Chinese Medicine in the United States:Historical Development and Growth

Chinese medicine is growing rapidly in the United States both as a field of research and in the daily treatment of illnesses.The popularity of Chinese medicine,particularly acupuncture,as a healing mechanism demonstrates American people’s positive experience with Chinese medicine and their embracing it as an alternative to the mainstream Western biomedicine.Chinese medicine is an important part of the Alternative and Complementary Medicine or Integrated Medicine in the United States health system.It is increasingly used and covered by health insurance.Although Chinese medicine has been in the United States since colonial times,it was discriminated against by local authorities.However,things began to change in the 1970s when individual states gradually passed laws to legalize the practice of acupuncture as a healing mechanism.American public interest in Chinese medicine,particularly acupuncture,was aroused by the media’s report of the“magic”power of acupuncture during President Nixon’s visit to China.Non-Asians studied acupuncture in the following decades,which contributed to the establishment of acupuncture as a profession in the American health system.The history of Chinese medicine in the United States illustrates that Chinese and Asian immigrants promoted Chinese medicine in the communities,while Chinese American medical scientists who were trained in biomedicine played an important role in shaping the biomedical method of acupuncture research.This article investigates the changes of Chinese medicine in the United States,with a focus on acupuncture.Situating the discussion in a larger context of social and cultural changes,this study examines the contributions of Chinese immigrants and the popularity of acupuncture in the United States.It analyzes the development of acupuncture practice and research,the professional training in Chinese medicine,and American people’s interest in using Chinese medicine as a reliable healing mechanism to many health problems,including chronic pain,cancer,and drug addictions.

Undergraduate Medical Students＇ Perception about Learning in Small Group at University of Sharjah

Learning in small groups is a key instructional strategy in medicine and more so in the problem based curriculum （PBL）. It is perceived that working in small groups enhances acquisition, processing and retention of the ever increasing medical knowledge. Learning in small group will help the students to be better learner and improve their personal, social and cognitive skills. The objective of this study is to describe undergraduate medical students＇ perception toward small group learning in a PBL curriculum. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among the undergraduate medical students in the phase 2 of their MBBS program at University of Sharjah. A total of 277 undergraduate medical students participated in the study. The mean age of the study population was 20 years and 61% were female students. The most rewarding experiences as perceived by medical students were exposure to different views （71%）, making friends （57%） improving their grades （52%） and underwent personal development （46%）. The main disadvantages of small group learning were waste of time （55%）, side talks （16%）, and other distractions （14%）. Majority of students had a positive perception towards small group learning and agreed that it enhances their collaborative learning and team work skills. Small group learning was perceived as a key instructional method in the PBL curriculum [3] and it enhances their grades, learning outcomes, personal development and critical thinking abilities [4].

Factors Influencing Academic Motivation among UOS Medical Students

Motivation has been found to play a major role in determining student performance in the academic process. The aim of this study is to identify the intrinsic ＆ extrinsic motivational factors among medical students in the University of Sharjah. A Cross Sectional Study was conducted among university students of medical colleges in the period between February 2011 and March 2011. A total of 452 students （337 females and 115 males） were selected using the Quota sampling method equally between each college. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 13 demographic questions, an agreement scale of 32 questions about the motivational factors and an open ended question asking students about what the university can do to help motivate them were developed. The most common intrinsic factors chosen by students were grade expectation （94%）, interest in material （92%） and leading an honorable life （88%）. While on the other hand the most common extrinsic factors were upcoming exams （88%）, family expectations （88%） and praise （82%）. The most common factors were similar between all students regardless of their major, gender, or performance. However, differences were visible in other factors such as in high performing students; rewards scored a 71.4% while low performing students scored it at 50%. It also shows that females consider praise as an important factor （86%） on the contrary males gave it a 72%. While the most common intrinsic factors showed to be grades, interest in material and leading an honorable life, the most common extrinsic factors on the other hand were upcoming exams, family expectations and praise.

Medical Students Satisfaction from Peer Advising in an Integrated Problem Based Learning Curriculum： A Cross Sectional Study

To evaluate the satisfaction of medical students from Students Peer Advising activities, its strengths, limitations and how it can improve. Students Peer Advising （SPA） was initiated by students in order to support collaborative and experiential learning. In this approach, senior students provided and shared their educational experiences with junior students individually or in large groups. Advice was mainly on how to succeed in this demanding student centered educational program. Two groups were investigated, the committee members （Advisors） and the students （Advisees） who attended the SPA events, by using a self-administered questionnaire. One hundred and thirteen advisees responded. 74 （65%） advisees provided a score of 4 or 5 out of 5, with 5 being the most satisfactory and useful, when inquired about the overall satisfaction and usefulness of peer advising. SPA committee consisted of fifteen members, of whom thirteen responded. Fifteen sessions were conducted by members from different academic years, and they all agreed that it was a beneficial experience. The most rewarding aspect of their experience revolved around the gratification and sense of satisfaction consequent to improving the students＇ academic performance. The study found that peer advising was appreciated by students and peer advisors.