Ismail Memon - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Ismail Memon
Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 2022
Purpose: To investigate health professions student’s awareness, attitude, and perception towards ... more Purpose: To investigate health professions student’s awareness, attitude, and perception towards the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and also to determine the influence of socio- demographic variables on the descriptive outcomes of this study. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, comparative study was conducted among Undergraduate Health Professions Students (n=398) at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences at Riyadh campus, through a validated questionnaire. Results: The results of the study revealed that among various modalities of CAM, most students were aware and used prayers/spirituality, followed by nutritional supplements, cupping, massage, herbal medicine and yoga. The least effective modality was aromatherapy, whereas the most harmful modality was acupuncture. The data showed that the students obtained more information from friends/relatives and media and less from formal CAM training/courses. Awareness/self-use and beliefs/attitudes were fo...
Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 2008
The authors measured prevalence of byssinosis in spinning and textile workers of Karachi, Pakista... more The authors measured prevalence of byssinosis in spinning and textile workers of Karachi, Pakistan, and examined association of the disease with demographic and environmental factors. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 3 spinning and textile mills and 3 colonies inhabited by spinning and textile workers. A precoded questionnaire was administered to the workers and followed by physical and clinical examination. Among 362 textile workers, the authors found the prevalence of byssinosis to be 35.6%. Educational status of the workers and section of the mill were significantly associated with prevalence of the disease. The authors conclude that there is a high prevalence of byssinosis in spinning and textile workers of Karachi. Furthermore, low education level and work in the spinning section of the mill appear to contribute significantly to the high prevalence of the disease in Pakistan.
Journal of Anatomy, 2010
A multitude of signalling cascades are implicated in the homeostasis of articular chondrocytes. H... more A multitude of signalling cascades are implicated in the homeostasis of articular chondrocytes. However, the identity of these signalling pathways is not fully established. The 3, 5¢-cyclic AMP-mediated signalling system is considered to be a prototype. Adenylyl cyclase (AC) is an effector enzyme responsible for the synthesis of cAMP. There are 10 mammalian AC isoforms and some of these are differentially regulated by calcium/calmodulin (Ca 2+ /CaM). Ca 2+ is known to play an important role in the development and maintenance of skeletal tissues. Ca 2+ /CaM-dependent AC isoforms and their temporal expression in articular chondrocytes in rats were identified using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry techniques. All Ca 2+ /CaM-dependent AC isoforms were expressed in chondrocytes from all age groups examined. Each isoform was differentially expressed in developing and adult articular chondrocytes. Generally, expression of AC isoforms was observed to increase with age, but the increase was not uniform for all Ca 2+ /CaM-dependent AC isoforms. Expression of Ca 2+ /CaM-dependent AC isoforms along with other signalling molecules known to be present in articular chondrocytes indicate complicated and multifactorial signalling cascades involved in the development and homeostasis of articular cartilage. The significance of these findings in terms of articular chondrocyte physiology is discussed.
Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP, 2016
OBJECTIVE To determine the expression and localisation of the Gβγ-activated adenylyl cyclase (AC)... more OBJECTIVE To determine the expression and localisation of the Gβγ-activated adenylyl cyclase (AC) isoforms 2, 4, and 7 and calcineurin-inhibited AC isoform 9 in rat articular chondrocytes. STUDY DESIGN Experimental study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Jumma Research Laboratory and Histology Laboratory, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, from 2009 to 2011. METHODOLOGY Fresh slices of articular cartilage were taken from various synovial joints of rats of different age groups. The expression of AC isoforms was determined by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry was performed to localise these isoforms in articular chondrocytes. Tissue sections were processed for immunostaining with respective antibodies. The color was developed by diaminobenzidine. RESULTS All the studied AC isoforms were found to be differentially expressed in different zones of the rat articular cartilage. Generally, expression of all AC isoforms studied increased with age. The expression of the AC isoforms through PCR was al...
