Students completing a pediatric clinical clerkship in a regional center perform as well as their peers training at a university teaching hospital ... and they liked it better?
BACKGROUND
Medical school size in Ontario is increasing. As some institutions cannot accommodate all medical students in the university-affiliated hospital, some students are completing the majority of their clinical rotations in a regional setting.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the regional experience is equivalent to the more traditional tertiary care experience.


METHODS
Students' examination results and rotation evaluation forms were collected after completing a pediatrics rotation. Results from students completing most of the rotation in a regional setting were compared to those who remained in a tertiary care setting.


RESULTS
There was no difference between the two groups on their final examination. Students in the rural setting rated the rotation higher than the students in the university setting.


CONCLUSIONS
A regional rotation eases the challenges of an increasing medical class size and provides an educationally appropriate rotation for a clinical clerk.
Stein
Robert
R
Department of Pediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Robert.stein@lhsc.on.ca
Johnston
Ian
I
Bannister
Susan
S
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D003479:Curriculum; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012931:Social Environment; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*