Practical training in family medicine in the Dalmatian hinterland: first-hand experience of four physicians

Four physicians working in private family medicine offices in Dalmatian Hinterland described their first hand experience of teaching sixthyear medical students. They supervised students during the 2010/2011 academic year, in an area that is economically undeveloped, rural, and where a number of people live in extended families. Although hesitant at first, the patients came to like the interaction with students, and later even yearned to provide students with as much information as possible. They also liked the letters that students had to write to them about their illness, because they could take them home and look for information without needing to see the doctor. The students showed diverse attitudes to different types of work in family medicine offices, mostly depending on their plans for future career. In general, they either complained or hesitated to perform duties that they did not fully master during earlier education, especially working with children. They needed several days to adapt to direct contact with the patients, and were more relaxed and cooperative when working in pairs than alone. The physicians themselves felt that they profited both from the novelty in the everyday routine and from the exchange of their experiences with the students. They liked their young colleagues and admitted they could not objectively review their own work, knowledge and skills.