Facilitators' perspectives on a pre-matriculation program in basic biomedical sciences for medical students: a...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Biomedical Sciences
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Pre-matriculation programs aid medical student transition, particularly for diverse educational backgrounds.
• Facilitators' perspectives on these programs are understudied.
• This study explores facilitators' views on a basic biomedical science-matriculation program's effectiveness, challenges, and improvements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore facilitators' perspectives on the effectiveness of a pre-matriculation program.
• To identify challenges encountered during program implementation.
• To gather recommendations for future program enhancement.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative exploratory study utilizing focus group discussions.
• Ten facilitators from diverse departments at an Indonesian private medical faculty participated.
• Thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke's framework was applied to transcribed data.

Main Results:

• Facilitators held varied opinions on program effectiveness.
• Students demonstrated weak conceptual understanding in biomedical subjects, favoring memorization.
• Implementation challenges included low student motivation, weak literacy, cultural gaps, curriculum overload, and limited pedagogical support.

Conclusions:

• Facilitators recognized the program's value but highlighted significant challenges.
• Program redesign focusing on learner-centered, integrated, and evaluated approaches is crucial.
• Enhancements should address learning skills, basic-clinical science integration, and faculty/institutional support for meaningful learning and transition.