Reviewers
Authors
Abstract
Early clinical exposure (ECE) is a teaching‑learning methodology which fosters the exposure of
medical students to the patients as early as the first year of medical college. A worldwide number of
research studies investigated the outcome of ECE and found, ECE sessions motivate the medical
student in various ways making their academic strength, improve clinical skills, and improve
communication skills and making them more confident. In the medical curriculum, ECE makes an
overall impact on student’s performance and confidence. Planning of ECE in real‑time practices
can be done in different settings with the use of appropriate resources such as logbook, textbooks,
notes, instruments, learning material, case record sheets, and computers. Herewith, we reviewed
the scientific base responsible for these outcomes and discussed different ECE settings and their
outcome. The Medical Council of India in new educational reforms made ECE sessions compulsory
from 2019 in undergraduate medical curriculum. In conclusion, the challenge for health professions
education is to look for ways to improve the quality of clinical education by comparing students’
understanding and modifying practices of clinical education in new circumstances. Early clinical
experience will definitely play a crucial role in this context, only if proper strategies are implemented.
This systemic review article highlights ECE settings and scientific basis in a theoretical way helpful
for medical faculties during its implementation in regular teaching.
Keywords
Dental Education. Contemp Clin Dent 2016;7:287‑8.
2. Ogur B, Hirsh D, Krupat E, Bor D. The Harvard medical
school‑cambridge integrated clerkship: An innovative model of
clinical education. Acad Med 2007;82:397‑404.
3. Tayade MC, Latti RG. Perception of medical faculties towards
early clinical exposure and MCI Vision 2015 documents in
Western Maharashtra. J Clin Diagn Res 2015;9:CC12‑4.
4. ShahN, DesaiC, JorwekarG, BadyalD, SinghT. Competency‑based
medical education: An overview and application in pharmacology.
Indian J Pharmacol 2016;48:S5‑9.
5. Jain V, Singh VK. Influence of healthcare advertising and branding
on hospital services. Pravara Med Rev 2019;11:19‑21.
6. Kojuri J, Esfahani A, Soheil A. Early clinical experience, a way for
preparing students for clinical setting. Galen Med J 2012;1:42‑7.
7. Zambouri A. Preoperative evaluation and preparation for
anesthesia and surgery. Hippokratia 2007;11:13‑21.
8. Souza R, Sansevero A. Introducing early clinical experience in
the curriculum. In: Abdulrahman KA, Mennin S, Harden R,
Kennedy C, editors. Routledge international handbook of medical
education. London: Routledge; 2015. p. 144‑56.
9. Başak O, Yaphe J, Spiegel W, Wilm S, Carelli F, Metsemakers JF.
Early clinical exposure in medical curricula across Europe: An
overview. Eur J Gen Pract 2009;15:4‑10.
10. Ottenheijm RP, Zwietering PJ, Scherpbie AJ, Metsemakers JF.
Early student‑patient contacts in general practice: An approach based on educational principles. Med Teach 2008;30:802‑8.
11. Karle H. Global standards and accreditation in medical education:
A view from the WFME. Academic Med 2007;81:S43‑8.
12. SharmaR, Bakshi H, Kumar P. Competency‑based undergraduate
curriculum: A critical view. Indian J Community Med
2019;44:77‑80.
13. Amy Yu , Sarah E. Pagni , Sang E. Park , Nadeem K. Early clinical
exposure in U.S. Dental schools and correlation with earlier
competencies evaluation. J Dent Educ 2020;84:151‑6.
14. Mcinerney P, Green‑Thompson LP, Manning D. Experiences of
graduating students from a medical programme five years after
curricular transformation: A descriptive study. Afr J Health Prof
Educ 2013;5:34‑6.
15. Torre D, Durning SJ. Social cognitive theory: Thinking and
learning in social settings. In: Cleland J, Durning SJ, editors.
Researching Medical Education. London: Wiley‑Blackwell; 2015.
p. 105‑16.
16. Lisberger SG. Learning: A mechanism of learning found? Curr
Biol 1995;5:221‑4.
17. McLeod SA. Kolb‑Learning Styles; 2013. Available from: http://
www.simplypsychology.org/learning‑kolb.htm. [Last accessed
on 2020 Aug 12].
