Preparing for Practice: Evaluating a 3-Week Longitudinal Ward Simulation.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Simulation-Based Learning
• Clinical Preparedness

Background:

• Undergraduate medical assistantships often inadequately prepare students for practice.
• Task complexity and low confidence are barriers to effective assistantship engagement.
• Interventions are needed to improve medical student preparedness due to rising burnout and reported deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a longitudinal narrative simulation for preparing final-year medical students for assistantships.
• To assess the simulation's impact on student self-efficacy and professional identity.

Main Methods:

• A 3-week virtual inpatient ward simulation with persistent patient narratives was implemented.
• Students practiced autonomous decision-making in various clinical scenarios, including admissions, discharges, and emergencies.
• The simulation allowed for realistic, consequence-driven engagement with doctor-level tasks.

Main Results:

• The simulation fostered themes of 'acting like a doctor,' 'feelings of safety,' and 'feelings of legitimacy.'
• Participants reported increased self-efficacy and a stronger professional identity.
• The virtual ward served as a stepping stone to real-world clinical practice.

Conclusions:

• Longitudinal narrative simulations can effectively bridge the gap between classroom learning and clinical practice.
• This simulation model enhances assistantships by providing realistic, consequence-driven training.
• Despite resource demands, this approach is valuable for preparing students for complex clinical roles.