Many of the daily problems of practice act as opportunities for learning;
spending time to reflect on these moments can lead to informed and intentional changes to practice.
Underlying all of the following techniques is the need to actively engage student's minds, hearts and bodies in the learning process. The 13 most useful clinical teaching techniques in medicine that help students develop their clinical reasoning skills are:
Using Questions to Stimulate ThinkingPicking questions that match the level of thinking you expect from students and residents is an important skill for medical faculty.
Teaching Issues of Diversity When Diagnosing and Treating Patients - A Podcast.
Bedside Teaching This module covers several aspects of hospital-based teaching.
And another that uses
BEDSIDE as a Mnemonic.
Intentional Role Modeling Demonstrating how you think about a patient issue, helps students understand the process.
SNAPPSSNAPPS is a case presentation method that, when taught to students and junior residents, helps them be more self directed. Adding the
NHS Evidence Search tool makes this more interesting.
Precepting Using Microskills Also known as the 1 minute preceptor, this technique is very useful for evaluating how students are making decisions about a diagnosis. For a shorter version or to watch a video of this technique, go to
Practical Prof.
Chart Stimulated RecallThis is a technique primarily for use with senior residents who work fairly independently, but may also be used to teach charting skills with junior residents.
Clinical Decision Analysis is the application of explicit, quantitative methods to analyze decisions under conditions of uncertainty. Decision analysis allows clinicians to compare the expected consequences of pursuing different strategies.
Illness ScriptsExpert physicians have thousands of illness patterns stored in their memory. This technique will help students and residents develop their own patterns.
Ambulatory Teaching of Clerks/Jursi's - a presentation by Dr. Gill White. A
podcast is available here.
Discovery Based Learning is a Socratic technique of using questions to help students make connections/learn patterns.
Preparing Clinical Vignettes The American College of Physicians preparation checklist
MicroteachingA quick technique for teaching in a classroom type situation
FeedbackWe usually think of feedback as an end result of teaching, but it can also be used as part of the learning process.
Teaching Clinical Observation Skills.
How To Help Students See When Their Knowledge is Superficial or IncompleteThe top 5 OSCE medical student mistakes for Clinical History and Examination
CanMeds START The Health Advocate Role: A Practical Plan for Teaching and Assessment from CanMeds.
Confidentiality A BMJ learning Module
Return to Clinical Teaching
Proceed to Acting Like a Physician
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