Internal Medicine Residents perceptions of learning environments in postgraduate training in Sudan

Background: Optimum learning environments (LEs) have been shown to be linked with positive training outcomes for residents. The internal medicine residency programme is one of the oldest residency programmes in Sudan. However, there is little data concerning how the residents perceive the LE in training hospitals. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the residents’ perceptions of the LE. Methods: This cross-sectional, hospital-based study was carried out between November 2017 and April 2018, using a Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measurement (PHEEM) questionnaire to measure the residents’ perceptions of the LE. Questionnaires were distributed to 200 residents. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 25, Student’s t-test, and ANOVA. Results: In total, 181 residents returned the questionnaires, of whom 104 (57.4%) were male, and 77 (42.6%) were female. The global mean PHEEM score was 72.4 ± 31.5 out of 160, illustrating significant problems in the LE of the internal medicine residency programme. Six items had mean scores below 2 and, therefore, required more attention. These included: having a contract of employment that provides information about hours of work (1.3 ± 1.4), existence of an informative inductive programme (1.4 ± 1.4), having an informative training manual (1.2 ± 1.3), trainers setting expectations (1.8 ± 1.5), having protected educational time in the unit (1.9 ± 1.3), and having good supervision at all times (1.9 ± 1.3). Conclusion: Significant challenges in the LE of the teaching hospitals were identified. More attention and effort should be given, especially to the poorly rated points in this study; existence of an informative inductive programme, informative training manual, proper setting expectations, optimum educational time in the unit, and having good supervision at all times.