Clinical Educators' Teaching Approaches and Attributes in Laboratory Medicine

Area of Science:

• Medical Laboratory Science
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Clinical educators significantly influence the quality of health professions education.
• Identifying key attributes and effective teaching methods for clinical educators is essential for optimizing student learning experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the most valued attributes and teaching methods of clinical educators in medical laboratory professions.
• To inform the development of training programs for clinical educators.

Main Methods:

• A 48-question survey was developed and validated.
• The survey was distributed to laboratory professionals within the American Society for Clinical Pathology database.
• Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics (P value ≤ 0.05).

Main Results:

• Communication and motivation to teach were identified as the most valued attributes of clinical educators.
• Empathy was reported as the least valued attribute among clinical educators.
• Educators utilize diverse approaches for teaching and student evaluation.

Conclusions:

• Clinical educators' communication and motivation are highly prized by students.
• Targeted training focusing on key attributes and teaching strategies can enhance clinical education.
• Improving clinical educator training can benefit both educators and students in health professions.