Learning strategies of medical students in the surgery department, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Figures & data

Table 1 Perspectives of the students and interns on the lectures in the surgery department

Characteristics of lectures	Years			Total	P*
	5th year	6th year	Intern
Number of lectures
Sufficient	140 (52.2%)	121 (60.5%)	48 (65.8%)	309 (57.1%)	0.000
More than needed	25 (9.3%)	36 (18.0%)	19 (26.0%)	80 (14.8%)
Less than needed	103 (38.4%)	43 (21.5%)	6 (8.2%)	152 (28.1%)
Importance of attendance
Always	67 (24.8%)	37 (18.0%)	16 (21.9%)	120 (21.9%)	0.358
Sometimes	167 (61.9%)	131 (63.9%)	47 (64.4%)	345 (63.0%)
Not important	36 (13.3%)	37 (18.0%)	10 (13.7%)	83 (15.1%)

Note:

* Based on Chi-square test.

Table 2 Perspectives of students and interns on clinical sessions in the surgery department

Characteristics of clinical sessions	Years			Total	P*
	5th year	6th year	Intern
Number of sessions
Sufficient	150 (55.8%)	89 (43.4%)	22 (30.1%)	261 (47.7%)	0.000
More than needed	7 (2.6%)	2 (1.0%)	11 (15.1%)	20 (3.7%)
Less than needed	112 (41.6%)	114 (55.6%)	40 (54.8%)	266 (48.6%)
Importance of attendance
Always	244 (90.0%)	188 (92.2%)	55 (75.3%)	487 (88.9%)	0.001
Sometimes	26 (9.6%)	16 (7.8%)	18 (24.7%)	60 (10.9%)
Not important	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)

Note:

* Based on Chi-squared test.

Table 3 Preferred methods of learning adopted by the students and interns (in descending order)

Method of learning	Years			Total	P*
	5th year	6th year	Intern
Self learning at home
Yes	214 (79.0%)	157 (76.6%)	36 (49.3%)	407 (74.1%)	0.000
No	57 (21.0%)	48 (23.4%)	37 (50.7%)	142 (25.9%)
With peers in groups
Yes	172 (63.5%)	116 (56.6%)	36 (49.3%)	324 (59.0%)	0.062
No	99 (36.5%)	89 (43.4%)	37 (50.7%)	225 (41.0%)
With residents
Yes	130 (48.0%)	113 (55.1%)	49 (67.1%)	292 (53.2%)	0.011
No	141 (52.0%)	92 (44.9%)	24 (32.9%)	257 (46.8%)
With academic staff
Yes	113 (41.7%)	112 (54.6%)	37 (50.7%)	262 (47.7%)	0.017
No	158 (58.3%)	93 (45.4%)	36 (49.3%)	287 (52.3%)
With older interns
Yes	138 (50.9%)	65 (31.7%)	18 (24.7%)	221 (40.3%)	0.000
No	133 (49.1%)	140 (68.3%)	55 (75.3%)	328 (59.7%)
With older colleagues
Yes	116 (42.8%)	81 (39.5%)	22 (30.1%)	219 (39.9%)	0.145
No	155 (57.2%)	124 (60.5%)	51 (69.9%)	330 (60.1%)
With nurses and technicians
Yes	12 (4.4%)	18 (8.8%)	13 (17.8%)	43 (7.8%)	0.001
No	259 (95.6%)	187 (91.2%)	60 (82.2%)	506 (92.2%)
With private teachers
Yes	8 (3.0%)	5 (2.4%)	7 (9.6%)	20 (3.6%)	0.014
No	263 (97.0%)	200 (97.6%)	66 (90.4%)	529 (96.4%)

Note:

* Based on Chi-squared test.

Table 4 Preferred sources of learning adopted by the group studied (in descending order)

Sources of learning	Years			Total	P*
	5th year	6th year	Intern
Assigned textbooks
Yes	223 (82.3%)	175 (85.4%)	56 (76.7%)	454 (82.7%)	0.237
No	48 (17.7%)	30 (14.6%)	17 (23.3%)	95 (17.3%)
Previous exams
Yes	222 (81.9%)	164 (80.0%)	52 (71.2%)	438 (79.8%)	0.130
No	49 (18.1%)	41 (20.0%)	21 (28.8%)	111 (20.2%)
Attendance at clinical sessions
Yes	193 (71.2%)	159 (77.6%)	51 (69.9%)	403 (73.4%)	0.229
No	78 (28.8%)	46 (22.4%)	22 (30.1%)	146 (26.6%)
Notes and summaries sold in bookshops
Yes	197 (72.7%)	147 (71.7%)	31 (42.5%)	375 (68.3%)	0.000
No	74 (27.3%)	58 (28.3%)	42 (57.5%)	174 (31.7%)
Department’s lectures
Yes	123 (45.4%)	103 (50.2%)	30 (41.1%)	256 (46.6%)	0.343
No	148 (54.6%)	102 (49.8%)	43 (58.9%)	293 (53.4%)
Summaries prepared by colleagues
Yes	110 (40.6%)	94 (45.9%)	24 (32.9%)	228 (41.5%)	0.140
No	161 (59.4%)	111 (54.1%)	49 (67.1%)	321 (58.5%)
Other textbooks
Yes	51 (18.8%)	77 (37.6%)	22 (30.1%)	150 (27.3%)	0.000
No	220 (81.2%)	128 (62.4%)	51 (69.9%)	399 (72.7%)

Note:

* Based on Chi-squared test.