title: Students conducting consultations in general practice and the acceptability to patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The General Medical Council has recommended that medical students should gain more experience in general practice. The study set out to determine patients' reactions to consultations conducted by a medical student alone prior to seeing their GP.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of patients attending general practice surgeries in the Oxford area completed a questionnaire following consultation with a medical student.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six general practice teaching surgeries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifth-year medical students.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 130 responders 98% experienced no disadvantage in seeing the student; 35% considered that there were advantages in seeing the student; 98% said that they would be prepared to consult with a student again; 85% expressed no concerns about the gender of the student.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study are very reassuring concerning the acceptability to patients of consulting with medical students and are more favourable than those reported for studies of students being present in consultations by GPs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bentham
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Svoboda
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vallance
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yeow
mesh_terms: D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D006113:United Kingdom