Background: Early introduction to clinical medicine program was use as medical curriculum, Suranaree University since
2007. Today, medical students are learning introduction to patient contact, communication skills and clinical examination in
the pre-clinical years with the purpose of gaining early clinical experience.
Objective: Investigation for pre-clinical students and clinical facilitators’ perception through early introduction to clinical
medicine.
Material and Method: Third-year medical students were enrolled in the introduction to clinical medicine course for 2 weeks. Questionnaires for student and facilitator versions were distributed to 60 students and 21 facilitators. In the analysis, both t-test analysis and bivariate analysis for mean difference were used, statistical significant p<0.05.
Results: Sixty students (participation rate 100%) and 16 facilitators (participation rate 76%) completed the questionnaire. Differences in perception between medical students and facilitators were found in domains of professionalism, facilitator’s perception were greater than medical students in medical profession were (4.5 vs. 3.87, p = 0.03), domain that medical student’s perception were greater than facilitator’s in encouragement was (3.95 vs. 3.25, p<0.01) and pressure in learning environment (3.92 vs. 3.12, p<0.01). No learning gaps of facilitators and medical students in the other domains of cognitive, interpersonal skills, ethics, learning, teacher preparation and social environment and overall stratification were identified.
Conclusion: The students experienced the course as providing them with a valuable introduction to the physician’s professional
role in clinical practice. In medical students’ perception, they often experienced encouragement and the learning environment
more so than facilitators did. Overall stratification was good in perception of facilitators and medical students.

Keywords: Early clinical exposure, Instructional program