Objective: Medical training has always been regarded as a highly stressful environment to students. This article described a preliminary data on impact of a stress-management programme on medical students’ stress level. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental before after comparison study design. The programme was run over half-day and convenient sampling method was applied. Sample size as calculated for this preliminary study was 38. The 12 items General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was administered prior to the
programme and four months later. Data was analysed using SPSS version 12. Results: 34 participants were involved in this study. This study found that there was a significant difference in participants’ GHQ-12 scores before and after the programme (p
Objective: Postgraduate medical training has always been regarded as a highly stressful environment to students. This article described an initial finding on prevalence and sources of stress among postgraduate students. Method: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on postgraduate students in the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Sample size as calculated for this preliminary study was 38 and convenient sampling method was applied. The 12 items General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Postgraduate Stressors Questionnaire (PSQ) were administered during a workshop involving postgraduate students. Data was analysed using SPSS version 12. Results: Thirty three participants participated in this study. This study found that the prevalence of distressed postgraduate students was 36.4%. The top ten stressors were tests and examinations, large amount of content to be learnt, time pressure to meet deadlines, doing work beyond
ability, work overload, unfair assessment by superior, fears of making mistakes that can lead to serious consequences, doing work that mentally straining, work demands affect my personal and home life, and lack of time to review what have been learnt. Conclusion: This study found that there was a high prevalence of distressed postgraduate students. It also found that the major stressors were related to academic and performance pressure.
Introduction: Student selection is important for selecting the best candidates into medical courses.
The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) is a valid selection tool for the task. The School of Medical
Sciences (SMS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has employed MMI as a medical admission
tool to select potential candidates into its medical program. Objective: This paper described the
implementation of the MMI and reported the preliminary evaluation data on its validity evidence.
Method: A 9-station MMI (with 5 manned and 4 rest stations) was employed for the 2015 student
selection exercise. Interview data were analysed and questionnaire surveys were administered to both
interviewers and candidates. Validity, reliability, feasibility and acceptability were determined. Results:
Unidimensional construct on confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and interviewer comments provided
evidence of construct validity. Overall reliability was 0.94, good enough for high-stakes decisions.
Interviewers and candidates’ comments on feasibility and acceptability were also generally positive.
The consistency of the difficulty and discrimination indices of similar stations between sessions was
identified as among the areas for improvement. Conclusions: We are cautiously optimistic regarding
the utility of the MMI in the SMS; future improvements are planned but the present implementation
seems sufficient for the stated purposes
Background: Faculty’s role as educators is over looked in clinical education, even though the teaching has a direct reflection of performance of clinical competence and professional development of graduating doctors. Two major problems of clinical education are the lack of uniform teaching and learning strategies in postgraduate as well as later years of undergraduate clinical teaching and the professional development of faculty in teaching in medical institutions. Objective: The survey has two major objectives. First objective was to know about the faculty response to a survey on teaching while trying to create awareness for teaching and research in teaching. The second objective was to know the faculty members’ understanding with principles of learning and teaching with strengths and weaknesses of respondents’ performance in clinical teaching on completing The Educator’s Self-Reflective Inventory (ESRI). Method: The ESRI was administered to approach 214 faculty members in SMS at USM. Appraisal of self-reflection inventory as medical teacher and personal development with respect to challenges, opportunities, innovations and need assessment of teaching were explored in response to 35 items grouped in 5 clusters through a questionnaire-based survey utilizing ESRI. Result: Statistical analysis of respondent’s data indicates a mixed response with lab-based disciplines 54.54% followed by surgical-based disciplines 50% and medical-based disciplines 30%. Individual discipline best response is received from Plastic Surgery and ORL-HNS (100%) and Hematology (77.77%). A result of individual item response in each cluster WAS also analyzed. Conclusion: The survey evaluated the faculty’s response to ESRI and concern shown to develop their abilities as teachers and researchers in clinical teaching. However, the initial response suggested the need for more survey to continue creating the awareness for faculty development and research in teaching. Conclusion drawn from analysis of each items in inventory is encouraging for teaching in medical education.
