Anesthesiology being a high stakes specialty in a dynamic environment, teaching students and trainees can be a real challenge. Particular challenges are:
1. Patient safety concerns: performing procedural skills such as tracheal intubation and spinal anesthesia have potentials for life- threatening complications. A 'see one, do one' technique of teaching are now replaced with simulation practices on mannequins or task trainers to ensure that psychomotor skills are honed prior to an actual patient encounter.
2. Availability of consultant supervisors. Schedules of anesthesiologists are very unpredictable and dependent on surgical calls. Dedicating specific time for teaching can be very challenging. A lot of times, trainees are left to perform tasks under remote supervision. This can be mitigated by identifying staff who are committed to training with dedicated schedules and are given appropriate remunerations as clinical teachers.
3. Lack of teaching skills. The assumption that as clinical experts, teaching effectively will come naturally is misleading and incorrect. Teaching skills are learned and therefore should be a required training for newly-hired staff and in continuing professional development program for the staff.
