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Preparing medical students to teach
Susan J Pasquale1, Michele P Pugnaire
1Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worchester 01655, USA.
Summary
Fourth-year medical students gained valuable teaching skills through a week-long elective. The Physician as Teacher course enhanced their ability to educate peers and prepare for residency roles.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Physician Training
- Pedagogy
Background:
- Residents contribute significantly to medical education.
- Medical students require preparation for their role as educators.
- An educational gap exists in undergraduate medical training regarding teaching skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and evaluate a medical elective focused on enhancing physician-as-teacher skills for fourth-year students.
- To provide a structured forum for acquiring and applying educational knowledge.
Main Methods:
- A week-long elective, "Physician as Teacher," was implemented.
- Interactive sessions covered needs assessment, teaching methods, learning styles, and feedback.
- Students applied knowledge through clinical teaching scenarios and a capstone teaching presentation.
- Teaching presentations were videotaped and followed by facilitated feedback.
Main Results:
- 15% of fourth-year students completed the elective.
- 90% of students agreed or strongly agreed the course provided useful knowledge and skills.
- 100% of students agreed or strongly agreed their teaching would improve.
- Students reported the end-of-course presentation was a rich learning experience for applying and synthesizing knowledge.
Conclusions:
- The "Physician as Teacher" elective effectively enhanced medical students' teaching skills.
- The course provided essential tools and a practical platform for developing educators.
- Students recognized the importance of their future role in teaching peers.