Designing an Effective Ambulatory Medicine Clerkship

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Ambulatory Care

Background:

• Undergraduate clinical education is often hospital-centered, neglecting ambulatory care settings.
• Outpatient education faces challenges like brief visits, irregular workflows, and variable preceptor supervision, leading to uneven learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide practical strategies for medical educators and clerkship directors to organize effective ambulatory care clerkships.
• To address core design decisions for optimizing outpatient clinical education across multiple sites and preceptors.

Main Methods:

• The article outlines evidence-informed strategies for designing ambulatory care clerkships.
• Focuses on systemic approaches rather than individual preceptor actions.

Main Results:

• Strategies cover site expectations, preceptor support, student roles, workflow, observation, feedback, continuity, and monitoring.
• Provides a framework for creating feasible and educationally effective ambulatory care clerkships.

Conclusions:

• Implementing these strategies can enhance the quality of ambulatory care education.
• A structured approach is crucial for successful outpatient clinical learning experiences.