Subjects of the training program related to the students' impressions and evaluations of community-based clinical training / 医学教育

ABSTRACT

Because of drastic changes in community health care in Japan, increasing emphasis has been placed on medical undergraduate education in community health care.The number of medical school introducing community-based clinical training is increasing.Therefore, effective clinical training in community health care should be developed. This study examined the effects of the location and subjects of training on students' evaluations and impressions of community-based clinical training.<BR>1) Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 499 fifth-year students taking part in community-based clinical training.The main items were the locations and subjects of training and the students' evaluations and impressi ons of training. The associations between these items were analyzed.<BR>2) A total of 96.8% of the questionnaires were analyzed. The students who trained only in clinics were slightly but not significantly more likely to have positive impressions of and to have given higher evaluation scores to training than were other students.<BR>3) Students who participated in health education for healthy persons or patients or both were significantly more likely to answer that“the training program was enjoyable, ”“the preceptors were enthusiastic, ”and“I spent more time with the preceptors.”On the other hand, the students who took part in inpatient care were significantly less likel y to answer that“the training program was enjoyable”or that“the training program is needed.”<BR>4) Students who studied 1 to 4 of the 11 subjects were significantly less likely than were students who studied 8 to 11 subjects to answer that“the preceptors were enthusiastic”and were less likely than were students who studied 5 to 7 subjects to answer that“the training was meaningful.”<BR>5) Students who studied few subjects during training might have negative feelings about community-based clinical training.The experience of health education might have a positive effect on students.On the other hand, the experience of inpatient care probably has a negative effect.