Background: Neuropathology involves pathological analysis of brain tumors and involvement of molecular mechanisms and requires analysis of substrate in terms of target therapeutic perspective. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of medical students related to the role of neuropathologists in healthcare services.
Methods: This study was carried out among 298 medical students enrolled at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, from March to June 2021 to observe their knowledge related to the role of neuropathologists in healthcare services.
Results: The results demonstrated a significant difference in terms of knowledge related to brain autopsies by neuropathologists among both genders, as 112 (37.5%) female students were aware of details in comparison to 31 (10.4%) males (p = 0.014). The results related to reading and reporting of nerve biopsies also showed a statistically significant difference in the level of knowledge and awareness between female 166 (55.7%) and male 47 (15.7%) participants (p = 0.009). Considering neuropathology as a future career choice, the majority of female participants 99 (33.2%) agreed to opt for it in comparison to 24 (8%) male students (p = 0.025).
Conclusion: The introduction of simulation and didactic methodology training programs addressing the significance of the neuropathologist’s role and basics of neuropathology in the medical universities’ curricula could improve medical students’ concept of neurology and proficiency to raise interest in the field of neurology.
Key words: Competency, Medical Students, Neurology, Neuropathology, Training Programs
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