Bridging the Academic-Professional Gap: Internship Preparation in a Saudi Health Sciences Institution

Higher education institutions aim to prepare students for employment, but a gap often exists between educational curricula and employers' needs. Internships can help bridge this gap, and many programmes require students to complete one before graduation. The study assessed the impact of a two-month internship preparation programme on 45 fourth-year students at a Saudi health sciences institution. Using a pretest-posttest control-group design, students completed an online survey that assessed their level of confidence and knowledge in two groups (control and experimental). Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), including descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test. Pre-assessment indicated lower confidence in professional interviews (41%) and curriculum vitae (CV) writing (32%), despite high confidence in teamwork and ethics. Post-programme, the percentage of students reporting sufficient knowledge to start the internship increased from 30% to 76%, and those with adequate skills rose from 46% to 85%. Similarly, median confidence scores for CV development and interview handling significantly improved from 3 to 4 (p < 0.001). The control group showed no significant changes. Most students (64%) reported that their needs were met, and 97% recommended programme continuation. The study's findings underscore the crucial role of such programmes in equipping future health professionals with essential skills and competencies.