Students’ perspectives on role and effectiveness of lecture in medical education

Background: Considering the challenge of imparting medical education, it is very essential to utilize an approach for teaching and learning that is relevant and best suited to cater to the needs of the students. The present study was carried out to assess the perspectives of students regarding the role and effectiveness of lectures in medical education and ways to enhance its effectiveness. Materials and methods: A Cross sectional study was conducted among MBBS students & interns. The sample size was calculated to be 385. Purposive sampling was used. A semi-structured, pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data from the consenting students. Data was analysed using SPSS version 15. Findings were described in terms of proportions. Results: Out of the 403 respondents, males constituted 41.3% and females 58.7%. 87.9% of students were of the opinion that properly structured-lectures are the best teaching method for many topics in medical curriculum. Only 11.6% considered lectures as a waste of time. Communication skill (88.1%) and command over the subject (72%) were the most common personal traits of lecturers that made the students interested in lectures. Interactive, concise lectures and use of black board were preferred. 40-45 minutes (41.9 ± 10.2) was perceived as the ideal duration of a lecture. Conclusions: Students perceived lecture as a useful mode of instruction in medical education and it was the delivery of the same that mattered. Ideal duration of lecture was perceived to be 40 to 45 minutes.