An innovative strategy to expand clinical education: a report on the students`view

Abstract

Clinical education is an integral part of undergraduate physiotherapy training.  The minimum hours of clinical training required differ from country to country.  As a result of a magnitude of reasons, academic institutions find it increasingly difficult to place their students at appropriate clinical sites.  Consequently, the physiotherapy department at Stellenbosch University has embarked on an innovative approach to substitute this shortness of placements for 3rd
year physiotherapy students in 2003.  Once all the students had rotated through this new cluster of learning opportunities, the students evaluated this approach.  A self-developed questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions was used for this survey.  The response rate was 83%.  The vast majority of students found the structure of this new block enjoyable and meaningful.  It will therefore be continued in the future and evaluated on a regular basis.