Students’ Perception of the Educational Environment at Hawler College of Medicine, Erbil, Iraq

Abubakir Saleh

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2022.9364

Authors

Abubakir Saleh Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2022.9364

Keywords:

Medical education, Hawler College of Medicine, Perception, Students

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Medical education and training vary considerably across the world. Various teaching methodologies have been adopted in medical education.

AIM: This study aimed to elicit the perception of medical students at Hawler College of Medicine about their educational environment.

METHODS: The study participants included all 152 students in their final year of study at Hawler College of Medicine, Erbil, Iraq. An anonymous questionnaire containing 27 items about the quality of their education, preparedness for residency, students’ affairs, and behaviors experienced or witnessed during medical school with a five-point Likert scale was used for data collection. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program was used for data analysis.

RESULTS: Of 140 students participated in the study, 73 (52.1%) said that the final year was helpful in their preparation for residency, 67 (47.8%) were satisfied with the quality of their education, and 65 (46.4%) said that basic science coursework had sufficient illustrations of clinical relevance. Overall the students mostly were dissatisfied with the relaxation spaces, study space, health services, and response to their problems. Fifty-six (40%) were frequently publicly embarrassed, 45 (32.1%) believed that they received lower evaluations or grades solely based on gender rather than performance, and 27 (19.1%) were denied opportunities for training or rewards based on gender.

CONCLUSIONS: Most of the students were satisfied with their education but unsatisfied with study space, relaxation space, and health services in the college.

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