Basic clinical skills: don't leave teaching to the teaching hospitals.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Training
• Healthcare Professions Education

Background:

• Early clinical skills education is crucial for medical and dental students.
• Traditional teaching hospital environments may not always align with student learning preferences.
• Assessing student perception across different clinical settings is vital for curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare medical and dental student perceptions of teaching quality and educational experience in general practice (GP), district general hospitals (DGHs), and teaching hospitals (THs).
• To evaluate the relationship between teaching environment and student examination results in basic clinical skills.
• To identify areas for improvement in early clinical skills training programs.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 161 medical and 34 dental students at Queen's University, Belfast, participated.
• Students completed questionnaires assessing teaching style, educational value, and enjoyment after a basic clinical skills course.
• Objective structured clinical examinations were administered, and tutor teaching attributes were recorded.

Main Results:

• Teaching in GP and DGH settings was perceived as more educational and enjoyable than in THs.
• Students reported spending most time with patients in DGHs, lecturing in GP, and waiting for tutors in THs.
• General practitioners and DGH doctors demonstrated more positive teaching behaviors; however, examination results were comparable across all sites.

Conclusions:

• General practice tutors can effectively teach basic clinical skills to early-year medical students.
• Student preference favored GP-based teaching over traditional teaching hospitals.
• Enhancing student experience in all clinical settings requires improved tutor preparation and patient allocation.