Learning is what happens between seeing patients: defining clinical access.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional clinical placements for medical students.
• Concerns exist regarding the work-readiness of newly graduated physicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify essential clinical experience elements beyond direct patient contact.
• To propose improvements for medical school curricula and accreditation standards.

Main Methods:

• Reflection on clinical experience components.
• Identification of seven key aspects of clinical practice.
• Analysis of their relevance to new graduate preparedness.

Main Results:

• Seven core competencies were identified: team collaboration, project management, integrated clinical reasoning, patient-centered care, systems perspective, adaptability, and professional identity formation.
• These aspects are crucial for effective healthcare delivery and professional development.

Conclusions:

• Explicitly integrating these seven aspects into medical school learning objectives and assessments is recommended.
• Accreditation standards should also incorporate these competencies to ensure physician work-readiness.