Problem based learning: are our entry level medical students ready

Objectives: To assess the self-directed learning readiness of entry level medical students in public and private medical colleges of Faisalabad

Study Design: Cross sectional study

Place and Duration of Study: All three Medical colleges of Faisalabad [One public and two private] during March, 2010

Methodology: A questionnaire based on 58 items Guglielmino scale for self-directed learning readiness was distributed to Year I students of Medical Colleges in Faisalabad. The forms contained a demographic data portion at the end. The questionnaires were distributed at the end of regular lecture and completed by students in 30 minutes. Incomplete questionnaires were excluded from the analysis

Data Analysis: Analyzed by using statistical software SPSS version 15

Results: Out of received 307 questionnaires 220 contained complete fields. These included 150[50% of the class] students from Punjab Medical College [PMC], 43 [43% of the class] from University Medical College [UMC] and 27[54% of the class] from Independent Medical College [IMC]. The mean score at Guglielmino scale was 203. While there was no statistical difference in the mean scores of the colleges [PMC=205, UMC=208, IMC=196] the score was in Category -Average? for PMC and UMC and -Below Average? for IMC as described in -Guglielmino scale?. There were 16 out of 58 items which showed significant statistical difference among colleges

Conclusion: The self-directed learning readiness of entry level medical students as assessed by Guglielmino scale is shown to be borderline. This factor needs consideration before adoption of the problem based learning. Addition of a component for enhancement of this skill appears to be required in the reformed curriculum of undergraduate medical education for maximizing learning

Pharmacokinetics of cloxacillin in humans

Urinary excretion data were obtained after oral administration of a single dose of 250 mg of Cloxacillin in six healthy young men volunteers. The excretion rate data were fitted to single and two compartment open models and the pharmacokinetic parameters were determined. The drug showed a rapid absorption and fast distribution. The time of appearance of peak renal excretion was 45 minutes in all the volunteers. The biological half-life [47 +/- 3.6 min] and total renal recovery [31.43 +/- 2.5%] was in good agreement with the reported values. Although both the single and two compartments model fitting was not possible. One compartment model was found to be more suited as the generated data through this model bears close resemblance with the experimental data