Competence for internship: perceptions of final-year medical students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Curriculum Development
• Student Competence Assessment

Background:

• University of Cape Town introduced a new problem-based medical curriculum in 2002.
• The study aimed to evaluate final-year medical students' perceptions of internship readiness and influencing factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess final-year medical students' perceived competence for internship.
• Identify factors influencing students' competence.
• Gather feedback on the new problem-based curriculum.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 18 focus groups with final-year medical students from 2007-2009.
• Explored student expectations, competence perceptions, priorities, and influencing factors.
• Utilized guide questions to gather qualitative data.

Main Results:

• Students generally felt positive and competent for internship, noting personal and professional transition aspects.
• Strengths included interpersonal skills and theoretical knowledge; weaknesses involved basic science knowledge and procedural skills.
• Factors like personal initiative, motivation, and clinical exposure influenced competence. Curriculum strengths were interpersonal skills teaching; weaknesses were basic science teaching/assessment and problem-based learning.

Conclusions:

• Student perceptions of competence are complex and linked to confidence.
• These perceptions are key indicators of curriculum outcome attainment.
• Findings offer valuable insights for curriculum improvement in medical education.