Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may increase demand for healthcare professionals (HCPs), either because of a HCP shortage due to illness or because of the need to increase surge capacity. Final-year medical students are one of the resources potentially available to expand the workforce. There is a need to explore the willingness of final-year medical students to meet this demand, examine their perceived competence, and determine how their overall perceived competence correlates with their willingness. Methods A cross-sectional study using a self-administered electronic questionnaire was used. The questionnaire included demographic data, students’ self-perceived competence derived from the patient care theme of the Saudi Medical Education Directives (SaudiMED) framework, and their willingness to be measured on a 5-point Likert scale. The study targeted final-year medical students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Results The number of participants was 134 (56.1% response rate), of whom 47 students (34.3%) were willing to work, while 31 (23.1%) were somewhat willing. The mean total self-perceived-competence score was 58.36/88 (66.3%). Demonstration of essential clinical skills had the highest mean score 11.48/16 (71.8%) among learning outcomes. There was a positive moderate correlation between willingness and mean perceived-competence score (Spearman correlation coefficient=0.45, p<0.001). Conclusion Fifty-seven percent of medical students were willing to work as part of the healthcare workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. Better overall self-perceived competence appeared to correlate with more willingness. Students perceive themselves to be more competent in essential clinical skills. Appropriate training and supervision are suggested in all tasks assigned to them, with additional care required in areas with a lower perceived competence, such as prescription writing and essential clinical procedures.

Background and Objectives: An inguinal hernia is usually repaired with synthetic nonabsorbable mesh, resulting in collagen formation, chronic inflammation, and fibrosis, with significantly reduced hernia recurrence. However, chronic pain may affect the quality of life. Poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) mesh was introduced to minimize complications, and starts to degrade in 12-18 months. This study assesses the consequences and results of patients undergoing transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) inguinal hernia repair using P4HB mesh (Phasix TM , C.R. Bard Inc., Murray Hill, NJ, USA). Methods: We performed a pilot study of laparoscopic TAPP repair for inguinal hernias using P4HB mesh in 15 patients (14 male and one female) with an average age of 55.8 y, and an average body mass index of 27.4 kg/m 2. We assessed the recurrence rate and patients' chronic pain for 30 months, with institutional review board approval (E-19-3735). The study was conducted from January 2016 to July 2017 in Medical City, King Saud University. We measured postoperative pain, reactions, mesh sensation, discomfort, and recurrence. Results: In 15 patients, we encountered no recurrence or mesh sensation, except in one patient, who experienced mild chronic inguinal pain for one year, without activity restrictions. Conclusion: Laparoscopic TAPP inguinal hernia repair using P4HB mesh is safe for combined, direct (medial), and indirect (lateral) inguinal hernia, with no recurrence. P4HB absorbable mesh caused less chronic pain and discomfort. Longer follow-up, more patients and 15 patients repaired using synthetic mesh are necessary to assess the utility of P4HB for inguinal hernia repair globally.

No abstract

No abstract