The teaching and learning environment of a primary care medical student clinical attachment (“Famulatur”) – a qualitative study on experiences of students and primary care physicians in Germany

Aim: Following changes in licensing regulations for doctors (“Approbationsordnung”) in 2012, a 4-week clinical attachment (“Famulatur”) in primary care is now mandatory for all medical students in Germany. To date, it has not been studied how the Famulatur in primary care is perceived by the learner or the teacher. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of both medical students and primary care physicians (PCPs) with regard to the teaching and learning situation in the Famulatur in primary care. Methods: A qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 12 students from the medical faculty in Tübingen, Germany, and 17 PCPs from this region, was performed. Interview material was analyzed following content analysis according to Mayring. Results: In addition to considering the variety of tasks expected of the students and the optimal time for the Famulatur during the medical curriculum, the main themes of the interviews were the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement of the Famulatur. The Famulatur was predominantly perceived positively, although it being obligatory was criticized. In particular, the 1:1 supervision and the extended duration (compared to the first curricular primary care placement (“Blockpraktikum”)) were positively evaluated. PCPs and students were critical of the lack of a learning and educational Famulatur framework, which would have enabled earlier orientation and alignment of each party. Conclusion: The Famulatur offers good learning opportunities for medical students and provides an insight into primary care, which is typically seen positively; it appears to heighten enthusiasm for primary care within budding doctors. Even if the obligation should cease in “The Master Plan for Medical Studies 2020” (Masterplan Medizinstudium 2020), it would be beneficial to optimize the primary care Famulatur; the development of a student logbook and learning objectives could be helpful, for example in the form of portfolios.