Objective: Discussions on the quality and nature of medical education in our country have been ongoing for years. This study, conducted in 2022, aims to evaluate the socioeconomic and cultural characteristics of first-year students at Balıkesir University Faculty of Medicine, their level of satisfaction with the faculty, and their thoughts and suggestions regarding physical conditions, ease of communication with instructors, and transportation. Materials and Methods: A total of 146 students who completed their first year in the 2021–2022 academic term participated in the study, including 77 (52.7%) females and 69 (47.3%) males. The questionnaire consisted of 34 questions: 25 on sociodemographic characteristics, 5 on physical and social conditions of the faculty, and 4 on students’ opinions about education. Results: The mean age of the participants was 19.29 years. Among them, 46 students (%31.5) had placed Balıkesir University Faculty of Medicine among their top five choices during the university entrance exam. Accommodation preferences included 72 (49.3%) students in private dormitories, 39 (26.7%) in public dormitories, 19 (13%) with family, and 16 (11%) in rented apartments. Regarding their reasons for choosing medicine, 63 students (43.2%) identified it as their ideal profession, while 40 (27.4%) cited prestige, financial gain, and job security. Conclusion: The most common complaint among students was the inadequacy of transportation to the medical school, followed by a lack of social activities and insufficient educational materials. It is believed that evaluating students' concerns and expectations will help improve medical education and that conducting such surveys regularly would be a beneficial practice.
Dikilitaş et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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