Assessing Canadian medical students' confidence in undergraduate urologic training and preferences for teaching methods

INTRODUCTION

Given the aging population, urologic conditions are increasingly prevalent in primary care, necessitating well-prepared medical graduates to recognize and manage essential complaints. This study assessed medical students' confidence in managing common urologic conditions, identified preferred teaching methods, and examined the role of the Canadian Undergraduate Urological Curriculum (CanUUC) in their education.

METHODS

A survey was distributed to third- and fourth-year Canadian medical students, assessing their self-confidence in history taking, diagnosis, management planning, and physical examination for 12 urologic conditions. The survey also explored preferred teaching methods and awareness of the CanUUC. Statistical analysis included ANOVA and t-tests to determine significant differences in confidence across various factors.

RESULTS

A total of 117 medical students and 10 first-year urology residents responded. Students felt equally confident about taking histories (3.51±1.19), proposing diagnoses (3.38±1.19), and performing physical examinations (3.58±1.16) while demonstrating lower confidence (p<0.001) for management planning (3.16±1.25). Confidence was highest for urinary tract infections and lowest for male infertility. Furthermore, students who completed urology rotations reported higher confidence in history taking (3.67±0.69, p=0.003) and management planning (3.35±0.66, p=0.003). Direct clinical exposure, simulations, and case-based discussions were the preferred learning methods. Only seven (6%) students were aware of CanUUC, with five (4.3%) using it.

CONCLUSIONS

Medical students have moderate confidence in handling urologic conditions, with higher comfort among those who completed urology rotations. Implementing targeted curriculum enhancements and integrating resources like the CanUUC could address these educational gaps and lead to improved patient outcomes.