Emotional Intelligence and Academic Performance of Final Year (7th Semester) Medical Students

Due to changing priorities of medical students in the present day scenario, an insight of their Emotional Intelligence (EI) can serve as a predictor of their compassionate and understanding domain. The relation of EI with academic performance will give an idea on how the emotional or indirectly psychological component plays a role in the manner the medical students perform. Importance of Emotional Intelligence (EI) is increasingly recognised. It is more relevant in medical professionals who have an inbuilt touch of emotions to the profession. The study was conducted to evaluate EI of 7th semester MBBS students and also to determine the relation if any of EI with their academic performances. METHODSThis descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in a Government Medical College in Central India. The study was carried out among 159 medical students. Data collection was done with the aid of a structured, pretested questionnaire which had questions based on the Quick Emotional Intelligence self-administered questionnaire. Academic scores of previous MBBS years were considered. The relation between emotional intelligence and academic scores was studied. Data was entered in Microsoft excel. Statistical analysis was done with help of Open Epi Info. RESULTSMean ± Standard Deviation of Emotional awareness, Emotional Management, Social Emotional Awareness, and Relationship Management scores were 23.94 ± 4.86, 24.56 ± 6.49, 27.75 ± 5.77 and 25.91 ± 6.46 respectively. Mean total Emotional Intelligence score including all domains was 102.16 ± 18.38. A weak positive correlation was established between EI and academic scores. CONCLUSIONSEI of medical students was directly associated with their academic scores.

An overview of corona virus disease 19 - COVID 19

A remerging infectious disease that has caught the entire world unaware. Coronavirus is an enveloped virus having non- segmented positive-sense RNA genome and belongs to the family Coronaviridae. Important modes of transmission are direct contact and respiratory droplets. Though the virus survives on environmental surfaces for varied period of time, it gets easily inactivated by chemical disinfectants .The major clinical features in uncomplicated cases include fever (88%), dry cough (67%), myalgia (14.9%) or fatigue (38%). In the absence of an effective treatment and vaccine, preventive measures like physical distancing, hand hygiene, following respiratory etiquettes & wearing mask assume great importance. Vigourous surveillance, contact tracing and containment can go a long way in controlling the spread of Covid 19.

Emotional intelligence of medical undergraduates: a cross sectional study

Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined as the ability to perceive, access and generate emotions. This in turn will assist thoughts to understand emotions and emotional meanings and thus reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote both better emotional and intellectual growth. EI is essential for a competent physician. The present study was conducted to know the EI of medical students.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at Government Medical College Nagpur among final year part 1 medical undergraduates. Data was collected with the help of pre tested, predesigned, self-administered proforma based on the “quick emotional intelligence self-assessment questionnaire”. Statistical analysis was done with epi info software and appropriate statistical tests were applied to prove the significance.Results: Of the total 197 study participants, 100 (50.76%) were female students and remaining 97 (49.24%) were male students. Mean score for EI was 102.16 With 95% confidence the population mean is between 99.6 and 105.Conclusions: Emotional intelligence for most of the study participants belonged to ‘consider strengthening’ category indicating good scores. Female medical undergraduates were more emotionally intelligent than male students.

Depression in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in a tertiary care hospital: a cross-sectional study

Background: Cancer is the second most common cause of death after heart diseases and it accounted for 8.8 million deaths worldwide in 2015. The long course of treatment, repeated hospitalisations, and the side effects of chemotherapy along with the trauma of being diagnosed with cancer has a significant effect on psyche of cancer patient. Depression is the most frequent cancer related symptom and 15-25% of cancer patients are affected by depression. The aim of this study is to determine the levels of depression in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.Methods: Present cross-sectional study was conducted amongst cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at Day Care Centre, Department of Radiation Therapy and Oncology, Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur. 95 participants were interviewed using predesigned and pretested questionnaire based on the Beck’s Depression Inventory.Results: Among the study subjects, 70 (73.69%) had depression of which 15 (21.42%) had borderline clinical depression, 44 (62.85%) had moderate depression and 11 (15.73%) had severe depression. None of the study subjects had extreme depression.Conclusions: Majority of the study subjects receiving chemotherapy were depressed

Characterization of low molecular weight antimicrobial peptide from human female reproductive tract.

Background & objectives: The mechanisms that protect female upper genital tract from ascending infection by microbes present in vagina are only partially understood. It is expected that epithelial cells in mucosal surfaces and their secretions directly interfere with microbial colonization and invasion. This study was aimed to demonstrate the expression of 2 kDa antimicrobial peptide which was identified and purified from female genital tract tissues using chromatographic techniques. Methods: Low molecular weight proteins were isolated from human female reproductive tract tissues obtained from premenopausal women. Antimicrobial activity of these LMW proteins was assessed against different reproductive tract pathogens viz., Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Group B streptococcus, Gardnerella vaginalis, Escherechia coli and Candida albicans. The expression of these peptides were also documented in reproductive tract tissues with the help of hyperimmune sera raised against the rabbits. The purified peptide was characterized by N-terminal sequencing. Results: Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence studies demonstrated that 2 kDa peptide was expressed in the stratified squamous epithelial cells of the ectocervix while it was absent in columnar epithelial cells of upper genital tract. Upregulation of the expression of this peptide was observed in patients of chronic non-specific cervicitis and acute on chronic cervicitis. This purified antimicrobial peptide also showed broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against different reproductive tract pathogens. Interpretation & conclusions: Considering the emerging bacterial resistance against conventional antibiotics, isolation and understanding of the expression of antimicrobial peptides from female reproductive tissue extracts may provide some leads towards the development of strategies for the treatment of reproductive tract infections.

Leptospirosis in northern India: a clinical and serological study.

A total of 400 serum samples collected from patients, clinically suspected of leptospirosis, were evaluated for antibodies by LEPTO dipstick and microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Twenty of these patients (5%) had serological evidence of leptospirosis. Leptospira interrogans serovars Autumnalis and Icterohaemorrhagiae, Canicola and Javanica were serogroups recorded serologically. Fever and jaundice were the most common clinical presentations. Male preponderance was seen in the leptospirosis cases. Outdoor activities, agricultural activities, contact with animals were significantly associated with seropositivity for Leptospira. This study highlights that leptospirosis is a significant health problem in northern India, though grossly under reported due to the absence of routine laboratory diagnostic facilities for this disease.