Good bedside teaching on secondary care placement: The student perspective

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Training
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Bedside teaching (BST) has declined, with a shift from bedside to other teaching methods.
• The educational value of ward rounds (WRs) as a teaching platform is under scrutiny.
• Student perspectives on effective clinical teaching are crucial for optimizing learning experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define effective bedside teaching (BST) from the student viewpoint.
• To develop guidance for clinician teachers to improve BST.
• To understand student preferences for learning during clinical placements.

Main Methods:

• Conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 medical students (10 second-year, 10 fourth/fifth-year).
• Utilized thematic analysis to interpret qualitative data.
• Focused on students from Leeds Medical School.

Main Results:

• Identified four key themes: benefits of early clinical exposure, qualities of effective clinical teachers, a preference shift towards opportunistic learning, and increased value placed on ward rounds (WRs) for learning.
• Early clinical experience benefits from structured teaching and clinician support.
• Later-stage learners prefer opportunistic learning integrated with patient care.

Conclusions:

• Bedside teaching (BST) structure should be graduated, progressing from observation to active participation with feedback.
• Effective teaching adapts to learner progression, incorporating structured support early and participatory, feedback-driven methods later.
• Active patient care involvement, guided by effective teaching, is essential for developing medical knowledge and skills.