An audit of clinical teaching: an approach to one performance indicator of educational competence

This paper describes a simple, self-administered audit of the year-by-year clinical examination results of 149 students taught by the writer (Dr X) over a 9-year tenure (1977-1985) as a Senior Lecturer in Surgery at the University of Western Australia. The clinical examination results of these 149 students are compared with the clinical examination results of a total peer group cohort of 1567 students taught by the writer's colleagues in the same academic department over the same years. The limitations and applicability of this method of audit are discussed, and it is argued that this type of self-assessment might be of use, in conjunction with other evidence, in the documentation of teaching expertise. Such documentation might be of use in applications for clinical teaching appointments or promotions.