A content analysis of two african medical schools' antibiotic stewardship curricula

Muhammad Augie Bashar; Robyn L van Zyl; Jacqui Miot; Patricia A McInerney

doi:10.4103/efh.efh_34_22

A content analysis of two african medical schools' antibiotic stewardship curricula

Educ Health (Abingdon). 2023 Jan-Apr;36(1):4-13. doi: 10.4103/efh.efh_34_22.

Authors

Muhammad Augie Bashar¹, Robyn L van Zyl², Jacqui Miot³, Patricia A McInerney⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Pharmacology Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria, South Africa.
² Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Pharmacology Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
³ Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
⁴ Centre for Health Science Education, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

PMID: 38047342
DOI: 10.4103/efh.efh_34_22

Abstract

Background: Antibiotics are precious substances that have saved millions of lives since their discovery, resulting in significant advances in modern medicine. However, antibiotic resistance and a slowdown in the discovery of new antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action are affecting the sustainability of antibiotics. The objective of this study was to describe the content of South African and Nigerian medical students' curricula with respect to prudent antimicrobial prescribing.

Methods: A content analysis framework was used to identify, describe, and count the keywords, key phrases, and sentences relevant to the teaching of prudent antimicrobial prescribing in the complete curricula content of two African countries' medical schools. The courses are taught in the Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP) curriculum (years 3-6) of the South African medical school and years 4-6 of the Nigerian medical school. The frequency of keywords/key phrases relevant to prudent antibiotic prescribing such as antimicrobial stewardship, mechanisms of bacterial resistance, and principles of antibiotic therapy was determined.

Results: The two curricula reviewed were found to be different. While the South African medical school uses an integrated curriculum in the GEMP (a stream where candidates with undergraduate degrees are enrolled into the 3^rd year of medical school and spend 4 years), the Nigerian medical school operates a traditional (discipline based) curriculum from MBBS 1-6. A greater number of keywords and key phrases were found in the South African curriculum compared to the Nigerian curriculum in relation to prudent antibiotic prescribing and antimicrobial stewardship. The key phrase "antimicrobial stewardship" or "antibiotic stewardship" was absent in the Nigerian curriculum but appeared four times in the South African curriculum.

Discussion: The findings of this curriculum review suggest a need for revision of the medical curricula of the two countries, to one that will better prepare learners for antimicrobial stewardship.

Keywords: Africa; antibiotic; antibiotic resistance; antibiotic stewardship; curriculum; medical education; medical schools; medical students.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
Antimicrobial Stewardship*
Curriculum
Education, Medical, Undergraduate*
Humans
Schools, Medical
Students, Medical*

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents