Teaching the quality improvement process to junior medical students: the Nebraska experience

To teach the continuous quality improvement (CQI) process to junior medical students at the University of Nebraska during their rural family medicine preceptorship, we designed and implemented a population health project in 1998. This project requires students to select a problem affecting a population in their preceptor's practice, analyze that problem, and suggest a solution or remediation using CQI principles. Support for the students during their project includes Web-based examples and readings. Results of this project have included national presentations and changes in several preceptors' practice patterns. This project has been well accepted by preceptors and students.