A qualitative exploratory study: Using medical students’ experiences to review the role of a rural clinical attachment in KwaZulu-Natal
Objectives: There are challenges when it is considered that a main role of a rural clinical attachment for medical students is to encourage students to return after graduation to practise in rural areas. This view may lead to the relative neglect of other potential valuable roles with regard to rura...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2013-06-01
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| Series: | South African Family Practice |
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| Online Access: | https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/3625 |
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| author | P.D. McNeill L.M. Campbell |
| author_facet | P.D. McNeill L.M. Campbell |
| author_sort | P.D. McNeill |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: There are challenges when it is considered that a main role of a rural clinical attachment for medical students is to encourage students to return after graduation to practise in rural areas. This view may lead to the relative neglect of other potential valuable roles with regard to rural exposure. This paper draws on the Force Field Model of teacher development to describe medical students’ experiences, illustrate the complexity of interacting factors during rural exposure, caution that experiences cannot be predicted and highlight the positive incentives of a rural clinical attachment.
Design: The design was explorative, descriptive and qualitative.
Setting: The study setting was a district hospital in rural KwaZulu-Natal.
Subjects: The participants were four final-year medical students who had completed a compulsory attachment during their Family Medicine rotation.
Outcome measures: Data were collected using photo elicitation and analysed using the Force Field Model.
Results: The participants felt that overall the experience was positive. The effect of biography and contextual forces were not as strong as expected. Institutional forces were important and programmatic forces tended to have a negative effect on experiences. The participants particularly enjoyed being acknowledged and felt empathy for the difficult tasks of doctors.
Conclusion: The potential role of a clinical attachment may go beyond attracting students to practise in rural areas. The experience can be beneficial, irrespective of where the student decides to practise after graduation. There is a need for a review of the rural attachment curriculum and paedagogy. Caution should be used when screening medical students for suitability to work in rural areas prior to rural exposure. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-94b75ab1cde94cfdb0dbaa838f4991a1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2078-6190 2078-6204 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2013-06-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Family Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-94b75ab1cde94cfdb0dbaa838f4991a12025-08-20T03:43:47ZengAOSISSouth African Family Practice2078-61902078-62042013-06-0155310.1080/20786204.2013.108743474815A qualitative exploratory study: Using medical students’ experiences to review the role of a rural clinical attachment in KwaZulu-NatalP.D. McNeill0L.M. Campbell1Centre for Rural Health, University of KwaZulu-NatalSchool of Education, University of KwaZulu-NatalObjectives: There are challenges when it is considered that a main role of a rural clinical attachment for medical students is to encourage students to return after graduation to practise in rural areas. This view may lead to the relative neglect of other potential valuable roles with regard to rural exposure. This paper draws on the Force Field Model of teacher development to describe medical students’ experiences, illustrate the complexity of interacting factors during rural exposure, caution that experiences cannot be predicted and highlight the positive incentives of a rural clinical attachment. Design: The design was explorative, descriptive and qualitative. Setting: The study setting was a district hospital in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Subjects: The participants were four final-year medical students who had completed a compulsory attachment during their Family Medicine rotation. Outcome measures: Data were collected using photo elicitation and analysed using the Force Field Model. Results: The participants felt that overall the experience was positive. The effect of biography and contextual forces were not as strong as expected. Institutional forces were important and programmatic forces tended to have a negative effect on experiences. The participants particularly enjoyed being acknowledged and felt empathy for the difficult tasks of doctors. Conclusion: The potential role of a clinical attachment may go beyond attracting students to practise in rural areas. The experience can be beneficial, irrespective of where the student decides to practise after graduation. There is a need for a review of the rural attachment curriculum and paedagogy. Caution should be used when screening medical students for suitability to work in rural areas prior to rural exposure.https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/3625rural clinical attachmentfamily medicine rotationmedical studentsexperiencesforce field model |
| spellingShingle | P.D. McNeill L.M. Campbell A qualitative exploratory study: Using medical students’ experiences to review the role of a rural clinical attachment in KwaZulu-Natal South African Family Practice rural clinical attachment family medicine rotation medical students experiences force field model |
| title | A qualitative exploratory study: Using medical students’ experiences to review the role of a rural clinical attachment in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_full | A qualitative exploratory study: Using medical students’ experiences to review the role of a rural clinical attachment in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_fullStr | A qualitative exploratory study: Using medical students’ experiences to review the role of a rural clinical attachment in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_full_unstemmed | A qualitative exploratory study: Using medical students’ experiences to review the role of a rural clinical attachment in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_short | A qualitative exploratory study: Using medical students’ experiences to review the role of a rural clinical attachment in KwaZulu-Natal |
| title_sort | qualitative exploratory study using medical students experiences to review the role of a rural clinical attachment in kwazulu natal |
| topic | rural clinical attachment family medicine rotation medical students experiences force field model |
| url | https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/3625 |
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