BackgroundHealth-care workers are at high risk of facing violence all over the world. The sanctity, respect and protection of health care is threatened by violence in health-care settings. The study aims to explore the perception of health-care personnel about violence in health-care settings in district Peshawar.MethodsThis qualitative multiple case study uses a participatory approach to develop an understanding of the processes and themes that explain the health-care personnel`s experience of violence. Ten focus group discussions and three individual in-depth interviews were conducted with eighty-three participants recruited through purposive sampling.ResultsThree distinct recurrent themes emerged from the responses of the different stakeholders and consensus was reached on seven broad categories. The themes were: (a) Not all the wounds are visible: the theme describes the nature, frequency, and characteristics of violence and explores that violence is not merely any physical action taken against men or women to cause visible physical wounds, but also includes verbal or emotional abuse that attempts to hurt the feelings or affects the health of an individual. (b) But violence is never the answer: different categories including the perpetrators of violence, causes, and contributing factors, and the consequences and effects of violence on individuals and institutions were explored and summarized that there could be many causes to provoke violence but still violence cannot be justified. (c) Vaccine for violence: described the various strategies for the prevention of violence and suggests various measures at the public and institutional levels to be incorporated for a future without violence. ConclusionThe study concluded that violence against health care is a frequently occurring phenomenon in health-care settings. Most of the incidents are not highlighted as they are verbal/emotional but have far more impact on the health-care personnel. A holistic approach was suggested for ending violence in the health-care settings and the need to involve all relevant stakeholders was emphasized. The recommended measures include policy formulation, promoting awareness and education, capacity building of health-care personnel on communication strategies/consultation skills, improved security of the health-care settings, and positive role of media in promoting the respect of health-care personnel. Further research should then focus on evaluating the effectiveness of these measures.

Objectives: To gain insights into the e-mentoring experience, needs of the stakeholders (mentors and mentees) challenges and strategies to overcome the challenges. Methods: Qualitative exploratory study was conducted in Islamic International Medical College, from February 2021 to July 2021. The study duration was six months. Six ‘Semi-structured interviews’ of mentors and two ‘focus group discussions’ with mentees were conducted. A purposeful sampling technique was employed to select the respondents. Data were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. After that analysis of data was done by inductive content analysis. Data were coded line by line. Open codes were combined to form categories, which were combined to form themes through abstraction. Results: Data was analyzed by using Atlas.ti. After analyzing data from mentors and mentees, 21 open codes sorted into 15 categories and abstracted to from five major themes. Participants talked about the problems of online sessions like; connectivity issues, impaired interaction, nonspecific goals, unaware of MS Teams use. They suggested strategies to make these sessions more practical; like workshops for training, face to face sessions before online mode, blended approach, careful selection of mentors and mentees. All were satisfied with security and witnessed anonymity and privacy. Conclusion: Online mentoring can help students feel less lonely through social contact. E-mentoring provides flexibility to those who would usually deal with discrimination to being mentored because of their gender, ethnicity, disability or geographical location. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.8.5804 How to cite this:Jan S, Mahboob U. Online mentoring: Challenges and strategies. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(8):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.8.5804 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Objective: To explore the perceptions of the dental faculty regarding the changes required with regards to subjects, the teaching methodology, assessment and innovative recommendations in Pakistan. Study Design: Qualitative Research Project. Setting: Riphah International University, Rawalpindi. Period: February 2019 till July 2019. Material & Methods: In which 13 dental faculty members with post graduate degrees in Medical/Dental Education in addition to the Dental Specialties were selected via a purposive sampling technique for semi-structured one to one interview.  Data was collected from 8 various institutes. The protocol for thematic data analysis was utilized. Explanatory, exploratory and interpretative approaches of content analysis were employed to screen out prominent and relevant concepts and emergent themes. Results: Participants reported that many new subjects need to be incorporated. A uniform curriculum all over the country is required. The content of subjects needs to be aligned to the needs of the community. Need analysis is to be carried out at regulatory body level for what sort of General Dentists are to be produced in the country who can later work in other parts of the world, if they desire. Conclusion: Course content needs to be is aligned with rest of the world and community. Teaching and Learning Strategies should be reevaluated with the present day needs of the curriculum. Curriculum must be patient centered and inculcate the local needs of the community.

BackgroundHealthcare workers are at high risk of facing violence all over the world. The sanctity, respect,and protection of health care beingthreatened by violence in healthcare settings. The study aims to explore the perception of healthcare personnel about violence in healthcare settings in district Peshawar.MethodsThis qualitative multiple case study uses a participatory approach to understandthe processes and themes that explain the healthcare personnel's experience of violence. Ten focus group discussions and three individual in-depth interviews were conducted with eighty-three participants recruited through purposive sampling.ResultsThree distinct recurrent themes emerged from the responses of the different stakeholders, and a consensus was reached on seven broad categories. The themes were: (a) Not all the wounds are visible: the theme describes the nature, frequency, and characteristics of violence and explores that violence is not merely any physical action taken against men or women to cause visible physical wounds, but also includes verbal or emotional abuse that attempts to hurt the feelings or affects the health of an individual. (b) But violence is never the answer: different categories, including the perpetrators of violence, causes, and contributing factors, and the consequences and effects of violence on individuals and institutions were explored and summarized that there could be many causes to provoke violence, but still violence cannot be justified. (c) Vaccine for violence: describesthe various strategies for the prevention of violence and suggests multiplemeasures at the public and institutional levels to be incorporated for a future without violence. ConclusionThe study concluded that violence against healthcare is a frequently occurring phenomenon inhealthcare settings. Most of the incidents are not highlighted as they are verbal/emotional but have far more impact on the healthcare personnel. A holistic approach was suggested for ending violence in the healthcare settings, andthe need to involve all relevant stakeholders was emphasized. The recommended measures include policy formulation, promoting awareness and education, capacity building of healthcare personnel on communication strategies/consultation skills, improved security of the healthcare settings,and positive role of media in promoting the respect of healthcare personnel. Further research should then focus on evaluating the effectiveness of these measures.

ABSTRACT... Objectives: To explore perception of Khyber Medical University teachers regarding challenges in provision of timely feedback to students. Setting: Khyber Medical University, Peshawar. Period: March 2016 to September 2016. Methods: A qualitative multiple case study in which seven focus group discussions with seven constituent institutes of Khyber Medical University have been conducted, each institute is taken as one case, selected through purposive maximum variation sampling technique. Each FGD was audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, analyzed and themes were identified. Results: Total forty faculty members participated in seven focus group discussions. Three themes that emerged were "institutionalization of feedback" indicating need of establishing a feedback culture so that it is taken as a norm both by teachers and students; "Lapses in feedback priority" indicating teachers don't give priority to feedback due time constraints, work overload, lack of training and resource deficiencies: "establishing manageable model of feedback at organizational/institutional level" indicating a need for developing a feasible feedback model compatible to university contextual needs instead of implementing any ideal feedback model. Conclusion: The concept of providing and receiving feedback is deficient and its significance with respect to teaching and learning is lacking. Contextual academic workload and time constraints may impact the quality and timing of feedback provided. There is need of collaborations between university administration and faculty so that feedback can be utilized effectively in the learning process.