Level of integration in current undergraduate curricula of two private-sector medical colleges in Karachi.

Background: Diverse strategies are employed globally to integrate medical curricula. Nevertheless, a gap exists in assessing the role of medical instructors in meaningful integration. We developed and used a tool to explore the current level of integration, score medical instructors' individual practices for integration, and investigate contextual elements minimizing integration. Methodology: This cross-sectional study, conducted in September-November-2020, used convenience-sampling. The study participants were basic-sciences and clinical instructors at two private-sector medical colleges in Karachi-Pakistan (with a response rate of 53.5%, n = 107). We validated a paper-based questionnaire through a pilot study on five participants. This tool with 11 close-ended questions on a 5-point Likert scale generated instructors' integration scores, and six open-ended questions probed instructors' perspectives. Results: The mean integration score was 37.4±6.7. Participants' perspectives indicated a need for participation of clinical faculty in teaching initial undergraduate years, involving lecturers in curriculum meetings, and integration of assessment. The questionnaire Cronbach-alpha was 0.732 with satisfactory principal-component-analysis. Conclusion: Medical instructors facilitated integration mainly through concurrent timetabling of similar topics. Moreover, formal consultation through committee meetings, with discipline-based and integrated approaches complementing each other, were in practice to achieve curricular goals.

Contexte: Diverses stratégies sont employées dans le monde pour intégrer le contenu des programmes d'études médicales. Toutefois, le rôle des enseignants dans la mise en place d'une intégration de contenu efficace n'a jamais été évalué. Nous avons créé et utilisé un outil pour explorer le niveau actuel d'intégration du contenu, pour évaluer les pratiques individuelles des enseignants en matière d'intégration et pour examiner les éléments contextuels qui minimise son intégration. Méthodologie: Cette étude transversale, menée en septembre et en novembre 2020, a utilisé un échantillonnage de convenance. Les participants à l'étude étaient des enseignants en sciences fondamentales et cliniques de deux facultés de médecine privée à Karachi, au Pakistan (avec un taux de réponse de 53,5 %, n = 107). Nous avons validé un questionnaire papier par le biais d'une étude pilote auprès de cinq participants. Onze questions fermées sur une échelle de Likert à 5 points ont permis de calculer les scores bruts des enseignants pour leurs pratiques en matière d'intégration de contenu, et six questions ouvertes ont permis de sonder leurs opinions. Résultats: Le score moyen d'intégration était de 37,4±6,7. D'après les opinions exprimées, il est nécessaire d'inviter des cliniciens à enseigner dans les premières années de la formation prédoctorale, de faire participer le corps professoral dans les réunions du programme d'études afin de mettre en place une évaluation intégrée. Le coefficient alpha de Cronbach du questionnaire était de 0,732 et l'analyse des composantes principales était satisfaisante. Conclusion: Les enseignants en médecine ont facilité l'intégration principalement par la coordination d'horaires pour pouvoir aborder simultanément des sujets similaires. En outre, une consultation formelle par le biais de réunions de comité ainsi que la complémentarité de l'approche disciplinaire et intégrée ont été mises en œuvre pour atteindre les objectifs du programme d'études.

Students' perceptions of educational environment of a private medical school in Pakistan.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the students' perceptions of educational environment of a medical school, to compare the perceptions of high, average and low academic achievers, and to explore the relation between these perceptions and their academic achievements in order to identify specific problem areas. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted at Ziauddin University, Karachi, during the mid of the 2010-11 academic year using Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure inventory. Data was collected from 200 undergraduate medical students of all five years. Analysis was performed using both Inventory guidelines on SPSS19.0. RESULTS: Of the 200 students initially enrolled, completed forms were received from 168 (84%). The overall mean score was 117+/-8.3. Mean comparison of their perceptions on the overall score was significantly less (p<0.001) for the low achievers across all 5 years. Moderate positive correlation (r= 0.417) was found between perceptions and academic achievements. CONCLUSIONS: Students' perceptions of their educational environment were reasonably positive, indicating adequate satisfaction in most areas. Emphasis needs to be paid on the implementation of strong student support system across all medical schools to initiate timely remedial measures where needed. The learning environment should be evaluated regularly for quality improvement purposes.

Students' feedback of objectively structured clinical examination: a private medical college experience.

The aim of the study was to evaluate undergraduate students' perceptions regarding Objectively Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) to be used as a feedback to improve the assessment technique. At the end of OSCE, students were provided with a feedback questionnaire related to OSCE to obtain their views and comments. The feedback was obtained from two consecutive batches of third year medical students and was utilized to incorporate the improvements in the process, wherever possible. A great majority of students (93% from group 'A' and 95% from group 'B') regarded OSCE as a practical and useful assessment tool in early years of medical education. In this study, students appreciated OSCE and offered constructive feedback on structure and organization of the process. However, at some stations they felt that instructions were ambiguous and time allocation was inadequate for the assigned tasks. The overall feedback was very useful and facilitated a critical review of the process.