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Background The undergraduate bioethics curriculum introduced in a private medical college in Pakistan in 1988 and revised in 2009 has evolved over time to incorporate globally relevant innovations, including integration of bioethics spirally within an existing problem-based learning curricular framework. The present evaluation study shares the results of this integrated bioethics curriculum delivered for 10 years across the five-year undergraduate medical curriculum. The study assessed the effectiveness of the curriculum in terms of student achievement, appropriateness of course contents and efficiency of instructional methods. Methods The study utilized a mixed method sequential explanatory design. The quantitative method was used in the first phase to gather data by utilizing a structured online questionnaire. This was followed by the second phase of qualitative methods to explain the findings of the first phase and enrich the data gathered. This phase was based on focus group discussions and document review. Results Student and faculty responses showed the curriculum contents to be relevant, informative, and appropriate as per learning objectives and student achievement. Multi-modal instructional methods used were stated to be effective and engaging; small group teaching and shorter sessions suggested to be preferable for fostering discussion and maintaining student engagement and attention. Large class formats were stated to be less effective. Students affirmed the contribution of bioethics education to their personal and professional development and ethical positioning. The majority of students agreed that the curriculum contributed to their knowledge acquisition (60.3—71.2%), skill development (59.41—60.30%) and demonstration of ethical/professional behavior (62.54—67.65%). The ranges indicate agreement with related sets of questions. Participants suggested that the curriculum could be further strengthened by better integration in clinical years, role modelling and providing opportunities for application in clinical health care settings. Moreover, topics like ethical issues related to the use of social media, public health ethics and ethics and law were suggested as additions to the existing curriculum. These findings have regional and global relevance for the development and assessment of effective bioethics curricula. Conclusion An effective bioethics curriculum for undergraduate medical education should run longitudinally across the 5 year curriculum and be integrated in the modules and clerkships. Basic acquisition of knowledge and skills takes place in Years 1 & 2 with reinforcement and application in Years 3–5. Learning embedded in an integrated curriculum can help students recognize, critically analyze and address ethical dilemmas. Involvement and commitment of the clinical faculty is essential for reinforcing the ethical principles and concepts learnt in the earlier years.

Background Academic Motivation forces students to work harder to achieve their educational goals and increases their academic achievement. Teaching methodologies are one of the ways to cater learning needs of students and improve academic motivation. However, there is a paucity of literature comparing the two small group discussion methods for their effect on academic motivation and the academic achievement. This study aims to analyze which small group discussion teaching method (between jigsaw and tutorial) is more effective in improving the academic motivation and achievement of undergraduate dental students. . Methods This experimental study was conducted at Shifa College of Dentistry, randomly sampling the BDS 1 st year students into two teaching groups (Jigsaw and Tutorial). Three teaching sessions were conducted within the module to teach the same topics to both groups. Multiple Choice Questions and a shorter version of the Academic Motivation Scale were administered to both groups before and after the intervention, to compare differences in scores. Data was analyzed using SPSS-26. Results The data of 46 students was included in the study (22 students in the Tutorial Group and 24 in the Jigsaw group). The mean pre-test scores of the academic achievement test for the control (tutorial) group was 16.86 ± 2.997 and for the experimental (jigsaw) group was 16.58 ± 3.296 ( p -value=0.765). The mean post-test scores were 17.32 ± 3.859 and 19.50 ± 3.162 for the control and experimental group respectively ( p -value=0.041). The control group and the experimental group had mean academic motivation scores of 56.05 ± 15.32 and 59.83 ± 10.09 respectively, before the intervention ( p -value=0.324). Post intervention, the two groups had mean academic motivation scores of 57.66 ± 11.87(control group) and 72.17 ± 12.42 (experimental group). There was a statistically significant difference in the mean scores on the academic motivation scale ( p value=0.000) between the two groups after intervention. Conclusion The jigsaw method is more effective in improving academic motivation and achievement of undergraduate dental students.

