erformance-based education can be described as an educational method to foster clinical skills as well as clinical knowledge of medical students. Studies show that performance-based methods are effective for teaching a whole gamut of knowledge, clinical skills, and attitudes (1,2). There is a tendency towards performancebased teaching and assessment in medical education (3) and it has been highlighted by General Medical Council (GMC) and the Association of American Medical Schools. This can be achieved by early clinical practice which is necessary in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. In this regard, real patients as a resource for teaching a wide range of clinical communication and examination are inevitably precious. In respond to such necessity, it is important to provide more opportunities for medical students to practice in a safe and controlled environment to gain mastery over essential clinical skills and knowledge prior to entry in a real life clinical setting. Thus, the use of simulation has become widespread in many health professions. Simulation, an old phenomenon, is ubiquitous in almost every fields of human endeavor. It is commonplace in fields such as military, aviation, space, Standardized patients versus simulated patients in medical education: are they the same or different

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Background: The current challenges that confront the medical education field have necessitated the need for transformation and revisions in curriculum design practices. In this regard, core curriculum development and integration are examples of such changes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the concepts of core curriculum and integration in the realm of medical education and to explore the relationship between these two concepts. Methods: This study is a narrative review article. In this study, databases such as Science Direct, Ovid, PubMed, SID, Magiran and Google Scholar were searched using keywords such as core curriculum, integration, medical education, curriculum design and curriculum. Results: The importance of meaningful learning, organized knowledge and practical knowledge for students of medical sciences requires planning of integrated curricula. This is more accentuated based on the increasing volume of knowledge, educational content, continuous changes in community needs, responsibility to meet those needs and the need for medical students to gain clinical competencies in their profession. Conclusion: The concepts of core curriculum and integration are very closely linked, with some of the experts in the field of curriculum planning considering integration as one of the forms of designing core curriculum. Indeed, both concepts were developed in response to the overload of knowledge, the need to teach and learn basic and clinical sciences together and the need to create meaningful learning.

Background & aims: Nursing students gain personal, professional and clinical skills from their clinical teachers in clinical settings. It should be noted that any deficiencies in clinical education decreases the efficiency and performance of graduating students. Thus, the role of clinical teachers and their quality of teaching are pivotal in clinical education. The purpose of this study was to determine the perspective of nursing students about the characteristics of an effective clinical teacher. Material & Methods:This was a descriptive cross-sectional study during the first and second academic year of 2013. Based on convenience sampling 115 nursing students who were on their clinical wards in affiliated hospitals of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran entered the study. A valid and reliable questionnaire, its face and content validity were approved by obtaining the opinions of medical education and nursing experts, was used to gather data. The questionnaire contained pre-specified items in 2 sections relating to demographic characteristics of respondents and characteristics of an efficient clinical teacher. All tests were conducted with SPSS version 16. For data analysis, descriptive tests (mean and standard deviation) and analytical test (cluster analysis) were conducted. Results:The highest mean scores for characteristics of an efficient clinical teacher were given to features as appropriate appearance (8.88) respectful to colleagues (8.42), respectful to patients (8.40), respectful to students (8.34), being good tempered (8.27), and professionalism (8.26). Totally, 2 broad characteristics were identified. Based on cluster analysis these characteristics can be classified into personal traits and clinical teaching skills. Conclusion: Personal traits and clinical teaching skills play a pivotal role in educating nursing students. Consequently, paying attention to these characteristics in clinical settings can enhance students' performance and improve the higher education system.

Background: Anal fissure is a painful tear or crack in the distal part of anal canal. It usually involves the epithelium, but in the long term it may extend to the whole anal mucosa. Platelet Lysate (PL) hydrogel is a hemoderivitive pharmaceutical formulation that contains plenty of growth factors. These growth factors can induce tissue regeneration and revascularization as well as fibroblast proliferation. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of PL hydrogel in the treatment of the anal fissure or retardation of its development. Patients and Methods:The patients with chronic and acute anal fissure were randomly divided into groups of A and B. Group A received PL hydrogel and Rectol, while group B received placebo and Rectol. Then, they were followed and evaluated for two weeks. Results: Although it was anticipated that platelet growth factors would be effective in anal fissure healing process, no significant difference was observed between the control group and the case group after the treatment. Nevertheless, a significant difference was observed within the two groups after the treatment. Conclusions: PL hydrogel does not seem to have beneficial effects compared to the placebo or Rectol on the healing of anal fissure.