Tutors Matter: The Relationship between Medical Students’ Satisfaction from Their Tutor and Their Overall Satisfaction from Clinical Rotations

Background and Aim: Medical students are required to complete a number of clinical rotations in hospital departments, affiliated with the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, under the supervision of a department tutor. Our experience shows that departments receiving good scores typically also receive good feedback for their tutor. Accordingly, our aim was to assess the tutor contribution to students’ overall satisfaction from clinical rotations in hospital departments across northern Israel. Methods: Here, we recorded the students’ reported satisfaction with tutors as well as the satisfaction with clinical rotations in different departments of Galilee Medical Center (GMC) in Naharia, and Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Poria. The students’ reported satisfaction was assessed numerically and verbally using questionnaires over a period of three years. Results: We find that the students reported satisfaction with a clinical rotation is positively and significantly correlated with the student satisfaction with the tutor, and less with other factors such as hospital organization and department facilities, geographical distance from home, working hours, etc. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that medical schools can increase students’ satisfaction through investment in good tutors.