Graduating medical students and emergency procedure skill teaching in Finland--does a clinical skills centre make the difference?

BACKGROUND: Since our previous study in 1997, three of five medical schools have introduced clinical skills centres.

AIMS: Aim of the present follow-up study was to assess the present status of emergency procedure skills teaching. The number of students having practical experience of the procedures and student satisfaction were used as outcome.

METHOD: An electronic questionnaire including questions concerning successful performance of eleven emergency procedures and experiences in a clinical skills centre was sent to all final year medical students in all five Finnish medical faculties. The students were asked to give global rating for the volume and quality of emergency procedural skills. The response rate was 304/448 (67.8%).

RESULTS: There were significant differences in theoretical knowledge and practical performance of procedures between students in different medical schools. The students in the university having integrated curriculum and longest experience of a clinical skills centre were most satisfied with the volume and quality of emergency procedural skills teaching (p<0.001). They also found practicing in a skills lab more useful than students in other medical schools (p<0.026).

CONCLUSIONS: The students' experience of emergency procedure has slightly improved. Early practising in a clinical skills centre seems to increase the student satisfaction with emergency skills education.