ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Graduate-entry medical programmes (GEP) have been introduced into many UK universities. Their shortened 4-year programme may restrict exposure to the clinical environment. The GEP at Swansea University has introduced Learning Opportunities in the Clinical Setting (LOCS), a novel approach, allowing students to choose half day sessions from a list which aimed at bringing experiential clinical learning to first and second year students on the course. METHODS: During the academic years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, student feedback was collected anonymously online with the options 'very useful', 'useful' or 'not useful' followed by a free text box space to feedback their experience. The text was assessed using qualitative analysis methodology. RESULTS: A total of 730 LOCS feedback comments were analysed, 422 were recorded as 'very useful' (58%), 276 were 'useful' (38%) and 32 'not useful' (4%). Students' feedback were divided into positive (1330) and negative (152) comments. Positive themes were broadly divided into four categories: Positive Teacher experience, Positive Clinical experience, Relevance to the course and significant Personal Development. CONCLUSION: The LOCS system provides an efficient method of providing students with a choice of additional learning opportunities which has proved popular and, in the opinion of students, educationally effective.
