Interns' perceptions on medical ethics education and ethical issues at the Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine in Turkey.

AIM: In Turkey and its neighboring countries, few studies have investigated medical students' reactions to ethics education and ethical issues they encounter. The aim of this study was to investigate interns' perceptions of medical ethics education and ethical issues. BACKGROUND: In students' first three years at the Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine, various teaching methods are used in ethics education, including problem-based learning, interactive lectures and movies. During the clinical years, the curriculum helps students consider the ethical dimension of their clinical work, and during the internship period a discussion on ethical issues is held. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were collected through a questionnaire distributed to interns in the 2005-2006 academic year. Its questions asked about interns' perceived adequacy of their ethics education, any interpersonal ethical problems they had witnessed, their approaches to ethical problems, obstacles they believe prevented them from resolving ethical problems and whether they felt themselves ready to deal with ethical problems. 67.2 % of interns were reached and all of them responded. RESULTS: In the assessment of the adequacy of ethics education, the most favorable score was given to educators. Students' most often mentioned ethical problems encountered were between physicians and students and between physicians and patients. Interns believed that difficult personalities on the team and team hierarchy were important obstacles to resolving ethical problems. There were significant differences between the approaches students currently used in dealing with ethical problems and how they anticipated they would approach these problems in their future professional lives. CONCLUSION: We obtained information about students' perceptions about ethics education and ethical problems which helped us to plan other educational activities. This study may assist other medical schools in preparing an ethics curriculum or help evaluate an existing curriculum.

A histochemical investigation of different distribution of TSH cells in adenohypophsis of female and male rats.

The aim of the present study was to investigate histochemically the localization of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) cells and the number of TSH cells in adenohypophysis of ovariectomized adult females, intact females at estrous and diestrous phase of sexual cycles and castrated and non-castrated adult male rats. TSH cells, distributed throughout the pars distalis in all groups, were observed more frequent in areas near to the pars intermedia than other regions. The cells were round, ovoid, stellar-shaped and had contacts with sinusoids. Their nuclei were large and round-shaped. The cells were found mostly single or occasionally in groups of double and triple. The number of TSH cells was higher in estrous than diestrous phase in intact rats. In adenohypophysis of ovariectomized rats, their numbers were less than that of intacts in estrous, but higher than that of found in diestrous phases. Furthermore, the numbers of TSH cells in intact females during estrous phase was higher than those found in intact and castrated male rats. On the other hand, castration reduced the number of TSH cells while ovariectomy had no effect in this respect.

Comparison of leptin levels in serum and follicular fluid during the oestrous cycle in cows.

Leptin is mainly synthesised in white adipose tissue. Besides its effects on body weight and metabolic homeostasis, leptin also has effects on puberty, sexual maturation and reproduction. In this study the relationship between leptin, IGF-1, oestradiol (E2) and progesterone levels were investigated in serum and follicular fluid from cows. This study included 72 healthy, Brown Swiss cows aged 4-5 years. Samples from the jugular vein and follicular fluids were collected. Phases of the oestrus cycle of cows were classified according to their serum progesterone levels (< 3.18 nmol/l, follicular phase and the others as luteal phase). Follicles were grouped as large (> or = 8 mm) or small (< 8 mm). Leptin, IGF-1, oestradiol and progesterone levels were measured from serum and follicular fluid. Leptin concentrations were found to be significantly higher in luteal-phase follicular fluid of small follicles (P < 0.05). These were classified as atretic follicles. There was a positive correlation between serum and follicular fluid leptin levels in the luteal phase. Serum leptin was found to have a positive correlation with follicular fluid progesterone level (P = 0.01) in the preovulatory follicles. The present study shows that there is a relationship between the concentration of leptin in follicular fluid and atresia in small follicles.

First graduates' perceptions on a problem-based and task-based learning curriculum.

INTRODUCTION: Determination of graduates' perceptions and suggestions is essential in the evaluation of educational programmes. Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine (DEUSM), the country's first medical school implementing a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Task-Based Learning (TBL) programme, graduated the first students of its new educational programme starting from the 2002-2003 academic year. The aim of the present study is to determine first graduates' perceptions on their self-efficacy and school's educational programme's efficacy. METHODS: In June 2003, 51 graduating students were asked to use five-point scales to evaluate: the content of the educational programme, the educational methods, communication with educators, assessment methods and instruments, the efficacy of each year of their undergraduate programme and the overall program, their satisfaction levels about educational programme regarding the acquisition of knowledge and skills, their self-efficacy and contentment level of being a physician. RESULTS: In the content of educational programme, the highest score was attributed to "acquisition of behavioural objectives" and the lowest score to "acquisition of basic science knowledge". Regarding the efficacy of educational programme, the highest score was attributed to "communication with educators". The highest scores regarding the satisfaction levels on the acquisition of knowledge and skills provided by the School were attributed to "implementing basic professional procedures" and "history taking" and the lowest score to "selecting appropriate treatment". CONCLUSION: The graduating students' mainly positive evaluations regarding the efficacy of DEUSM's new educational programme were considered as supportive reflections on the new educational programme. Further studies to monitor our graduates' future professional performances are being envisaged.