Dundee’s Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship: drivers, implementation and early evaluation

ABSTRACT

Dundee University School of Medicine established a pilot for a 40 week long comprehensive Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) in 2016. Ten places for year 4 students are available which are shared between two regions of Scotland which are largely rural areas by UK definitions. This paper describes the drivers for the pilot, its implementation and early evaluation. For the evaluation, data were collected using focus groups and semi-structured interviews from the first cohort of seven students, four health service employed staff (two with leadership roles and two with regional student facing roles), 21 General Practitioner tutors, and from reflective audio-diaries kept by all students. Analysis was thematic, the themes being identified from the data. Summative assessment data were collated.

Students reported positive learning experiences though access to secondary care learning linked to their patients was sometimes problematic. GP tutors were positive and enthusiastic about the programme and could see the potential benefits on recruitment to GP careers. Pre-existing workload pressures were a challenge. Summative assessment results were encouraging. The Dundee LIC is successful in delivering Dundee’s year 4 curriculum. Ongoing development has been focused on improving awareness of the programme in secondary care services.

KEYWORDS:

• Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships
• undergraduate medical education
• general practice

Disclosure statement

The authors were employed by the University of Dundee, or by NHS boards involved in the study.

Additional information

Funding

The funding was a grant jointly from the Association for the Study of Medical Education and the General Medical Council as stated.