Tag Archives: medical students

Unified protocols for transdiagnostic treatment versus the Beckian’s approach of cognitive behavioral therapy for medical students with emotional disorders

Cosmin O. Popa1, Peter Olah2, Cristiana Cojocaru3, Zsolt Jakab3, Dana V. Ghiga4, Alina Schenk3

1. Department of Ethics and Social-Sciences, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania
2. Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tirgu Mures, Romania
3. The Doctoral School of Medicine and Pharmacy, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania
4. Department of Research methodology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania

DOI: 10.2478/amma-2022-0002

Background: Emotional disorders are highly prevalent among medical students, impacting their academic performance and general quality of life. It was shown that cognitive-behavioral and emotion regulation strategies are efficient for reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms in young people.
Objective: This study aims to compare the efficiency of standard individual Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to a group intervention based on the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment (UPTT) of emotional disorders in two groups of medical students with similar baseline characteristics.
Method: The sample of this research was composed of 64 medical students in total, of which 34 were included in the CBT group (Mage= 19.5 years, SD= 0.96) and 30 were included in the UPTT group (Mage= 19.4 years, SD= 0.93). The level of irrational beliefs and emotional distress were measured before and after the interventions, which were carried out by certificated psychotherapists.
Results: Statistically significant differences were observed between pre-test and post-test in both groups. The level of irrational beliefs dropped after the CBT (M=62.91, SD=21.30, p<0.05) and the UPTT intervention (M=67.33, SD=34.89, p<0.05), respectively. Similarly, the profile of emotional distress changed after the CBT (M=77.62, SD=16.97, p<0.05) and the UPTT intervention (M=68.77, SD=20.06, p<0.01).
Conclusion: Psychological interventions relying on cognitive-behavioral approaches, including standard, individual psychotherapy and a group intervention designed according to a transdiagnostic protocol, are suitable methods for reducing emotional disorders among medical students.

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The Role of Acceptance and Planning in Stress Management for Medical Students

Cosmin Octavian Popa1, Alina Schenk2, Adrian Rus3, Simona Szasz1, Nicoleta Suciu1, Dan Alexandru Szabo1, Cristiana Cojocaru4

1. George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology, Targu Mures, Romania
2. Save the Children, Romania
3. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Southwestern Christian University, Bethany, OK, USA
4. Braun Dialysis Centre, Sighisoara, Romania

DOI: 10.2478/amma-2020-0020

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of two coping mechanisms, namely Acceptance and Planning, in stress management among medical students.
Methods: This research included two groups, a target group consisting of medical students (N = 100; Mage = 22.34) and a control group which was composed of physical education and sports students (N = 100; Mage = 20.11). For the target group, a low level of stress was induced, the students being informed that their overall behavior during an examination would be analyzed later by a group of psychologists, after which they were filmed while taking the exam. The students from the control group performed a physical exercise while they were filmed, and they were told that the correctness of the exercise would be evaluated by experts in physical education and sports on the basis of the recorded images. After completing the tasks, both the students in the target group and those in the control group completed the COPE questionnaire.
Results: The statistical data interpretation revealed a significant statistical difference regarding the two coping mechanisms, namely Acceptance [M = 10.73; t (19) = 3.79, p <0.001; CI -1.91, -0.60], and Planning [M = 9.47; t (19) = 4.70, p <0.01; CI -1.99, -0.81]. According to statistical data analysis, we did not find another significant statistical difference among the remaining 13 coping mechanisms.
Conclusions: To efficiently manage stress during exams, medical students use Acceptance and Planning coping mechanisms, which may increase their emotional regulation abilities and help them focus on problem-solving.

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The Effectiveness of Using Medical Students for Training High School Students in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Dîrzu Dan Sebastian1,2*, Hagău Natalia1, Boț Theodor3, Fărcaș Loredana3, Copotoiu Sanda Maria4

1 Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, University of Medicine and Pharmacy ”Iuliu Hațieganu”, Cluj Napoca
2 University of Medicine and Pharmacy Târgu Mureș,
3 University of Medicine and Pharmacy ”Iuliu Hațieganu”, Cluj Napoca,
4 Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Târgu Mureș

DOI: 10.1515/amma-2016-0005

Introduction: Training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a very important topic for society, trainers and researchers. However it is not yet established who should be trained and by whom nor how the training programmes should be accomplished. We developed a study to evaluate an existing programme where medical students train high school students in cardiopulmonary resuscitation using instrumented mannequins to teach and collect performance data.
Method: The students of four randomly selected high school classes were trained by four randomly selected medical students and were evaluated by an independent evaluator. The level of knowledge provided and the level of technical skills acquired were analysed.
Results: One hour of lecturing was enough to increase the mean of correct answers from 39.52% to 78.48% when we tested knowledge. Testing for skills retention we found that that 92.75% of trained students taped the shoulder; 95.65% asked loudly “Are you all right?” at the right moment; 97.1% shouted for help at the right moment, the entire group remembered to check the breathing at the right moment, and 92.75% executed a correct head tilt chin lift manoeuvre; 86.9% remembered to call 112 at the right moment. Automatic recordings showed that mean flow fraction was 80.74%, mean no flow time was 18.9 seconds, mean frequency of chest compressions was 134.7/min and mean compression depth was 39.06 mm.
Conclusions: The results showed that high school students achieved a good level of knowledge and acceptable cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills when trained by medical students.

