Recall of Theoretical Pharmacology Knowledge by 6th Year Medical Students and Interns of Three Medical Schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The aim of this research is to provide some insights into the ability of the sixth year medical students and interns to recall theoretical knowledge of pharmacology. A cross-sectional study was conducted among students who graduated from three different medical schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was distributed to male and female students in 3 different colleges of medicine. The questionnaire included demographic information and ten multiple choice questions (MCQs) on basic pharmacology. Out of the 161 students, there were 39 females (24%) and 122 males (76%). A total of 36 (22%) students studied at a traditional learning school whereas 125 (78%) students studied at problem based learning (PBL) schools. The students were recruited from three universities: KSU, KSAU-HS, and KFMC-COM. In general, 31 students (19%) of the participants scored ≥ 7 out of 10, 77 students (48%) of them obtained a correct score of (4–6) out of 10, and 53 students (33%) scored less than 4. The study showed no statistically significant difference in recalling pharmacology between traditional school and problem based learning school except for those who prepared for exams. Results suggest that pharmacology is a difficult subject. Reevaluations are needed in the way of teaching pharmacology.

Student Perception of Knowledge and Skills in Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy in a Bachelor’s Medical Curriculum

“…The current study provides valuable information on students' perceptions of their own competence on various P&PT topics and sheds light on how students experience P&PT teaching at the UMCU. Our study is distinct as it focuses on bachelor's students and shows that feedback from students, incorporating elements of reflection rather than only measuring student satisfaction [19,20], could provide valuable information [26,29,30] to trigger curricular changes.…”

Recall of Prior Knowledge in Medical Microbiology Among Medical Interns: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Assessment in Saudi Arabia

“…This finding was not observed when testing for other basic fields. 4 , 14 , 15 The only probable reason to explain the better performance of interns from private colleges is that is that their entrance qualification for medical schools was foreign secondary schools’ certificates (eg, General Certificate of Education Advanced level and Scholastic Assessment Test). This means that they are more familiar with English as a language of instruction than interns from governmental universities prior to enrolling in the medical schools.…”

Pharmacology education in the medical curriculum: Challenges and opportunities for improvement

“…Antepohl & Herzig 43 Use of a randomized controlled prospective study to determine if the use of PBL leads to less pharmacology knowledge acquisition among medical students No significant difference in knowledge level among students who use either PBL or lecture-based classes. PBL is perceived as a more effective learning method by the students Bratt 44 The PBL experiences of pharmacy students for pharmacology learning were evaluated and compared with the traditional LBL format PBL was ranked higher in aiding overall learning and knowledge retention Mustafa et al 45 Cross-sectional study to evaluate pharmacology knowledge recall among medical students who studied in PBL or traditional LBL systems…”