Early clinical exposure in medical curricula across Europe: An overview

Figures & data

Table I.  ECE programme characteristics.

	Categories	No. of programmes
Main objectives	1. Orientation to several aspects of medical practice	23
	2. Introduction to clinical skills (history taking, physical examination)	15
	3. Learning communication skills	11
	4. Learning patients’ perspectives	7
	5. Learning several aspects of professionalism	6
	6. Orientation to national health services	5
	7. Understanding health and disease	5
	8. Orientation to community	3
	9. Integrating science and clinical learning – visualize anatomy	2
	10. Inspiring students	2
Place of training	1. Primary care settings, general practice clinics, department outpatient clinics	35
	2. Hospital wards and/or outpatient clinics	19
	3. Community, patients’ homes	3
Duration	1. Under 4 weeks	7
	2. Five weeks to 1 year	7
	3. More than 1 year	13
	4. Not mentioned	13
Length of session	1. One day (6–8 hours)	15
	2. Half day (4 hours)	5
	3. Less than half day (2–3 hours)	10
	4. Not mentioned	10
Number of sessions	1. 20 sessions and above	16
	2. 10 to 19 sessions	4
	3. 5 to 9 sessions	3
	4. Fewer than 5 sessions	3
	5. Not mentioned	14
Time in programme	1. First semester	31
	2. Second semester	1
	3. Second year	5
	4. Third year	3
Teaching methods	1. Observation	21
	2. Small group teaching methods	18
	3. Clinical teaching methods (bedside teaching, learning by doing, reflection, demonstration, coaching)	17
	4. Feedback	10
	5. Written reflections, reporting, assignments, presentations	9
	6. Self learning, videotaping	7
	7. Case based learning (PBL like methods)	6
	8. Lectures and mini lectures	3

Table II.  Main objectives, teaching methods, and place of training of ECE according to country.

Country (number of programmes included)	Main objectives	Teaching methods	Place of training
United Kingdom (8)	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8	1, 2, 3
Romania (7)	6	1	1
Sweden (4)	2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8	1, 2
The Netherlands (3)	1, 2, 3, 6	1, 3, 4, 5, 6	1, 2
Turkey (3)	1, 2, 3, 5, 6	1, 2, 3, 5	1, 3
Spain (3)	2, 4, 6	?	1, 2
Austria (2)	2, 5, 10	1, 2, 3	1, 2
Norway (2)	2, 3, 5	1, 3	1, 2
Denmark (1)	2, 10	3	2
Estonia (1)	1, 2	1, 2, 5	1
Finland (1)	3, 6	1, 3, 4, 5	1
Ireland (1)	1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8	2, 3, 7	1, 3
Israel (1)	2, 3, 4, 5, 7	2, 3, 4, 6	?
Malta (1)	9	1	1, 2
Portugal (1)	5, 6, 7	3, 5, 6, 7	1
Serbia (1)	1, 2	2, 5	1, 2

Category numbers are defined in Table I.

Table III.  List of publications on ECE.

Medical school	Country	No. of published articles (reference no.)	Others (in national journals or presentations)	Total
Linköping	Sweden	3 [24–26]	3	6
Göteborg	Sweden	—	2 (27)	2
Aydin	Turkey	—	2	2
Lund	Sweden	1 [10]	—	1
Tel Aviv	Israel	1 [16]	—	1
Maastricht	the Netherlands	2 [13], [20]	—	2
Utrecht	the Netherlands	1 [28]	—	1
Turku	Finland	—	1	1
Norfolk	UK	1 [14]	—	1
Nottingham	UK	1 [11]	—	1
Aarhus	Denmark	—	1 (29)	1
Total		10	9	19

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