Students’ Benefit Rate from Morning Report Sessions and Its Related Factors in Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Morning report along with clinical rounds and ambulatory teaching are three common, useful and valuable methods (Gold Standards) in clinical education. This program has some characteristics and standards that, when properly applied, will play an effective role in students’ clinical learning. The main aim of this study is to determine the characteristics of morning report sessions in internal medicine wards affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and also to assess students’ view points on the benefit and satisfaction from the content of these programs and the related factors. Methods: In this cross- sectional study, the structural characteristics of morning report sessions and the students’ rate of benefit from their content were investigated in year 2010. A sample 300 internship and clerkship medical students were asked to fill out a researcher- made questionnaire. The validity and reliability were confirmed by experts and the calculation of Cronbach’s alpha respectively. Results: The structural characteristics of the sessions were as follows: The average starting time of the sessions was at 8 a.m., the average duration of sessions was one hour, the average number of meetings was 5 times a week, the patient presenter in most cases was an intern, the cases presented were complicated and difficult ones, the average number of cases presented in each session was three, the average time for presenting each case was 20 minutes. Air conditioning, temperature, lighting, and sound quality were favorable. Faculty members usually sat in the front row and with their back to the audience. The main audience at the sessions were not defined and usually the experts of other fields such as pharmacists, nutritionists , pathologists or radiologists were absent. Total benefit rate according to the students was: 55 people (18.3%) high, 152 people (50.7%) moderate and 93 people (31%) low. There was a significant correlation between their benefit rate and most of the structural parameters of morning report sessions (P<0/005). Conclusion: Despite the structural conformity of the morning report sessions in internal medicine wards of Tehran University of Medical Sciences with those in most similar studies, some more efforts should be spent on promoting the students’ satisfaction.