Do Saudi medical schools consider the core topics in undergraduate medical curricula?

BACKGROUND: Most of the medical schools in Saudi Arabia are currently evolving their curricula in accordance with the most recognized medical education trends worldwide. Undergraduate medical school's curriculum should be compatible with community health needs. Therefore, the study aims to explore the current contents of Saudi undergraduate medical curricula and to check if the core topics that were internationally recognized were implemented in their curriculum. METHODOLOGY: An online questionnaire was designed and sent to 37 deans of medical schools in Saudi Arabia. The deans or the vice-deans in charge of the curriculum were asked to complete the pre-designed questionnaire, which assessed the status of inclusion of the core topics in the curriculum of their affiliated schools. Each listed core topic was evaluated according to five options for each subject: not included, separate required course, part of the required course, separate elective course, and part of an elective course. RESULTS: Twenty four out of 37 (65%) Saudi medical schools completed the survey questionnaire. Almost all core topics, such as communication skills, evidence-based medicine, patient safety, professionalism were included in the curricula of Saudi medical schools as separate required courses or as part of required courses or elective courses. Complementary and alternative medicine and the history of medicine were the topics least taught in Saudi medical colleges, as 25% of the schools did not include them in their curricula. CONCLUSION: The majority (65%) of the internationally recognized core topics were included in the Saudi undergraduate medical curricula. Evidence-based medicine, complementary medicine, the Saudi healthcare system, patient safety, and professionalism/medical ethics should be part of compulsory credited courses in all Saudi undergraduate medical curricula.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior of Medical Students from a Saudi University Toward Postgraduate Training.

Introduction Choosing a postgraduate career path is a significant and complex decision for medical students. It involves gaining knowledge about a wide array of specialties to gain a comprehensive understanding of the specialties. The current study explored Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, College of Medicine students' perceived knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward postgraduate training Methods This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey study conducted in April 2016 to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward postgraduate training among the students of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, College of Medicine. Results Ninety-two students participated in the study. Of these, 74% were in the pre-clinical years (years 1, 2, and 3). The mean age of participants was 21. Students reported having a poor level of knowledge regarding the types of material covered in license exams (46.2% had responses classified under 'poor'). Forty-six percent of students had a positive view of whether problem-based learning (PBL) prepared students for clinical scenarios. Of the total respondents, 24% reported having chosen a specialty while 78% of the students reported participating in extracurricular activities. Negative responses progressively decreased with each academic year. Conclusion This study highlights the significant lack of knowledge of medical students about the covered types of material in Saudi medical licensing exams. Nevertheless, they have adequate levels of awareness and acknowledgment, improve themselves, and modify their own weaknesses. Moreover, medical students show a positive attitude towards PBL that gives the ability to connect and relate to undergraduate studies and apply it to clinical practice. The delay in perceiving their own interests leads to an inadequate shift of focus. However, more studies are mandatory to explore the reasons behind the medical students' lack of knowledge and the factors involved in choosing their specialties.

SaudiMEDs and CanMEDs frameworks: similarities and differences.

Background: The SaudiMEDs framework was founded and adopted by the Saudi Deans' Committee in 2011 to ensure that Saudi medical graduates learned core competencies. Meanwhile, CanMEDs was established by the Canadian Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1996 and aimed to establish the abilities and skills of all aspects of medical practice, as well as to ensure the acquisition of basic knowledge related to medical education. The main purpose of this study was to explore the similarities and differences between both frameworks. Methods: In March and April 2017, 15 researchers conducted an extensive review of both the SaudiMEDs and CanMEDs frameworks using a semi-quantitative evaluation with color codes to determine the following: the exact similarities in both frameworks, the close similarities, and the unique differences. Results: According to the coloring system, most of the frameworks were similar. For example, Leadership, Communication and Professionalism were almost identical in both frameworks. There was some degree of similarity between both frameworks in "Collaborator". Furthermore, the SaudiMEDs framework had a unique input which involved the most essential skills that undergraduate medical students must acquire. Conclusion: SaudiMEDs has great potential to improve the quality of Saudi medical graduates in a manner that fits our current and future needs. CanMEDs focuses mainly on outcomes and processes, while SaudiMEDs focuses more on outcomes. SaudiMEDs was not created to provide a copy-and-paste curriculum. The ultimate goal was to create an outcome-based curriculum that ensures the quality of Saudi medical school graduates.