en آموزش پزشکی Medical Education پژوهشي اصیل Orginal Research <span style="line-height:2;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:16px;"><span lang=""><strong>Background & Objective: </strong>The Hidden Curriculum (HC) represents the cultural process of medical training, where students acquire attitudes and values. Understanding the HC enables educators to develop more impactful learning experiences. Therefore, this study aims to assess the perceptions of Al-Neelain University dental students regarding the frequency and impact of positive and negative aspects of the HC. </span><br> <span lang=""><strong>Materials & Methods:</strong> A cross-sectional study was conducted among a randomly selected sample of fifth-year dental students at Al-Neelain University (Sudan). Data were collected using the self-administered Hidden Informal Curriculum Assessment Tool (HICAT). The data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and McNemar test.</span><br> <span lang=""><strong>Results: </strong>The response rate was 100% (81 out of 81), with 70.3% of respondents identifying as female. Approximately 53% of the respondents were single, and 86.4% were citizens. The most commonly reported positive scenario was a satisfactory patient-doctor consultation, noted by 60% of participants. In contrast, the least frequently observed positive scenario was the presence of high professional standards in their learning environments, reported by only 25%. On the negative side, the most frequently cited issue was discriminatory attitudes in learning environments, affecting 52% of respondents. Conversely, ethnic discrimination and gender discrimination were the least frequently reported negative scenarios, at 7% and 9%, respectively. Data revealed a statistically significant association between perceptions of certain HC scenarios and gender (p = 0.047), Citizenship (p = 0.045), and social status (p = 0.003). The top two influential scenarios identified were having a positive role model doctor and developing strong patient-doctor skills.</span><br> <span lang=""><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Respondents frequently reported positive patient-doctor consultations, while discriminatory attitudes in learning environments were the most common negative scenario. Understanding students&#39; perceptions of healthcare is essential, as it can help reinforce positive aspects and improve negative ones in the future.</span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp; hidden curriculum, dental students, training, professionalism, role model, Sudan 99 108 http://edujournal.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-12-2416-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Samar Abushouk Samarabushouk@yahoo.com 5300319475328460036199 5300319475328460036199 No Department of Restorative Dentistry, Khartoum Dental Teaching Hospital, Khartoum State, Sudan Bashir Hamad dr.samar.ameen@gmail.com 5300319475328460036200 0009-0004-3718-0575 No Faculty of Medicine, International University of Africa, Khartoum, Sudan Ahmed Arbab arbabssn@gmail.com 5300319475328460036201 5300319475328460036201 Yes Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Khartoum State, Sudan