Muhammad Siddique Shahid¹, Mazhar Mushtaq²*, Muhammad Ahmed Usman³, Muhammad Candragupta Jihwaprani⁴ and Rahemeen Siddique⁵

¹Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, Head of Professional Behaviour Unit, Sulaiman Al Rajhi University, KSA
²Associate Professor, Basic Medical Sciences Department, Member of Professional Behaviour Unit, Sulaiman Al Rajhi University, KSA
^3,4Medical Interns, Sulaiman Al Rajhi University, KSA
⁵4^th Year Medical Student, Sulaiman Al Rajhi University, KSA

*Corresponding Author: Mazhar Mushtaq, Associate Professor, Basic Medical Sciences Department, Member of Professional Behaviour Unit, Sulaiman Al Rajhi University, KSA.

Received: October 10, 2024; Published: November 22, 2024

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the implications of imparting professionalism to medical students through a structured, credit-bearing course on professional behavior within the medical curriculum.

Methods: This retrospective study focuses on the academic cohort of medical students from the 2018-2019 academic year. At the outset of their university experience, students are introduced to the foundational philosophical concepts of professionalism in healthcare, accompanied by clear guidelines for adhering to rigorous standards of professional behavior. This emphasis on professionalism is systematically reinforced throughout the medical program, with pre-designed grading criteria applied consistently across all years of study. Tutors are informed about these grading standards and receive training through faculty development sessions. Each tutor grades a group of students with whom they have direct contact during the block, cluster, or rotation.

Result: We observed that the grades for professional behavior tend to improve with each successive academic year in the medical program. Statistical analysis indicated that there is a significant difference in professional behavior between the first year and the fifth year, with a p-value of 0.008 and 0.007 for the male and female respectively. This suggests that the students have shown meaningful improvement in their professional behavior. However, the highest number of critical incidents related to professional behaviour was noted in male students. Nevertheless, the overall performance of students did not show any significant findings.

Conclusion: The effectiveness of teaching professional behavior through a structured course has been observed at Sulaiman Al Rajhi University in the faculty of medicine. We strongly advocate for this approach to instil and achieve high standards of professionalism in medical graduates.

 Keywords: Professional Behaviour; Medical Study; Professionalism; Education; Saudi Arabia

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Citation

Citation: Mazhar Mushtaq., et al. “Evaluation of Professional Behavior in Medical Students: Our Experience at a Medical Institute in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.Acta Scientific Medical Sciences 8.12 (2024): 124-134.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2024 Mazhar Mushtaq., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.