title: A transitional curriculum for preparing medical students for internship, does it work?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In a formative evaluation, we were supposed to find whether an innovative program has some merits to be continued or not. We also determined the critical points of the program. The evaluated program was a clinical pre-clerkship curriculum launched for departing to a less stressful medical clerkship.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the information contained in the students' logbooks. Using Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure standardized questionnaire, we also assessed the students' perception of learning environment within six clinical departments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Totally, 64% of expected patient contacts, and teaching of more than 71% of required skills at 4 departments were carried out and students had more positive than negative perspective of their learning environments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evaluand is a worthwhile program to be continued, though it needs some considerations for improvement.
authors.affiliation: Education development office (EDO), school of medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dehghani
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Athar
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ashourioun
authors.forename: Mohammed Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Akhlaghi
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Avizhgan
authors.forename: Atousa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esmaeili
authors.forename: Parvaneh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nasri
authors.forename: Marzieh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asilian
authors.forename: Behzad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shams
keywords: Clinical Clerkship; Clinical skills; curriculum; medical education; phase of education; practical procedures; teaching and learning; transition to internship; undergraduate; work-based