Journal of Advances in Medical Education & Professionalism

Supportive atmosphere in medical education in the post-COVID-19 era: We are not out of the woods yet!

ALI ARDEKANI; MITRA AMINI; RITA REZAEE

Volume 10, Issue 4 , October 2022, , Pages 217-218

https://doi.org/10.30476/jamp.2022.96371.1697

Abstract

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Critical appraisal skills training to undergraduate medical students: A Randomized Control Study

SARVIN SASANNIA; MITRA AMINI; MAHSA MOOSAVI; AMIR ASKARINEJAD; MANA MOGHADAMI; HASTI ZIAEE; FATEMEH VARA

Volume 10, Issue 4 , October 2022, , Pages 253-258

https://doi.org/10.30476/jamp.2022.94852.1610

Abstract

Introduction: Critical appraisal skills are presumed to perform a principal part in evidence-based health education and practice methods. This study aimed to design an educational intervention ... Read More Introduction: Critical appraisal skills are presumed to perform a principal part in evidence-based health education and practice methods. This study aimed to design an educational intervention around critical appraisal in this context, evaluate the efficacy of the teaching methods, and investigate critical appraisal skills training to undergraduate medical students.Methods: In this prospective Randomized Control Trial (RCT), 256 sixth-year undergraduate medical students from Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran, participated. 124 of the students were not taught critical thinking methods as a control group, and 132 participants were taught critical thinking methods by multimedia and attended an online Critical Appraisal Skills (CAS) training workshop as an intervention group. We used the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) questionnaire to evaluate students’ knowledge, attitude, confidence, and appraisal skills. This questionnaire was translated into Persian for the first time in Iran by Shokooh Varai, et al. They investigated its validity and reliability,the reliability of the questionnaire being obtained by the Richardson Index (0.75), and the validity being confirmed by some faculty members of Tehran Nursing and Midwifery School. To compare both control and intervention groups, we used an independent t-test and a Chi-Square test at a significance level of 5%, and to analyze the demographic information, we applied some descriptive statistics: frequency, frequency percentage, mean and standard deviation. Allof the statistical approaches were analyzed, using SPSS 22.Results: In all dimensions of the critical appraisal skills, medical students who completed the critical appraisal multi-media training and workshop performed better than those who did not (control group), and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Moreover, the Chi-Square test results showed no statistical relationship between the groups regarding the demographic variables (P>0.05). Also, the Cohen’s D effect size values in the knowledge and confidencedimensions were greater than 0.5; this meant a large effect. Regarding the attitude and appraises Skill dimensions, the effect size was between 0.2 and 0.5, which meant a medium effect.Conclusion: Teaching critical appraisal skills through multi-media and CAS online workshops to medical students effectively improves the students’ knowledge and confidence in appraising articles. This teaching also indicated a medium effect on students’ attitudes and behavior. Our findings can justify implementing critical appraisal skills teaching modules in the undergraduate medical education curriculum.

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of bedside teaching (BST) Instrument

MOHAMMAD SAEED GHARAATI JAHROMI; MITRA AMINI; MAHSA MOOSAVI; ALIREZA SALEHI; SOMAYEH DELAVARI; ALI ASGHAR HAYAT; PARISA NABEIEI

Volume 9, Issue 1 , January 2021, , Pages 44-49

https://doi.org/10.30476/jamp.2020.88501.1343

Abstract

Introduction: Bedside teaching plays a crucial role in acquiring essential clinical skills. Therefore, the main aim of this study is assessing the validity and reliability ... Read More

Barriers of critical thinking in medical students’ curriculum from the viewpoint of medical education experts: A qualitative study

AFSHINEH KASALAEI; MITRA AMINI; PARISA NABEIEI; LEILA BAZRAFKAN; HOURI MOUSAVINEZHAD

Volume 8, Issue 2 , April 2020, , Pages 72-82

https://doi.org/10.30476/jamp.2020.83053.1080

Abstract

Introduction: The widespread developments of the twentyfirst century have been accompanied by the presentation of intellectual patterns and theories and new achievements. ... Read More Introduction: The widespread developments of the twentyfirst century have been accompanied by the presentation of intellectual patterns and theories and new achievements. These new achievements emphasize the skill of thinking at high levels, especially in the educational system of universities. This skill is essential for medical students; therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the qualitative barriers of critical thinking in medical students’ curriculum.Methods: This is a qualitative study in which the content analysis method has been used. Participants of this study included 11 medical education experts and medical students (6 females and 5 males) who were selected through a semi-structured interview and purposeful sampling. The data analysis method was conventional content analysis. In the next part, by more investigation of the data, various obtained concepts will be presented in the form of themes, categories, and subcategories.Results: We obtained two themes (socio-cultural conditions and traditional and unchanging system of education), eight categories and 14 subcategories.Also, these categories were resistance to critical society, intellectual tension, personality characteristics, lack of understanding of society’s need for criticism, the rule of traditional teaching pattern, lack of critical thinking skills, ineffective evaluation, and difficulty of critical thinking training. Conclusion: Given the results and the main emphasis of curriculum planners on incorporating high-level critical thinking and revision skills into the curriculum, the country’s academic education system requires a change in the thinking style, research, deepening critical thinking, and a change in teachers’attitudes toward curriculum designing (goals, content, teaching and evaluation methods); also, it is suggested that the authorities should pay attention to the need to develop and utilize critical thinking skills in the learners’ education.

