Students’ Satisfaction and Learning Outcomes with Virtual and Light Microscopy in Undergraduate Pathology: A Randomised Cross-Over Trial Virtual microscopy (VM) has emerged as a valuable adjunct to light microscopy (LM) in medical education, enabling remote access to high-quality histopathological images. While many studies report improved satisfaction and comparable better learning outcomes with VM, effectiveness in student performance was not properly studied. This study evaluated students’ satisfaction and effectiveness of VM compared to LM in undergraduate pathology teaching of a Malaysia private institution. A randomised cross-over trial was conducted among Year 1 and Year 2 medical students. Pre- and post tests consisting of 10 one-best-answer (OBA) questions, mapped to the histopathology slides used in pathology practical sessions, were used to analyse effectiveness of VM and LM. After crossover swapping the groups, students completed pre-validated 5-point Likert scale questionnaires to assess the satisfaction on both methods. A majority (≥65%) expressed satisfaction with both LM and VM; however, VM scored higher for ease of use, time efficiency, and image quality. Group (B) with VM followed by LM had higher mean pre-test scores (6.85 ± 1.80) than Group A with LM followed by VM (5.92 ± 2.29), suggesting possible baseline differences. Post-test scores improved significantly in both groups (p < 0.001). Although Group B’s post test mean was higher (9.13 ± 1.19) than Group A’s (8.61 ± 1.63), this may reflect initial group performance rather than VM superiority alone. Although the reliability statistics of tests could not be analysed, this study concluded that VM is a reliable adjunct tool to replace traditional LM in teaching learning. However, differences in baseline performance between groups highlight the need for cautious interpretation when comparing modalities. Integration of VM into e-learning platforms may enhance blended pathology education.

Introduction: Anaemia is a common health problem in Malaysia, most common being iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP), and health-seeking behaviour (HSB) towards anaemia among undergraduate female students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 180 female university students from a medical university in Malaysia. Data were collected using an online questionnaire comprising KAP and HSB. SPSS version 25.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Most participants (60%) had an appropriate level of knowledge about anaemia. A positive attitude was shown with adequate awareness of anaemia. A total of 55.5% of participants reported having good health practices. However, 52.9% of the participants consumed less iron-rich foods and 81.7% reported skipping meals. The overall observed healthseeking behaviour was good. A statistically significant relationship was found between knowledge with attitude (p=0.003) and practice (p=0.005). This study observed that the study population had poor nutritional status, long menstrual duration, and vegetarianism. Moreover, infrequent consumption of vitamin C-rich fruits and low iron-folate supplementation were also observed. Conclusion: A good level of knowledge on IDA among students was noted. However, most of the students showed a lack of positive attitude and good practices towards preventing anaemia. University students are prone to IDA due to a lack of KAP, which can significantly affect health-seeking behaviour. This issue should not be neglected; therefore, implementing intervention programmes to educate students on the preventive measures against the risk factors of IDA is recommended.