A. O. Ademuyiwa1, C. O. Bode1, B. C. Nwomeh2 1University Of Lagos,Paediatric Surgery/Surgery/College Of Medicine,Lagos, LAGOS, Nigeria 2Ohio State University,Paediatric Surgery/Surgery,Columbus, OH, USA
Introduction: Curriculum review is a dynamic process. Products of a medical curriculum must be prepared to meet the health challenges in their own communities. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiology of paediatric surgical diseases in a low and middle income country and classify competences that medical students must acquire during their clerkship, with emphasis on conditions most prevalent in the community.
Methods: We analysed the diagnoses of 1000 consecutive patients managed in the paediatric surgery unit of a university teaching hospital in southwestern Nigeria. Conditions that represented more than 5% of the diagnoses were classified as ‘compulsory – must know’ (CMK); 2.0 – 4.9% classified as ‘required – should know’ (RSK) and <2% classified as ‘selective – may know’ (SMK).
Results:
Competency levels were assigned based on the frequency of each diagnosis and the data is presented as a table.
Conclusion: More than half of the patients seen in paediatric surgery practice are represented by 6 diagnoses classified as CMK. Under this framework, these conditions will receive the greatest emphasis during the clerkship and students will be expected to develop competences in their embryology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic testing, and therapeutic decision-making.
