Clinical Observerships Research Articles

Reflections on a clinical observership in London: Lessons and impact on medical training

No abstract.

Pediatric Orthopaedic Observerships in North America for International Surgeons: A Qualitative Study Exploring Motivations, Relevance, and Alternate Learning Platforms.

Given the growing interest among international surgeons to participate in North American clinical observerships, it is essential to incorporate international surgeons' views to further enhance the program's applicability, value, and accessibility. In this qualitative follow-up study, we explored the motivations, relevance, and opinions about alternate learning platforms among the international surgeons who had participated in a pediatric orthopaedic clinical observership in North America. Using a semistructured interview guide, international surgeons who had participated in a North American pediatric orthopaedic observership during 2009 to 2019 were interviewed until data saturation and inductive thematic saturation were reached. Twenty-one international surgeons representing 15 different countries (1 from a low-income country, 10 from a lower middle-income country, 8 from an upper middle-income country, and 2 from a high-income country) were interviewed. The most commonly cited motivations for doing a clinical observership were to advance clinical training and learn specific skills. The clinical and nonclinical skills gained during the observership, such as utilizing an integrated team approach and open communication style, were helpful to most interviewees; however, several respondents highlighted the critical need to adapt and modify surgical indications, techniques, and skills to suit their local environment and limited resource availability. Although respondents were interested in exploring virtual learning models to save time and expense, several preferred a hybrid model, including access to remote learning opportunities and sharing their own clinical experiences with the North American hosts. Identifying the visiting surgeon's motivation for participation can allow North American hosts to align their clinical exposure more closely with the unique needs and aspirations of the international surgeons and enable a more relevant exchange of clinical and nonclinical skills. Use of a blended learning model, including in-person and virtual learning platforms, and the missed opportunity of having the international surgeons share their clinical experiences and skills with their North American counterparts should be explored further.

WEO Newsletter.

WEO Newsletter.

The Clinical Observership Program: A Valuable Experience for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residents

Training during oral and maxillofacial surgery residency must include exposure to the scope of the specialty, but success in practice often requires particular experience and knowledge of complex oral regenerative procedures such as bone grafting and implant surgery, as well as practice management. Osteo Science Foundation created the Clinical Observership Program (COP) in 2017 to provide residents the opportunity to spend several weeks in an established oral and maxillofacial surgery practice to increase experience in these areas. The purpose of this study is to report the results of a survey of all resident participants in the COP from 2017 to 2021 in which participants were asked to rate their experience numerically. This is an institutional retrospective case series completed via an electronic survey sent to all participants in the COP from 2017 to 2021. The primary outcome is the subjective assessment of the COP based on six questions in which the respondent was asked to rate the program on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being best). Categories included: 1) Did the program achieve expectations? 2) Was adequate time spent with the mentor? 3) Did you observe/participate in a variety of procedures? 4) Did the mentor provide additional didactic education? 5) Did you learn about practice management? and 6) How would you rate the overall experience? Descriptive statistics including mean score and standard deviation of each question were calculated, and no other covariates were analyzed. All 55 participants in the COP from 2017 to 2021 were contacted and 55 complete responses were received. The overall mean score for all categories rated by the residents was 9.63, the mean rating for questions 1 to 6 were 9.55, 9.89, 9.21, 9.60, 9.69, and 9.86 respectively, and the range of scores was 7 to10. Overall, residents rated the COP experience highly. This survey indicates that the COP is a valuable supplemental experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery resident education.

Orthopaedic trauma observerships in North America for international surgeons: the visitors' perspective.

