Introduction: Optional courses are a set of curriculum that is considered for all students in a discipline and the student is required to choose and pass through certain optional courses in accordance with the announced rules. Neutral units are also units that are not effective in educating students, thus conveying the message to learners that these lessons are not important in individual and community education experiences. This study was conducted to evaluate the viewpoints of students and faculty members of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences about the priority of optional units and the correlation of absent units and then to assess clinical educational needs.
Methods: In this descriptive-cross-sectional study, 25 faculty members of clinical and basic sciences and 288 clinical students were enrolled in a census and students of different disciplines were selected by stratified sampling. The data collection tool was an optional unit questionnaire and an explanation of the absurd units and educational needs. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics at a significant level of p <0.05.
Results: Students participating in the survey, the priority of each of the optional units of skill in clinical reasoning (87.6%), evidence-based practice (84.36%), essay writing (77.7%), communication skills (76.38%), and Computer and related skills (72.91%) are considered important (much to very high). The students of Islamic moral education courses (66.66%), analytic history (74.64%) considered the Islamic revolution and its roots (34.4%) and psychiatry (46.52%) as absurd.
Conclusion: It is suggested that in order to obtain the most appropriate professional skills, medical education needs to provide more comprehensive clinical facilities. Improving the performance of professors and attracting professional co-operation can also help improve clinical education and obtain more professional skills.