Does a student log provide a means to better structure clinical education?

Context In order to optimize student learning during clinical rotations, th e learning situation could be better structured. A student log was develope d in order to improve the structure of clinical education. In this log, stu dents systematically register essential learning activities. Students recor d daily the patient problems with which they had been confronted and in whi ch fashion (passive, active, without or with feedback). Objectives/research questions Two questions were addressed. Firstly, did th e log provide insight into the content and nature of students' learning exp eriences and did these learning experiences differ between hospitals! Secon dly, was the log used by students, supervisors and the faculty to improve t he structure of student learning during clinical education? Method Three student logs, used in an ear, nose and throat, an ophthalmolog y and a paediatrics clerkship at the Medical School of the University of Ma astricht, were developed and implemented. In order to answer the first ques tion, a number of completed student logs were analysed. In order to answer the second question, students were asked to rate the log on five evaluative statements. In addition, the clerkship coordinators were interviewed. Results The results showed that the logs provided the clerkship coordinator s with a useful overview of the content and nature of students' learning ex periences in the hospitals. The differences between hospitals were small. H owever, the logs were not used by students, supervisors and faculty to impr ove the structure of student learning. Conclusions In order to be effective, i.e. to better structure clinical edu cation, a student log should be integrated into the supervision activities.