How receptive are patients to medical students in Australian hospitals? A cross-sectional survey of a public and a private hospital

To the Editor: Clinical training opportunities are a vital component of medical student education.1 The yearly intake of medical students into Australian universities has more than doubled since 2000.2 There is a need for increased clinical placements to accommodate the increasing student numbers. One possible solution is to extend clinical training in “non-traditional” settings, including in private hospitals.3,4 It is important to know whether private hospital patients are receptive to medical students, as this will influence the success of this initiative.