Basic medical sciences and understanding medicine: Insights from medical students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Basic Medical Sciences

Background:

• Basic medical sciences are fundamental to medical knowledge and disease understanding.
• This study explores student perspectives on basic medical sciences, including motivations, challenges, and subject-specific views.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate final-year medical students' viewpoints on basic medical sciences.
• To identify student motivations and hindrances related to studying these subjects.
• To assess career intentions in basic medical sciences.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study conducted at Damascus University with final-year medical students.
• Anonymous, self-administered questionnaires collected data on perception, interest, and career willingness.
• Evaluated overall perception, academic interest, and pursuit of basic medical sciences.

Main Results:

• 40% of 350 students rated interest as good/very good; 76.9% cited extensive content as a hindrance.
• Anatomy was easiest; pharmacology and biochemistry were hardest. Most recognized value for education (75.1%) and practice (77.4%), but not practical training (20.9%).
• 68.6% were uninterested in careers, preferring clinical fields (55.8%) and citing low income (41.3%).

Conclusions:

• Students acknowledge the essential role of basic medical sciences in medical education and practice.
• A significant gap exists in perceived relevance for practical training and career prospects.
• Recommendations include reducing content intensity and integrating practical, clinically relevant approaches.