[Elective periods in the medical curriculum. Madness or academic challenge?]

The medical curriculum at the University of Tromsø reserves 23 weeks, divided into four periods, for elective work, including 12 weeks at the end of the fifth year, when the student carries out an independent study and writes a short thesis. 84.2% of 417 physicians (graduation year 1979-89) answered a mailed questionnaire asking them to evaluate these periods. The postgraduates report high levels of satisfaction with this part of the curriculum, thought they had benefited from it. As many as 86.0% evaluate the gain from the first three periods as good or very good. 26.8% started working on their thesis before the final 12 week period. 88.1% found the fourth, and longest period, assigned for their thesis to be an important part of the curriculum. One third had also published their material, half of these in international journals. 75.6% found the skills acquired during the final elective period to be useful in their present work, independent of specialty.