Same but Different

Exploring Mechanisms of Learning in a Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship

Bibliographic Data

ID21614867
AuthorsMaria Mylopoulos (0000-0003-0012-5375, is associate professor, Department of Paediatrics, curriculum scientist, MD Program, and scientist and associate director, The Wilson Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada., corresponding author), Kulamakan Kulasegaram (0000-0002-6644-0098, is assistant professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, and scientist, MD Program and The Wilson Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.), Karen Weyman (is associate professor, St. Michael’s Hospital, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.), Stacey Bernstein (is associate professor, Department of Paediatrics, and clerkship director, MD Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.), Maria Athina Martimianakis (0000-0002-2531-3156, is associate professor and director, Medical Education Scholarship, Department of Paediatrics, and scientist and associate director, The Wilson Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.)
Year2020
Volume95
Issue3
Pages411-416
Publication date2020-03-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAcademic Medicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1040-2446 • E-ISSN: 1938-808X
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/acm.0000000000002960
PMID31436627
OpenAlexW2969377644
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited28

PURPOSE: Longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) are a widely used method of delivering clerkship curricula. Although there is evidence that LICs work and core components of LIC training have been identified, there is insufficient understanding of which components are integral to why they work. To address this question, this research explored how students experienced the first year of an LIC program. The aim was to use participants' understanding of their learning experiences to identify potential mechanisms of the LIC curriculum model. METHOD: Thirty-two interviews were conducted with 13 University of Toronto students, 7 LIC and 6 block rotation students from the same site, from October 2014 to September 2015. A thematic analysis was performed iteratively to explore participants' understanding of their key learning experiences and outcomes. RESULTS: Participants in both cohorts described their key learning outcome as integration and application of knowledge during patient care. Experiences supporting this outcome were articulated as longitudinal variable practice and continuity of relationships with preceptors and patients. Critically, these experiences manifested differently for the 2 cohorts. For block students, these learning experiences appeared to reflect the informal curriculum, whereas for LIC students, learning experiences were better supported by the LIC formal curriculum. CONCLUSIONS: The results illustrate the importance of learning experiences that support longitudinality and continuity. By also emphasizing variability and knowledge integration, they align with literature on expert development. Notably, many of the learning experiences identified resulted from informal learning and thus support going beyond the formal curriculum when evaluating the effectiveness of curricula

Curriculum · Medical education · Pedagogy · Problem-based learning · Qualitative research · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Innovations in Medical Education · Interprofessional Education and Collaboration · Medicine · Nursing education and management · Psychology

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