Residents as teachers: The concept, rationale and challenges

Abstract

Majority of the physicians including residents who teach had received no formal training in teaching. Consequently, they utilize skills obtained from their own experiences when they teach. Numerous reasons and benefits for providing residents with formal teaching training have been suggested. Accrediting and certifying bodies have recognized the importance of residents as teachers, conferring priority to residents teaching ability. Residents should receive formal instruction that is tailored to both their specialty and need. As teaching can be learned and refined over time, it needs to be reinforced with review sessions designed according to needs, experience and years of training. Effective resident educators will ultimately mature to competent physicians. Such physicians who can educate both their patients, their families, and improve patients' care. In this article, we reflect on the current status in conventional settings, new and emerging practices in fostering an educational role for residents and explore the various modules of such practices and the potential for introducing these practices into newer regions.