title: Safeguard or mollycoddle? An exploratory study describing potentially harmful incidents during medical student placements in Aboriginal communities in Central Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the number and characteristics of potentially harmful incidents occurring during placement of medical students in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective audit of medical students' files from Northern Territory General Practice Education placements in Central Australia for the period from January 2006 to December 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  Number and type of potentially harmful incidents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 163 placements were undertaken. Of these, 98 (60%) had adequate documentation to determine whether an incident had occurred. There were 28 cases (17%) where potentially harmful incidents were judged to have occurred. Most incidents fell under several descriptive categories, but clinical supervision, professional practice and administrative issues were most common.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One in six students experienced a potentially harmful incident during remote area placement in 2006-2007. While acknowledging the exploratory nature of this investigation and the major educational benefits that clearly arise from these placements, our findings indicate problems with clinical supervision and administration.
authors.affiliation: Bath Street Family Medical Practice, Alice Springs, NT. ameeta.patelATinternode.on.net
authors.forename: Ameeta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Underwood
authors.forename: Hung The
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vigants
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020375:Education, Distance; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D015876:Northern Territory; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D012424:Rural Population; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult