Comparison of Changes in Speciality Choices and Future Career Plans between Public and Private Medical Students Over Five Years of Medical Studies.

This study aimed to compare medical students' satisfaction with their choice of the medical field in their fifth year to their first year of MBBS and to compare speciality choices and career plans between public and private medical students. It was an online survey conducted from December 2020 to April 2021. Two consecutive classes of final-year medical students from five medical schools (2 public and 3 private) were included. They were asked about their satisfaction with the medical profession, intentions to practice abroad, intended speciality, and career plans in the final year and the first year of medical school via a 24-item semi-structured pre-piloted questionnaire. Of 468 responses (34.41% response rate), 331 (70.7%) were females. There was a significant change (p = 0.002) in the intention of students to practice abroad, however, no significant change (p=0.11) in their satisfaction with the medical profession was observed. Key Words: Career choices, Medical students, Medical schools, Personal satisfaction, Pakistan.

Variation In Haematological Profile Of Pregnant Women Attending Combined Military Hospital Quetta.

BACKGROUND: World Health Organization recommends eight antenatal visits throughout pregnancy. Along with full blood count and fasting blood sugar tests, thirty-nine recommendations are given. The objective of this study was to find out significance of difference in haematological profile of pregnant women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study on 384 pregnant women attending outpatient department of combined military hospital Quetta, Pakistan, was conducted from 1st November 2017 to 28th February 2018. Simple random sampling technique through random number table was used. Data collected through structured questionnaire from participants and their laboratory reports was grouped trimester wise. Apart from descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey test was used to find out significant difference at p≤0.05. SPSS Version 20 and MS Excel 2007 were used for data analysis and plotting graphs. Principles of research ethics were exercised. RESULTS: Mean age (±SD) of the study participants was 27.5 (±4.8) years. Statistically significant difference was found for variables like haemoglobin, haematocrit and MCHC in different trimesters. Only 2 (0.5%) of the total participants had gestational diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSIONS: For getting normal reference ranges in our setting, large population-based studies are needed.