Factors Affecting Achieving Learning Outcomes in Basic Years in Medical School at King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Objective: This study was conducted as part of a curricular reform process in Faculty of Medicine (FOM), King Abdul Aziz University Jeddah Saudi Arabia. It explored the perspective of FOM stakeholders on the challenges and factors in the teaching and learning domains that are affecting achieving learning outcomes.

Methods: Faculty teaching in the second and third year, students in third and fourth year, and administrative personnel were included.

Team-based learning versus traditional didactic lectures in teaching clinical biochemistry at King Abdulaziz University; learning outcomes and student satisfaction.

Team-based learning (TBL), which encourages students to become active rather than passive learners, has gained world-wide popularity in medical education due to its proven positive effect on more than one aspect of the educational process. At King Abdulaziz University (KAU), clinical biochemistry is still taught in the form of didactic lectures, and while there is a need for introducing active learning, student learning response from TBL has not been explored. In this quasi-experimental non-equivalent comparison group design, we compared learning outcomes and student satisfaction in a clinical biochemistry course taught either via TBL to second year clinical nutrition students (n = 33) or via traditional lectures to same year nursing students (n = 70).

Relationship between admission criteria and academic performance in basic science courses in health science colleges in KAU.

Background: At King Abdulaziz University, medical and health science schools depend on admission exams (aptitude and achievement) and preparatory year scores in their students' selection. However, with the growing number of applicants and the drastic changes in teaching and assessment in these colleges, continuous assessment and development of admission criteria are needed. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the correlation of admission exam scores, in addition to the preparatory year Grade Point Average (GPA), with academic performance in the basic science subjects such as Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Pharmacology in health science colleges.

Evaluating the long-term impact of faculty development programs on MCQ item analysis.

Purpose: Evaluating the long-term impact of faculty development programs (FDPs) can help monitor the effectiveness of the program and identify areas for development. This study examined long-term differences in confidence, knowledge, behaviors, and policies of faculty members who attended FDPs on multiple choice question (MCQ) item analysis and faculty members who did not attend the FDPs.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used, by administering a 24-item survey to a representative sample (simple random selection) of 61 faculty members at King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Medicine.

The establishment and roles of the Medical Education Department in the faculty of Medicine, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah Saudi Arabia.

Medical Education departments oversee the process of medical education in medical schools and provide many educational services to support, evaluate and thus enhance the educational role of the medical school. Its roles revolve around research, teaching and providing educational support in areas of curriculum development and assessment. This paper provides a brief summary on the emergence of different medical education centers/units/departments around the world from a historical perspective.

Evaluation of second and fourth year undergraduate medical students' perception and acceptance of the problem-based learning process.

Objective: To investigate medical students' perception of problem based learning (PBL), to compare the acceptance level of new students who were introduced to PBL theoretically with those who had 2 years experience, and to study the effect of PBL on the academic performance.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on medical students at King Abdul-Aziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia between November 2008 and May 2009. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 2 groups of undergraduate medical students who volunteered to participate.