Background Empathy is one of the vital personality attributes for all physicians. It is essential for establishing general interpersonal relationships among doctors and patients. Unfortunately, there is evidence for the decline of physician’s empathy during the clinical training phase and is a major concern for medical educators worldwide. One of the major factors reported for the decline of this trait is an unprofessional learning environment. Objective This study examines the relationship between empathy level and perception of climate of professionalism among residents. Method The study participants included 70 residents of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatrics departments of a private sector tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Two self-administered internet based surveys - Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) and “Professionalism Climate Instrument”(PCI) - were administered to assess the level of empathy among the participants and their perception of professionalism in the learning environment. The relationship between the level of empathy and professionalism was analyzed using Spearman rank correlation. Results The overall response rate was 81.4% with mean empathy level of 103 ± 13. The internal consistency of each scale measured by Cronbach’s coefficient α was 0.76 for JSPE and 0.65 for PCI. No significant difference was observed in the mean empathy scores between senior and junior residents of both specialties. Statistically significant difference in empathy scores existed between female and male residents ( p  = 0.012; 95% CI, 2.27 to 17.59). The mean PCI score was 106 + 8.88 with no significant difference among residents of two specialties. Professionalism score was not found to vary with either the year of residency or gender. Empathy score and professionalism climate were not found to be correlated (r s  = 0.56, p  = 0.64). Conclusion The findings suggested that empathy is a relatively stable trait that remains unchanged during residency training programs. Female residents had higher empathic concern than the male trainees, however, the empathy level of the participants was not found to be influenced by the climate of professionalism.

Background Dental education integrates foundational medical sciences, including anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, internal medicine, and general surgery, to ensure holistic patient care. In Pakistan, there are growing concerns that the current dental curriculum does not adequately address the clinical and surgical components essential for preparing students to manage cases requiring basic surgical knowledge. Objectives To explore the perspectives of dental students, house officers, and general surgery faculty on the relevance and effectiveness of general surgery in undergraduate dental curricula, and to identify challenges affecting clinical preparedness. Study design A Qualitative Study. Place and duration of study The study was carried out at two prominent tertiary healthcare facilities in Karachi, Pakistan. One of the participating institutions was a private-sector tertiary training institute. - Ziauddin University (ZU), while the other was affiliated with the public sector, Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS). Method This study employed a purposive sampling strategy, a non-probability sampling technique that ensured participants’ some characteristics were directly relevant to the research objectives. In- depth interviews and focus group discussions were held. The thematic analysis was carried out using a hybrid approach, where deductive coding was performed based on the predetermined themes, with the inductive approach to thematic construction to draw out the core ideas. Result Participants had different opinions: some people suggested that general surgery topics be modified to match the specific needs of dentistry, while others defended their value in emergency care and practice of maxillofacial surgery. Concerns shown by participants included an overstuffed curriculum, inadequate practical exposure, poor supervision, and a gap between the surgery teaching and the dental practice. Faculty stressed the need for interactive teaching, while students called for early exposure to real patients, coupled with a properly organized system of clerkships. Conclusion Reforming the curriculum is essential for reducing the volume of surgical content, incorporating more interactive activities, increasing the opportunities for practical training, and implementing competency-based evaluations. These steps would improve the focus of learners, increase their clinical readiness, and improve the quality of care for patients. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

Background: The present study was designed to compare the knowledge gain of students in lectures and peer assisted learning (PAL) via end of course test scores. The purpose of this comparison was to assess the ability of PAL in enhancing academic achievement and to consider its addition within the traditional medical syllabus. Methods: A randomized control trial (RCT) was conducted at Department of Community Medicine, Lahore Medical and Dental College in 2014. Convenience sampling was used and out of 125 fourth year MBBS students, those who agreed to take part in the study (N = 99),were randomly allocated to PAL (n = 49) and lecture (n = 50) groups. Community Health& Nutrition was the course chosen for the study. Both lecture and the PAL sessions were conducted simultaneously and the duration and content covered in each session were the same for both groups. Knowledge gained was assessed through a pre- and post-test. Chi-square test, independent t test, paired t test and analysis of co variance (ANCOVA) were used for data analysis. Results: The study participants demonstrated a significant difference in the pre-test and post-tests cores in both the study groups (P ≤ 0.001). However, no statistically significant difference was found in the post-test scores between the Lecture and PAL groups, F (1, 95) = 0.584, P = 0.447.Gender and high school qualifications had no bearing on test scores in both learning groups. Conclusion: The present study concludes that in terms of academic achievements, PAL was equally effective to lectures. Therefore, PAL can be incorporated as a supplement to lectures in medical school curricula.

