Use a Variety of Teaching Methods
There are a variety of methods to teach:
- Priming the Learner: briefly prepare students for patient encounters by identifying key expectations and focusing the observation and feedback on those expectations
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Role Modeling: provide a guided opportunity for students to observe you in action
- Let the students know what they will be observing
- Consciously demonstrate skills
- Take time afterwards to debrief
- Teach in the presence of a patient: this allows you to correct and/or expand on missing history, to demonstrate a focused physical exam, and to apply clinical reasoning
Quick Tips
- Ask students about their past learning experiences
- Get to know how individual students learn best in order to maximize their learning
- Experiment with various teaching methods, as found in the Teaching Strategies section of this website
- Select an appropriate teaching method based on the content you will be teaching
Authors: Mandi Sehgal, MD, Christine Clevenger, Ed.S.
References
- Ralhan S, Bhogal P, Bhatnagar G, et al. Effective teaching skills – how to become a better medical educator. BMJ. 2012; 344:e765.
- Pettit J, Rosenbaum M. Strengthening Your Teaching Toolbox. MedEdPORTAL Publications; 2014.