A survey was distributed to overseas surgeons who participated in an orthopaedic trauma observership from 2009 to 2020. Surgeons were identified through North American institutions previously recognized by the authors as having hosted international observerships. Information gathered included participant demographics, details of and perceived impact of the observership, and barriers faced before, during, and after the program. Responses from 148 international surgeons (ISs) from 49 countries were analyzed. Sixty percent of observerships were at academic programs, 57% lasted 1-3 months, and 60% were self-funded. Participants identified cost and housing as primary barriers. After completing their observership, lack of funding, equipment and support staff, and excessive workload prevented participants from implementing changes at their clinical practice. Most observers believed that they gained relevant clinical (89%) and surgical knowledge (67%) and developed a professional network of North American hosts (63%). The most common suggested changes to the observership were greater hands-on experience in the operating room and structured goal setting relevant to the visiting surgeon. Visiting surgeons find North American orthopaedic trauma observerships helpful in improving their surgical and clinical skills. However, financial constraints and resource limitations at their clinical practice and limited operative experience during the observership present barriers to maximizing this clinical experience. To enhance the relevance of clinical observerships for ISs and impact global orthopaedic trauma care, the unique needs and challenges facing ISs must be addressed. IV-Cross-Sectional Study.

Evaluation of a student clinical research education program in addiction medicine

Objective To evaluate an experiential student clinical addiction research program by analyzing its components, evaluation survey data, and scientific outputs. Methods In 1995, we established a summer research program supporting trainees to gain exposure to clinical addiction research careers. This curriculum employed a three-pronged approach that combined mentored research training, didactic education, and clinical observerships for medical students and other trainees to acquire experience with addiction medicine and research. Utilizing the Kirkpatrick model as program evaluation framework, we analyzed evaluation data from programmatic surveys (didactic seminar evaluations, overall program surveys) and conducted qualitative feedback exploration. Results Between 2007 and 2019, 56 trainees and 26 faculty mentors participated in the curriculum. To date, 25 students published 38 papers with their faculty mentor. Analysis of the past 12 years of program evaluation data demonstrated that students highly valued individually-mentored research experiences. They indicated that seminars familiarized them with the foundations of different clinical care models and career trajectories in addiction medicine. Clinical observerships provided students with patient contacts in various multidisciplinary addiction treatment settings. These experiences, perhaps most importantly hearing about patients’ lived experiences, meaningfully informed various research and didactic activities. Conclusions This summer student research program successfully introduced students to addiction medicine and research, manifested by high peer-reviewed publication productivity. While our program engaged and involved committed mentors and inspired mentees to pursue professional paths in addiction research, it did not specifically incorporate attention to equity and diversity into program planning and implementation. Going forward, the program will improve equity by increasing the recruitment of trainees from disadvantaged groups and engaging underrepresented faculty. KEY MESSAGES Summer programs can be effective in engaging medical students and trainees in research early in their trajectory and inspire them to incorporate research into their careers. Programs that integrate experiential addiction research learning, i.e. mentored research activities, didactic sessions, and clinical observerships, can provide trainees with a profound understanding of substance use disorder treatment and research.

Developing a module for early clinical exposure: Experience of five years.

Preclinical students often fail to appreciate the clinical relevance of basic sciences during the first year of undergraduate medical training, leading them to lose interest in the subject, and preventing them from achieving the desired goals. In order to rectify this gap in the curriculum, Medical Council of India (MCI) in 2011 published a document announcing curricular strategies including Early Clinical Exposure (ECE) to effectively modify the Indian system of education. Lack of proper guidance prevented many institutions from implementing ECE. Since our institution had run a similar program of "Clinical Observership" as early as 2001, we were able to implement ECE in an efficient way. Early clinical exposure was implemented as a structured program, with the participation of 10 clinical departments since 2013. Feedback from the students, soon after ECE and also from the batch of CRRIs, who had undergone this program while they were preclinical students amply support the effectiveness of ECE in its contents and methods of implementation. Manual content analysis was performed on open comments. After reading the responses, they were broken down to meaning units, and these were then condensed. The condensed meaning units were labeled with codes. The codes were grouped into categories. Themes were derived from the categories. Out of the 70 CRRIs, 52 responded to the questionnaire. All the CRRIs except one said that ECE was very helpful during their clinical postings and internship period. They suggested that the number of hours of posting should be increased and also reiterated the fact that a greater number of clinical departments could be included in the program. Though the beneficial effects were felt in all the domains of learning, the most remarkable impact was felt in the affective domain, wherein changes are not easy to come by. Recently, National Medical Council has come out with plans of including ECE in the syllabus with strict time schedule. It is felt that the faculty will find our experience of running the program for the past five years helpful in implementing this program, for the fullest benefit of the preclinical students.

