What is the Clinical Skills Learning Center (CSLC)?

With shorter periods of hospitalization, fewer in patient beds and more health care facilities in the society patients are now more acutely ill and highly dependent, causing less opportunities for medical students to practice and learn basic clinical skills. On the other hand, enhanced patient rights and other learning limitations require that professional education provide not only knowledge and practical skills, but also graduates with communication skills and attitude towards learning. Therefore, the Clinical Skills Learning Center (CLSC) has been developed in response to these issues in medical education and changing health care policies. It gives students the opportunity to practice a wide range of practical skills in a stress free and controlled environment, by using medical simulators, models, computers and other educational sources. Review of twenty CSLCs through internet and also review of related articles shows that CSLC can provide connection between theoretical subjects and practical skills, reduce student’s anxiety and teach communication skills more effectively. A successful skills center needs to be flexible in its design, integral to the curriculum and relevant to educational and training requirements. This requires a proper planning, organization and resources. This article attempts to present a general schema of CSLC and its application by investigating and comparing CSLC in different universities of the world.