Acquisition of basic clinical skills in the general practice setting

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice
• Clinical Exposure

Background:

• UK undergraduate medical education is evolving due to educational pressures and hospital service changes.
• The role of general practice in providing core clinical experience for medical students is under discussion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the clinical contact and experience available for third-year medical students during attachments to general practices.
• To evaluate the suitability of general practice settings for core clinical training.

Main Methods:

• Student clinical experience was recorded during 106 sessions (74% completion rate) in five general practices.
• Data collected included patient demographics, recorded symptoms (n=426), and observed signs (n=371).
• Student feedback on the range of clinical experience was also gathered.

Main Results:

• 101 patients were seen, with a wide age range (14-92 years) and 54% female representation.
• Cardiovascular/respiratory (36%) and neurological (20%) symptoms were most common; shortness of breath was the most frequent symptom.
• Cardiovascular/respiratory (48%) and neurological (33%) signs were most prevalent; cardiac murmurs were the most common sign.
• Student comments (n=69) were favorable, with 48% highlighting the availability of appropriate patients.

Conclusions:

• General practices provide a suitable environment for junior medical students to gain clinical exposure.
• The clinical experience gained in general practice complements traditional hospital-based medical education.
• Community-based training in general practice can effectively support undergraduate medical curriculum requirements.