Perceptions by medical students of their educational environment for obstetrics and gynaecology in metropolitan and rural teaching sites

Abstract

Background: Medical student education in Western Australia is expanding to secondary level metropolitan hospitals and rural sites to accommodate workforce demands and increasing medical student numbers.

Aims: To determine if students’ perceptions of the teaching environment for obstetrics and gynaecology differ between tertiary, secondary level metropolitan hospitals and rural sites, and to determine if students’ perceptions of their learning environment are associated with improved academic performance.

Method: An evaluation was conducted of medical students’ perceptions of their learning environment during an obstetrics and gynaecology program at a variety of sites across metropolitan and rural Western Australia. The evaluation was based on the Dundee Ready Education Environmental Measure (DREEM) questionnaire.

Results: There were no significant differences in students’ perceptions of their learning environment between the tertiary hospital, combined programs involving a tertiary and secondary metropolitan hospital, rural sites with a population of more than 25,000 and rural sites with a population less than 25,000 people. Perceptions were similar in male and female students. The overall mean score for all perceptions of the learning environment in obstetrics and gynaecology were in the range considered to be favorable. Higher scores of perceptions of the learning environment were associated positively with the measures of academic achievement in the clinical, but not written, examination.

Conclusion: Medical students’ perceptions of their learning environment in obstetrics and gynaecology were not influenced by the geographical site of delivery or their gender but were positively related to higher academic achievement. Providing appropriate academic and clinical support systems have been put in place the education of medical students can be extended outside major hospitals and into outer metropolitan and rural communities without any apparent reduction in perceptions of the quality of their learning environment.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dianne F. Carmody

DIANNE CARMODY initiated the study and was the prime author of the manuscript. She is a course coordinator and associate professor at the School of Women's and Infants' Health, The University of Western Australia.

Angela Jacques

ANGELA JACQUES conducted the statistical analysis and approved the final manuscript. She is a biostatistician at the Women and Infants’ Research Foundation based at King Edward Memorial Hospital, Western Australia.

Harriet Denz-Penhey

HARRIET DENZ-PENHEY contributed to data collection, analysis and approved the final manuscript. She is a Senior Research Fellow at the Rural Clinical School of Western Australia, The University of Western Australia.

Ian Puddey

IAN PUDDEY was involved in conception, analysis and approved the final manuscript of the study. He is the Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Western Australia.

John P. Newnham

JOHN P NEWNHAM was involved in conception, analysis and approved the final manuscript of the study. He is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Maternal and Fetal Medicine) and the Head of the School of Women's and Infants' Health, The University of Western Australia.