approach for developing integrated undergraduate medical curriculum

Background and Objectives: Medical schools are to develop integrated medical curricula because the term ''integrated curriculum'' has grown up and flourished globally and it has become mandatory to align the medical education with the global concept in Pakistan. This paper aims to present a guideline to design an undergraduate integrated medical curriculum

Methods: Various themes are used to develop integrated curriculum which are basic medical science, simulation skills, clinical science, personality development, research, entrepreneurship and pre specialization. Each theme is subdivided, termed a module and its contents primarily focus on particular aspect

Results: Knowledge, skill and attitude, embodied in themes or modules, are planted in specific way that they have horizontal as well as vertical integration. There is no boundary of various traditional disciplines in template of five year curriculum. For example, diagnosis is a theme which carries contents from medicine, surgery, orthopedics etc

Conclusion: The blueprint introduced in this paper would help medical educators to draft integrated medical curricula for those institutions which intend to switch their medical programs from traditional to integrated one

Standing out with Professionalism: How do Students and Faculty of two different Medical Schools perceive it?

Background and Objectives: Medical professionalism is an essential aspect of medical education and practice worldwide. Our objective was to explore and compare the perception as recommended sanctions about professionalism lapses, using the [Dundee Polyprofessionalism Inventory I: Academic /ntegrity], among the faculty and the students' of two different medical schools in Saudi Arabia

Methods: Respondents from the two medical schools in Saudi Arabia, recommended sanctions for the first time, absolute lapses in academic professionalism were determined by using the "Dundee Polyprofessionalism Inventory 1: Academic Integrity"

Results: On comparing the faculty and students' responses [from College of Medicine, King Saud University] with the published data [from another, unidentified medical school in Saudi Arabia] we found alignments in recommending sanctions for 14 [46.66%] behaviours among faculty and again concerning thel 1[36.66%] behaviours among the students of both cohorts

Conclusion: The results can be used to emphasise on the improved teaching and learning strategies in undergraduate medical students' understanding of professionalism

Similarities and variances in perception of professionalism among Saudi and Egyptian Medical Students

Background and Objective: Professionalism has a number of culturally specific elements, therefore, it is imperative to identify areas of congruence and variations in the behaviors in which professionalism is understood in different countries. This study aimed to explore and compare the recommendation of sanctions by medical students of College of Medicine, King Saud University [KSU], Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and students from three medical colleges in Egypt

Methods: The responses were recorded using an anonymous, self-administered survey "Dundee Polyprofessionalism Inventory I: Academic Integrity". In the study 750 medical students of College of Medicine, KSU, Riyadh were invited and a questionnaire was electronically sent. They rated the importance of professionalism lapses by choosing from a hierarchical menu of sanctions for first time lapses with no justifying circumstances. These responses were compared with published data from 219 students from three medical schools in Egypt

Results: We found variance for 23 [76.66%] behaviors such as "physically assaulting a university employee or student" and "plagiarizing work from a fellow student or publications/internet". We also found similarities for 7 [23.33%] behaviors including "lack of punctuality for classes" and drinking alcohol over lunch and interviewing a patient in the afternoon", when comparing the median recommended sanctions from medical students in Saudi Arabia and Egypt

Conclusion: There are more variances than congruence regarding perceptions of professionalism between the two cohorts. The students at KSU were also found to recommend the sanction of "ignore" for a behavior, a response, which otherwise was absent from Egyptian cohort

Why does mentoring matter?

Objective: This article is an in depth approach to formulate a reliable and valid answer for this important question, "What Actually Mentoring is and Does it Really Matter"?

Design: Author reviewed literature to have in depth and updated knowledge about Mentoring, focusing on arguments that are in favor and against its application worldwide, especially in medical education

Discussion: It's a relationship that involves interaction between two people [mentor and mentee] normally working in a similar field or sharing similar experiences. Significant benefits are associated with mentorship. Effective mentorship is crucial to career success in academic medicine.[14-18]

Conclusion: It's recommended that in the light of the apparent and proven important benefits that have been achieved and well appreciated, academic medical leadership should pay particular attention to mentoring of medical students, medical staff, clinician-educators, research track faculty, and senior faculty