Does a socially-accountable curriculum transform health professional students into competent, work-ready graduates? A cross-sectional study of three medical schools across three countries

Med Teach. 2019 Dec;41(12):1427-1433. doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2019.1646417. Epub 2019 Aug 13.

Abstract

Background: Socially-accountable health professional education (SAHPE) is committed to achieving health equity through training health-workers to meet local health needs and serve disadvantaged populations. This research assesses the biomedical and socially-accountable competencies and work-readiness of first year graduates from socially-accountable medical schools in Australia, the United States and Sudan.Method: A self-administered survey to hospital and community health facility staff closely associated with the training and/or supervision of first year medical graduates from three SAHPE medical schools.Main outcome measure: Likert scale ratings of key competencies of SAHPE graduates (as a group) employed as first-year doctors, compared to first year doctors from other medical schools in that country (as a group).Findings: Supervisors rated medical graduates from the 3 SAHPE schools highly for socially-accountable competencies ('communication skills', 'teamwork', 'professionalism', 'work-readiness', 'commitment to practise in rural communities', 'commitment to practise with underserved ethnic and cultural populations'), as well as 'overall performance' and 'overall clinical skills'.Interpretation: These findings suggest SAHPE medical graduates are well regarded by their immediate hospital supervisors, and SAHPE can produce a medical workforce as competent as from more traditional medical schools, but with greater commitment to health equity, working with underserved populations, and addressing local health needs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Australia
  • Clinical Competence*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Curriculum
  • Education, Medical, Undergraduate / methods*
  • Faculty
  • Humans
  • Schools, Medical
  • Social Responsibility*
  • Sudan
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States