Assessing Clinical Performance

Clinical Performance, really any performance, can be assessed using a number of methods. The choice of methods really depends on the level of the learner and your expectations.  In most cases, we expect the naïve learner to "know about", while the advanced learner should be "able to do" in practice.  Being clear about expectations can be your "best friend" when setting up a system for clinical assessment.  BLOG AWAY... I look forward to reading your reflections on the session.

Strategies for Interactive Teaching

If we want individuals to learn, they must be engaged in the process.  Learning can occur with us serving as a guide, or without us as students review their readings, notes and try to make sense of the material and experience alone or with others. Of course we hope it is both!! I personally like being part of the process. 

Teaching should be purposeful; that is, teachers should have a learning goal (general principles) in mind.  Teaching in groups can be challenging, as your "audience" might be composed of learners at different knowledge levels and experience.  Please take a few minutes to comment on your reading, class discussion or experience with teaching in groups.   CT

Raising the Bar for Clinical Teaching

Today we observed a committed physician educator share his insights about what it means to be "present" as a clinical teacher.  I'm not sure what you will remember from the required readings and the PP slides and practice opportunities, but what is reinforced for me each year when I work with Bud on this session is that it is possible to be both a dedicated practitioner and an effective teacher.  Is time a factor.. of course.  Is context a factor... of course.  What I loved hearing was the different ways proposed for modifying what you heard from Bud into your own setting.  The principles supporting  "teach general rules", asking "high yield questions" and "reflection on action", are universal.  They don't just pertain to teaching in a General Internal Medicine outpatient setting, or even clinical teaching. 

This session, I suspect, was a more difficult session for our non-clinical masters students.  I hope the cases helped, but I can imagine you had to work harder at extrapolating principles and tips to your own setting.  Comments on the readings, presentation or your own wonderful inspired thinking are welcome.

Using Narrative Assessment Methods to Give Feedback

I spoke with Dr. Pien and she mentioned a couple areas of narrative feedback about which there was much discussion.  See below for possible stimuli for discussion:

• "Another feature about written assessments that the class talked about was the fact that narrative assessment is a permanent record, hence the difficulty and reluctance with providing modifying feedback and why most written feedback is focused on strengths, even if the assessment is formative".
• "The faculty mentioned the need to balance the narrative assessment with face-to-face dialogue with trainees especially with regards to areas for improvement".

Use these as a springboard for discussion or choose another issue