The power of patient-side teaching -- still of benefit to student and patient.

Abstract

Extracted from text ... As Ramani1 points out, the patient-side, which may occur in in-patient or ambulatory settings, is the 'perfect venue for triangular interactions between teacher, trainees and patient'. Linked as they typically are to busy public-sector hospitals, South African medical schools are still in the (some might say, dubiously) fortunate position of offering a wealth of clinical experience to their undergraduates and new graduates. In time-honoured tradition, our medical undergraduates learn while caring for patients. This exploits, as it always has, the advantages of experiential learning or service-based learning,2 where learning is enhanced because it is shaped around professional performance and builds on what learners already know. In-service training facilitates integration of theory and ..