Reflecting on clinical education

Welcome to this second issue of Perspectives on Medical Education in its second year of existence. As Editorial Board we are happy with the increasing number of manuscripts that have been submitted in the past 18 months or so, many of which are important for the field of medical education, and we look forward to many more years to come. Let me introduce you to the content of the PME issue #2, where feedback and reflection in the professional workplace take a prominent role. Alexandra Hay is a fifth-year student at Manchester Medical School, UK, and the first author of a paper entitled Medical students’ reactions to an experience-based learning (ExBL) model of clinical education [1]. She tested the ExBL model in a group of 19 volunteering junior clinical students who discussed how the model corresponded to their experiences of clinical learning. Qualitative analysis was carried out on the verbatims of group discussions and on 500-word reflections that the participants wrote some weeks later. In these reflections the participating young doctors considered their clinical experiences before and/or after the group discussion, linking them to ExBL. Hay’s results were consistent with a strong effect of environment on learning processes and she and her co-workers rightly emphasize the important role of affective support for the learner. The Editorial Board of PME is proud to serve as a platform for such young scientists and to offer the fruits of Alexandra Hay and her co-workers to its readers. Another way for students to explore their perspectives and possibilities is to travel. Fortunately enough, medical students often get the opportunity to go and study abroad. What a chance to sharpen their focus and learn that medicine and health are distributed so differently. Many look for a country in a different continent and/or a health institute where the medical profession offers them the chance to increase their knowledge and skills. Some travel to carry out research, or do a PhD, others leave their country of origin to take their clinical rotations abroad or even run a local