Perception of Malaysian Undergraduate Medical Students Regarding Soft Skills: A Qualitative Study

@#Introduction: The cognitive and psychomotor abilities needed by physicians are widely addressed in the undergraduate medical curriculum; however, the attitude (affective domain) is rarely addressed. Soft skills refer to a person’s ability to communicate efficiently, collaborate, and have various personality traits that define people’s interactions. This study aimed to determine the perception of undergraduate medical students on soft skills. Methods: A total of twenty-four undergraduate medical students from our institution participated in this study. The students attended a one-hour lecture session about soft skills conducted by a clinician. Within a week of the lecture, we held four focus group discussions (FGDs). Each focus group consisted of six students. This qualitative study’s sample selection process was by the convenience sampling technique until participant numbers reached data saturation. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the transcripts of the FGDs. Results: Thirteen (54.1%) students had prior knowledge limited to some attributes of soft skills during high school and via community service. Introduction to soft skills specifically occurred to 18 (75.0%) students after joining the medical college. Ten (41.6%) students opined that empathy is the most essential, whereas nine (37.5%), four (16.6%), one (4.1%) mentioned that communication skills, teamwork, and time management, respectively, are essential soft skills for physicians. Conclusion: All undergraduate medical students (100%) enrolled in this study mentioned that soft skills are essential for physicians. Therefore, soft skills training must become an integral part of the undergraduate medical curriculum rather than merely a component of the hidden curriculum.

Problematic Mobile Phone Use Among Undergraduate Medical Students and Its Impact on Sleep Quality and Sleep Pattern

@#Introduction: Sleep deprivation is a concern in young adults and the use of mobile phone is very common in this population. This study aimed to measure and correlate the sleep quality, pattern of sleep and problematic mobile phone use in young medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Problematic Mobile Phone Use Scale (PMPUS) and Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) among medical students in a Malaysian medical college. Correlation among the variables was done using bi-variate analysis followed by Pearson correlation coefficient and 2-tailed significance. A level for p ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: We found significant positive correlation between poor sleep quality and total problematic mobile phone use as well as its sub dimensions, namely deprivation, adverse outcomes and control disorder. PSQI score showed significant negative correlation with different patterns of MEQ like moderate evening, late sleepers, moderate morning and early risers. Positive correlation of the PSQI with sub dimension of PMPUS reflects unhealthy dependency on mobile phone in this population. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the unhealthy use of mobile phone adversely affected sleep quality in the cohort of young medical students. It is thus important for medical schools to formulate policies and create educational programs vis-a-vis sleep health and to increase awareness regarding controlled mobile phone usage.

Standard setting of objective structured practical examination by modified Angoff method: A pilot study.

Background.The undergraduate curriculum at our institution is divided system-wise into four blocks, each block ending with theory and objective structured practical examination (OSPE). The OSPE in Physiology consists of 12 stations, and a conventional minimum score to qualify is 50%. We aimed to incorporate standard setting using the modified Angoff method in OSPE to differentiate the competent from the non-competent student and to explore the possibility of introducing standard setting in Physiology OSPE at our institution. Methods. Experts rated the OSPE using the modified Angoff method to obtain the standard set cut-off in two of the four blocks. We assessed the OSPE marks of 110 first year medical students. Chi-square test was used to compare the number of students who scored less than standard set cut-off and conventional cut-off; correlation coefficient was used to assess the relation between OSPE and theory marks in both blocks. Feedback was obtained from the experts. Results. The standard set was 62% and 67% for blocks II and III, respectively. The use of standard set cut-off resulted in 16.3% (n=18) and 22.7% (n=25) students being declared unsuccessful in blocks II and III, respectively. Comparison between the number, who scored less than standard set and conventional cut-off was statistically significant (p=0.001). The correlation coefficient was 0.65 (p=0.003) and 0.52 (p<0.001) in blocks II and III, respectively. The experts welcomed the idea of standard setting. Conclusion. Standard setting helped in differentiating the competent from the non-competent student, indicating that standard setting enhances the quality of OSPE as an assessment tool. Natl Med J India 2016;29:160–2

Evaluation of antibacterial activity, phenol and flavonoid contacts of thespesia populnea flower extracts

Flavonoids which were reported as having many pharmacological activities, antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, chemoprevention activities and they possess strong antiproliferative effects related to inhibition of cell cycle progression and apoptosis induction. On the basis of this Thespesia populnea [L.] Sol. Ex Correa [Family-Malvaceae] was selected and it is having the major composition of flavonoids and the antibacterial activity of methanolic extract of Thespesia populnea flowers was investigated by agar well diffusion method. Furthermore our phytochemical studies indicated that methanolic extract of Thespesia populnea flowers contains flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins and anthroquinone glycosides. Moreover the individual components were identified by thin layer chromatography and Rf value was compared with standard flavonoid quercetin. The total phenolic and flavonoid content studies were also quantified. The bacteria used for antibacterial study were Shigella flexneri [NCIM 4924], Rhodococcus terrae [NCIM 5126], Escherichiae coli [ATCC 11775], Streptococcus faecalis [NCIB 2406], Klebsiella pneumoniae [ATCC 13883],Brevibacterium luteum [NCIM 2923], Micrococcus flavum [NCIM 2376], Proteus mirabilis [NCIB 8268], Bacillus licheniformis [NCIM 2468], Micrococcus luteus [ATCC 2984], Flavobacterium devorans [NCIM 2581], Shigella sonei[ATCC 29930], Shigella boydii [ATCC 8700] and Shigella dysentriae [ATCC 13313].According to our results in the lowest tested concentration of 62.5microg/ml and 125microg/ml 7.2% of the plant extract were active, 5% active in the concentration of 250microg/ml, 75.7% active in the concentration of 500microg/ml and 92.8% active at the concentration of 1000microg/ml in a dose dependent manner

Observations on life cycle of certain spiders from Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu.

Survey was conducted, in the different forests ecosystems of Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu in Nilgris, Coimbatore, Erode, Virudhunagar and Tirunelveli districts to collect the adult spiders and study them taxonomically. Fifty-six species of spider collections were made. From the fifty six, biology was studied for six spider species, such as Micrommata virescens n.sp., Oxyopes javanus, Peucetia virridana, Agelena kariansholensis n.sp., Heteropoda venatoria and Olios hampsoni. Biology studies with Peucetia virridana and Micrommata virescens showed that both species took more than 350 days to complete their life cycles. Heteropoda venetoria and Oxyopes javanus took more than 250 days to complete their life cycle. Agelena kariansholensis took 381 days and Olios hampsoni took 345 days to complete their life cycles. 30% of Peucetia virridana and more than 20% of Heteropoda venatoria and Micrommata virescens and 7% of Oxyopes javanus developed into adults in captivity.