PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess medical students' presence on Facebook and the extent of their visible activity, with particular reference to online professionalism. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study including all medical students enrolled in the University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, India during the period of the study, which was conducted from 2011 to 2012. After approval by the Institutional Ethical Committee, the full names of all students were obtained from our institution. After creating a fictitious profile, Facebook was searched for students' profiles, and those found were examined for visible content and unprofessional behaviour. RESULTS: Of 611 students, 477 (78.1%) had detectable Facebook profiles. Out of 477 profiles, date of birth, address, email, phone number, religion, and political views were rarely shared; sexual orientation and relationship status were displayed on approximately one third of the profiles; and an identifiable profile picture (80.3%), field of study (51.6%), and institution (86.2%) were commonly shared . The visible content included friend lists (88.7%), photo albums (36.1%), and associations with diverse groups and pages (97.1%). Five profiles (1.05%) displayed unprofessional content, including one profile photograph depicting alcohol consumption, one association with groups relating to excessive alcohol consumption, two profiles containing sexually explicit language, and one association with a sexist page. CONCLUSION: Most of our students use Facebook's privacy settings to hide some content from others. Unprofessional content was rarely visible from a stranger's profile. However, even when hidden from strangers, unprofessional behaviour is still unprofessional behaviour. As Facebook is an integral part of life, it is important for medical educators and students to understand the implications and importance of e-professionalism. Professionalism curricula should address e-professionalism.
Alcohol Drinking ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Curriculum ; Electronic Mail ; Friends ; Humans ; India* ; Parturition ; Privacy ; Sexual Behavior ; Students, Medical*

PURPOSE: The first year is stressful for new medical students who have to cope with curricular challenges, relocation issues, and separation from family. Mentoring reduces stress and facilitates adaptation. A program for faculty mentoring of first-semester students was initiated by the Medical Education Unit in 2009 at University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi. Feedback after the first year revealed that mentees were reluctant to meet their mentors, some of whom were senior faculty. In the following year, student mentors (near-peers) were recruited to see if that would improve the rate and quality of contact between mentees and mentors. METHODS: Volunteer faculty (n=52), near-peers (n=57), and new entrants (n=148) admitted in 2010 participated in the ratio of 1:1:3. The program aims were explained through an open house meeting, for reinforcement, and another meeting was conducted 5 months later. At year-end, a feedback questionnaire was administered (response rate: faculty, 28 [54%]; mentees, 74 [50%]). RESULTS: Many respondent faculty (27, 96%) and mentees (65, 88%) believed that near-peer mentoring was useful. Compared to the preceding year, the proportion of meetings between faculty mentors and mentees increased from 4.0+/-5.2 to 7.4+/-8.8; mentees who reported benefit increased from 23/78 (33%) to 34/74 (46%). Benefits resulted from mentors' and near-peers' demonstration of concern/support/interaction/counseling (35, 47.3% mentees); 23 mentees (82%) wanted to become near-peers themselves. CONCLUSION: Near-peer mentoring supplements faculty mentoring of first-year medical students by increasing system effectiveness.
Complement System Proteins* ; Counseling ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Education, Medical ; Humans ; India* ; Mentors* ; Program Development ; Students, Medical* ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to assess student perceptions of the environment in this medical college using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). METHODS: Cross-sectional study; 348 medical student volunteers (68.1%) of all semesters participated (511 enrolled). DREEM has 50 items, each rated from 0-4 (Likert scale: 0, strongly disagree to 4, strongly agree), that measure five domains: students' perceptions of learning; perceptions of teachers; academic self-perception; perceptions of the atmosphere; and social self-perception. Mean item scores, domain scores, and global scores were computed. RESULTS: The three highest rated items were knowledgeable teachers, having good friends, and confidence about passing; the three most problematic items were a poor support system for stressed students, inability to memorize everything, and over-emphasis on factual learning. The percentage score for perception of learning (47.26+/-14.85) was significantly lower than that for teachers (52.28+/-9.91; P<0.001); academic self-perception (52.14+/-15.21; P<0.001); perception of the atmosphere (51.21+/-13.60; P=0.001); and social self-perception (50.63+/-13.90; P=0.010). The global scores were lowest for eighth-semester students (89.8+/-21.24) when compared to second (101.33+/-21.05; P=0.003), fourth (107.69+/-18.96; P<0.001), and sixth (100.07+/-20.61; P=0.020). CONCLUSION: Improvement is required across all domains of the educational environment at this institution. Students, particularly of the eighth semester, perceived the teaching negatively. The lowest scores were given to the support system, burdensome course content, and factual learning; thus, a hybrid curriculum that includes problem-based learning might provide students with stimulating learning; structured clinical teaching with specific curricular objectives, as well as mentoring of senior students by faculty and near-peers, might improve the learning environment for senior students.
Atmosphere ; Cross-Sectional Studies* ; Curriculum ; Education* ; Friends ; Humans ; India* ; Learning ; Mentors ; Problem-Based Learning ; Self Concept ; Students, Medical ; Surveys and Questionnaires