Academic procrastination of medical students: The role of Internet addiction

ALI ASGHAR HAYAT; JAVAD KOJURI; MITRA AMINI

Volume 8, Issue 2 , April 2020, , Pages 83-89

https://doi.org/10.30476/jamp.2020.85000.1159

Abstract

Introduction: The internet is an essential and widely used tool for college students; however, high internet dependency can have negative consequences for students, especially ... Read More Introduction: The internet is an essential and widely used tool for college students; however, high internet dependency can have negative consequences for students, especially regarding academiccareers. Such students may tend to postpone their academic tasks. Hence, the current study examines the effect of Internet addiction on academic procrastination among medical students.Methods: We applied a cross-sectional correlational research design. 233 medical students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were selected through convenience sampling and participated in this study. To collect the data, we used two valid and reliable questionnaires. The first was Young’s Internet addiction questionnaire (IAT-20), which consists of 20 items based on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The second was Solomon and Rothblum academic procrastination questionnaire, whichconsists of 18 items based on a 5 point Likert-type scale. We used Pearson correlation, independent T-test, and One-Way ANOVA to analyze the data in SPSS version 22, and considered a significancelevel of p <0.05. Results: Results showed that 57.1% of the respondents were females, and the remaining were males. Findings indicated that 8 (3.43%) of the participants were classiﬁed as severe internetaddicted, and 28.85% of them had a high level of academic procrastination. The results indicated that there was a positive and significant correlation between Internet addiction and academic procrastination (r=0.39, with p <0.01). Also, there was a positive correlation between academic procrastination dimensions (writing a term paper, studying for an exam, keeping up with weekly reading assignments, performing administrative tasks, attending meetings and performing academic tasks in general) and Internet addiction (r=0.22, r=0.32, r=0.21, r=0.29, r=0.33, and r=0.23, respectively, with p <0.01). Finally, the results revealed that male students and those living in the dormitory had a higher level of Internet addiction and procrastination compared to female onesand those living at home (p <0.01). Conclusion: The findings of the current research reveal that a considerable number of students have levels of Internet addiction and procrastination; the study highlights that students with high levels of Internet addiction are more likely to be at an increased risk of negative outcomes such as insufﬁciently controlled Internet use.

Combination of different clinical reasoning tests in a national exam

ANAHITA SADEGHI; ALI ALI ASGARI; NEZARALI MOULAEI; VAHID MOHAMMADKARIMI; SOMAYEH DELAVARI; MITRA AMINI; SETAREH NASIRI; ROGHAYEH AKBARI; MOJGAN SANJARI; IRAJ SEDIGHI; PARISA KHOSHNEVISASL; MANOUCHEHR KHOSHBATEN; SAEED SAFARI; LEILY MOHAJERZADEH; PARISA NABEIEI; BERNARD CHARLIN

Volume 7, Issue 4 , October 2019, , Pages 230-234

https://doi.org/10.30476/jamp.2019.83101.1083

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical reasoning as a critical and high level of clinical competency should be acquired during medical education, and medical educators should attempt to assess ... Read More Introduction: Clinical reasoning as a critical and high level of clinical competency should be acquired during medical education, and medical educators should attempt to assess this ability in medical students. Nowadays, there are several ways to evaluate medical students’ clinical reasoning ability in different countries worldwide. There are some well-known clinical reasoning tests such as Key Feature (KF), Clinical Reasoning Problem (CRP), Script Concordance Test (SCT), and Comprehensive Integrative Puzzle (CIP). Each of these tests has its advantages and disadvantages. In this study, we evaluated the reliability of combination of clinical reasoning tests SCT, KF, CIP, and CRP in one national exam and the correlation between the subtest scores of these tests together with the total score of the exam.Methods: A total of 339 high ranked medical students from 60 medical schools in Iran participated in a national exam named “Medical Olympiad”. The ninth Medical Olympiad was held in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in summer 2017. The expert group designed a combination of four types of clinical reasoning tests to assess both analytical and non-analytical clinical reasoning. Mean scores of SCT, CRP, KF, and CIP were measured using descriptive statistics. Reliability was calculated for each test and the combination of tests using Cronbach’s alpha. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation between the score of each subtest and the total score. SPSS version 21 was used for data analysis and the level of significance was considered <0.05.Results: The reliability of the combination of tests was 0.815. The reliability of KF was 0.81 and 0.76, 0.80, and 0.92 for SCT, CRP, and CIP, respectively. The mean total score was 169.921±41.54 from 240. All correlations between each clinical reasoning test and total score were significant (P<0.001). The highest correlation (0.887) was seen between CIP score and total score.Conclusion: The study showed that combining different clinical reasoning tests can be a reliable way of measuring this ability.

Using modified Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) to assess undergraduate medical students

AREZOU FARAJPOUR; MITRA AMINI; ELHAM PISHBIN; ZAHRA MOSTAFAVIAN; SOMAYEH AKBARI FARMAD

Volume 6, Issue 3 , July 2018, , Pages 130-136

https://doi.org/10.30476/jamp.2018.41025

Abstract

Introduction: Nowadays according to competency basedcurriculum, selecting an appropriate assessment method isinevitable. This study aimed to investigate application of DirectObservation ... Read More Introduction: Nowadays according to competency basedcurriculum, selecting an appropriate assessment method isinevitable. This study aimed to investigate application of DirectObservation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) in undergraduatemedical students.Methods: This is a cross sectional study conducted duringemergency ward rotation in last year medical students usingconsensus sampling method. Each student performed 2 proceduresat least twice under the observation of 2 assessors using modifiedDOPS rating scales designed for each procedure simultaneously.Correlation between DOPS score and final routine exam wasmeasured. Face and content validity was determined by thepanel of experts. Moreover, through the test-retest and interraterreliability, the correlation of each score and total score wasinvestigated. The spent time was calculated too. The statisticalanalysis was carried out using SPSS version 18.Results: Totally 60 students did 240 procedures under DOPS.The face and content validity confirmed by an expert panel. Thefindings showed that there was a significant correlation betweenthe scores of each test and the total DOPS score (r1=0.736**,r2=0.793**, r3=0.564**, r4=0.685**; p<0.001). There was a significantcorrelation between the first and second scores of doing the sameprocedure (Pearson Cor.=0.74, p<0.001) and also between thescores of the two individual examiners when observing the sameprocedure (Pearson Cor.=0.84-0.94, p<0.001). The results showedthat there was no correlation (Pearson Correlation=0.018, p<0.89)between the scores of this test and the final routine ward examscores. The average time for doing DOPS test and the averagetime for providing feedback were 11.17±7.5 Max and 9.2±4.5 Min,respectively.Conclusion: The use of novel performance assessment methodssuch as DOPS is highly beneficial in order to ensure the adequacyof learning in medical students and assess their readiness foraccepting professional responsibilities. DOPS as a practical andreliable test with acceptable validation can be used to assessclinical skills of undergraduate medical students.Keywords: Reliability, Validity, Feasibility, Satisfaction, Undergraduate, Medicalstudent

