title: How do undergraduate medical students perceive social accountability?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The concept of social accountability within undergraduate training is embedded within the remit of medical schools. Little is known of how medical students perceive social accountability, recognize aspects of their training contributing to the development of this concept and cultivate the underpinning values.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students nearing graduation were recruited to participate in focus groups designed to explore their perceptions of social accountability, which curricular aspects had contributed to their understanding, and to investigate the implications of individual variations in training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students expressed limited appreciation of the concept of social accountability and acknowledged little explicit teaching around underpinning core concepts such as awareness of local health needs, advocacy and nurturing of altruism. However, participants recognized numerous aspects of the course and learning initiatives as impacting on their attitudes towards this concept implicitly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights areas of their undergraduate training that students recognize as having the greatest impact on their development into socially accountable professionals. It poses some significant challenges for health care educators in addressing unintended consequences, including an outcome-driven educational approach, in reducing students' capacity or willingness to engage in curricular challenges often designed to embed this concept.
authors: University of Leeds , UK and.
authors: Marie Louise
authors: ML
authors: McCrea
authors: Deborah
authors: D
authors: Murdoch-Eaton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000533:Altruism; D001364:Awareness; D002321:Career Choice; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D012941:Social Responsibility; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*