Performance of a core of transversal skills: self-perceptions of undergraduate medical students

BMC Medical Education

Research Article

Maria Amélia Ferreira¹  Laura Ribeiro²  Milton Severo³ 

[1] Department of Medical Education and Simulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal;Department of Medical Education and Simulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal;Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal;Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal;Department of Medical Education and Simulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal;Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal;

关键词: Transversal skills;    Undergraduate;    Medical students;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12909-016-0527-2

 received in 2014-05-09, accepted in 2016-01-06,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThere is an increasingly growing trend towards integrating scientific research training into undergraduate medical education. Communication, research and organisational/learning skills are core competences acquired by scientific research activity. The aim of this study was to assess the perceived performance of a core of transversal skills, related with scientific research, by Portuguese medical students.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 611 Portuguese students attending the first, fourth and sixth years of the medical course, during the same academic year. A validated questionnaire was applied for this purpose.ResultsMedical students felt confident regarding the majority of the analyzed transversal skills, particularly regarding team work capacity (72.7 % perceived their own capacity as good). On the other hand, the perceived ability to manage information technology, time and to search literature was classified only as sufficient by many of them. The progression over the medical course and participation in research activities were associated with an increasing odds of a good perceived performance of skills such as writing skills (research activity: OR = 2.00; 95 % CI: 1.34–2.97) and English proficiency (research activity: OR = 1.59; 95 % CI: 1.06–2.38/final year medical students: OR = 3.63; 95 % CI: 2.42–5.45).ConclusionsIn this line, the early exposure to research activities along undergraduate medical education is an added value for students and the implementation of an integrated research program on medical curriculum should be considered.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Ribeiro et al. 2016