An elective program in medical education: Communication with Hard of Hearing People and Turkish Sign Language Tip eğitiminde bir seçmeli program: İşitme Engelli Bireylerle İletişim ve Türk İşaret Dili

Objective: The aim of this study is to present the outcome of the Communication with Hard of Hearing People and Turkish Sign Language elective program which is implemented for medical students. Materials and Methods: Feedback from the students was collected using a questionnaire of 21 statements under 10 headings. Student success was evaluated by theoretical and skill examination results and program success was evaluated by portfolio essays. In the data analysis, descriptive qualitative and quantitative analysis was used. Results: The mean overall score given to the program by the students was 8.53±0.88 out of 10. The students expressed the contribution levels of the block to the competence areas of professionalism as 8.45±1.64, to medical knowledge and understanding as 7.72±1.66, to clinical skills as 7.92±1.99 and to high-level skills as 8.09±1.52. The average of the block assessment scores of the students was 88.39±0.76 at the end of the block. The most significant output of the program was learning Turkish Sign Language. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that the effect of the program on learning was highly positive and student feedback was encouraging for continuity of the program.