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[Student education in a laboratory for general practice skills]
K A Holtedahl1, B Bø, A H Hansen
1Institutt for Samfunnsmedisin Universitetet i Tromsø.
Summary
A pilot general practice (GP) skills laboratory improved medical students' practical clinical skills. However, the brief intervention did not significantly enhance communication skills, suggesting a need for more targeted training.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- General Practice Training
- Clinical Skills Development
Context:
- Medical schools often lack systematic clinical skills training.
- Developing clinical skills like patient examination is crucial for medical graduates.
- A pilot project utilized a general practice (GP) skills laboratory for teaching.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a pilot teaching project in a GP skills laboratory.
- To assess the impact of structured training on medical students' practical and communication skills.
- To determine the feasibility of using a skills laboratory for clinical skills education.
Summary:
- Fourth-year medical students were randomized into an intervention group receiving four weekly sessions and a control group.
- The intervention group showed significantly better performance in practical skills (p=0.01).
- No significant difference was observed in communication skills between the groups.
Impact:
- Teaching clinical skills in a GP skills laboratory is feasible and can rapidly improve practical skills.
- Short-term communication skills training in this format was not demonstrably effective.
- Findings suggest skills laboratories are viable for enhancing practical clinical competencies.