Teaching medical ethics: Phramongkutklao College of Medicine's model.
BACKGROUND
Third-year (first preclinical year) Royal Thai Army (RTA) medical cadets were exposed to a rural community in a community medicine field activity. The poor, kind rural people gave good conditions for student's professional development and empathy.


OBJECTIVE
To report a community medicine field work activity for professional development of the RTA medical school.


METHODS
Descriptive analysis on two occasions to evaluate the third-year RTA medical cadets' impressions immediately after the community medicine field activity in a rural area in central Thailand and one year later using baseline scores of cadets' impressions against our institute's objectives.


RESULTS
At the end of the field work, 90.9% of the cadets reported they achieved several institute objectives. The four most frequent mentioned were ethical development (70.6%), professionalism (84.3%), human relationship & communication skills (92.2%), and capability to work in the cmmunity (64.7%). Furthermore, RTA medical cadets rated the staff as good role models (51%).


CONCLUSIONS
The community field work course provided a good environment for the third year medical cadets in building morality and professional development to be good doctors.
Surangsrirat
Surapon
S
Department of Medicine, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine. ssurang@pmk.ac.th
Panichkul
Suthee
S
Aimpun
Pote
P
Rangsin
Ram
R
Mungthin
Mathirut
M
Taamasri
Paanjit
P
Napradit
Panpen
P
Hatthachote
Panadda
P
Suwan
Kijja
K
Areekul
Wirote
W
D002983:Clinical Competence; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004992:Ethics, Medical / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019035:Rural Health Services; D013785:Thailand