Background

Evaluation is a crucial element to ensure the achievement of the program objectives, maintenance of training standards and to provide feedback for academic activities.

Objectives

We aimed to examine the extent and patterns of clinical exposure by family medicine residents in a residency training program while they carried out their clinical rotations in accredited urban primary health care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Material and methods

This study involved the Saudi Board of Family Medicine training program under the Department of Public Health, General Directorate of Health Affairs in Riyadh, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. The study was based on a retrospective analysis of data collected during routine supervision of clinical training during family medicine rotations during six months period (November 2018–April 2019). Diagnoses recorded by the residents as free texts were converted to the closest medical diagnosis or ‘presenting complaints’ as per ICD-10. Cases attended are presented as percentages.

Results

During the study period, a total of 41,357 clinical encounters were recorded that included 4,952 clinical sessions. Diseases of the respiratory system were most commonly seen by the residents, accounting for 30% of total cases. Just twenty diagnoses/conditions accounted for approximately 77% (n = 31,994) of the total clinical encounters. The five most common conditions were upper respiratory tract infections (16%), vaccinations (12%), diabetes mellitus unspecified (9%) and essential hypertension (6%).

Conclusions

Exposure to the primary care clinical cases reflected the disease pattern in the community at large. The residents were exposed to a low proportion of mental health and behavioral diseases, which are considered to be increasingly relevant in society.