Senior staff (particularly consultants) in teaching hospitals are
often passionate about their area of expertise. Formal teaching, be it in
the classroom or on the wards, should be audited and refined on a regular
basis in order to make teaching informative, interactive and fun.
Didactic teaching, historically carried out by flashing slides or
overheads on the screen for a few seconds, should now have been replaced
by frequent summaries of what has been covered and possibly the use of
MCQs or open questions to facilitate learning.
Given the changing nature of teaching in an attempt to improve
learning, it is therefore still disappointing when students fall asleep in
classroom settings and when they do not turn up for clinical teaching
sessions. As mentioned in the paper (1), it is true that most clinical
teachers have other commitments. Notwithstanding such commitments,
consultants frequently contribute over and above what is expected in terms
of bedside teaching.
Teaching should have moved away from learning by humiliation, but
students fail to understand that they have an equal part to play in the
learning process. Self-directed learning and curiosity are central to
getting the most out of medicine. A similar qualitative study interviewing
teachers may form a more rounded view of teaching and learning. Usurping a
well known tenet and turning it on its head, 'those who can, learn'!
(1) Lempp L, Searle C. The hidden curriculum in undergraduate medical
education: qualitative study of medical students' perceptions of teaching.
BMJ 2004;329:770-773.
Competing interests:
A clinical teacher at GKT Medical School
Rapid Response:
With respect to teachers
Senior staff (particularly consultants) in teaching hospitals are
often passionate about their area of expertise. Formal teaching, be it in
the classroom or on the wards, should be audited and refined on a regular
basis in order to make teaching informative, interactive and fun.
Didactic teaching, historically carried out by flashing slides or
overheads on the screen for a few seconds, should now have been replaced
by frequent summaries of what has been covered and possibly the use of
MCQs or open questions to facilitate learning.
Given the changing nature of teaching in an attempt to improve
learning, it is therefore still disappointing when students fall asleep in
classroom settings and when they do not turn up for clinical teaching
sessions. As mentioned in the paper (1), it is true that most clinical
teachers have other commitments. Notwithstanding such commitments,
consultants frequently contribute over and above what is expected in terms
of bedside teaching.
Teaching should have moved away from learning by humiliation, but
students fail to understand that they have an equal part to play in the
learning process. Self-directed learning and curiosity are central to
getting the most out of medicine. A similar qualitative study interviewing
teachers may form a more rounded view of teaching and learning. Usurping a
well known tenet and turning it on its head, 'those who can, learn'!
(1) Lempp L, Searle C. The hidden curriculum in undergraduate medical
education: qualitative study of medical students' perceptions of teaching.
BMJ 2004;329:770-773.
Competing interests:
A clinical teacher at GKT Medical School
Competing interests: No competing interests