Abstract

Background & Objective: ‍‍ Considering the role of universities in specialist training, evaluation of education status and awareness of the weak and strong points in educational process, design and implementation of appropriate programs is necessary. The aim of this study was to compare academic achievement of present medical students with previous graduated ones from the viewpoint of faculty members of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013. The information was collected by a valid and reliable questionnaire that was completed by 140 eligible faculty members employed in medical faculty. The questionnaire was designed to compare educational status of present medical students with that of the previous graduated students. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and One-way ANOVA and Spearman Correlation coefficient.

Results: More than 50% of the faculty members stated that the medical students’ interest in attending in didactic classes, student responsibility, clinical skills, and medical professionalism is something between worse to much worse than before but students’ tendency to participate in specialty exams and to embark on research activities is something between better to much better. Moreover, most participants believed that there was no difference between current students and graduates in other variables. The participants believed that about 42% of medical graduates have enough clinical skills for independent practice. Spearman's correlation coefficient showed a positive significant correlation between years of services of faculty members and their views in medical students’ clinical skills necessary for independent practice (r=0.529, p=0.000) .

Conclusion : Although aspiration for participation in postgraduate entrance exams and research activities has increased, in general the educational status of medical students has not improved during the last years. According to the viewpoints of faculty members, medical students’ clinical skills necessary for independent practice was not satisfying.

Keywords: educational status, medical student, faculty members