The College of Science and Health Professions offers a university preprofessional program. Like m... more The College of Science and Health Professions offers a university preprofessional program. Like most medical schools in Saudi Arabia, the teaching delivery strategy in the university preprofessional program is on campus and face-to-face. During the month of March 2020, teaching activities of the spring semester were proceeding as normal; however, the sudden emergence of COVID-19 disturbed routine activities and compelled authorities to switch all teaching activities from face-to-face to online. Training sessions and workshops for all stakeholders on online delivery methods were arranged. Blackboard and other online facilities were utilized. All teaching materials, including newly made video clips for anatomy and physiology practicals, were uploaded on Blackboard and discussed online with students. Students’ anxiety related to the exam was reassured by giving them the option of open book quizzes during summative continuous assessment. All scheduled teaching sessions, lectures, and pr...
BACKGROUND In Pakistan, there is no mechanism to monitor the drug promotional campaign by pharmac... more BACKGROUND In Pakistan, there is no mechanism to monitor the drug promotional campaign by pharmaceutical industry despite the fact that there is enough evidence that irrational pharmacotherapy is increasingly encountered even in the developed countries due to unethical practices of pharmaceutical promotion. Objectives. To audit the drug promotional claims made by the pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan. METHODS Drug promotional pamphlets and brochures containing claims for the drugs, which were circulated by the pharmaceutical representatives were collected from 122 general practitioners (GPs) from Karachi and Larkana cities of the Sindh Province. The claims were critically analyzed and audited with the help of currently available evidence in the medical literature. RESULTS 345 distinct advertisements covering 182 drugs from different manufacturers were critically analyzed for information content. Sixty two out of 345 (18%) of the reviewed advertisements were adjudged to be mislead...
JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 2009
Madam, Teaching of basic medical sciences generally and anatomy particularly has been diluted in ... more Madam, Teaching of basic medical sciences generally and anatomy particularly has been diluted in the medical curricula globally during past 2-3 decades. This reduction in anatomy teaching has started showing the consequences in clinical practice, patient care, and medical education. The new, student centered teaching methodology, and the problem based learning (PBL) does have a positive outcome in understanding the clinical aspects of a disease. On the other hand the depth of basic medical sciences knowledge has been observed to be lacking among the students. It is still debatable, to what extent the basic medical sciences knowledge is needed for becoming a good doctor. Nobody can deny the fact that, comprehensive knowledge of human anatomy is essential to understand the pathophysiology and comprehend obstetrics/gynaecology, orthopaedics, dentistry, and general surgery. 1 In order to answer the question as to how much detail of anatomy one needs to know, we can go through some liter...
The curriculum of medical schools includes courses on antibiotics. Therefore, it is worth explori... more The curriculum of medical schools includes courses on antibiotics. Therefore, it is worth exploring information related to the knowledge and attitudes about antibiotics. In this cross-sectional study the questionnaire was administered to the undergraduates in two phases, before and after attending the basic medical science courses. The data were collected on demographic variables, source of antibiotics, level of knowledge, and changes in attitude statements. Data analysis was implemented using SPSS. The mean age of participants was 19.87 and 20.15 in phases I and II, respectively. Most of the participants’ parents had education at the university level and a monthly income above 15,000 SAR. Generally, students had good knowledge and attitude about antibiotics. A significant improvement in students’ knowledge in phase-II was noticed in “level of knowledge” (p-value = 0.044), “paracetamol is considered an antibiotic” (p-value < 0.001) and “overuse of antibiotics can cause antibiotic...
J Pharm Pharmaceut …, 2006
Background. In Pakistan , there is no mechanism to monitor the drug promotional campaign by pharm... more Background. In Pakistan , there is no mechanism to monitor the drug promotional campaign by pharmaceutical industry despite the fact that there is enough evidence that irrational pharmacotherapy is increasingly encountered even in the developed countries due to ...
Pharmacy
Introduction: Knowledge and attitudes towards proper antibiotic usage among students in medical a... more Introduction: Knowledge and attitudes towards proper antibiotic usage among students in medical and other health allied fields play a vital role in limiting the pandemic of antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes toward antibiotic usage among pre-professional students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences on Jeddah Campus, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A self-administered cross-sectional survey of 347 first year students was conducted at the College of Science and Health Professions, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences using a validated questionnaire. Results: Nearly 63% of the students had a moderate level of knowledge. Two third of the students (69.7%) correctly knew that antibiotics are indicated for the treatment of bacterial infections. However, about 36% of the students incorrectly thought that antibiotics are also used to treat viral infections, while 28.5% were not sure. Only 38.8% of the students were aware o...
