Why don't we teach medical students to work in chaos?

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Source: Frontiers Medicine

Original: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2026.1701449...

Published: 2026-02-10T00:00:00Z

The article points out that medical students are not sufficiently prepared to work in the chaotic environment of clinics. The clinical environment is characterized by a lack of resources, insufficient support from clinical instructors and a gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application[1]. Students face barriers such as a poorly organized learning space, an inappropriate organizational culture where staff delegate care to students, and low quality interactions with instructors[1]. Conversely, positive aspects include supportive relationships with health professionals, individual and targeted supervision, and collaboration with peers[1]. Students prefer a practical focus instead of theory; one stated that instructors teach 80% theory, which is boring[1]. In some departments, there is a lack of clear rules, which leads to a feeling of inequality in learning, for example who should deliver the baby in the maternity ward[1]. A study of emergency medicine residents examines how they learn in a chaotic environment[2]. These experiences emphasize the complexity of clinical education[1].