Teaching in daily clinical practice: how to teach in a clinical setting

Teaching in the clinical setting is challenging; however, it is the location where students apply their learned facts and learn skills and attitudes most effectively. In order to improve clinical teaching, it is important to know and implement the principles of adult learning. The clinical teacher should know or assess the learners' prior knowledge and skills, as well as their stage of learning, before starting a new teaching session. The learners should be actively involved in the clinical processes. Questions to probe students' deeper understanding and capability to analyze, synthesize, and apply medical knowledge should be an important part of clinical teaching. Regular structured feedback is an important part of any learning experience.