Evaluation of the reformed medical curriculum at King Saud University College of Medicine by its first graduates

Abstract Objectives The College of Medicine of King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), recently graduated the first batch of students who studied the newly reformed, problem-based, system-oriented medical curriculum. The present study was conducted to determine the graduates' perceptions of the reformed medical curriculum and the effect of its educational program. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the first batch of the graduated students was invited to participate in a survey evaluating their perceptions of the reformed educational program. A four-scale, self-reported questionnaire was administered electronically to all of the participants. Results The highest score in terms of the education program's efficacy was given to ‘clinical knowledge and skills’, and the lowest score was given to ‘the acquisition of ‘basic science knowledge’. Concerning the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills, the highest score was awarded to ‘history taking’, and the lowest score was given to ‘knowing the basic concepts and procedures of occupational medicine’. Conclusion The graduates' opinions about the first reformed medical curriculum at KSU raised special concerns about the acquisition of basic science knowledge and generic concepts related to occupational medicine. These opinions will provide valuable directions for curriculum revisions. Future studies are advised to explore the perceptions of the graduates in further details to monitor improvements in curriculum design.