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The flipped classroom has gained prominence in higher education, but little has been written about its application in the Middle East. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of flipping biochemistry classes in comparison to the traditional didactic program. The study was conducted on first-year medical students taking biochemistry at a private University in Saudi Arabia. A series of short, pre-recorded videos were used to replace traditional lectures. The scheduled lecture time was used for problem solving and discussion sessions. To gather their evaluation of the learning approach, participants completed an online survey. To study the effect of the learning approach on exam performance, the scores of the participants were compared in questions taught using the flipped classroom versus the traditional didactic method. Participants noted that the effort needed for the course was similar regardless of the learning approach. Moreover, examination performance measured using single best answer multiple-choice questions showed no difference between the two teaching methods. However, the participants did report a significantly better perception of the flipped classroom compared to the traditional approach. Although no significant improvement in examination results was noted, the participants significantly favored the flipped classroom over traditional lectures. This study has demonstrated that the flipped classroom can be used in the teaching of the biosciences within a Middle Eastern setting, resulting in an improvement in student satisfaction and engagement in the course materials. K E Y W O R D S attainment, biosciences, flipped classroom, Middle East, perception 1 | BACKGROUND The rapidly evolving nature of education in the context of significant technological developments has led many educational institutions worldwide to investigate and Abbreviations: F, flipped; T, traditional; UPP, university preprofessional program. Hana. M. A. Fakhoury and Hanaa A. Fatoum have contributed equally to this work.

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Background: The declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a global inquiry into the transmission, mortality, risk factors, and management of the disease. Recently, however, attention has shifted toward its long-term consequences. There is a need for a better understanding of the predictors and symptoms of post-COVID syndrome, to ensure appropriate care for patients recovering from COVID-19 beyond the acute phase. Methods: We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane databases, and available data in the PROSPERO databases. We also explored the reference lists of included articles and any systematic reviews identified therein. We searched the keywords "Post Covid", "Post COVID syndrome", "Post- Covid" and "PostCOVID", until July 2021. Results: Of 8167 articles, 13 were included. The syndrome affects several systems with variable prevalence. Fatigue and sleep disturbance is the most common symptom of acute post-COVID syndrome, observed in more than two-thirds of patients, while a reduction in quality of life and general health status was noted in up to 69%. Furthermore, a reduced aerobic and diffusion capacity was seen in 38% of patients up to one month after presumed recovery from infection. Radiologically, in up to 52% of patients, a ground-glass opacity (GGO) was noted beyond three months post-infection. The incidence of new psychiatric illness increased from as early as 14 days after infection and up to three or six months. Hearing impairment or loss, whether sensorineural or conductive, was noted in up to 8.3% of patients, and tinnitus was seen in up to 4.2%. Conclusion: Overall, given the variability in the manifestation of post-COVID syndrome, a multidisciplinary team is required to better serve these patients. We therefore urge the establishment of such teams, encompassing internal medicine, pulmonology, cardiology, and neurocognitive services.

Background Clinical research is an integral part of medical and surgical residency programmes, as well as medical school. Aim This study aimed to investigate attitudes toward, the experience of, and perceived barriers to, conducting clinical research in the medical and surgical fields in Saudi Arabia. We also aimed to explore attitudes toward article processing charges and submission fees. Methods A cross-sectional study conducted in Saudi Arabia during the months of May-June 2021. The inclusion criteria were trainees in various medical and surgical specialities. Results The majority of participants conducted at least one research project, representing 92.5% (n=185); of those, 77.3% (n=143) had already published their research. While 33.5% (n=67) of participants felt comfortable designing, leading and critically appraising articles, only 17.3% (n=34) were comfortable using statistical software. Barriers to clinical research include lack of personal interest, lack of interest on the part of programme directors/mentors, inadequate support from mentors/assistants, being overwhelmed with educational activities and examinations, lack of reward and/or motivation, and difficulties obtaining an appropriate sample. Conclusion This article provides new insight into the knowledge of, and attitude toward, clinical research among Saudi Arabian trainees, and discusses the implications thereof and the future direction of clinical research in Saudi Arabia.