Defining the Learning Outcomes and Core Curriculum for Clinical Clerkships

Background: The core curriculum is defined as a curriculum that is essential and common to all students. Defining the core curriculum for clinical clerkships will help to clarify the content to which disorders and skills must be mastered by students. Objectives: This study aimed to define the content of the clinical clerkship core curriculum based on the expectations of graduates to work at the primary healthcare level. Methods: The core learning outcomes of clinical clerkships were defined by starting from diseases, clinical presentations, conditions, and skills listed in SaudiMeds framework and the Saudi Medical Licensing Exam content outline. Although some diseases are expected to be managed at the primary care level, only emergency management or preliminary diagnosis with referral to a more advanced level is required. Thus, the knowledge and skills to be acquired for each disease/disorder are competencies in one or more of the following areas: preliminary diagnosis, diagnosis, treatment, emergency management, prevention, and follow-up. Results and Conclusion: A total of 404 diseases/disorders and 137 skills (66 procedural and 71 examination skills) were listed, and their levels of knowledge and performance were defined. The clerkships where each clinical skill should be practiced and acquired were also identified. The implementation of the clinical core curriculum faces challenges due to faculty practices and the misinterpretation of some hospital policies. This final document can be shared with other medical schools to define the core curriculum on a national basis.