1.Integration of Naqli and Aqli in Microbiology Teaching: Sharing the Experience
Nurul Azmawati Mohamed ; Anuar Sani ; Wan Shahida ; Zarini Ismail ; Ilina Isahak
The International Medical Journal Malaysia 2017;16(1):143-146
Background: In line with Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia’s (USIM) tagline ‘Exploring Islamic Science,
Spearheading Knowledge’, we embarked on a new paradigm of teaching by integrating naqli components
into the microbiology and immunology curriculum. The main objective of this integration was to enhance
students’ appreciation towards Islam and Science, so that they would become good Muslim doctors. The
naqli components were delivered through various teaching and learning techniques such as lectures,
seminars, and online assignments. Methods: A total of eighty year 3 students from Faculty of Medicine and
Health Sciences, USIM were involved in this study. They were exposed to the new method of teaching for
the whole academic year, session 2014/ 2015. The effectiveness of this program was evaluated through
questionnaires, given at the end of academic session. Outcome: More than 90% students agreed that the
integration were clearly delivered, relevant to the topics at hand and enhanced their knowledge. Most
students (>90%) preferred interactive lectures rather than students’ initiated method such as seminar and
speaker’s corner. About two third of the students did not prefer online method. Moreover, 15.9% of them
said the allotted time was insufficient and 46% agreed that there was inadequate resources in the library.
Conclusions: The integration of naqli components into microbiology subject was favoured by students.
However, it should be improved with allocation of more slots, upgrading of online system and increment of
relevant library resources. Looking forward, we are convinced this is the way to go in producing holistic
doctors equipped with necessary knowledge, both in aqli and naqli to further advance Medicine and Islam.
2.A Systematic Review of Prevalence and Risk Factors of Latent Tuberculosis Infection Among Medical and Nursing Students
Zarini Ismail ; Lailatul Hazzliza Musa ; Muslimah Ithnin ; Nurul Azmawati Mohamed ; Nizam Baharom ; Shalinawati Ramli ; Siva Gowri Pathmanathan
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2022;18(No.6):270-279
Introduction: Clinical training may expose medical and nursing students to workplace hazards comparable to those
encountered by healthcare workers (HCWs). This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and associated risk factors among medical and nursing students. Methods: Following the
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, a systematic review was
conducted utilising four electronic databases to appraise and synthesise the literature on LTBI which used the tuberculin skin test (TST) and the blood interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA). Results: Original articles published in the
English language between 2010 and 2020 were included, yielding 14 relevant articles. The average prevalence of
LTBI in high-burden countries was 38.2% for TST and 20.6% for the IGRA test. According to TST and IGRA findings,
the average prevalence of LTBI in nations with an intermediate burden was 16.7% and 4.7 %, respectively. The average prevalence was 2.8% and 1.1% from the TST and IGRA tests for low-burden countries, respectively. A greater
risk of LTBI was shown to be related with an increase in age among postgraduate medical school students, a history
of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination, origin from high-risk tuberculosis (TB) countries, increased hours of
hospital exposure, a history of contact with TB cases, a high body mass index, older age group students, and a lower
TB knowledge score. Conclusion: The available evidence from this review emphasised the importance of developing
and implementing efficient and cost-effective TB infection-control programmes, particularly in high-burden countries and amongst students at risk.