The attitudes of international medical students toward educational methods and styles applied in a 6-year longitudinal course in fundamentals of medical skills in Croatia

Aim: To investigate international medical students’ attitudes toward the impact of 6-year longitudinal course, Fundamentals of Medical Skills (FMS), at Medical Studies in English at the University of Zagreb on the development of their practical, clinical, and communication skills. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a 23-item online survey to collect data from five generations of students attending the FMS course from January 31 to February 3, 2017. First-year students were not included. Invitations and reminders were sent to 202 FMS students by e-mail, SMS, and in closed groups in social networks. Results: The response rate was 69.8% (141/202 students). The majority of students found the course useful (83.7%); favored practical over communication skills (92.9%); found practical skills more useful in higher years (82.3%); thought more time was needed to practice by simulation on mannequins (75.2%); preferred Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) stations to traditional oral exams (78%); and would recommend a course like FMS to future students or students at other universities (79.4%). Significantly more women than men favored practical over communication skills (P = 0.044). Significantly more 5th and 6th students than students at lower years preferred OSCE stations to traditional learning (P = 0.025) and would recommend a course like FMS to future students or students at other universities (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Students positively evaluated the FMS course, but underestimated the communication skills aspect.