Abstract:

Community health course is provided by Andrija Štampar School of Public Health since the 1952. The course was performed on 4th year of study until academic year 2010/2011 when it has been moved to the 6th year of study. The aim of the course is for students to study epidemiological and socio-medical determinants of health and to gain insight on the health care system. The practical part of the course has been performed in rural area, in Požega – Slavonija County, which has 27042 pupils in 14 elementary schools and 1383 pupils in 20 dislocated elementary schools. One of the obligatory activities throughout the course is health education of school children. The main purpose is for students to learn the teaching methodology of health education and to develop communication skills by performing the usual activities of local school medicine service. Puberty and Sexually transmitted diseases are teaching units routinely taught. Students prepare the class under the supervision of course tutors and lecture by themselves. At the end of the course students are required to fulfill an evaluation questionnaire about performed activities (family medicine, community nurses, health education in schools,…) using grades from “1-bad” to “5-excellent.” Course evaluation by 224 medical students on 4th year of study, in the academic year 2007/2008 and 205 students attending the course on 6th year of study in academic year 2010/2011 showed that health education of elementary school children is among the best evaluated activities, with average grades of 4,85 and 4,91.
The Community health course is one of the best evaluated courses taught at School of medicine in Zagreb, with health education recognized as an added value to the medical program.

Keywords:

Education, health education, children, adolescents, medical students.