Factors Affecting the Use and Attitude Towards Medical Resources and Educational Methods in a Saudi Medical School

Abstract

Medical colleges are using various teaching methods and educational resources in education. In order to explore the attitude of medical students towards these educational methods and resources and the factors playing a major role in their use in a medical school in an Arabic culture, a self answered questionnaire was directed to 283 medical students in their clinical years. Questions on the possible factors which affect the attendance and the use of these education resources were also included. Traditional methods of teaching, lectures, and clinical rounds were found to be the backbone of the educational process in this college. Attendance to lectures was related to both quality of subjects and to the lecturer, emphasizing the importance of a good lecture and lecturer. Clinical bedside teaching was found to be a popular and effective way of teaching medical knowledge, skill, and patient interactions to medical students. The library in this college was the least used resource and student appreciation of its importance was very low. General recommendations are to reduce dependence on lectures gradually in clinical years and to introduce new methods of clinical teaching. Ann Saudi Med 1994;14(3):209-214. WA Milaat, FM El-Gamal, Factors Affecting the Use and Attitude Towards Medical Resources and Educational Methods in a Saudi Medical School. 1994; 14(3): 209-214The education process in medical colleges is aiming, in its broad term, to produce a competent general practitioner oriented to the health problems of the community.1 In fulfilling this, colleges are using various teaching methods and educational resources. Although some medical colleges are using advanced methods such as computeraided discussion of clinical cases, student discussion groups, integrated sessions and open seminars, traditional methods of teaching, namely lectures and clinical rounds, are still considered the backbone of this educational process and, clearly, the most feasible ones.2 The medical library, on the other hand, is the most commonly available educational resource in most medical schools. It is the intention of this paper to explore the attitude of medical students toward these educational methods and resources and the factors playing a major role in their use in a medical school in an Arabic culture and to present some recommendations for their effective use. The College and the Educational ProcessThe medical college in King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia operates an undergraduate program for six years following secondary school. The first three years are for basic medical science teaching while the other three years are dedicated to clinical teaching. Teaching in the clinical years is performed in the form of bedside teachings (clinical sessions or rounds) and formal 50 minute lectures.The quantity of lectures and clinical rounds varies in various years but generally, lectures encompass 35% to 40% of the curriculum with clinical sessions making up the remaining 60% to 65%. Slide presentations and overhead transparencie...

Perceptions of pharmacy students regarding language of instruction in health education

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Role of audio-visual aids in physiology lecture

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