Effect of early clinical skills teaching on 3rd year medical students' learning: The student perspective

Objectives: The main purpose of the early introduction of Clinical Skills Learning (CSL) to pre-clinical years is to allow medical students to gain experience in clinical examination skills, basic medical procedures, history-taking and clinical communication. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the early teaching of clinical skills in preparing medical students for their clinical years. Methods: A validated questionnaire assessing the value of CSL on students in their first clinical year was distributed to 3rd year medical students. The questionnaire consisted of 8 items with a five-point Likert scale and one open-ended question. Results: The response rate to the questionnaire was approximately 62%. Nearly 97 (70.8%) students suggested that CSL was a favourable teaching strategy. A high percentage of students (90.5%) agreed that CSL was a useful pre-clinical module to prepare them for their clinical years. The students gave positive feedback on the teaching of history-taking and physical examination. exposure to the hospital environment and acquisition of communication skills with supervisors and patients. No student perceived the CSL module as poor. Conclusions: Early CSL was well-perceived by students in preparing them for their clinical years. CSL is a vital part of the pre-clinical curriculum and should be further enriched with frequent hospital visits to enhance students' confidence level and performance when interacting with patients during their clinical years.