[Medicine at the primary care level (optional undergraduate subject at the University of Alicante): 2 years of experience].

OBJECTIVE

We want to put on record two years' experience of undergraduate teaching of an optional subject, "Medicine at the Primary Care level". This was given to sixth-year students by Family and Community Medicine specialist doctors within the Department of Medicine.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A crossover study carried out at the University of Alicante.

PARTICIPANTS

In the first year, 73 out of the 102 students making up the complete course took part (71.6%); and in the second year, 33 out of 93 (35.5%).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The methodology employed, the teaching staff and the documents handed out were given high marks by the students in both cases; as were the course contents in the second year. Deficiencies were noted in the presentation of practical hypotheses. In the first course the students criticised the lack of certain points, basically the tackling of the more common chronic pathologies, something which was corrected in the second year. The survey identified students' wishes to spend longer on the subject.

CONCLUSIONS

The students valued positively the existence of a theoretical content specific to Primary Care Medicine. In particular, they requested to be taught performance patterns for prevalent pathologies and for seminars to be organised around practical hypotheses.