A cross sectional survey of 3rd year undergraduate medical students’ perception of a ‘Community Oriented’ multifaceted learning approach in the Special Studies Module SSM 3

Introduction: With the growing trend and importance towards producing holistically groomed medical graduates as discussed in Tomorrow’s Doctors, we introduced a community oriented Special Study Module 3 (SSM3) in the Year 3 undergraduate medicine program in the Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam. This module incorporates the principles of Community Oriented Medical Education (COME) to facilitate Holistic development and Team-based learning. Method: A descriptive cross sectional survey design using a self- designed 18 item questionnaire to explore the overall organization, benefits and skills learnt from this module, was sent to the emails of all students in the three cohorts. Questionnaire was piloted on a small group of nursing students who accomplished a community based project. Cronbach’s Alpha analysis was done to establish the reliability of survey. Result: Questionnaire was sent to 47 students and got a 74% response rate. Most of the students found the project very interesting and useful in learning various skills and enhancing self-development. Cronbach’s Alpha of more than 0.70 suggested strong internal reliability. Discussion: Students perception strongly suggests that all the objectives of SSM3 module have been achieved. This approach facilitated multifaceted learning including leadership, teamwork, communication skills, managerial and organizational skills by working with the community members to identify and address their health risks. Conclusion: Community oriented medical education approach can be used to enhance multifaceted learning in real life environment as small group students led projects.