Abstract

ROSS, Andrew J.; NKABINDE, Thandaza C.  and  GAEDE, Bernhard. Medical student learning on a distributed training platform in rural district hospitals. Afr. j. prim. health care fam. med. (Online) [online]. 2024, vol.16, n.1, pp.1-8. ISSN 2071-2936.  https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v16i1.4539.

BACKGROUND: Decentralising medical school training enhances curriculum relevance, exposing students to generalist patient care in diverse contexts. AIM: The aim of the study was to understand the student experiences of learning during their 7-week Family Medicine rural rotation. SETTING: Final year medical students who had completed their Family Medicine rotation in November 2022. METHODS: A qualitative study involving 24 final year students (four semi- structured interviews and four focus group discussions [4 x 5 students]). All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Analysis revealed positive learning experiences and identified the following themes: taking responsibility for learning, the generalist context, teaching and learning in context and managing the learning environment. CONCLUSION: Active participation in hospital activities, exposure to disorientating dilemmas that challenged assumptions and reflection on these experiences led to transformative learning and knowledge co-construction. CONTRIBUTION: The study contributes to the discussion and reinforces the advantages of distributed, experiential training, highlighting the positive impact of meaningful participation and transformative learning opportunities.

Keywords : student learning; distributed platform; transformative learning; disorientating dilemmas.

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