Horizon of Medical Education Development

Explaining the Weaknesses and Strengths of Virtual Training on Topic to Examine a Patient with Acute Abdominal Pain to Medical Students: a Content Analysis

https://doi.org/10.22038/hmed.2024.80880.1388
Volume 16, Issue 4
Autumn 2025
Pages 16-31
Horizon of Medical Education Development

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Seyyed Mahdi Zia Ziabari 1
Mohammad Mohseni 2
Nazanin Noori Roodsari 3
Naema Khodadadi-Hasaankiadeh 4

1 Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

2 Department of Emergency Medicine, Gilan Road Trauma Research Center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

3 Department of Emergency Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

4 Development Unit, Hospital Poursina,Department of Emergency ,School of Medicine,Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

Abstract
Introduction:Virtual training on the topic of acute abdominal pain for students of general medicine has weaknesses and strengths that have not been paid much attention to. It is valuable to study the experiences of faculty who have taught this topic to medical students. The purpose of this study was to explain the strengths and weaknesses of virtual education in the topic of examination of patients with acute abdominal pain to medical students of Guilan University of Medical Sciences in 2023.
Materials & Methods: A qualitative study of conventional content analysis was conducted on 13 emergency medicine, surgery, and pediatrics specialists. Guba and Lincoln's four laws were used to strengthen the data.
Results: Weaknesses of virtual education in teaching abdominal examination had three categories with the names of inadequacy of virtual education in teaching acute abdominal pain examination, limitations of implementation, and being ineffective, with 9 subcategories. The advantages of this method included three categories under the headings of compensating for the shortcomings of face-to-face education, flexibility, and reforming the teaching-learning process, and eight sub-categories.
It is possible to use the results to correct and eliminate the weaknesses of this method and finally to develop this educational method for teaching the subject of acute abdominal pain, and considering the advantages of this virtual method, to generalize it to other subjects.

Keywords

Virtual Training
Face-To-Face Training
Acute Abdominal Pain
Emergency Medicine
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