RESUMEN
To evaluate the effectiveness of small group teaching [SGT] in improving the undergraduate medical students' knowledge and skills. This study took place at the College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madina, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between September 2011 and September 2012. Small group teaching was applied by the surgery department. In this prospective study, fifth year students were divided into groups of 8 students, and teaching strategies of SGT were applied. The marks in the clinical examinations of long case and objective structured clinical examination [OSCE] of the students with a traditional teaching cohort of 2010-2011 were compared to a SGT cohort of 2011- 2012. Data were analyzed by comparing the means, standard error, and standard deviation. One hundred and sixty-four students were incorporated, 82 students for each year [41 males and 41 females] in each group. The analysis showed a statistical significant difference in marks obtained by male and female students of both cohorts [p=0.000]. In the 2011-2012 group, male students' mean score was 43.1 +/- 2.99 which was higher than the 2010-2011 male students' [mean +/- SD: 38.7 +/- 2.81; p=0.000]. Similarly, the 2011-2012 female students attained a higher mean score than those in the 2010-2011 [39.8 +/- 4.0 and 35.6 +/- 3.88] [p=0.000]. Small group teaching is a valuable strategy in enhancing students' performance in the clinical settings. Small group teaching can be applied to other clinical disciplines of the medical curriculum for production of safe and clinically competent graduates
RESUMEN
To present the incidence and spectrum of anorectal malformations [ARMs] and associated anomalies, and to compare the findings with published literature. This is a retrospective study conducted during the period January 2011 to December 2011. We reviewed the medical charts of all cases with ARMs admitted to Al-Madinah Maternity and Children Hospital, Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during 1998-2010. The incidence and spectrum of ARMs, associated regional anomalies, and those with a positive family history of ARMs were identified. The 95% confidence interval and Chi square trend test were used to quantify the significance of variation in annual incidence. One hundred and eighty-eight cases of ARMs were detected from 189,145 live births with an incidence of approximately 1/1000 live births with a male-to-female ratio of 1.9:1. The incidence showed yearly stability [p=0.3509]. The most common ARMs was perineal fistula [32.9%]. There was a statistically significant gender difference [p=0.000]. The most common in boys was rectourethral fistula [47.2%] and in girls was vestibular fistula [46.2%]. Isolated non-familial ARMs was found in 106 [56.3%], isolated familial 9 [4.7%], and associated ARMs in 73 [38.8%] cases. In terms of associated anomalies, genitourinary [34%], and cardiovascular [19.2%] systems reported a high incidence. The incidence of ARMs in Madinah Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is higher than the reported data. Isolated ARMs was more common than the associated category, and the familial one was rarely reported