RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Assessing educational environment is vital in determining the success or failure of any institute. A positive environment leads to achievements of students in learning while a negative one would hinder their accomplishments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the medical students' perceptions of their educational environment and to identify any differences related to gender and colleges affiliated with the University. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved all medical colleges affiliated with Dow University of Health Sciences from September to November 2011. DREEM questionnaire was administered to undergraduate medical students of the colleges. Mean and standard deviation of total DREEM score and five subscales were reported. The internal consistency coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) was calculated. Student's t test and one-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Total respondents were 586 students (response rate = 90.1%), 463 (79.0%) were female. Total DREEM mean score was 114.4/200 (57.2%). Highest score was found in the domain of student's academic self-perceptions (58.7%) and lowest in domain of student's perception of learning (53.7%). The inventory was found to have good reliability, with an alpha-coefficient of 0.89. There was significant difference of total DREEM score, student's perception of learning, teachers, and atmosphere between different colleges. Females perceived their educational environment to be more positive compared to male students. CONCLUSION: The undergraduate educational environment of the university is more positive than negative. Highest score was found in domain of student's academic self-perceptions and lowest in domain of student's perception of learning.