Browsing by Author "Gautam, A"
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Publication Effectiveness of Teachers’ Training in Assessment Techniques: Participants’ Perception(Kathmandu University, 2011) Baral, N; Gautam, A; Lamsal, M; Paudel, BH; Das, BK Lal; Aryal, MABSTRACT Background Medical education has experienced a rapidly changing scenario especially during the past three decades. Teachers’ training programs have emerged in recent years as a more in depth and comprehensive mechanisms for strengthening instructional skills and formulating assessment techniques among faculty members. Objective The present study was carried out with the aim of assessing effectiveness of teacher’s training workshop on assessment techniques at B.P. Koirala Institute of Health sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal. Methods: In this prospective questionnaire based study, the 26 entry level teachers were enrolled. They were requested to fill the questionnaire before and after the workshop on the assessment techniques at BPKIHS, Dharan. Methods Twenty six teachers majority of whom were entry level teachers comprising of medical, dental, nursing and allied sciences participated in pre- and post test analysis on the various components of written and oral examinations. A two and half days long training was conducted having 9 hours of teaching interactive sessions, 6 hours of group exercises, daily evaluation and 3 hours of presentation by participants. There was high degree of agreement with most topics of the assessment training. Results There was a significant gain in knowledge (p< 0.001) by the participants. All the participants (100%) agreed upon the training being informative and learned new things about assessment. More practice session with longer duration with invited resource persons were also suggested for an effective session. Conclusion Thereis an immense opportunity for a better and comprehensive training in evaluation techniques in medical education.. KEY WORDS evaluation system, faculty development, medical education, teacher training.Publication Impact of International Medical Graduates on the UK Healthcare System: Current Contributions and Future Challenges(Kathmandu University, 2024) Gautam, A; Sakthivel, J; Rahman, FAABSTRACT The Professional And Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) examination and the International English Language Teaching System (IELTS) represent pivotal evaluations for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) aspiring to pursue medical vocations within the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) leans significantly upon the expertise of medically trained professionals hailing from abroad, a fact further underscored by the substantial composition of IMGs within its workforce. The prevailing aftermath of the persistent pandemic has magnified the preexisting deficit of medical practitioners in the nation, thereby compounding the existing challenges. The intersection of circumscribed temporal constraints governing language proficiency assessments and the restricted worldwide capacity for the placement of IMGs has served to exacerbate this conundrum. This dual- pronged challenge has led to a noteworthy contraction in the pool of qualified physicians eligible to practice within the UK, thus catalyzing a climate of upheaval. These circumstances carry implications not solely for the medical workforce but also reverberate on the psychological equilibrium of these professionals. The exigencies imposed by their geographical separation from their homelands, coupled with the formidable task of surmounting the hurdle of examinations within an environment fraught with adversities, have underscored the urgency for timely and strategic intervention. Given the intricacies of this situation, the relevant governing authorities bear the imperative of instituting proactive measures to alleviate the predicament faced by these aspiring medical candidates. The call for timely interventions resonates strongly, aimed at ameliorating their predicament and restoring a semblance of equilibrium to this intricate situation. KEY WORDS International english language teaching system (IELTS), International medical graduates (IMGs), National health service (NHS), Medical workforce, Pandemic, Professional and linguistic assessments board (PLAB)Publication Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices regarding Non-Scalpel Vasectomy among Male Outpatients at a Tertiary Healthcare Facility in Eastern India(Kathmandu University, 2025) Richa, R; Biswas, B; Jahnavi, G; Boratne, AV; Venugopal, V; Gautam, A; Gupta, P; Varshney, SABSTRACT Background Despite being a safe and effective permanent contraceptive method, acceptance of Non-Scalpel Vasectomy remains low in India due to poor awareness and misconceptions. Objective To assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding Non-Scalpel Vasectomy among male outpatients at a tertiary healthcare facility in Eastern India. