The Vague Position of the Dissertations in the Curriculum of the General Medical Doctorate Course

Although in the general medical doctoral training program approved by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in 2017, one of the professional duties of the graduates of this field is to participate in all educational and research activities approved by the competent authorities. However, in the main competencies and skills expected by the graduates of this field, there is no reference to research competencies (1). In this program, there are 293 credits, of which six are related to the dissertation. The study of this program shows that only the courses "Research Methods and Evidence-Based Medicine", "Medical Statistics", and "Principles of Epidemiology" are about how to conduct research, search for articles, basic principles of vital statistics, and types of studies (1). It is suggested that the following issues be considered before the next review of this program – Cont

Slides with English text that are explained in Persian

The common pattern of presentation in the Iranian medical community is lengthy English text in slides that are presented orally in Farsi, both in conferences and classrooms. In this paper, we aim to further explore this phenomenon based on a theory in the domain of cognitive science named the cognitive load theory (CLT). According to Atkinson and Shiffrin's model introduced in 1968, human memory consists of three parts: sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory. Information first enters the sensory memory, and if received adequate attention and reaches the level of consciousness, it enters the working memory, which, unlike the other two memories, i.e, sensory and long-term memory, has a limited capacity (1). Interestingly, working memory has two separate and independent channels for processing visual and auditory information with a limited and predetermined capacity (dual-channel theory). As a result, the speed of learning in humans restricts (2). In 1988, Sweller proposed a theory of learning called the CLT, in which the three key components of the cognitive structure, i.e. memory systems, learning processes, and types of the cognitive load imposed on the working memory, were merged. According to this theory, because of the limited capacity of the working memory, any factor that imposes an excessive load on this memory will disrupt the learning process (2). Here three types of loads are introduced: 1. Intrinsic load is related to the task. The more complex the information that must be processed by the working memory, the greater the load imposes. – Cont

The Interns' Learning Assessment in Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences

SummaryObjectiveOne of the aims of management priorities in medical universities is the evaluation of learning in educational departments in order to prevent educational retardation and to improve the quality of education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interns' learning in the obstetrics and gynecology (O&G) department at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences (ZUMS).Materials and MethodsThe study was performed in ZUMS, Iran, in 2002–2003 on all interns at the O&G department, including 30 men and 40 women. For data collection, a questionnaire was used and included some questions regarding the common emergencies and diseases in O&G, together with different learning indicators such as reading, observation, hearing, management, and the capability of management. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, tables, t test, and chi-square test using the SPSS software.ResultsThe mean percentages of learning indicators of observation, bedside teaching, supervised management, and personal management in the common emergencies and diseases of O&G in male interns were significantly lower than those in female interns. Also, the mean percentages of managing capabilities were 12% and 70.5% in common emergencies and 14.2% and 59.3% in common diseases for male and female interns, respectively. The chi-square test showed a significant difference between the mean percentages of the managing capabilities in male and female interns for the majority of the common emergencies and diseases. Also, the chi-square test revealed a significant relationship between the learning indicators and the interns' managing capabilities for common emergencies and diseases.ConclusionSome learning indicators in the male interns were very low. This needs urgent improvement of the learning quality in the O&G department, especially for the male interns, particularly those who are supposed to work in the deprived areas of the country after graduation in the public service

Effect of combination of vitamin B1 and B6 on leg cramps in pregnancy

چکیده: زمینه و هدف: گرفتگی عضله انقباض دردناک غیر ارادی و موضعی یک عضله یا قسمتی از یک عضله است. بین 5 تا بیش از 30 زنان از گرفتگی عضلات پا حین حاملگی شکایت دارند. منیزیم رل مهمی در متابولیسم و فعالیت عضلانی بر عهده دارد، بدلیل نبودن ترکیب مناسبی از منیزیم در ایران و ارتباط و تداخل عملکرد منیزیم و ویتامین های B1 و B6 و همینطور بی خطر بودن مصرف ویتامین ها در حین حاملگی، این مطالعه با هدف بررسی اثر درمانی ترکیب ویتامین B1 و B6 روی گرفتگی عضلات پا حین حاملگی انجام گرفت. روش بررسی: در این کار آزمایی بالینی آینده نگر دو سوکور 63 زن مبتلا به گرفتگی عضلات پا از نظر تعداد، شدت درد و زمان وقوع گرفتگی مورد بررسی قرار گرفتند. سپس به آنها به صورت تصادفی یک قوطی محتوی 56 کپسول حاوی 250 میلی گرم ویتامینB1 و 240 میلی گرم ویتامینB6 و یا 56 کپسول مشابه محتوی نشاسته داده شد و به ایشان گفته شد برای چهار هفته روزانه دو کپسول میل کنند. سپس بیماران مجدداً از نظر تعداد، شدت درد و زمان وقوع گرفتگی و ارزیابی آنها از اثر درمان بررسی شدند. یافته ها: پس از اتمام درمان تعداد و شدت درد گرفتگی عضلات پا در گروه دارو به طور معنی داری از گروه دارو نما کمتر بود (05/0>p). ولی تفاوت معنی دار بین دو گروه در زمان وقوع گرفتگی ها دیده نشد. در این مطالعه هیچ عارضه جانبی با مصرف دارو یا دارو نما دیده نشد. نتیجه گیری: به نظر می رسد که تجویز ترکیب ویتامین های B‏1 و B6 در کاهش تعداد و شدت درد گرفتگی عضلات پا حین حاملگی مؤثر باشد

