Abstract:

Introduction:
Integration of clinical experience alongside theoretical learning aim to enhance the practical skills and competencies of medical students, crucial for their future roles as healthcare professionals. Evaluating the effectiveness of these educational strategies is imperative to ensure optimal training outcomes. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the UFV pilot clinical internship program (PCIP) in medical education during the academic year 2020-2021 at Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV) Faculty of Medicine, Madrid, which focuses on extended clinical rotations, self-directed learning, and structured tutoring. This approach is compared to the traditional curriculum that separates theoretical instruction from practical experience, potentially limiting the integration of knowledge and practice. The pilot program aims to address this gap by providing students with prolonged exposure to clinical environments, fostering a deeper understanding of medical practice.

Methods:
Participants included 10 students of 4th year and 8 students of 5th year enrolled in the PCIP (intervention group). To ensure an adequate comparison, we selected paired students from the conventional program—4 students from 4th year and 6 students from 5th year—based on similar academic records from the previous year (control group). Both groups completed the same theoretical exam and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) exam at the end of the semester. The performance outcomes were analyzed to determine differences in academic achievement between the two cohorts.

Results:
In the pilot program, students achieved academic outcomes comparable to those of the conventional cohort. The average scores at the end of the year were 7.33 and 8.24 (p=0.157) for 4th-year students, and 7.35 and 7.44 (p=0.897) for 5th-year students, respectively. However, students in the pilot program demonstrated superior OSCE outcomes across all evaluated items compared to their counterparts in the conventional cohort. The OSCE results showed improved scores in all dimensions, with statistically significant findings in three domains: history taking, communication skills, and clinical report writing.

Conclusion:
The UFV PCIP demonstrates potential for improving medical education outcomes. Extended rotations, combined with self-directed learning and structured tutoring, significantly enhances the practical competence of medical students without significant academic performance loss, despite students studying autonomously. These findings suggest that the pilot program offers a promising model for future medical training, potentially leading to more competent and confident medical professionals.

Keywords:

Medical education, clinical internship program, undergraduate internship, pilot program, clinical rotations, medical students.