Abstract:

Introduction:
Clinical rotations are a crucial component of medical education, allowing students to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical patient care experiences. However, traditional models often limit exposure to specific specialties or brief periods, potentially impacting a comprehensive understanding of medical practice. This article introduces an innovative model of extended and structured clinical rotations implemented in undergraduate medical students, designed to optimize learning outcomes and effectively prepare students for professional practice.

Objective:
The objective of this article is to describe an innovative clinical rotation model for undergraduate students implemented at Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV) Faculty of Medicine which, along with UFV standardized group mentoring model and students self-directed learning, forms the foundation of the Pilot Clinical Internship Program (PCIP). This program aims to provide comprehensive clinical exposure while integrating theoretical knowledge with practical experience, preparing students to effectively and competently address the complex challenges of modern medical practice.

Clinical Rotation Model:
The extended clinical rotation model involves an annual period of 20 weeks for 5th-year students and 22 weeks for 4th-year students. During this period, students systematically rotate through most clinical services (4 to 6 different services by semester), spending varying durations of 1 to 4 weeks in each.
Participants include the undergraduate students involved in the PCIP, a university coordinator, a hospital coordinator and the clinical tutors of each service.
Students are provided with a portfolio that includes the tasks to be performed in each rotation and is also used as an evaluation tool.
At the end of the rotation, the clinical tutors evaluate, based on a rubric defined by the university, both the attitude of each student during their stay in the service and the tasks performed.
Key components of the model include systematic scheduling, mentorship, and opportunities for reflective practice, enhancing learning and professional development.

Conclusions:
The implementation of this clinical rotation model for undergraduate medical students, represents a promising approach to enhancing educational outcomes. This structure ensures students gain broad and diversified exposure to various medical specialties, facilitating a deep understanding of clinical practice. By providing extensive and organized exposure to clinical environments, this model has the potential to prepare future physicians with the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to deliver quality care in diverse healthcare settings. Continuous evaluation and refinement of the model will be essential to validate its effectiveness and ensure ongoing high-quality medical education.

Keywords:

Medical education, clinical learning, extended clinical rotations, undergraduate internship, real-world learning, practical experience.