Using problem-based learning tutorials to enhance the effectiveness of clinical clerkships

Abstract

Background: Although problem–based learning （PBL） tutorials have widely been used in many medical schools, they are rarely used to enhance the effectiveness of clinical clerkships.
Methods: We used a questionnaire survey to evaluate the effectiveness of PBL tutorials during the clinical clerkships of 5th–year medical students.
Results: Of the 91 students, 90％ answered that PBL tutorials during clinical clerkships were considerably useful, and 94％ favored using PBL tutorials during clinical clerkships. All responses to the open–ended question regarding the usefulness of PBL tutorials stated that PBL tutorials were more useful during clinical clerkships than in the 2nd to 4th years. Many students felt that PBL tutorials helped them understand the processes of clinical reasoning and decision–making.
Conclusion: PBL tutorials increase the effectiveness of clinical clerkships, and, at the same time, the experiences of clinical clerkships increase the effectiveness of PBL tutorials.