Develop talents to increase productivity: report of the ninth national medical science olympiad in Islamic Republic of Iran in year 2017

SHAHRAM YAZDANI; FAKHROSADAT HOSSEINI; EBRAHIM KALANTAR MEHRJERDI; MITRA AMINI

Volume 6, Issue 3 , July 2018, , Pages 144-145

https://doi.org/10.30476/jamp.2018.41022

Abstract

Dear Editor, Extracurricular activities for the gifted andtalented students in Iran derive from thebelief that students with high potentials areexpected to make great help for the healthcare ... Read More Dear Editor, Extracurricular activities for the gifted andtalented students in Iran derive from thebelief that students with high potentials areexpected to make great help for the healthcare of the community. One of these activitiesis holding medical science Olympiads. In theprevious meeting report about medical scienceOlympiad in year 2011, a unique experienceof Islamic Republic of Iran was reported. TheOlympiad was held in three areas of basicsciences, clinical reasoning and management byparticipation of high rank medical students fromall over the country in two stages: individual andgroup (1-4).After performing 8 Olympiads in the country,the ninth Olympiad was held in September 2017in Tehran, Iran differently with more emphasison creativity and productivity.While creativity in health care is mostlysupposed to be innovations in surgical devices,medications, and procedures, we believed that italso relates to other health care disciplines likebasic sciences, medical education, philosophy ofmedicine and management. Creativity in thesefields is a newer concept that may result in findingnovel solutions to health care and educationalproblems and challenges such as improvingpatient care and coordinating care across multipledisciplines and difficult conditions.Shahid Beheshti University of MedicalSciences was the host of the Ninth NationalMedical Science Olympiad in September 2017under direct supervision of Ministry of Healthand Medical Education. This Olympiad was heldin five areas including basic sciences, clinicalmedicine, medical education, philosophy ofmedicine and health care management. All topranked students in medical sciences (such asmedicine, pharmacy, nursing, health management,dentistry, etc.) from all over the country had thechance of participating in this Olympiad. In Iranintegration of medical education and health caredelivery system has started in 50 universities ofmedical sciences all over the country (5). 2151students from these universities participated inthe individual Olympiad exam. Then 30 teamsin each of the five areas (total 450 teams) wereselected 55 experts in five scientific committeesconstructed the Olympiad questions in individualand team stages. A unique experience in the NinthOlympiad was using a novel and creative projectbased assignment for each team in each of thefive areas. These projects were Evidence-based decision making, public private partnership, earlyclinical exposure, medical futility and autonomicmodulation on the brain functional connectivityrelated to depression.75 percent of the students stated that theywere satisfied with these innovative and creativeprojects in different areas. 84 percent of thefaculties reported that this kind of Olympiadincreased students’ motivation and led themto compare issues friendly with each other ina scientific environment. 69.25 percent of thestudents reported that increasing the numberof teams in this Olympiad for problem solvingactivities was a very good experience for themand ascertained that such activities should beincluded in the formal curriculum of medicalschools.The main shortcoming in this Olympiadreported by the students was the competitivenature of the exam and subjectivity in scoringthe projects in some areas.Performing such Olympiads is essential indiscovering talented students and developingtheir capabilities to promote health systems.Although academic merit is not the onlyindicator of success in health science disciplines,designing additional programs for gifted andtalented students is warranted to help academicallytalented students to further their knowledge.

Psychometric characteristics of clinical reasoning problems (CRPs) and its correlation with routine multiple choice question (MCQ) in cardiology department

ZAHRA DERAKHSHANDEH; MITRA AMINI; JAVAD KOJURI; MARZIYEH DEHBOZORGIAN

Volume 6, Issue 1 , January 2018, , Pages 37-42

https://doi.org/10.30476/jamp.2018.43346

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical reasoning is one of the most importantskills in the process of training a medical student to become anefficient physician. Assessment of the reasoning skills ... Read More Introduction: Clinical reasoning is one of the most importantskills in the process of training a medical student to become anefficient physician. Assessment of the reasoning skills in a medicalschool program is important to direct students’ learning. One ofthe tests for measuring the clinical reasoning ability is ClinicalReasoning Problems (CRPs). The major aim of this study is tomeasure psychometric properties of CRPs and define correlationbetween this test and routine MCQ in cardiology department ofShiraz medical school.Methods: This study was a descriptive study conducted ontotal cardiology residents of Shiraz Medical School. The studypopulation consists of 40 residents in 2014. The routine CRPsand the MCQ tests was designed based on similar objectives andwere carried out simultaneously. Reliability, item difficulty, itemdiscrimination, and correlation between each item and the totalscore of CRPs were all measured by Excel and SPSS softwarefor checking psycometeric CRPs test. Furthermore, we calculatedthe correlation between CRPs test and MCQ test. The meandifferences of CRPs test score between residents’ academic year[second, third and fourth year] were also evaluated by Analysis ofvariances test (One Way ANOVA) using SPSS software (version20)(α=0.05).Results: The mean and standard deviation of score in CRPs was10.19±3.39 out of 20; in MCQ, it was 13.15±3.81 out of 20. Itemdifficulty was in the range of 0.27-0.72; item discrimination was0.30-0.75 with question No.3 being the exception (that was 0.24).The correlation between each item and the total score of CRP was0.26-0.87; the correlation between CRPs test and MCQ test was0.68 (p<0.001). The reliability of the CRPs was 0.72 as calculatedby using Cronbach’s alpha. The mean score of CRPs was differentamong residents based on their academic year and this differencewas statistically significant (p<0.001).Conclusion: The results of this present investigation revealed thatCRPs could be reliable test for measuring clinical reasoning inresidents. It can be included in cardiology residency assessmentprograms.Keywords: Cardiovascular, Clinical reasoning, Reliability

