While there are several tools to study learning styles of students, the visual-aural-read/write-kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire is a simple, freely available, easy to administer tool that encourages students to describe their behavior in a manner they can identify with and accept. The aim is to understand the preferred sensory modality (or modalities) of students for learning. Teachers can use this knowledge to facilitate student learning. Moreover, students themselves can use this knowledge to change their learning habits. Five hundred undergraduate students belonging to two consecutive batches in their second year of undergraduate medical training were invited to participate in the exercise. Consenting students (415 students, 83%) were administered a printed form of version 7.0 of the VARK questionnaire. Besides the questionnaire, we also collected demographic data, academic performance data (marks obtained in 10th and 12th grades and last university examination), and self-perceived learning style preferences. The majority of students in our study had multiple learning preferences (68.7%). The predominant sensory modality of learning was aural (45.5%) and kinesthetic (33.1%). The learning style preference was not influenced by either sex or previous academic performance. Although we use a combination of teaching methods, there has not been an active effort to determine whether these adequately address the different types of learners. We hope these data will help us better our course contents and make learning a more fruitful experience.

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ObjectiveUltrasonography is an efficient technique for detecting fatty liver. Its sensitivity and specificity in detecting moderate to severe fatty liver are comparable to those of histology. Fatty liver is associated with abnormal lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular/renal disease, type 2 diabetes, and other conditions. This study was performed to compare the serum lipid profiles and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in patients diagnosed with fatty liver on ultrasonography versus controls without fatty liver and evaluate the clinical relevance of an ultrasound diagnosis of fatty liver in routine health checkups.MethodsThis hospital-based cross-sectional study included 390 patients who underwent health checkups; 226 were diagnosed with fatty liver (cases) and 164 were not (controls). The lipid profile, serum GOT and GPT levels, and HbA1c level were compared between the cases and controls.ResultsThe cases had considerably higher levels of lipids, liver enzymes (serum GOT and GPT), and HbA1c than controls.ConclusionUltrasonography is a noninvasive simple tool for early detection of fatty liver in asymptomatic patients and can help clinicians achieve early detection of metabolic syndrome.