Medical Students' Perception of Their Education and Training to Cope with Future Market Trends.

Purpose: Medical studies is a very diverse field of education that seeks to prepare students for a rapidly evolving healthcare market. This study presents the findings of a survey about the perception of medical students about whether they receive training in professionalism and management skills and whether their education prepares them to face the evolving market trends. Methods: This was a qualitative study that used descriptive data obtained via an online survey conducted among medical students via WhatsApp. The sample included 500 students from 10 medical schools across the UK. The survey was divided into three parts: The first part contained questions related to professionalism and the training they received at the basic level. The second part contained questions about management and leadership training for the medical field and whether the students thought it was important for their future. The last part contained questions about whether the students thought that their level of education was competitive enough to ensure their survival in the face of future market trends. Results: Most students (77%) thought that training in leadership and management skills was necessary to prepare them for the future market, and 68% felt that they were not receiving satisfactory training in leadership and management skills. The students also felt that they need to be taught more about the market and its various changing features. Finally, the majority (62%) of the students felt that their courses did not focus on social and professional skills. Conclusion: The findings from the survey indicate that there is a clear need for courses on professionalism and management among medical students and that institutes need to keep up with these emerging needs in terms of training.

Occurrence of multidrug resistant (MDR) Campylobacterspecies isolated from retail chicken meats in Selangor, Malaysia and their associated risk factors

@#Aims:Campylobacter infection is one of the leading bacterial food-borne illness and most frequently reported in humans in developed countries. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of multidrug resistant (MDR) Campylobacterand the risk factors associated with their occurrence in broiler chicken meat retailed in markets. Methodology and results:A total of 210 samples consisting of 140 chicken meat and 70 swabs from weighing scales and cutting boards were collected. Isolates were cultured by passive filtration method, identified by biochemical tests and confirmed using PCR assay.Thirty-two(32/210) 15.2% were positive for Campylobacterof which (25/210) 11.9%, (6/210) 2.9% and (1/210) 0.5% were Campylobacter jejuni, C.coli andC.upsaliensis respectively. The isolates showed high resistance to ampicillin (62.5%), enrofloxacin (56.3%) and nalidixic acid (50.0%), while only 3.1% were resistant to streptomycin. Multidrug resistant isolates (resistance to at least one antibiotics in three classes or more) was high at 71.9%. The risk factors significantly (p<0.05) associated with Campylobactercontamination on chicken’smeat included poor workers hygiene {OR: 5.250 (95% CI: 0.988-27.895)}, wearing improper work attire {OR: 2.700 (95% CI: 1.144-6.374)}, poor protective equipment {OR 38.50 (95% CI: 2.915-508.463)}, poor environment/stall hygiene {OR 44.00 (95% CI: 2.193-882.66)}, and using tiled counter top surface {OR 6.667 (95% CI: 0.597-74.506). Conclusion, significance and impact of study:The finding of this study affirmed that lack or poor work hygiene, unclean environmental stall and protective equipment are associated with high occurrence of multidrug resistant Campylobacterspecies isolated from chicken meat

Antibiotic resistance profiles of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolated from dogs and cats

Aims: Antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is increasing gradually towards those antibiotics that are frequently used leading to limited therapeutic options due to multidrug resistance. The objectives of the study were to investigate the antibiotic resistance profiles of S. pseudintermedius isolates from pet and stray dogs and cats in Selangor, Malaysia and to detect the resistance genes (mecA and BlaZ) within the isolates. Methodology and results: A total of 200 stray and pet dogs and cats were sampled. The samples were cultured onto Mannitol Salt agar and all the presumptive colonies were subcultured, then identified using biochemical tests and confirmed by PCR assay targeting the nuc gene. The isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility test against 12 antibiotics. Twenty three isolates (11.5%) were positive to S. pseudintermedius (stray cats, 11/50; stray dogs, 9/50; pet dogs, 3/50 and pet cats, 0/50). One hundred percent (100%) of the S. pseudintermedius isolates were found to be resistant to penicillin, erythromycin and tetracycline while they showed 100% susceptible to oxacillin, amoxicillinclavulanic acid, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, cephalexin and rifampicin. The blaZ gene which codes for β-lactamases production was found in all of the isolates that were resistant to penicillin but not to methicillin. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: A high number of S. pseudintermedius from dogs and cats developed antibiotic resistance which is a public health concern.