Perception of First-year Medical Students’ Regarding Five Microskills of the Oneminute Preceptor Model in Early Clinical Exposure: A Quasi-experimental Study

Abstract

Introduction: Early Clinical Exposure (ECE) bridges the gap between theory and practice for medical students. The One-minute Preceptor (OMP) model, a widely used clinical teaching framework, promotes effective feedback and critical thinking efficiently. It employs five microskills: commitment, evidence probing, teaching rules, reinforcing correct actions, and correcting mistakes. This structured approach enhances clinical teaching in limited time, particularly in outpatient and ambulatory settings. Aim: To evaluate the perceptions of first-year MBBS students regarding the effectiveness of the five microskills of the OMP model during ECE. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted at Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, from September 2019 to June 2020, involving 188 first-year MBBS students. Data were collected through questionnaires focusing on the OMP’s five microskills. Pretest and post-test scores were compared, and session feedback was obtained using a validated 10-item questionnaire. Paired t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used for statistical analysis. Results: The study sample comprised 102 females and 86 males students (mean age 19.2 years). Results showed a significant increase from pretest (10.55±4.4558) to post-test (22.29±1.687). Students reported improvements in diagnostic capabilities (67.6%), understanding of clinical history (64.9%), self-directed learning (60.6%), critical thinking (58%), clinical reasoning (57.5%), and decision-making confidence (52.1%). The OMP also promoted motivation for rectifying mistakes. Conclusion: ECE using the OMP model proved to be effective in enhancing various aspects of students’ clinical skills and reasoning abilities. The study recommends including the OMP in preclinical competency-based curricula to prepare students for busy clinical practice and outpatient settings.

Keywords

• clinical competence
• medical education
• preceptorship
• problem-based learning