Improvement in undergraduate medical education: a 10-year follow-up in Finland.
Several studies have revealed that undergraduate medical education does not adequately prepare students for their work as physicians. There have been attempts to solve this problem in curriculum reforms in medical faculties. In this article, Finnish physicians' opinions on their undergraduate medical education are analysed. In 1988, a postal questionnaire was mailed to 2632 physicians registered during 1977-86, and altogether 1745 questionnaires were returned (66.3%). A follow-up study was done in 1998, and a questionnaire was sent to 2529 physicians who graduated between 1987 and 1996; 1822 questionnaires were returned (73.1%). Half of the respondents considered undergraduate education to correspond well with the requisite diagnostic skills and hospital doctors' work in general. In older and more traditional medical faculties (Helsinki, Oulu and Turku) education in primary healthcare work was considered insufficient. Also, more than 80% of the respondents felt they received too little teaching in administrative work. They reported that both traditional and younger, community-oriented faculties (Kuopio and Tampere) had considerably improved their education, especially in primary healthcare, during the 10-year follow-up. However, there were still clear differences between the education in the respective types of faculty as evaluated by their graduates. There is still room for improvements in undergraduate medical education, the better to meet the real needs of practising physicians in different fields of health care.
Hyppölä
Harri
H
Department of Public Health and General Practice, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland. harri.hyppola@fimnet.fi
Kumpusalo
Esko
E
Virjo
Irma
I
Mattila
Kari
K
Neittaanmäki
Liisa
L
Halila
Hannu
H
Kujala
Santero
S
Luhtala
Riitta
R
Isokoski
Mauri
M
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires