Abstract
Background: Many U.K. medical schools have patient contact in the first two years of the undergraduate course.
Aim: To compare the purposes and organization of early patient contact in UK medical schools and to relate these arrangements to the schools' curricular objectives.
Methods: A telephone survey of lead educators in UK medicals schools. Categories of contact were plotted against phases of the course to discern patterns of organisation.
Results: The quantity of contact varies considerably (four to 65 days). There is a pattern, with learning objectives around the social context of health and illness preceding skills based work and integrated clinical knowledge for practice coming later. Schools fall into three categories: close adherence to the preclinical/clinical split, with limited early contact acting as an introduction to social aspects of health; provision of substantial patient contact to maximize the integration of knowledge and skills; and transitional, with limited clinical goals. General practice provides between one third and one half of early patient contact.
Conclusions: Arrangements meet the objectives set by each school and reflect differing educational philosophies. Change is toward more early contact. There appears to be no national guidance which supports a minimum quantity of patient contact or specific educational purpose in the early years of U.K. basic medical training.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Kevork Hopayian
KEVORK HOPAYIAN is a GP in Leiston, Suffolk, Primary Care Educator in Suffolk and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of East Anglia. His interests include evidence-based practice and musculoskeletal medicine.
Amanda Howe
AMANDA HOWE is the Professor of Primary Care and MB/BS Course at the School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK. She is a Consultant in Primary Care to Norfolk Primary Care Trust and holds a sessional GP post. Her research interests include mental health in primary care, professional development and medical education.
Valerie Dagley
VAL DAGLEY is a Research Associate at the School of Medical, Health Policy and Practice at the University of East Anglia and was former deputy head and and Vice-Principal of Cromer High School, Norfolk. Her research interests include medical education.