Comparison of baseline knowledge of undergraduate and postgraduate medical students: exploring the causes of its deterioration

ABSTRACT

To compare baseline general and scientific knowledge between undergraduate and postgraduate medical students and to explore reasons for its deterioration, if any, over time. Sequential mixed method. Combined Military Hospital and CMH Medical College Lahore; and Dermatology Departments of Mayo Hospital, Services Institute of Medical Sciences and Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan from Aug to Sept 2011. Thirty undergraduate medical students and 30 postgraduate medical students were selected on the basis of purposive convenience sampling, after taking informed consent and ensuring confidentiality and anonymity. In the first phase, a questionnaire consisting of 50 general and basic scientific questions was distributed among 30 first year medical and 30 postgraduate students of dermatology. Two examiners marked these questionnaires using the same key and awarded marks from 1 to 5 for each question. In the second phase 5 postgraduates, who secured minimum marks, were invited for a confidential structured interview to explore reasons for their low score. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 and the interviews were analyzed through quasi-statistical approach. The mean score of postgraduate students was 151.60 as compared to 170.96 for undergraduates. Out of all framed questions, the postgraduates passed only in 35% of questions whereas undergraduates passed in 59%. There was no question in which all postgraduates could pass whereas there were 6 questions in which all undergraduates passed. There were 10 questions in which more than 80% of postgraduates had failed but there were 7 questions in which more than 80% of undergraduates could not do well. During the interview, 100% of postgraduates blamed mainly themselves for their low scoring and 75%, in addition held the system of rote learning responsible. Also 100% of the interviewees admitted, lack of habit of revising previously learnt concepts. The basic and important general and scientific concepts deteriorate in medical students with advancing level of their respective postgraduate studies, which may lead to hampered construction of knowledge for future studies. A better and rational system of concept building, by improving instructional strategies may help these students to retain important knowledge for future construction of knowledge