Students’ Perception of One Year Experience with the Clinical Skills Laboratory at King Saud University Medical College

ObjectiveThe clinical skills laboratory is an educational facility where clinical skills could be obtained and practiced in a protected safe environment. The present study evaluated one year experience with the new clinical skills laboratory that was opened at the college of Medicine, King Saud University in 2004.MethodsWe surveyed 123 students in their clinical years at the end of the surgery course for evaluation of one year experience at the clinical skills laboratory at King Saud University Medical College.ResultsMore than two thirds of the students (n=102, 82.26%) found the skills lab useful for the course and think that learning in the clinical skills lab is more useful before dealing with real students (n= 112, 90.32%). While only 11 students (8.87%) think that it is more useful after. Around two thirds of the students (n= 101, 82.11%) considered the instructors to be friendly and helpful. More than half of the students (n=73, 58.9%) found the duration of the sessions not enough and more than two thirds of the students (n=102, 82.3%) think that more sessions are needed. Although the clinical skills lab was started in a temporary location, 86 students (69.4%) found the location of the skills lab to be appropriate. Despite the short experience, more than half of the students (n=79, 64.23%) found the organization of the sessions appropriate.ConclusionThese findings suggest that the clinical skills lab is providing a satisfactory and useful way of learning for the medical students in their clinical years after one year of being opened.