Table 4 Qualitative assessment of the students’ views towards early clinical exposure and their major comments about the program

Strength points of the program

Having a clear goal

3/42

(7.14%)

• “This course leads to decrease my confusion toward hospital and its clinical wards”

• “The present course has a clear goals which made me interested in it”

Respectful behaviors of the instructors

4/42

(9.52%)

• “All the instructors were behaved to the participants and patients with full respect”

Performing excellent training

8/42

(19.04%)

• “The instructors were teaching the topics in an excellent form with patience”

Teaching physical examinations very well

13/42

(30.95%)

• “The instructors were completely dominant in the physical examination and how to teach it”

Intimate atmosphere

3/42

(7.14%)

• “The course atmosphere was so intimate which make us more interested in the program”

Well planned

1/42

(2.38%)

• “The course plan was so interesting and regular”

Excellent instructors

6/42

(14.28%)

• “The course instructors not only were completely dominant to the topics but also teach them very well”

Teaching the communication skills and how to behave with the patients

6/42

(14.28%)

• “The course made me familiar with the professional behavior and dressing with the patients”

• “It was so interesting that the instructors give the chance to the students to perform physical examinations on their own”

• “The course teaches us how to have an effective communication with patients”

Problem-based teaching

1/42

(2.38%)

• “The present course make a new insight for me into the problem-based learning and teaching in clinical challenges”

Familiarity with the clinical field

21/42

(50%)

• “This course makes me familiar with clinical wards which lead to decrease my fear about the hospital”

• “This program not only familiarized me with the hospital but also reduced my fear of contacting patients”

• “The present program makes me familiar with the hospital wards and how to fill out the patients’ medical records”

• “It was interesting to contact with real hospital atmosphere which was not experienced in the routine educational curriculum”

Weakness points of the program

Short duration of the course

12/22

(54.54%)

• “The course duration was too short”

• “The program duration was not enough for all of the taught topics and it was better to expand the program time”

• “It was better to allocate more time to the history taking and physical examination”

High population of the participants in each group

7/22

(38.81%)

• “The groups were so populated, it is suggested to divide participants into less populated groups”

• “High density of the population in each group lead to having less time for clinical practice”

Inadequate coordination

5/22

(22.72%)

• “The executive team was not coordinated properly”

Poor announcements about the program

2/22

(9.09%)

• “The announcements of the program were not for all of the students”

Course compactness

1/22

(4.54%)

• “The course was too compacted, it was better to teach physical examination in two separate sections”

Hospital crowdicity

1/22

(4.54%)

• “The hospital was too crowded which reduced my learning ability”

Participants’ suggestions toward the program

Increase the number of the practical classes

8/18

(44.44%)

• “ It was better to teach the practical topics in two or more sessions except in only one session”

Reduce the number of participants in each group

8/18

(44.44%)

• “The groups were too crowded which lead to reduce the participants ability to learn and practice the topics, please reduce the number of participants in each group for further programs”

Held theoretical classes in person

1/18

(5.55%)

• “Please hold both theoretical and practical sessions in person”

Make a chance for all participants to examine patients

1/18

(5.55%)

• “As the groups were too crowded it was hard for everyone to perform physical examinations, it is suggested to modify the number of the participants of each group for the future courses”