An assessment of quality of the surgical curriculum in Pomeranian Medical University in years 2015-2017

Abstract

The objective of this study was assessment of quality of the surgical curriculum in Pomeranian Medical University in years 2015-2017. Material and methods. A questionnaire-survey has been conducted in a group of 100 of Polish students from the Medical Faculty just before the final test-exam in subject surgery. Main topics of the questionnaire items concerned students’ opinion on the expected usefulness of acquired surgical knowledge for future medical practice, acquired manual skills, range of knowledge learned in particular academic years and on understanding the term “skill/competency-oriented teaching” surgery. Results. Knowledge from general and oncologic surgery was scored by students the highest as potentially most useful for future medical practice. Learning manual skills (mostly put stiches on a pig trotter) was considered the most valuable portion of surgical curriculum. Acquiring of manual skills was also believed as the closest of meaning the term “skill/competency-oriented teaching” surgery. Sixth (last) year of studying was considered the most effective in acquiring surgical knowledge. Most responders considered time assigned for teaching surgery in the university curriculum adequate, but not optimally employed. A critical discussion of the results was done in a light of the results of earlier studies and the literature. Conclusions. Outcomes of this study showed the students’ expectations in teaching surgery in the medical university curriculum and what was a grade of its performance. Awareness of this may have effect on modification of the curriculum and methods of undergraduate teaching surgery