Does the student-led osteopathy clinical learning environment prepare students for practice?

Area of Science:

• Osteopathic medicine education
• Allied health clinical training
• Healthcare professional development

Background:

• Pre-professional clinical education in allied health often occurs in student-led, on-campus clinics.
• Limited literature exists on the benefits of student-led clinical learning environments.
• The role of these clinics in preparing osteopathy students for practice is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore osteopathy clinical educators' perceptions.
• To understand the role of Victoria University's student-led clinic (SLC).
• To assess preparation of pre-professional students for professional practice.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative collective case study methodology.
• Individual interviews with clinical educators.
• Thematic analysis of interview data, framed by the Capabilities for Osteopathic Practice.

Main Results:

• Nine clinical educators participated.
• Three themes emerged: perceptions of the SLC as a learning environment, educators' roles, and challenges within the SLC.
• Analysis revealed the SLC develops some, but not all, professional practice capabilities.

Conclusions:

• Clinical educators believe the SLC prepares students for some osteopathic practice capabilities.
• Areas for improvement include faculty development and proactive learning approaches.
• Addressing systemic issues and fostering interprofessional interaction are recommended.