Background Comfort of patients with medical students is important and promotes appropriate clinical reasoning and skills development in the students. There is however limited data in this field in Uganda. In this study, we examined the attitudes and comfort of patients attending care at the medical and obstetrics/gynecology specialties in teaching hospitals of three public universities in Uganda. Methods We conducted a cross sectional study among patients attending care at teaching hospitals for three public universities; Makerere University (Mak), Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), and Gulu University (GU). Logistic regression was used to determine the magnitude of associations between independent and dependent variables. Two-sided p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Eight hundred fifty-five patients participated in the study. Majority were aged 18 — 39 years (54%, n = 460), female (81%, n = 696) and married (67%, n = 567). Seventy percent (n = 599) of participants could recognize and differentiate medical students from qualified physicians, and had ever interacted with medical students (65%, n = 554) during earlier consultations. Regarding attitudes of patients towards presence of medical students during their consultations, most participants (96%; n = 818) considered involvement of medical students in patients’ care as essential ingredient of training of future doctors. Most participants prefer that medical students are trained in the tertiary public hospitals (80%; n = 683) where they attend care. Participants who were single/never married were 68% less likely to recognize and differentiate medical students (aOR = 0.32, 95%CI: 0.22 — 0.53) from other members of the healthcare team as compared with married participants. Participants with university education had 55% lower odds of being comfortable with presence of medical students during consultation compared to those with primary education (aOR = 0.45, 95%CI: 0.21 — 0.94). Participants from MUST teaching hospital had twofold higher odds of being comfortable with presence of medical students compared to participants from Mak teaching hospitals (aOR = 2.01; 95%CI: 1.20 — 3.39). Conclusion Patients are generally comfortable with medical students’ involvement in their care; they prefer to seek care in hospitals where medical students are trained so that the students may contribute to their care. Medical students need to introduce themselves appropriately so that all patients can know them as doctors in training; this will promote patients’ autonomy and informed decisions.

BackgroundThe acceptance of medical students by patients during care is important and promotes appropriate clinical reasoning, competence and skills development among students. The attitudes and comfort of patients attending care at the medical and obstetrics/gynecology specialties was studied in teaching hospitals of three public universities in Uganda.MethodsThis was cross sectional study conducted among patients getting care at teaching hospitals for three public universities; of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Makerere and Gulu Universities. Logistical regression was used to determine the magnitude of associations between independent and dependent variables. Two-sided p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results855 patients participated in the study. Majority (54%, n=460) were aged 18 — 39 years, female (81%, n=696) and married (67%, n=567). Seventy percent (n=599) of participants could recognize and differentiate medical students from qualified physicians, and had ever had involvement of medical students (65%, n=554) during earlier consultations. Regarding attitudes of patients towards presence of medical students during their consultations, most participants (96%; n=818) considered their involvement in patients’ care as an essential ingredient of training of future doctors/ health professionals. Most participants prefer the training of medical students to take place in the tertiary public hospitals (80%; n=683). Participants who were single/never married were 68% less likely to recognize and differentiate medical students (aOR = 0.32, 95%CI: 0.22 — 0.53) from other members of the healthcare team ,compared to married participants. Participants with university education had 55% lower odds of being comfortable with presence of medical students during consultation compared to those with primary education (aOR= 0.45, 95%CI: 0.21 — 0.94). Participants from MUST teaching hospital had 2-fold higher odds of being comfortable with presence of medical students compared to participants from Mak teaching hospitals (aOR = 2.01; 95%CI: 1.20 — 3.39).ConclusionPatients are generally comfortable with medical students’ involvement in their care; they prefer to seek care in hospitals where medical students contribute to their care. There is a need for disseminating clear messages to the public regarding the presence and roles of medical students in the university teaching hospitals in order to promote and inform patients’ autonomy and informed decisions.