Evaluation of Internal Efficiency and External Effectiveness of the General Medicine Curriculum: Perspectives of Students, Graduates and Faculty Members at Shahid Sadughi University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Educating efficient doctors has always been a concern for medical schools. Therefore, it is necessary to study the educational programs and do revision and quality improvements accordingly. This study was performed to evaluate the internal efficiency and external effectiveness of the general medicine curriculum in Shahid Sadughi University of medical sciences. Methods: This study was a descriptive survey research done in 2012 in Shahid Sadughi University of Medical Sciences (Yazd, Iran). The population included all general medicine graduates from 2007 to 2012, all undergraduate medical students passing their fourth to seventh academic year, and all faculty members of the medical school. Seventy faculty members and 40 graduates were selected using convenient sampling method, and 200 students through simple random method. Internal quality of curriculum was analyzed by Kuchakpoor questionnaire based on Akker's curriculum classification. External effectiveness of curriculum was analyzed by a researcher-made questionnaire designed to cover knowledge, skill, and attitude aspects. Data were analyzed through standard t and MANOVA. Results: Internal efficiency of all elements of the general medicine curriculum was less than the desirable level (third quartile: Q3) and more than acceptable level (second quartile: Q2) from the students’, graduates’ and faculty members’ viewpoints. External effectiveness of curriculum regarding graduate knowledge and attitude was at a desirable level, while the graduate skills were not at desirable level. In all of elements of the curriculum, faculty members gave the highest internal efficiency averages and graduates had the lowest. Conclusion: Review and revision of general medicine curriculum is necessary to promote internal efficiency and external effectiveness from average level to desired level.