19: ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICAL SKILLS REQUIRED FOR MEDICAL INTERNS TO LEARN DURING THE 7-DAY RHEUMATOLOGY WARD PERIOD IN TABRIZ UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Medical students are responsible to learn and practice in the internal wards (including rheumatology) according to the designed evidence based standard of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. It is Important to assess how much they have learnt. The aim of this study was to assess the interns' knowledge, attitude and the skills during their 7-day rheumatology ward education period. METHODS: The current study is a cross sectional one conducted since 2014 to 2016, among interns of the Imam Reza Teaching hospital of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The students were to answer to the questions “What Did You Learn during Your rheumatology Period?” and “What Issue Was More Interesting and Useful?” Their writings were classified according to the national standard guideline of educational program, which contained 24 items; 9 for knowledge, 7 for skills, 4 for attitude and 4 major issues of rheumatology. The data were transferred to the analysis software of SPSS. RESULTS: The statistics indicated that the interns' knowledge was scored for clinical findings, history, psychological effects and treatment of patients as 53.84%, 3.84%, 11.54% and 76.92%, respectively. Also their skills in physical examination, diagnosis, diagnostic arrangements, and medical recordings were scored as 100%, 88.46%, 76.92% and 53.84% respectively. For the attitude assessments, 34.61% and 38.46% of the interns had learnt active listening (patient value) and ethical behaving during their 7-day ward period. According to the assumed program for the major issues of rheumatology, arthritis and back pain was learned as well in 11.53% and 26.92% of interns. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that this strategy can be an effective way for medical students' assessment. They assess themselves while reviewing their learning and writing them down. It can also be useful for the professors. Assessments should be according to the evidence based logbook; to consider how it is being taught. Through the current strategy, the common cases of the rheumatology ward and clinic get distinguished. Thus, if any change is needed to be conducted on the content of the evidence based logbook, it can be done.