The Attitude of Medical Students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences towards the Necessity of Clinical Pharmacology

Background: At the present time, teaching pharmacology for medical students mainly focuses on the basic principles of pharmacology. This study was conducted to assess the current situation of pharmacology teaching and the necessity of developing clinical pharmacology from the viewpoint of medical interns and externs in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2009 on extern and intern medical students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The subjects were a convenience sample of students. Each participant filled out a questionnaire and the data was analyzed by SPSS-16 software. Results: The mean obtained from students' viewpoints toward necessity of clinical pharmacology was 90 percent. The proper time section was provided during the internship training or at the end of the externship period. At present, the students’ satisfaction on teaching pharmaceutical dosage forms were approximately 30%, prescribing writing skills were 17% and teaching important drug interactions were 35%. The suitable contents of clinical pharmacology from the viewpoint of students were teaching the pharmaceutical dosage forms and their correct usages, important drug interactions and good prescription writing skills. Between the two groups of students, the satisfaction rate did not show any significant statistical difference except for the proper time section and teaching pharmaceutical dosage forms. Conclusions: Regarding the results, it seems that clinical pharmacology is a necessary course for medical students prior to starting their clinical training in the hospital wards.