Clinical Learning Experiences of Displaced Sudanese Medical Students During Conflict: A Mixed‑Methods Study

Background: Clinical learning is of paramount importance for developing competent and confident medical graduates.In 2023, final-year medical students from the University of Medical Sciences and Technology (UMST), Sudan, were displaced and continued their learning at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), Tanzania, because of a war in their home country.Aim: This study aimed to determine the clinical learning experience and satisfaction among students attending Muhimbili Hospital following forced displacement due to conflict in Sudan and to explore the contributors to satisfaction and challenges of the learning experience.Methods: A mixed-methods explanatory sequential study design was conducted among 5th-year students.Quantitative data were collected using the Clinical Learning Evaluation Questionnaire (CLEQ) and a satisfaction questionnaire.Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews based on the results from the questionnaires.Results: Quantitative data were collected from 140 participants.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants, achieving thematic saturation.The results were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's inductive thematic analysis.The CLEQ scores reflected suboptimal exposure to diverse cases, limited supervision, and organizational inefficiencies, with average scores of 2.28, 2.7, and 2.9, respectively.Despite these scores, the satisfaction questionnaire yielded low satisfaction with an average score of 3.68 on a Likert scale, and the qualitative findings revealed strong themes of personal and professional growth, cultural adaptation and resilience.The major obstacles highlighted were language barriers, inconsistent supervision, and overcrowding of clinical settings.Conclusion: Although the clinical learning environment at MNH presented significant challenges, the participants claimed that they gained meaningful personal and professional development there.Strengthening supervision, improving organizational structures, and providing language support may help mitigate the implications of the displacement of medical students.