Experiential learning for junior residents as a part of community-based medical education in Japan

A few studies have analysed the experiences of junior residents during the initial stages of their clinical training at community-based medical institutions for gaining initial experience as doctors using an associated learning theory framework. In this study, we investigated this learning process using an experiential learning model. The survey was administered through interviews and a written questionnaire to 10 junior residents involved in the initial postgraduate clinical training at two clinics in Tokyo operated by family physicians. The interview data were analysed qualitatively, whereas the results of the questionnaire, which included an experiential learning scale, were analysed quantitatively. In the qualitative analysis, 59 themes were identified and classified into reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation, and active experimentation, as featured in the experiential learning cycle. The average scores for experiential learning before and after training at a community-based medical institution, as measured based on the experiential learning scale, exhibited a significant increase after the training. Experiential learning of junior residents was observed in various situations during their training period at a community-based medical institution, where active experimentation was the most commonly observed form of experiential learning.