Lecture as a mode of instruction in undergraduate medical education.

OBJECTIVE This study was carried out to determine the place of lecture as a mode of instruction in undergraduate medical education by examining the views of the students about some selected aspects of the lecturing sessions and their ability to recall the varying percentages of the content of the delivered lecture after a specified period of time. METHODS An observational cross sectional study was carried out in which the final year students of Fatima Jinnah Medical College for Women, Lahore belonging to sessions 1995-1996 and 1996-1997 participated. The study comprised of two parts; first was administration of a questionnaire containing the questions regarding students' opinions about the lectures attended, duration of lecturing sessions and comparison between lecture and clinical classes. The second part consisted of two surprise tests examining the ability of the students to recall the subject taught in a particular lecture after one week and one month intervals. RESULTS According to 74% students lecturing sessions were not beneficial. Only 12% students remained attentive throughout the lecture their reason being ineffective and boring presentations and 55% participants wanted the existing duration of the lecture period to be halved. Clinical sessions were considered to be superior by 79% respondents. About 34% to 35% students could recall more than 50% of the content of the delivered lecture after one week and 20% were able to do so after one month. CONCLUSION Consideration should be given to the feedback received and follow up studies should be carried out so that appropriate changes in the curriculum could be induced in order to ensure the effectiveness of the lecture and to avoid wastage of resources and time and to justify the place of lecture as a mode of instruction in undergraduate medical education.