RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Self-confidence of medical students in performing clinical skills acquired during their surgical rotation. Assessing clinical skills education in Kuwait
JF Saudi Medical Journal
JO Saudi Med J
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 1310
OP 1316
VO 33
IS 12
A1 Karim, Jumanah A.
A1 Marwan, Yousef A.
A1 Dawas, Ahmed M.
A1 Akhtar, Saeed
YR 2012
UL http://smj.org.sa/content/33/12/1310.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE: To assess the self-confidence of clinical years’ medical students in performing clinical skills/procedures.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2011 at the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences Center, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait. A questionnaire was used to collect data from students who had completed their surgical rotation of their first clinical year. The students reported their level of self-confidence in performing specific skills/procedures related to that rotation. Data were presented using frequencies and percentages. A total score of confidence was calculated for each student. The Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess the association between the students’ sociodemographic characteristics and confidence score.RESULTS: Of the 122 students invited to participate in the study, only 15 (12.3%) declined to comply. Most students reported high confidence level (>75%) in performing 7 of the 13 history taking/physical examination skills, and 2 of the 39 diagnostic/treatment procedure skills. The highest confidence level was in performing abdominal examination, while the lowest level was in care of Jackson-Pratt drain site and emptying the drain bulb. The total confidence score was significantly higher among males (p=0.021), and students with higher monthly income (p=0.002).CONCLUSION: Medical students appeared to have poor self-confidence in performing clinical skills/procedures. Curriculum planners should explore potential reasons, and methods for the improvement of confidence level among medical students in performing skills/procedures they were expected to learn during their surgical rotation.