Medical Principles and Practice
Cadaver dissection (CD) is considered a tool for studying the structural details of the human bod... more Cadaver dissection (CD) is considered a tool for studying the structural details of the human body. Lately, conflicting opinions regarding the utility of this modality in medical training have been published in medical literature. This review of the literature examines the status of anatomy teaching with CD in traditional, modern, and postgraduate medical training across the world. Literature published in the English language on topics related to CD in the past 3 decades was scrutinized using different search engines. About 200 full texts were reviewed. We describe how medical schools have continued to include CD in anatomy teaching in the traditional or modified form. Medical schools that stopped or decreased CD have learnt from their experiences, and have restarted it in modified forms by integrating it vertically with medical training. In addition, CD activities have increased in postgraduate anatomy courses, surgery training, and voluntary/optional CD programs. CD, when integra...
JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 2009
Vascular Disease Prevention, 2008
... Diseases Dileep Kumar Rohra* and Ismail Kamal Memon ... hypertension. The KATP channels play ... more ... Diseases Dileep Kumar Rohra* and Ismail Kamal Memon ... hypertension. The KATP channels play an important role not only in coronary blood flow regulation but also in protection of cardiovascular cells from ische-mia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. ...
PAKISTAN JOURNAL …, 2005
Abstract.-Chondrocytes exhibit a life cycle of proliferation, differentiation, maturation, and ap... more Abstract.-Chondrocytes exhibit a life cycle of proliferation, differentiation, maturation, and apoptosis; rate of each of these processes is dependent on the expression of temporal and spatial signals. Identification of these signals is essential to understand the molecular ...
Anatomical Sciences Education, 2009
Anatomy education in Pakistan is facing many of the same challenges as in other parts of the worl... more Anatomy education in Pakistan is facing many of the same challenges as in other parts of the world. Roughly, a decade ago, all medical and dental colleges in Pakistan emphasized anatomy as a core basic discipline within a traditional medical science curriculum. Now institutions are adopting problem based learning (PBL) teaching philosophies, and since medical colleges in Pakistan first introduced PBL curricula that expose the basic sciences primarily in clinical contexts, the methods and extent of anatomy teaching have been topics of much debate. Many claim that PBL curricula dilute basic science education, especially anatomy. At the same time, classically trained faculty members with PhD in anatomy have become nearly extinct in Pakistan, with only four working in country. A third challenge currently facing anatomy education in Pakistan, as in many parts of the world, is an unavailability of cadavers for dissection. As more institutions adopt PBL curricula, as PhD anatomists are harder to find, and as cadavers for dissection become scarce, Pakistan and other countries around the world will have to seriously consider how they will sustain adequate anatomy education.
Advances in Physiology Education
Many medical schools offer pre-professional programs to undergraduate students. The main purpose ... more Many medical schools offer pre-professional programs to undergraduate students. The main purpose of the university pre-professional program (UPPP) is to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills required to successfully cope with the academic demands of further education provided by professional colleges. The aim of this commentary article is to describe the role of UPPP at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in preparing students to continue studies at the College of Medicine (COM) and other health-related colleges. The anatomy and physiology course is presented as a representative model. An outline of the UPPP in the context of the curriculum, teaching strategies, learning facilities, and assessment is presented. The pre-professional program at KSAU-HS prepares school graduates to become self-learners and enable them to learn effectively in the clinical context in a problem-based learning curriculum at COM.
Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 2008
The authors measured prevalence of byssinosis in spinning and textile workers of Karachi, Pakista... more The authors measured prevalence of byssinosis in spinning and textile workers of Karachi, Pakistan, and examined association of the disease with demographic and environmental factors. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 3 spinning and textile mills and 3 colonies inhabited by spinning and textile workers. A precoded questionnaire was administered to the workers and followed by physical and clinical examination. Among 362 textile workers, the authors found the prevalence of byssinosis to be 35.6%. Educational status of the workers and section of the mill were significantly associated with prevalence of the disease. The authors conclude that there is a high prevalence of byssinosis in spinning and textile workers of Karachi. Furthermore, low education level and work in the spinning section of the mill appear to contribute significantly to the high prevalence of the disease in Pakistan.
Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 2022
Purpose: To investigate health professions student’s awareness, attitude, and perception towards ... more Purpose: To investigate health professions student’s awareness, attitude, and perception towards the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and also to determine the influence of socio- demographic variables on the descriptive outcomes of this study. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, comparative study was conducted among Undergraduate Health Professions Students (n=398) at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences at Riyadh campus, through a validated questionnaire. Results: The results of the study revealed that among various modalities of CAM, most students were aware and used prayers/spirituality, followed by nutritional supplements, cupping, massage, herbal medicine and yoga. The least effective modality was aromatherapy, whereas the most harmful modality was acupuncture. The data showed that the students obtained more information from friends/relatives and media and less from formal CAM training/courses. Awareness/self-use and beliefs/attitudes were fo...
Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 2008
The authors measured prevalence of byssinosis in spinning and textile workers of Karachi, Pakista... more The authors measured prevalence of byssinosis in spinning and textile workers of Karachi, Pakistan, and examined association of the disease with demographic and environmental factors. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 3 spinning and textile mills and 3 colonies inhabited by spinning and textile workers. A precoded questionnaire was administered to the workers and followed by physical and clinical examination. Among 362 textile workers, the authors found the prevalence of byssinosis to be 35.6%. Educational status of the workers and section of the mill were significantly associated with prevalence of the disease. The authors conclude that there is a high prevalence of byssinosis in spinning and textile workers of Karachi. Furthermore, low education level and work in the spinning section of the mill appear to contribute significantly to the high prevalence of the disease in Pakistan.
Journal of Anatomy, 2010
A multitude of signalling cascades are implicated in the homeostasis of articular chondrocytes. H... more A multitude of signalling cascades are implicated in the homeostasis of articular chondrocytes. However, the identity of these signalling pathways is not fully established. The 3, 5¢-cyclic AMP-mediated signalling system is considered to be a prototype. Adenylyl cyclase (AC) is an effector enzyme responsible for the synthesis of cAMP. There are 10 mammalian AC isoforms and some of these are differentially regulated by calcium/calmodulin (Ca 2+ /CaM). Ca 2+ is known to play an important role in the development and maintenance of skeletal tissues. Ca 2+ /CaM-dependent AC isoforms and their temporal expression in articular chondrocytes in rats were identified using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry techniques. All Ca 2+ /CaM-dependent AC isoforms were expressed in chondrocytes from all age groups examined. Each isoform was differentially expressed in developing and adult articular chondrocytes. Generally, expression of AC isoforms was observed to increase with age, but the increase was not uniform for all Ca 2+ /CaM-dependent AC isoforms. Expression of Ca 2+ /CaM-dependent AC isoforms along with other signalling molecules known to be present in articular chondrocytes indicate complicated and multifactorial signalling cascades involved in the development and homeostasis of articular cartilage. The significance of these findings in terms of articular chondrocyte physiology is discussed.
Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP, 2016
OBJECTIVE To determine the expression and localisation of the Gβγ-activated adenylyl cyclase (AC)... more OBJECTIVE To determine the expression and localisation of the Gβγ-activated adenylyl cyclase (AC) isoforms 2, 4, and 7 and calcineurin-inhibited AC isoform 9 in rat articular chondrocytes. STUDY DESIGN Experimental study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Jumma Research Laboratory and Histology Laboratory, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, from 2009 to 2011. METHODOLOGY Fresh slices of articular cartilage were taken from various synovial joints of rats of different age groups. The expression of AC isoforms was determined by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry was performed to localise these isoforms in articular chondrocytes. Tissue sections were processed for immunostaining with respective antibodies. The color was developed by diaminobenzidine. RESULTS All the studied AC isoforms were found to be differentially expressed in different zones of the rat articular cartilage. Generally, expression of all AC isoforms studied increased with age. The expression of the AC isoforms through PCR was al...
