The Virtual Course of Persian and Complementary Medicine of Smart University of Medical Sciences from the Students' Point of View: An Online Survey Study

Amin Habibi; Taiebe Shokri; Babak Sabet; Hossein Rezaeizadeh; Hamed Khani; Fatemeh Nasouri

doi:10.18502/tim.v9i3.16531

Amin Habibi Department of Medical Education, Educational Development Center (EDC), Smart University of Medical Sciences (SmUMS), Tehran, Iran
Taiebe Shokri Educational Development Center (EDC), Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
Babak Sabet Department of Medical Education, Educational Development Center (EDC), Smart University of Medical Sciences (SmUMS), Tehran, Iran
Hossein Rezaeizadeh Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Hamed Khani Department of Medical Education, Educational Development Center (EDC), Smart University of Medical Sciences (SmUMS), Tehran, Iran
Fatemeh Nasouri Department of Medical Education, Educational Development Center (EDC), Smart University of Medical Sciences (SmUMS), Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/tim.v9i3.16531

Keywords: Undergraduate medical education; Persian medicine; Distance education; Cross-sectional study; Survey method

Abstract

Persian medicine is an ancient medical school that prioritizes preserving health over treatment. It is a holistic approach that considers genetics, lifestyle, and other factors to find the root cause of a disease. This study investigated the virtual course of Persian and complementary medicine from the perspective of students. We conducted a cross-sectional study. A standard questionnaire was used to collect data from 750 participants. The tool's validity was confirmed based on its content validity, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to estimate the internal consistency of this questionnaire. The questionnaire measured the effectiveness of the virtual education system in various dimensions, and the participants completed it electronically at the end of the course. SPSS 26.0 was used to analyze the collected data. The study used frequency, percentage, and mean to describe data and a desirability score was calculated for each question to evaluate course quality from participants' perspective. The results of the one-sample t-test indicate that the sample mean (57.111) is higher than the population mean (90) (p < 0.01). Based on the independent samples t-test, the mean attitude score of female students towards course is higher than that of male students (p > 0.05). The ANOVA analysis results regarding the mean attitude scores of students towards the course based on their field of study show that the mean attitude scores vary across different fields of study (p < 0.05). The result of present study emphasizes the importance of developing education in Persian medicine in universities to meet the clinical needs of the community and improve health and well-being. This can also promote the status of Persian medicine globally.