First Year Medical Student Experiences in Primary Heath Care Settings as a part of Community Based Education Program

March 3, 2010 at 1:16 am
Keywords:
Community, education, clinical experience, first year, primary care

Background: Recent studies show the importance of “early clinical experience” for medical students, it can motivate them to study and prepare before entering clerkship. Those clinical exposures should be introduced earlier according to student’s level of competence. Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University (FM GMU) has been implementing a Community Based Education (CBE) program, in which send first year medical students to Primary Health Care (PHC) settings to observe and interview staff members regarding their activities, facilities, and management in primary care.

Objective: to explore first year medical students and PHC supervisors opinions on their first experiences having interaction in PHC settings as an early part of CBE program.

Method: Survey using questionnaire to all first year medical students in FM GMU (n: 272) and interview to 5 supervisors in PHC DIY. Data were analyzed qualitatively using content analysis.

Result: The response rate was 86%. Most of the students and PHC supervisors give positive responses on their first experiences having interaction in PHCs settings. CBE activities give better understanding to student’s future profession and reality of health service system in primary care settings. Some areas that students do not like are the report writing, lack of time, limited facilities in PHCs, and unpleasant transportation. Students and supervisors suggest that those activities should be prepared well and scheduled more in the curriculum.

Conclusion: First year students and supervisors realize the importance and advantages of CBE program. This program is acceptable and feasible to continue longitudinally in the curriculum.

Presented as Oral Presentation

in AMEA Conference, Bandung, Indonesia 2009

Further discussion, contact: widyandana@yahoo.com