Second- and third-year medical students’ clinical encounters in the emergency department

Background

Experiential learning theory suggests that direct clinical experiences facilitate learning. Previous literature has focused primarily on the experiences of fourth-year medical students. As more students gain early clinical exposure, it is important to understand the types of patients seen by junior students.

Objectives

This study aims to categorize the clinical experiences of early (M2 and M3) students in the emergency department (ED).

Methods

A retrospective review of the electronic health record of patients seen by M2s and M3s on a 2-week emergency medicine rotation at a single urban academic ED in the Midwest was performed. Data elements extracted included total number of patients seen, Emergency Severity Index (ESI), disposition, and chief complaint. Students were not mandated to see any particular patients.

Results

Medical students (248) saw 2994 total patients from 2018 to 2022. The median number of patients seen by each student was 12.0 (range 1–32). Pediatric patients made up 6.5% (n = 194) of total patients. Encounters were primarily ESI 2 or 3, which accounted for 89.4% of all patients (n = 2676). The most encountered complaints were abdominal pain, chest pain, and dyspnea, making up 15.6% (n = 467), 8.7% (n = 260), and 5.5% (n = 165), respectively, of total cases. Obstetrics/gynecology, hematologic, and environmental disorders were the least frequently encountered domains. No students saw all Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM)–recommended complaints.

Conclusions

There is significant variability in the ED encounters of M2s and M3s, with wide ranges of patient volume and presentations. This study provides some evidence that early students may not be meeting CDEM recommendations.