The United Kingdom National Health Service through the lens of an overseas clinical observer: A reflective account based on personal experience.

This article provides insight into an aspect of the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom (UK) through the perspective of an overseas clinical observer. The NHS is a government-funded medical and health care service in the UK and has developed over the years providing a high standard of medical care and professionalism. The Clinical Observership Programme has been designed primarily for International Medical Graduates to experience how the NHS functions and the kind of services it offers. This article explores the overseas observer's experience in a surgical unit of the NHS including the organisational structure, delivery of care and challenges of the system. This article also highlights the observer's perspective of surgical care in the NHS compared to surgical care in low-resource income countries. The Clinical Observership is useful in learning about UK medical practice and gaining experience in a different cultural and professional environment. This is a reflective first-hand account based on personal experience.

Clinical observership as an aid to learning and understanding of human embryology

Hands-on learning approach such as ‘Clinical observership’ is globally applicable in learning. This study evaluated clinical observership as an aid to pre-clinical medical students’ understanding of human embryology. Students were grouped into A and B; group B took calls as studentobservers in the labour ward of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital in addition to taking regular classes in embryology while group A was the control group. Previously validated selfadministered questionnaires were used to test students’ intelligence quotient and knowledge of embryology before and after lectures and clinical observership. The short-term effect of clinical observership was tested by comparing the pre-field and post-field responses of the studentvolunteers while the long-term effect was tested by evaluating their performance in the first professional exams after the completion of pre-clinical program. The perception of group B participants on the observership program was assessed with a pre-tested questionnaire. There was no significant difference (p=0.4162) in the IQ between the control (77±1.2) and the experimental group (79±1.4). There was no significant difference (p= 0.0795) in the mean preobservation test score between the control (33±1.7) and the experimental group (38±1.7). However, a significant increase (p=0.0282) was observed in the mean post-observation test score in the experimental (29±2.4) when compared with the control (22±1.9). Although there was an increase in the mean score in the MBBS exam in the experimental group (59±2.7) when compared with the control (57±2.0), it was not statistically significant. On the perception of the method in improving learning, majority of the students were affirmative. Clinical observership enhances the learning of embryology hence we recommend its incorporation into the teaching methods of embryology in medical schools.

