Determining the quality of educational climate across multiple undergraduate teaching sites using the DREEM inventory.
BACKGROUND
Our obstetrics and gynaecology undergraduate teaching module allocates 40-50 final year medical students to eight teaching hospital sites in the West Midlands region. Based on student feedback and concerns relating to the impact of new curriculum changes, we wished to objectively assess whether the educational environment perceived by students varied at different teaching hospital centres, and whether the environment was at an acceptable standard.


METHODS
A Dundee Ready Education Environment (DREEM) Questionnaire, a measure of educational environment, was administered to 206 students immediately following completion of the teaching module.


RESULTS
The overall mean DREEM score was 139/200 (70%). There were no differences in the education climate between the teaching centres.


CONCLUSIONS
Further research on the use of DREEM inventory, with follow up surveys, may be useful for educators to ensure and maintain high quality educational environments despite students being placed at different teaching centres.
Varma
Rajesh
R
Academic Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Birmingham Women's Hospital, Birmingham, B15 2TG, UK. r.varma@bham.ac.uk
Tiyagi
Ekta
E
Gupta
Janesh K
JK
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D004739:England; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000193:education*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012938:Social Perception; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
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