Variation in Students' Experiences and Approaches to Learning During Early Clinical Immersion.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Experiential Learning
• Healthcare Professions Education

Background:

• Preparing intern-ready graduates requires effective clinical learning environments.
• Early clinical immersion offers experiential learning but its educational value needs further exploration.
• Understanding student experiences and learning approaches during immersion is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore novice medical students' experiences and learning approaches during early clinical immersion.
• To identify factors that enhance or hinder learning during immersive clinical experiences.
• To understand the role of self-regulated learning in optimizing clinical education.

Main Methods:

• Second-year medical students participated in an 8-week immersive clinical learning program.
• Focus groups were conducted in 2021 to gather qualitative data on student experiences.
• Data analysis employed a theory-informed, subjectivist inductive approach based on self-regulation learning theory.

Main Results:

• Student experiences and learning approaches during immersion varied, showing different levels of self-regulated learning.
• Effective learning was associated with goal setting, strategic awareness, self-reflection, and adaptability.
• Positive learning factors included ward-based tasks with nurses; negative factors included disengaged supervisors and teams.

Conclusions:

• The quality of early clinical immersion learning is significantly influenced by students' self-regulated learning abilities.
• Systemic factors, including supervisor engagement and team support, act as crucial barriers or facilitators.
• Enhancing self-regulated learning through strategies like goal setting with supervisors can optimize clinical learning.