Abstract
Background: Evaluation is an essential part of any educational process and the focus of evaluation is for quality improvement. The Saudi Board Family Medicine (SBFM) residency training program was started in Saudi Arabia under the umbrella of the Saudi Commission for the Health Specialties whose curriculum is designed to accomplish all requirements of recent trends in methods of teaching for medical education. This study was carried out to analyze the current status of SBFM program curriculum in relation to the SPICES model. This study reflects findings on the SPICES model as a framework for both curriculum evaluation and curriculum reforms which can be implemented at any effective post graduate training program in the world.
Methods: This is a descriptive study carried out to analyze the Saudi Board Family Medicine Training curriculum in relation to the six continuum of the SPICES model (Student centered, Integrated, Community-based, Elective, and Systematic) and has also suggested strategies for any improvement.
Results: The results indicate that the SBFM residency training program has included lots of innovative medical education approaches while designing their curriculum. It is found that the curriculum is more towards the left of the SPICES specification. Some shortcomings were found that need to trend towards the right, like community-based approach and for elective parts.
Conclusion: The Family Medicine Residency program curriculum is an integrated curriculum and more towards the left of the SPICES spectrum. The concept of this paper has been the adoption and in particular understanding of facts, concepts and ideas while planning, reviewing or evaluating curriculum for any post graduate program.