Draper C E, Louw G J
Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Educ Health (Abingdon). 2012 Jul;25(1):16-23. doi: 10.4103/1357-6283.99202.
A 'new', problem-based medical curriculum was introduced at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2002. The objective of this study was to assess the perceptions of competence for internship and the factors influencing competence of final-year medical students.
Eighteen focus groups were conducted (six per year) with UCT final-year medical students in 2007 (n =27), 2008 (n =27), and 2009 (n =30). Guide questions covered student's expectations of internship, perceptions of competence, priorities regarding competence, and factors influencing competence.
Participants felt generally positive about and competent to enter internship, and the transition into internship was characterized as having both personal and professional components. Participants identified interpersonal skills, theoretical grounding, and intellectual ability as strengths, and lack of basic science knowledge and certain procedural skills as weaknesses. Factors influencing competence included personal initiative, motivation, and clinical exposure. Curriculum strengths identified were teaching of interpersonal skills and development of students as lifelong learners. The main weaknesses identified were teaching and assessment of basic sciences, and problem-based learning (PBL). Overall, the participants felt generally positive about internship and the 'new' curriculum, and felt generally competent to enter internship. Their responses highlight the role of confidence in the development of competence.
These findings highlight the complexities surrounding perceptions of students about competence and views about the content and methodology of the learning. Perceptions of students regarding competence are an important indicator of the attainment of intended curriculum outcomes, and provide valuable information for the improvement of curriculum.
2002年，开普敦大学（UCT）引入了一门基于问题的“新”医学课程。本研究的目的是评估医学专业最后一年学生对实习能力的认知以及影响其能力的因素。
2007年（n = 27）、2008年（n = 27）和2009年（n = 30）对UCT医学专业最后一年的学生进行了18次焦点小组访谈（每年6次）。引导性问题涵盖学生对实习的期望、对能力的认知、能力方面的优先事项以及影响能力的因素。
参与者对进入实习普遍持积极态度且认为自己有能力，向实习的过渡具有个人和专业两个方面。参与者认为人际技能、理论基础和智力能力是优势，而缺乏基础科学知识和某些操作技能是劣势。影响能力的因素包括个人主动性、动力和临床接触。所确定的课程优势是人际技能教学以及将学生培养成为终身学习者。所确定的主要劣势是基础科学的教学与评估以及基于问题的学习（PBL）。总体而言，参与者对实习和“新”课程普遍持积极态度，并且普遍认为自己有能力进入实习。他们的回答凸显了信心在能力发展中的作用。
这些发现凸显了学生对能力的认知以及对学习内容和方法的看法所涉及的复杂性。学生对能力的认知是预期课程目标达成情况的重要指标，并为课程改进提供有价值的信息。