Introduction: Ratings are known to have a generosity error, provide limited discrimination and distorted interpretation, and often fail to document serious deficits. A potential source of these problems is rater judgement. These problems compromise the capability of raters to maintain the standards of rating. The authors propose a simple grading system to improve this situation including providing feedback to raters. Method: The authors developed a grading system named the Discrepancy-Agreement Grade (DAG) to provide feedback on rater judgments. Dependent-t and intraclass correlation tests were applied to determine discrepancy and agreement levels of raters. Rater judgments were then classified into grades A, B, C or D. This grading system was tested in an examination and a student selection interview to assess rating judgments of examiners and interviewers. The purpose was to evaluate the practicability of the grading system to provide feedback on examiners’ and interviewers’ rating judgements. Results: in the examination, five short essays were rated by five pairs of senior lecturers. Out of 5 pairs, 2 (40%) obtained grade A and 3 (60%) obtained grade B. In the student selection interview, a total of 48 pairs of interviewers interviewed ten applicants. Out of 48 pairs, 20 (41.7%) obtained grade A, 1 (2.1%) obtained grade B, 23 (47.9%) obtained grade C and 4 (8.3%) obtained grade D. Conclusion: The grading system showed variability of rater judgments on medical students’ and applicants’ performance in an examination and interview session respectively. It provided feedback on the examiners’ and interviewers’ judgments on candidate performances. This exercise demonstrated practicability of the grading system to provide feedback on rater judgements.
Objective: To determine the construct validity and the internal consistency of the Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ) among medical students hence in the future it could be used as a valid and reliable instrument to identify stressors among medical students. Methods: The blueprint for the development of MSSQ was developed after a review of literature on the subject and a discussion with experts in the field. It comprised of 40 items
with six hypothetical groups. The face validity of the questionnaire was established through discussion with 141 final year medical students whereas content validity was established through discussion with experts from field of Medical Education and Psychiatry. It was administered to a total of 761 medical students. Data was analysed using Statistical Package Social Sciences (SPSS) version 12. Factor analysis was applied to test construct validity of the MSSQ. Reliability analysis (Cronbach’s alpha and item total correlation) was applied to test internal consistency of the MSSQ. Results: The total Cronbach’s alpha value of the MSSQ was 0.95. All the preliminary 40 items were included in the MSSQ as the items had item total correlation value of more than 0.3. The items were loaded nicely into the six pre-determined hypothetical groups as their factor loading values were more than 0.3.
Conclusion: This study showed that MSSQ had good psychometric value. It is a valid and reliable instrument in identifying stressors among medical students.
Objective: To determine the sensitivity, specificity and internal consistency of the Malay version GHQ-12 among medical student population. This study determined the appropriate GHQ-12 score to detect distressed medical students. Methods: The Malay version of GHQ-12 was derived based on two sources which were the original version GHQ-12 and the validated Malay version 30-items GHQ. The GHQ-12 and the Malay version Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were administered to a total of 141 medical students. Distress diagnoses were made based on the Malay version BDI-II. ROC curve analysis was applied to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the GHQ-12 by testing against the BDI-II. Reliability analysis (Cronbach’s alpha and item total correlation) was applied to test internal consistency of the
GHQ-12. The analysis was done using SPSS version 12.Results: The GHQ-12 sensitivity and specificity at cut-off point of 3/4 was 81.3% and 75.3% respectively with positive predictive value (PPV) of 62.9% as well as area under ROC curve more than 0.7. The Cronbach’s alpha value of the GHQ-12 was 0.85.Conclusion: This study showed the Malay version GHQ-12 is a valid and reliable screening tool in detecting distressed medical students. The
GHQ-12 score equal to or more than 4 was considered as significant distress.
Introduction: Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluates emotion. Research results found that EI is relevant to organizational development and manpower development. It is also important to academic success, emotional adaptability, stress management and other lifestyle issues. EI principles help one to understand and assess people's behaviors, interpersonal skills, attitudes and potentials. It also plays an important role in human resource planning, job placement and recruitment interviews and selection, business development, customer care services, and more. The study focused on exploring students’ EI, subscales of EI (i.e., personal competencies and social competencies) and its associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 571 medical students from year 1, 3 and 5. Years of study, gender, and ethnic groups were included as factor variables. USM Emotional Quotient Inventory (USMEQ-i) was used to measure EI, personal competence and social competence. Results: Years of study significantly associated with EI (F = 18.41, p < 0.001), personal competency (F = 16.93, p < 0.001) and social competency levels (F = 12.92, p < 0.001). There was a decreasing pattern of EI, personal competency and social competency level as medical training progresses. Male significantly had a higher EI (t = -1.99, p < 0.05) and personal competence (t = -1.99, p < 0.05) levels than female medical students. Nevertheless, male and female students had equal levels of social competence (t = -1.39, p = 0.730). Ethnic groups demonstrated no significant association with EI, personal competency and social competency level. Conclusion: This study found that years of study were the main associated factor, followed by gender. In addition, there is a cause of concern regarding the decreasing pattern of EI throughout medical training. Further research is required to investigate this concern, so that appropriate intervention can be taken to alleviate the concern.
