to accumulate Qualitative Data. To analyse Quantitative Data, t-test and Chisquare tests were used. Common themes were identified in the Qualitative Data. All the SIX Research Hypotheses were rejected and Null Hypotheses were upheld. Analysis of Qualitative Data indicated a number of Examination, Curriculum, Teaching Methodology, Teacher and Peer related Stressors without discrimination in students of both Private and Public Sectors. Solutions by students focused on improving co-ordination between Institutions and University of Health Sciences as well as developing and delivering Clinically-Centred, Community-Oriented and Problem-Based Education through development of appropriate Teaching Methodologies. Even though there is no difference in the Medical Education Climate between the Private and Public Medical Education Sectors, the Environment is less than Ideal. However, this can be improved through shifting the onus of Education from Teacher-Centred Didactic Approach to a more Student-Centred Self-Learning Strategy. In this paradigm shift the UHS, Lahore needs to play a pivotal role in order to effectively train the Trainers and standardise this change throughout Punjab