RESUMO
Recent changes in social needs and the health care system have prompted the development of new teaching strategies and methods in which active learning by students in small groups is emphasized. We created an “early exposure” training program to enable freshman medical students to obtain practical experience at medical and welfare institutions. This program was designed with the following features 1) student-centered and self-directed learning, 2) integrated education for knowledge, skills, attitude and ethics, 3) training in communication skills, and 4) tutor-assisted and small-group discussion. Tutors were recruited from basic medical science departments. In a self-evaluation survey, 92% of students found this early exposure training to be excellent or good. Most students achieved improvement in communication skills, attitude and ethics among the educational objectives. However, a few students did not fulfill any objectives, and thus we should consider further improvements in the tutorial system.