Introduction: The purpose of medical education is to acquire knowledge, perspective and skills necessary for patient treatment, and focus on assessment as a tool for quality assurance in educational programs is one of the important traits of medical education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the achieving rate of learning minimums in common pediatric illnesses among medical interns of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014-15 academic year. Research population included the medical interns of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences who were selected through convenience sampling (census) (n=84). Data were collected using 8-station objective structured clinical examination. Views of medical education and pediatrics experts were used to confirm content and face validity. Reliability coefficient of the examination was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha of 0.86. A checklist (total score=20) was used to assess each station. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: Mean scores of achieving rate of learning minimums in common illnesses were as follows in each station: ear checkup (13.64±1.96), common cold (16.60±2.62), diarrhea and vomiting (15.56±4.22), croup (9.28±2.07), acute seizure (15.96±2.42), history taking of seizure (14.88±2.81), interpretation of growth chart (13.60±3.17) and history taking in underweight child (8.76±3.25).
Conclusion: Interns’ achieving rate of learning minimums in common pediatric illnesses was acceptable in four stations, less than expected in two stations and unacceptable in two other stations. Considering the importance of the issue, it is therefore recommended to revisit the duration and methods of ambulatory trainings in pediatrics internship programs.