Introduction
R.D. Gardi Medical college is the first private medical college in Madhya Pradesh, located in the city of Lord Mahakal. The students entering the medical college are from plus two backgrounds. These students do not have an idea about the course and its contents and their role as a doctor. Hence, to overcome these barriers, the orientation program was introduced. The orientation program gives information about the course curriculum, future opportunities, campus details and facilities available for students, various learning methods, coping with stress, and mental health. The present study was undertaken to observe the students’ knowledge and attitude and to obtain their feedback regarding the orientation program.
Materials and Methods
Study participants
A total of 150 MBBS first-year students attending the orientation program were part of the study after obtaining the voluntary, written informed consent. Willing participants, in the age groups of 18-24 were included in the study. Unwilling participants and those with any severe complications were excluded from the study. A total of 106 participants responded to the knowledge and attitude questionnaire and a total of 111 participants responded to the feedback questionnaire.
Study design
Before the orientation program the knowledge and attitude of the students were assessed using a standard questionnaire consisting of questions related to testing their knowledge, attitude. After completion of attending the orientation program, the students were given a questionnaire consisting of questions related to testing their knowledge, attitude, and feedback about the program. At the end of the questionnaire, space was given to suggest any new things to be included in the program. Twenty minutes time was allotted for the filling of the questionnaires.
Questionnaire
The questionnaire was adopted from the earlier publications in the literature and due permission was obtained from the author to use the questionnaire in our study. 1
Data analysis
Data was analyzed using SPSS 20.0 version. Data were presented as frequency and distribution.
Results
Table 1 and Table 3 presents the knowledge of the students before and after the orientation program (n=106). There was an improvement in the knowledge as mentioned by the participants after attending the orientation program. Table 2 and Table 4 present the attitude of the students after the orientation program (n=106). Table 5 presents the feedback of students about the orientation program (n=111). Majority of the participants gave positive feedback about the orientation program. Majority of the participants reported that the orientation program improved not only their knowledge about academics but also the management of their mental and emotional health.
Table 1
Knowledge of the students before the orientation program (n=106)
Table 2
Attitude of the students before the orientation program (n=106)
Table 3
Knowledge of the students after the orientation program (n=106)
Table 4
Attitude of the students after the orientation program (n=106)
Table 5
Feedback of students about the orientation program (n=111)
Discussion
Upon entering the medical college, there will be a different experience for the medical students. From plus two levels, these students enter into the professional environment. Hence, initially, they experience some hardship to adapt to this new environment. For the benefit of the students, National Medical Commission has introduced an orientation program to help students during the transition period. The orientation program helps the students to develop adequate discipline, and knowledge about academics and improves their confidence in students to deal with the patients in future years.2, 3 The students who entered the medical college found it difficult to study the vast syllabus, moreover high expectations from parents and teachers, fear of ragging, and other difficulties like adjusting to a hostel or with new friends.4 The orientation program addresses all the issues and how to handle them effectively.5, 6 The impression created by the orientation program is long-lasting. Hence, orientation programs were introduced throughout the world for the benefit of the students. The duration of the orientation program ranges from two days to five days.7
The goal of the orientation program conducted at R.D.Gardi Medical College was to familiarize the students with the college, academics, curriculum, and faculty. The majority of the students reported that the orientation program helped them to overcome many challenges and also build up their self-confidence. Earlier studies reported that the orientation program was very essential for providing a strong basis for the accomplishment of future goals.4 Another study reported that the students became more confident after the orientation program and they were ready to take up the challenges in future years of the medical profession.8 Apart from the details about the curriculum, the students learn behavior, ethics, and communication skills through the orientation program. These things are essential for their successful career.9 A study conducted in Canada reported that the orientation program helped them in the transition phase of life from the layman to a medical professional.10 A study conducted in Karachi explained that students were happy to learn about interactive teaching and shared many ideas with the faculty.11 Another study reported that the orientation program helped the students to manage their stress levels.12 The present study results are in accordance with the earlier studies as the majority of the students reported the positive impact of the orientation program.
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