ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: A Womans University College of Medicine faces curriculum reform in 2020. To determine what reforms are needed in the premedical curriculum, a needs assessment was conducted.METHODS: This study utilizes qualitative study method. A focus group interview was conducted with four students who completed premedical courses from November to December 2018. Interviews were conducted in two groups by grade level, and each interview was recorded. After transcribing the recorded contents, four researchers analyzed the data using conventional content analysis.RESULTS: Students chose A Womans University College of Medicine considering their future careers as female medical professionals and other considerations such as scholarships. The students expected diverse experiences, exchanges with students in different departments, and fusion of medicine with other fields during their premedical years. Overall, these expectations were met during the course, but individual needs for customized education, such as liberal arts, were unmet. In general, students' attitudes toward premedical courses were very motivated and they actively used resources provided by the university.CONCLUSION: Qualitative research can provide a better understanding of quantitative data, such as a student survey performed to prepare for curriculum reform. Based on this understanding, the curriculum will be reformed to reflect the educational needs of students, to motivate students and to provide satisfactory education.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Curriculum , Education , Education, Medical , Fellowships and Scholarships , Focus Groups , Methods , Needs Assessment , Program Evaluation , Qualitative Research , Students, PremedicalABSTRACT
El artículo constituye una remembranza sentida de un profesor que tuvo la satisfacción de estar inmerso en la fundación del Destacamento Médico Carlos Juan Finlay, así como en la evocación de este realizada por nuestro comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro. Destacamento que hoy es una realidad y a 36 años de aquella fecha, el autor comparte sus recuerdos con los lectores de Medisur.
The article constitutes a meaningful remembrance of a professor who had the satisfaction of having been involved in the foundation of the Carlos Juan Finlay Medical Detachment, so as its evocation realized by Our Commander in Chief Fidel Castro. This Detachment is a reality today and 36 years after the author shares his memories with the readers of Medisur.
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to identify those features within secondary school curricula and assessment, particularly science subjects that best predict academic achievement in the first year of three different three-year undergraduate health professional programmes (nursing, pharmacy, and health sciences) at a large New Zealand university. In particular, this study compared the contribution of breadth of knowledge (number of credits acquired) versus grade level (grade point average) and explored the impact of demographic variables on achievement. The findings indicated that grades are the most important factor predicting student success in the first year of university. Although taking biology and physics at secondary school has some impact on university first year achievement, the effect is relatively minor.