Does a student log provide a means to better structure clinical education?

In order to optimize student learning during clinical rotations, the learning situation could be better structured. A student log was developed in order to improve the structure of clinical education. In this log, students systematically register essential learning activities. Students record daily the patient problems with which they had been confronted and in which fashion (passive, active, without or with feedback). OBJECTIVES/RESEARCH QUESTIONS: Two questions were addressed. Firstly, did the log provide insight into the content and nature of students' learning experiences and did these learning experiences differ between hospitals? Secondly, was the log used by students, supervisors and the faculty to improve the structure of student learning during clinical education?

Three student logs, used in an ear, nose and throat, an ophthalmology and a paediatrics clerkship at the Medical School of the University of Maastricht, were developed and implemented. In order to answer the first question, a number of completed student logs were analysed. In order to answer the second question, students were asked to rate the log on five evaluative statements. In addition, the clerkship coordinators were interviewed.

The results showed that the logs provided the clerkship coordinators with a useful overview of the content and nature of students' learning experiences in the hospitals. The differences between hospitals were small. However, the logs were not used by students, supervisors and faculty to improve the structure of student learning.

In order to be effective, i.e. to better structure clinical education, a student log should be integrated into the supervision activities.