Effects of Problem-Based Learning on Critical Thinking, Communication Skills, and Satisfaction Among First-Year Medical Students in Ghana. A study protocol

<ns5:p>Background Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is increasingly used in medical education to develop critical thinking, communication, and learner autonomy. Although widely studied in developed countries, evidence from low-resource settings like Ghana, particularly involving first-year students, remains limited. This study seeks to address this gap by assessing the impact of PBL on critical thinking, communication skills, and satisfaction levels among novice medical students. Methods This longitudinal pre-test-post-test study will be conducted at the University for Development Studies, School of Medicine. All first-year students who meet the eligibility criteria will be enrolled. Participants will undergo baseline (pre-PBL) and follow-up (post-PBL) assessments using the Critical Thinking Questionnaire (licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) and Interpersonal Communication Competency Skills Scale (ICCS). A 5-point Likert scale will be used to measure student satisfaction after eight months of exposure to PBL. Statistical analyses including paired t-tests, ANOVA, and regression will be performed using SPSS v26.0. to assess changes through the mean scores. Discussion The study will provide context-specific insights on the effectiveness of PBL in enhancing key competencies among first-year medical students. Findings will inform curriculum development, tutor training, and educational policy in Ghana and similar settings. Clinical trial registration number Not applicable.</ns5:p>