Objective:Viva voce examination is an important tool of evaluation in medical examinations marred by high subjectivity. Gross subjectivity in viva voce assessment can be reduced by structuring it.Materials and Methods:The marks obtained in theory and viva voce (traditional viva voce examination [TVVE]) of I sessional, II MBBS students were compared and a huge disparity was identified. A structured viva voce examination (SVVE) was then proposed and experimented as an objective and standardized alternative. Sets of equitable question cards for SVVE were prepared, each having eight questions with two parts each, arranged successively with increasing difficulty, domains of learning, and appropriate marks. The percentage variation in scoring in viva versus theory marks was calculated for both TVVE and SVVE, and students were grouped as Group I (+100 to +51%); Group II (+50 to −50%); Group III (−51 to −100%); Group IV (−101 to −150%); Group V (−151 to −200%); and Group VI (< −200%) variation, as? inappropriate, appropriate, inappropriate, erroneous, more erroneous and most erroneous respectively. Student’s feedback on the SVVE was also obtained.Results:In TVVE (n = 128), the students distributed were:none,17.2%, 23.4%, 22.7%, 11.7% and 25% in Group I, II, III, IV, V, and VI in contrast to SVVE (n = 107) as 7.5%, 57.9%, 19.6%, 6.5%, 5.6%, and 2.8%, respectively. Marked disparity of TVVE was annulled with SVVE. Student’s feedback was quite encouraging with 83% overall acceptability and almost 66% preferred SVVE.Conclusion:SVVE was more realistic as compared to TVVE. Most of the students favored this approach.

Background: Vitamin D is an essential nutrient with significant immunomodulatory effects. There is potential for a protective role of vitamin D against etiopathogenesis of asthma and morbidity. This study evaluated the effect of vitamin D supplementation in patients with moderate asthma. Aims and Objectives: To evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on lung function improvement in patients of moderate asthma undergoing treatment with inhaled corticosteroids. Materials and Methods: An interventional prospective study. A total of 60 patients of moderate asthma were enrolled in the study and randomly divided into two groups of 30 patients each. Group A: placed on steroid based treatment regimen (formoterol 6 µg + budesonide 200 µg) + Vitamin D supplementation [60,000IU/week for 8 consecutive weeks]. Group B: placed on steroid based treatment regimen (formoterol 6 µg + budesonide 200 µg) only, as control. The enrolled

Introduction: Currently irrational prescribing is a major concern to community physicians. The promotional drug literature of pharmaceutical companies in medical journal is an important mode to get the information about new drug being introduced and marketed in the country. Most of the community physician depends completely on these published dug literatures. That's why it is important to maintain high standards of quality of drug advertisement published in medical journals and thus help physician prescribe drugs in a rational manner. Aims and Objective: To evaluate and compare the quality of drug promotional advertisement published in an Indian and international medical journal and highlight the measures to improve the quality of drug advertisement. Materials and Methods: It was an observational cross sectional study of promotional drug advertisements published in two medical journals i.e. one Indian and one international journal over a period of one year [June-2014 to June-2015. Advertisements pertaining to parenteral fluids, milk foods, medical devices, laboratory equipment and the educational advertisements were excluded. The identified published drug advertisements were evaluated for adherence to the ethical guidelines Original Research Article of World Health Organization (WHO) or the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI).Results: A total of 76 and 35 medicinal drug advertisements were published in an Indian and an international medical journal respectively. There was a significant difference in compliance to WHO criteria among Indian (43.5±35.2) and international (70.6±23.8) journal [p< 0.05]. Only brand name and manufacturer details were provided in all the promotional drug literature i.e. 100% compliance. There was significant difference in the compliance to WHO criteria for active ingredient causing adverse reaction, pregnancy category, precaution and contraindication, drug interaction, dosage regimen and date of production in the two journals. Conclusion:The compliance criteria are frequently overlooked by the medical journal publishers. It is expected that the promotional drug literature may be thoroughly checked for compliance more so by the reputed Indian than an international medical journal.