The Attending Physician as Teacher

THE task faced by the clinical teacher "is unique in the entire realm of teaching. In no other field does the nature of the material demand of the teacher this degree of preparedness without preparation. We suggest that the problem of learning how to teach as a clinician deserves much thoughtful study..." 1 Despite the obvious value of this suggestion by Reichsman et al., relatively few pertinent studies have been conducted. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Although these studies have been useful in identifying several general problems in clinical teaching, we have yet to develop and validate specific recommendations that will help attending physicians improve instruction . . .