Objective: To determine the correlation between Emotional Intelligence (EI) scores and academic scores and identify other factors that have a relationship with EI. Methods: Cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in the year 2021 on 52 students enrolled in three batches of the MHPE program of a public sector university in Karachi. Data was collected by using Sterrett’s Emotional Quotient Self-Assessment Checklist along with a self-constructed form for obtaining demographic profile information. Descriptive analysis was done by calculating percentage, mean and standard deviation. The correlation was done by using Spearman rho and association was tested by Chi-square. Results: Data from forty-one participants showed that the majority need to improve their EI. Females and married participants had higher EI scores. There was a significant positive correlation between EI scores and academic performance but no significant association was found between EI and gender of the participants. Conclusion: The study showed that EI competencies have a strong positive correlation with the academic performance of MHPE students. Hence, it emphasizes the need for including development of EI in the outcomes and curricula of the existing MHPE program. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.6.7399 How to cite this: Fatima A, Ali SK. Relationship of Emotional Intelligence with academic scores and gender in students of Masters in Health Professions Education (MHPE) at a Public Sector University. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(6):1725-1729. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.6.7399 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Objective: To explore the individual and community-level factors influencing the professional identity formation (PIF) of health professions educators and educationists and examine how these factors influence educator identity within professional communities. Methodology: This qualitative systematic review followed the SPIDER and PICO frameworks to identify relevant empirical literature published between 2005 to 2024. Four databases (PubMed, ERIC, CINAHL, and PsycINFO) were searched. Studies were included if they employed qualitative or mixed methods with significant qualitative components and focused on health professions educators. Data were synthesized using thematic synthesis following Thomas and Harden’s three-stage approach. Quality appraisal was conducted using the CASP checklist, and inclusion required a minimum score of 12 out of 18 across six evaluative criteria. Results: Sixteen studies were included, representing diverse geographic and disciplinary contexts. Thematic synthesis revealed four core domains influencing PIF: (1) transitions into educator roles, (2) individual-level drivers such as motivation and reflective agency, (3) community and institutional enablers including mentorship and recognition, and (4) psychological processes such as impostor phenomenon and identity affirmation. These factors interact dynamically within socio-cultural contexts to shape educator identity. Conclusion: Professional identity formation in health professions educators is a multidimensional, non-linear process shaped by personal motivation, institutional culture, and emotional validation. Faculty development programs must explicitly address identity support alongside pedagogical training to foster sustainable educator roles and academic engagement. Institutional policies should recognize and reward educational contributions to strengthen teaching legitimacy in clinical academic settings.

Politics in education is not a new concept and has been a sore point of discussion between academia and policy makers. The politics of medical education has led to the formation of informal guilds that have taken control over medical education. Policy decisions concerning medical/dental education affecting the lives of the community, at large are implemented without giving due consideration to the pedagogy of medical education. This paper delves into the definitions of politics, pedagogy and guilds and with evidence identifies that major policy decisions in medical education are strongly influenced by politics. The paper will discuss that politics of medical education is not necessarily a bad thing if it ensures public safety and is based on best evidence medical education. In the same context the guilds formed for medical education reforms should uphold the principles of pedagogy. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.6.6057 How to cite this:Baig LA, Ali SK, Sarfaraz S. Role of Politics, Guilds and Pedagogy in defining Policies in Medical Education: The Pakistan Scenario. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(6):1708-1713. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.6.6057 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

To investigate the predictive validity of Uniform Entrance Test for academic performance in the first two years in various health science degree programs. A retrospective analysis of admissions data and academic performance of students admitted in under-graduate programs of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy of three cohorts was taken. The independent and dependent variables were entry test scores and semester scores respectively. Spearman's Correlation co-efficient was computed to determine the association between entrance test scores and semester scores for three groups. Majority of the students were from the MBBS degree program (61%) with majority of female students (65%) in all three programs. In MBBS the highest correlation coefficient between entry test and semester scores was observed for semester one = 0.334 and lowest in semester four = 0.208. In BDS degree program both highest and lowest correlations were in semester one. In the Pharm-D degree program, a significant correlation was only seen in cohort 1 but not in the subsequent cohorts. The uniform entrance test has an incremental predictive validity for the MBBS and BDS programs as compared to Pharm-D. Better performance in the entrance test predicts higher semester scores and more likelihood of achieving higher scores in the first year as compared to the second year.

To evaluate Multiple Choice and Short Essay Question items in Basic Medical Sciences by determining item writing flaws (IWFs) of MCQs along with cognitive level of each item in both methods. This analytical study evaluated the quality of the assessment tools used for the first batch in a newly established medical college in Karachi, Pakistan. First and sixth module assessment tools in Biochemistry during 2009-2010 were analyzed. Cognitive level of MCQs and SEQs, were noted and MCQ item writing flaws were also evaluated. A total of 36 SEQs and 150 MCQs of four items were analyzed. The cognitive level of 83.33% of SEQs was at recall level while remaining 16.67% were assessing interpretation of data. Seventy six percent of the MCQs were at recall level while remaining 24% were at the interpretation. Regarding IWFs, 69 IWFs were found in 150 MCQs. The commonest among them were implausible distracters (30.43%), unfocused stem (27.54%) and unnecessary information in the stem (24.64%). There is a need to review the quality including the content of assessment tools. A structured faculty development program is recommended for developing improved assessment tools that align with learning outcomes and measure competency of medical students.