Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the impact of student e-learning on the development of clinical competencies. The study participants were 3rd year students (n = 43) at a private mid-sized medical school located in a South Korean suburb on a four-year medical program. Educational intervention was implemented to enhance student clinical performance. Students engaged in learning activities that intended to promote their self-directed learning abilities and clinical performances using e-learning resources. Intervention was conducted for the duration of six months during the 3rd year and its effectiveness was investigated by comparing student performances in OSCEs in a pre- and post- comparison format and also by comparing them with national scores. In addition, student perceptions of the impact of e-learning on their OSCE performances were assessed using a questionnaire, which included 36 items that elicited student perceptions of their experiences of e-learning and readiness for e-learning. Student OSCE scores improved significantly after educational intervention in all domains of clinical competencies assessed and for total scores (p < 0.001). Furthermore, students achieved higher OSCE scores than national average scores in the post-test, whereas they had performed lower than national average scores in the pre-test. Students showed neutral or slightly positive responses to the effectiveness of e-learning, and their perceptions of e-learning were not associated with their e-learning readiness scores. The study shows student OSCE performance improved significantly after educational intervention, which indicate the effectiveness of e-learning to support student learning of clinical performance. Despite significant improvements in student OSCE scores after e-learning, their perceptions of its effectiveness were neutral. Furthermore, student perceptions of e-learning were not associated with their readiness for it. Suggestions are made to help students use e-learning more effectively to enhance their clinical competencies.
Highlights
Clinical education is increasingly facing challenges that call for innovation
Clinical education at tertiary academic medical centers is not suitable for teaching medical students the competencies required of primary physicians at the basic medical education phase [5]
Clinical experiences involving engagement in clinical encounters ranging from patient presentation to making diagnosis and treatment plans are limited for medical students during clerkships [6, 7], and such problems are likely to be exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
Clinical education is increasingly facing challenges that call for innovation. Given the COVID19 pandemic, there is an urgent need for innovation in the teaching and learning of medicine [1]. Medical schools are obliged to respond to the need for clinical education among students with limited opportunities for first-hand patient experiences while clinical clerkships are suspended due to the pandemic. There is a mismatch between medical students’ learning needs and the realities of today’s clinical settings [3, 4]. Clinical experiences involving engagement in clinical encounters ranging from patient presentation to making diagnosis and treatment plans are limited for medical students during clerkships [6, 7], and such problems are likely to be exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic
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