Aligning Expectations Between Doctoring Curriculum and the Student-Led Clinics

Title: Aligning Expectations Between Doctoring Curriculum and the Student-Led Clinics
Authors: Brooke Austin, Dallen Calder, Serin Springer
Date: 1/27/2025
Abstract: A core component of the new SFESOM curriculum is early clinical exposure. First-year medical students (MS1s) are required to participate in a weekly clinic shift at a student-led clinic (SLC). Regular clinical exposure is intended for students to apply the knowledge they learn within the Doctoring curriculum to real-world settings. Recent feedback has revealed two problems: clinic preceptors have varied expectations of MS1s, which appears to stem from a lack of preceptor knowledge about what MS1s are learning and when, and a disconnect between the Doctoring curriculum and SLC experiences, such that MS1s are not directly applying their knowledge as intended. To address these issues, two calendar- style guides were created, targeting preceptors and students. The preceptor guide lists concepts and skills MS1s have and have not learned for each week. The student guide includes weekly summaries and key areas for students to focus on while in clinic. Both guides include links and QR codes to Doctoring resources and are available in physical and virtual formats. Evaluation of this project’s efficacy is centered around questions included in the End of Phase 1 survey. The deliverables, the preceptor and student guides, have received positive responses from Doctoring faculty. Survey data from the class of 2027 confirmed the need for greater alignment between Doctoring and SLCs: 58% of students said preceptor expectations differed from Doctoring teachings 50% or more of the time, and 8% reported almost never using Doctoring materials. Preliminary data indicates that students recognize the overlap between Doctoring content and SLCs, but there is still room for improvement regarding the application of Doctoring content. It is hypothesized that quick access to Doctoring materials will mitigate lingering disconnects between the curriculum and SLCs. The guides will be continuously updated to ensure the availability of reliable resources. The survey will be repeated with the class of 2028 and compared with the current pre-guide data.

Copyright: Academy of Health Sciences Educators ©2025

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Aligning Expectations Between Doctoring Curriculum and the Student-Led Clinics by Brooke Austin, Dallen Calder & Serin Springer