THE PERSONAL TUTOR SYSTEM - AN EVALUATION

The stressful nature of medical student training is being increasingly recognized. This study describes a questionnaire survey of the long r unning personal tutor system (intended to help with social as well as educational needs of clinical students), at a London medical school. J ust over one half of students and one third of tutors were highly sati sfied with the system. Satisfaction in students was linked with regula rity, but not frequency, of meetings, being 'chased' by tutors, and en gaging in social as well as educational activities. A small but worryi ng percentage of students reported that they would not be able to shar e personal or academic difficulties with tutors, high-lighting the nee d for other avenues of support/counselling to be made available to stu dents.