title: Patients' Perceptions Towards the Participation of Medical Students in their Care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patient interaction is a vital part of healthcare training. This study aimed to investigate patients' perceptions of the participation of medical students in their care.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2014 and March 2015 among 430 patients admitted to the medical and surgical wards at the King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An Arabic questionnaire was designed to assess the demographic characteristics of the patients and their perceptions of students' participation in their medical care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 416 patients completed the survey (response rate: 97%). Overall, 407 patients (98%) acknowledged the educational benefit of involving medical students in their care. A total of 368 patients (88%) had no objection to a medical student being involved in their care. Of these, 98% were willing to be asked about their medical history by medical students, 89% would permit physical examinations by medical students and 39% preferred that the gender of the medical student match their own. Education level (P <0.003), a positive prior experience with a medical student (P <0.001) and perception of the medical students' attitudes (P <0.001) had a significant effect on patients' acceptance of medical students participating in their care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In general, the patients had a positive perception of medical students, with most patients acknowledging the educational benefit of student participation in patient care. As patients' perceptions of students' professionalism, confidence and respect for privacy were significantly related to acceptance of care, education on these aspects should be a priority in medical curricula.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammed Al
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ghobain
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alghamdi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ala
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arab
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alaem
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Turki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aldress
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mead
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruhyiem
keywords: Attitudes; Medical Education; Medical Students; Patients; Perceptions; Saudi Arabia