Early clinical exposure program in learning renal physiology

ARMAN DEHGHAN; MITRA AMINI; MOHAMMAD MAHDI SAGHEB; SEYED MOSTAFA SHIDMOOSAVI; PARISA NABEIEI

Volume 5, Issue 4 , October 2017, , Pages 172-176

Abstract

Introduction: Teaching renal physiology for undergraduatemedical students in an understandable way using methods whichimprove their deep learning has always been a problem. In thisstudy, ... Read More Introduction: Teaching renal physiology for undergraduatemedical students in an understandable way using methods whichimprove their deep learning has always been a problem. In thisstudy, Early Clinical Exposure (ECE) was used in teaching renalphysiology for the second year medical students in Shiraz MedicalSchool. This article aims to introduce and develop this programand also measure the attitude of medical students toward ECE inlearning renal physiology.Methods: This is a mixed method study conducted on 120 secondyear undergraduate students. After performing the course, bothqualitative and quantitative methods were used for measuring theviewpoints of the students. In the qualitative part, 10 high rankmedical students were selected. These students participated inbrain storming sessions to express their opinion about the programbased on the strengths and weaknesses. For trustworthiness of thequalitative part, member check and peer check were done. In thequantitative part, a researcher-made questionnaire was used basedon the objectives of the program in a 4 point Likert scale. Thevalidity of questionnaire was determined by medical educationexperts and reliability was determined after a pilot study.Results: Based on the results of the quantitative part of the study,98 percent of the students stated that the ECE program wasgenerally a useful program. In the qualitative part, the students’comments were obtained. The benefits of the program weresummarized in 4 main themes. These themes are “understandingof renal physiology”, “Integration of basic and clinical knowledge”,“Improvement of attitude toward importance of physiology”, and“encouragement to study”. In response to the questions aboutnegetive aspects of this program in qualitative part, the two mainthemes were insufficient time and large grup size.Conclusion: Students reported that ECE was useful, but theystated that they needed to have more encounter with patientsand more hospital teaching. The results also reveal that this ECEprogram is an excellent approach to strengthen learning in adifficult subject like renal physiology. This approach is adjustableto other basic science topics and subjects as well.Keywords: Early clinical exposure; Integration; Learning

Considering social accountability in rehabilitation therapy school

HAJAR SHIEH; MITRA AMINI; FATEMEH MIR; PARISA NABEIEI; JAVAD KOJURI

Volume 5, Issue 3 , July 2017, , Pages 93-94

Abstract

As you know, there is increasing attention insocial accountability concept for medicaland other health professional schools. Despite theuniqueness of the concept of social accountability,it ... Read More As you know, there is increasing attention insocial accountability concept for medicaland other health professional schools. Despite theuniqueness of the concept of social accountability,it has different definitions in various fields. TheWorld Health Organization (WHO) has describedsocial accountability generally as follows: “theobligation to direct education, research andservice activities toward addressing the priorityhealth concerns of community, region, ornation”(1). Applied to health professional schools,the idea of social accountability recognizes it’sprospective for transforming community byacting throughout the educational, researchand healthcare delivery, on a mixture of socialdeterminants of health factors and for helpingto make a proficient and equitable health system.One of the health professional schools inShiraz University of Medical Sciences is theSchool of Rehabilitation Therapy. This school iscommitted to lead and stimulate positive changesthat improve quality of lives through rehabilitationeducation, research and practice. As part of thiscommitment, the mission of this school is to teachoccupational therapists, physiotherapists andphysiotherapy scientists who contribute to wellbeingand welfare of the community. This schoolis recognized for excellent social accountability.In a qualitative study, we developed theindicators for assessing the concept of socialaccountability in this school based on the extensiveliterature review and expert opinions. Finally,57 indicators were determined for assessing thesocial accountability and used for assessment ofsocial accountability in this school (2).The results showed that considering thehealthcare needs of the community for educationand research, provision of interdisciplinaryeducation for students, addition of the idea ofsocial accountability in the accreditation system,teaching professionalism to students before theclinical courses, and cooperation with otherstakeholders (including academic health centers,physician communities, and other relevantparamedical schools) were reported as some of thestrengths of this school. Some of the weaknessesof this school were lack of continuous evaluationprograms for precise analysis of the currentneeds of the society and lack of correspondencebetween some of the elective training programswith the accountability approach. What’s more,the willingness of the community to participatein the health programs, lifestyle changes andchange in the public approval for services ineducational fields are some of the existing trendsin this school.It seems necessary that social accountabilityconcept of rehabilitation therapy schools shouldbe further taken into consideration as a meansof improving the outcomes of rehabilitationeducation, research and services.In conclusion, all health professional schools should contribute to the needs of society byeducating their students well in this field. Throughaccomplishment of these aims, these schools canplay the maximum effective role in the health ofthe community.

