Investigation on basic ability of clinical prevention with postgraduates of professional degree of clinical medicine in a medical college

ObjectiveTo ascertain the basic abilities in the fields of clinical prevention among postgraduates of clinical medicine, and discuss the problems in the setting of preventive medicine courses and teaching process at the undergraduate stage, putting forward pertinent suggestions in this regard.

MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted among the first grade postgraduates of clinical medicine, in Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine.The questionnaire involved demographic characteristics, learning experience of preventive medicine courses, self evaluation of clinical prevention abilities, and the ideas and suggestions on the problems during the teaching process.SPSS 20.0 statistical analysis software was used for descriptive analysis and hypothesis testing.

ResultsIn the course of survey, 75.8% and 73.2% of the students considered that they were able to master the epidemiological knowledge on common infectious diseases and chronic diseases.Only 31.8%, 31.1%, and 16.9% of the students were proficient in the knowledge of epidemiological diagnosis, clinical prevention, and the theory and methods of health education.Scores of self-evaluation in practice, such as evidence-based medicine, disease surveillance, health management, sample size calculation and survival analysis were low (less than 2.6 points).Weak teaching practice, lack of teaching time, and disconnection between teaching contents and clinical practice were the main problems in the teaching process reflected by students.

ConclusionThe basic clinical preventive abilities among postgraduates of clinical medicine are generally low and uneven, especially on the knowledge of the epidemiological diagnosis, clinical prevention, health education theory and methods, and the practical abilities including evidence-based medicine, disease surveillance, health management, sample size calculation, survival analysis, etc.Students who graduated from 985/211 colleges have stronger application abilities on epidemiology and medical statistics relatively.In order to improve the basic abilities in the fields of clinical prevention among postgraduates of clinical medicine, we should optimize the curriculum, strengthen the practice teaching, pay more attention to the combination of teaching content and clinical practice, encourage students to participate in clinical researches, strengthen the training of teachers, and try to apply new teaching methods, forms and techniques as well.