Implementation of stress coping skills programme in dental students’ curriculum to improve the validity of their assessment.

The key dictum to build reliability (and validity) for any assessment is to have multiple tests on multiple content areas by multiple examiners using multiple tools in multiple settings. Moreover, stress coping skills will have positive impact on all the domains which in turn give a boost to positive tendencies, viz., increasing their attentiveness in class, concentration, and learning and thereby reduce the altered performance due to stress. As a result, the CIV (noise in the assessment) is reduced and hence the validity of assessment is improved. Psychologist and Psychometricians are to be appointed in every institute.

Impact of gibberish meditation on students learning in a dental school.

Background: Gibberish meditational technique claims to reduce the stress and decrease unnecessary thought currents helping the practitioner to be relaxed and attentive. Aims & Objective: The aim of the present study was to know the effect of this technique, just prior to a learning session, on the student’s academic performance, perception and pulse rate. Material and Methods: 87 dental students were divided into two groups by systematic allocation. One group practiced Gibberish meditation technique and the other was control group. Both groups attended a one hour lecture as a part of their regular lecture series. Results: Results did not show any significant difference between the groups in academic performance, although meditation group scored higher. Significant number of students in gibberish group reported to be more attentive, comfortable, relaxed and had better memory and had significant reduction in mean pulse rate. Students expressed a feeling of relaxation and of having a fun filled learning atmosphere after meditation. Conclusion: This simple and easy technique of meditation could be adopted to enhance student learning.

Angiomatous leiomyoma of the urachus: a rare entity masquerading as extraluminal gastrointestinal stromal tumor

The urachus is a vestigial structure located between the dome of the bladder and the umbilicus, which results from the involution of the allantoic duct and the cloaca. Persistence of an embryonic urachal remnant can cause various problems during childhood and young adulthood. Urachal leiomyoma is a rare entity with very few cases being reported in literature. It can be misdiagnosed and confused with a wide spectrum of intra-abdominal or pelvic disorders. We hereby report a case of angiomatous leiomyoma originating from the urachal remnant in a 45-year-old lady, masquerading as extraluminal gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Understanding the embryological basis of these urachal disorders and their imaging features coupled with histopathological examination is crucial for the correct diagnosis and management. Pathological diagnosis is required to optimize the surgical approach and preclude unnecessary radical surgery.