Medical students’ perception of international health electives in the undergraduate medical curriculum at the College of Medicine, King Saud University

BACKGROUND: International health electives prepare medical students during their student years of medical education in choosing, matching, and succeeding in the residency of their choice. They serve as a unique educational experience prior to residency training. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to explore 4th- and 5th-year medical students’ perspective about international health electives and to evaluate their educational effects. METHODS: An anonymous online survey with 22 items concerning perceptions about the electives with a 5-point Likert scale was administered to medical students at the College of Medicine, King Saud University. RESULTS: For the majority of the students (81.6%) the elective course was arranged by the university and only 18.4% of students individually arranged their own. Most of the students (65.7%) agreed that the objective of the elective course was clear to them in advance. A total of 71.1% of students agreed that the program (elective) was responsive to their needs (both academically and socially). CONCLUSION: This is the first study looking at international electives in the context of the undergraduate medical curriculum in Saudi Arabia. The study showed that the international electives are a useful and unique experience for medical students (both academically and socially).