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Background Maintaining the quality of teaching across India is a challenge. Teachers are equally responsible for patient care and administration. The importance of training medical teachers under the various faculty development programs (FDPs) is well accepted. A mechanism to evaluate the competencies acquired by medical teachers after attending FDPs becomes equally important. In the present study, we evaluate the impact of the various FDPs on medical teachers. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted for one year among 50 medical teachers attending FDPs. Ethical clearance was taken from the Institutional Ethical Committee. For quantitative data collection, the questionnaire was validated by the Scientific Approval Committee of the Institute. The study questionnaire was filled in by the participants just before and three months after attending FDPs. For qualitative data collection, in-depth Interviews (IDIs) using the Kirkpatrick model of learning evaluation were conducted. Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies and percentages. The thematic areas of self-efficacy and teaching competency before and after FDPs were tested using the chi-square test. P-values <0.05 were considered significant. Results There was a significant increase in self-efficacy (300 vs. 426, p = <0.0001) and teaching competency (456 vs. 608, p = <0.0001) in the domains of teaching difficult students and motivating students for innovative projects. Improvement in communication skills and ability to engage the students were noteworthy in teaching competency. IDIs revealed that FDPs are essential for the efficient delivery of the competency-based medical curriculum. Conclusions FDPs play a key role in bringing about significant improvement in generating self-efficacy and teaching competencies among medical teachers. FDPs may be incorporated into the postgraduate medical curriculum itself.
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Introduction Columnar lined epithelium (CLE) of the esophagus holds particular importance in diagnosing Barrett's esophagus (BE). In Asia, the prevalence of BE ranges from 0.06% to 6.2%. In India, prevalence estimates vary from 2.6% to 23%. The frequency of esophageal adenocarcinoma has also been observed to be increasing alarmingly over the past few decades. The length of CLE as a criterion for diagnosing BE is the subject of considerable debate. Changes in CLE length among different age groups may exist. Our study aims to measure the length of CLE, or the distance between the angle of His and the Z Line (AZ distance), in normal individuals from Northeast India, and to analyze its variation across different age groups. Materials and methods The study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy and the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati, Assam, India, during the period 2017-2019. Once opened, each specimen was laid flat on a board. The distance between the A and Z lines was measured using a pair of vernier calipers. This distance was recorded as the AZ distance in millimeters (mm). Results The mean AZ Distance was found to be 12.4 ± 5.3 mm. A significant correlation between age and AZ distance was observed. Conclusion Our present study suggests that the length of the CLE increases with age. This observation offers an opportunity to revisit or revise the diagnostic criteria based on CLE length, taking into account the age of the individual.
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Introduction The mucosa in the cardiac region of the stomach has been less understood. Cardiac mucosa (CM) with less parietal and oxyntic cells has been defined as a normal mucosa. Studies have shown that CM can be the result of occult reflux. Oxyntic mucosa (OM) is normal, and it changes to CM with age. In advancing age, it is more common to find CM instead of OM and oxyntocardiac mucosa (OCM). This study is an attempt to examine the distribution of the three different types of mucosa in various age groups. Materials and methods The study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy and Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati, Assam, India, from 2017 to 2019. Once the stomach was opened, histological specimens were prepared, and the type of mucosa was observed and recorded. Then, the distribution of the types of mucosa in various age groups was analyzed. Results The distribution of mucosa varies significantly across different age groups, and CM increases with age. Conclusion Our present study suggests that CM frequency increases with age. This is in accordance with studies that suggest that CM is a result of occult reflux with age. This observation creates a scope to revise the approaches for upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy.
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Background The vertebral arteries (VA) nourish the posterior cerebral circulation. Planning neck and cervical interventions like drilling and instrumentation, which involves VA manipulation, require an in-depth acquaintance with the normal and variant patterns encountered in the origin and course of the VA. Embryological events involved in forming these variant patterns can be correlated to their prior disposition in the lower vertebrate's understanding which becomes crucial while planning cervical interventions. Study design This is a single-center, retrospective study. Materials and methods The study involved 70 patients of both sexes and was done from September 2021 to February 2022 in the Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Meghalaya, India. The CT angiographies were studied for variations of VA under V1 - from origin to entrance into the foramen transversarium (FT), V2 - part inside FT, V3 - from its exit from FT till it pierces the cranial dura mater, and V4 - intracranial part. Further, VA was observed for its origin, dominance, level of entry in FT, and any associated anomalies. Results The VA was found mostly to be codominant. There was an opposite directional relationship between the basilar artery curvature and the dominance of VA. The association of ischemic events with hypoplastic VA was more on the left side (66.67%). Left VA originated from the aorta in 4.3% of subjects. One case presented a dual origin of VA. The abnormal origin of the LVA from the aorta showed a higher rate of abnormal entry into FT which was also found to be statistically significant. Conclusion Our study identifies and documents the anatomical variations present in VA specific to the population of northeast India by CT angiography and thus provides a much-needed reference for the healthcare professionals working in the field of Head and Neck interventions by providing opportunities further to understand these patterns for better diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes.