A gynaecologic clinic dedicated to student teaching

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Outpatient Clinical Training
• Gynecological Examination Training

Background:

• Traditional resident continuity clinics (RCCs) offer a standard model for medical student training.
• Evaluating innovative outpatient models is crucial for improving medical education.
• Direct patient care by medical students presents an alternative training paradigm.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare medical student experiences in an innovative outpatient clinic (MSOC) versus traditional RCCs.
• To assess the impact of a direct student-led patient care model on learning outcomes.
• To evaluate student perceptions of teaching quality and clinical skill acquisition.

Main Methods:

• A prospective randomized study comparing the Medical Student Out-patient Clinic (MSOC) with traditional resident continuity clinics (RCCs).
• Medical students were assigned to either the MSOC or RCC.
• Outcomes included student ratings of preceptors, experience logs, patient encounter numbers, and specific examination performance (speculum, bimanual, breast).

Main Results:

• MSOC students performed more bimanual and breast examinations compared to RCC students.
• MSOC students saw fewer patients but reported higher overall teaching quality and preceptor ratings.
• Students in the MSOC reported receiving more feedback from attending physicians.

Conclusions:

• The MSOC model significantly improved the learning experience for medical students.
• High ratings in the MSOC are attributed to dedicated one-on-one teaching by attending physicians.
• The absence of competing resident learners in the MSOC contributed to a more focused educational environment.