The College of Science and Health Professions offers a university preprofessional program. Like m... more The College of Science and Health Professions offers a university preprofessional program. Like most medical schools in Saudi Arabia, the teaching delivery strategy in the university preprofessional program is on campus and face-to-face. During the month of March 2020, teaching activities of the spring semester were proceeding as normal; however, the sudden emergence of COVID-19 disturbed routine activities and compelled authorities to switch all teaching activities from face-to-face to online. Training sessions and workshops for all stakeholders on online delivery methods were arranged. Blackboard and other online facilities were utilized. All teaching materials, including newly made video clips for anatomy and physiology practicals, were uploaded on Blackboard and discussed online with students. Students’ anxiety related to the exam was reassured by giving them the option of open book quizzes during summative continuous assessment. All scheduled teaching sessions, lectures, and pr...
BACKGROUND In Pakistan, there is no mechanism to monitor the drug promotional campaign by pharmac... more BACKGROUND In Pakistan, there is no mechanism to monitor the drug promotional campaign by pharmaceutical industry despite the fact that there is enough evidence that irrational pharmacotherapy is increasingly encountered even in the developed countries due to unethical practices of pharmaceutical promotion. Objectives. To audit the drug promotional claims made by the pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan. METHODS Drug promotional pamphlets and brochures containing claims for the drugs, which were circulated by the pharmaceutical representatives were collected from 122 general practitioners (GPs) from Karachi and Larkana cities of the Sindh Province. The claims were critically analyzed and audited with the help of currently available evidence in the medical literature. RESULTS 345 distinct advertisements covering 182 drugs from different manufacturers were critically analyzed for information content. Sixty two out of 345 (18%) of the reviewed advertisements were adjudged to be mislead...
JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 2009
Madam, Teaching of basic medical sciences generally and anatomy particularly has been diluted in ... more Madam, Teaching of basic medical sciences generally and anatomy particularly has been diluted in the medical curricula globally during past 2-3 decades. This reduction in anatomy teaching has started showing the consequences in clinical practice, patient care, and medical education. The new, student centered teaching methodology, and the problem based learning (PBL) does have a positive outcome in understanding the clinical aspects of a disease. On the other hand the depth of basic medical sciences knowledge has been observed to be lacking among the students. It is still debatable, to what extent the basic medical sciences knowledge is needed for becoming a good doctor. Nobody can deny the fact that, comprehensive knowledge of human anatomy is essential to understand the pathophysiology and comprehend obstetrics/gynaecology, orthopaedics, dentistry, and general surgery. 1 In order to answer the question as to how much detail of anatomy one needs to know, we can go through some liter...
The curriculum of medical schools includes courses on antibiotics. Therefore, it is worth explori... more The curriculum of medical schools includes courses on antibiotics. Therefore, it is worth exploring information related to the knowledge and attitudes about antibiotics. In this cross-sectional study the questionnaire was administered to the undergraduates in two phases, before and after attending the basic medical science courses. The data were collected on demographic variables, source of antibiotics, level of knowledge, and changes in attitude statements. Data analysis was implemented using SPSS. The mean age of participants was 19.87 and 20.15 in phases I and II, respectively. Most of the participants’ parents had education at the university level and a monthly income above 15,000 SAR. Generally, students had good knowledge and attitude about antibiotics. A significant improvement in students’ knowledge in phase-II was noticed in “level of knowledge” (p-value = 0.044), “paracetamol is considered an antibiotic” (p-value < 0.001) and “overuse of antibiotics can cause antibiotic...
J Pharm Pharmaceut …, 2006
Background. In Pakistan , there is no mechanism to monitor the drug promotional campaign by pharm... more Background. In Pakistan , there is no mechanism to monitor the drug promotional campaign by pharmaceutical industry despite the fact that there is enough evidence that irrational pharmacotherapy is increasingly encountered even in the developed countries due to ...
Pharmacy
Introduction: Knowledge and attitudes towards proper antibiotic usage among students in medical a... more Introduction: Knowledge and attitudes towards proper antibiotic usage among students in medical and other health allied fields play a vital role in limiting the pandemic of antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes toward antibiotic usage among pre-professional students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences on Jeddah Campus, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A self-administered cross-sectional survey of 347 first year students was conducted at the College of Science and Health Professions, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences using a validated questionnaire. Results: Nearly 63% of the students had a moderate level of knowledge. Two third of the students (69.7%) correctly knew that antibiotics are indicated for the treatment of bacterial infections. However, about 36% of the students incorrectly thought that antibiotics are also used to treat viral infections, while 28.5% were not sure. Only 38.8% of the students were aware o...
