Designing a purposeful student assistantship

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Training
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• UK medical schools are integrating student assistantships into curricula.
• Evidence guiding assistantship design and student learning priorities is limited.
• This study addresses the need for evidence on perceived learning opportunities in medical student assistantships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore learning opportunities in medical student assistantships.
• To identify priorities for student learning as perceived by foundation year-1 doctors (FY1s) and educational supervisors.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire study surveyed University of Edinburgh FY1 graduates and their educational supervisors.
• Respondents rated the importance of 16 predefined learning opportunities.
• Free-text responses identified additional beneficial components, which underwent thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• All 16 learning opportunities were deemed useful by a majority of FY1s and supervisors.
• Prescribing drugs and fluids, emergency care, and task prioritization were ranked as most important.
• Out-of-hours work, administrative tasks, and theatre experience were also highlighted as important.

Conclusions:

• Rankings of learning opportunities by FY1s and supervisors can inform assistantship design and implementation.
• Future efforts should focus on enabling students to gain experience in high-priority areas.
• Ensuring patient safety remains a critical consideration during student assistantships.