Alternating skills training and clerkships to ease the transition from preclinical to clinical training

Abstract

Background: The transition from preclinical to clinical training is perceived as stressful with a high workload being the main difficulty. To ease this transition, we implemented a dual learning year, where just-in-time skills training and clerkships alternated. Aims: To examine the effect of the dual learning year on students' stress and perceptions of workload and skills level, and to compare these data with a baseline measurement from a curriculum in which skills training was provided in advance of clerkships. Method: During the first Master year, students completed four rotations in which 5 weeks of skills training and 5-week clerkships alternated. In the second clerkship week of each rotation, students (n=476) completed questionnaires measuring their experienced workload, perceived skills level and stress. Analysis of variance was used for trend analysis and to determine differences with the baseline measurement (n=83). Results: During the dual learning year, 'experienced workload' decreased (F(1,471)=9.408, p<0.01), 'perceived skills level' increased (F(1,471)=94.202, p<0.001) and stress decreased (F(1,471)=3.309, p<0.10). 'Experienced workload' was lower (F(5,553)=7.599, p<0.001) and 'perceived skills level' was comparable to the baseline measurement. Conclusions: Compared to the baseline measurement and the results of earlier studies on transition difficulties, alternating just-in-time skills training and clerkships seem to ease the transition from preclinical to clinical training. © 2011 Informa UK Ltd.