The Concept and Background for Introducing Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships / 의학교육논단

ABSTRACT

A traditional clerkship consists of a series of short rotations in specialty disciplines and is usually based in tertiary, urban teaching hospitals. Shortened inpatient stays and the shift toward ambulatory management have had a negative impact on student learning. There have been growing concerns that the traditional specialty-based clerkship in fragmented and highly specialized clinical environments may not be the optimal choice for basic clinical education. As a result, a new model of clinical clerkship called longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) has emerged. There is increased interest in LICs due to the growing evidence of positive outcomes for students, patients, and supervising clinicians. Emphasizing continuity as one of the main organizing principles of an LIC, this article reviews the introduction of LICs into medical education, the key concepts and educational theories which underpin LICs, and the typology of LICs. The author also offers some personal suggestions for contemplation before clerkship programs in Korea adopt LICs.