Early encounter to clinic report of an intervention

Introduction. Learning medicine could have many tension and anxieties like encounter to a strange educational and clinical environment. Early clinical exposure is supposed to suppress these stresses and motivate students with a better attitude and awareness. Methods. In an interventional study with a pretest –post test method 45 first and second year medical students were encountered to clinical environment in rounds, operating room and urgency wards and clinics. They spent five days in small groups with a 6th or 7th year student as mentor. They experienced one night in emergency ward. Students’ attitude was assessed by a questionnaire with Likert scale. Results. The score of attitude toward effectiveness of medical education elevated (0.81) at the end (p<). But the score of attitude toward medical profession and job was  less than the first day (p<). More positive change in attitude toward medical education was seen in women (p<) but this difference was not seen in attitude toward medical profession.  agreed or strongly agreed with necessity of this program for first year medical student.  thought that this course had motivated them to study more at school and equal percent said that this course made learning medicine more attractive and enjoyable. All of the students wanted to come to the hospital in future voluntarily.  mentioned that medical profession was more difficult than what they thought.  agreed or strongly agreed that patients differ from what they imagined before. Discussion. This study showed the definite effect of early exposure to clinical environment as an educational place or a hospital. Although the sample size and conditions of the study do not allow us to generalize the advantages to medical students’ population but the intervention influenced a positive change in medical students’ motivation and led them in the school years. It made them more active and alert about their future profession.