Emergency obstetrics knowledge and practical skills retention among medical students in Rwanda following a short training course

Objective: To describe rates of improved knowledge following a structured 2-day emergency obstetrics training course.

Methods: Quantitative assessments to evaluate emergency obstetrics knowledge and practical skills were administered before, immediately after, and 3-9 months following the training course for 65 final-year medical students at the National University of Rwanda. A survey was administered during the final assessment.

Results: In total, 52 (80.0%) students demonstrated knowledge improvement after training. Fifty-seven (87.7%) students improved or maintained their scores from the post-training written test to the final assessment, and 32 (49.2%) retained practical skills. Twenty-one (32.3%) of the class demonstrated competency in both written and practical skills. According to multivariable logistic regression analysis, female gender was associated with overall competency (P=0.01), and use of the internet for academic purposes more than 3-5 times per week tended toward competency (P=0.11).

Conclusion: A 2-day emergency obstetrics training course increased knowledge among medical students. Because educational policies are tailored to address high rates of maternal mortality in resource-poor settings, workshops dedicated to emergency obstetrics should be promoted.