Objective: To assess the effect of a four-week rural attachment on the knowledge and competency of medical students in basic practical and emergency procedures.
Design: A before and after comparison of self-reported level of competence in 72 basic, emergency, diagnostic and therapeutic procedural skills.
Participants: Eighty-five final year medical students at the University of Western Australia in 1991.
Outcome measure: A student was considered competent if he or she claimed to be able to do a procedure either alone or with assistance.
Results: Over 50% of students were competent in 57 procedures after the attachment compared with 37 procedures before it. There were 26 procedures in which more than 20% of students increased their competence.
Conclusion: A higher priority needs to be paid to the undergraduate teaching of procedural skills. Rural attachments can play an important part in training medical students in the practical skills required of interns.