Identifying qualities that engage medical students on clinical placement: a qualitative study of intern reflections
Abstract: Clinical placements are an essential part of medical education. However, they can differ in quality, educational value and student engagement. This study uses a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted directly after a clinical placement to identify qualities that make placements engaging for medical students. Five themes were uncovered: clear structure enhances engagement, team culture and psychological safety, active involvement and work-integrated learning, feedback and supervision matter, and disengaging experiences: the wallflower effect. Clear expectations, active participation and regular feedback from invested supervisors were found to underpin high-value learning experiences. This study is limited by its small sample size, which may reduce the generalisability of findings. Despite the small sample size, the themes of this study are transferable to other students in clinical learning contexts. Further research could seek to explore these views across a more diverse range of institutions. Keywords: clinical placements, student engagement, structure, psychological safety, work-integrated learning