Comparison and evaluation of the clinical experience of fourth-year medical students in a mandatory emergency medicine clerkship at university and community hospitals

Abstract

From 1995 to 1998, 225 medical students taking the Emergency Medicine Clerkship filled out bubble sheets on 15 common clinical problems for each of their clinical shifts. All students had to take a mandatory written final examination. Of 225 students who took the clerkship, 196 students filled out all 10 sheets and took the final examination. There was an insignificant difference between the clinical problems seen at community hospitals as compared with the university hospital. There was no statistically significant difference in the final exam scores of students from the community hospitals versus those who had their clerkship at the university hospital. The medical students' experience proven by final exam and clinical problems was the same at the university hospital and the community hospitals.