WHY MEDICAL TEACHERS NEED SKILLS?

1. WHY MEDICAL TEACHERS NEED SKILLS?
Dr.T.V.Rao MD
We all become teachers by accident, now the question remains are we teachers by
designation or by practice. Many of my friends tell me practice made them perfect. I
do agree, when I started teaching in a Medical college, my fear was wether I will be
accepted by the students, which made me a better person in life. With the
mushrooming of Medical colleges, the great calamity is teaching of the
undergraduates and more so of the postgraduates. Now we no longer complain of
bad students, we have equally bad teachers, however the students are afraid to
complain in view of the examination system and internal assessment systems, Many
workshops will be conducted on medical education however they benefit 10 -20 %
of the teachers, majority are younger generation of committed, to their professional
competence, rest it is a routine and never take clues why our skills are important.
The modern medical universities have decided to bring in change in the way we
train the students. In the past decade the principles of effective teaching for
doctors have come of age. To earlier generations of doctors no training in
specific teaching skills was provided. Teaching was a skill that you were
expected to possess or acquire. Effective teaching techniques are now a
requirement for doctors, The teaching too like evolution of man in the world, as it
is important to remember that most teachers do not begin their careers with a full
complement of these skills; becoming an effective teacher is a process of
continual refinement. One should realize any improvement in this world is
attributed to self-consciousness, just have passion that I should be better than
many in and around.It is vital to have a basic grasp of how adults learn, the
different learning styles, how to adapt your teaching to different situations, and an
understanding of assessment. This can all be gained from self directed reading of
general teaching texts; however, newer teaching manuals aimed specifically at
teaching in medical education are often more digestible, just search with a word
―How I improve my teaching career‖ ( Google search) we get many ideas of many
to improve on many matters in life. A great deal can also be learnt from observing
and discussing teaching methods with experienced teachers. This can be taken
further in the form of a mentor. The potential utilities of this role model are vast
but can include advice, guidance, resource facilitation, and counseling about
difficult teaching situations. The mentor is usually a senior colleague who can
offer positive and negative feedback in a non-judgmental manner. The
relationship may be a prolonged one, sometimes both professional and personal,
and can be an asset to mentor and mentee. We are reluctant to listen to honest
feedbacks, in many universities the people in power make them very big and try
to suppress the good young teachers;Self-improvement in any skill requires
knowledge of how you are currently performing. It is well known that feedback
improves performance. Constructive feedback facilitates refinement and
evolution of any teaching episode, whether it is a specific lecture or a whole
curriculum. Appropriate feedback can be gained through several methods: We
have a very biased system where few aggress with each other try to have your
own self assessment on matters of you teaching skills just practice self
assessment, I know what class I have done well and which I have not too well
Self feedback allows the teachers to build a portfolio of reflective logs that help to
identify pearls, pitfalls, and specific strengths and weaknesses. Self-feedback is
the most consistent method and thus, in some ways, the most reliable. Feedback

2. from colleagues is more difficult to obtain, and some people believe that the
intrusive nature of direct observation falsifies the teaching environment and is
unreliable. In these situations, indirect feedback is often a reasonable alternative.
Feedback is at its most effective when several methods are used simultaneously
and interpreted in a positive light.A great way to improve our teaching is to get
feedback. Feedback can come from self-reflection, peer observation and from
learners themselves. There are many different ways to get feedback from
learners and various types and designs of feedback form. E learning and
webcasting are examples of educational strategies that have become
commonplace in many medical institutions. More recently, interest has moved
towards the use of personal computers and many technologies to improve
learning and teaching Podcasts and, audio and video files respectively, can be
downloaded to portable computer devices such as an MP3 player. They are
being increasingly used for lectures. Some of their many advantages include
portability, facilitation of learning ―on the go,‖ and encouragement of self directed
learning. We are using tablets’ and smartphones we have many things in them
teach them even at bedside. Many Medical colleges are implementing electronic
white boards to educate the students we can really do wonder.Interactive white
boards combine the traditional flipchart, overhead projector, and white board.
They are large touch sensitive surfaces that are connected to a computer and a
digital projector. They can be useful in problem based learning when working with
a small group. This technology promotes student interaction and collaboration
within the learning environment. Even though it is difficult to implement the
system with reluctance of many senior professors, teachers on advances in
digital technologies and use of computers should be explored, as the use of
modern technology in education is not a passing trend but a powerful tool to
supplement traditional teaching methods. The next generation of undergraduate
students will automatically embrace these changes, and as teachers we must do
the same to maximize the potential benefits and improve ourselves as medical
educators. Life is a lessons differs to the circumstances, we can take heart from
the progress that has been made over the preceding decades. We now have
generations of students and doctors who consider training in teaching methods
as part of the norm. Many students now have the opportunity to take formal
qualifications and fellowships. Educational excellence, along with clinical
excellence, is increasingly being recognized and rewarded appropriately.
However, we cannot rest on our laurels, degrees and must continue to strive to
improve how we teach and to embrace new ways of delivering teaching, while
not losing sight of the main goal: to be better at treating patients and delivering
high quality healthcare. The Medical teachers should practice,what does the
learner gain from my session, lecture? –Feedback on your teaching – this is vital
to make important changes and participants to provide feedback at the end of the
session is usually the only way one can guarantee any meaningful feedback Self
– reflection – This is extremely useful to ensure one makes the most of
Ones own potential, Practice and improve the best in you, it is certain you are
a loved teacher.
Dr.T.V.Rao MD Professor of Microbiology- Freelance writer
Ref Effective teaching skills—how to become a better medical educator Authors: Shvaita Ralhan, et al
BMJ