Mentoring the Un-Matched: Clinical Externships Can Provide a Needed Boost

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Education & TrainingFull AccessMentoring the Un-Matched: Clinical Externships Can Provide a Needed BoostJesus S. Ligot, M.D.Jesus S. LigotSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:16 Aug 2021https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2021.8.33AbstractA 12-year-old externship program run by Rahn Bailey, M.D., gives unmatched medical school graduates valuable experience to increase their chance of matching in the future. Here is one success story.One of the most difficult experiences for a graduating medical student is going through the rigors of the complicated residency match process and finding out on match day that you have not matched. After all the preparations, expense, and hard work comes the disappointment and the likelihood that you will have to wait another year to repeat the whole process with no assurance that the outcome of next year’s match will be different.This year, about 10,000 medical school graduates—including 2,200 U.S. medical graduates, 2,143 U.S. citizens who graduated from international medical schools, and 5,730 non-U.S. international medical school graduates failed to match. If they decide to apply again for next year, how can they improve their chances of matching into a residency program? What are the opportunities available to them to create an edge in their resumes?I have been reflecting on my experience as an unofficial mentor to two residents who happen to be twins, Drs. Adrienne and Andrea Saldana. Both started their residency matching journey in 2017 and unfortunately did not match that year. They reached out to me to discuss what they could do to improve their chances of getting matched.Adrienne Saldana, M.D., was named intern of the year of the Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. She is a graduate of the externship program of former APA trustee Rahn Bailey, M.D., that helps biomedical scientists be successful in the residency match.I recommended that they take on clinical observerships with psychiatrists whom I personally knew, practicing in various settings. They did this the next year, and the number of interviews they were offered increased; however, they still did not get matched.It was then that I remembered sitting with a colleague in the APA Assembly who struck me as a good mentor and educator—Dr. Rahn Bailey. I knew he wrote books and journal articles and took a chance and asked him if he would take Adrienne and Andrea under his wings to mentor. Without hesitation, he agreed and offered to have them do an externship with him. Dr. Bailey also had other externs working with him who in turn welcomed Andrea and Adrienne into their community of externs.Externship with Dr. Bailey was an enriching learning experience for Adrienne and Andrea. Through Dr. Bailey’s mentorship and guidance, they read a number of books, journals, and other official publications but their confidence really grew by learning how to write and edit a scientific paper. They were immersed in major issues in psychiatry and were learning about the social determinants of mental health. They were also able to network with other externs who shared resources with them. Perhaps most importantly, the externship program gave them hope.Adrienne and Andrea are two of the most hard-working, motivated, and smart young doctors I have met, and their inability to match initially does not in any way reflect on their capabilities and skills. Adrienne has just completed her first year of residency at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and she was recently awarded the Most Outstanding Intern of the Year. Her sister, Andrea, is going to start her residency at Brookdale in June.Dr. Bailey and I are proud to see them accepted into residency training, and we look forward to seeing them achieve greater heights. Their story is one of grit, determination, and motivation. It is our hope that more psychiatrists will be open to mentoring medical school graduates who did not match into a residency and provide them a bridge to their dreams. ■Jesus S. Ligot, M.D., is an adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Mo. ISSUES NewArchived

Pediatric Orthopaedic Observerships in North America for International Surgeons: Perceived Barriers and Opportunities for Visitors and Hosts.

Despite recommendations for high-income countries to partner with low-income and middle-income countries to expand surgical access, little is known about the barriers that are faced by international surgeons (ISs) who participate in short-term clinical observerships in North America and the barriers that are encountered by their North American (NA) hosts. Surveys were distributed to ISs who participated in a pediatric orthopaedic observership in North America in 2009 to 2019 and their NA hosts to assess the perceived barriers that are faced by both partners and identify possible opportunities for improvement. Responses were received from 181 ISs and 46 NA hosts. The ISs reported facing a variety of barriers prior to, during, and after completion of their NA observerships, including financial burden, language and cultural barriers, and challenges with local accommodations and transportation. Only 49% of ISs reported that their NA hosts had sought feedback from them. Barriers noted by the NA hosts included financial burden, logistical challenges with hosting, language barriers, and lack of support from their co-faculty/staff. At least 43% of NA hosts reported that their observership program was unfunded. Based on the survey responses, potential areas that may enhance the observership experience include funding support, creating a centralized data bank of pediatric subspecialty opportunities that are available at each sponsoring institution, a pre-visit orientation for the visiting surgeon, improving inclusivity by addressing language and cultural barriers, improving access to observing surgical procedures, obtaining post-visit feedback, and creating a virtual community of international visitors and NA hosts for an ongoing exchange of ideas and resources. The ISs who participated in a pediatric orthopaedic clinical observership and their NA hosts identified limited funding as a major barrier. There are several opportunities for enhancing this unique learning experience and exploring the role of contextual remote learning for all participants. Additional studies are needed to investigate the value of clinical observerships for ISs, including the downstream impact of such opportunities on capacity-building, bidirectional learning, and improving patient care.

Training Future International Clinical Academic Leaders Through a Structured Observership Program: Impact and Outcomes from the Initial Cohort.

