Innovations in anaesthesia medical student clerkships

Undergraduate medical education is currently being reformed to adapt to our evolving systems of health care. Medical student curricula are focussing less on mastery of knowledge and clinical skills and more on achieving multiple competencies that will provide students with a solid foundation to practice in complex health-care environments. Anaesthesiologists are uniquely positioned to teach towards a number of competencies. In order to do so, innovations in the traditional apprentice-style clerkships need to be considered. Anaesthesiology rotations should be made part of the core curriculum in order to meet evolving student educational needs and better position anaesthesia educators to assist future curriculum reform. Innovative approaches applicable to anaesthesia clerkships include the use of integration techniques, continuity of patient care and educator preceptorship, as well as multidisciplinary and interprofessional teaching. Continued inquiry into teaching effectiveness and curricular innovation is critical in order to meet the educational needs of future medical students.