The General Medical Council is very clear that all doctors have a responsibility to teach, but its latest guidance extends that responsibility still further. Doctors with a special responsibility for teaching must take steps to develop the skills of a competent teacher, as well as demonstrating personal enthusiasm for their specialty, and a commitment to research and audit. Furthermore, doctors responsible for clinical training should be “sensitive and responsive to the educational needs of students and junior doctors,” as well as skilled in the art of formative assessment and appraisal. General Medical Council. The doctor as teacher. London: GMC, 1999.