Medical Education Development: Opinions of Staff Members and Students about the Factors Contributing to Students’ Failure

Abstract

The present study was carried-out to reveal the magnitude of the problem of students’ failure in Alexandria Faculty of Medicine and explore the opinions of both the faculty members and the failed students regarding the factors contributing to the students’ failure stressing on the college part [education elements]. The failure rate among medical students enrolled in the preclinical years [first three academic years] was 26.8% compared to only 10.7% among their clinical counterparts [last three academic ones]. Opinions of the faculty members revealed that the methods of education ordered the first among the educational elements as it had the highest mean percent score [76.2±10.8%]. Taking into consideration the specialty of the faculty members, the findings showed that the medical percent score of the curriculum element was significantly higher in relation to the preclinical staff than that for the clinical ones [64% and 62%, respectively and P=0.03]. Majority of the faculty members [more than 80% of them] agreed or strongly agreed that the large number of students, inadequate facilities, and the dependence of admission on the previous academic performance were the first three important contributing factors. These factors may contribute to failure by its effect on the method of education or the students, and they were more stated by the preclinical staff than the clinical ones. Opinions of the failed students revealed that the curriculum ordered the first among the educational elements as it had the highest mean percent score [60.6±10.6%]. Considering the academic year of the failed students, the finding showed that the median percent score of the student and method elements were significantly higher in relation to the failed students enrolled in clinical year than that for their preclinical ones. All the failed students agreed or strongly agreed that the difficult curriculum, their reluctance in attending lectures, improper exam schedule and examination in curriculum of more than one year, lack of staff and student communication, and frustration were the fires six important contributing factors. These factors may contribute to failure by its effects on the curriculum, the students, the staff and/or the exam. The following was recommended: availability of the learning facilities, appropriate decision about medical students’ admission, good planning of the curriculum, training and motivation of the staff, and rearrangement of the exam in relation to its schedule and degrees distribution.