Influencing Factors of Future Specialty Choice for Undergraduate Medical Students: An Updated Experience from the UAE.

Background Medical students' career choices determine the prospects of the future medical workforce, thus influencing the delivery of medical care. This study aims to identify and provide information about factors affecting the selection of future specialties among medical students. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on students in both preclerkship and clerkship phases at a single institution in the United Arab Emirates. A self-administered questionnaire included questions about demographic data, most preferred specialties, and influential factors. The influential factors were measured using a Likert scale. Results Surgery and internal medicine were the most desired specialties, respectively. Gender has a significant role in influencing career choice. There was no association between preclerkship and clerkship students' career choices. The most influential factors were seeing good treatment outcomes and having abilities for the specialty. Conclusions Surgery and internal medicine were the most preferred specialties, even though significant gender differences existed in specialty choices among these students.

Perinatal risk factors for development of retinopathy of prematurity in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasoproliferative disorder that is one of the main preventable causes of blindness among preterm neonates. This study aimed to determine the incidence of ROP and investigate the relationship between perinatal risk factors and ROP development. METHODS: This retrospective, non-interventional, non-comparative, hospital-based study was conducted at a tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit. A total of 163 consecutive patients who met the inclusion criteria were recruited in this study. RESULTS: ROP prevalence was 0.01. During the study period, 44 patients developed ROP (27%), and 119 (73%) did not. Stage I ROP was detected in 8 patients (4.9%); stage II ROP without plus-disease in 26 patients (16%); stage II disease with comorbidities in 1 patient (0.6%); and stage III disease in 9 patients (5.5%). None of the patients showed stage IV and V disease. The mean gestational age was 27.7 ± 2.08 weeks in babies who had ROP and 29.59 ± 1.80 weeks in the other group. Neonates with ROP required more frequent blood transfusion (average, 4.89 ± 3.164 transfusions) compared to their counterparts who received an average of 1.19 ± 1.733 transfusions. Intracranial haemorrhage was identified in 55 (33.7%) patients, of whom 14.1% had ROP. Moreover, neonatal seizures occurred in 23 (14.11%) babies and were more common among babies who had ROP (n = 14). CONCLUSION: This study identified key factors associated with ROP, such as intracranial haemorrhage with or without neonatal seizures and a high frequency of blood transfusions.

Team-based learning in an undergraduate pathology curriculum and its effects on student performance.

OBJECTIVES: Team-based learning (TBL) is a student-centered learning modality in which high and low achievers are organized in groups where students learn from each other at their own pace. The purpose of this study was to explore the correlations between TBL scores and final examination scores and student perceptions of a TBL system. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample obtained using quota sampling of a population of second-year students enrolled in the College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to collect data on the students' perceptions and opinions, TBL scores, and final examination scores. The data were processed and analyzed using SPSS Version 22. RESULTS: A sample of 101 students participated in the study. The Team Readiness Assurance Test scores were consistently higher than the mean Individual Readiness Assurance Test (IRAT) scores. The results found a statistically significant correlation between the IRAT and the final examination scores (r = 0.46, p < 0.001). About 57% of the sample agreed that TBL increased the understanding of course content, 45% reported that TBL was a useful learning activity, and 67% indicated that TBL enhanced interpersonal and communication skills. CONCLUSION: The findings imply that TBL is an effective tool to facilitate inter-professional and team-based learning outcomes. Collaborations among TBL group members help learners to develop communication and interpersonal skills and to gain knowledge.