Background: Self-directed learning (SDL) has been identified as an important skill for medical graduates. To meet the challenges in today's healthcare environment, self-directed learning is most essential. Readiness for SDL is the degree to which an individual possesses attitudes and abilities necessary for SDL. The present study was taken to assess the self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) among 4th semester medical students in a tertiary care teaching hospital. The objectives of the study were to assess the self-directed learning readiness among 4th semester undergraduate medical students of Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam using SDLR instrument; to find out the association if any between readiness for SDL and students’ demographic characteristics.Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 4th semester undergraduate medical students of Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh in the month of June 2016 to assess the self-directed learning readiness, using Fishers’40–item self-directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS) which contains 3 domains. The student’s response was collected in a 5‑point Likert scale. The readiness for SDL was categorized as high (>150 scores) and low (<150).Results: The mean SDLRS score was 145.17±18.181 with 105 (64%) students scoring <150 indicating low readiness. The mean sores in the 3 domains of self-management (SM), desire for learning (DL), self-control (SC) were 43.81±7.134, 45.88±6.916, and 55.26±8.296 respectively.Conclusions: Self-directed learning readiness appeared to be low among medical students. This study points out the need to address SDL skills among medical students, and need to find ways to build SDL skills among them.

Background: More than 1/3rd of older adults fall each year and 10-20% of falls cause serious injuries. Vast majority of these falls (>99.9%) are unintentional. This research is focused to identify prevalence of the risk of fall among elderly and  associated factors were assessed in the present study. We are going assess the risk of falls and associated factors among elderly.Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in urban field practice area of Community Medicine Department, Andhra Medical College among people of age >60 years during November 2017. A sample size of 100 is obtained by taking prevalence of falls among elderly on the last 6 months as 36.8% and absolute precision is 10%. A structured interview schedule has been adopted for the study which was developed by Peninsula Health Falls Prevention Services.Results: Mean age is 69±7 years. 65% are females. 20% have medium to high risk of fall. 17% have severely impaired cognitive status. 19% have history of fall one or more times in last 3–12 months.Conclusions: 20% risk of fall may not be neglected as fall in elderly can lead to disability. It is recommended to health care providers to assess the risk of fall among elderly patients seeking their services using fall risk assessment tool (FRAT) and advice accordingly.

Background: Teaching in India is still controlled by teacher-centered class room which would make them bored and exhausted. Educators now strive to provide the most productive class room experience for their students by facilitating small group discussions within the larger class such as seminar presentation by the students etc. Hence the present study was done to assess the perception of medical students regarding seminars in the curriculum towards a small group teaching activity. Objective is to assess the perception of medical students regarding seminars as a teaching learning activity. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 4th semester undergraduate medical students of Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh in the month of June 2016 to assess their perception regarding seminars in the curriculum. A pre-designed, pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Results: Total number of study participants were 136. Majority 110 (80.9%) of them agreed that seminar is a good academic activity and is helpful in learning. Around 96 (70%) of the students opined that seminars help students engage in higher order thinking tasks. Majority 93.4% agreed that seminars help students to overcome nervousness. About 91.9% felt seminars improve self-confidence and personality development. Conclusions: Students view that, seminars are more effective in deep understanding of the subject and critical thinking than didactic lectures and helps the students to improve self confidence and communication skills.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among females worldwide and the most common cancer among females in developing countries including India. 1,2 The importance of cervical cancer further lies in the fact, that the natural history has a long latent phase which enables detection and treatment of the premalignant lesions. The Pap screening test provides a simple, easy and effective means of identifying these lesions 2,3 and the ABSTRACT Background: Cervical cancer is one of the leading cancers amongst women. Periodic pap screening is the simplest way to diagnose precancerous lesions. Factors such as ignorance, poverty poorly developed public healthcare delivery system put women in urban slums at a disadvantage for receiving any health screening activity. Objectives of the present study were to know the prevalence of epithelial cell abnormalities of the cervix among the subjects and to study the association with clinical and demographic characteristics. Methods: A camp based descriptive study was conducted in an urban ward. All women above the age of 20 years were included in the study. Data was recorded using a pretested questionnaire. Study variables included sociodemographic characteristics, symptoms of reproductive tract infection, findings of clinical examination, and Pap smear collection and evaluation. The latter was done from 194 women aged between 20-69 years. Pap smears were made by conventional Pap smear technique and reported according to The Revised Bethesda System of classification 2001(TBS). Results: Among the 194 women, in 8 subjects, the smears collected were unsatisfactory for evaluation. Analysis was done in the remaining 186 subjects. Among the latter, in 83.9%, the smears were negative for intraepithelial lesions (NIEL) and 16.1% revealed epithelial cell abnormalities (ECA). Among those with ECA, Atypical cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) was identified in 66.67%, Low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions(LSIL) in 16.67%, Atypical squamous cells-cannot exclude HSIL (ASC-H) and Atypical glandular cells-not otherwise specified (AGC-NOS) in 6.67% each and High grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) in 3.33%. Epithelial cell abnormalities were more common in women in the age group of 30-60 years (80%), they were more common in those with age at marriage between 13-18 years (63.3%) and in those with age at first child birth between 15-19 years (56.7%). Conclusions: Therefore there is a need for Pap screening at regular intervals through camp based approach in these populations to motivate the women, increase their awareness, ensure follow up and referral and timely intervention in appropriate cases.

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder of movement and posture, defined as an “umbrella term covering a group of non-progressive, but often changing, motor impairment syndromes secondary to lesions or anomalies of the brain arising in the early stages of its development”. Risk factors for CP include maternal infection, placental insufficiency, gestational diabetes, pregnancy induced hypertension, instrumental delivery, low birth weight, hypoxic ischemic injury, hyperbilirubinemia, metabolic abnormalities (hypoglycemia). The families are affected psychologically, financially and socially. It also imposes burden on national health system. The objective of the study was to study the distribution of maternal and perinatal risk factors of cerebral palsy among children attending a cerebral palsy clinic in Visakhapatnam.Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted by eliciting history from the mothers of 90 cerebral palsy children who were treated in cerebral palsy clinic, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India for a period of 6 months in 2016. After taking consent, data was collected using a pretested questionnaire. Detailed history was taken from the mothers of 90 cerebral palsy children regarding the period of gestation at which the child was born (preterm or full term), any previous history of pre-term delivery or abortions and neonatal complications was obtained from the care givers. Data was entered into MS-excel sheet and analysed by using SPSS Trial Version 20.Results: Total numbers of study subjects were 90, out of which 58 were boys and 32 were girls. Around 38% of study subjects were born out of consanguineous marriage. As per the records available, only 7% of mothers had gestational diabetes. It was found that 13% study subjects were preterm, 22% had low birth weight, 24% had perinatal hypoglycaemia, 33% had neonatal jaundice and 33% had birth asphyxia.Conclusions: Consanguinity, birth asphyxia, neonatal jaundice are found to be the important risk factors for Cerebral Palsy in our study which can be avoided by improving maternal and paediatric health services.