Elective Overseas Clinical Clerkships and Related Problems / 医学教育

ABSTRACT

At this university, an overseas component has been included in the elective clinical clerkship program for sixth-year students since 1998. Since that time, 28 students have done short-term clinical clerkships in various foreign countries. This report presents results of a questionnaire survey of students who have done overseas clerkships. The questionnaire comprised 8 items, including the reason for selecting the clerkship location and the contents of the training program. Questionnaires were returned by 68% of students. Most of the 28 students did clerkships in English-speaking countries. The average duration of study was 2.3 months (range, 1 to 3 months). All students were satisfied with their training experience; however, many felt their language skills were insufficient for participating in overseas training programs. In addition, more comprehensive arrangements, including establishing close contact with the receiving institutions and insurance provisions, are needed to maintain and further develop overseas clinical clerkships.