Medical Education Effectiveness from the Viewpoints of Medical Students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Curriculum revision, teaching activities and interaction in instruction are required for the improvement of effectiveness of education. This research was conducted to study the effectiveness of medical education from the viewpoints of students in Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This survey was carried out on fifth year medical students in the first semester of the academic year of 2005-2006. One hundred and sixty two students were selected through stratified random sampling method. The data gathering tool was a questionnaire including 74 questions which was designed using McDonald model and consisted of three parts of curriculum, organizing teaching activities, and interaction in education. The questionnaires were distributed in educational hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The data was analyzed by SPSS software using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results: The mean and standard deviation obtained from students' viewpoints toward effectiveness of curriculum, teaching activities, and interaction in education were 2.35±0.34, 2.5±0.35, and 2.46±0.35, respectively. The first one was less than theoretical mean, while the second and third ones were equal to the theoretical mean. Conclusion: The mean obtained for effectiveness of curriculum was lower than the theoretical mean (2.5) which shows the necessity of revising medical curriculum. The mean of the interaction in instruction and teaching activities calls for a need to improve different kinds of interaction and promote the skills of instructors.