Student and faculty member perspectives on public health education at the Marrakech Medical School

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the pivotal role of public health. The aim of this study was to explore the perception of public health among medical students and faculty members (teachers). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the medical school of Marrakech (FMPM) in May 2020. Data collection regarding the place of public health (during the training and in the practice) was done by electronic questionnaire. The analysis was descriptive and bivariate. Results: 259 responses were received (78.4% were students). The female / male sex ratio = 1.27. Almost 98.5% believed that public health knowledge and experiences were relevant for clinical practice. The main activities that reflect public health were prevention and health promotion (81%), epidemiological surveillance and epidemic management (89.6%) (98.2% among teachers versus 87.2% among students, p = 0.009). During the pandemic, 85.7% of teachers and 77% of students developed an interest in public health (p = 0.196). Only 6.6% were interested in a career in public health. Compared to teachers, students had a positive perception during the pandemic (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The results highlight the lack of knowledge about the fields of application despite heightened sensitivity at the onset of the pandemic. Lessons can be learned in terms of improving public health training, raising awareness of the choice of this specialty and actions in favor of better visibility.