What do they need from medical education? A cross-sectional study of rural grassroots doctors in Jiangsu Province

Abstract Background The "Rural Oriented Medical Students Education Program", which is designed to trainprimary doctors inrural areas,needs to constantly improve the education system. Therefore, this study suggestedthat in addition to job competency, the actual needs of grassroots doctors should also be considered. Methods Online questionnaires were sent to rural grassroots doctors in northern Jiangsu, central Jiangsu and southern Jiangsu. Information on demographic characteristics, job competence self-evaluations, residents’ standardized training situations, skills to be mastered at different stages of medical education and courses that needed to be improved or strengthened was collected. Results Provincially, the scores forprofessional spirit (4.19±0.834), teamwork ability (4.04±0.779) and doctor‒patient communication (4.03±0.780) were highly rated; scientific research ability (3.53±0.952), clinical ability (3.81±0.848) and information management ability (3.91±0.801) were rated low, but grassroots doctors in southern Jiangsu showed absolute advantages in most respects except for public health ability. A total of 41.5% of the respondents had received Resident Standardized Training. In terms of the needs of the rotation departments for training, rural grassroots doctors in southern Jiangsu showed interest in surgery, pediatrics, B-ultrasound, community and other departments. A total of 90.8% and 89.7% of respondents claimed that first aidand medical treatment skills needed to be mastered during the academic stage; 63.2% and 58.1% of respondents believed that additional class hours are required forfirst aid and rehabilitation skills; and 90.8% and 84.9% of respondents considered that first aidand medical treatment skills needed to be mastered during the Resident Standardization Training, respectively. Doctor–Patient Communication, Psychology, Anatomy, Pathology, Epidemiology, Health Education, Diagnostics, Internal Medicine and Surgery were key courses for rural grassroots doctors andshould be improved or strengthened. Conclusion This low primary service ability is caused by the disconnectbetween clinical practice and actual work needs, as well as the unsolid foundation of theoretical knowledge learning. On theone hand, attention should be givento the teaching and learning quality of key courses; on the other hand, the actual needs can be clarified through segmented regular training to better achieve standardized regular trainingfor rural grassroots doctors.