Assessment of knowledge and skills in primary health care services: senior medical students' self-evaluation.
BACKGROUND: The responsibility of medical schools is to educate physicians who are able to provide integrated health care services including curative and preventive components to individuals and the community. They should acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for management of health services with a scientific background and necessary skills to conduct research and be able to make plans to improve the health level of the community. PURPOSE: This study aims to examine last-year students in Hacettepe University Medical School and how they assess their knowledge and skills in providing primary health care services. METHODS: The study includes all last-year students in the 2000 to 2001 academic years; 80.4% of the students (n = 313) participated in the survey. The last-year students assessed their own knowledge and skills by using a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (none) to 5 (very good). RESULTS: According to the scoring of the scale, it is found that their level of knowledge is 2.82, and the level of skill is 2.44 for all primary health care services, between low (2) and intermediate (3). A small sample of available students was interviewed regarding these low ratings of their knowledge and skills. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study clearly indicate that the curriculum of the medical school does not satisfy the expectations that the newly graduated physicians have the sufficient knowledge and skills necessary for the primary health care services; the graduates have to work just after their graduation from medical school in the health system of Turkey.