June 2018, Vol. 10, No. 2  AJHPE         74

Editorial

Welcome to the winter 2018 issue of AJHPE. Both the quantitative and 
qualitative research paradigms are represented; therefore, there is something 
for everyone. What struck me was how reflective of society this issue is, as 
it contains articles on stress, gender-based violence and use of social media. 
It was also interesting to note that several topics seem to be in pairs – I am 
sure it was not intentional! 

The topic of research in undergraduate curricula is addressed from two 
different perspectives, but both relate to students. In an undergraduate 
student study by Van Aswegen et al.,[1] the association between personality 
factors and chosen area of specialty of medical practitioners was explored. 
The authors identified personality types in some specialties and differences 
between characteristics of local specialists; these were compared with 
findings from other studies. In contrast, the second study that involved 
students sought to determine optometry students’ attitudes towards research. 
Coetzee and Kruger[2] report that, while students recognised several benefits 
to undertaking research, the time-consuming nature of conducting research 
and the administrative processes associated with obtaining ethical approval 
were viewed negatively. These findings reflect the reality of conducting 
research. Langtree et al.[3] report on factors contributing to stress in nursing 
students, whereas Moodley et al.[4] address stress in the dental profession. 
While the causes of stress were different in these two study cohorts, both 
studies recommend the inclusion of stress management programmes in 
undergraduate curricula. The use of social media in learning is addressed 
in another pair of articles. Naidoo et al.[5] found that most students in 
their occupational therapy sample used some form of social media and 
that participants were aware of the ethical dilemmas inherent in using 
these media. Osaigbovo and Iwegim[6] report on the use of Instagram and 
Facebook to complement lectures in the teaching of medical microbiology 
in Nigeria. Their post-intervention survey showed that engagement with 
material and postings were higher in Instagram.

Using the Delphi technique, Fawole et al.[7] sought to obtain consensus 
from teachers on a gender-based violence curriculum for medical schools 
in Nigeria. The study identified topics for inclusion, level of study at which 
the curriculum should be taught, methods of teaching and who should 
teach. Interestingly, the written examination ranked highest as the method 
of assessment. Using the mnemonic AIMED AT ITCHEDD, Makkink and 
Vincent-Lambert[8] conducted a survey to determine teachers’ and students’ 
opinions on the use of the mnemonic in teaching and learning critical 
thinking and decision-making in patient management. The mnemonic 
was generally well perceived by teachers and students alike. The article 
by Burch et al.[9] reminded me of Paulo Freire’s[10] work, Pedagogy of the 
Oppressed. Freire believed that learners do not enter tertiary institutions 

as blank slates. Burch et al.[9] studied the self-reported proficiency levels 
of medical students in six categories of generic learning skills and found a 
significant relationship with pre-university admission aptitude test scores, 
information technology proficiency on entry to university and early 
academic performance at university. Furthermore, academically weak 
students did not overestimate their skills proficiency. 

Pillay et al.[11] compared teaching methods used in an anatomy course 
with the critical cross-field outcomes specified by the South African 
Qualifications Authority. This form of reviewing the curriculum led to 
changes in teaching methods that enabled better alignment of achievement 
of the cross-field outcomes. 

I hope this brief summary of some of the 
contents of this issue of AJHPE piques your 
interest and motivates you to read this edition 
from cover to cover. 

Patricia McInerney  
Centre for Health Science Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, 

University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa   

patricia.mcinerney@wits.ac.za

1. Van Aswegen R, Ravgee A, Connellan G, et al. Association between personality factors and consulting specialty 
of practice of doctors at an academic hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Afr J Health Professions Educ 
2018;10(2):79-84. https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.997 

2. Coetzee L, Kruger SB. Optometry students’ attitudes towards research at undergraduate level. Afr J Health 
Professions Educ 2018;10(2):85-89. https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.728 

3. Langtree EM, Razak A, Haffejee F. Factors causing stress among first-year students attending a nursing college 
in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Afr J Health Professions Educ 2018;10(2):90-95. https://doi.org/10.7196/
AJHPE.2018.v10i2.993

4. Moodley R, Naidoo S, van Wyk J. ‘Pain and stress are part of my profession’: Using dental practitioners’ views of 
occupation-related factors to inform dental training. Afr J Health Professions Educ 2018;10(2):96-100. https://
doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.1005

5. Naidoo D, Govender P, Stead M, Mohangi U, Zulu F, Mbele M. Occupational therapy students’ use of social 
media for professional practice. Afr J Health Professions Educ 2018;10(2):101-105. https://doi.org/10.7196/
AJHPE.2018.v10i2.980

6. Osaigbovo II, Iwegim CF. Instagram: A niche for microlearning of undergraduate medical microbiology. 
Afr J Health Professions Educ 2018;10(2):75. https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.1057

7. Fawole OI, van Wyk J, Adejimi AA, Akinsola OJ, Balogun O. Establishing consensus among inter-professional 
faculty on a gender-based violence curriculum in medical schools in Nigeria: A Delphi study. Afr J Health 
Professions Educ 2018;10(2):106-113. https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.988

8. Makkink A, Vincent-Lambert C. AIMED AT ITCHEDD: A proof-of-concept study to evaluate a mnemonic-
based approach to clinical reasoning in the emergency medical care educational setting. Afr J Health Professions 
Educ 2018;10(2):76-78. https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.543

9. Burch VC, Sikakana CNT, Gunston GD, Murdoch-Eaton D. Self-reported generic learning skills proficiency: 
Another measure of medical school preparedness. Afr J Health Professions Educ 2018;10(2):114-123. https://doi.
org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.971

10. Freire P. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. London: Penguin Books, 1972.
11. Pillay JD, Govender N, Lachman N. Integrating critical cross-field outcomes in an anatomy course at a university 

of technology: A reflective perspective. Afr J Health Professions Educ 2018;10(2):XXX. https://doi.org/10.7196/
AJHPE.2018.v10i2.960 

Afr J Health Professions Educ 2018;10(2):74. DOI:10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.1108 

Reflecting on our society? 

This open-access article is distributed under 
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https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.1005 
https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.980 
https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.980 
https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.971 
https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.971 
https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2018.v10i2.960  
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