Needs assessment for enhancing pediatric clerkship readiness

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatric Training
• Clinical Skills Development

Background:

• Students frequently report inadequate preparation for clinical rotations, particularly in pediatrics.
• Significant variation exists in how pediatric clinical skills are taught during pre-clerkship medical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess student preparedness for various clerkships, focusing on pediatric clinical skills.
• To determine the expected competencies in pediatric physical examinations for students entering their clerkships.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed medical students on their pre-clerkship training effectiveness across pediatrics, family medicine, surgery, OB/GYN, and internal medicine.
• Surveyed pediatric clerkship directors and clinical skills course directors at North American medical schools regarding expected pediatric physical exam competencies.

Main Results:

• Approximately one-third of students felt unprepared for pediatrics, OB/GYN, and surgery clerkships.
• Students reported lower preparedness for pediatric physical exam skills compared to other clerkships.
• Both student and director groups agreed on the need for broad pediatric physical exam skills, with clinical skills educators expecting slightly higher competence in developmental assessment.

Conclusions:

• Medical schools should consider enhancing pre-clerkship pediatric exposure and skills training to better prepare students.
• Collaborative efforts are needed to define and integrate pediatric learning effectively into curricula.
• Challenges remain in providing adequate opportunities for students to practice pediatric physical exam skills on infants and children.