Context: Question vetting is important to ensure validity, reliability, and other quality indicators of assessment tools, including the MCQ. Faculty members invest a substantial amount of time and effort into the MCQ vetting process. However, there is shortage of scientific evidence showing its effectiveness and at which level it needs to be focused on. This study aimed to provide scientific evidence regarding the effects of question vetting process on students’ examination performance by looking at their scores and pass-fail outcomes.
Method: A parallel randomized control trial was conducted on third year medical students in a medical school. They were randomly assigned into two equal groups (i.e. control and experimental). Two mock examinations were conducted (i.e. time I and time II). At time I, non-vetted MCQs were administered to both groups as a baseline measurement. At time II, vetted MCQs were administered to the experimental group, while the same non-vetted MCQs were administered to the control group.
Results: Out of 203 students, 129 (63.5%) participated in both mock examinations. 65 students were in the control group and 64 students were in the experimental group. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in mean examination scores and pass-fail outcomes between or within the control and experimental groups.
Conclusion: This study indicated that the MCQ vetting process did not influence examination performance. Despite these findings, the MCQ vetting process should still be considered an important activity to ensure that test items are developed at the highest quality and standards. However, it can be suggested that such activity can be done at the departmental level rather than at the central level.
Objective: BigSib Students' Peer-Group Mentoring Programme was implemented as an innovative, interactive and integrated instructional method in the Universiti Sains Malaysia medical school curriculum designed to enhance and strengthen medical students training in soft skills and professional development. This study was conducted to evaluate first- and second-year medical students’ perceptions of and attitudes towards the Programme.
Methodology: A cross sectional study was carried on 314 medical students. Questionnaires assessing medical students' perceptions and attitudes towards the Programme were administered. Data were analysed by using SPSS version 12.
Results: 45.9 % of the students perceived the BigSib Students' Peer-Group Mentoring Programme as successful. More than 50% of the students are willing to participate in the Programme. About 60% of the students perceived it as an effective Programme in developing their soft skills and professionalism.
Conclusion: Medical students have positive attitudes toward the Programme and it is perceived as a successful and effective Programme in developing students' personal attributes. Similar peer-group mentoring programme may be considered relevant to be incorporated into the medical curriculum in the future.
Introduction: A clear concept and understanding about the measure and the measuring tools is essential for good practice of assessment. Assessors need to have information about the full range of assessment tools inclusive of psychometric validity and purpose of its use. Subjective inferences drawn from the readily available data as numbers of summative scores over the years and statistical evidences of reliability and validity of assessment tools used to measure student’s performance are good sources of feedback for competent assessment program. It also provides meaningful evaluation of learning and teaching in medical education. Method: A retrospective study of 119 candidates was carried out to analyze the summative assessment scores of their certifying examination of Masters of Surgery in School of Medical Sciences (SMS) at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Subjective judgment of raw data followed by internal consistency as reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity as constructs of individual assessment tool was analyzed. Finally each assessment tool as a measure of written or clinical construct was evaluated against six aspects of Messick’s criteria for quality control. Result: The correlation coefficient for validity and Cronbach’s alpha for reliability was evaluated for clinical measures. However, the test of internal reliability was not possible for essay being the only measure in written construct of summative assessment in surgery. All measures of clinical construct were found highly reliable with Cronbach’s alpha between 0.962-0.979. Long case and the short cases have shown excellent correlations (r=0.959 at p
The study of medicine is often regarded by students as a stressful environment particularly during examination period. Studies found a high percentage of medical students experience significant psychological distress during the examination period. This study compared percentage and level of psychological distress between two batches of first year medical students who underwent different selection admission processes during a stressful examination period. A comparative
cross-sectional study was done on two batches of first year medical students; one group selected based on academic merit (2008/2009 batch) and the other selected based on academic merit, psychometric tests and interview (2009/2010 batch). The psychological distress was measured by the 12-item general health questionnaire (GHQ-12). The data were collected right after the final examinations. A total of 99 (46.05%) medical students of the 2008/2009 batch and 196 (100%) medical students of the 2009/2010 batch participated. The percentage of medical students who had psychological distress of the 2008/2009 and the 2009/2010 batches were 58.59% and 42.3%, respectively. The mean GHQ-12 score and percentage of psychological distress were significantly different between the two batches (p< 0.01). The older batch had 2.01 times higher risk for developing psychological distress compared with the newer batch (p< 0.01). The newer batch
of medical students had better psychological health status and was less likely to develop psychological distress during the stressful period compared with older batch.