The standardized vascular clinic: An alternative to the traditional ambulatory setting

PURPOSE: TO investigate the effectiveness of a standardized vascular clinic (SVC) in teaching diagnostic and management skills for common vascular pro blems, as compared with that of the traditional ambulatory setting. METHODS: Third-year medical students participating in the required surgical clerkship participated in this study. Students were randomly assigned to a ttend either a 4-hour SVC experience (group 1, n = 64) or a 4-hour traditio nal ambulatory experience (group 2, n = 60). Students completed a satisfact ion rating scale and a preencounter and postencounter self-efficacy rating scale at the end of the experience. Student t tests were used to compare th e groups in the areas of knowledge acquisition, problem solving, clinical s kills and satisfaction with the encounter. Analysis of covariance was used to compare the change between pre and post self-efficacy ratings. RESULTS: Students in group 1 performed significantly higher than students i n group 2 in the areas of problem solving, clinical skills, and student sat isfaction. They also demonstrated a higher level of confidence in their vas cular skills than students assigned to the traditional setting, CONCLUSION: The SVC may be more effective in teaching problem-solving and c linical skills. It also may promote more student satisfaction with the expe rience and confidence in clinical skills than the traditional ambulatory se tting. (C) 2000 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.