Clinical Experiences and Learning Outcomes of Medical Interns During Family Medicine Rotation in Primary Health Care Setting: A Qualitative Study

Background Globally, medical internships represent a pivotal transition from undergraduate education to autonomous medical practice. These internships involve a structured, supervised, hands-on experience aimed at fostering professional development. Although the core objectives are universally shared, the structure, duration, and challenges of medical internships differ between high- and low-resource settings. In 2020, the South African medical internship program underwent revisions to improve health service delivery and align with World Health Organisation recommendations. This study examines the lived experiences of medical interns during their district Family Medicine rotation to understand the significance of the extended Family Medicine rotation and identify relevant themes. Method A qualitative interpretive phenomenological design using Heideggerian phenomenology was employed to capture the essence of interns’ lived experiences. Seven focus group discussions involving twenty-seven second-year medical interns who completed two months of Family Medicine district rotation were conducted. Stratified purposive sampling ensured representation across cohorts. Data collection and thematic analysis were performed concurrently, with verbatim transcription and coding supported by ATLAS.ti software. Results Participants were mostly females, 16 (62%), males, 8 (31%), with a mean age of 27.6 years. The majority, 21 (80.77%), were trained in a South African university, more than half, 14 (56%), had completed the major specialist rotations, and less than half, 12 (46%), completed all specialist rotations. Emerged themes were first-hand and experiential learning, holistic patient care, health education awareness and medication dispensing. Additionally, peer modelling and interprofessional collaboration, personal and professional growth and Family Medicine as a speciality career pathing. Conclusion The study highlights multifaceted learning experiences during Family Medicine district rotation. Additionally, it affirms the critical role of community-based training in preparing interns for context-sensitive medical practice.