Context: Longitudinal integrated clerkships (LIC) are widely used as an educational method, particularly in rural areas. They are good for facilitating hands-on learning and deep relationships between student, patients, and supervisors.
Objectives: This study sought to examine and compare learning experience of third-year rural medical students studying specialties (women's health, aged care, child and adolescent heath, mental health, general practice) by either a traditional hospital-based rotation or a LIC in a rural general practice setting.
Methods: Data was collected from two groups of rural students (LIC; traditional hospital-based) over two academic years, utilizing focus groups to investigate general experiences of living and learning rurally, within the different educational models.
Results: Results reaffirmed that there was no perceived academic disadvantage to studying medicine rurally. Studying medicine in a rural area provides increased access to patients, more hands-on experience, and close relationships with patients and colleagues. LIC students reported increased confidence in clinical skills, felt better prepared for internship, however experienced more social isolation than students in hospital-based rotations.
Conclusions: Students undergoing a rural LIC feel more confident in their clinical skills and preparedness for practice than other rural students. This study supports the use of LICs as a powerful educational tool.