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Medical Students’ Acceptance of Online Assessment Systems

Petrisor Marius1*, Marusteri Marius1, Simpalean Dan1, Carasca Emilian2, Ghiga Dana3

1 University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tirgu Mures, Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Tirgu Mures, Romania
2 University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tirgu Mures, Department of Internal Medicine, Tirgu Mures, Romania
3 University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tirgu Mures, Department of Scientific Medical Research Methodology, Tirgu Mures, Romania

DOI: 10.1515/amma-2015-0110

Objective: The increased use of computers in education lead to computerized assessments, especially web-based assessment systems The aim of this study is to evaluate students’ acceptance of being evaluated using an online web-based assessment system.
Methods: A transversal study was performed where a sample of students that used and were accustomed to an online assessment system were asked to fill in a short questionnaire and evaluate its use.
Results: The questionnaire items responses show students’ preference for online assessment, as opposed to other assessment forms, like oral examination or classical pen and paper examination. Also it is noticeable the increase in the student number that prefer the online assessment as we move up through one year of study to the next.
Conclusions: The study revealed a high level of acceptance for the online multiple choice questions test as an assessment method. Students’ opinion is that online tests are better suited for knowledge assessment and are more objective.

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Attitudes and Preferred Information Sources in Medical Students and Family Doctors Regarding Organ Donation and Transplantation

Jung H1, Egyed-Zsigmond I2, Hecser L1, Brînzaniuc Klara3

1 Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
2 Department of Pathology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
3 Department of Anatomy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania

Background: Organ transplantation is a modern treatment for many patients, however current organ shortage determines the need to identify strategies to eliminate barriers and increase organ donation rate. Aim of the study is to determine present and future health care professionals’ attitude and methods of further knowledge acquisition on the topic of organ donation and transplantation.
Material and method: We performed a cross-sectional survey in a study population consisting of preclinical medical undergraduates and of general practitioner doctors, the self administered questionnaires were anonymously statistically analyzed, the association between variables was considered significant for values p <0.05.
Results: One-hundred forty students and 48 doctors participated in our study, both groups showed positive attitude towards organ donation, 81.4% and 68.8% respectively were willing to donate own organs after death. Previous family discussions determined significant change of attitude among students but not within the group of doctors. Formal earlier education on the topic of transplantation was reported by 25% of the students but by none of the doctors. Preferred information channels are medical journal articles in both groups (37.9% vs. 35%), additionally medical students would prefer lectures and seminars while doctors would like to receive information during conferences and congresses. Internet is chosen (30–32%) over classical mass media.
Conclusions: although health care professionals have a natural inclination towards accepting donation and transplantation, providing information is essential in structuring their attitude in the way of promoting an environment that has a positive influence on organ donation rates.

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Outside over Inside Analysis of Medical Students’ Education Efficacy in Cognitive Domain over a given Physiology Curricula

Gliga M, Sabău M

Department of Physiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania

Aim: We tried to correlate, in cognitive domain, the second year medical students’ oral evaluation results to the efficacy of education they were provided, over our medical physiology curricula between 2004 and 2011.
Material and methods: We used the fact that during the mentioned period the curricula configuration for the two semesters of the second year was identical. We also used the fact that, for a given group of students and curricula, education and evaluation were performed by the same teacher. We compared three existing and unmodified configurations: 1. different groups of students, same curricula, different teachers, 2. same group of students, different curricula, same teacher and 3. same group of students, different curricula, different teachers. We also took an inside brief evaluation of students’ skills in cognitive domain at the beginning of the second year and tried to correlate it with final results.
Results: We couldn’t make any correlations because of logical contradictions of the configurations we compared. We couldn’t obtain, as an outside observer, concise information of what levels in cognitive domain students were evaluated on by different teachers. Merely we can say that education of the second year medical students over our physiology curricula cannot be efficient for a large amount of students who do not possess those compulsory cognitive skills that are required to study physiology.
Conclusions: The protocols used between 2004 and 2011 for evaluating medical students’ skills in cognitive domain over second year medical curricula cannot give accurate information for an outside evaluator.

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Assessment of Medical Students’ Perception on the Healthcare System

Stamatin O1, Poroch V2

1 Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iaşi, Romania
2 Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iaşi, Romania

Purpose: Major transformations going through the medical system have a significant impact on medical students, future physicians and their perception is a key factor in the ongoing evolution of the medical practice. We assessed medical students’ perceptions on healthcare system, patients care, the ethics of medicine, and the understanding of health policies.
Material and method: We studied data from 415 medical students who completed a survey questionnaire during a period of five months. Applied questionnaire was completed individually with single choice questions and privacy was respected. Students had the opportunity to make comments and sugestions to complex issues.
Results: In terms of professional orientation, an equal number of students opted for a medical and surgical specialty, while for medical research field there were only 10 responses. 91% of students believe that the medical system in Romania is not effective, while 47% considered the system is partially efficient. The perception on the healthcare system worsens as medical students approach their final years.
Conclusions: Students have shown pragmatism regarding the answers that targeted their professional options, the place where they want to practice, their choice of specialty and their perception of the healthcare system. The questionnaire identified major deficiencies in terms of financing of the health system, the ineffective administration of resources, poor management and low wages.

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