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Objective: The objective of our study was to determine the frequency of depression, anxiety, and stress in females presenting for laser treatment of hirsutism at a dermatology clinic. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. 152 female participants of all ages presenting for laser treatment of hirsutism to the dermatology department –removed for blind review--from June 2019 to Dec 2019, were included using a consecutive convenient sampling technique. Patients having an FG (Ferriman and Gallwey) score of 8 or more, were included whereas those having any underlying cause (as assessed by history and examination and laboratory investigations where required) for both hirsutism and psychological disorder were excluded. The participants were given an Urdu version of the DASS 21 (depression, anxiety, and stress scale) to complete. Results: The participants had a mean age of 30.22 (SD = 9.17). The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress in the sample was found to be 13.2%, 23.7%, and 17.8%, respectively. Mean depression, anxiety, and stress scores on DASS 21 were 4.43(SD=4.87, Cut-off= 10), 4.34(SD=5.12, Cut-off= 8), and 8.21(SD=6.26, Cut-off=15), respectively, indicating that the scores were within the normal range. Anxiety was the most common illness in the sample and both depression and stress showed a decline with advancing age up till 45years of age. No statistically significant association was found between the severity of hirsutism and depression, stress, and anxiety scores. Conclusion: Psychological morbidity was found to be lower in patients of idiopathic hirsutism presenting for laser treatment. The long-term efficacy of laser treatment needs further evaluation in future research.

Objective: To investigate the experience of timely thesis completion by the graduates of the Master of Health Professions Education (MHPE) program in Pakistan. Study Design: Qualitative interpretative study design. Settings: Riphah University Islamabad and HITEC-IMS Taxila. Duration: May 2018 to June 2019. Materials and Methods: Data was collected by semi-structured interviews. All interviews were carried out in person. Detailed notes were taken, and conversations were audio-recorded. Three authors analyzed data independently using iterative thematic analysis. Inconsistencies were resolved through discussion. Results: Two major themes out of five were identified: Intrinsic attributes of the graduates and the role of the supervisor. including sub-themes of intrinsic motivation, self-regulation, age of the participant, supervisor-trainee relationship, supervisor’s availability, supervisor’s commitment, personality traits of the supervisor. Periods of face-to-face contact sessions were considered to increase internal motivation during which participants believe to have greater self-regulation. Positive relationship with a committed supervisor who was readily available and had a friendly, yet professional attitude aided in the completion of the thesis on time while a supervisor lacking these traits posed challenges for the graduates. Conclusion: Several factors were identified which influenced thesis completion among the graduates of MHPE in Pakistan. The five major ones consisted of the following, 1) Research Project-Related Problems; 2) Support System; 3) Supervisor Guidance; 4) Attributes of the Researcher; 5) Conducive Research Environment. These results can help influence policies to evaluate and improve this program.