the impact of pre-internship training programs on medical students' perspectives, knowledge, and performance during the transition from medical school to internship

Background: this study aims to evaluate the impact of pre-internship training programs on the perspective, knowledge, and performance of medical students transitioning from medical school to internship at mashhad university of medical sciences.method: a quantitative, interventional study was conducted at mashhad university of medical sciences on medical students entering their internship in the first and second semesters of 2021-2022. the participants were divided into intervention and control groups. a baseline preparedness assessment included a pretest using an objective structured clinical examination (osce) and a questionnaire assessing interns' views. the intervention group received training in the final month of their medical education before beginning their internships. both groups were re-evaluated with a post-test after gaining internship experience, and data were analyzed using spss software.results: of 144 participants, 133 completed the study. the control group had higher pre-test scores in knowledge and skills related to starting an internship, familiarity with patient hospitalization and discharge processes, and overall questionnaire scores (p = 0.018, p = 0.008, p = 0.005, p = 0.012, respectively). conversely, the intervention group exhibited significantly higher knowledge related to internship processes, self-confidence, and working interactions post-training (p < 0.001). while pre-test osce scores were similar (p = 0.254), the intervention group outperformed the control group in the post-test (p < 0.001).conclusion: the study demonstrates that pre-internship training programs significantly enhance the preparedness of medical students for their internships, highlighting their importance in equipping future health professionals with essential competencies for effective patient care.