Technology Complements Physical Examination and Facilitates Skills Development among Health Sciences Clerkship Students: An Integrative Literature Review.

Background: Technology is increasingly present in the clinical environment. There is a dearth of investigation of the relationship between technology and touch concerning student learning of physical examination practices. Method: Integrative review methods were used to synthesise empirical literature to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between physical examination, learning and technology in the context of health professional student clerkships. Results: Three databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL and Eric were searched for all articles published from 2014 to 2021 using terms relating to (i) physical examination, (ii) technology, and (iii) student clerkships. Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. From the analysis, it is evident that technologies that intersect with learning of physical examination may broadly be apportioned into two categories: 1) technologies that mediate physical examination practices; and 2) technologies that mediate the learning of physical examination. Conclusions: This review indicates that technologies may have multiple roles in the student learning of physical examination, including technology mediating increased diagnostic accuracy and access to supplementary learning material relating to physical examination that is integrated for the clinical clerkship environment. It highlights a need to further understand the touch versus technology relationship and explore the dynamic intersection.

[The social recruitment of medical students at Copenhagen University 1992/1993]. / Den sociale rekruttering af laegestuderende i 1992/1993 ved Københavns Universitet.

As part of a prospective survey of medical students' conditions and of the different kinds of influence they are subjected to during their study periods, we looked into the question of from which social strata the students were recruited. Two hundred and fifty-four (79%) of 323 medical students matriculated during the summer of 1992 answered a structured questionnaire forwarded to them. One hundred and thirty-one (52%) medical students were recruited from the highest social class (I), whereas only 19 (7%) were recruited from the lowest social class (V). In comparison, the underlying population in the age groups relevant for the survey is made up as follows: 7% in social class I and 20% in social class V. A comparison with earlier surveys shows that only insignificant changes in the medical students' social class profiles have taken place in spite of the introduction of better possibilities of financing medical studies irrespective of social class affiliations.