Medical students’ perceptions towards implementing case-based learning in the clinical teaching and clerkship training

Abstract

Abstract Background Depending on the subject area and the ‘case’ used, many methods can be used to describe case-based learning (CBL). The majority of health professional education is patient-centered. As a result, clinical presentations and diseases are combined with social and clinical sciences, and student learning is linked to real-world applications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, National Ribat University, felt about the implementation of CBL. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 171 final-year medical students (100 females and 71 males). Students were voluntarily invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 15 closed-ended questions with 5-point Likert scale responses, covering data on perception, awareness, and barriers to CBL. Results The CBL satisfaction rate among medical students was 92.4%. The mean value of the medical student’s perception was 3.7 out of 5. Regarding perceptions of CBL, 65.5% of students agreed with the positive impact of CBL on their academic performance. “8.2%” (14/171) of students strongly concur that CBL improved teamwork, while “31.6%” (54/171) strongly disagree. “36.3%” of students strongly believe that CBL improved their ability to use clinical reasoning. Regarding CBL barriers, 53% of medical students considered a group of twenty participants per session to be a barrier. (69%) of students refused to consider physical presence as a barrier. “76.6%” of the students agreed that the moderator’s approach and style can have a big influence on the CBL session’s outcome. Conclusion Overall, students had positive perceptions of CBL. Academic performance, clinical reasoning, teamwork, and information retention and retrieval were all improved by incorporating CBL into training modules. Students agreed that the group size of 20 students per session was a barrier, despite their moderate to excellent knowledge of CBL. Preparation for CBL is both time-consuming and tiring. Despite this, students agree that CBL has a positive impact on the learning process.