Mixed-methods study reveals reduced anxiety and improved self-efficacy in medical students during an emergency elective, highlighting the value of early structured acute-care training.
Key Points
To evaluate undergraduate medical students' learning experiences and contextual educational indicators during a two-week supervised emergency-based elective.
Retrospective mixed-methods analysis of routinely collected educational data from four Phase III Part II MBBS students completing a two-week supervised elective in Mohali, Punjab, India.
Assessed qualitative data from baseline expectations, daily learning reflections (45 of 48 submitted, 93.8%), and post-elective feedback, integrated with contextual pre-post educational questionnaires.
All four students (100%) completed the paired contextual instruments, demonstrating post-elective score improvements in knowledge and self-efficacy, alongside mixed outcomes in communication self-assessment.
Qualitative analysis identified five major themes: navigating initial anxiety, linking classroom knowledge to clinical practice, procedural exposure gaps, high-pressure communication, and developing clinical confidence while acknowledging personal limitations.