Author(s): Chinawa JM, Chinawa AT , Obu HA, Chukwu BF, Eke CBChinawa JM, Chinawa AT , Obu HA, Chukwu BF, Eke CB
A student who just enrolled in a medical school has several examinations to write and about six to twelve years of major examinations from the very first year of school to becoming a consultant paediatrician. Paediatrics is a major course which needs to be passed before qualifying as a doctor. Attaining this is a rather formidable task in any Nigerian university. High failure rates in this course have become an allegory or a myth. The aim of this present study is to determine the performance of medical students in paediatric examinations and associated factors. This is an observational prospective study involving 102 medical students seen at the paediatric departments of College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus and 54 medical students from Enugu State University College of Medicine, Enugu. 126 (80.8%) of the students attended lectures regularly. One hundred and fifteen (73.7%) confirmed that ward rounds are very interesting and important. One hundred and thirty students (83.3%) admitted that performance in paediatrics examinations is poor and 147 (94.2%) students attributed this failure to clinicals .Eighty seven (62.2%) students preferred OSCE as a perfect replacement for clinicals. It is concluded that performance of Medical students in paediatrics is poor and clinical have been pointed out as the major cause of this.