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Teaching in the new NHS: the specialised ward based teacher
Author(s) -
Kilminster S M,
Delmotte A,
Frith H,
Jolly B C,
Stark P,
Howdle P D
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
medical education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.776
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1365-2923
pISSN - 0308-0110
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2923.2001.00936.x
Subject(s) - objective structured clinical examination , medical education , curriculum , clinical clerkship , psychology , qualitative property , medicine , family medicine , pedagogy , machine learning , computer science
Objectives To evaluate the effects of introducing specialised ward based teachers (WBTs) who had a broad remit to improve third year medical undergraduates’ clinical experience. Design Quantitative and qualitative methods including interviews with WBTs, participating consultants and SIFT co‐ordinator; student questionnaire and evaluations; analysis of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) scores to ascertain if exposure to WBTs affected OSCE scores. Setting Two university teaching hospitals. Participants Third year undergraduate medical students from one school of medicine; four WBTs; 25 consultants; SIFT co‐ordinator. Main outcome measures Student evaluations. Student questionnaires. Student OSCE scores. Interview data. Results WBTs had a demonstrable effect on student performance in OSCE examinations. 94% of students either agreed or strongly agreed that WBTs had helped them develop their examination skills and 87% either agreed or strongly agreed that WBTs had helped them develop their history taking skills. Interview data indicated that the consultants and SIFT co‐ordinator considered that WBTs made an important contribution to clinical teaching. Conclusions This study suggests that specialised WBTs are one way to manage clinical experience and enhance learning of undergraduate medical students. As clinical teaching moves into earlier parts of the undergraduate curriculum and into the community there is potential for this role to be developed.