Challenges in transformation of the "traditional block rotation" medical student clinical education into a longitudinal integrated clerkship model.

Abstract

Longitudinal integrated clerkships (LIC) in the first major clinical year in medical student training have been demonstrated to be at least equivalent to and in some areas superior to the "traditional block rotation" (TBR). Flinders University School of Medicine is starting a pilot changing the traditional teaching at the major Academic Medical Centre from TBR to LIC (50% of students in other locations in the medical school already have a partial or full LIC programme). This paper summarises the expected challenges presented at the "Rendez-Vous" Conference in October 2012: (a) creating urgency, (b) training to be a clinician rather than imparting knowledge, (c) resistance to change. We discuss the unexpected challenges that have evolved since then: (a) difficulty finalising the precise schedule, (b) underestimating time requirements, (c) managing the change process inclusively. Transformation of a "block rotation" to "LIC" medical student education in a tertiary academic teaching hospital has many challenges, many of which can be anticipated, but some are unexpected.