Job Satisfaction ; Motivation ; Primary Health Care ; Education, Graduate

Background: Personal mission in life can determine the motivation, happiness, career advancement and fulfilment in life of the medical students (MSs) along with improvement in professional/clinical performance of the family physicians. This study explored the personal beliefs, values and goals in the lives of MSs and general practitioners (GPs). Methods: Fourth-year MSs at the Universiti Putra Malaysia and GPs who participated in a 2-hour session on ‘Ethics in Family Medicine’ in 2012 were invited. All the participants submitted the post-session written reflections about their personal missions in life. The written reflections were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: A total of 87 MSs and 31 GPs submitted their written reflections. The authors identified 17 categories from the reflections contained by four themes—good vs. smart doctor, professional improvement vs. self-improvement, self-fulfilment and expressed motivation. The most common categories were “to be a good doctor” (97/330) and “professional improvement”(65/330). Many MSs had expressed motivation and wanted to be a smart doctor as compared to the GPs, whereas a larger number of GPs wished to have a fulfilled life and be a good doctor through professional improvement. Conclusion: The difference between the two student groups might indicate different levels of maturity and life experiences. Medical teachers should engage students more effectively in orientating them towards the essential values needed in medical practice.
Goals ; Value of Life ; Students, Medical

The main objective of this research is to compare the seating pressure during the driving session between two different types of national cars. The objective of this research is to conduct object pressure distribution study on two different types of car seat using CONFORMat (model 5330) with system model CER2, compare and analyse the results based on object pressure between both car seat. Twelve respondents participated a driving session with TekscanCONFORMat (model 5330) setup using the same route for both national car. We select two types of national cars equipped with automatic transmission for this research. The seat pressure on the subject along the journey is recorded using TekscanCONFORMat Research 7.60 software. Later, comparison made with respect to the seat pressure experiencedby twelve respondents. The results shows different values of backand seat pressure recorded among the twelve subjects. Lastly, the results are analysedand discussed at the end of this paper. Model B seat design has better ability to distribute evenly the pressure to both seat and back. However, results for Model A showed the pressure is more concentrated on the seat area.
TeckscanCONFORMat ; Seating pressure ; Ergonomic

Neck pain presents as a symptom of dull pain or discomfort mainly along the trapezius muscle. Dry needling is an invasive procedure which uses acupuncture needle directed at myofascial trigger points. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of dry needling in managing patients with neck pain. A pre-test-post-test interventional study design was used. Patient education package was provided to 32 respondents who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A 13-item Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) questionnaire was used to assess Rumination, Magnification and Helplessness. Subjective pain intensity was measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). These questionnaires were given before and after the dry needling intervention. The findings reported that respondents scored high in pre-test total PCS score (27.41±13.652). Post-test result revealed a significant improvement in total PCS score (23.06±13.938) (p = 0.000). Post-test VAS score (4.78±1.237) was also significantly better than pre-test (6.47±1.414) (p = 0.000). There was no significant difference in pre-test PCS in terms of marital status (p > 0.05) whereas there was significant difference between marital status and rumination in post-test (Z = -2.303, p = 0.021). There was significant difference between pre-test magnification in terms of respondents’ occupation (p = 0.008) and race (p = 0.035) but no significant difference in post-test. Respondents’ age group showed no significant differences between pre-test and post-test PCS and VAS (p > 0.05). In conclusion, patients who received dry needling showed improvement in pain intensity and catastrophizing towards neck pain.
Neck Pain

BACKGROUND

Mpox, a zoonotic disease identified in central Africa in 1958, is mainly endemic to the Congo basin and West Africa. Collecting demographic and clinical data is crucial for early recognition and differentiation of skin lesions as the Philippines addresses this public health challenge.

We describe the demographics, clinical profile, and outcomes of suspected and confirmed mpox cases in the Philippines from July to November 2022.

This case series reviewed suspected and confirmed mpox cases at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine from July to November 2022. Clinical data, demographics, and outcomes were collected through retrospective chart reviews and summarized using descriptive statistics.

Fifteen cases were reviewed, including 2 confirmed mpox cases, with an average age of 37.8 years and 80% male. The other symptoms associated with rash at presentation included fever (20%) followed by lymphadenopathy, malaise and chills reported in 1 case each. All patients had pustules and erythematous papules, with 67% showing vesicles. Lesions mainly appeared on the extremities (93%), trunk (60%), and head/neck (47%), evolving into crusts within 1–2 days. Non-confirmed cases were often misdiagnosed as varicella (60%), arthropod bites (20%), or folliculitis (7%).

Young to middle-aged males with travel histories were common in suspected and confirmed mpox cases. Lesions typically included papules and pustules on the extremities, evolving into crusts and erosions within 1–2 days. Confirmed cases had umbilicated papules and fever, while PCR-negative cases were diagnosed with local skin conditions. Testing is vital for timely detection and management, especially since mpox resembles other conditions.