Medical Principles and Practice
Cadaver dissection (CD) is considered a tool for studying the structural details of the human bod... more Cadaver dissection (CD) is considered a tool for studying the structural details of the human body. Lately, conflicting opinions regarding the utility of this modality in medical training have been published in medical literature. This review of the literature examines the status of anatomy teaching with CD in traditional, modern, and postgraduate medical training across the world. Literature published in the English language on topics related to CD in the past 3 decades was scrutinized using different search engines. About 200 full texts were reviewed. We describe how medical schools have continued to include CD in anatomy teaching in the traditional or modified form. Medical schools that stopped or decreased CD have learnt from their experiences, and have restarted it in modified forms by integrating it vertically with medical training. In addition, CD activities have increased in postgraduate anatomy courses, surgery training, and voluntary/optional CD programs. CD, when integra...
JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 2009
Vascular Disease Prevention, 2008
... Diseases Dileep Kumar Rohra* and Ismail Kamal Memon ... hypertension. The KATP channels play ... more ... Diseases Dileep Kumar Rohra* and Ismail Kamal Memon ... hypertension. The KATP channels play an important role not only in coronary blood flow regulation but also in protection of cardiovascular cells from ische-mia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. ...
PAKISTAN JOURNAL …, 2005
Abstract.-Chondrocytes exhibit a life cycle of proliferation, differentiation, maturation, and ap... more Abstract.-Chondrocytes exhibit a life cycle of proliferation, differentiation, maturation, and apoptosis; rate of each of these processes is dependent on the expression of temporal and spatial signals. Identification of these signals is essential to understand the molecular ...
Anatomical Sciences Education, 2009
Anatomy education in Pakistan is facing many of the same challenges as in other parts of the worl... more Anatomy education in Pakistan is facing many of the same challenges as in other parts of the world. Roughly, a decade ago, all medical and dental colleges in Pakistan emphasized anatomy as a core basic discipline within a traditional medical science curriculum. Now institutions are adopting problem based learning (PBL) teaching philosophies, and since medical colleges in Pakistan first introduced PBL curricula that expose the basic sciences primarily in clinical contexts, the methods and extent of anatomy teaching have been topics of much debate. Many claim that PBL curricula dilute basic science education, especially anatomy. At the same time, classically trained faculty members with PhD in anatomy have become nearly extinct in Pakistan, with only four working in country. A third challenge currently facing anatomy education in Pakistan, as in many parts of the world, is an unavailability of cadavers for dissection. As more institutions adopt PBL curricula, as PhD anatomists are harder to find, and as cadavers for dissection become scarce, Pakistan and other countries around the world will have to seriously consider how they will sustain adequate anatomy education.
Advances in Physiology Education
Many medical schools offer pre-professional programs to undergraduate students. The main purpose ... more Many medical schools offer pre-professional programs to undergraduate students. The main purpose of the university pre-professional program (UPPP) is to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills required to successfully cope with the academic demands of further education provided by professional colleges. The aim of this commentary article is to describe the role of UPPP at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in preparing students to continue studies at the College of Medicine (COM) and other health-related colleges. The anatomy and physiology course is presented as a representative model. An outline of the UPPP in the context of the curriculum, teaching strategies, learning facilities, and assessment is presented. The pre-professional program at KSAU-HS prepares school graduates to become self-learners and enable them to learn effectively in the clinical context in a problem-based learning curriculum at COM.
Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 2008
The authors measured prevalence of byssinosis in spinning and textile workers of Karachi, Pakista... more The authors measured prevalence of byssinosis in spinning and textile workers of Karachi, Pakistan, and examined association of the disease with demographic and environmental factors. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 3 spinning and textile mills and 3 colonies inhabited by spinning and textile workers. A precoded questionnaire was administered to the workers and followed by physical and clinical examination. Among 362 textile workers, the authors found the prevalence of byssinosis to be 35.6%. Educational status of the workers and section of the mill were significantly associated with prevalence of the disease. The authors conclude that there is a high prevalence of byssinosis in spinning and textile workers of Karachi. Furthermore, low education level and work in the spinning section of the mill appear to contribute significantly to the high prevalence of the disease in Pakistan.