Knowledge, Attitudes and Institutional Readiness towards Social Accountability as Perceived by Medical Students at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad

Background: Social accountability is defined as “the obligation of medical schools to direct their education, research and service activities toward addressing the priority health concerns of the community, region, and/or nation that they have a mandate to serve”. It is becoming increasingly critical in evaluating medical school performance and education quality. Medical students must have an appropriate understanding of social accountability. This study explores knowledge, attitudes and institutional readiness as perceived by medical students towards social accountability. Method: An independent online cross-sectional survey was conducted, which included 121 medical students recruited through a convenience sampling technique. The survey instruments were validated through a pilot study and the responses were analyzed using chi-squared (χ2) tests. Frequencies and percentages were computed. Results: A total of 69% of students understood SA, 61.2% believed they demonstrated SA, and 82.6% believed it has a positive impact on their attitudes and behaviors. About 52.1% believed that their school has a positive impact on the community with a curriculum that includes (52.9%) and reflects the needs of the population that they will serve (49.6%). Conclusion: Based on the findings, a significant number of students have knowledge about social accountability, have a positive attitude towards the concept, and believe that their institution demonstrates readiness.