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Background: First year medical students value doctor and patient contact. However, it can be challenging to achieve positive exposure to primary care on a large scale. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed even greater pressure on placing students in General Practice (GP). Aim: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of showing Year 1 medical students authentic recorded consultations between GPs and patients, and then explore what they gained from this. Method: Using Panopto® Video Platform, we pre-recorded real Primary Care consultations, with patient and GP consent, which were then processed securely using the University of Aberdeen server. These were shown to all Year 1 medical students who immediately debriefed these consultations in small groups with a GP tutor. Subsequently two focus groups were held with 11 students to evaluate what they had learnt. Learning outcomes: The consultations were easy to record and play during the teaching session, although there were some issues with sound quality. All students in the focus groups enjoyed the experience. They gained new knowledge about the skills of GPs, and recognised GPs as positive role models. Students were able to identify a variety of communication and consultation skills used by the GP, which reinforced their teaching on these delivered elsewhere in the course. Conclusion: Using pre-recorded consultations as a teaching tool is reproducible, time-efficient and beneficial to students. We propose that this model of using authentic 'live' interactions between GPs and patients represents a valuable undergraduate educational opportunity and could be utilised by medical schools internationally.

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In educational literature set in Western contexts, student performance is linked to positive family involvement and home environment; however, literature on the educational experience of college students in non-Western contexts, including the Gulf region, is scarce. Using both student and guardian surveys, this quantitative study investigates the effect of home environment and family involvement on the educational experience of students in a federally funded college in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as links between these factors and students’ academic achievement. Results indicated that academic performance was linked to specific family involvement behaviors—categorized as enablers—financial, logistical, and physical supports; influences—interaction intended to shape values, opinions, and attitudes; and engagements—direct and demonstrable interaction—and to specific home environment factors including parents’ marital statuses, gender, family size, presence of siblings in college or university, parents’ education levels, and mother’s working status. في الأدبيات التربوية المنصوص عليها في السياقات الغربية، يرتبط أداء الطلاب بالتدخل العائلي والبيئة

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, tribal familial affiliations form the basis of society with opinions and viewpoints of parents and other family elders heavily influencing the decisions of younger Emiratis. Social transitions caused by rapid and progressive economic development have affected each consecutive generation with a vastly different set of social circumstances than the preceding generation. This paper presents results of a study investigating the types and extent of family involvement in Emirati students' college education using an online bilingual survey with 1173 participants and telephone interview with 30 randomly selected guardians. Findings of the study indicate the presence of a generational gap in education and experience between Emirati students and family elders. The generational gap may lead to ineffective academic support and career preparation.