Clinical teachers, practising in a non-occidental cultural and medical learning environment, are considered very frequently as role models by their interns and residents and have a positive impact on their professional learning and career choices. Strategies to reinforce role modelling are needed in Lebanon, in order to pass a broad spectrum of professional values to our students.

BackgroundMotherhood is a demanding part of any women’s life. Female interns could encounter difficulties during selection for residency program according to their plans of conceiving. Our aim is to explore the influence of female gender on the selection process of residency programs.MethodA cross sectional study was conducted in 2016 at a University Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon. Female residents and chief of departments were interviewed about the impact of the timing of motherhood during residency on the interview for admission. The questionnaire reviewed concerns among female Lebanese medical residents as well as the head of departments revolving around the choice of opting for motherhood and the decision of integrating into a residency program while juggling motherhood responsibilities.ResultsEighty nine female residents and 22 head of department agreed to participate in this study. During the interviews for residency acceptance, 29 residents (34.5%) were directly asked about their family and motherhood plans; 9% of them did not reveal their intention. 35% of the residents thought that this subject could affect the program directors’ decision. 47% of residents felt that having pregnant colleagues would add to their workload, and almost half of them (46%) believed that pregnant colleagues showed less productivity. 45% of program directors stated that it was an important factor taken into consideration during the interview, and 68% believed that residents tended to choose their specialty according to their life priorities.ConclusionPregnancy during residency training represents major challenges for female residents and their program directors. Rules and laws designed to set a balance between career and personal life are required to improve women’s ability to participate equally in the workforce.

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Testicular germ cell tumors are chemosensitive with very high cure-rates even in the metastatic setting. However, patients with platinum-refractory and relapsing tumors after autologous stem cell transplant have very poor outcomes despite salvage treatments, and with no effective alternative therapies. Immunotherapy, notably with PD-1 inhibitors, has proven to be very effective in treating various solid tumors. This review summarizes the experience with anti-PD-1 agents (pembrolizumab, nivolumab) in the treatment of testicular germ cell tumor relapsing after multiple lines of treatment, and exposes future trials evaluating newer checkpoint inhibitors in this setting.

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During the ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the benefit of treating patients with cancer must be weighed against the COVID-19 infection risks to patients, staff and society. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men and raises particular interest during the pandemic as recent reports show that the TMPRSS2 (and other serine proteases), which facilitate the entry, replication and budding of the virion from a cell, can be inhibited using androgen deprivation therapy. Nevertheless, patients with metastatic prostate cancer commonly receive chemotherapy which may compromise their immune system. This paper aims to address the current status of the COVID-19 in patients with cancer overall and suggests an optimal approach to patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

Lebanon's diversity translates into medical education, with the various schools adopting different systems.

REVUE INTERNATIONALE FRANCOPHONE D'ÉDUCATION MÉDICALE Choix de la spécialité en médecine : Quels facteurs influencent la décision des étudiants ? Career choice in medicine : What factors determine the students ' decision? Résumé Objectif : Etablir l'influence des facteurs démographiques et des valeurs attribuées aux spécialités sur le choix de carrière des étudiants en médecine. Méthodes : Un questionnaire composé de trois parties a été distribué à 177 étudiants : la première partie concernait les facteurs démographiques, la seconde partie le choix de spécialité envisagée et la troisième partie correspondait à des caractéristiques attribuées aux spécialités, réparties en six échelles de valeurs, selon l'étude de Murdoch. L'échelle a été validée par une analyse en composantes principales. Après avoir effectué une analyse univariée, l'influence des différents facteurs sur le choix de la spécialité a fait appel à une régression logistique multivariée multinomiale. Résultats : Les échelles de valeur sont corrélées avec les choix de spécialité des étudiants dans les directions prévues, à savoir que les échelles « bioscientific orientation » et « prestige » sont liées au choix de chirurgie et négativement corrélées au choix de psychiatrie, tandis que l'échelle « avoid role strain » est liée aux spécialités de soins primaires, en particulier, à la pédiatrie et à la médecine de famille, ainsi qu'à la psychiatrie et à la radiologie. La chirurgie est un choix en très grande majorité masculin. La pédiatrie est un choix presque exclusivement féminin. Ces différences liées au sexe des étudiants sont aussi retrouvées au niveau du choix des échelles de valeurs. Les autres facteurs démographiques n'ont pas d'influence notable sur le choix de spécialité. Conclusion : Le choix de carrière des étudiants est surtout lié aux caractéristiques qu'ils attribuent à leur future profession, et à la perception qu'ils ont d'eux-mêmes dans le monde du travail. Ces caractéristiques sont différentes entre les sexes, ce qui détermine des choix de spécialité différents pour les hommes et les femmes. Mots-clés Etudiants en médecin ; choix de spécialité ; facteurs démographiques des étudiants ; valeurs liées à la profession.