A new type of facility in medical education: the Clinical Learning Center

The two independent forces leading to the development of a new type of facility for medical education were the desire to utilize modern educational concepts (some of which are difficult to employ in traditional hospital settings) and the need to expand students' contact with clinical patients. This special facility, known as the Clinical Learning Center, resembles the ultimate setting of medical practice, that is, the physician's office, and it depends upon volunteer patients who come there primarily to contribute to the educational program while deriving no medical care. Students and instructors have appreciated the opportunity for feedback; the quiet educational environment; the graduated learning experiences; and the use of various resources, especially videotape recording and playback of the clinical encounter. The recruitment of volunteer patients has been highly successful, and the center is proving to be a valuable adjunct to the learning of clinical skills.