Channelizing the Existing Perceptions of Medical Students Towards Reflective Learning: ANew Insight

Introduction: Reflection is an important component of medical education promoting deeper learning. It createsresponsibility among medical students for their own learning. The aim of the present study is to gain insightsinto their existing perceptions on the concept of reflection in terms of attitudes and practices. Channelizingsuch perceptions helps in transformative learning to apply in similar situations in future. Methodology: Atotal of 76 first year MBBS students both male and female were included in study. Two questionnaires wereadministered with an interval of one week with priming, to channelize their outlook towards reflective learning.Questionnaire I was used for quick assessment of existing attitudes towards learning and need- orientedpractices. Questionnaire II was developed to assess changes in their attitudes on reflective learning and goaloriented practices after priming. Results: The responses showed a shift in the perceptions on attitudes andreflective learning practices from rather naive to a more mature type. Discussion: Priming indeed had animportant role in enabling students to express their true behavior and help channelize their reflective habits.These differences in the responses were further explained on the lines of defense mechanisms probablyoperating at different levels in the minds of the students. Conclusion: Including reflective practices routinelyin the curriculum would help students learn, remember and perform better as future health care professionalsand also inculcate the habit of lifelong learning.

Study of Somato Sensory Evoked Potentials in Braille Reading Congenitally Blind Individuals.

Cortical pathways for perception of sensory input are believed to be modulated by signals from other modalities. It is responsible for the fine tuning of the ability to perceive in the absence of a particular sense. In blind individuals associative visual areas of occipital cortex are polymodal in nature involved in processing of somatosensory and auditory signals in the absence of visual stimuli. Objectives – To study and compare the somatosensory evoked individuals in congenitally blind individuals. Materials & Methods – Ten Visually challenged females in the age group of 18-30 yrs were included in the study along with ten age & sex matched individuals. Somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded on Nicolet Viking select neurodiagnostic system version 10.0 using 3-channel with normal averaging technique. Conclusions – In congenitally blind individuals, the latency of N20 and P25 are shortened indicating faster conduction along the involved neural tracts & amplitude of N20 & P25 are increased which indicates greater somatosensory cortical activity.

Assessment Of Hemostatic Condition In Patients After Surgical Trauma.

Hemostatic system is designed to maintain blood in a fluid state yet provide important defenses against bleeding when injury occurs to the vessel. During surgery, patients are exposed to hemostatic stress causing complications of either hypercoagulability or hemorrhage. The goal of the present study was to describe the clotting changes in patients who underwent major surgeries especially procoagulant mechanisms. Methods : 30 patients belonging to both sexes who were undergoing surgery for various reasons were included in the study. Tests to assess the integrity of hemostatic system were conducted. Results: Analysed and expressed in mean and SD. There was a significant (p<0.05) difference in the hemostatic parameters like bleeding time, clotting time, thrombin time, platelet count and fibrinogen concentration between the preoperative and postoperative periods.

Prediabetes in South Indian rural adolescent school students.

Prediabetes is a condition with blood glucose levels higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Most people with prediabetes are asymptomatic but are considered to be at a high risk of developing heart disease and stroke. 140 students of both sexes between ages 14-18 years were given a predesigned questionnaire to obtain information on socio-economic status and family history of Diabetes mellitus. A fasting plasma glucose level was measured and 6.8% of students were in the prediabetic range (>100 mg/dl). No significant correlation was found between fasting plasma glucose and Body Mass Index or waist to hip ratio. 41.5% of the boys and 10.3% of the girls had a family history of DM but were in euglycemic range. It is beneficial to identify people with prediabetes so that appropriate lifestyle modification may be done to prevent or postpone onset of Diabetes mellitus.