Equipping medical students for ward round learning

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Pedagogy
• Healthcare Learning Environments

Background:

• Ward rounds are crucial for medical education but present chaotic learning environments.
• Medical students often struggle to maximize learning opportunities during ward rounds.
• Limited research exists on effective strategies to equip students for ward round learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the impact of the Seek, Target, Inspect and reflect, Closure and clerk (STIC) model on the student experience of ward round learning.
• To explore how a structured learning tool can orient medical students during ward rounds.
• To assess the influence of the STIC model on student agency and self-directed learning.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving seven medical students in rural Australian hospitals.
• Three sequential focus groups conducted over an 8-week period.
• Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts to explore learning practices and the STIC model's impact.

Main Results:

• Students valued ward round learning but found it team-dependent.
• The STIC model enhanced student agency, self-direction, and ability to navigate the clinical context.
• Focus group discussions facilitated shared understanding of learning experiences.

Conclusions:

• Structured learning tools like the STIC model can improve student orientation and learning on ward rounds.
• Facilitated peer discussions help students develop skills in self-directed learning.
• Both structured tools and peer discussions should be integrated into medical curricula.