I came, I saw, I reflected: A qualitative study into learning outcomes of international electives for Japanese and British medical students

Abstract

Background and aim: Although medical students have increasingly more opportunities to participate in international electives, their experiences are usually unstructured and the literature referring to their learning outcomes, educational environment, and assessment is scanty. This study was undertaken to clarify qualitatively what students learn from their international electives.

Methods: We carried out semi-structured individual interviews with 15 Japanese students studying clinical medicine in British medical schools and six British students studying in Japanese medical schools. The thematic synthesis method was used in analysing the transcribed data and triangulation by multiple researchers was used to achieve higher reliability.

Results: The main learning outcomes identified were skills in history taking and physical examination with clinical reasoning and in management of diseases rarely seen in the students’ own countries; awareness of clinical ethics and merits and demerits of different systems of healthcare and medical education; sensitivity to issues in doctor–patient relationships and work ethics; enhancement of cultural competence; and personal development.

Conclusions: Most learning outcomes of international electives are culture- or system-dependent. Students achieved outcomes related closely to medical professionalism, mainly through reflection. International electives may give students opportunities to learn both professionalism and cultural competence.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hiroshi Nishigori

HIROSHI NISHIGORI, MD, MMED, PhD, is a general physician and assistant professor at the International Research Center for Medical Education, University of Tokyo.

Takashi Otani

TAKASHI OTANI, MA, is a qualitative researcher in education and professor at the Department of Educational Sciences, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, Nagoya University.

Simon Plint

SIMON PLINT, MA, MBBS, FRCGP, DCH, DRCOG, M. Med. Ed., is a general practitioner and the GP Director at the Oxford Deanery, Postgraduate Medical & Dental Education, University of Oxford.

Minako Uchino

MINAKO UCHINO, MD, PhD, is a radiologist and assistant professor at the Department of Radiology, Saitama Medical University.

Nobutaro Ban

NOBUTARO BAN, MD, PhD, is a family physician and professor at the Department of General Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine.