Survey of attitudes towards curriculum reforms among medical teachers in different socio-economic and cultural environments

Abstract

Background: Curriculum reforms in medical schools require cultural and conceptual changes from the faculty.

Aims and Methods: We assessed attitudes towards curriculum reforms in different academic, economic, and social environments among 776 teachers from 2 Western European medical schools (Belgium and Denmark) and 7 medical schools in 3 countries in post-communist transition (Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina). The survey included a 5-point Likert-type scale on attitudes towards reforms in general and towards reforms of medical curriculum (10 items each).

Results: Teaching staff from medical schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina had a more positive attitude towards reforms of medical curriculum (mean score 36.8 out of maximum 50 [95% CI 36.1 to 37.3]) than those from medical schools in Croatia or Slovenia (30.7 [29.8 to 31.6]) or Western Europe (27.7 [27.1 to 28.3]) (P < 0.001, ANOVA). Significant predictors of positive attitudes towards medical curriculum reform in post-communist transition countries, but not in Western European schools, was younger age, as well as female gender in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Conclusions: Factors influencing faculty attitudes may not be easy to identify and may be specific for different settings. Their identification and management is necessary for producing sustainable curriculum reform.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Vladimir J. Simunovic

VLADIMIR J. SIMUNOVIC, MD, PhD, is the Professor of Neurosurgery at the School of Medicine and Vice-dean for Science at the College of Nursing of the University of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was the coordinator for the TEMPUS project DICTUM, which addressed curriculum reform at medical schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Darko Hren

DARKO HREN, BS, is a psychologist, working on his doctoral thesis on moral reasoning at the Zagreb University School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia. He is also senior statistical editor for the Croatian Medical Journal, and teaches principles of research.

Ana Ivanis

ANA IVANIS, MD, is a doctoral fellow at the Zagreb University School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia. The topic of her thesis is authorship issues in scientific journals. She is also manuscript editor in the Croatian Medical Journal.

Jens Dørup

JENS DØRUP, MD, PhD, was the Associate Professor of Medical Informatics and Head of the E-learning Unit of the University of Aarhus. Prof. Dørup died in 2006, after this manuscript was submitted to the Medical Teacher.

Zdenka Krivokuca

ZDENKA KRIVOKUCA, MD, PhD, is the Professor of Anatomy at the Banja Luka University School of Medicine, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Sinisa Ristic

SINISA RISTIC, MD, PhD, is the Assistant Professor at the Department of Physiology, Foca University School of Medicine, Foca, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Henri Verhaaren

HENRI VERHAAREN, MD, PhD, is the Professor of Pediatric Cardiology and Documentary Information, as well as the Director of the Biomedical Library, University and University Hospital Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.

Hans-Günther Sonntag

HANS-GÜNTHER SONNTAG, MD, PhD, is the Professor of Hygiene and Dean Emeritus, Heidelberg University School of Medicine, Heidelberg, Germany. Prof. Sonntag introduced a novel and highly successful HEICUMED curriculum at the Heidelberg School of Medicine and has been the contractor of several TEMPUS grants for curriculum reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the DICTUM, under which this research was performed.

Samo Ribaric

SAMO RIBARIC, MD, PhD, is the Assistant Professor of Pathophysiology at the Institute of Pathophysiology, Ljubljana University School of Medicine, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Prof. Ribaric was the member Curriculum Reform Commission at the Ljubljana School of Medicine.

Snježana Tomic

SNJEZANA TOMIC, MD, PhD, is the Assistant Professor of Pathology, Department of Pathology, Split, University School of Medicine, Split, Croatia.

Benjamin Vojnikovic

BENJAMIN VOJNIKOVIC is Secretary General of the Sarajevo University School of Medicine, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Hajrija Seleskovic

HAJRIJA SELESKOVIC, MD, PhD is the Professor of Internal Medicine and former dean of the Tuzla University School of Medicine, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mads Dahl

MADS DAHL, MSc, PhD, is the Assistant Professor at the Section for Health Informatics, Aarhus University School of Medicine, Aarhus.

Ana Marusic

ANA MARUSIC, MD, PhD, is the Professor of Anatomy at the Zagreb University School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia. She also teaches scientific communication to medical students and is the co-editor in Chief of the Croatian Medical Journal.

Matko Marusic

MATKO MARUSIC, MD, PhD, is the Professor of Physiology and Immunology at the Zagreb University School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia. He is the founder of the Croatian Medical Journal and its Co-editor in Chief. Prof. Marusic introduced a mandatory course on principles of research into the medical curriculum in Croatia.