MEDICAL STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE AND SENSITIVITY TO DYSMORPHIC FEATURES OF A CHILD WITH CRANIOFACIAL MICROSOMIA (CFM)

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the level of knowledge and sensitivity to dysmorphic features in a child with facial and body dysmorphia on the part of students of medicine and dentistry. We tested 70 students of medicine and 70 students of dentistry. A photograph of a child with craniofacial microsomia (CFM)was shown to all the tested students. Their task was to detect and name those facial deformities and describe the child in terms of selected features not related to the child’s health condition. As a tool was used the Overgeneralization Effect Scale and a questionnaire designed by the author relating to facial deformities. Significant differences were observed in the level of knowledge and sensitivity to dysmorphic features between students of medicine and dentistry. Future dentists detected more dysmorphic features in the face of the photographed child when compared to students of medicine. Interestingly, this sensitivity to abnormalities was found to noticeably increase with each subsequent year of study for dentistry students, while the opposite was observed for the stu dents of medicine. Importantly, a relationship was observed be tween the sensitivity to dysmorphic features and the general evaluation of the child in terms of non-medical aspects by the group of dentistry students. With the increase in the students’ skills to recognize dysmorphic features, the overall evaluation of the child tended to decrease. The results obtained indicate that the skills related to recognizing dysmorphic features are better in students of dentistry than in students of medicine. The sensitivity to abnormalities evidently increase with each subsequent year of study for dentistry students, while the opposite was observed for medical students.