Quality of Traditional Medicine Curriculum from the Perspective of General Medical Students

A curriculum is a plan that oversees the most important event of education, i.e. learning or reconstructing experiences. Therefore, checking and knowing the quality of curricula is the most effective measure to guide and implement these programs. To improve the coherence of curricula, they should be periodically evaluated and, if necessary, required changes should be applied to them. This study aims to determine the quality of traditional medicine curriculum in the field of medicine.

 A total of 228 students were selected based on a stratified random sampling method. For data collection, a researcher-made questionnaire assessing the quality of the traditional medicine curriculum was used, aligned with Tyler's curriculum elements. This questionnaire consisted of two sections: personal information and questions related to the quality of the traditional medicine curriculum from the perspective of medical students. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts, and Cronbach's alpha method was used to determine its reliability. After the data were reviewed, they were entered into SPSS version 24.

The average status of the objectives, content, and organization of the content, teaching and learning strategies, and evaluation methods of the traditional medicine curriculum in the medical field, as perceived by medical students, were calculated to be 3.33, 3.34, 3.34, 3.45, and 3.21, respectively. All items significantly indicated a favorable status from the perspective of the students. Based on the analysis of the completed questionnaires, most medical students were aware of the traditional medicine curriculum. No relationship was observed between gender and the evaluation of the curriculum quality. However, interns rated the quality of the traditional medicine curriculum significantly higher than externs.

Educational program planners can benefit from the findings of this research in revising the curriculum of the general medical course, considering the significance and necessity of learning traditional medicine in the medical profession. This can aid in training learners in traditional medicine within the field of medicine.