Aim: As the undergraduate medical curriculum is developed in response to an increasing number of students across multiple teaching sites, it is timely to review the clinical learning environment of medical students in the first two clinical years.
Method: University of Auckland students in year 4 and 5 completed the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). Clinical Teachers completed a shorter questionnaire on their perceptions of the clinical learning environment.
Results: The students perceive their clinical learning environment positively and their perceptions compare favourably with similar studies internationally. The DREEM is reliable for and practical to use in the New Zealand undergraduate clinical learning environment. Learning site, year of study, clinical team, gender, age, or ethnicity did not influence students' perceptions of their learning environment. Clinical teachers view their teaching positively but there seem to be concerns over the amount of time they have available for teaching.
Conclusion: Students are concerned about the amount of knowledge they need to acquire and the availability of support for students under stress as they enter and during the clinical years. Clinical teachers are concerned about the amount of time they have available for teaching.
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