Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role in healthcare and health professions education. This study explored medical students' and interns' knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI), perceptions of the role of AI in medicine, and preferences around the teaching of AI competencies. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the authors used a previously validated Canadian questionnaire and gathered responses from students and interns at KIST Medical College, Nepal. Face validity and reliability of the tool were assessed by administering the questionnaire to 20 alumni as a pilot sample (Cronbach alpha = 0.6). Survey results were analyzed quantitatively (p-value = 0.05). Results: In total 216 students (37% response rate) participated. The median AI knowledge score was 11 (interquartile range 4), and the maximum possible score was 25. The score was higher among final year students (p = 0.006) and among those with additional training in AI (p = 0.040). Over 49% strongly agreed or agreed that AI will reduce the number of jobs for doctors. Many expect AI to impact their specialty choice, felt the Nepalese health-care system is ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of AI, and opined every student of medicine should receive training on AI competencies. Conclusion:The lack of coverage of AI and machine learning in Nepalese medical schools has resulted in students being unaware of AI's impact on individual patients and the healthcare system. A high perceived willingness among respondents to learn about AI is a positive sign and a strong indicator of futuristic successful curricula changes. Systematic implementation of AI in the Nepalese healthcare system can be a potential tool in addressing health-care challenges related to resource and manpower constraints. Incorporating topics related to AI and machine learning in medical curricula can be a useful first step.

Abstract

Introductions: Guidelines on antibiotics use in surgical patients recommends a single dose prophylaxis for clean-contaminated cases and therapeutic course for contaminated and dirty cases. Compliance to this guideline is poor among diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of single dose antibiotic prophylaxis on the occurrence of postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) in clean-contaminated surgery in diabetic patients.

Introduction: The career choice of a medical graduate is often a complex process with multiple factors playing a part. Neurosurgery in Nepal is gradually growing and there is a huge interest in the academia to draw more graduates into neurosurgery. There is a paucity of data regarding the career choice of medical graduates from Nepal. The aim of this study was to determine the potential barriers and facilitators for choosing a future career as a neurosurgeon. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on all recent medical graduates in the last two weeks of their internship in 2021 from three medical colleges in Kathmandu. Variables included demographic characteristics, preferred specialty, willingness to choose neurosurgery and reasons for it, and the reasons for not choosing neurosurgery if done so. Frequency and percentages were used to describe the categorical variables. Mean and median were used to describe continuous variables. A comparison between two categorical variables (factors for choosing Neurosurgery as a career and factors that encouraged not to choose Neurosurgery) was made. Results: Twenty-one out of 87 respondents preferred neurosurgery as their future career. The common motivating factors for choosing neurosurgery were innate interest in neurosurgery, motivation from seniors and mentors during clinical clerkship, and the glamour of the specialty. The main barriers were the perceived generally poor outcome of the neurosurgical patients, long hours of surgery, innate disinterestedness, long training and not having enough opportunities to get accredited training in the country. Conclusion: Around Twenty-four percentage of graduates preferred neurosurgery as a future career. When the barriers are addressed there will probably be more medical graduates inclined to join Neurosurgery which will help in solving the shortage of neurosurgical manpower in Nepal.