Medical Students' Clinical Knowledge of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness: A cross-sectional comparative study.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate and compare the clinical knowledge implications of the integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) preservice education between pre-clerkship and junior clerkship medical students.
Methods: This observational comparative cross-sectional study was conducted between June and August 2022 at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. A self-administered questionnaire was utilised and included questions on sociodemographic data, duration of IMCI preservice training, knowledge of the participants concerning the IMCI objectives and information on a range of childhood conditions.
Results: A total of 97 medical students were included in the study. The majority of students (42.3%) had received 2 lectures in IMCI preservice training. The role of the IMCI approach in reducing childhood morbidity and mortality was advocated by the majority of students (80.8% in the junior-clerkship [JCR] group and 73.3% in the pre-clerkship group). The awareness of the IMCI component of improving the health system was higher in JCR compared to pre-clerkship participants ( P = 0.044). When compared to pre-clerkship students, the JCR participants demonstrated a slightly higher awareness of skin pinch ( P = 0.038), chest indrawing ( P = 0.008), anaemia assessment based on nail bed examination ( P = 0.002), diagnostic assessment of malnutrition based on palm examination ( P = 0.018), sucking capacity in breastfeeding ( P = 0.025), and vaccines such as those for tuberculosis ( P = 0.001), pneumococcal ( P = 0.018) and rotavirus ( P = 0.007).
Conclusion: The majority of students displayed good IMCI knowledge and JCR students showed better knowledge compared to pre-clerkship candidates.
Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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