18. Kolb DA. Learning styles and disciplinary differences. Modern
Am Coll 1981;232‑55.
19. Kolb DA. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source
of Learning and Development. Vol. 1. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice‑Hall; 1984.
20. Vidic B, Weitlauf H. Horizontal and vertical integration of
academic disciplines in the medical school curriculum. Clin
Anatomy (New York, NY) 2002;15:233‑5.
21. Dahle L, Brynhildsen J, Fallsberg M, Rundquist I, Hammar M.
Pros and cons of vertical integration between clinical medicine
and basic science within a problem‑based undergraduate medical
curriculum: Examples and experiences from Linköping, Sweden.
Med Teach 2002;24:280‑5.
22. Moir F, Yielder J, Sanson J, Chen Y. Depression in medical
students: Current insights. Adv Med Educ Pract 2018;9:323‑33.
23. Miglani AK, AroraR. Introduction of early clinical exposure (ECE)
in 1st year M.B.B.S students in the department of physiology. Int
J Physiol 2020;8:9‑14.
24. Littlewood S, Ypinazar V, Margolis SA, Scherpbier A, Spencer J,
Dornan T. Early practical experience and the social responsiveness
of clinical education: Systematic review. BMJ 2005;331:387‑91.
25. Steinshouer BS. Medical Schools in 1930s, The Classroom
Webportal, Downloaded on; 13 March, 2020. Available from:
https://www.theclassroom.com/medical‑schools‑1930s‑8432730.
html. [Last accessed on 2020 Aug 16].
26. Barzansky B, Gevitz N. Beyond Flexner: Medical Education in the
Twentieth Century. 1st ed. New York: Greenwood Press; 1992.
27. Zavlin D, Jubbal KT, Noé JG, Gansbacher B. A comparison of
medical education in Germany and the United States: From
applying to medical school to the beginnings of residency. Ger
Med Sci 2017;15:Doc15.
28. McLean M. Sometimes we do get it right! Early clinical contact
is a rewarding experience. Educ Health (Abingdon, England)
2004;17:42‑52.
29. Shah C. Early clinical exposure‑ Why and how? J Educ Technol
Health Sci 2004;42‑52
30. Vyas R, Sathishkumar S. Recent trends in teaching and learning
in physiology education early clinical exposure and integration.
Int J Basic Applied Physiol 2004;2012:1.
31. Chari S, Gupta M, Gade S. The early clinical exposure experience
motivates first year MBBS students: A study. Int J Edu Sci
2015;8:403‑5.
32. Sathishkumar S, Thomas N, Tharion E, Neelakantan N, Vyas R.
Attitude of medical students towards Early Clinical Exposure in
learning endocrine physiology. BMC Med Educ 2007;7:30.
33. Sawant SP, Rizvi S. Importance of early clinical exposure in
learning anatomy. Scholars J Appl Med Sci 2015;3:1035‑8.
34. Higgins‑Opitz SB, TuftsM. Active physiology learning in a diverse
class: An analysis of medical student responses in terms of sex,
home language, and self‑reported test performance. Adv Physiol
Educ 2012;36:116‑24.
35. Sefton AJ. Charting a global future for education in physiology.
Adv Physiol Educ 2005;29:189‑93.
36. Diemers AD, Dolmans DH, Verwijnen MG, Heineman E,
Scherpbier AJ. Students’ opinions about the effects of preclinical
patient contacts on their learning. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory
Pract 2008;13:633‑47.
37. Jafarian‑Amiri SR, Zabihi A, Qalehsari MQ. The challenges of
supporting nursing students in clinical education. J Edu Health
Promot 2020;9:216.
38. Srinivasula S, Srilatha A, Doshi D, Reddy BS, Kulkarni S. Influence
of health education on knowledge, attitude, and practices toward
organ donation among dental students. J Educ Health Promot
2018;7:157.
39. Sawant SP. Ethics for medical educators. Anat Physiol 2017;7:257.
40. Tayade MC, Kulkarni NB. The interface of technology and medical
education in India: Current trends and scope. Indian J Basic
Applied Med Res 2011;1:8‑12.
)