Evaluation of dermatology curriculum of Sudan medical specialization board: 2017-2018

Abstract

Background: Evaluation of any curriculum in medical education helps the process of health profession education by providing valuable feedback to the programs in which the graduates train. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted by observing and systematically documenting the ongoing performance of trainees in real clinical settings over a 6 months’ period from July 2017 to January 2018. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dermatology curriculum of Sudan Medical Specialization Board (SMSB) and to gather data that will help in identifying areas in need of improvement or change. The data was collected through structured questionnaires from three groups: 1) trainees, 2) patients and 3) trainers. Results: The study included 128 trainees, 178 patients and 22 trainers. The patient’s satisfaction rate with the medical care provided by dermatology doctors was high since 61.8% stated that they had an excellent care. The overall trainee’s satisfaction of the provided program was reported in 89.2%.The majority of trainers believe that the current curriculum is not updated and is not well implemented in the training. Trainers clearly stated that the number of trainees per batch participated in the program and the number of training centres are inadequate. They also raised their concerns that the current training program didn’t meet the desired outcomes. Conclusions: This study provides a general picture of dermatology postgraduate training in Sudan from different perspectives. In our evaluation of the SMSB dermatology curriculum, we found a well-developed program, with a good curriculum but poor implementation, leading to an unsatisfactory outcome.