ABSTRACT
Background and Objective: Nowadays early clinical experience [ECE] in Medical education has been developed with the aim of establishing efficient relationship between basic sciences courses and clinical education. This study was done to evaluate the effect of early clinical experience on the attitudes of students in Sari School of Medicine toward basic sciences courses
Methods: This interventional study [before and after] was done on all Sari Medical students in the 4 th semester of basic sciences program. An ECE program in 8 sessions was designed and developed during the 4th academic semester. Attitudes of the students toward clinical importance of basic sciences courses were asked before and after the program by a valid and reliable questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon, Chi-square and McNemar tests and through SPSS 13 software package
Results: From 47 students, 42 ones were participated in the study [response rate= 89%] of whom, 25 ones were female [60%]. Early clinical experience could only affect the attitude of students in neuroanatomy course [P<0.01] Although this program was efficient in increasing students' motivation in some aspects such as voluntary attendance in hospitals during vacations, various methods of integration and using more clinical-based teaching pathways are required for enhancing students' attitudes toward basic sciences courses
Conclusion: ECE program, by itself, can not improve attitude of students toward basic sciences courses, but can enhance students' academic motivation during the basic sciences program of Medicine