How effective is a clerkship as a learning environment?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Clinical Clerkship Quality Assessment

Background:

• Traditional clerkships are crucial for medical education.
• Assessing the educational quality of surgical clerkships is essential for curriculum improvement.
• Variability in student experiences can impact learning outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the educational quality of a 10-week traditional surgical clerkship.
• To identify specific areas of strength and weakness in the clerkship curriculum.
• To understand student perceptions of learning objectives, patient encounters, skills practice, and feedback.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire with 116 items was administered to 28 students post-clerkship.
• Data collected included learning objectives, patient problems, clinical skills, feedback, and time allocation.
• Quantitative analysis of student experiences and perceptions was performed.

Main Results:

• Students felt competent in analyzing and managing patient problems.
• Significant variability existed in student exposure to diverse patient cases, particularly emergency patients.
• The frequency of performing diagnostic and therapeutic skills varied widely among students.
• Feedback primarily came from residents, not faculty physicians.
• Students spent considerable time on activities with limited educational value.

Conclusions:

• Learning during surgical clerkships can be haphazard and inconsistent.
• Substantial variation in educational exposure among students was observed.
• Curriculum adjustments are needed to ensure consistent and adequate clinical experience and skill development for all students.