Enhancing Authentic Learning in Primary Care: Real-Time Immersive Experiences in Family Medicine Clerkships

Primary care in the Netherlands faces a growing mismatch between demand and workforce capacity: while the need for Family Medicine (FM) is rising due to population growth and ageing, fewer graduates choose FM and many current practitioners are reducing or ending their practice. In 2024, about 60% of FM practices stopped accepting new patients, and around 1 in 20 people are seeking or changing family physicians, with shortages expected to worsen (Rekenkamer, 2025). This also limits the availability of FM training placements, threatening the future workforce (Van Dijk, 2011; Onderzoeksrapport Extramurale capaciteit, 2025).
This project introduces IX by applying Virtual Clinical Experiences (VCE™) into Dutch FM clerkships; an approach that has shown strong results in the UK but has not yet been implemented in Dutch medical education. VCE™ allows students to participate in real patient consultations live via secure audiovisual technology, enabling multiple learners to be supervised simultaneously without increasing workload for individual practices (Gomez, 2024, 2025).
We will use design-based research to develop, test, and improve this new IX training model in close collaboration with students, educators, and FM practices, by learning what works and what does not, and refining it while systematically measuring educational quality, feasibility, and supervision load.
The novelty of this project lies in being the first to adapt and embed IX within Dutch Family Medicine undergraduate training, creating a new form of digitally supported workplace learning that fits the Dutch healthcare context. By expanding training capacity without increasing pressure on practices, the project aims to improve learning outcomes and increase students’ interest in FM as a career. If successful, this scalable model can also be applied to other clerkships and specialty training programmes, contributing to a more sustainable primary-care workforce in the Netherlands.