Factors Influencing Core Competency Acquisition in Medical Students at the University of Jeddah

Background Acquiring basic competencies is of utmost importance for medical students because of its positive repercussions on the health and safety of patients, and reaching the level of mastery and professionalism required to deal with different situations. The study seeks to identify factors affecting the acquisition of core competencies among medical undergraduate students at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Jeddah. Methods Cross-sectional descriptive-analytical quantitative method. A random sample of 123 medical students at the University of Jeddah was chosen for participation. Data were analysed using SPSS (Version 28) Results The results showed that there were critical competencies that must be acquired by medical students. These competencies were thinking and reasoning competencies, professional competencies, and science competencies. There were critical factors affecting the acquisition of core competencies among medical undergraduate students represented in faculty staff, curriculum, institutional support, assessment, and teaching methods Conclusion The researcher recommended defining the essential competencies that medical students must possess and including the core competencies of the medical profession in the curricula.