Mentoring for first year medical students: humanising medical education.

New entrants are vulnerable to the challenges of the medical course; mentoring programmes are known to offer support. This paper evaluated the experiences of students and faculty enrolled in a new mentoring programme. After needs analysis of students and faculty, a small-group mentoring programme for new medical students was initiated.

Masters theses from a university medical college: Publication in indexed scientific journals.

Background: The thesis is an integral part of postgraduate medical education in India. Publication of the results of the thesis in an indexed journal is desirable; it validates the research and makes results available to researchers worldwide. Aims: To determine publication rates in indexed journals, of works derived from theses, and factors affecting publication. Settings and Design: Postgraduate theses submitted over a five-year period (2001-05) in a university medical college were analyzed in a retrospective, observational study. Materials and Methods: Data retrieved included name and gender of postgraduate student, names, department and hierarchy of supervisor and co-supervisor(s), year submitted, study design, sample size, and statistically significant difference between groups. To determine subsequent publication in an indexed journal, Medline search was performed up to December 2007. Statistical Analysis: Chi square test was used to compare publication rates based on categorical variables; Student's t-test was used to compare differences based on continuous variables. Results: One hundred and sixty theses were retrieved, forty-eight (30%) were published. Papers were published 8-74 (33.7 ± 17.33) months after thesis submission; the postgraduate student was first author in papers from 26 (54%) of the published theses. Gender of the student, department of origin, year of thesis submission, hierarchy of the supervisor, number and department of co-supervisors, and thesis characteristics did not influence publication rates. Conclusions: Rate of publication in indexed journals, of papers derived from postgraduate theses is 30%. In this study we were unable to identify factors that promote publication.

Tissue reaction patterns in respiratory infections: a practical approach to a cytological diagnosis.

Infection of the respiratory tract, particularly indolent and chronic disease can be a diagnostic dilemma. Infections associated with immunosuppressive states often require an accurate early diagnosis because it impacts outcome. A wide variety of specimens, such as, sputum, bronchoalveolar lavarge (BAL), transthoracic or transbronchial fine needle aspiration (FNA) can be employed. Cytopathology is diagnostic when the causative organism can be identified failing which, direction can be given to further investigation by examination of the tissue reaction patterns. Three types of reactions seen in lung infections act as clues to the diagnosis: (a) necrosis, (b) inflammatory reactions, and (c) epithelial changes with little inflammation. Identification of tissue reaction types limits the diagnostic possibilities and facilitates the diagnostic process.