Social restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have shifted most learning methods into online courses, especially for medical skills education. However, the effects of online courses on medical s...

Purpose: Hybrid learning has been chosen as an alternative method in the conduction of clinical skill lectures during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic since students need to learn skills applied in emergency situations. This study aims to analyze students’ attitudes between hybrid and online learning methods.Methods: A non-randomized study was conducted between hybrid group (HG) and online group (OG) on three courses (intravenous [IV]-line insertion, nasogastric tube [NGT] insertion, and neonatal resuscitation). We developed a preformed validated questionnaire to assess students’ attitudes in five domains (willingness, understanding, capacity, self-efficacy, and intended behavior). The questionnaire was applied at the pre- and post-intervention.Results: A total of 100 participants were included (n=49 in HG, n=51 in OG). Post-course attitudes were significantly higher in online (IV-line, p=0.000; NGT, p=0.000; resuscitation, p=0.000) and hybrid (IV-line, p=0.000; NGT, p=0.000; resuscitation, p=0.000) groups compared to their pre-course. There were no significant differences in post-course attitude between groups (IV-line, p=0.072; NGT, p=0.163; resuscitation, p=0.146). Normalized-gain scores of all subjects were higher in HG (IV-line, p=0.012; NGT, p=0.085; resuscitation, p=0.033).Conclusion: In conclusion, hybrid learning could be considered as a better alternative in clinical skill lectures to maximize students’ attitudes, especially during COVID-19 pandemic.

Vaccines are highly effective in lowering the mortality due to COVID-19. Although several suspected adverse events or side effects after vaccination including retinal vein occlusion (RVO) have been reported. We conducted a systematic review using PRISMA methods to analyze the occurrence of RVO among people vaccinated by COVID-19 mRNA- vs viral vector- vaccines on 4 databases from 1-1-2021 to 31-12-2022 using specified MeSH terms. All included studies were assessed using JBI critical appraisal tools for eligibility. The final included studies are 31 studies (n=78 cases from 75 patients; 3 of these patients suffered twice). The median age of the patients was 61 years (28 to 96 years old) and most of them were female (52.00%). Thirty-nine patients received the mRNA vaccine (52.00%), while 36 patients received the viral vector vaccine (48.00%) before the event. The RVO diagnoses are based on physical examination confirmed by Fluorescein Angiography (FA), and/or Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). The median time interval between vaccination and RVO was 6 days in the mRNA vaccine group and 4 days in the viral vector vaccine group. Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion (BRVO) were tied as the most common diagnosis in the mRNA vaccine group (20.51% and 20.51%), whilst in the viral vector vaccine group CRVO was the most common diagnosis (17.94%). Most of these cases had good outcomes with improved visual impairment in one or both eyes. From this review, we could not ascertain that the RVO occurs due to the type of COVID-19 vaccines because of the detailed data on the dosage and the history of illness of each patient. However, the awareness that the RVO could develop after COVID-19 vaccination must be taken into consideration, even though it is rare.

Gabapentin is widely used for epilepsy and neuropathic pain. Beyond neurological indications, preclinical evidence suggests that gabapentin may exert anti-inflammatory effects that have not been systematically reviewed. A systematic review (2015–2025) was performed, resulting in thirteen in vitro and in vivo studies evaluating gabapentin’s impact on inflammatory signaling pathways, cytokine production, immune cell activity, and tissue inflammation. Outcomes included molecular pathways, inflammatory mediators, histopathological changes, and functional inflammatory measures. Risk of bias and study quality were assessed using the SYRCLE RoB tool for in vivo studies and the SciRAP approach for in vitro studies. Gabapentin demonstrated potential modulation of inflammatory responses in neuropathic pain, neuroinflammation, uveitis, and sepsis models through inhibition of MAPK and NF-κB signaling, reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines, modulation of PPAR signaling pathways, and activation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Gabapentin’s pharmacological actions extend beyond neuronal excitability to include modulation of inflammatory pathways, supporting a broader biological role for gabapentin. Although preclinical data support gabapentin’s potential anti-inflammatory properties, further targeted experimental and clinical studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Competitions outside the medical curriculum provide a platform for medical students to acquire advanced knowledge in specific medical subjects. Indonesian Medical Physiology (IMPhO) is the first and the largest competition in the field of physiology at the national level in Indonesia. It was held for the first time in 2017 and has been an annual physiology competition since then. This competition offers several challenges in different forms, including writing tests and oral rounds, to assess both individual and team capabilities in analyzing and comprehensively understanding human physiology. Consequently, the participants in this competition must have an in-depth understanding of human physiology concepts and develop a winning strategy to become a successful team. This article outlines the preparation strategies employed by the participants of IMPhO in 2022 and how it can be adopted to promote effective study skills for medical students. We conducted a semi-structured interview with participants and their accompanying lecturers to explore their strategies for the competition. We highlighted several important strategies, including utilizing resource materials effectively, fostering teamwork, providing mentorship, and emphasizing the role of lecturers as team supervisors. These competition-based learning strategies also can be adopted to promote effective study skills in formal curricula for medical students.

Background: Diabetes mellitus still becomes a significant population health problem. In achieving sufficient awareness, face-to-face public education methods may serve as an effective measure. However, in the amid of pandemic, their implementation is restricted, which leads to the use of virtual platforms for learning activities. In addition, the applicability of the online learning method has yet to be explored. Objective: To evaluate its impact on the knowledge, attitude, and lifestyle practices of the productive-age population related to diabetes. Methods: A pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental study involving a single group was conducted among the productive-age population (aged 15 to 64 years) selected using consecutive sampling in two sub-districts in Surabaya, Indonesia. Baseline and endline levels of participants’ knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding diabetes assessed using a self-developed questionnaire were compared after receiving an educational intervention. Results: A total of 19 participants meeting the eligibility criteria were selected as the study subjects. A statistically significant increase in the participants’ knowledge score from pre- to post-test (p=0.038) was observed. There was no significant change between the pre-test and post-test scores of attitude (p=0.938) and practice (p=0.087) after the intervention. Conclusion: Online learning method improved the population’s knowledge regarding diabetes mellitus. However, it appears to have a limited role in providing better modification for attitude and practice. Further research comparing online and traditional face-to-face education methods are required to establish this approach as an alternative.