Impact of an early clinical exposure project conducted by senior clinical students compared between participating and nonparticipating students

Abstract

An early clinical exposure project conducted by clinical students aimed to promote direct clinical experience to preclinical students. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the project on academic achievement and study attitudes and habits between participating and nonparticipating students before ( test 1) and after the project ( test 2) in the second preclinical year and at the end of the first semester of the first clinical year ( test 3), with a subgroup analysis of the first (lowest) to third (highest) tertile of the score. Questionnaires were sent to the first clinical year students at test 3 and asked the information retrospectively at test 1 and test 2 in second year preclinical and currently at test 3, with 83.86% (265/316) being returned. Mean percentile of scores was higher at test 2 compared with test 1 in the first tertile group of participating students. Motivation to study medicine (motivation), realization of application of preclinical knowledge to clinical study (application), understanding of clinical environment (environment), and lesson review after class (review) were higher for participating than nonparticipating students at test 2 and/or test 3. Searching additional study information was higher at test 2 compared with test 1 only for participating students. This project could effectively promote application, motivation, environment, and review for participating vs. nonparticipating students at test 2 and/or test 3. Effortless, intimate, and effective communication between clinical and preclinical students and a direct experience in early clinical exposure might be key success factors.

Insights on my future job: implementing near-peer shadowing program for operating room freshmen

“…According to previous studies, several factors may affect students’ perspectives regarding their future profession; changes in educational environment, different teaching methods in clinical settings, learning in unpredictable situations, and lack of knowledge regarding their future profession’s duties and responsibilities in clinical environment [ 10 – 12 ]. Vanichnatee et al, emphasized that students may lose interest in their academic field and motivation to their future profession due to low job recognition and inadequate understanding of the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical practice [ 13 ]. Furthermore, Kass et al mentioned that lack of job diagnostic is one of the most common complaints among university students, with studies suggesting its link to poor grades, drop out, and behavioral problems [ 14 ].…”