Traditional Versus Virtual Medical Education for Undergraduates During COVID-19

Authors

Mir Ibrahim Sajid Agha Khan University Karachi
Tayyeba Komal Services Institute of Medical Sciences Lahore
Sami Ullah Mumtaz King Edward Medical University,Mayo Hospital,Lahore
Samira Shabbir Balouch King Edward Medical University ,Mayo Hospital, Lahore
Somia Iqtadar King Edward Medical University ,Mayo Hospital, Lahore
Israr Ul Haque King Edward Medical University ,Mayo Hospital, Lahore
Saeed Ahmed King Edward Medical University ,Mayo Hospital, Lahore
Sajid Abaidullah King Edward Medical University ,Mayo Hospital, Lahore

DOI:

Keywords:

Medical Education, virtual learning, COVID-19, covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Abstract
Objective: To assess the preferences of undergraduate medical students for online medical education as well
as its barriers.
Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted online on undergraduate students of
various medical institutes across Punjab, Pakistan. In the questionnaire,302 students participated and gave
their point of view on online learning and the its possible barriers. The answers of the students were evaluated
on a Likert scale of 1 to 5, where 1 showed “least effective” and 5 denoted “most effective”
Results: The mean age of the students was 21.40 ± 1.564. 102 (33.8%) of the respondents were in basic
sciences and 200 (66.2%) were in clinical years. There was lower level of satisfaction, in engaging the faculty
(BS: 2.24 1.23; CY: 2.17 1.11) and lacked hands-on practice (BS: 1.83 0.92; CY: 1.84 0.97). Home
environment non-conducive for studying was found as most important barrier (p< 0.05). The preference for
virtual medical education versus traditional in-campus learning was low (25.8%), and the barriers to online
education showed low variance (6.7%), and hence there was preference for virtual learning as compared to
traditional in-campus learning (p<0.05).
Conclusion: We concluded that there was low preference and perceived effectiveness of virtual medical
education by the undergraduates.
Keywords: Medical Education, virtual learning, COVID-19, Pandemic
How to cite: Sajid MI, Komal T, Mumtaz S, Balouch SS, Iqtadar S, Haque I, Ahmed S, Abaidullah S. Traditional Versus
Virtual Medical Education for Undergraduates During COVID-19. Esculapio - JSIMS 2025;21(01): 31-35
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51273/esc25.2513216

Author Biographies

Mir Ibrahim Sajid, Agha Khan University Karachi

House Officer

Tayyeba Komal, Services Institute of Medical Sciences Lahore

Assistant Professor Microbiology

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Published

2025-05-12

How to Cite

Mir Ibrahim Sajid, Komal T, Sami Ullah Mumtaz, Samira Shabbir Balouch, Somia Iqtadar, Israr Ul Haque, Saeed Ahmed, Sajid Abaidullah. Traditional Versus Virtual Medical Education for Undergraduates During COVID-19. Esculapio - JSIMS [Internet]. 2025 May 12 [cited 2025 May 13];21(1):31-5. Available from: https://esculapio.pk/journal/index.php/journal-files/article/view/1186