TY - JOUR T1 - A new model of undergraduate clinical education? JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 216 LP - 217 DO - 10.3399/bjgp18X695885 VL - 68 IS - 670 AU - Maggie Bartlett AU - Fiona Muir Y1 - 2018/05/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/68/670/216.abstract N2 - In UK medical schools there is a growing interest in a new model of undergraduate medical education; the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC). In this model, the central principles are continuity, integration, and longitudinality;1,2 students participate in ‘the comprehensive care of patients over time’,3 continuing learning relationships with patients’ clinicians, and meet the majority of the core curricular competencies across multiple disciplines simultaneously.1 They do this by focusing on patients rather than morbidity categorised by specialty.The model grew out of initiatives to address rural medical workforce shortages in the US in the 1970s and spread during the 1980s to Australia, Canada, and South Africa. There is now a variety of different models worldwide with a median duration of 40 weeks4 and most are based in primary care.In a LIC, students follow a group of patients through episodes of care wherever they take place. Their initial encounters with these patients take place in a variety of settings throughout the clerkships; some in primary care, some in emergency departments or acute assessment units, and some in outpatient clinics. Educational supervisors help the students develop a diverse patient group so that their learning is broad and meets the requirements of the curriculum.LIC students perform at least as well and often better than those in more traditional curricula. Their consultation skills are well-developed, they understand more about the psychosocial aspects of medicine, take on more responsibility for patients and have more confidence in dealing with ethical issues.5Continuity of relationships with clinical teachers and patients is consistently quoted as the reason why LICs are effective in promoting learning.6 Participation in the care of patients over time has benefits for students as a result of the social aspects of having a role7,8 … ER -