Medical education across three colleges of medicine: perspectives of medical students

AimThis study aimed to explore and evaluate various components of the medical education process (lectures, labs, small-group discussions, clinical rotations, and undergraduate research) in three colleges of medicine in Jordan. MethodsThis cross-sectional questionnaire-based study included 849 undergraduate students from three main medical colleges in Jordan. Statically valid responses were considered for 684 students. The participants were from Jordan University of Science and Technology, Yarmouk University, and the University of Jordan. ResultsThe distribution of students according to their admission status was 276 (40%) regular, 266 (38.9%) parallel, and 142 (20.8%) international programs. Personal interest and self-initiation were the major motives for studying medicine in 66.1%. Regarding the frequency of attending classes, University of Jordan students reported the highest rate of regular classes' attendance (93%). The study also reported that lecture notes and textbooks were the main sources of learning for medical students. The study also reported superior academic performance of students in the regular program compared to students in the parallel and international programs. Participants of the study criticized the medical curricula in the three colleges mentioned above because of the lack of active research programs. Most of the students (40%–56%) also complained that the lectures within the modules were not well-integrated, and they felt that the academic environment was moderate (48–59%). In addition, most students in the clinical phase complained of overcrowding in hospital wards during clinical rotation. ConclusionsBased on students' feedback, multiple aspects of the medical education process require substantial reform to meet the expectations of medical students in Jordan.This study was supported by the Deanship of Research at JUST (2015/513). Dr. Ayman Mustafa is currently at leave from JUST. Open access funding provided by the Qatar National Library

Functional aspects of nitric oxide synthases in skeletal muscle

This thesis addresses the expression, regulation, and functional aspects of NOS in normal and developing skeletal muscles, and their role in contractile dysfunction of respiratory muscles associated with septic shock. Normal skeletal muscles of mammalian species express only ecNOS and nNOS to varying degrees. NOS activity in these muscles is mainly Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent and it associates with fast-twitch muscle fibers in rat and mice, but no such correlation exists in other species. Therefore, NOS activity is not the only factor that specifies contractility of skeletal muscles. In developing skeletal muscles, there is a transient increase in NOS Ca2+-dependent activity and the expressions of cNOS isoforms are upregulated. This coincides with skeletal muscle differentiation and maturation. Despite the negative influence of NOS activity on skeletal muscle contractility, little inhibition is observed on force generated by the developing diaphragm. Therefore, NO may regulate other processes than contraction in developing skeletal muscles. The in-vivo induction of iNOS protein and mRNA in skeletal muscles of septic rat is matched by a parallel induction in GTP-cyclohydrolase-I, the rate-limiting enzyme for BH4 biosynthesis. NOS Ca2+ -independent activity increases several fold mainly in the respiratory muscles. In addition, the expressions of cNOS enzymes are upregulated in septic rat muscles. During 24 hrs of endotoxemia of rats, iNOS is induced by 6 hrs, peak by 12 hrs and disappear by 24 hrs after LPS injection. nNOS and ecNOS expression is upregulated by 6 hrs and remained higher than control values after 24 hrs of LPS injection. The regulation of NOS isoforms is matched by an increase in total and Ca2+/calmodulin-independent NOS activity. Furthermore, peroxynitrite was detected in septic respiratory muscles, and nitrated proteins were detected in these muscles 12 hrs after LPS injection. Submaximal force generated by diaphragm strips was significantly inhibi

Neuronal Cell Types in the Spinal Trigeminal Nucleus of the Camel Brain.

Neurons in the spinal trigeminal nucleus of a camel were morphologically studied by the Golgi impregnation method. The neurons were classified based on the size and shape of their cell bodies, the density of their dendritic trees, and the morphology and distribution of their appendages. At least 12 morphological types of neurons were found in the camel spinal trigeminal nucleus, including the following: stalked, islets, octopus-like, lobulated, boat-like, pyramidal, multipolar, round, oval, and elongated neurons. These neurons exhibited large numbers of various forms of appendages that arise not only from their dendrites but also from their cell bodies. Moreover, neurons with unique large dilatations especially at their dendritic branching points were also reported. The neurons reported in this study displayed an array of different sizes and shapes and featured various forms of appendages arising from cell bodies and dendrites. Such morphologically distinctive neuronal cell types might indicate an evolutionary adaptation to pain and temperature processing pathways at the level of the spinal trigeminal nucleus in camels, which traditionally live in a very harsh climatic environment and are frequently exposed to painful stimuli.This project was funded by Deanship of Research at the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST). Open Access funding is supported by Qatar University and Qatar National Library