Program evaluation of an integrated basic science medical curriculum in Shiraz Medical School, using CIPP evaluation model

AZADEH ROOHOLAMINI; MITRA AMINI; LEILA BAZRAFKAN; MOHAMMAD REZA DEHGHANI; ZOHREH ESMAEILZADEH; PARISA NABEIEIE; RITA REZAEE; JAVAD KOJURI

Volume 5, Issue 3 , July 2017, , Pages 148-154

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years curriculum reform and integrationwas done in many medical schools. The integrated curriculum isa popular concept all over the world. In Shiraz medical ... Read More Introduction: In recent years curriculum reform and integrationwas done in many medical schools. The integrated curriculum isa popular concept all over the world. In Shiraz medical school,the reform was initiated by stablishing the horizontal basicscience integration model and Early Clinical Exposure (ECE)for undergraduate medical education. The purpose of this studywas to provide the required data for the program evaluation ofthis curriculum for undergraduate medical students, using CIPPprogram evaluation model.Methods: This study is an analytic descriptive and triangulationmixed method study which was carried out in Shiraz MedicalSchool in 2012, based on the views of professors of basic sciencescourses and first and second year medical students. The studyevaluated the quality of the relationship between basic sciencesand clinical courses and the method of presenting such coursesbased on the Context, Input, Process and Product (CIPP) model.The tools for collecting data, both quantitatively and qualitatively,were some questionnaires, content analysis of portfolios, semistructuredinterview and brain storming sessions. For quantitativedata analysis, SPSS software, version 14, was used.Results: In the context evaluation by modified DREEMquestionnaire, 77.75%of the students believed that this educationalsystem encourages them to actively participate in classes. Courseschedule and atmosphere of class were reported suitable by 87.81%and 83.86% of students. In input domain that was measured by aresearcher made questionnaire, the facilities for education wereacceptable except for shortage of cadavers. In process evaluation,the quality of integrated modules presentation and Early ClinicalExposure (ECE) was good from the students’ viewpoint. Inproduct evaluation, students’ brain storming, students’ portfolioand semi-structured interview with faculties were done, showingsome positive aspects of integration and some areas that needimprovement.Conclusion: The main advantage of assessing an educationalprogram based on CIPP evaluation model is that the context, input,process and product of the program are viewed and evaluatedsystematically. This will help the educational authorities to makeproper decisions based on the weaknesses and strengths of theprogram on its continuation, cessation and revision. Based on the results of this study, the integrated basic sciences course forundergraduate medical students in Shiraz Medical School isat a desirable level. However, attempts to improve or reformsome sections and continual evaluation of the program and itsaccreditation seem to be necessary.Keywords: Integration; Medical students; Basic science; Curriculum

Designing a system of mentorship in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

MITRA AMINI; JAVAD KOJURI; MOHAMMAD REZA DEHGHANI; ARASH MANI; PARISA NABEIEI; ROYA KHALILI; HOURI MUSAVI NEZHAD

Volume 5, Issue 2 , April 2017, , Pages 49-50

Abstract

As you know, one of the new programs ofthe medical universities is to familiarizethe students to the medical atmosphere withthe help of compassionate and experienceduniversity professors. ... Read More As you know, one of the new programs ofthe medical universities is to familiarizethe students to the medical atmosphere withthe help of compassionate and experienceduniversity professors. The program is plannedand implemented under the title of mentorship,in which an experienced instructor takes theresponsibility of orientation, guidance and problemsolving of a number of students. The studentsat the time of admission face some problems,usually due to the young age, unfamiliarity withthe university context, the amount of the texts,etc.; therefore, they feel somehow defenselessin this atmosphere. In this program, which waslongitudinal and often causes a long-term andfriendly relationship between the professor andstudents during the education years, these problemsof students discuss with teachers (Mentor) andin this interact somewhat elevated. To do theappropriate implementation of this concept inthe university, the university was required to befamiliar with the concept of mentorship at the firststep (1). So, the Education Development Center ofShiraz University of Medical Sciences (EDC) hasimplemented this issue in a series of educationalfellowship workshops for the professors ofpostgraduate levels.In teaching this concept, the Jowhari model(Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham famous model)(2) has attracted the attention of authoritiesand professors of this period. In educating theconcept of mentoring, the development of selfgeneralizationwindow of the professors wasconsidered. Because this section covers theability of communication and flexibility in theleadership of the individuals, development ofthe window (area) decreases the incidence ofconflicts and misunderstandings and strugglesbetween individuals in this regard. To developthis area, there was an attempt in this period thatthe professors get familiar with the two methodsof self-openness and feedback. This educationalprogram was a pilot which was implementedin the country for the first time in one of thefellowship programs for the faculty members.Then, according to the results and positivefeedbacks, it was applied more extensively. Sofar, this subject has been trained in 5 differentfellowship training courses of the professors inthe form of diverse topics, such as the mentorshipconcept in educating the students, counseling andmentoring models and evaluation and feedbackprinciples. The results of the training showsachievement of the educational goals (85%),applicability of the educational materials (93%),and relevance of the educational environment (78%) in the universities. So, due to the newnessof this concept in the country and the necessityof its performance, doing more studies onthe improvement of this concept in the otherprofessor of this university seems necessary.

Fourth year medical students’ reflective writing on “death of Ivan Ilych: a qualitative study

MAHSHID ZOHOURI; MITRA AMINI; MOHAMMAD MEHDI SAGHEB

Volume 5, Issue 2 , April 2017, , Pages 73-77

Abstract

Introduction: Medical students should be familiar with the endof life ethical issues and its considerations. For teaching end oflife care to medical students, literature is a source ... Read More Introduction: Medical students should be familiar with the endof life ethical issues and its considerations. For teaching end oflife care to medical students, literature is a source of excellentnarratives of patients with experiences of terminally ill conditionin their journey through suffering and one of the most favouritebioethics literature readings has been the death of Ivan Ilych byTolstoy. We used this novel to show medical students end of lifeevents and suffering and asked them to write a reflective essayon it. We aimed to find what students think about terminally illpatients and their journey to death.Methods: In an inductive qualitative content analysis model, 350essays, collected by homogenous sampling, were analyzed. Thefourth year medical students were provided with the Death of IvanIlych novel to read. They were asked to write a reflection essaybased on the reflective stages defined by Sandars. These essaysserved as the unit of analysis, each being read several times and acoding model was formed according to main topics. The relatedconcepts in each unit were named as themes and each theme wasabstracted to a code and the related codes were compared anddeveloped as categories.Results: Qualitative content analysis of 350 essays of fourth yearmedical students revealed three major categories in students’reflection on reading Death of Ivan Ilych as an end of life humanbody. These included: 1) Emotional experience, 2) Empathy andeffective communication, 3) Spirituality and dignity. Analysisof essays showed that this reflection activity may help medicalstudents have a deeper idea of the end of life situation and feelings.Conclusion: This project suggests that literature can be used asan example to introduce new ethical concepts to less experiencedmedical trainees. The students acquired the concept of the storyand reflected the major aspects of the suffering of a human beingin their essays. Having used and evaluated the effect of literatureon facilitating ethical insight in the teaching end of life care, westrongly recommend this method and specially the novella, Deathof Ivan Ilych.Keywords: Education; Death; Medical students; Qualitative study

