Assessing Self-Reported Readiness of Medical Students transitioning to Clinical Clerkship at the University of Ottawa

Abstract

Introduction: The transition from pre-clerkship to clinical clerkship is a pivotal moment for medical students. Curricular improvements can be made to better prepare students for clerkship. We collected student feedback to generate recommendations for improvement with regard to clerkship preparedness at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine.

Methods: We created a pre- and post-clerkship transition survey for medical students at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. The groups assessed were from different cohorts. Likert-type and open ended questions were used. The survey was open from October 10 to October 31, 2020. Microsoft Excel 2016 was used for data analysis.

Results:  We obtained 176 respondents (37% response rate), of which 158 provided consent and completed the survey. Students in the post-transition group were less anxious about the transition to clerkship, compared to their pre-transition colleagues, with the most significant difference being completing a thorough history and physical examination (2.9/5.0 vs. 3.3/5.0, p<0.05). The two main stressors for incoming clerks were inadequate clinical skills training in pre-clerkship and lack of clarity around clerkship roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

Conclusion: Improvements can be made in pre-clerkship through the integration of small-group orientation sessions, formative OSCEs, accelerated review of pre-clerkship material, and clerkship simulation sessions to facilitate a seamless transition to clerkship at the University of Ottawa.