Increased Continuity Improves Medical Student Clerkship Evaluations and Enhances Recruitment

Abstract

Methods: In 2012, the OBGYN clerkship was restructured such that all students spent two weeks on labor and delivery, and two weeks on two of the other specialty services of benign gynecology, gynecologic oncology, MFM, minimally invasive surgery, REI, and urogynecology. Each student was also assigned two continuity generalist providers clinics for 1⁄2 day per week. Prior to 2012, each student had spent one week on each of the specialty services, and was assigned one continuity generalist provider for 1⁄2 day per week. Student performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners (NMBE) exam, and response on the clerkship evaluation questions “overall quality of clerkship” and “quality of ambulatory care experiences” for the two years prior and after the restructuring were compared using paired t-tests. The percent of the medical school class who matched in OBGYN for the two years prior and after were compared using chai square analysis.