Evaluation of an internal medicine residency curriculum from trainees’ perspective: A qualitative study from a developing country

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the areas of strength and areas needing improvement in the internal medicine residency curriculum in a developing country ‑ Sudan. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was conducted at six major teaching hospitals in Sudan. Purposive sampling was used to select 48 residents who participated in six focus group discussions (FGDs). All FGDs were audio taped and lasted between 60 and 90 min. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation took place. The transcribed data were analyzed using the content analysis technique, and codes were generated and categorized into subthemes. Three emerging themes were identified: training curriculum, training in research, and assessment of residents. Results: The residents were generally satisfied with the curriculum at the planning level. They reported that the structure of the program is suitable and the duration of the curriculum appropriate; the number of patients and theoretical training in the research were considered optimum. They suggested that training in research should begin earlier in the curriculum, with time reserved for conducting research, and that assessment needs improvement. Conclusion: This study highlighted the utility of the qualitative approach in identifying residents’ perspectives of their educational programs. However, the residents provided suggestions for improvement in the following areas: training curriculum, research training, and assessment. The practical recommendations from this study could be used to improve the quality of postgraduate medical training in Sudan and elsewhere.