Evaluation of faculty of medicine 4th and 6th grade programs in terms of professionalism according to Demirel's analytical model

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the status of including learning objectives related to professionalism and its sub-dimensions in the target dimension of the medical school curricula, and at what level and at which learning stage students acquire these dimensions, and to evaluate the objective dimension of the medical school curricula according to Demirel's Analytical-Beneficiary Curriculum Evaluation Model (DACEM). Dimensions of professionalism included in the research; empathy, motivation, clinical leadership, cultural intelligence, professional commitment, resilience, and clinical decision making. The research was designed with a sequential explanatory/explanatory sequential design, one of the mixed research designs. After the quantitative dimension designed in the descriptive and relational model was completed and analyzed, the data on the qualitative dimension designed in the holistic multiple case study model were collected and analyzed. The findings of the research were presented separately and in accordance with the research design, by forming a meaningful whole. The research was carried out with 337 students studying in the fourth and sixth grade of medical faculty in 2021-2022. By analyzing the quantitative data, the average score for each dimension of professionalism was listed, the students in the lower and upper 27% groups were determined, and these students formed the qualitative study group of the research. In the analysis of quantitative data, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, lower and upper values, percentages were calculated, and MANOVA and MANCOVA analyzes were performed. Content analysis and document analysis were performed in the MAXQDA program for qualitative data. Finally, the programs were evaluated according to the DACEM Curriculum Evaluation Criteria. Scores of the dimensions of professionalism considered within the scope of the research were determined as medium and above average. In many of these dimensions, positive relationships were found with each other. The clinical leadership and professional commitment mean scores of the sixth grade students were found to be significantly lower than the fourth grade students. When their genders were controlled, the motivation, clinical leadership and professional commitment mean scores of female students in the sixth grade were found to be significantly lower than those of the fourth graders. Similarly, it was determined that the sixth grade male students' mean score of professional commitment was lower than that of the fourth grade students. The findings are also supported by the qualitative findings. Categories related to each dimension of professionalism and codes belonging to these categories have been determined. Quotations were used to support the codes. The obtained codes were compared for each dimension and each class separately. The code distributions of the fourth and sixth grade students were examined as the code distribution of the students entering and exiting the clinic. While no goals related to empathy and motivation were found in the programs as dimensions of professionalism, a limited number of learning objectives related to clinical leadership, cultural intelligence, professional commitment and resilience were determined and these objectives were mostly in clinical education years. It has been determined that the number of learning objectives in clinical education years related to clinical decision making is quite high, but some of these objectives are quite intense and oriented to train residency students. In the DAPDEM Curriculum Evaluation Criteria, it was determined that the objectives in the programs were not designed in accordance with the principles of writing objectives, no taxonomy was used while determining the objectives, and there was overlap in the objectives. The expression of the objectives also caused difficulties in the realization and evaluation of these objectives through education. In addition, the basic philosophy on which the programs are based has not been clearly revealed, and this has caused inconsistency between the elements of the program in the programs. On the other hand, it was seen that the objectives were designed in accordance with the needs and expectations of the society, and the level and needs of the student. In the light of all these findings, it is recommended to organize trainings on program development, revise the programs completely, and increase the number of objectives for professionalism.