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Table 1 Issues referred to eight times more frequently in FGDs with NPT and PT students

From: Preclinical students’ experiences in early clerkships after skills training partly offered in primary health care centers: a qualitative study from Indonesia

Major categories and sub-categories

Issues

Groups

  

NPT

PT

Pre-clinical training in skills laboratory

   

Strengths of training in skills laboratory

Preparing for interpersonal communication

12*

4

Weaknesses of training in skills laboratory

Differences between skills laboratory’s guidelines and procedures on site

15

23

Suggestions to improve training in skills laboratory

Having more topics for practice including communication skills, pediatric examination, local language, clerkship preparation, etc.

38

25

Difficulties in first clerkships

   

Difficulties with communication

Difficulties related to interpersonal communication

12

0

Difficulties with physical examination

Different guidelines from various supervisors

21

9

 

Difficulty to recognize a pathological condition in patients

14

2

Difficulties with diagnostic and therapeutic skills

Differences between manikins and patients

17

2

 

Afraid of harming the patient

10

1

General difficulties

Difficulties during adaptation period; responsibilities, equipments, procedures, etc

28

8

Insufficient supervision

24

14

Difficulties in collaboration with other health workers, health authorities, etc.

10

2

Low confidence in front of patients

15

3

Confused in front of patients

11

2

Nervous in front of patients

11

1

NPT students need to observe first before performing a clinical skill in first clerkships

15

2

 

Difficulties with clinical reasoning ability

14

6

Students’ opinion on ECE for pre-clinical students

   

Advantages

Having clinical experiences earlier

0

50

Being aware of differences between skills laboratory and hospital reality

9

28

Learning to cooperate with other health workers

5

18

Practicing interpersonal communication

0

24

Improving confidence

16

26

Improving clinical reasoning

4

20

Providing opportunities to practice clinical skills

2

21

Motivating to practice clinical skills

5

18

 

Learning that PHC is a comfortable environment for practice

0

10

Students’ suggestions for ECE

Effectiveness depends on supervisor’s support

16

28

 

Hospital attachments are needed to observe advanced clinical procedures

13

2

Students’ comments on comparing PT and NPT groups

   

PT students feel better prepared than NPT students in first clerkships

PT students demonstrate to be better prepared in their first clerkships

10

34

  1. *Cumulative frequency by which a similar issue was mentioned in FGDs.