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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Med.
Sec. Healthcare Professions Education
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1498393
This article is part of the Research Topic Innovative Teaching and Learning in Health Education and Promotion View all 10 articles

From Shadowing to Active Learning: Exploring the Impact of Supervised Teaching Clinics on Gynecology Education

Provisionally accepted
Sangsang Ren Sangsang Ren 1Hong Zhan Hong Zhan 2Asanga Fernando Asanga Fernando 3,4Xiangrong Xu Xiangrong Xu 2Weiguo Lu Weiguo Lu 2*
  • 1 College of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
  • 2 Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
  • 3 St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, England, United Kingdom
  • 4 St George's, University of London, London, England, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Supervised Teaching Clinics (STCs) have emerged as an innovative approach to medical education, particularly in specialties like gynecology, where hands-on experience is crucial. Traditional clinical rotations often leave students in passive roles, limiting their active participation and the development of essential clinical skills.Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of STCs on the clinical competencies and professional development of medical students within a gynecological clinic, comparing the outcomes with those of traditional clinic shadowing.Methods: A total of 144 fifth-year medical students were randomly assigned to either a control group, which participated in traditional clinic shadowing, or an STC group, which engaged in both shadowing and supervised teaching activities. The study utilized the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and the mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini-CEX) to assess clinical performance. Feedback was also collected from students, tutors, and patients to gauge satisfaction and perceived effectiveness.Students in the STC group demonstrated significantly higher improvements in clinical skills, particularly in medical interviewing, counseling, and overall clinical competence, compared to the control group. The STC group also reported greater satisfaction with their learning experience, citing enhanced confidence and a deeper understanding of gynecological practice. Tutors and patients provided positive feedback, noting the STC's role in fostering effective student-patient interactions and comprehensive learning.The structured design of the STC, with a focus on goal direction, relationships, and supporting services, significantly improved educational outcomes in gynecology. By fostering active learning and delivering constructive feedback, STCs effectively enhance students' clinical competencies and professional development.The study suggests that integrating STCs into traditional clinical education models could substantially optimize medical training.

    Keywords: supervised teaching clinic, Medical Education, competence-based education, Professional Development, self-efficacy

    Received: 18 Sep 2024; Accepted: 19 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ren, Zhan, Fernando, Xu and Lu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Weiguo Lu, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.