Introduction Medical students’ attitudes and perceptions are crucial for designing an anatomy curriculum that meets the standards for safe medical practice. Objective To assess the attitude and perception of medical students towards the clinical relevance of embryology at Debre Markos University. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at Debre Markos University from March 10 to April 20, 2022. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire includes students’ attitudes, career choices, and perceptions of integration of embryology and teratology courses. All viewpoints were rated using a positive Likert scale ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”. Data were entered using EpiData version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Results A total of 246 medical students participated in the study. About 159 (64.63%) medical students perceived that embryology requires understanding in the clinics. More than half of the respondents, 169 (68.70%) perceived that embryology is most clinically relevant for all basic sciences. About two-thirds of medical students, 189 (76.83%) agreed that integration of embryology and teratology courses in the first and second years was better than teaching each discipline alone. More than half of medical students, 145 (58.94%) also preferred problem-based learning that combines embryology and teratology. About 201 (81.71%) medical students perceived that virtual reality is more effective than images in the textbook for teaching embryology. Conclusion In this study, most of the medical students have a positive attitude toward the embryology course. The first-year curricular integration of embryology and teratology must be maintained, and great effort is required to improve students’ passion for developmental anatomy/embryology. These findings might be utilized as an additional motivation for the improvement of the embryology course, with a focus on the practical application of knowledge in a clinical context.

Objective: Refractive errors are most common ocular disorders among children and adolescents. They remain as secondary causes of avoidable blindness in impoverished areas in Africa, most notably in Ethiopia. The problem worsens if it is not managed and addressed early. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the prevalence of refractive errors among school students in Ethiopia. Methods: We searched international databases such as PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Science Direct for relevant articles. Data were extracted using Microsoft Excel and exported to Stata version 14.0 software for analysis. The Cochrane Q and I2 tests were used to assess heterogeneity. Funnel plot, Egger’s, and Begg’s tests were used to assess reporting bias. Random effect meta-analysis model was employed to estimate pooled prevalence of refractive errors. A regional subgroup analysis was carried out. Results: We reviewed 22 qualified studies with 23,355 study participants. The overall prevalence of refractive errors among school students was 7.36% (95% confidence interval = 6.05, 8.67). The prevalence of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism was 5.10% (95% confidence interval = 3.79, 6.40), 0.95% (95% confidence interval = 0.59, 1.31), and 0.01% (95% confidence interval = 0.01, 0.04), respectively. From subgroup analysis, the highest prevalence of refractive errors was reported in Amhara Region (9.18%, 95% confidence interval = 6.63, 11.74), followed by Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region (6.78%, 95% confidence interval = 4.65, 8.92) while the lowest prevalence of refractive errors was reported in Addis Ababa (3.93%, 95% confidence interval = 3.30, 4.56). Conclusion: In Ethiopia, the prevalence of refractive errors among school students is higher (7.36%) compared to what it was 5 years (7.05%) ago. Amhara Region has the highest prevalence of refractive errors among school students in Ethiopia with myopia being the most common type of refractive error.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the magnitude and patterns of chronic musculoskeletal disorders among the population in East Gojjam zone, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study with 846 recruited study participants was done using a multistage sampling technique in conjunction with a simple and systematic random sampling technique. Face-to-face interviews, physical examinations, a semi-structured questionnaire adapted from the Community Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Diseases, and other literature were used to collect data. EpiData 3.1 was used to enter the data, which were then exported to STATA 14.0 for analysis. Result: The study had a response rate of 98.8%, with about 836 people out of a total of 846 expected to take part. The magnitude of musculoskeletal disorders was found to be 40.1%. Back pain was the most common musculoskeletal condition (16%) of the population, followed by osteoarthritis (10%) and other forms of arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis (8%), gout arthritis (6%)). The most common comorbidity (multimorbidity) patterns were hypertension (9.8%), diabetes (5.6%), obesity (3.9%), and others (2.2%). Conclusion: Almost one in four participants have at least one musculoskeletal disorder in Northwest Ethiopia. Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, low back pain, and gout arthritis were the most common musculoskeletal disorders. The most common comorbidity patterns were hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and others. An in-depth investigation of the musculoskeletal burden at the national level will be critical for implementing evidence-based strategies, as well as early detection and screening, linking to health institutions, and direct interventions.

Objectives: To assess age at onset, delayed diagnosis and laterality of breast carcinoma among women at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, North West Ethiopia. Methods: Hospital-based descriptive study was conducted on 120 breast carcinoma cases at pathology department of Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, from October 2019 to December 2021. The women aware of symptoms until first medical consultation time was asked. The height and weight of the women were measured using the height and weight scale. The attending physician examined both breasts and regional lymph nodes. Pathological features of breast carcinomas were recorded when biopsy results arrived at the pathology department. Data were entered in Epi data version 3.1. Then, it was exported to SPSS version 25.0 statistical software for analysis. Results: Mean age of women was 39.9 ± 11.6 years, and median age was 38 years. Most women, 87 (72.5%) were aged less than 46 years. One hundred three (85.8%) women had complained breast lump pain for greater than 3 months before diagnosis. About 61 (50.8%) women had left breast carcinomas; 44 (36.7%) had right breast carcinomas and 15 (12.5%) had bilateral breast carcinomas. Of total, 53 (44.2%) cases were invasive ductal carcinomas; 41 (34.2%) had ductal carcinoma in situ; 14 (11.7%) were invasive lobular carcinomas; 8 (6.7%) were lobular carcinoma in situ and only 4 (3.3%) cases were mixed carcinomas. Conclusion: In this study, about two-third of the cases had early onset breast carcinoma. Most of the cases had delayed diagnosis of breast carcinoma. More than half of the cases had left breast carcinoma.

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