DEATH ITSELF - STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE OF AZAD JAMMU & KASHMIR MEDICAL COLLEGE

Objective: To outline a frame-work which would help to regulate the emotions of under graduate students, on the death of their patient.Study Design: An exploratory qualitative study.Place and Duration of Study: Azad Jammu &amp; Kashmir Medical College (AJKMC), from Nov 2019 to Dec 2019.Methodology: Purposive sampling was done from the final year medical students and focus group discussions were carried out for data collection. Twenty five students shared their feelings at the death of first patient under their care. As a whole, 92% of volunteers experienced the death of their first patients in medical settings. Subsequently, four main themes have been emerged after data analysis. Including; unexpected death, crisis, anticipated death &amp; resolution.Results: Inadequate preparation of medical scholars to handle this tragic incidence leads to anxiety, anger, guilt and sense of helplessness. These undesirable sentiments would seriously affect their performance in future. So, they must be handled wisely and professionally.Conclusion: Consequently, a curricular model emerged as a result of this study recommending following steps. There should be regular debriefing sessions of students from their supervisors and reflective journaling practice of students, as a part of curriculum. Likewise, faculty training for „end of life theme‟ would help their students to become more valuable for ailing community.</p

Fear of COVID-19 and workplace phobia among Pakistani doctors: A survey study

Background: The novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has seriously affected the lives of millions of people across the world. It has also heavily burdened healthcare professionals and the virus poses serious risks for their personal and professional lives. Therefore, the present study examined the associations between fear of COVID-19 and workplace phobia among doctors in Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online survey was conducted among 421 doctors in Pakistan between April 10 and May 25, 2020. The Workplace Phobia Scale (WPS) and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) were the main psychometric instruments used in this study. Results: There was a significant positive relationship between fear of COVID-19 and workplace panic anxiety and workplace avoidance behavior. Significantly higher fear of COVID-19 was found among (i) females compared to males, (ii) doctors with 5 years or less of work experience compared to those with more than 5 years, and (iii) postgraduate trainees compared with other ranks. Two groups (doctors who were above 30 years old and postgraduate trainees) were found to have higher levels of workplace phobia compared to their counterparts. Doctors with severe levels of fear of COVID-19 had significantly higher levels of workplace panic anxiety and workplace avoidance behavior. Conclusions: Fear of COVID-19 was significantly associated with workplace phobia which may negatively affect doctors' performance. Therefore, important steps are needed to protect doctors' health by providing sufficient resources to allay their fears and anxieties which consequently help them in carrying out their frontline duties in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: Avoidance behavior; Doctors; Fear of COVID-19; Workplace panic anxiety; Workplace phobia

“Expectations and Perceptions of Medical Students From a 4-Week Research Module: A Longitudinal Cohort Survey”

OBJECTIVES Clinical decision-making revolves around evidence-based medicine. Evidence-based medicine entails research problems, their evaluation against available scientific literature and implementing the results into practice. Medical undergraduates lack experience in the research process. This study aimed to analyze the difference between the precourse expectations and postcourse perception of students after an interventive, mandatory research module. METHODS This longitudinal cohort survey was conducted at Azad Jammu Kashmir Medical College, Muzaffarabad. Fourth-year medical students were included in this study. After ethical review board approval, online survey questionnaires were circulated at 2 data points: before starting the research module and after it ended. Data were analyzed and nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon tests were applied to compare the difference in responses, regarding expectation and perception of the research module. RESULTS Total participants were 104; the response rate was 100% for the expectation questionnaire, whereas it dropped to 77% for the perception questionnaire. Female students had a higher response rate. In comparison of the 2 questionnaires, a statistically significant difference was observed in the student's ability to conduct literature search and critical literature appraisal ( P = .000 and .00, respectively). There was also a perceived improvement in scientific writing, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. Overall, a significant difference was found between the expectation and perception of students. CONCLUSION Students had high expectations from the research module. After the course, their perception of their own communication skills, research abilities, scientific writing, and research aptitude has significantly improved