Becoming a Better Teacher
Dr. Mok's Notes May 2007
My interest in teaching began when first-year medical student Lauri Pramuk came to my Kaiser Permanente office. Lauri's placement with me was part of the Introduction to Doctoring curriculum through the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Most weeks, throughout her medical school and pediatric residency, we spent a half day together seeing patients in the office or rounding in the nursery or hospital. By the time Lauri finished her Pediatric Chief Residency year at The Children's Hospital, guess who was doing the most learning? Yours truly.
I am a believer in the method "learning by doing." But, during Lauri's pediatric residency, I wish I'd had access to an important resource document I came across recently from the AAP entitled Pediatric Education in Community and Office Settings: Starter Kit for Community Preceptors.
Highlights of this publication include:
Most health care graduate level schools and residency training programs now agree that more effective learning occurs when students and trainees are able to integrate didactic material with real life application experiences. Since most health care for children takes place in the ambulatory or community setting, students in nursing, child health associate/physician assistant programs and medical school residents in pediatrics and family medicine need greater access to community pediatrics as practiced in our offices and clinics.
What is community pediatrics?
- Most of all, community pediatrics encompasses a perspective or attitude that allows the health care clinician to see the individual child as part of a community of children.
- This perspective recognizes the impact of family, educational, social, cultural, spiritual, economic, environmental and political forces on the health and functioning of children.
- In turn, this leads to a synthesis of clinical practice and public health principles which promotes the health of all children within the context of family, school and neighborhood.
- The clinician then becomes committed to cooperation with all those involved in enhancing the health and quality of life for children.
Why teach?
- Teaching can make seasoned community providers more satisfied and fulfilled clinicians by stimulating more careful attention to detail and motivating personal continuing education.
- Having students and residents in your practice enhances the image of the office as part of the academic enterprise and may give us the chance to audition prospective associates.
- Perhaps most importantly, teaching is a sign of gratitude toward our own mentors and toward those who have advanced medical knowledge as patients or researchers, assuring that this legacy will pass to the next generation of expert professionals.
The Starter Kit from the AAP gives detailed information on developing an office-based teaching program from the community pediatrics point of view. A sampling of the sections include:
- Orientation
- Documentation
- Liability concerns
- Evaluation
- School health
For those of us who have spent more than a couple decades learning to be good teachers, there are many new and interesting suggestions. A section dedicated to maintaining an academic portfolio will help those interested in advancement through the ranks of the clinical faculty. For information about clinical faculty progression, visit www.uchsc.edu/peds.
One of the contributors to the Starter Kit is Maya Bunik, MD , the Medical Director of the Child Health Clinic at Children's Hospital. She is available for questions at bunik.maya@tchden.org.
As a professional in health care, I believe that taking care of children and teens is quite an honor. But, being able to teach others while practicing medicine is just plain fun. There is nothing quite like seeing a student or resident mature and develop clinical confidence right before your eyes. It is time well spent for sure.
If you would like to comment, please contact me by phone at (720) 777-6130 or email at mokrohisky.stefan@tchden.org.
