Impact of Community Outreach Placements on Social Accountability and Cultural Competence among Medical Students at Rehman Medical College, Peshawar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35845/abms.2026.1.487Keywords:
Communication Skills, Community Health Services, Cultural Competence, Education, medical students, Social ResponsibilityAbstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate medical students’ perceptions regarding the impact of community outreach placements on cultural competence, social accountability, and educational development at Rehman Medical College, Peshawar.
METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 103 undergraduate medical students using a self-developed structured questionnaire based on a 5-point Likert scale. The questionnaire explored multiple thematic domains related to outreach-based learning. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. Pearson’s chi-square test was applied to assess associations between demographic variables and student perceptions.
RESULTS: Students reported positive perceptions regarding cultural competence (mean = 2.08), social accountability (mean = 1.94), and clinical and communication skills (mean = 1.85), with a lower mean score referring to stronger agreement. Students aged 23-25 years demonstrated significantly higher agreement regarding improvement in history taking and patient examination skills (p = 0.007) and communication skills (p = 0.003), whereas gender-based differences were not statistically significant. Participants also identified gaps in undergraduate curricula related to underserved populations and community-oriented learning.
CONCLUSION: Community outreach placements were perceived as valuable educational experiences that promote cultural awareness, social accountability, and practical learning among medical students. Incorporating structured community-based placements into undergraduate medical curricula may help foster socially responsive and culturally sensitive future physicians.
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