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PIQUE-ing an interest in curriculum renewal


J Blitz
N Kok
B van Heerden
S van Schalkwyk

Abstract

Background. The primary aim of undergraduate medical training at South African medical schools is to prepare the graduates adequately for internship. If we are to attain this objective, it is crucial to evaluate the ability of our graduates to cope with the demands of internship.
Objective. To determine the extent to which first-year interns from Stellenbosch University (SU) considered that their undergraduate education
prepared them for internship.
Methods. The Preparedness for Internship Questionnaire (PIQUE) is based on Hill’s Preparation for Hospital Practice Questionnaire, with additional
questions covering core competencies and exit outcomes that SU has determined for its medical curriculum. Participants were asked to respond to a series of statements preceded by ‘My undergraduate medical training prepared me to … ’, and also two open-ended questions. SU’s MB ChB graduates of 2011 (N=153) were invited to participate in the online survey.
Results. Although the response rate was only 37%, graduates generally thought they had been well prepared for most mainstream clinical  activities. However, there were areas in which respondents considered they could have been better prepared, specifically pharmacology, medicolegal work, minor surgery and the non-clinical roles that interns encounter.
Conclusion. PIQUE appears to be a useful tool that can assist with  curriculum renewal by highlighting areas that graduates feel they could be better prepared for. This challenges us to identify how curricula and teaching can be adjusted accordingly.

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