Clinical observership programs have existed for many years as both formal initiatives organized at the institutional or professional society level and informal arrangements between individual physicians and prospective mentors. However, few programs longitudinally assess their impact on patient care and require implementation of a postobservership project to demonstrate learning. In 2018, the Harvard Medical School Office for External Education launched the International Clinical Leaders Observership Program (ICLOP) as an opportunity for midcareer physicians to shadow Harvard Medical School faculty in one of three specialty areas: oncology, cardiology, or diabetology. The culminating activity for each participant was presentation of a capstone project and commitment to implement it on returning home. We summarize here the initial cohort and results from a follow-up survey measuring the impact of the program on their subsequent patient care, academic activities, and achievements. At 1 year of follow-up, 90% of survey respondents had implemented their project. Improvements were reported in areas of clinical, surgical, therapeutic, system, patient education, and team innovation, as well as personal benefits to the participants. ICLOP is a robust and reproducible initiative that resulted in meaningful improvements in patient care and physician-related outcomes for the first cohort of participants.

In the shadows: medical student clinical observerships and career exploration in the face of COVID-19.

In the shadows: medical student clinical observerships and career exploration in the face of COVID-19.

MPRO: A Professionalism Curriculum to Enhance the Professional Identity Formation of University Premedical Students

ABSTRACT Limited opportunities exist for university premedical students to gain exposure to the realities of clinical practice through physician shadowing or through a formal curriculum. Medical Professionalism and Observership utilizes didactics, reflective writing, small- and large- group discussions, and clinical observerships to enhance the process of professional identity formation during a critical developmental window of late- adolescence. The pilot semester included a sample of 135 students, all in their sophomore, junior, or senior years of study at Rice University. Students were selected through an application process and paired with physicians at Houston Methodist Hospital based on specialty preference and availability. Students were required to participate in biweekly lectures and discussions and to submit a weekly reflection on topics discussed in the course and their shadowing experiences. Student evaluations were administered to survey changes in students’ knowledge and perceptions of the curriculum. Selected reflections were read for evidence of professional identity formation. Lectures increased students’ exposure to core competencies within the medical profession and influenced their desire to become physicians. Reflective writings demonstrated integration of these core competencies into the professional identity of students. Structured reflection and didactics, when coupled with physician shadowing, appear to promote integration of the values, beliefs, and attitudes of medical professionalism. Future studies should seek to demonstrate how such a curriculum affects professional identity formation through established measures, and to assess whether such a curriculum may influence students’ preparedness for medical training and practice as they progress along their careers.

The first six years of the APSA Travel Fellowship Program: Impact and lessons learned

IntroductionThe American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) travel fellowship was established in 2013 to allow pediatric surgeons from low- and middle-income countries to attend the APSA annual meeting. Travel fellows also participated in various clinical and didactic learning experiences during their stay in North America. MethodsPrevious travel fellows completed a survey regarding their motivations for participation in the program, its impact on their practice in their home countries, and suggestions for improvement of the fellowship. ResultsEleven surgeons participated in the travel fellowship and attended the annual APSA meetings in 2013–2018. The response rate for survey completion was 100%. Fellows originated from 9 countries and 3 continents and most fellows worked in government practice (n=8, 73%).Nine fellows (82%) spent >3 weeks participating in additional learning activities such as courses and clinical observerships. The most common reasons for participation were networking (n=11, 100%), learning different ways of providing care (n=10, 90.9%), new procedural techniques (n=9, 81.8%), exposure to a different medical culture (n=10, 90.9%), and engaging in research (n=8, 72.7%). Most of the fellows participated in a structured course: colorectal (n= 6, 55%), laparoscopy (n=2, 18%), oncology (n=2, 18%), leadership skills (n=1, 9%), and safety and quality initiatives (n=1, 9%). Many fellows participated in focused clinical mentorships: general pediatric surgery (n=9, 82%), oncology (n=5, 45%), colorectal (n=3, 27%), neonatal care (n=2, 18%) and laparoscopy (n=2, 18%). Upon return to their countries, fellows reported that they were able to improve a system within their hospital (n=7, 63%), expand their research efforts (n=6, 54%), or implement a quality improvement initiative (n=6, 54%). ConclusionsThe APSA travel fellowship is a valuable resource for pediatric surgeons in low- and middle-income countries. After completion of these travel fellowships, the majority of these fellows have implemented important changes in their hospital’s health systems, including research and quality initiatives, to improve pediatric surgical care in their home countries. Level of evidenceThis is not a clinical study. Therefore, the table that lists levels of evidence for “treatment study”, “prognosis study”, “study of diagnostic test” and “cost effectiveness study” does not apply to this paper.

