What do Medical Students Think about the Clinical Pharmacology Course in the Fourth Year ofMedical Education?

Abstract

Introduction: Rational pharmacotherapy training given to undergraduate medical students enables the doctors to treat their patients in accordance with the principles of rational drug use. The present descriptive analysis was carried out on fourth-year medical students to detect their perceptions on this training program using a questionnaire.Methods: During the academic year of 2018-19, a total of 100 fourth-year medical students attended the one-week clinical pharmacology course. Upon completion, of course, an unnamed questionnaire asking their opinion about the program was given to them.Results: A total of 100 students participated in course, and the percent response to the survey questions was 72%. The post-course questionnaire results revealed that 77.8% of the students found the course was useful for medical students, and the students were generally pleased with the components of the program. The highest satisfaction was with the environment being appropriate for expression of their opinions (88.9%) and discussions conducted in an interactive environment (79.2%). Most of them answered that they had covered the rationale for personal (P-) drug selection (88.9%). The lowest satisfaction was with the duration sessions (51.4%) and duration of education (58.3%) that the discussion sessions may be shorter in duration while the duration, of course, may be extended to two weeks.Discussion and Conclusion: In conclusion, the present analysis shows the favorable perception of the students who attended the clinical pharmacology program during the fourth year of medical school. The students stated that education is useful, they actively participated in the discussions, learned P-drug selection, and these will contribute to their professional lives.