Transforming UK Medical Education: The Essential Role of Early Clinical Experience

In the October 2024 issue of Primary Care, Fisher et al. share insights on early clinical experience (ECE) in UK medical schools.

ECE is important for medical training, but busy clinical environments can make it tough to implement. To better understand how UK medical schools handle ECE, researchers conducted a study using an electronic survey.

The survey included various questions about ECE. It gathered data on the stage of ECE, the amount of experience offered, the settings where it occurs, what students learn, and how their learning is assessed. This survey was shared with the help of the UK Medical Schools Council’s education leads advisory group. They collected responses from May 10 to November 10, 2023.

The study saw participation from 28 out of 43 eligible medical schools, which is about 65%. The results indicated that ECE is commonly found in general practice and hospital settings, with a growing presence in community places and through technology. Interestingly, there is a shift in learning outcomes, with less focus on basic science applications. The level of formal assessment of ECE learning outcomes varied among schools.

Overall, the study highlighted a decline in ECE opportunities and encouraged schools to consider more community-based settings and technology-enhanced methods for learning.

For more details, check out the full article here.