Medical education across three colleges of medicine: perspectives of medical students
Aim
This study aimed to explore and evaluate various components of the medical education process (lectures, labs, small-group discussions, clinical rotations, and undergraduate research) in three colleges of medicine in Jordan.
Methods
This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study included 849 undergraduate students from three main medical colleges in Jordan. Statically valid responses were considered for 684 students. The participants were from Jordan University of Science and Technology, Yarmouk University, and the University of Jordan.
Results
The distribution of students according to their admission status was 276 (40%) regular, 266 (38.9%) parallel, and 142 (20.8%) international programs. Personal interest and self-initiation were the major motives for studying medicine in 66.1%. Regarding the frequency of attending classes, University of Jordan students reported the highest rate of regular classes' attendance (93%). The study also reported that lecture notes and textbooks were the main sources of learning for medical students. The study also reported superior academic performance of students in the regular program compared to students in the parallel and international programs. Participants of the study criticized the medical curricula in the three colleges mentioned above because of the lack of active research programs. Most of the students (40%–56%) also complained that the lectures within the modules were not well-integrated, and they felt that the academic environment was moderate (48–59%). In addition, most students in the clinical phase complained of overcrowding in hospital wards during clinical rotation.
Conclusions
Based on students' feedback, multiple aspects of the medical education process require substantial reform to meet the expectations of medical students in Jordan.
Other Information
Published in: Heliyon
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
See article on publisher's website: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11426
Funding
Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library
History
Language
- English
Publisher
Cell PressPublication Year
- 2022
License statement
This Item is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International LicenseInstitution affiliated with
- Qatar University
- College of Education - QU
- Qatar University Health - QU
- College of Medicine - QU HEALTH