Medical students’ academic emotions: the role of perceived learning environment

NAEIMEH KOHOULAT; ALI ASGHAR HAYAT; MOHAMMAD REZA DEHGHANI; JAVAD KOJURI; MITRA AMINI

Volume 5, Issue 2 , April 2017, , Pages 78-83

Abstract

Introduction: Research shows that there is a relationship betweenstudents’ perceptions of classroom and learning environment andtheir cognitive, affective, emotional and behavioral ... Read More

Evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of community-based education from the viewpoint of students

SEDIGHEH MOKHTARPOUR; MITRA AMINI; HOURI MOUSAVINEZHAD; ALIREZA CHOOBINEH; PARISA NABEIEI

Volume 4, Issue 4 , October 2016, , Pages 195-201

Abstract

Introduction: Responsive medicine is an appropriate trainingmethod which trains the graduates who can act effectively ininitial and secondary aspects of health issues in the society.Methods: ... Read More Introduction: Responsive medicine is an appropriate trainingmethod which trains the graduates who can act effectively ininitial and secondary aspects of health issues in the society.Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytic studywhich was done using quantitative method. The target populationof this study was all the students of the Nutrition and HealthSchool of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The sample wasrandomly selected in this study and 75 students were selected basedon the methodologist’s comments and similar studies and randomnumbertable from a list obtained from the school’s departmentof education. This questionnaire was a researcher-made onewhich consisted of 23 questions in 2 sections with 21 closedendedquestions and 2 open-ended questions; 70 questionnaireswere completed correctly. The closed-ended questions had 4aspects (completely agree to completely disagree) answered in5-point Likert scale type. Its face validity was confirmed by 4faculty members. The construct validity of the questionnaire wasanalyzed by factor analysis test and its reliability was assessed bya pilot on 20 students with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.85. The datawere analyzed using descriptive statistical tests (mean, standarddeviation, …) and the Pearson coefficient (p<0.001).Results: The results of this study showed that the maximum meanscore was 3.58±0.65 which was related to the context of thesecourses and the minimum mean was 2.66±1.14 which was relatedto the logbook implementation. The 2 open-ended questionsindicated that the most important strengths were the use oflogbooks as a guide and determining the minimum training; of theweaknesses was the mismatch between the theoretical educationand the practical activities. Also, developing the minimumtraining that an expert should know and using the common topicsrelated to theoretical education were the most important pointsmentioned by the respondents.Conclusion: The educational planning of the authorities for keepingthe balance of the theoretical training with the practical activitiesand giving opportunities to the trainee or intern to face diseasesand the common problems of the community seems to be necessary.Keywords: Clinical; Education; Nutrition; Health

The validity and reliability of script concordance test in otolaryngology residency training

KAMYAR IRAVANI; MITRA AMINI; AIDA DOOSTKAM; MAHNAZ DEHBOZORGIAN

Volume 4, Issue 2 , April 2016, , Pages 93-96

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Introduction: The script concordance test (SCT) is one the besttools used to evaluate clinical reasoning in ill-defined clinicalsituations. The aim of this study was to demonstrate ... Read More

Research priorities in medical education at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences: categories and subcategories in the Iranian context

PARISA NABEIEI; MITRA AMINI; SHIRIN GHANAVATI; SAADAT MARHAMATI

Volume 4, Issue 1 , January 2016, , Pages 26-32

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Introduction: Research in education is a globally significant issuewithout a long history. Due to the importance of the issue in HealthSystem Development programs, this study intended ... Read More

A brief description of Medical Education Master Program in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

FARNAZ TAKMIL; MITRA AMINI; PARISA NABEIEI; LEILA BAZRAFKAN; MOHAMMAD REZA DEHGHANI; RITA REZAEE; SHIRIN GHANAVATI; JAVAD KOJURI

Volume 3, Issue 4 , October 2015, , Pages 153-153

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As Medical sciences become more advanced andgrow each day, so do the challenges of medicaleducation. To overcome the new obstacles whichare an inseparable part of science evolution, ... Read More As Medical sciences become more advanced andgrow each day, so do the challenges of medicaleducation. To overcome the new obstacles whichare an inseparable part of science evolution, it isnecessary to renew and improve the educationalsystem .Achieving this, requires individuals whoare educated in the new methods of learning andtherefore can lead others through educationalsystem development. During the past decade,these facts have led many medical universitiestoward establishing and pursuing new masterand PhD. programs of medical education. As aPioneer in the field of medical education and thefirst teacher training center in EMRO since 1972,Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS)has also contributed to educational systemtransformation by establishing master courses inmedical education since 2008, with a goal of notonly updating faculties` educational knowledgebut also training efficient educational experts. InSUMS, these courses which are also mentionedin Dr. ARA Tekian’s article in Chicago University(1), were designed based on reviewing what Someof the greatest universities in the field of educationsuch as Dundee, Maastricht and Chicago Universityhave done. The courses last for five semestersand are available for all medical and paramedicalfaculty members, GPs and paramedical masters.To enter the program applicants must send theirresume including their degree, previous education,and published articles. Moreover, they must alsotake part in an entrance exam which evaluatestheir knowledge of general English language alongwith their educational knowledge and computerskills. These courses are conducted using thenewest methods and references of learning suchas “A practical guide for medical teachers” (2).The students are also asked to study the mostrecent AMME Guidelines which are provided forthem. According to students’ work field, in eachsemester, proper homework has been considered toimprove what they’ve been instructed in practice.After becoming educational experts, thesestudents can be hired in different sections ofeducation departments, acting as educationalambassadors, initiating educational leaders &curriculums designers which, in turn, can littleby little change the culture and face of education,hoping that these changes may someday result inspurring medical educational system.

