Afghan medical students’ perceptions, and experiences of their medical education and their professional intentions: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background Numerous challenges have crippled the Afghan healthcare system on individual, organizational, and societal levels. The Afghans have acknowledged that an evidence-based perspective is paramount to enhancing medical training capacities across the country, which may, in turn, best e...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04577-7 |
| _version_ | 1797452231507705856 |
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| author | Muhammad Haroon Stanikzai Mohammad Hashim Wafa Khalid Akbari Zabihullah Anwary Ahmad Haroon Baray Hadia Sayam Abdul Wahed Wasiq |
| author_facet | Muhammad Haroon Stanikzai Mohammad Hashim Wafa Khalid Akbari Zabihullah Anwary Ahmad Haroon Baray Hadia Sayam Abdul Wahed Wasiq |
| author_sort | Muhammad Haroon Stanikzai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Numerous challenges have crippled the Afghan healthcare system on individual, organizational, and societal levels. The Afghans have acknowledged that an evidence-based perspective is paramount to enhancing medical training capacities across the country, which may, in turn, best ensure appointing highly competent authorities to address health system problems on such multiple levels. Objectives This study assessed current Afghan senior medical students’ perceptions, and experiences of their medical education and their future professional intentions. Methods We conducted this cross-sectional study at seven public and private Afghan medical institutes from March to April 2022. We invited 665 senior medical students through an anonymous survey using the Google survey online forms via social-media platforms, such as WhatsApp Messenger. Descriptive statistics were employed for the data analyses. Results The mean age (± SD) of the students was 23.7 (± 2.2) years and males constituted 79.9% (510) of the study sample. About 22.6% of them rated their medical training as excellent, and nearly a third of them (37%) said that it is good. Nearly half (48.7%) of the students would prefer to stay in Afghanistan. The leading motives for moving overseas were to obtain more advanced and quality education (69.9%), and a decent personal life (43.9%). Nearly two-thirds (67.4%) of them asserted that current political and armed conflicts in Afghanistan may have influenced their professional choices. Conclusion This study epitomizes that the quality of medical education in Afghanistan has room for growth and development to meet the standards set on regional and global grounds. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:05:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-52fb4aca4ad24c3996b9b5cd0035c04c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:05:48Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-52fb4aca4ad24c3996b9b5cd0035c04c2023-11-26T13:39:53ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202023-08-012311810.1186/s12909-023-04577-7Afghan medical students’ perceptions, and experiences of their medical education and their professional intentions: a cross-sectional studyMuhammad Haroon Stanikzai0Mohammad Hashim Wafa1Khalid Akbari2Zabihullah Anwary3Ahmad Haroon Baray4Hadia Sayam5Abdul Wahed Wasiq6Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar UniversityNeuropsychiatric and Behavioral Science Department, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar UniversityInternal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Paktia UniversityClinic Department, Faculty of Medicine, Bost UniversityPublic Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar UniversityPara-Clinic Department, Faculty of Medicine, Malalay Institute of Higher EducationInternal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar UniversityAbstract Background Numerous challenges have crippled the Afghan healthcare system on individual, organizational, and societal levels. The Afghans have acknowledged that an evidence-based perspective is paramount to enhancing medical training capacities across the country, which may, in turn, best ensure appointing highly competent authorities to address health system problems on such multiple levels. Objectives This study assessed current Afghan senior medical students’ perceptions, and experiences of their medical education and their future professional intentions. Methods We conducted this cross-sectional study at seven public and private Afghan medical institutes from March to April 2022. We invited 665 senior medical students through an anonymous survey using the Google survey online forms via social-media platforms, such as WhatsApp Messenger. Descriptive statistics were employed for the data analyses. Results The mean age (± SD) of the students was 23.7 (± 2.2) years and males constituted 79.9% (510) of the study sample. About 22.6% of them rated their medical training as excellent, and nearly a third of them (37%) said that it is good. Nearly half (48.7%) of the students would prefer to stay in Afghanistan. The leading motives for moving overseas were to obtain more advanced and quality education (69.9%), and a decent personal life (43.9%). Nearly two-thirds (67.4%) of them asserted that current political and armed conflicts in Afghanistan may have influenced their professional choices. Conclusion This study epitomizes that the quality of medical education in Afghanistan has room for growth and development to meet the standards set on regional and global grounds.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04577-7AfghanistanMedical studentsMedical educationConflictCareer choices |
| spellingShingle | Muhammad Haroon Stanikzai Mohammad Hashim Wafa Khalid Akbari Zabihullah Anwary Ahmad Haroon Baray Hadia Sayam Abdul Wahed Wasiq Afghan medical students’ perceptions, and experiences of their medical education and their professional intentions: a cross-sectional study BMC Medical Education Afghanistan Medical students Medical education Conflict Career choices |
| title | Afghan medical students’ perceptions, and experiences of their medical education and their professional intentions: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Afghan medical students’ perceptions, and experiences of their medical education and their professional intentions: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Afghan medical students’ perceptions, and experiences of their medical education and their professional intentions: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Afghan medical students’ perceptions, and experiences of their medical education and their professional intentions: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Afghan medical students’ perceptions, and experiences of their medical education and their professional intentions: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | afghan medical students perceptions and experiences of their medical education and their professional intentions a cross sectional study |
| topic | Afghanistan Medical students Medical education Conflict Career choices |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04577-7 |
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