Evaluation of the experience and opinions of Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Faculty of Medicine 6th grade students about the distance education process

Introduction and Aim: In recent years, epidemics and pandemics that concern the whole world have been increasing. During these periods, serious effects are seen on health, economy and education. It is of great importance to continue uninterrupted the education of the students without endangering their health during the pandemic periods. Online education models provide many advantages in these conditions. However, there are many difficulties and disadvantages of online education in medical education, where practical education plays a major role. In this study, it is aimed to determine the opinions of senior medical school students about the online education process and the problems they experience in order to develop more efficient education models. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted on senior students of Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Faculty of Medicine. A total of 212 senior medical students participated in the study. A 53-question survey was shared with the participants via the internet. With these questions, the demographic characteristics of the students, their thoughts about the online education process, their preferred online education models and the effects of the online education process on their careers were investigated. Results: 51.9% of the 212 participants in total did not believe that they could become a physician with professional competence with the online education they received, and 59.4% stated that there was a decrease in the sense of belonging to the profession during this period. During this period, it was observed that women followed online education courses more regularly than male participants (p=0.049). Participants who said "my income is less than my expenses" were shown to have significantly more difficulties in accessing course resources than the other participants (p<0.001). Participants who spent this process with their families had a higher belief that they would become a physician with professional competence with the online education they received (p<0.001). It was observed that the participants who defined their ability to use electronic devices as "Very good" had more positive thoughts about online education than the participants who defined it as "Intermediate level" (p<0.001). Conclusion: We think that support funds should be allocated to students in order to provide equal opportunities in the online education process, to organize trainings for the development of students' ability to use electronic devices, and to prevent injustices that may occur due to their economic situation. At the same time, we are of the opinion that practical training such as simulation training should be developed in order to improve the students sense of professional belonging and competence in this period, in order to ensure the safety of the students. In order for online education to be an equal and efficient education model among students, further studies and arrangements should be made. Keywords:Online education, distance learning, medical education, pandemic, family medicine