Assessment of the interns’ ability based on Dundee model in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

MITRA AMINI; SAMANEH ABIRI; PARISA NABEIEI; SHIRIN GHANAVATI; ALI ASGHAR HAYAT; JAVAD KOJURI

Volume 3, Issue 4 , October 2015, , Pages 189-195

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Introduction: The importance of medical profession and therole of the physician in society is no secret to anyone. Skills andcompetencies in clinical practice are necessary for the ... Read More Introduction: The importance of medical profession and therole of the physician in society is no secret to anyone. Skills andcompetencies in clinical practice are necessary for the medicalprofession. In fact, in patient care, doctors require practical skillsin addition to scientific knowledge. This study examines thepotentials of medical school students in three areas of doing theright thing, doing the right thing in an intermediate range, anddoing the right thing by the right person.Methods: This study was done in a descriptive-analytical andsectional model. The population of this study was all internsof Shiraz University of Medical Sciences who were passinginternship at Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics andEmergency wards. About 100 persons were selected were selectedby simple randomization. In order to collect data, a questionnairewith 12 questions was designed in two parts. The questionnairewas approved by 7 Faculty members of Clinical Medicine andMedical Education, and its reliability was approved by test-retestmethod on 20 medical students in the form of a pilot study andthrough Cronbach’s alpha (82%). Collected data were analyzed bySPSS software version 14 using descriptive statistical methods.Results: Results showed that within the inner circle, internsevaluated their skills in surgery, internal medicine, andgynecology wards, intermediate and at other wards as weak. Alsowithin the center circle, interns evaluated adequate educationalevidence-based training in the field of medicine, and sufficiencyof educational training in the field of clinical decision making andclinical care as suitable.Conclusion: According to the results, it seems that medicalinterns’ skills in performing most medical skills are moderate.So teaching students by new educational methods and workshoptechniques, using experienced teachers will be effective. Theuse of clinical skills training centers and objective assessmentmethods for the students’ skills, especially before entering theclinical departments, is very important.Keywords: Student; Assessment; Clinical skills

The main indicators for Iranian hospital ethical accreditation

SEYED ALI ENJOO; MITRA AMINI; SEYED ZIAADIN TABEI; ALI MAHBUDI; ZAHRA KAVOSI; MAHBOOBEH SABER

Volume 3, Issue 3 , July 2015, , Pages 117-132

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Introduction: The application of organizational ethics in hospitalsis one of the novel ways to improve medical ethics. Nowadaysachieving efficient and sufficient ethical hospital indicators ... Read More Introduction: The application of organizational ethics in hospitalsis one of the novel ways to improve medical ethics. Nowadaysachieving efficient and sufficient ethical hospital indicators seemsto be inevitable. In this connection, the present study aims todetermine the best indicators in hospital accreditation.Methods: 69 indicators in 11 fields to evaluate hospital ethicswere achieved through a five-step qualitative and quantitativestudy including literature review, expert focus group, Likert scalesurvey, 3 rounded Delphi, and content validity measurement.Expert focus group meeting was conducted, employing NominalGroup Technique (NGT). After running NGT, a three roundedDelphi and parallel to Delphi and a Likert scale survey wereperformed to obtain objective indicators for each domain. Theexperts were all healthcare professionals who were also medicalethics researchers, teachers, or Ph.D students. Content validitymeasurements were computed, using the viewpoints of twodifferent expert groups, some ethicists, and some health careprofessionals (n=46).Results: survey, 11 main domains were listed including:Informed consent, Medical confidentiality, Physician-patienteconomic relations, Ethics consultation policy in the hospital,Ethical charter of hospital, Breaking bad medical news protocol,Respect for the patients’ rights, Clinical ethics committee,Spiritual and palliative care unit programs in the hospitals,Healthcare professionals’ communication skills, and Equitableaccess to the healthcare. Also 71 objective indicators for these 11domains were listed in 11 tables with 5 to 8 indicators per table.Content Validity Ratio (CVR) measurements were done and 69indicators were highlighted.Conclusion: The domains listed in this study seem to be themost important ones for evaluating hospital ethics programsand services. Healthcare organizations’ accreditation andranking are crucial for the improvement of healthcare services.Ethics programs would also motivate hospitals to improvetheir services and move towards patients’ satisfaction. In thisregard, more involvement of bioethicists can help healthcareorganizations to develop ethics programs and ensure ethicsbasedpractice in hospitals.Keywords: Hospital; Ethics; Accreditation; Evaluation

Qualitative evaluation of general practitioner training program as viewed by graduates from Shiraz, Fasa and Jahrom Medical Universities

FATEMEH SHAHIDI; MOHAMMAD MEHDI SAQEB; MITRA AMINI; ABOLGHASEM AVAND; HAMID REZA DOWLATKHAH

Volume 3, Issue 3 , July 2015, , Pages 142-149

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of higher education into focus in the past few years. They havetried to improve the quality of their own higher education. Thestudies show that Iranian Universities are not at an accepted ... Read More

Inservice trainings for Shiraz University Medical Sciences employees: Effectiveness assessment by using the CIPP model

