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Larger and smaller sites in The Rural Clinical School of Western Australia: benefits and down sides Harriet Denz-Penhey Senior Research Fellow. History Operating since 2003 6 cohorts Now 68 students 2 universities UWA undergraduate : UNDA graduate. Major concerns
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Larger and smaller sites in The Rural Clinical School of Western Australia: benefits and down sides Harriet Denz-Penhey Senior Research Fellow
History Operating since 2003 6 cohorts Now 68 students 2 universities UWA undergraduate : UNDA graduate
Major concerns Is it possible to educate students in remote places to metropolitan standards? What are the students’ subjective experiences?
Evaluation Close relationships with local coordinator Comparison of RCS & metro end of year results Mid year evaluation: interview 2003-7 DREEM: 2007-8
Quantitative Comparison Dependent Variable: End of year marks Metropolitan students 71.0 RCS Large sites (Pop >25,000) 72.3 RCS Small sites (pop < 25000) 72.4 Statistically significant between Metro & RCS (p <.03 lge, p<.04 sm)
Qualitative Strong identification with their own sites Indications that students at small sites were more enthusiastic than larger sites even when teaching conditions less than ideal
DREEM Questionnaire Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure Internationally validated & accepted Identified all the site issues known through the qualitative interviews
DREEM Questionnaire Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure Highest scores in literature: 139 RCS overall mean score: 150.0 Small sites mean score: 159.1 Larger sites mean score: 147.1
Larger sites Smaller sites Student perception learning 34.6 39.5 Student perception teaching 34.0 34.9 Student academic self perception 21.1 23.3 Student perception of atmosphere 37.0 38.3 Student social perception 20.5 21.8
Larger Sites Rotational clinical exp Similar to metro exp More specialists More specialist teachers Structure Smaller Sites Clinically see what comes through door Generalist taught Access to all the odd, different, & technically challenging cases Flexibility
Students sent to small remote sites With good systems & support Are not disadvantaged End of year results Subjective experience