Objectives: The Swimmer Assistantship in Patient Education was developed to teach principles and techniques of brief preventive health counseling and patient education to medical students who have finished their first year.
Description: Students complete an intensive training program and are then placed in family practice settings to educate and counsel patients full-time for 5 to 7 weeks.
Evaluation: Students evaluated the program after completion each year A survey of participants was conducted in fall 2000.
Conclusions: Participants gained valuable experience with patient education and counseling techniques and a favorable experience in a family practice setting; many entered family practice residency training.