MARYAM MOKHTARZADEGAN; MITRA AMINI; FARNAZ TAKMIL; MOHAMMAD ADAMIAT; POONEH SARVERAVAN

Volume 3, Issue 2 , April 2015, , Pages 77-83

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become one of the core components in survival and success ofany organization. Unfortunately, despite the importance oftraining evaluation, a small portion of resources are allocated ... Read More become one of the core components in survival and success ofany organization. Unfortunately, despite the importance oftraining evaluation, a small portion of resources are allocated tothis matter. Among many evaluation models, the CIPP model orContext, Input, Process, Product model is a very useful approachto educational evaluation. So far, the evaluation of the trainingcourses mostly provided information for learners but thisinvestigation aims at evaluating the effectiveness of the experts’training programs and identifying its pros and cons based on the4 stages of the CIPP model.Method: In this descriptive analytical study, done in 2013,250 employees of Shiraz University Medical Sciences (SUMS)participated in inservice training courses were randomlyselected. The evaluated variables were designed using CIPPmodel and a researcher-made questionnaire was used for datacollection; the questionnaire was validated using expert opinionand its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha (0.89).Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 14 and statisticaltests was done as needed.Results: In the context phase, the mean score was highest insolving work problems (4.07±0.88) and lowest in focusing onlearners’ learning style training courses (2.68±0.91). There isa statistically significant difference between the employees`education level and the product phase evaluation (p<0.001).The necessary effectiveness was not statistically significant incontext and input level (p>0.001), in contrast with the processand product phase which showed a significant deference(p<0.001).Conclusion: Considering our results, although the inservicetrainings given to sums employees has been effective in manyways, it has some weaknesses as well. Therefore improving theseweaknesses and reinforcing strong points within the identifiedfields in this study should be taken into account by decisionmakers and administrators.Keywords: Inservice training; Training; Effectiveness

Needs assessment and evaluation of a short course to improve faculties teaching skills at a former World Health Organization regional teacher training center

JAVAD KOJURI; MITRA AMINI; ZAHRA KARIMIAN; MOHAMMAD REZA DEHGHANI; MAHBOOBEH SABER; LEILA BAZRAFCAN; SEDIGHEH EBRAHIMI; RITA REZAEE

Volume 3, Issue 1 , January 2015, , Pages 1-8

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Introduction: In the design of educational programs, much attentionhas been paid to teaching methods, needs assessment, an importantpart of the development of educational programs, ... Read More Introduction: In the design of educational programs, much attentionhas been paid to teaching methods, needs assessment, an importantpart of the development of educational programs, generally isneglected. Another important aspect in educational program design isassessing effectiveness. The aims of this study were to design a formalneeds assessment program to define the core contents of a facultydevelopment program, and to determine whether participation in thefaculty development program reinforced new teaching skills.Methods: A teacher-training program was designed at ShirazUniversity of Medical Sciences to help medical instructors boosttheir teaching skills. Needs assessment was done with nominal grouptechnique followed by a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Theprogram, imparted in workshop format, covered effective teachingmethods, feedback, assessing knowledge and time management.Instruction was in the form of lectures, group discussions, casesimulations, video presentations and role-plays. The program wasevaluated in several phases using data triangulation and multi-itemassessments of overall program quality in three major dimensions:Kirkpatrick program evaluation model, evaluation of theeducational environment and qualitative analysis with open-endedquestions. All participants in the study belonged to the academicstaff of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (n=396).Results: Seven main categories were derived from nominal grouptechniques and questionnaires. After the program, participantsrated the quality of the program highly. They felt that the educationalintervention was appropriate and had a positive impact on theirknowledge of effective teaching methods, feedback, knowledgeassessment and time management. Assessment of the effectivenessof the program showed that participants reported significantimprovements in their teaching abilities.Conclusion: Our faculty development program have a significantpositive effect on medical university teaching staff members’competencies. Further research is needed to investigate whetherthe faculty development program actually results in improvedteaching performance.Keywords: Faculty, Teaching, Effectiveness, Assessment, Needs assessment

Comparison of residents’ approaches to clinical decisions before and after the implementation of Evidence Based Medicine course

ZAHRA KARIMIAN; JAVAD KOJOURI; MOHAMMAD MAHDI SAGHEB; ALI MAHBOUDI; MAHBOOBEH SABER; MITRA AMINI; MOHAMMAD REZA DEHGHANI

Volume 2, Issue 4 , October 2014, , Pages 170-175

Abstract

Introduction: It has been found that the decision-making process in medicine is affected, to a large extent, by one’s experience, individual mentality, previous models, and common ... Read More Introduction: It has been found that the decision-making process in medicine is affected, to a large extent, by one’s experience, individual mentality, previous models, and common habitual approaches, in addition to scientific principles. Evidence-based medicine is an approach attempting to reinforce scientific, systematic and critical thinking in physicians and provide the ground for optimal decision making. In this connection, the purpose of the present study is to find out to what extent the education of evidence based medicine affects clinical decision making.Methods: The present quasi-experimental study was carried out on 110clinical residents, who started their education in September, 2012 and finally 62 residents filled out the questionnaires. The instrument used was a researchermade questionnaire containing items on four decision-making approaches. The questionnaire was used both as a pre-test and a post-test to assess the residents’ viewpoints on decision making approaches. The validity of the questionnaire was determined using medical education and clinical professionals’ viewpoints, and the reliability was calculated through Chronbach alpha; it was found to be 0.93. The results were analyzed by paired t-test using SPSS, version 14.Results: The results demonstrated that evidence-based medicine workshopsignificantly affected the residents’ decision-making approaches (p<0.001).The pre-test showed that principles-based, reference-based and routinemodel-based approaches were more preferred before the program (p<0.001). However, after the implementation of the program, the dominant approaches used by the residents in their decision making were evidence-based ones.Conclusion: To develop the evidence-based approach, it is necessary foreducational programs to continue steadily and goal-orientedly. In addition, the equipment infrastructure such as the Internet, access to data bases, scientific data, and clinical guides should develop more in the medical departments.Keywords: Clinical, Evidence-based medicine, Decision making, Resident

Volume 11 (2023)

Volume 10 (2022)

Volume 9 (2021)

Volume 8 (2020)

Volume 7 (2019)

Volume 6 (2018)

Volume 5 (2017)

Volume 4 (2016)

Volume 3 (2015)

Volume 2 (2014)

Volume 1 (2013)

Author = MITRA AMINI

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