Teaching "family": evaluating a multidimensional clerkship curriculum

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Family Medicine
• Social Determinants of Health

Background:

• East Tennessee State University (ETSU) developed a comprehensive program.
• The program incorporated family systems, interviewing, home visits, and faculty precepting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a family medicine curriculum on medical students.
• To assess students' understanding of the family's role in patient care.

Main Methods:

• A 3-year study involving junior medical clerks at ETSU.
• Systematic instruction on family issues integrated into the medical practice curriculum.
• Evaluations conducted at the end of the student rotation.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in students rating family importance as "very strong" (28% to 66%).
• Majority reported a "strong positive impact" from curriculum elements.
• Home visits were identified as most crucial for understanding family dynamics.

Conclusions:

• The family medicine curriculum significantly enhanced students' appreciation of the family's importance in medical practice.
• The educational intervention successfully improved students' perspectives on family-centered care.