BMC Medical Education最新文献

Introduction: Although neurological research and practice are gaining traction globally with newer therapeutic/diagnostic approaches, many medical students and trainees are reluctant to pursue careers in the neurosciences. Amid fragile health systems and low neurologist-patient ratios, a comprehensive understanding of the burden of neurophobia in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) is yet lacking. We reviewed the burden of neurophobia and described its implications for neurology care and research.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Scopus, and African Journals Online (AJOL) for publications from inception till December 2024, using combinations of relevant search terms for 'neurophobia', 'burden/prevalence/patterns/predictors', our target populations, and 'low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)'. Data from selected studies were extracted and populated into a customized spreadsheet under pre-defined headings. The extracted data were subsequently analyzed.

Results: A total of 131 studies from PubMed (n = 25), AJOL (n = 6), EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, and Google Scholar (n = 100) were screened. Ultimately, 15 studies were included, with a total sample size of 4,430 participants - comprising 3,629 medical students and 801 doctors. The prevalence of neurophobia was highly variable, ranging from as low as 6.25% to as high as 91.4%. The determinants, however, appeared consistent across study settings, comprising specific individual-level characteristics educational, sociocultural, as well as health system-related factors.

Conclusion: The prevalence of neurophobia in LMICs varies widely. To tackle neurophobia, extant health policy, educational, and clinical training initiatives should be geared towards implementing and sustaining evidence-based strategies to improve clinical exposure and case-based learning. This will be critical to ensuring a steady stream of neurology workforce and may help bridge the neurology clinical care and research gap in LMICs.

Chief residents play a pivotal leadership role in postgraduate medical education. However, traditional seniority-based or informal selection practices may inadvertently miss out on essential qualities such as leadership and communication skills, professionalism, and peer trust. Evidence-based, merit-driven selection models in radiology, particularly from low- and middle-income country settings, remain scarce.Residents prioritize leadership, communication, professionalism, and advocacy over academic performance. Additionally, recent research demonstrates low awareness and limited perceived transparency of existing selection practices. Our aim, hence, is to develop and design a transparent, stakeholder-informed, merit-based chief resident selection framework in a radiology residency program.Implementation of a structured and contextually adaptable chief resident selection model can potentially offer a new and transformative approach to leadership selection in postgraduate radiology training, promoting meaningful, competency-based practices aligned with trainee expectations.

Background: Psychological well-being is crucial for medical students, who face high levels of stress throughout their training. This systematic review examines interventions designed to enhance the well-being of medical students, addressing gaps in previous research that often focused on specific interventions or included broader health professional populations.

Methods: This systematic review was undertaken according to PRISMA guidelines and registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018097172). The review analysed 33 studies identified from a search of Medline and PsycINFO, identifying a variety of interventions and outcome measures of wellbeing. Results were narratively synthesised and primary studies assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB-2) tool for interventional studies and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) tool for observational studies.

Results: The most effective interventions were mindfulness-based programs, particularly when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). These approaches helped students manage stress, anxiety, and depression, which occur frequently among medical students. Notably, online mindfulness programs were as effective as in-person sessions, offering flexibility for students with demanding schedules. Voluntary participation in these interventions also led to better outcomes, highlighting the importance of student engagement. Other effective interventions included positive psychology programs, which foster resilience, coping ability and gratitude, and physical exercise which reduced stress and improved overall well-being. In contrast, voluntary mentoring programs and health education initiatives showed limited effectiveness in reducing psychological distress, possibly due to inconsistent implementation or a lack of emotional support. Interestingly, the review found that the frequency and duration of effective interventions did not significantly affect their efficacy. This suggests that simply including and delivering wellbeing interventions in curricular may be more important than their length or frequency. Participants who engaged in mindfulness and other well-being interventions also maintained improvements in mental health during follow-up assessments, indicating long-term benefits.

Conclusion: Voluntary mindfulness interventions combined with CBT, along with positive psychology and exercise programs, were identified as the most effective strategies for enhancing the well-being of medical students. Future research should explore integrating these interventions into medical curricula to ensure lasting mental health support throughout students' training.