"Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher" - Japanese proverb
A good teacher goes beyond teaching the students within the walls of the clinics by understanding that each student has different strengths and weaknesses, different paces in studying and grasping concepts thrown to them, and has evolving learner characteristics.
During my early years in the academe, I "control my clinical learning space" but over the years I came to realize that I should not only be an information provider giving endless lectures but more importantly a facilitator of learning in an environment where students can develop critical thinking skills and good clinical acumen.
I believe that students learn by example. As a clinical teacher, I exemplify and emphasize seeing the patient as a whole and that establishing the patient-physician relationship at the start of the patient encounter results in a better clinical experience and treatment outcome for the patient. Being a role model is a powerful teaching strategy with the students learning by observation and imitation of myself as a clinical teacher.
The clinical environment provides various avenues for experiential learning with diversified qualities of learners. As a clinical educator, I should be flexible and adaptable to the changing characteristics of today’s learners and the learning environment.
