Academic culture of Pakistani medical colleges

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objectives: There is a discrepancy between the theory and practice in the academic culture in the medical schools in Pakistan. The overall academic culture and educational armamentarium in Pakistani medical colleges is outdated and is teacher and administration centric. This scoping review is done to highlight these discrepancies and to shed light on problems faced in the academic culture of medical colleges.   Methods: Out of the 98 studies identified relevant to the topic, 27 studies were included in this scoping review. These studies were obtained from PubMed, ERIC and Google Scholar. This review was supported by framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley.   Results: The scoping review highlighted that the students responded well to clear study objectives, practical application of knowledge over memorization, interactive nature of the teachers and a comfortable and properly equipped learning environment. The absence of aforementioned amenities and facilities enabled poor results, high stress in students and overall low academic performances of medical colleges. Along with that a lack of formal training of teachers and a passive participation of students in research opportunities were also displayed.   Conclusion: The academic culture in Pakistan’s medical and dental colleges display a lack of modern and innovative learning and teaching facilities, which has a negative impact on student performance and growth. A collaborative approach, with active participation from all stakeholders involved can curb a lot of these problems, given proper funding and good leadership.