Persian literature course in the undergraduate medical curriculum

A serious criticism of contemporary medicine is that it is dehumanized, meaning that it ignores the patient and his/her experiences, values, and priorities as an individual human and only seeks treatment based on the latest findings in the biomedical sciences. To modify and improve this situation, the field of "medical humanities" was formed, which seeks to include human considerations in clinical practice. One of the important domains of the field of “medical humanities” is "Literature and Medicine". Literature and medicine are now taught in medical schools at all undergraduate (both in basic sciences and clinical periods) and residency levels. Broadly speaking, the reasons for this implementation are threefold. The first concerns the patient: such courses teach physicians how to listen more wisely to their patients’ narratives and how to emphasize with the patient’s and family members’ points of view on the experience of illness and treatment. The second reason concerns the physician: Reading literature enhances personal awareness and fosters the habit of self-scrutiny. The third concerns ethics: literature and literary skills empower physicians to think both empathetically and critically about moral issues and dilemmas in daily clinical practice. By reviewing the texts in the field of literature and medicine, we come across various educational programs in medical schools around the world. One of the courses in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) curriculum of Iran is Persian literature (code: 16) which three theoretical units (51 hours). This course, for which a lesson plan has not been designed in the curriculum, is usually offered to students in one of the first year. Since the Persian literature course is in the general courses section, like other courses in this section such as philosophy of ethics, Islamic ethics, and familiarity with the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, – Cont

Educational Program Evaluation Model, From the Perspective of the New Theories

Introduction: This study is focused on common theories that influenced the history of program evaluation and introduce the educational program evaluation proposal format based on the updated theory. Methods: Literature searches were carried out in March-December 2010 with a combination of key words, MeSH terms and other free text terms as suitable for the purpose. A comprehensive search strategy was developed to search Medline by the PubMed interface, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) and the main journal of medical education regarding current evaluation models and theories. We included all study designs in our study. We found 810 articles related to our topic, and finally 63 with the full text article included. We compared documents and used expert consensus for selection the best model. Results: We found that the complexity theory using logic model suggests compatible evaluation proposal formats, especially with new medical education programs. Common components of a logic model are: situation, inputs, outputs, and outcomes that our proposal format is based on. Its contents are: title page, cover letter, situation and background, introduction and rationale, project description, evaluation design, evaluation methodology, reporting, program evaluation management, timeline, evaluation budget based on the best evidences, and supporting documents. Conclusion: We found that the logic model is used for evaluation program planning in many places, but more research is needed to see if it is suitable for our context

How to develop clinical reasoning in medical students and interns based on illness script theory : An experimental study

Acknowledgments Authors would like to acknowledge Iran University of Medical Sciences for providing financial support. Extend thanks to medical students and interns for their participation in the study. Funding The present study was financially supported by Iran University of Medical Sciences, for partial fulfillment of Ph.D. dissertation, (Grant No: 6784). The funding organization did not play any roles in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, or in writing the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The −2549 insertion/deletion polymorphism of VEGF gene associated with uterine leiomyoma susceptibility in women from Southeastern Iran

Objectives: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important angiogenic factor that regulates angiogenesis and mediates sex steroid-induced cell growth. The present study investigated the association of VEGF gene-2578C/A (rs699947) and −2549 insertion/deletion polymorphisms in the promoter region of VEGF-A gene and uterine leiomyoma susceptibility in Southeast of Iran. Material and methods: One hundred and fifty five women with uterine leiomyoma and 157 age, BMI, and ethnicity matched healthy women were enrolled in this study. VEGF gene –2578C/A polymorphism genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method, and the –2549 insertion/dele­tion polymorphism was analyzed by PCR method. Results: The frequency of alleles and genotypes of VEGF-2578C/A polymorphism was not different between women with uterine leiomyoma and the controls; however, a significant association was revealed between II genotype of –2549 insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of VEGF gene and uterine leiomyoma. Conclusions: The findings showed that VEGF gene –2549 insertion/deletion polymorphism was associated with uterine leiomyoma

Medical Teacher (Med. Teach.)

Medical Teacher (Med. Teach.