Clinical Observership Opportunities in North America for International Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Although efforts have been made to address the inequities of surgical care globally, to our knowledge, there has been no comprehensive analysis of orthopaedic clinical observerships in North America that are available for international surgeons. Two investigators performed a systematic online search to identify orthopaedic clinical observerships that are available in the United States and Canada for international surgeons. Variables such as host type, geographic location of host site, program type, eligibility criteria, subspecialty focus, application and participation fees, availability of funding, duration of observership, and the quality of online information that is available based on an online content (OC) score were collected. Of the 113 available observership sponsors in North America, 36 (32%) were professional-society-based, 69 (61%) were academic/institution-based, and 8 (7%) were private-practice-based. Most observerships were located in the U.S. (n = 85) and, of these, the Northeast was the most common U.S. region (n = 29, p = 0.008). Of the observerships with a focus, pediatrics was the most frequent orthopaedic subspecialty (p < 0.0001), followed by spine and trauma. Professional-society-sponsored observerships offered funding to international surgeons more often than academic/institution-based and privately sponsored programs (p < 0.0001). The average OC score for the entire cohort was 2.35 and was similar among the 3 host types (p = 0.954). The program structure and requirements such as applicant eligibility, application and participation fees, and duration of observership varied widely. There are opportunities for international orthopaedic surgeons to participate in clinical observerships in North America. Given the greater funding support and lack of fees for professional-society-sponsored observerships, these observerships may pose fewer financial barriers for surgeons from low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The quality of online information was similar among the 3 different host types and can be improved. The relevance and impact of a clinical observership experience in North America for a practicing orthopaedic surgeon from an LMIC need to be explored further.

Enhancing Musculoskeletal Radiology Experience in the United Kingdom: A Beginner’s Guide for an Indian Radiologist

The United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) can provide numerous possibilities for clinical skills and professional development in musculoskeletal radiology to Indian radiologists. These training opportunities are incredibly flexible, and one can tailor them according to one’s needs. Such posts include short-term professional enhancement opportunities requiring no General Medical Council registration (GMC) or Fellowship of Royal College of Radiologists qualification. They include clinical observerships or attachments, commonwealth medical fellowships and Bracco Fellowships. In addition to former, long-term subspecialty training opportunities are also available, where GMC registration is an essential pre-requisite. Such posts include dedicated 1-year musculoskeletal radiology fellowships, global fellowships, and other NHS clinical service grades positions such as locum consultants, trust-grade, and staff and associate specialist grade positions. In this editorial, we shall provide a brief introduction about each of them to make Indian radiologists aware of their existence and, in turn, help to pursue one according to individual choice.

Association of Shadowing Program for Undergraduate Premedical Students with Improvements in Understanding Medical Education and Training.

Objective: Physician shadowing has become ubiquitous to the premedical experience. However, students without connections to a medical professional are oftentimes forced to reach out to physicians independently from a program. Subsequently, these inquiries may go unanswered as they oftentimes appear unsolicited. The primary goals in the design and development of our program were to increase access to a clinical observership experience at our academic institution utilizing resident physicians as primary supervisors.Methods: In January 2017, the Educational Shadowing Program (ESP) was established at our institution wherein undergraduate students could shadow within the Pediatric Continuity Clinic (PCC) staffed by pediatric resident physicians. ESP undergraduates shadowed the residents as they performed their history taking and physical exams and as they presented their patients to the attending physicians. Between patient encounters, the students assisted the residents in their administrative work which was completed as needed. ESP students were surveyed at their first orientation meeting and during the final case conference.Results: The pre-participation survey showed that none of the student participants strongly agreed to having a good understanding of what the job of a resident physician entails. By the end of their 30 weeks, the proportion of participants with a strongly perceived understanding increased significantly. The proportion of student respondents that strongly agreed with their understanding of the physician-patient interaction also improved significantly over the study period, from 33% to 78%. Seventy-two percent of the residents surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that they enjoyed having the undergraduates in the clinic, affirming the positive effects of the program on the resident physicians. Forty-five percent of residents agreed or strongly agreed that the undergraduates improved their workflow in the clinic.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that establishing an undergraduate shadowing program in a busy academic pediatric clinic that involves resident physicians can be an overall positive experience for all participants. Fostering premedical student interest in pediatric care and primary care can possibly lead to more physician commitment to these fields, potentially helping to alleviate impending physicians in these specialties.