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary healthcare facility in Deoghar, Jharkhand, involving 346 married male outpatients with partners aged 15-44 years. Participants were selected through systematic random sampling, and data were collected using a pretested questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Result Of the participants, 61.0% demonstrated substantial knowledge of Non-Scalpel Vasectomy and 52.0% had a favourable attitude, yet only 1.7% had undergone the procedure. Major barriers to acceptance included lack of awareness (34.4%), fear of side effects (17.3%), and social stigma (9.0%). Greater knowledge was significantly associated with higher educational attainment [Adjusted Odds Ratio: 1.19, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.08-1.31] and a favourable attitude [Adjusted Odds Ratio: 2.95, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.77-4.91]. A favourable attitude was similarly linked to higher knowledge [Adjusted Odds Ratio: 2.96, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.78-4.91] but inversely related to increasing partner age [Adjusted Odds Ratio: 0.91, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.84-0.99]. Willingness to undergo the procedure was higher among those with greater knowledge (71.1%, p=0.001) and favourable attitudes (59.9%, p=0.007). Conclusion Awareness of Non-Scalpel Vasectomy was moderate, but notable gaps in knowledge and attitudes persisted, highlighting the need for targeted education, counselling, and community engagement to enhance acceptance and uptake. KEY WORDS Health knowledge, Male, Outpatients, Reproductive, Sterilization, VasectomyPublication Palliative Care and Pain Management in a Resource-Limited Setting(Kathmandu University, 2025) Gautam, A; Gautam, A; Johnson, S; Rahman, FAABSTRACT Palliative care is a vital component of healthcare that aims to alleviate the suffering of patients with life-threatening conditions. This specialized medical care focuses on managing symptoms, addressing social, emotional, and physical needs, and enhancing the quality of life for patients and their families. Palliative care addresses the patient’s medical, psychological, and spiritual requirements, and can be used as the primary focus of care or in conjunction with curative therapies. Pain management is a crucial aspect of palliative care, involving the control or reduction of pain through medication, therapy, and other treatments. However, pain is a subjective sensation, making quantification and effective relief challenging. This review highlights the complex issues associated with pain management in palliative care, emphasizing the need for improved training and accessible pain management techniques, such as the widely recognized “Wong-Baker Face Pain Scale”, particularly in resource-constrained environments like Nepal. The complex nature of pain management in palliative care compromises patients’ quality of life, influenced by factors like chemotherapy and terminal illness. Addressing this issue is imperative, especially in areas like Nepal where there is a shortage of appropriate training among medical personnel. Encouragingly, initiatives like mobile health teams, smartphone apps, and the establishment of a Palliative Care Training Center demonstrate progress in improving end-of-life care. KEY WORDS Health personnel, Nepal, Pain management, Palliative carePublication Preparing tutors for problem-based learning: An experience from B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Nepal(Kathmandu University, 2010) Baral, N; Paudel, BH; Das, BKL; Aryal, M; Gautam, A; Lamsal. MAbstract Background: Problem based learning (PBL) has made major impact on curricular designing and practice in medical education for the last forty years. Incorporation of PBL approach in medical education has been a challenge and opportunity for both educationists on how to impart change and medical teachers on how to internalise the change. Objectives: This paper aimed to investigate experiences, achievement and responses of medical teachers at B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Nepal. Materials and methods: There were 25 heterogeneous groups of teachers, majority of them were entry level. Pre- and Post- test question were taken from various topics relevant to PBL such as learning strategy and principles of adult learning, PBL practice at BPKIHS, tutorial session and role of a tutor, making resource session interactive, designing PBL problems, planning educational objectives in PBL, formulation of problem for PBL. In addition to it participants’ perception on development and dissemination of PBL manual and effectiveness of workshop were also included in the questionnaire. Results: There was significant gain in knowledge following the workshop (p<0.001). The perception of the teacher found quite relevant and useful for adopting new role as tutor. The respondent teachers noted that skills they learned during the training will be applicable to their job situation. They stressed for an additional training for reinforcement and update with new trends and tools in PBL. Conclusion: Therefore, such trainings for faculty development would be highly beneficial to inculcate new competencies in PBL. Key words: BPKIHS, Faculty Development, Problem Based Learning