Undergraduate medical studentsChoice of specialty a b s t r a c t Background: Empathy is essentially a desirable quality among clinicians and can be developed during medical education. Studies from outside India have shown that higher empathy is related to better competency and choice of specialty may be related to empathy levels in them. Change in empathy levels among undergraduate medical students with progressive training has been often ascribed to reasons such as curriculum content, timing of clinical rotations. Gender differences in empathy levels also vary among different countries. Since many of such factors differ in India there is a need therefore to understand empathy and its correlates among medical students in India.Method: A cross sectional study was undertaken in a large medical college among the undergraduates of first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth semesters to measure their empathy levels. The evaluation was done using the Jefferson's Scale for Physician's Empathy-Student version.Results: The study revealed highest empathy at entry level and a significant fall by seventh semester (p ¼ 0.002). Female students had significantly higher empathy levels than male students (p ¼ 0.012) across all semesters. The variance in empathy scores according specialty chosen is not statistically significant (p ¼ 0.2468). Conclusion:The progressive decline in empathy levels with years in medical college here is seen much later than in western studies. Female students are more empathetic than male students. The relation of mean empathy scores and choice of specialty is inconclusive and at variance from other studies.ª 2014, Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS). All rights reserved.* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ91 9657167900 (mobile). E-mail address: sribuj@yahoo.com (R. Shashikumar).Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect journal homepage: w ww.el sevier.com/locate/mjafi m e d i c a l j o u r n a l a r m e d f o r c e s i n d i a 7 0 ( 2 0 1 4 ) 1 7 9 e1 8 5

Context:Adolescents constitute about 20% of our population and increasingly more of them are initiating sexual activity at an early age. Several behaviors associated with adolescence like masturbation, expression of masculinity/femininity, lifestyle habits like attending late night parties, and consumption of alcohol have been variously implicated in initiating sexual activities. Sexual abuse can also lead to premature sexualization. In view of few worthwhile studies from India that have dealt with these issues this study was undertaken.Aims:To elicit information from two co-education schools adolescent boys and girls on matters related to pubescence, sexual experiences, and sexual health.Settings and Design:Study subjects involved students from class IX to XII in two co-education schools. Consent of parents was taken to administer the questionnaire to their wards.Materials and Methods:A total of 586 out of 1580 students completed a self-reporting questionnaire on matters related to sexuality. Statistical Analysis EpiInfo6 Software was used.Results:Significant association was found among those holding the view that having sex proves their masculinity, being sexually abused, masturbation among boys, and sexual activity. A significantly large number of boys and girls are unaware of role of alcohol on sexual activity and that pregnancy can be caused by single intercourse.Conclusions:This was probably the first such comparative study from India. Mechanisms need to be evaluated to help adolescents understand their sexual attitudes and situations that are likely to provoke sexual activity. Therefore, not only more detailed and longitudinal studies are needed to understand these relations in a better perspective, but also a well-planned educational program for adolescents is a need of the hour.

Context:Adolescence is a very exciting phase of life fraught with many challenges like sexuality. Understanding them is important in helping the adolescents grow up healthily.Aims:To ascertain the attitudes and knowledge about sexuality among school-going adolescents.Settings and Design:Students in two urban schools of an Indian city from class IX to XII were administered a self-reporting questionnaire on matters related to sexuality.Materials and Methods:Requisite ethical clearances were taken as also the consent of the parents and students before administration of the questionnaire. The authors clarified doubts to adolescents.Statistical analysis:Statistical package for social sciences.Results:The incidence of having sexual contact was 30.08% for boys and 17.18% for girls. 6.31% boys and 1.31% girls reported having had experienced sexual intercourse. Friends constituted the main sexual partners for both boys and girls. Sexual abuse had been reported by both girls and boys. These and other findings are discussed in the article.Conclusions:Adolescent school students are involved in sexual activity, but lack adequate knowledge in this regard. Students, teachers, and parents need to understand various aspects of sexuality to be able to help adolescents’ healthy sexual development.

This significant improvement in recovery time among patients receiving donepezil bears therapeutic implication in immediate post-ECT cognitive deficits.

Background:Few Indian studies have deliberated on the role of personality traits in perceived stress and burnout among female nurses employed in the government sector.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 600 female nurses employed in 30 government hospitals of India. Two hundred and ninety-eight valid questionnaires received with demographic data, NEO Five-Factor Inventory scores, Perceived Stress Scale-10, and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory scores were analyzed using linear regression analysis.Results:Trait neuroticism scores had modest positive correlation for personal burnout (R2: 0.32, F: 138.68), work-related burnout (R2: 0.22, F: 84.09), and overall burnout scores (R2: 0.30, F: 128.09). Extraversion scores had low negative correlation with personal burnout (R2: 0.08, F: 27.22, P < 0.00), work-related burnout (R2: 0.09, F: 28.81), and overall burnout scores (R2: 0.10, F: 31.68). Scores on agreeableness trait had weak negative correlation with personal burnout (R2: 0.09, F: 32.98), workrelated burnout (R2: 0.06, F: 20.96), patientrelated burnout (R2: 0.06, F: 21.27), and overall burnout scores (R2: 0.10, F: 33.43). Openness to experience had no significant correlation to personal, work-related, patient-related, or overall burnout scores. Conscientiousness scores had low negative correlation with the scores on personal burnout (R2: 0.12, F: 41.96), work-related burnout (R2: 0.09, F: 27.88), and overall burnout scores (R2: 0.10, F: 31.80). Neuroticism had modest positive correlation with perceived stress scores (R2: 0.33, F: 145.61). Extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were weakly negatively correlated with perceived stress scores.Conclusions:Trait neuroticism increased the vulnerability to perceived stress and burnout, whereas traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness were protective against perceived stress and burnout in the sample of female nurses surveyed.