How clerkship students learn from real patients in practice settings

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Workplace Learning
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Undergraduate medical education relies on practical experience.
• Clerkships offer opportunities for students to learn from real patients.
• Understanding student learning dynamics is crucial for optimizing training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how undergraduate medical students learn from patients in clinical settings.
• To identify factors influencing student learning during clerkships.
• To propose methods for enhancing clerkship education.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative theory-building methodology utilizing audio diaries, focus groups, and interviews.
• 22 UK undergraduate medical students participated.
• Constant-comparative analysis guided by Communities of Practice theory.

Main Results:

• Students learned informally through participation in workplace communicative practices.
• Patient care and education emerged as overlapping practices.
• Learning quality depended on practitioner engagement and dialogue linking to patient care.

Conclusions:

• Medical students learn best by participating in patient care within an educational context.
• Clinician willingness to engage in supportive dialogue is key to effective learning.
• Promoting inclusive workplace learning discourse can enhance clerkship education beyond traditional clinical teaching.