Medical students in Sudan: an urgent need for support

Abstract

Medical students are smart enough to be dismissed for academic reasons. Unfortunately, without support, they do. In Sudan, the statistics are deficient on how medical schools provide support to their students, and as the country marches towards an exciting new future of development, it is important to ensure launching in the right direction. Based on the literature search and the author's experience as a medical student, clinician, and medical educator, the difficulties facing medical students in Sudan were explored; and the required roadmap for support is suggested. Under-resourced facilities, staff migration, lack of robust student support service, and limited access to authentic databases are major problems facing medical students in Sudan. The support roadmap should come at three complementary levels: governmental, institutional, and community. National interventions need to be established to impose standards that universities must observe to ensure that students receive minimal support. The suggestions discussed in this article provide a roadmap for any medical school in Sudan whether it is facing these challenges or simply wants to improve its students' educational environment.