What makes a great clinical teacher in pediatrics? Lessons learned from the literature

Great clinical teachers occupy a unique and powerful role in the education of medical students. Their noncognitive and cognitive actions and behaviors influence future student behaviors and career choices and, most importantly, result in a future generation of physicians who are equipped to care for children.16 Although we continue to have difficulty defining the critical characteristics of a great clinical teacher, identifying such a teacher is easy: they are the ones to whom students and residents flock. If we return to a teacher we each remember as having made the clinical experience memorable and inspired us to work a little harder, it is the person, not necessarily the content, that we remember. Although some have advocated that great teaching is innate,13 many of the skills and strategies can, in fact, be learned and developed. Over the next several issues we will explore in greater detail the skills and strategies developed by COMSEP that can be quickly and efficiently assimilated into daily practice and help make a good clinical teacher great.