Introduction: In the realm of education and professional licensure, the assessment of individuals’ competencies is pivotal in determining eligibility for entry into various fields of practice. Medical school assessments encompass cognitive and non-cognitive measures. The Philippines’ Physician Licensure Examination (PLE) relies solely on cognitive assessment. This study explored the predictive power of cognitive assessment in the passing the Physician Licensure Examinations. Methods: A case-control study design was done. Cognitive examination grade was defined as the average cumulative grade of written examinations in specific subjects, while the dependent variable was PLE scores. Results: The study revealed a positive association between failing written examinations and failing the Physician Licensure Examination. In all subjects, there is an observed association, but only Pharmacology reached statistical significance (OR: 2.30 CI:1.01,5.24). For the remaining subjects, although there is an association, it did not reach statistical significance (Biochemistry OR:1.42, CI: 0.43, 4.72; Medicine 3 OR:1.56, CI: 0.81, 3.0; Surgery 3 OR:1.28 CI: 0.63, 2.58). There was no association seen between failing the written examination and failing the PLE in Obstetrics (OR:0.98 CI: 0.47, 2.03). Furthermore, there was a weak positive correlation (0.18-0.31) between written examination grades and corresponding board exam subject grades for all subjects, highlighting the importance of cognitive assessments in predicting success. The research also found a statistically significant difference in PLE grades between those who failed the written examinations and those who passed. Conclusion These findings emphasized the crucial role of cognitive assessments in predicting success in the PLE and its associated board subjects. The study underscored the need for medical institutions to focus on strengthening cognitive competencies and to align the content and rigor of written examinations with the PLE. Addressing these issues would better prepare students for the licensure examination and enhance the quality of healthcare professionals entering the workforce. The results may contribute to the ongoing discussion on the effectiveness of assessment methods in medical education and licensure examinations.
Association

Medical ; Central ; Mental association

Discipline ; Mental association

With advancement in genetic studies, familial phaeochromocytoma (PCC) and paraganglioma (PGL) are increasingly being recognized. Characteristically, correlations exist between genotypes and clinical and biochemical phenotypes. We report a phaeochromocytoma in a young patient with intriguing family histories, raising the possibility of his being a familial case.
Genetic Association Studies

Although melanoma only accounts for 1% of skin cancers, it is responsible for most skin cancer deaths. Glioblastoma multiforme, a high-grade astrocytoma, is the most aggressive and devastating primary brain tumor. These two diseases remain to be the biggest therapeutic challenge in both specialties of dermatology and neuro-oncology. A 53-year-old Filipino male who presented with a 2-year history of generalized dark brown and black patches on the body developed weakness and numbness of the left extremities. Biopsy and immunohistochemical staining of the skin revealed nodular melanoma with adjacent regressing melanoma. Biopsy of the intracranial mass showed glioblastoma multiforme. One month after the partial excision of the intracranial mass, the patient expired due to brain herniation. Nodular melanoma and glioblastoma multiforme may occur concomitantly in a patient. A review of the literature suggests a shared genetic predisposition. Its existence carries a poor prognosis and requires early detection to start aggressive treatment.
Melanoma ; Glioma ; Glioblastoma ; Association

The authors reviewed the meanings of a psychoanalytic setting, which is composed of a patient's free association and an analyst's analytic neutrality. In particular, this was done by discussing the definitions of a psychoanalytic setting, the functions of free association, and the development of the meanings of analytic neutrality over time. The purpose this wasto provide an understanding of a psychoanalytic setting for psychoanalytic therapists. To fully understanda psychoanalytic setting, the several points must be considered. Firstly, a patient's introspection about his/her inner world in the presence of an analyst in a psychoanalytic setting facilitates the development of the psychoanalytic process. Secondly, both a patient's reflective functioning of his/her mental process and a patient's relational experiences of transference feelings toward their analyst is important for analytic treatment. Thirdly, a patient's progress withfree association during treatment sessions indicates spontaneity, a motivation to be cured from a patient's standpoint. Fourthly, a patient and an analyst become aware of the meaning of a patient's materials from free association through the process of Ed-highlight: Unclear. I'm not sure what you mean by this word. Are you referring to the patient's thoughts or feelings? free association itself. Fifth, the main aim of analytic neutrality is to understand the patient's psychic reality, and it is important to understand this reality through interaction between a patient and an analyst
Free Association ; Humans ; Motivation ; Psychoanalysis

Japanese language ; Medicine ; Mental association

Objective: The association between periodontitis and diabetes mellitus varies based on geographical location, and there are limited investigations on the relationship of the two chronic diseases among Philippine subjects. This study aimed to determine the association between periodontitis and diabetes among Filipino dental school patients. Methods: In this retrospective case-control study, the periodontal conditions and diabetic statuses of all patients who sought treatment at the Dental College’s Oral Medicine clinic within two academic years were reviewed. The prevalence of diabetes among 715 cases of periodontitis was compared to the prevalence among 834 control patients without periodontitis. Odds ratios (OR) were computed using logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age, sex, educational attainment, and smoking status. Results: The overall prevalence of diabetes mellitus for all patients was 3.10%. Patients with periodontitis had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes at 5.73% compared to control subjects without periodontitis, whose diabetes prevalence was recorded at 0.84% (P<0.001). A significant association was observed between periodontitis and diabetes, with an unadjusted OR=7.19. After logistic regression analysis to control confounding variables, the adjusted OR was found to be 3.05 (95% confidence interval = 1.27 to 7.31; P=0.012). Conclusion The prevalence and odds of having diabetes are significantly higher among Filipino dental school patients with periodontitis, compared to patients without periodontitis. These results provide evidence to support an association between periodontitis and diabetes mellitus in this representative sample of the Filipino population.
Periodontitis ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Association ; Prevalence

Genome-wide association (GWA) studies are the method of choice for discovering loci associated with common diseases. More than a thousand GWA studies have reported successful identification of statistically significant association signals in human genomes for a variety of complex diseases. In this review, I discuss some of the issues related to the future of GWA studies and their biomedical applications.
Genome, Human ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans

Most psychiatric disorders are some kinds of complex genetic traits. Identifying the causal genes of psychiatric disorders has been challenging. Through recent revolutionary advances, such as the HapMap Project and the development of high-throughput genotyping chips, the genome-wide association study (GWAS) has recently become possible and is now in the spotlight in psychiatric genetics. In this article, we reviewed the concepts, rationale, designs and general steps of GWAS, and also introduced a few previous GWAS of several psychiatric disorders.
Genome-Wide Association Study ; HapMap Project