Role of Clinical Electives on Academic Career: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical Health Electives are an important part of academic curriculum in medical universities throughout the world. Electives are useful in developing personal and professional growth among students. Hence understanding the importance of electives among medical undergraduates on their academic life is important.
 Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional based study was conducted among medical undergraduates in Karachi, Pakistan. A total number of 300 students from 3rd, 4th and 5th year of MBBS were taken as a sample. Consent was taken from the participants and questionnaire was filled from everyone. Study population was selected who did at least one clinical elective in their whole academic period.
 Results: According to our analysed results, undergraduate students from both private and public sector medical institutes perceived clinical electives as an advantage to themselves. Majority of the students saw their clinical and academic performances to be on a higher level. This shows that opting for electives regardless of its type (local or international) have proven to be fruitful for the undergraduates’ personal growth and academic career, allowing more scope for understudies to practice and enhance their skills they have only done a limited number of times, which inevitably leads to a steep learning curve.
 Conclusion: There was a positive influence of clinical electives observed among the students. Overall the academic and clinical performance of the undergraduates enhanced by opting clinical electives and has positive impact on them.

Our Experiences in Initiating Implementation of Electives at a Bilawal Medical College, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Sindh Pakistan

“…deliberation on conflict resolution and ethical challenges; monitoring and supervision during placement, at host institution and from parent institution; doing project work activity, if helpful to the host; inclusion of reflective practice, before, during and after the placement [4]. Globally, electives are part of undergraduate curricula in majority of medical schools [2]. Till year 2011 electives were not the part of undergraduate medical curriculum in Pakistan.…”

“…Elective permit the students to think of a career beyond examinations and offer students a stimulus to think laterally and creatively besides laying down the foundation for future professional pathways. Also, electives let the students to match their aspirations with the ground reality in a field of their dreams being a health care professional [2,3]. Yet, there is no consensus definition of an "elective", but the term infers a period of time during undergraduate study within which there is a significant element of student choice [1,4].…”