Policy and preference: the intersection of attendance hurdles and student perceptions of practical classes

Abstract

Background: Practical classes and skills labs, where students learn, practice, and demonstrate key professional and technical skills, are essential in health professional education. As such, attendance at practical classes has historically been mandated and, in some cases, an “attendance hurdle” (i.e., mandatory minimum attendance requirement that students must meet to pass the course) is applied to subjects where practical classes are a core part of the curriculum. We aimed to explore students’ attitudes, beliefs and experiences of attendance hurdles for practical classes. Methods: We surveyed students from entry-to-practice programs in Medicine, Dentistry, Oral Health, Optometry, Physiothe..