Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

How well do UK assistantships equip medical students for graduate practice? Think EPAs.

Kinston, Ruth; Gay, Simon; McKinley, R K; Sam, Sreya; Yardley, Sarah; Lefroy, Janet

Authors

Ruth Kinston

Simon Gay

R K McKinley

Sreya Sam

Sarah Yardley



Abstract

The goal of better medical student preparation for clinical practice drives curricular initiatives worldwide. Learning theory underpins Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) as a means of safe transition to independent practice. Regulators mandate senior assistantships to improve practice readiness. It is important to know whether meaningful EPAs occur in assistantships, and with what impact. Final year students at one UK medical school kept learning logs and audio-diaries for six one-week periods during a year-long assistantship. Further data were also obtained through interviewing participants when students and after three months as junior doctors. This was combined with data from new doctors from 17 other UK schools. Realist methods explored what worked for whom and why. 32 medical students and 70 junior doctors participated. All assistantship students reported engaging with EPAs but gaps in the types of EPAs undertaken exist, with level of entrustment and frequency of access depending on the context. Engagement is enhanced by integration into the team and shared understanding of what constitutes legitimate activities. Improving the shared understanding between student and supervisor of what constitutes important assistantship activity may result in an increase in the amount and/or quality of EPAs achieved. [Abstract copyright: © 2023. The Author(s).]

Citation

Kinston, R., Gay, S., McKinley, R. K., Sam, S., Yardley, S., & Lefroy, J. (in press). How well do UK assistantships equip medical students for graduate practice? Think EPAs. Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice, 10.1007/s10459-023-10249-4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-023-10249-4

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date May 28, 2023
Online Publication Date Jun 22, 2023
Deposit Date Jul 11, 2023
Journal Advances in health sciences education
Print ISSN 1382-4996
Electronic ISSN 1573-1677
Publisher Springer Verlag
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Pages 10.1007/s10459-023-10249-4
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-023-10249-4
Keywords Students, medical, Realist approach, United Kingdom, Education, medical, Entrusted professional activities