Efficacy of Faculty Development Training Workshops (FDTWs) on Writing High-Quality Multiple-Choice Questions at Northern Border University (NBU) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Background: A multiple-choice question (MCQ) is a frequently used assessment tool in medical education for both certification and competitive examinations. Well-constructed MCQs impact the utility of the assessment and, thus, the fate of the examinee.

Aims And Objectives: To analyze the basic science faculty perceptions of writing high-quality MCQs, to create awareness of item-writing flaws in constructing high-quality MCQs, and to determine the impact of faculty development training workshops (FDTWs) on MCQ writing skills.

Newly qualified doctors' views on the significance and accessibility of career advice during medical training in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Career advice is an important instrument to help students with the proper specialty selection. The study aims (1) to explore the views of newly graduated doctors in Saudi Arabia about their experience with the current status of career support system during medical training and (2) to identify cross-cultural similarities and differences.

Methods: A cross-sectional design study was conducted using a questionnaire to elicit the responses of participants from newly qualified doctors concerning the availability and significance of career advice.

Personality types and specialist choices in medical students.

Background: Research on the correlation between personality and students' specialty choice is helpful in their career counselling process and in predicting the future distribution of the specialties in a country.

Aims: This study is the first of its kind in the Arab world. The research questions were: (1) What is the influence of gender on the personality profiles of medical students? (2) What are the personality profiles of students categorized according to their preferred specialist choices? (3) What are the preferred career choices of students categorized according to the stage of their medical education?

Method: A cross-sectional study was performed at King Khalid University Medical School including 590 students during the academic year 2010-2011.

Specialty preferences: trends and perceptions among Saudi undergraduate medical students.

Background: The exploration of specialty choices by medical students is a hot debate as it affects several important determinants of health care delivery. This study was carried out to determine variation in specialty preferences during medical school training and the perceptions that affect students' specialty choice.

Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed on 590 students with a 93.