Exploring medically-related Canadian summer student research programs: a National Cross-sectional Survey Study

BackgroundSummer student research programs (SSRPs) serve to generate student interest in research and a clinician-scientist career path. This study sought to understand the composition of existing medically-related Canadian SSRPs, describe the current selection, education and evaluation practices and highlight opportunities for improvement.MethodsA cross-sectional survey study among English-language-based medically-related Canadian SSRPs for undergraduate and medical students was conducted. Programs were systematically identified through academic and/or institutional websites. The survey, administered between June–August 2016, collected information on program demographics, competition, selection, student experience, and program self-evaluation.ResultsForty-six of 91 (50.5%) identified programs responded. These SSRPs collectively offered 1842 positions with a mean 3.76 applicants per placement. Most programs (78.3%, n = 36/46) required students to independently secure a research supervisor. A formal curriculum existed among 61.4% (n = 27/44) of programs. Few programs (5.9%, n = 2/34) offered an integrated clinical observership. Regarding evaluation, 11.4% (n = 5/44) of programs tracked subsequent research productivity and 27.5% (n = 11/40) conducted long-term impact assessments.ConclusionsCanadian SSRPs are highly competitive with the responsibility of selection primarily with the individual research supervisor rather than a centralized committee. Most programs offered students opportunities to develop both research and communication skills. Presently, the majority of programs do not have a sufficient evaluation component. These findings indicate that SSRPs may benefit from refinement of selection processes and more robust evaluation of their utility. To address this challenge, the authors describe a logic model that provides a set of core outcomes which can be applied as a framework to guide program evaluation of SSRPs.

Community Preceptors’ Motivations and Views about Their Relationships with Medical Students During a Longitudinal Family Medicine Experience: A Qualitative Case Study

Phenomenon: Although current evidence emphasizes various benefits of community-oriented programs, little is still known about the nature of the relationships that students and family physicians develop in this educational setting. Our aim in this study was twofold: to identify family physicians’ motivations to enroll as preceptors in a longitudinal undergraduate family medicine program and to explore the nature of the student–preceptor relationships built during the course. Approach: This was a qualitative exploratory case study. The case was the first edition of a longitudinal family medicine experience (LFME), a course that makes up part of the novel Medicinae Doctor et Chirurgiae Magister curriculum in place in a Canadian medical school since August 2013. All 173 family physician community preceptors of the academic year 2013–2014 were considered key informants in the investigation. Forty-three preceptors finally participated in one of six focus groups conducted in the spring of 2014. Several organizational documents relative to the LFME course were also gathered. Inductive semantic thematic analysis was performed on verbatim interview transcripts. Documents helped contextualize the major themes emerging from the focus groups discussions. Findings: Enjoying teaching, promoting family medicine, and improving medical education where salient motivations for family physicians to become LFME preceptors. The findings also pointed out the complexity of the student–preceptor exchanges that unfolded over the academic year, and the ambiguous and changing nature of the role that LFME preceptors adopted in their relationships with students: from simply being facilitators of students’ clinical observership to behaving as their mentors. Insights: Family physicians were highly motivated to become LFME preceptors of 1st-year medical students. Whereas they consistently valued the relationships built during the academic year with the students assigned to them, they also considered that exchanges did not always happen without difficulties, and gauged the roles they played as complex, ambiguous, and necessarily evolving over time.