Impact of medical curriculum on conceptualization of professionalism by residents at a University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The quality of healthcare outcomes and patient satisfaction are affected by communication skills and professionalism of the physician. Medical curricula have substantial influence on physicians' perception of professionalism. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of medical curriculum on the values of the residents at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and their opinions on professionalism and to identify the sources that they describe as most influential in shaping their views. This cross sectional study was conducted in 2010/2011. A modified version of the questionnaire designed by Blue and colleagues was distributed among the target group (n=201). Psychometric analysis of the survey tool showed that it was precise and had construct validity. The return rate was 76.6%. The overall means of the attitudes of both male and female residents toward the attributes of professionalism were low. Attitude toward professionalism showed an insignificant difference between male and female residents. Self-reflection ranked first among all studied attributes. Most male (80%) and female (76.7%) residents believed that working with consultants, specialists, and senior residents in the hospital was the main source of their opinions on professionalism. They considered basic science studies and the other extracurricular courses they attended to be the least helpful in developing their opinions. Residents at King Abdulaziz University Hospital feel underserved in the area of developing their values toward professionalism during the preclinical years, relying to some extent on their experiences during their clinical years and mainly on their interactions with consultants, colleagues, and hospital staff to develop their sense of professionalism. Given the recent changes in the curriculum adopted by the university, it is recommended to assess the attitudes of the students under the new curriculum toward professionalism and to compare them with those of students under the traditional curriculum.