Community Medicine Education Reform throughout 2006/2013: Needs for Reactivating the Reform

Throughout the period 2007-2013, Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine-Community Medicine Department (CU-FOM-CMD) devoted efforts to capitalize on the successful EDUCATION reform model implemented in 2006/2007. Objectives were to explore the medical students' and staff perspectives towards CU-CMEC in two academic years 2006/2007 and 2011/2012. The study was a health system (evaluation) design. Data were quantitative from a 523 students of year 2011/2012 and qualitative from community medicine department (CMD) staff members. Results: The reported satisfaction by the 2012 versus 2007 students was as follows: general satisfaction was 52% versus 69% (p= 0.00), satisfaction from generic skills was reported by 61% versus 83%, from technical skills was reported by 54% versus 64%, and from creative activities was reported by 41% versus 59%. CMD staff members affirmed that, the reform persisted for seven years due to continuous role of the critical mass of staff members. Conclusion: focusing on students’ autonomy, learning-service and hands-on training, could boost the CMER and respond to the changing students’ expectation and community needs over time.