The present study reports the performance of final year medical students from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in the end of the senior surgical posting examination (SSP) with the aim to demonstrate the medical students graduating from this newly established university are of good standing and of improving quality. A study on the outcome of the method of teaching conducted on this study was performed by measuring the students’ performance continuously and at the end of their posting. The present data analyses demonstrate that there have been improvements in the medical students’ performance between the last two batches of students graduating from UMS. However, the students appear to be weaker in their MCQs, demonstrating a decline in theoretical knowledge. The analyses also demonstrate that there is a poor positive correlation between theoretical knowledge, clinical skills and/or continuous assessments, demonstrating the importance of emphasis in these 3 areas amongst medical students. Further studies may be required to determine the reason for this poor correlation since these may lead to better understanding on how to improve the overall performance of future medical student. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that UMS medical student appears to continue to improve in their SSP performance although there are concerns about the decline in theoretical knowledge.
Primary parotid lymphoma is uncommon and rarely suspected. In most cases, the disease would have disseminated at the time of diagnosis. We describe a case of primary non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the parotid gland which progressed to the central nervous system. Clinical history is of limited value in identifying this condition. Diagnostic imaging studies (CT or MRI) may indicate whether or not the mass is salivary in origin but do not help to confirm the diagnosis. In this case, it was deemed that FNA alone is incapable of determining the precise histological subtype for lymphoma, whilst a tru-cut biopsy demonstrated a more sensitive method of determining the diagnosis. The lessons learned from this case would prove useful for other health care providers to make an early diagnosis and hopefully manage more effectively if similar conditions appear in their practice. Performing the appropriate measures can help to not only improve the prognosis but may even avert the prospect of unnecessary surgery.